February 19, 2025 • 27 mins
The Breakfast Club Sits Down With Will Packer To Discuss His New Book; 'Who Better Than You,' Career Journey, ATL Falcons Ownership. Listen For More!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Breakfast Club.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Yeah, it's the world more dangerous morning show to Breakfast Club,
charlamagea god, just hilarious. DJ VA is out, but Lauren
Leros is in and we got a special guest in
the building. He's got a new book out, Who Better
than You, The Art of Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming Big.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
We'll pack your something.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
My brother, family, what's going on.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
And how you feel.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm feeling amazing, you know, I'm up here.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
I'm up here with one of the most incredible platforms
in media right now. Interesting time in media. You know,
we media ebbs and flows. We're in an EBB right now.
In the movie business, Charlamagne, you know, yeah, just you know,
coming off the strikes, coming off of COVID, like the
the movie industry never really recalibrated. So there's a lot
of folks out there that are hurting right now, a
lot of folks that.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Aren't working, a lot of actors out of work, writers,
and so as.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
A producer, you know, I'm just trying to keep people hired,
trying to do what I do and create content. Most
people out there, they don't realize because there's so much
content out there in so many streaming services. It's like, oh,
everything out there, I can see whatever I want. But
actually the media companies are making a lot less. So
it's an interesting time in the business man.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Who better than You is the name of the book?
Speaker 5 (01:10):
What makes you decide to write this?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yo?
Speaker 4 (01:12):
You know, I have been in the movie game for
almost thirty years now, and I have dealt with some
of the biggest names, some of the most impressive, successful people,
some of the most toxic, insecure people. And throughout that process,
I have gained a set of skills that I want
(01:34):
to share with people about how you can be successful
and manifest the more full life. How you can use
some of the skills that I've learned that are transferable
to any industry to navigate be it. You want to
start a new endeavor, you want to overcome a challenge,
you want to pivot in your life. And so I'm
telling stories I've never told before, stories from dealing with
(01:56):
you know, some of my Hollywood folks. But it's really lessons, right,
It's lessons about this is how you deal with people,
how you position yourself to succeed, and how you have
healthy arrogance. Now to be confused with toxic arrogance. Right,
Toxic arrogant walks in a room and says, I'm better
than everybody here. I'm gonna win cause you're gonna lose. Right,
(02:16):
I'm better than you. Healthy arrogance walks in a room
and says, okay, number one, I belong in this room.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
The most successful people feel that they don't feel like
am I supposed to be here with all these important people.
Healthy arrogance feels like I'm supposed to be here. However,
I also have something to add to this room. This
room is better because I'm in it, and I'm gonna
get other people to understand how they and I have
a commonality in terms.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Of our goal.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
If you can get other people to see the value
in what you're going after, then you can then get
them to row in the same direction as you and
work towards your own goal.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That's what leadership is.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Getting other people to realize that it's not me against you.
If I can get you to understand that together we
both benefit from working together and accomplishing things that are
my goals as well as your goals, your chance for
success is increased.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
You know, when I read about you talk about healthy
ar against, so here your interviews about healthier against.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
It feels like you're saying you just got it. It's
like a sense of worthiness, it's value.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
It is it is very much understanding the value to
place on yourself, right, and you underste Charlotte Man because
you talk about mental health a lot. We all have
this drum beat in our head, right, and it can
be a negative drum beat of I'm not ready, I'm
not worthy, I don't have the skills, I'm not prepared.
More and more you tell yourself that, the louder those
voices get. But there's a confidence muscle that you can build,
(03:40):
that you can grow by telling yourself the exact opposite
that I am worthy, right, that I am prepared.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
But it's really about assigning value.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
The thing I say to people that understand, from the
time you are born and to the time you leave
this earth, you are building your brand.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Everything you do, right. I mean, you can't make mistakes.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Everybody does, but every decision you make in everything you
do is building your brand, and it is telling people
what value to assign to you, whether that's somebody that
is looking to invest in you, looking to date you,
looking to just hang out with you. You are telling them
what your value is, and you have to be healthily
arrogant in the way that you force other people to
(04:20):
recognize your value.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah. So if you don't have nobody, does that mean
you're not worth nothing?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, you know, I'm not going to say that.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
You mean, like a relationship, Well, that just means that
you have to be sure that you're surrounding yourself with
people that understand your value. It might mean that you're
worth more than people want to give you credit for
talking about. It might mean you're single because other people
don't recognize your value and you're not willing to compromise
for it.
Speaker 6 (04:45):
You had something to what dog will won't they?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
The sassiness off?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
God?
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Is that what it is? Are you with me? Your
hair back?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I was asking you a question because I like what
you're talking about.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Okay, all right, well yes, absolutely so if some you know,
somebody happens to be an amazing, beautiful single sister, I
don't know you know the relationship status of everybody here,
but let's just say present company.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Why Well, because and she said you had a sassy next,
so she is she is immediately the most entertaining person that.
Speaker 7 (05:30):
I want to ask you about imposter syndrome and when
you when did that? Like, when did you get past that?
Where did you deal with that at all? Yourself?
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Absolutely deal with everybody deals with everybody. Uh gets to
a point where they feel like, Yo.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Do I belong right?
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Do I deserve to be in the most important spaces?
And I've been very, very fortunate to be in some
incredible rooms with some people that are, you know, some
of the most powerful people.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
From around the world.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
And as I said, what I realize is that when
I walk in those rooms, I cannot question if I'm
supposed to be there. I need to realize what is
it that I have that nobody else in this room has?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
And how can I double down on that? Right?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
So, black man African American film AMAIC in Hollywood, not
a lot of folks at my level in the rooms
that I'm in. Oftentimes it's all white people in those rooms.
What I choose to do instead of saying, Okay, I'm
the only black person in this room.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
I know they're racist. I know they looking at me
a certain way. I know they have a negative perception.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
I'm walking in the room and I'm thinking, Okay, you
know what, I'm bringing something that nobody else can bring.
When I talk about my perspective, when I talk about
my audience, when I talk about my community, nobody else
can debate me on that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
I'm the only one with that lived experience.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Whatever it is in the rooms and the circles that
you're in, what's the unique thing that you have? And
then you triple down on that that will help with
that imposter syndrome. The other thing is that you have
to understand, like you don't have to be somebody that's
just born with like an overabundance of confidence.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
It's something that you can build, but you do have to.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Build it by putting a success with a success with
a success, right Like just like a bog said, check
with a check with the check, you gotta build the successes.
