Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviews writer, director, and producer Crystle Roberson. From Macon, GA, to top Hollywood director. Crystle has directed episodes of Greenleaf (OWN), All American (CW), Diary of a Future President (Disney+), American Soul (BET), Long Slow Exhale (Paramount), Black Mafia Family (STARZ), and The Gilded Age for HBO. She has also enjoyed serving as a Producing Director on Queens for ABC and Genius. MLK/X for 20th Century and Nat Geo. Crystle is also an enthusiastic writer with projects in development and remains excited about storytelling for generations to come.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to money making Conversations.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It's to show that she is the secrets of success
experience firsthand by marketing and Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I
will know he's giving me advice on many occasions. And
in case you didn't notice, I'm not broke. You know
he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision make
because it's what he likes to do.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's what he likes to share.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Now it's time to hear from my man, Rashan McDonald
money making conversations.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Here we go, Welcome to money making conversation. He's announced
my name and I have to step up to it.
I am Rashan McDonald. Our theme is every Tuesday, every week.
Our theme is there's no perfect time to start following
your dreams. That's the thing. A lot of people don't
know when to start. A lot of people are afraid
to start. But if you start, at least you can
hear it in the direction that may makes some sense.
(00:51):
The problem I have with people that they just sit
there complaining, going to the same job, complaining, probably dating
the same person, complain, married to the same person, complaining.
If you start moving the complaints out the way, you
can probably start moving forward with some positivity in your life.
Stop creating your own level of negativity because I recognize
(01:13):
that we all have different definitions of success. For you,
it may be the size of your paycheck. Mine is
inspiring you to accomplish your goal, your goal and live
your very best life. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start living your own.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I hear that a lot people always talk about their
purpose or gifts. If you have a gift, lead with
your gift and don't let your friend's family will cowork
and stop you from planning or living your dream. Today's
show really is about black girl magic. That's the person
I am about to interview is truly black girl magic.
My guess is a writer, director, and producer. Crystal Robison
Christal is a member of the Director's Guild of America
(01:51):
and has directed episodes of Green Leaf, All American Dire
or Future President, American Soul, Long Soul, O Slow Exhale,
Black Mafia Family BML, and The Gilded Age. She's also
Enjoyed and George, serving as a producing director on Queen's
which is on ABC, and Genius which is a great
(02:12):
series you can find on that geo. She's an enthusiastic
writer with projects and development and remains excited about storytellers
for generations to come. And she's African American. Please work
with the Money Making Conversations Master Class, Crystal Roberson.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
How are you doing, Crystal?
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I'm doing great, Rishawn, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
First of all, how do you have time to talk
to me? How do you have time to talk to
me on my little show, Money Making Conversations Maths Class.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Well, you know, first of all, it's not a little show.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Hear.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
A lot of my friends are big fans of your show.
And right now, you know, in the film industry, we
do a show and then we have a break. So
I'm enjoying a break right now. I start prepping on
being math next week. But for now, I am relaxing
in Los angele lists enjoy my off time.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Well, thank you, will thank you for the compliment on
the show.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
But let's let's talk about because I know, I jokingly said,
because being a director is not a forty hour week job.
It's not going to work at eight leaving it five.
It's not Oh can you stay a couple of hours. Oh,
we're gonna run a little over the five o'clock. You're
gonna be good with that, because that's why I know
that in season I could never interview you. When you're
an actual production, trying to interview you will be just
(03:26):
like a really like a waste of time because you
really can't dictate your schedule because anything.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Can pop up.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Can you get people like a capsule of what what
is the director's life like?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Yeah, so a director's life is you know when your
in production, Like you said, we go we shoot at
ten to twelve hour days every day, and so we
do that to just maximize the amount of scenes that
we can shoot in a day, and the mo the
more that we get done in the day, the less
(04:02):
time the overall show takes to be completed, and the
less money as well. So the more days you spend
doing it, the more money you're gonna spend. So they
try to push as much into a day as possible.