And sometimes to do that you gotta come back and
not say, Okay, my first success has to be so big, right,
just accomplish something. I call it fabricating momental. I believe
that sometimes we get stuck on the first wrung, the
(07:23):
very first thing I'm trying to get started.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I don't have any money, I don't know people, don't
have a network.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
That's okay, right, theyn't make the first thing you're trying
to do to climb the mountain, right, that's a lot.
That's a momentous task. Make the first thing by the
shoes hiking boost, then buy a rope, then drive by
the mountain and look at it. Well, you know you've
done three things, right, Get started. Do something that helps
to build that confidence we all need that.
Speaker 7 (07:47):
You have a chapter in the book. I think it's
chapter twenty Yeah, chapter twenty one. All you need is
one white guy.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Yeah, get into.
Speaker 7 (07:53):
That chapter a little bit because I know you just
mentioned being the only in the room and kind of
dealing with that, like talk to us a bit of
putting that chapter in why and kind of what your
experience has been and why you titled it.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, the chapter. Sometimes all you need is one white guy.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
And it's actually the irony of it is that I'm
saying that what you need is an advocate.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Right, everybody does nobody.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
I don't care who they are, how successful they are,
nobody does it by themselves. What I'm saying is that
your person may not be white, may not be a guy.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
And so when I came into Hollywood, there was a
white executive.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
It was a white gay executive.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
He used to tell me that he felt like he
was trapped in the body of a black woman. I said, okay,
his name is Clint Culpepper. I said, Clint, first of all,
don't tell nobody else that secutive all. I can get
you some therapy to unpack that. But he was somebody
that was an advocate. He was He didn't play spakies,
he didn't know. He didn't go to fam you or
nothing like that. But what I said was, you know,
(08:50):
he wanted to make movies that were aimed at African
American culture, and I was interested in be an African
American storyteller. I made him look good to the studio
and so he then in turn gave me more power
and more movies. Remember that advocacy is a two way street.
Oftentimes we have our hands out. I need somebody to
help me. What can you do for me? The best
(09:12):
way to get help and the best way to find
your advocate? Right your quote unquote one white guy. I
don't care what it looked like. It could look like
Charlotte Mann, could look like just it doesn't matter. The
point is to get that one person you gotta add
value to them, make them look smart, figure out what
it is that they need, and then once you were
able to help them, they're gonna want to continue to
(09:33):
help you.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
This guy wanted to make movies that were similar to
the ones I made. I made them look smart because
I was able to make them for a certain number
and they overperformed in terms of their budget.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And so we made a bunch of movies together. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
But you gotta figure out that person that you need.
You gotta find that one person. Nobody does it by themselves,
and whatever that person is, figure out how you can
add value to their lives.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Don't just think about what can you do for me?
What can you do for me? No, that's not how
the people at the top level think.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Did he get out your way? Did he let you create?
Speaker 1 (10:02):
He absolutely did.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, and it became a very semiotic relationship.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
It was a two way street.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Right, So he was He went out and got financing
from Sony Pictures for the movie.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Some of the early like if you look at My
Think like a Man's No.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Good Deeds, Obsessed Takers. Anybody remembers those movies? Those are
all movies that don't pen Number.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
One at the box office.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Those are movies that I made when I was at
Sony Pictures, and these are movies that he financed. But
our very first one he gave it was called The
Gospel right, the Gospels gospel music movie. It had started yourself.
It was Interest's first movie off the wire. Boris Kojo
had all the gospel stars in it, from you know,
Kirk Franklin, Elina Adams, Fred Hamill, everybody, and he gave
(10:42):
me a budget to go out and do that movie
totally on my own. I did not go spend the
money frivolously, and I did not go spend the money
and not return it. I went out spent that money
on a three million dollar movie and it made fifteen
million dollars. It's not all the money in the world,
but that's five times what they spent on it. So
(11:03):
he looked good at the studio, and so they said, oh,
that's great. Who is this guy that you're working with.
Clinty said, oh, yeah, that's my guy. We want to
make something else, and he continued to feed me as
I continue to make him look good.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Now, your book is motivational and inspirational, right, but it
leans on comedy too. You love comedy. Because the interesting
thing is the back the quotes you got quick quotes
from Kevin.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Kerry Washing.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
What made you do that?
Speaker 4 (11:31):
It just quote is that I did not authorize Will
Packard to use my name in this book, and he
did it anyway, And that tells you all you need
to know about Will Packard.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
That's one hundred percent truth.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
All those quotes are truth because I come with Kevin
pretty hard and uh. And so he said, you know what,
I don't have to like this and I don't have
to laugh at it. So if you look at the quotes,
I reached out on my industry friends and I said,
just be honest.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Steve Harvey's quote is by my book first and then
by Will. That's hilarious, you know what I'm saying. That's
very much how Steve as.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
But you know, for me, it is a lot of
it is told through humor, it's told through comedy.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
I have had an incredible career. I look back and
I can't believe it's been thirty years in the game.
I can't believe.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
I've had the success I've had. That is because of
the people listening to the show. It's because of you all.
Let me come on the show. It's because of the
support of the audience. But the reality is that I
have been through some shit, man, and so telling it
now I can look back with levity and with light.
And now I'm saying, Okay, learn from what I went through.
You know what I'm saying, Learn from that moment when
(12:31):
Kevin Hart left me on the set of Ride Alone
to go shoot a stand up special and almost sunk
the whole movie.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I don't want to hear you talk bad about Kevin
no moore after reading chapter twenty two.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
What'sh's chapter?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
If all those fails open the fruits then benefits of feelings? Yes,
And I don't want to give it all the way.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Yeah, but I'll just say, you got into Jamaica with
an inspired passport.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
I snuck into a foreign country and you called.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Shaley to fix that problem for you.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Going into a country with an expired passport felssness is criminal.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
It was not the smartest thing I've ever done. It criminal.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
I just started shout out to Sheila, it was you
know what the point of that when you read that.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Chapter, sir, sometimes you can get away with cris No
that is not the point of it, and that is
not what it was. It was the fact that I
was first.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
It was one of my first dates with this new
woman that I had met, and met this amazing woman
named Heather and sneak.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Into the contr.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
You know what it was.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Just we got to the counter and my passport was expired.
Because with a passport, you know, it's like seven eight
years or something. Right, that's good, but that's also the problem.
You don't think about it. I got to that counter
and they said my passport was inspired. This is my
first trip out of town, and I'm trying to be impressive,
and she looking.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
At me like, oh, I'm with that guy.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
I'm with the guy that don't even have an acting
passport and don't check this stuff out and you.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Will pack it o what.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
So I was like, I got to figure this out,
so I do tell the story about how I snuck in.
The bad thing was that I was able to get
out of America and I didn't think about the fact
that once I got into the country, my passport was
still expired and I would have preferred to be in
American jail versus a Jamaican jail. So I kind of
didn't think it all the way through. But here's the point.
We all have situations, right, life is hard where we
(14:12):
have to then decide after we are in a situation
that we can't control. So once I got into Jamaica,
I was there, I had the best vacation ever because
at that point, you gotta go hard. So I encourage people, right,
there are times when you get into a situation that
you just got to say, you know what, there's nothing
I can do but live my life to the fullest
(14:33):
in this moment. Don't stress about it. Don't get anxiety
about it once you're in it. Once I was in
Jamaica and I snuck in, I knew I might go
to jail. I said, Yo, I'm gonna have a good
ass time.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
You had to go hard because her group chats. You
ain't wanted to tell her friends, but.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I locked that down after she's my wife. Now that Heather,
she is here with me right now, did you tell
your friend? Yes, whether you were.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
An accomplished I just want you to know that you can.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Oh yeah, he Heather, definitely.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
She had to flirt with the Jamaican dude. Help was
get into the country. I don't want to say yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
No, I did. I definitely.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
I definitely threw my wife out there. It's not one
of my proudest moments. I said, you gotta do what
you gotta do.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
When keV wanted to go do his stand up and
go to the party, yes, we hear that it was.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
Completely irresponsible to do. Not try to defend that. Man,
he was irresponsible. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
It the biggest movies our careers, and he overbooked himself.
Come on, man, that was the biggest.
Speaker 7 (15:25):
Moment of your career.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Like with the Heather you fifteen years later.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
It was.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
It was, and it panned out.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
And one thing I would say about keV, if anything,
he works too hard, right, it wasn't.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
It wasn't malicious in what he did. He overbooked because
he does work too hard. And that's the other thing.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
The most successful people who have accomplished things that you
may look and say, how do I get there? The
only difference between them and you is just that they
haven't stopped.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
They just keep going. They've made all kinds of mistakes, right,
They've had to pivot. And I always say giving up
and quitting her two different things.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Never ever ever give up.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
But you can quit, right. You might be doing something
the wrong way. You might need to quit. Everybody I
know that's really successful has quit doing something some way
and pivot it. The power of the pivot I will give.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
I want to get to the audit to pivot, but
first I want to ask you about the chapter that says,
stay in your lane.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah, just just make it wide, lean into your thing?
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (16:16):
How does one avoid being typecasted by leaning into their thing?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And when do you know the pivot?
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah? You know it.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
The whole point of that chapter is about when you
have something that you do really really well, because many
times people are afraid of being locked into something that
people will think that's all I can do. Right, But
if you do that thing, and you do it really
really well, do not stop.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Okay, don't stop.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
The most successful people have a thing that they do
and they do it well. Then they use the ability
to be successful in a lane to go out and
do something else. I'm only able to write this book
with a major publisher because I've been very successful in
a particular medium. Right now, I'm able to go and
do other things. So don't worry worry about that. Oh well,
I can do so much other stuff. What's the thing
(17:03):
you do really well?
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Do that?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Triple down on that, be the best person in that
particular field.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And by the way, find your passion within that.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Right, too many times people are telling me, well, I'm
not passionate about something. I gotta wait to find my
passion and before I go out, and you know, work
really hard, and I'm telling you you're building your brand
from day one.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Work hard today.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I didn't have a passion to be a filmmaker, I
will admit that, but I was.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
I did not. That was not my dream growing up.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
But I found that I was really good at knowing
how to hire actors and raise money and self distribute.
And then I found the passion in storytelling later. So
I found the thing I was really really good at,
and then I found my passion within it.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I encourage people to do that.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Don't worry about being typecast. Stay in your lane, but
you can make it wide right. I'm not trying to
pigeonhole you, and I'm not trying to limit what you
can do, but stay in your lane. Too often we
are trying to do too much, and now you can't
be the person that's doing everything the best.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
That is just not how humans work. What's the thing
you do well?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Triple down on that so you don't pivot.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
So once you've leaned into your thing and you find
that thing, there's never a pivot from that thing.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
It can be a pivot where you use that thing.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
You use your ability, you use your brand, you use
the fact that you have got credibility in a particular space,
you have done the exact same thing. You use the
fact that you have credibility in one lane in order
to then expand your lane. Right, But it should still
all be about this is the thing that I do.
That's why I say stay in your lane, but make
your lane wide.
Speaker 7 (18:41):
Is there ever a time where like you're because I
mean looking, I remember when you told the story about
Kevin and with the last time you guys were here,
and now I'm seeing in context of this book of
like who better than you? And I feel like in
that moment he had the arrogance to be like, I
can do both of these. I'm going to be fine
and it's all going to work out. But things like
that can kind of get pretty tricky because what if
it hadn't have worked out whatever a moment where you
have to tell somebody who's coming see you for this
(19:02):
type of who better than you at vice sight? Maybe
this is not it for you right now. Maybe there's
someone better than you right now, but that doesn't mean
later you might not be able to have that who
better than you.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Eric, you have to be honest with yourself Number one. Right,
we live in a world where people think either they
are too great or they are too awful. Rodger Kipling
has a poem called if, and my favorite stanza in
that poem is if you can meet with triumph and
disaster and treat those two impostors just the same. That
(19:35):
is saying that both triumph and disaster are impostors, neither
of them are real.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Too many times, because we post some on social media,
everybody tell you, oh my god, you the greatest thing ever,
is so good, or the opposite.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
They just hate knowing you're telling you how awful you are.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Neither of that is true. You gotta stay even keeled.
So the first thing you gotta do is be honest
about you and your skill set. It's the only way
you're gonna get better. Don't worry about external factors. You
got to have a very honest conversation. One of the
things I talk about in the book is how we
have to make sure I'm a daily affirmation type of person.