So that's why people in the film industry work twelve
hour days. So as a director, I get there at
(04:24):
call time. We have everything is unionized in the industry,
so that's why it's so unpredictable because you have to
have twelve hour turnaround. So if we've wrapped at eight
pm at night, we can't come in until eight am
or nine am the next day, and so we never
know kind of what time we're gonna wrap, So we
(04:46):
never know what time we're gonna start, you know, and
so it becomes hard to tell, like when your lunch
break is gonna be and all of that. But the
so the life of a director is very you know,
it's time consuming with uh when you're filming, and you
really have to try hard to do that work life
(05:07):
balance and maintain you know, relationships and everything with your
family and loved ones. But usually people are pretty understanding,
you know, people who love you, they understand. And then
you have great moments where like like I just wrapped
a Genius M l k X mid March and I've
(05:30):
had all of the rest of March.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And stuff right that it's not that I just wrap
email k X Martin Luther King Malcolm X. Now can
you give us a little because I saw the Aretha
series on Genius, which was amazing. What's amazing? I think
a Cynthia Riva was the was the play the Reva.
(05:53):
It was played Aretha in that series. Yes, and she
was amazing. And so what they do is they kind
of it's like maybe even where from four to six episode?
Speaker 1 (06:02):
How many episodes was this was? This series? Was this
limited series for?
Speaker 4 (06:07):
It was eight episodes?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Eight episodes and you directed all eight?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
No, I directed about four or five. I've directed about
four out of the eighth.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Okay, So talk walkers through that. First of all, what
is it the series about? Because you have two iconic
civil rights activists, both tragically were assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr.
And Malcolm X two.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
One was pieced.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
One was someone would say or advocated violence in the
sense that, you know, you got to fight for what
you want in America. So talk about bringing you on
board for that project and what did you have to
do to prep for it?
Speaker 4 (06:49):
So what got made that job? You know, I had
just general meetings with people. You know, you want to know,
you want people to know who you are when you're
an African American, you know director coming up in the industry.
You know, I like everybody to meet. So I went
(07:09):
out on meetings. I had a lot of general meetings
and one of the producers who I'm of genius, I
met about two years prior to the Genius mlk X job,
Francie Calfo, So I met her in general, and she
really liked me, so she always sort of kept an
(07:30):
eye out for me for things. So when I saw
that Genius mlk X was coming up, I was like, wow,
I would love to direct on that show. And I
just reached out to her to see how she was doing.
You know, it's really about maintaining those relationships and knowing that,
like even though something might not come from it right now,
(07:52):
that you never know a year from now, two years
from now, it could pay off big. And that's what
happened with me. I had a general meeting, we hit
it off great, and then by you know, a while later,
mlk X was coming up, and I would have been
happy just to direct one episode of Genius m LKS,
(08:14):
but they saw me as a person who could be
a great producing director. So I was a producer as
well as a director on the on the series and
prepping for that really like tons of audio books. Wanted
to know not only Malcolm and Martin's story, but also
Karta and Betty's, you know, reading all the autobiographies. You know,
(08:40):
when you're a busy person. Auto audio books are the truth,
you know what. I'm so on the way in the work,
on the way to the grocery store wherever I was going,
I was listening to Malcolm Story, Martin Story, Kartta's or Betty's,
and I could and I could infuse that into the
work because when you come, when you come to that
(09:00):
type of work with the truth of what was actually
what actually happened, everyone there, the actors and everyone there
is at ease because they say, oh, our director really
knows this stuff. She knows what she's doing it.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
But did it sadden you a little bit because of
the fact that you, you know, you learned some things
and then the value of their relationship was just snuffed
out so early in their lives and for just for
just for just for violent reasons when you were doing
your research, because I've done research on projects and I go,
wow it and it really touches me emotionally, and to
(09:37):
do too iconic men like this, Well, how did they
impact you personally?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Well, it was, Honestly, it was more inspiring for me
than I thought it would be, because, you know, even
though it's sad, they were both assassinated at age thirty nine.
But you know, it was very inspiring that these men
because I'm I'm thirty nine, you know, dare I say
my age on radio? But like it hit me because
(10:07):
I was like, wow, all the things that these men
dare to do by thirty nine years old. I mean,
they knew that they were putting their life on the line.
They knew that like they were on dangerous territory, they
knew the FBI was spying on them and out for them,
and they still saw the need to make sure that
(10:30):
they stood up for what they believed in. And that
was really inspiring. It was like, wow, you know, there
are people in this world who will risk it all
for their brother, you know that for their sister. And
it was just inspiring to me. And every day was
so fulfilling because even on our hard days are long days,
(10:54):
you knew that you were paying, you know, tribute to
this legacy of these men and women, and it was
just it was really inspiring. It made you look at
yourself kind of in the mirror like okay, what am
I doing, you know with my thirty nine years.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
You know it's really when I look at you, I'm
speaking to HIMSS Crystal Robinson Robertson, excuse me, she's.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
A member of the DJA.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
The reason I say that because they have rules. When
you're in DJA, you're going to work so many hours.