You're there encouraging yourself right, giving yourself positivity, telling yourself
(20:14):
how you're ready, how you prepared, what you can do,
but also being very very honest with yourself. I don't
care what you tell the world. Don't lot of yourself,
a lot of your mom, a lot of your cousin,
lot of your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband and wife. Do not
lie to yourself. Be very very clear about what it
is that you do.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Well. You know.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah, I want to talk you about the pack of
family model too. If you want to have what others,
won't you have to do with others don't?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah, you got your mom with you, Yeah her, I
got moms, I got you know what.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
It's something that mom instilled in me.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
You know when I was growing up, Mom and dad
they took me like you know, like simmling the lion
king and lifting me up and said, you know, whatever.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
The son touches is your son.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Like I encourage my folks with kids, do that, tell
your kids, because that's when they're the most impressiable.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Tell them they can do anything.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
They told me that, and so I was very audacious
growing up with my family. It's me, my wife. We
have four children, So that's the six pack. If you
want to have what others don't, you have to be
willing to do what others won't.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Period.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
That is the mantra.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
The mantra is that understand whatever it is that you
want to do, if anybody else can do it, then
it's not special. You're not gonna get it right. You're
not gonna get something that's unique. You gotta be willing
to do what others are not to get that thing.
And I believe that the more you do hard things,
the better you become at hard things. The more hard
(21:36):
things you do, the easier hard things become. So don't
run from doing hard things. Don't run from doing the
things that everybody else says it's crazy. That's the only
way you're gonna get strength and to build that muscle.
It's by doing those hard things. Why I say dream
big because your dream has got to be so big,
because they're gonna be challenges along the way. It's got
to be so big that it pushes you past those
(21:58):
challenges inevitably, because if the dream is just a mediocre dream,
like man, it'd be kind of cool to do that.
Then when you run into a speed bump and that's
really hard, you're gonna say, you know what, it ain't
worth it.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
I'm cool, right, But if the dream is so big, right,
I mean.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
So big for a color H four KHD, like super
crazy beyond your wildless dreams big, then when you do
hit that hard moment, those challenges, you know it's worth
it to keep going and keep fighting because the dream
is big enough.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Is Will Packer allowed to turn his own book into
a movie?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Limited seriously, Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm Will Packer. You
know what I think about doing it. I could do that.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
I saw Heather in the background and that you know
what Heather say in the background.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (22:41):
I just saw something.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I was given a lean like maybe no, don't do
it right now or something. You know what.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
I've made this book not to turn into a movie
or a TV show. You never say never, because you know,
one of my biggest movies is Think Like a Man.
Steve Harvey will tell you he never thought of that
as a movie.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Never.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
He never wrote it for that. I wrote this to
give the master mentorship that I didn't have. I have
people coming to me a lot and saying, tell me
about your success story, tell me about your failures, tell
me about what you had to overcome. And so when
I tell these stories, right, and I talk about you know,
Beyonce turning me down five times, or or or or
(23:21):
I yourselba, you know, almost not walking the carpet at
the first Emmy's and how you get past that? Like,
when I tell these stories, I'm doing that so that
other people can benefit from them.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
So I could turn into a movie, That's not what
I made it for.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
I literally made this book so that I could influence
other folks who are either on their way up, thinking
about making a pivot, or living a life that they
know could be a little more fulfilling.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
They said, you gotta leave nine forty five venture.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure we do because we is.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
A tight schedule.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Ask you a question, why don't you have the books anymore?
Will I see you screaming Atlanta Falcons all day, every
day everywhere you go. I know you're a minority owner.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
No, no, no, don't do it.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I know, don't you said, why don't I rep the Bucks,
so you can't context it out.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Before you give me a chance to answer the question.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
The time you were the only Buccaneers fan, I knew
that many people I don't well because there's levels, sir,
and I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
Because there's levels, There is fandom, and I have nothing
but respect for my fans.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
But sir, you of all people, know that there is
also a level call ownership.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
And I want to show people that I don't care
how high you can jump, how fast you can run.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
My forty time ain't shit. I'm sure. I'm sure my.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Left hit would have something to say if I tried
to get out on a track right. I can't throw
a ball far to save my life. I definitely can't dunk. However,
I am in a sports franchise. I am sitting in
the owner's booth and in the owner's box. I want
other people to see that possibility. And Arthur Blank, the
majority owner of the Atlanta Falcons, gave me that opportunity.
(24:57):
Now in real talk, Charlotmagne, one of the things that
I really want to impress upon people I talk about
in the book is that you never know who's watching,
and that idea of always building your brand like keep
stacking the bricks. Okay, I never thought that I was
gonna be an owner of a football team.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
He said, you were walking around delivering newspapers.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
I was literally delivering the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper. I
was delivering them door to door. I would get up
at three am every morning. I would get in rolle
my papers, put them in the back of my Honda Civic,
and I would go out and I had to have
them on everybody's porch by six am.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I knew my route.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
That's what I did right at that time. I definitely
wasn't thinking one day I would be sitting in an
owner's box at the Atlanta Foul because but you know
what I did. I was the best damn newspaper delivery
guy that the Atlanta Journal Constitution had because my name
was on it. So I gave it one hundred and
ten percent and so over a lifetime of always going hard,
I then put myself into position when somebody in power said,
(25:54):
you know what I'm looking to add to my ownership group.
My name came up. I made the cut life of
people want to be in that position. But I made
the cut because I had built a career that allowed
me to do it.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
When you go out and.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Work hard and build a career and a meaningful life,
you never know how it's gonna manifest.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
But that's why I wrapped the Falcon Sir.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I love that. But at what point did you say,
you know what your booking is, it's over.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Well, I don't think you have to say f anybody,
but I just have to say, rise up, and I'm
rooting for the for the Falcons because that's where the
opportunity can I've not seen you wrapped the books since
they wanted this, brother, I am a part owner of
the Atlanta Falcons.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
What part of this don't you understand?
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Sir?
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yes, what if he's doing it is levels? Are you
trying to get the ownership revolt?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Listen, I'm happy that you have who better than you.
You know what this is trying to get better than you?
It's the Cowboys fan that's what that is. It went
out and that coach that nobody is excited and they
just Jarry Jones and as long.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
As he around.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
If somebody want to make me a minority owner, I'm
ready to denounce them.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Too seconds. Okay, we'll pack a new book.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Who better than you to are the healthy arrogance and
dreaming big out right now. Always a pleasure to see
you go out there and by this book, make it
the New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Massreciate you found.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
I appreciate you, man thank you, thank you all for
having me, Charlate mane, and thank you because you're somebody
that you know.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And I told you this.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
We saw each other at the Democrat National Convention and
I told you I had written my first book, and
I was inspired by your books and by reading your
books and just seeing that process and the ground that
you put in, so you never know who's watching and
who you're inspiring.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Thank you, my brother, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
It's the breakfast Club.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Wake that ass up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
The Breakfast Club.
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Breakfast Club.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Yeah, it's the world more dangerous morning show to Breakfast Club,
charlamagea god, just hilarious. DJ VA is out, but Lauren
Leros is in and we got a special guest in
the building. He's got a new book out, Who Better
than You, The Art of Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming Big.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
We'll pack your something.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
My brother, family, what's going on.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
And how you feel.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm feeling amazing, you know, I'm up here.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
I'm up here with one of the most incredible platforms
in media right now. Interesting time in media. You know,
we media ebbs and flows. We're in an EBB right now.
In the movie business, Charlamagne, you know, yeah, just you know,
coming off the strikes, coming off of COVID, like the
the movie industry never really recalibrated. So there's a lot
of folks out there that are hurting right now, a
lot of folks that.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Aren't working, a lot of actors out of work, writers,
and so as.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
A producer, you know, I'm just trying to keep people hired,
trying to do what I do and create content. Most
people out there, they don't realize because there's so much
content out there in so many streaming services. It's like, oh,
everything out there, I can see whatever I want. But
actually the media companies are making a lot less. So
it's an interesting time in the business man.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Who better than You is the name of the book?
Speaker 5 (01:10):
What makes you decide to write this?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yo?
Speaker 4 (01:12):
You know, I have been in the movie game for
almost thirty years now, and I have dealt with some
of the biggest names, some of the most impressive, successful people,
some of the most toxic, insecure people. And throughout that process,
I have gained a set of skills that I want
(01:34):
to share with people about how you can be successful
and manifest the more full life. How you can use
some of the skills that I've learned that are transferable
to any industry to navigate be it. You want to
start a new endeavor, you want to overcome a challenge,
you want to pivot in your life. And so I'm
telling stories I've never told before, stories from dealing with
(01:56):
you know, some of my Hollywood folks. But it's really lessons, right,
It's lessons about this is how you deal with people,
how you position yourself to succeed, and how you have
healthy arrogance. Now to be confused with toxic arrogance. Right,
Toxic arrogant walks in a room and says, I'm better
than everybody here. I'm gonna win cause you're gonna lose. Right,
(02:16):
I'm better than you. Healthy arrogance walks in a room
and says, okay, number one, I belong in this room.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
The most successful people feel that they don't feel like
am I supposed to be here with all these important people.
Healthy arrogance feels like I'm supposed to be here. However,
I also have something to add to this room. This
room is better because I'm in it, and I'm gonna
get other people to understand how they and I have
a commonality in terms.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Of our goal.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
If you can get other people to see the value
in what you're going after, then you can then get
them to row in the same direction as you and
work towards your own goal.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That's what leadership is.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Getting other people to realize that it's not me against you.
If I can get you to understand that together we
both benefit from working together and accomplishing things that are
my goals as well as your goals, your chance for
success is increased.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
You know, when I read about you talk about healthy
ar against, so here your interviews about healthier against.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
It feels like you're saying you just got it. It's
like a sense of worthiness, it's value.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
It is it is very much understanding the value to
place on yourself, right, and you underste Charlotte Man because
you talk about mental health a lot. We all have
this drum beat in our head, right, and it can
be a negative drum beat of I'm not ready, I'm
not worthy, I don't have the skills, I'm not prepared.
More and more you tell yourself that, the louder those
voices get. But there's a confidence muscle that you can build,
(03:40):
that you can grow by telling yourself the exact opposite
that I am worthy, right, that I am prepared.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
But it's really about assigning value.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
The thing I say to people that understand, from the
time you are born and to the time you leave
this earth, you are building your brand.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Everything you do, right. I mean, you can't make mistakes.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Everybody does, but every decision you make in everything you
do is building your brand, and it is telling people
what value to assign to you, whether that's somebody that
is looking to invest in you, looking to date you,
looking to just hang out with you. You are telling them
what your value is, and you have to be healthily
arrogant in the way that you force other people to
(04:20):
recognize your value.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah. So if you don't have nobody, does that mean
you're not worth nothing?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, you know, I'm not going to say that.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
You mean, like a relationship, Well, that just means that
you have to be sure that you're surrounding yourself with
people that understand your value. It might mean that you're
worth more than people want to give you credit for
talking about. It might mean you're single because other people
don't recognize your value and you're not willing to compromise
for it.
Speaker 6 (04:45):
You had something to what dog will won't they?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
The sassiness off?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
God?
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Is that what it is? Are you with me? Your
hair back?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I was asking you a question because I like what
you're talking about.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Okay, all right, well yes, absolutely so if some you know,
somebody happens to be an amazing, beautiful single sister, I
don't know you know the relationship status of everybody here,
but let's just say present company.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Why Well, because and she said you had a sassy next,
so she is she is immediately the most entertaining person that.
Speaker 7 (05:30):
I want to ask you about imposter syndrome and when
you when did that? Like, when did you get past that?
Where did you deal with that at all? Yourself?
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Absolutely deal with everybody deals with everybody. Uh gets to
a point where they feel like, Yo.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Do I belong right?
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Do I deserve to be in the most important spaces?
And I've been very, very fortunate to be in some
incredible rooms with some people that are, you know, some
of the most powerful people.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
From around the world.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
And as I said, what I realize is that when
I walk in those rooms, I cannot question if I'm
supposed to be there. I need to realize what is
it that I have that nobody else in this room has?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
And how can I double down on that? Right?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
So, black man African American film AMAIC in Hollywood, not
a lot of folks at my level in the rooms
that I'm in. Oftentimes it's all white people in those rooms.
What I choose to do instead of saying, Okay, I'm
the only black person in this room.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
I know they're racist. I know they looking at me
a certain way. I know they have a negative perception.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
I'm walking in the room and I'm thinking, Okay, you
know what, I'm bringing something that nobody else can bring.
When I talk about my perspective, when I talk about
my audience, when I talk about my community, nobody else
can debate me on that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
I'm the only one with that lived experience.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Whatever it is in the rooms and the circles that
you're in, what's the unique thing that you have? And
then you triple down on that that will help with
that imposter syndrome. The other thing is that you have
to understand, like you don't have to be somebody that's
just born with like an overabundance of confidence.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
It's something that you can build, but you do have to.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Build it by putting a success with a success with
a success, right Like just like a bog said, check
with a check with the check, you gotta build the successes.