Like I'll remember when I got my first writer's job,
when he said, why are people going on strike? Because
they got to fix rules that people will abuse you.
I remember I was writing on Me and the Boys
on ABC. It was I think it was ninety three,
and I was my executive producer kept me in the
(11:40):
writer's room and everybody else till sun up. I mean,
we came to work when it was light, it got dark,
and we were still in the writer's room when it
got light again. And that is why you have to strike.
That's why you have to have rules. That's why you
have to have these deals because people will abuse you. Yes,
you are well paid, but you don't have to be
abused because that's what you're fried mentally. And so that's
(12:02):
why she said, Look, when you stop working, you have
to come back at a certain hour. Otherwise their people
out there will work you sixteen eighteen hours.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Correct, Yes, they will keep working. If there are no
rules to keep you from working all day, they will
work you day and night into the next day. Like
you said, you see the sun twice, you know, see
the sun rise twice.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
And that's not fair. That's not fair.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
And I just want to say when I you know,
it's really interesting because when I do research on everybody,
when I come on the show, and then you know,
they send these little blurbs about you, and they send
a bio or and you start googling your name. You going, Okay,
her name keeps popping up over here, popping up over here,
and when and I just won't put everybody in perspective
with your talent, your actual talent.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
You know, she directed Greenleaf.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
That's gospel church, okay, in all American you know, that's
sports football. Okay, we'll go, and then we go American Soul.
That's soul trained that music right there, Okay, Okay, she's done.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
And then b M F.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Black Matfield that's drugs. That's violence. That's scary people, scary people.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And this did he slide right over there to Diary
of a Future President Disney? Plus, how do you keep
all these hats on your head?
Speaker 4 (13:31):
Well, you know, like at the end of this no,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Miss Robertson, No, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
Don't you put them?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Don't you do that where you know Rashon.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Well, Rashan, They're all stories, right, And so I love
great stories. And at the end of the day, I
just tell myself, I know how to tell this story.
You know, you you just you read the story. You're like,
I understand this and you and I find the part
of it that speaks to me, or the part of
it that I've experienced before, or you know, the part
(14:04):
that's closest to my heart, and I'm like, you know what,
I know how to tell this story. I know I
know exactly what to do. And at the end of
the day, that's really all you're doing. You're telling a story,
and you're making sure that the audience is going to
enjoy it the way that you enjoyed it. And so
I'm sitting in for y'all. I'm always sitting in for
the audience. When I'm directing back to who I'm thinking about.
(14:27):
I'm thinking about the people at home, you know, watching
and how they're gonna feel. So if I can always
just put myself in that place and understand what the
story is, I can tell any story I'm not intimidated
by any time period or however big explosions or any
(14:48):
car chases or whatever, because at the end of the day,
you're telling a story and you're doing it one shot out.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
The guilded age, the guilded age time Carrio.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You know you you.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
I love talking to individuals like you because you know
you're hard workers, and so sometimes you forget how talented
you are. And and and that's what because there are
certain people like you know, Michael Bay he just blows
stuff up. That's just he's super rich, blowing stuff up. Okay,
(15:25):
same thing with James Cameron, shot high tech, blowing stuff up.
You know, every time you do a movie goes over
a billion dollars in box office. But that's what he does.
That's a specialty he does. I'm telling everybody, look at
what I'm saying here, Look at the range. And when
we come back, she hasn't even another project that has dropped.
(15:46):
Look at we're gonna announce it on my show when.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
We come back.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
She is another show.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
And the person that she's doing business with has money
in his name.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Money in the night.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Right back with more make it conversation about the class
with the humble, humble but great.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Christ Robuston, Please.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more Money
Making Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
You are now tuned into the Money Making Conversations Minute
of Inspiration with Rashawn McDonald.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Kirk Franklin is a sixteen time Grammy winning artist, songwriter, producer,
concert promoter, and recently he was inducted into the Hall
of Fame by Stevie Wanner's powerhouse radio station KJLH one
on two point three FM. Kirk has never been one
to stand still. We talked about his new podcast and
why it is important to diversify.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
I'm honored at whatever capacity to be able to do
life with people, to be able to be part of
people's journey for God to loan me words and music
or whatever that I can borrow from Him, to just
be a catalyst. That's something that I take a great
level of humility and responsibility in And it was never
my intent to try to do something that would be
(17:00):
left of center.
Speaker 8 (17:01):
That was that was never.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
If you want to hear this full interview with Kur Franklin,
visit Money Making Conversation dot com.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Keep going in.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by
Rishan McDonald.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Bring individuals who are just super talented, who rarely do
interviews like this because they's just so busy, they're always working.
And she's one of them, Miss Robinson is one of them,
one of the brilliant directors. And I feel so fortunate
to have her on Money Making Conversations Masterclass because she's
she's in between big projects and if you have an
opportunity you want to talk, you have these aspirations to act,
because when you direct, you deal with actors, When you
(17:39):
deal with producers, you.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Deal with writers.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Plus, she's a writer, and she has always been a
dream of hers to do these things, and she's now
living her dream. As we return back to this conversation
with you, Miss Robinson, what is the new project that
you have that just dropped and it evolved man taking
(18:01):
over everything, not dollar, not five dollars.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Yes, I'm so excited. It's a new animation series called
Lady Danger, and Lady Danger is an animation and uh,
the lead is going to be Nicki minage. I'm really
excited because we you know, we all know Nicky's voice.
She can do all sorts of crazy things with her voice,
(18:30):
and she has a very animated way of expressing herself,
so I think that the animation is just going to
be perfect for her as the lead. And you know,
fifty Cent has a really like his his eye, his
finger is on the pulse, you know, and his eye
is on the streets and in the culture, and he
knows exactly what people want. He knows what audiences want,
(18:54):
and he's had a lot of I think that's why
he's had so much success with his show. So really
excited to be working with fifty and g Unit on it.
And I'm excited to explore the future. You know, we're
exploring year twenty seventy five and so we get to
sort of go into the future and we're being really
(19:15):
you know, everything coming out now with artificial intelligence and everything.
I think everyone's eye is on the future and what
it's going to look like, especially for black people. So
I'm super excited about this new project. I'm one of
the creators of the show, one of the executive producers,
so I'll be writing the show as well as producing
(19:38):
the show. So I'm excited about that.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Super excited. This is mss Roperson again. You know, animation animation.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Didn't blink. Didn't blink? Now, what preps you? This is
all This is a question that I always ask people.
What preps you to be able to do a show?
An animated show? What is the difference between an animated
show and a live action?
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Well, you know, it's interesting, there's there's there's not a
lot of different in terms of writing. There's not a
huge difference in it, except you got to know, like
when people are watching animation, it's it's a bit of
a heightened experience when you're dealing with an animation about
a superhuman And so we just want to make sure
(20:23):
the writing is really punchy and and really interesting, Like
every every other line needs to be really kind of
like ear catching or eye catching in some sort of way.
So we want to make sure it's always fun and upbeat.
But besides that, you know, like I said before, you know,
a story is a story, and as long as you
(20:44):
know how to tell that story and you can feel
those different characters, then you know you're good. You can,
you can, it'll translate to animation, it'll translate to live action,
right or whatever you want it to be.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Yeah, we know because I have pitched animated projects, and
it's almost like you have to do extreme writing. You know,
you can't talk just you know, because I guess what,
somebody who's walking next year. In animation, you become a tomato,
and can become a chicken, can become a human, and
you have to understand you have that creative freedom to
(21:20):
make that happen in animation, whereas when you have a
person who's structured like I am, coming from a world sitcom.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
It was a major leap for me to understand.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
It's fine, you can do that and guess what because
you're dealing with animation, and because animation extremes allow you
to tell a story sometimes a lot better than live action, correct,
I believe.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
So I've always it's been a lifelong dream of mine
to work in animation. So this project has been like
a dream come true for sure. And a lot of
times pitching animation, the studios want to know, like, well,
why is it animation? So a lot of times, like
like you said, like somebody turning in to a tomato
(22:01):
or having like an animal side kid that talks, or
doing things that you would not be able to really
do in live action. They want to know like why
is this animation, Why can't this be just a regular show.