And sometimes to do that you gotta come back and
not say, Okay, my first success has to be so big, right,
just accomplish something. I call it fabricating momental. I believe
that sometimes we get stuck on the first wrung, the
(07:23):
very first thing I'm trying to get started.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I don't have any money, I don't know people, don't
have a network.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
That's okay, right, theyn't make the first thing you're trying
to do to climb the mountain, right, that's a lot.
That's a momentous task. Make the first thing by the
shoes hiking boost, then buy a rope, then drive by
the mountain and look at it. Well, you know you've
done three things, right, Get started. Do something that helps
to build that confidence we all need that.
Speaker 7 (07:47):
You have a chapter in the book. I think it's
chapter twenty Yeah, chapter twenty one. All you need is
one white guy.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Yeah, get into.
Speaker 7 (07:53):
That chapter a little bit because I know you just
mentioned being the only in the room and kind of
dealing with that, like talk to us a bit of
putting that chapter in why and kind of what your
experience has been and why you titled it.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, the chapter. Sometimes all you need is one white guy.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
And it's actually the irony of it is that I'm
saying that what you need is an advocate.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Right, everybody does nobody.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
I don't care who they are, how successful they are,
nobody does it by themselves. What I'm saying is that
your person may not be white, may not be a guy.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
And so when I came into Hollywood, there was a
white executive.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
It was a white gay executive.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
He used to tell me that he felt like he
was trapped in the body of a black woman. I said, okay,
his name is Clint Culpepper. I said, Clint, first of all,
don't tell nobody else that secutive all. I can get
you some therapy to unpack that. But he was somebody
that was an advocate. He was He didn't play spakies,
he didn't know. He didn't go to fam you or
nothing like that. But what I said was, you know,
(08:50):
he wanted to make movies that were aimed at African
American culture, and I was interested in be an African
American storyteller. I made him look good to the studio
and so he then in turn gave me more power
and more movies. Remember that advocacy is a two way street.
Oftentimes we have our hands out. I need somebody to
help me. What can you do for me? The best
(09:12):
way to get help and the best way to find
your advocate? Right your quote unquote one white guy. I
don't care what it looked like. It could look like
Charlotte Mann, could look like just it doesn't matter. The
point is to get that one person you gotta add
value to them, make them look smart, figure out what
it is that they need, and then once you were
able to help them, they're gonna want to continue to
(09:33):
help you.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
This guy wanted to make movies that were similar to
the ones I made. I made them look smart because
I was able to make them for a certain number
and they overperformed in terms of their budget.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And so we made a bunch of movies together. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
But you gotta figure out that person that you need.
You gotta find that one person. Nobody does it by themselves,
and whatever that person is, figure out how you can
add value to their lives.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Don't just think about what can you do for me?
What can you do for me? No, that's not how
the people at the top level think.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Did he get out your way? Did he let you create?
Speaker 1 (10:02):
He absolutely did.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, and it became a very semiotic relationship.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
It was a two way street.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Right, So he was He went out and got financing
from Sony Pictures for the movie.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Some of the early like if you look at My
Think like a Man's No.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Good Deeds, Obsessed Takers. Anybody remembers those movies? Those are
all movies that don't pen Number.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
One at the box office.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Those are movies that I made when I was at
Sony Pictures, and these are movies that he financed. But
our very first one he gave it was called The
Gospel right, the Gospels gospel music movie. It had started yourself.
It was Interest's first movie off the wire. Boris Kojo
had all the gospel stars in it, from you know,
Kirk Franklin, Elina Adams, Fred Hamill, everybody, and he gave
(10:42):
me a budget to go out and do that movie
totally on my own. I did not go spend the
money frivolously, and I did not go spend the money
and not return it. I went out spent that money
on a three million dollar movie and it made fifteen
million dollars. It's not all the money in the world,
but that's five times what they spent on it. So
(11:03):
he looked good at the studio, and so they said, oh,
that's great. Who is this guy that you're working with.
Clinty said, oh, yeah, that's my guy. We want to
make something else, and he continued to feed me as
I continue to make him look good.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Now, your book is motivational and inspirational, right, but it
leans on comedy too. You love comedy. Because the interesting
thing is the back the quotes you got quick quotes
from Kevin.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Kerry Washing.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
What made you do that?
Speaker 4 (11:31):
It just quote is that I did not authorize Will
Packard to use my name in this book, and he
did it anyway, And that tells you all you need
to know about Will Packard.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
That's one hundred percent truth.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
All those quotes are truth because I come with Kevin
pretty hard and uh. And so he said, you know what,
I don't have to like this and I don't have
to laugh at it. So if you look at the quotes,
I reached out on my industry friends and I said,
just be honest.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Steve Harvey's quote is by my book first and then
by Will. That's hilarious, you know what I'm saying. That's
very much how Steve as.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
But you know, for me, it is a lot of
it is told through humor, it's told through comedy.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
I have had an incredible career. I look back and
I can't believe it's been thirty years in the game.
I can't believe.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
I've had the success I've had. That is because of
the people listening to the show. It's because of you all.
Let me come on the show. It's because of the
support of the audience. But the reality is that I
have been through some shit, man, and so telling it
now I can look back with levity and with light.
And now I'm saying, Okay, learn from what I went through.
You know what I'm saying, Learn from that moment when
(12:31):
Kevin Hart left me on the set of Ride Alone
to go shoot a stand up special and almost sunk
the whole movie.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I don't want to hear you talk bad about Kevin
no moore after reading chapter twenty two.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
What'sh's chapter?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
If all those fails open the fruits then benefits of feelings? Yes,
And I don't want to give it all the way.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Yeah, but I'll just say, you got into Jamaica with
an inspired passport.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
I snuck into a foreign country and you called.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Shaley to fix that problem for you.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Going into a country with an expired passport felssness is criminal.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
It was not the smartest thing I've ever done. It criminal.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
I just started shout out to Sheila, it was you
know what the point of that when you read that.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Chapter, sir, sometimes you can get away with cris No
that is not the point of it, and that is
not what it was. It was the fact that I
was first.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
It was one of my first dates with this new
woman that I had met, and met this amazing woman
named Heather and sneak.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Into the contr.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
You know what it was.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Just we got to the counter and my passport was expired.
Because with a passport, you know, it's like seven eight
years or something. Right, that's good, but that's also the problem.
You don't think about it. I got to that counter
and they said my passport was inspired. This is my
first trip out of town, and I'm trying to be impressive,
and she looking.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
At me like, oh, I'm with that guy.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
I'm with the guy that don't even have an acting
passport and don't check this stuff out and you.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Will pack it o what.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
So I was like, I got to figure this out,
so I do tell the story about how I snuck in.
The bad thing was that I was able to get
out of America and I didn't think about the fact
that once I got into the country, my passport was
still expired and I would have preferred to be in
American jail versus a Jamaican jail. So I kind of
didn't think it all the way through. But here's the point.
We all have situations, right, life is hard where we
(14:12):
have to then decide after we are in a situation
that we can't control. So once I got into Jamaica,
I was there, I had the best vacation ever because
at that point, you gotta go hard. So I encourage people, right,
there are times when you get into a situation that
you just got to say, you know what, there's nothing
I can do but live my life to the fullest
(14:33):
in this moment. Don't stress about it. Don't get anxiety
about it once you're in it. Once I was in
Jamaica and I snuck in, I knew I might go
to jail. I said, Yo, I'm gonna have a good
ass time.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
You had to go hard because her group chats. You
ain't wanted to tell her friends, but.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I locked that down after she's my wife. Now that Heather,
she is here with me right now, did you tell
your friend? Yes, whether you were.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
An accomplished I just want you to know that you can.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Oh yeah, he Heather, definitely.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
She had to flirt with the Jamaican dude. Help was
get into the country. I don't want to say yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
No, I did. I definitely.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
I definitely threw my wife out there. It's not one
of my proudest moments. I said, you gotta do what
you gotta do.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
When keV wanted to go do his stand up and
go to the party, yes, we hear that it was.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
Completely irresponsible to do. Not try to defend that. Man,
he was irresponsible. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
It the biggest movies our careers, and he overbooked himself.
Come on, man, that was the biggest.
Speaker 7 (15:25):
Moment of your career.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Like with the Heather you fifteen years later.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
It was.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
It was, and it panned out.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
And one thing I would say about keV, if anything,
he works too hard, right, it wasn't.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
It wasn't malicious in what he did. He overbooked because
he does work too hard. And that's the other thing.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
The most successful people who have accomplished things that you
may look and say, how do I get there? The
only difference between them and you is just that they
haven't stopped.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
They just keep going. They've made all kinds of mistakes, right,
They've had to pivot. And I always say giving up
and quitting her two different things.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Never ever ever give up.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
But you can quit, right. You might be doing something
the wrong way. You might need to quit. Everybody I
know that's really successful has quit doing something some way
and pivot it. The power of the pivot I will give.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
I want to get to the audit to pivot, but
first I want to ask you about the chapter that says,
stay in your lane.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah, just just make it wide, lean into your thing?
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (16:16):
How does one avoid being typecasted by leaning into their thing?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And when do you know the pivot?
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah? You know it.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
The whole point of that chapter is about when you
have something that you do really really well, because many
times people are afraid of being locked into something that
people will think that's all I can do. Right, But
if you do that thing, and you do it really
really well, do not stop.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Okay, don't stop.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
The most successful people have a thing that they do
and they do it well. Then they use the ability
to be successful in a lane to go out and
do something else. I'm only able to write this book
with a major publisher because I've been very successful in
a particular medium. Right now, I'm able to go and
do other things. So don't worry worry about that. Oh well,
I can do so much other stuff. What's the thing
(17:03):
you do really well?
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Do that?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Triple down on that, be the best person in that
particular field.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And by the way, find your passion within that.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Right, too many times people are telling me, well, I'm
not passionate about something. I gotta wait to find my
passion and before I go out, and you know, work
really hard, and I'm telling you you're building your brand
from day one.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Work hard today.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I didn't have a passion to be a filmmaker, I
will admit that, but I was.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
I did not. That was not my dream growing up.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
But I found that I was really good at knowing
how to hire actors and raise money and self distribute.
And then I found the passion in storytelling later. So
I found the thing I was really really good at,
and then I found my passion within it.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I encourage people to do that.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Don't worry about being typecast. Stay in your lane, but
you can make it wide right. I'm not trying to
pigeonhole you, and I'm not trying to limit what you
can do, but stay in your lane. Too often we
are trying to do too much, and now you can't
be the person that's doing everything the best.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
That is just not how humans work. What's the thing
you do well?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Triple down on that so you don't pivot.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
So once you've leaned into your thing and you find
that thing, there's never a pivot from that thing.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
It can be a pivot where you use that thing.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
You use your ability, you use your brand, you use
the fact that you have got credibility in a particular space,
you have done the exact same thing. You use the
fact that you have credibility in one lane in order
to then expand your lane. Right, But it should still
all be about this is the thing that I do.
That's why I say stay in your lane, but make
your lane wide.
Speaker 7 (18:41):
Is there ever a time where like you're because I
mean looking, I remember when you told the story about
Kevin and with the last time you guys were here,
and now I'm seeing in context of this book of
like who better than you? And I feel like in
that moment he had the arrogance to be like, I
can do both of these. I'm going to be fine
and it's all going to work out. But things like
that can kind of get pretty tricky because what if
it hadn't have worked out whatever a moment where you
have to tell somebody who's coming see you for this
(19:02):
type of who better than you at vice sight? Maybe
this is not it for you right now. Maybe there's
someone better than you right now, but that doesn't mean
later you might not be able to have that who
better than you.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Eric, you have to be honest with yourself Number one. Right,
we live in a world where people think either they
are too great or they are too awful. Rodger Kipling
has a poem called if, and my favorite stanza in
that poem is if you can meet with triumph and
disaster and treat those two impostors just the same. That
(19:35):
is saying that both triumph and disaster are impostors, neither
of them are real.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Too many times, because we post some on social media,
everybody tell you, oh my god, you the greatest thing ever,
is so good, or the opposite.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
They just hate knowing you're telling you how awful you are.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Neither of that is true. You gotta stay even keeled.
So the first thing you gotta do is be honest
about you and your skill set. It's the only way
you're gonna get better. Don't worry about external factors. You
got to have a very honest conversation. One of the
things I talk about in the book is how we
have to make sure I'm a daily affirmation type of person.
You're there encouraging yourself right, giving yourself positivity, telling yourself
(20:14):
how you're ready, how you prepared, what you can do,
but also being very very honest with yourself. I don't
care what you tell the world. Don't lot of yourself,
a lot of your mom, a lot of your cousin,
lot of your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband and wife. Do not
lie to yourself. Be very very clear about what it
is that you do.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Well. You know.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah, I want to talk you about the pack of
family model too. If you want to have what others,
won't you have to do with others don't?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah, you got your mom with you, Yeah her, I
got moms, I got you know what.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
It's something that mom instilled in me.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
You know when I was growing up, Mom and dad
they took me like you know, like simmling the lion
king and lifting me up and said, you know, whatever.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
The son touches is your son.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Like I encourage my folks with kids, do that, tell
your kids, because that's when they're the most impressiable.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Tell them they can do anything.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
They told me that, and so I was very audacious
growing up with my family. It's me, my wife. We
have four children, So that's the six pack. If you
want to have what others don't, you have to be
willing to do what others won't.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Period.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
That is the mantra.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
The mantra is that understand whatever it is that you
want to do, if anybody else can do it, then
it's not special. You're not gonna get it right. You're
not gonna get something that's unique. You gotta be willing
to do what others are not to get that thing.
And I believe that the more you do hard things,
the better you become at hard things. The more hard
(21:36):
things you do, the easier hard things become. So don't
run from doing hard things. Don't run from doing the
things that everybody else says it's crazy. That's the only
way you're gonna get strength and to build that muscle.
It's by doing those hard things. Why I say dream
big because your dream has got to be so big,
because they're gonna be challenges along the way. It's got
to be so big that it pushes you past those
(21:58):
challenges inevitably, because if the dream is just a mediocre dream,
like man, it'd be kind of cool to do that.
Then when you run into a speed bump and that's
really hard, you're gonna say, you know what, it ain't
worth it.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
I'm cool, right, But if the dream is so big, right,
I mean.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
So big for a color H four KHD, like super
crazy beyond your wildless dreams big, then when you do
hit that hard moment, those challenges, you know it's worth
it to keep going and keep fighting because the dream
is big enough.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Is Will Packer allowed to turn his own book into
a movie?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Limited seriously, Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm Will Packer. You
know what I think about doing it. I could do that.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
I saw Heather in the background and that you know
what Heather say in the background.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (22:41):
I just saw something.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I was given a lean like maybe no, don't do
it right now or something. You know what.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
I've made this book not to turn into a movie
or a TV show. You never say never, because you know,
one of my biggest movies is Think Like a Man.
Steve Harvey will tell you he never thought of that
as a movie.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Never.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
He never wrote it for that. I wrote this to
give the master mentorship that I didn't have. I have
people coming to me a lot and saying, tell me
about your success story, tell me about your failures, tell
me about what you had to overcome. And so when
I tell these stories, right, and I talk about you know,
Beyonce turning me down five times, or or or or
(23:21):
I yourselba, you know, almost not walking the carpet at
the first Emmy's and how you get past that? Like,
when I tell these stories, I'm doing that so that
other people can benefit from them.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
So I could turn into a movie, That's not what
I made it for.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
I literally made this book so that I could influence
other folks who are either on their way up, thinking
about making a pivot, or living a life that they
know could be a little more fulfilling.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
They said, you gotta leave nine forty five venture.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure we do because we is.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
A tight schedule.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Ask you a question, why don't you have the books anymore?
Will I see you screaming Atlanta Falcons all day, every
day everywhere you go. I know you're a minority owner.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
No, no, no, don't do it.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I know, don't you said, why don't I rep the Bucks,
so you can't context it out.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Before you give me a chance to answer the question.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
The time you were the only Buccaneers fan, I knew
that many people I don't well because there's levels, sir,
and I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
Because there's levels, There is fandom, and I have nothing
but respect for my fans.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
But sir, you of all people, know that there is
also a level call ownership.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
And I want to show people that I don't care
how high you can jump, how fast you can run.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
My forty time ain't shit. I'm sure. I'm sure my.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Left hit would have something to say if I tried
to get out on a track right. I can't throw
a ball far to save my life. I definitely can't dunk. However,
I am in a sports franchise. I am sitting in
the owner's booth and in the owner's box. I want
other people to see that possibility. And Arthur Blank, the
majority owner of the Atlanta Falcons, gave me that opportunity.
(24:57):
Now in real talk, Charlotmagne, one of the things that
I really want to impress upon people I talk about
in the book is that you never know who's watching,
and that idea of always building your brand like keep
stacking the bricks. Okay, I never thought that I was
gonna be an owner of a football team.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
He said, you were walking around delivering newspapers.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
I was literally delivering the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper. I
was delivering them door to door. I would get up
at three am every morning. I would get in rolle
my papers, put them in the back of my Honda Civic,
and I would go out and I had to have
them on everybody's porch by six am.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I knew my route.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
That's what I did right at that time. I definitely
wasn't thinking one day I would be sitting in an
owner's box at the Atlanta Foul because but you know
what I did. I was the best damn newspaper delivery
guy that the Atlanta Journal Constitution had because my name
was on it. So I gave it one hundred and
ten percent and so over a lifetime of always going hard,
I then put myself into position when somebody in power said,
(25:54):
you know what I'm looking to add to my ownership group.
My name came up. I made the cut life of
people want to be in that position. But I made
the cut because I had built a career that allowed
me to do it.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
When you go out and.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Work hard and build a career and a meaningful life,
you never know how it's gonna manifest.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
But that's why I wrapped the Falcon Sir.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I love that. But at what point did you say,
you know what your booking is, it's over.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Well, I don't think you have to say f anybody,
but I just have to say, rise up, and I'm
rooting for the for the Falcons because that's where the
opportunity can I've not seen you wrapped the books since
they wanted this, brother, I am a part owner of
the Atlanta Falcons.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
What part of this don't you understand?
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Sir?
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yes, what if he's doing it is levels? Are you
trying to get the ownership revolt?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Listen, I'm happy that you have who better than you.
You know what this is trying to get better than you?
It's the Cowboys fan that's what that is. It went
out and that coach that nobody is excited and they
just Jarry Jones and as long.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
As he around.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
If somebody want to make me a minority owner, I'm
ready to denounce them.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Too seconds. Okay, we'll pack a new book.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Who better than you to are the healthy arrogance and
dreaming big out right now. Always a pleasure to see
you go out there and by this book, make it
the New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Massreciate you found.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
I appreciate you, man thank you, thank you all for
having me, Charlate mane, and thank you because you're somebody
that you know.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And I told you this.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
We saw each other at the Democrat National Convention and
I told you I had written my first book, and
I was inspired by your books and by reading your
books and just seeing that process and the ground that
you put in, so you never know who's watching and
who you're inspiring.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Thank you, my brother, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
It's the breakfast Club.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Wake that ass up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
The Breakfast Club.
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