So all those elements are important when you're writing it
to know like, this is why this has to be animation,
(22:24):
because you know we have the pillows talk to you,
seeing you to sleep, or you know, whatever whatever you
want to put in there.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Right, You know, it was really interesting because when you
start talking, the only thing the project that really comes
across is live action that kind of feels like animation.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Is the you know, Guardians of the Galaxy.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
You know, they have the treat you know, the little
raccoon that talks the treaty.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
With walks around and participates physically.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
It's almost like an animated project, but they're treating it
like it's live because it's live action. And but really
that's not reality. And when I look over the years,
you know, when Star Wars started going to these different
planets in the different world and bringing in these odd
looking characters, that wasn't the sense was animation because they
was stepping into a culture that wasn't real. But guess what,
(23:11):
it is the world that I'm creating so I can
get away with it. And that's what animation allows us
to do. And so when you look at these different
projects when they and you absolutely correct. That was one
of the major questions they asked me, and I guess
that's why I don't have an animated project on TV.
They said, Rashaan, why is it necessary to do this
project and animation?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
I went because I like it. I think it'll work.
And they said, we'll get back with you. Willgi back
with you, because.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
You really have to say, this project of this storytelling
can only be achieved by doing it this way, and
that's what you're achieved.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
How did you get Nicki Minauche involved in.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
This, Well, that was all fifty cent. You know, he
has that relationship, that friendship with Nikki, and he thought,
you know, he came to the table thinking like we
had to pitch pitch it to him, and then when
he got on board with it, he was like, you know,
I think Nicki Minaj would be perfect for the lead
(24:09):
for Lady Danger. And then we had a meeting with
Nicki and we had to pitch it to her as
well as she had thought, and then she she was interested, thankfully,
and so and she's also you know, she's interested in
the fact that, like, you know, the studio time in
(24:31):
order for her to do to do the Lady Danger voicing.
You know, she can do that from home, from a
home studio, and with her being a mother and having
her own label and doing all the amazing boss things
she's doing. And I think it's also appealing to her
because it's something that she can do, you know, from
(24:54):
the studio in her home and she doesn't have to
you know, go through hair and make upbe and traveling.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
You know, they will be there with that camera because
you got to get the b road side of it,
of them actually doing it, so you can't get too
too regular.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
Yeah, that's true. But for the most part, you know,
she's able to like be there with her son and
all of that. So I think that was also.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Oh absolutely absolutely. You know, let's let just talk about
fifty Cents. You know this, I got to use the
word brilliant. You know, I've been knowing him, I've been
knowing of of knowing, and met fifty Cents way back
and when I was doing the Beat in LA with
Steve Harvey and that's when I first met fifty Cents. Uh,
you know, the birthday and all that something, all those
(25:42):
all those those hits he had back then when Power
came out.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
That's Power is.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
A series that launched his production and television brand. And
I remember when that show was announced, it was said
it was a it was a show about a drug
dealer who ran a nightclub, and it's being produced by
fifty cents. And I immediately turned to my friends, go,
that'll never make it because I just didn't see it.
(26:07):
I just didn't see it. I didn't I didn't think
the American culture was ready for that. I didn't think
that America would would would would buy into that.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Boy was I wrong?
Speaker 3 (26:18):
And boy did I not miss an episode. I watched
every episode because what I what he showed me was
if you look at every one of his series, it's
just like the Fast and Furious series, it's about family.
All his series are successful because it's about family. It's
just family, and it's just a different way of parenting
because all if you look at the core Power, it
(26:42):
was about a mother, a husband and wife trying to
raise their kids as safely as possible, and a drug
community that they built.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Mm hmm, that's true. That's true. Yeah, yeah, And I
mean I think that like that's what makes make shit
so relatable. And I think that's why audiences love it
because you know, it's an escape first of all, and
it's really grounded, and then you can relate to it
because it's still, at the end of the day, a
(27:13):
story about family.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
It really is.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Andin' I'm gonna tell you something, I have to take
my head off to you because you're helping these stories
being told. Because as a person who's been in this
industry a long time and watching black portrayal, black creative,
black content, and you know, we had no dramas. I mean,
we couldn't keep a drama on the air back in
the day. You know it, come on, I mean Tim
Reid his drama came on and they counsel it. Oh
(27:39):
my god, can we keep a counsel And they kept
saying black people are television in the world or the
television community audience will not see it and watch black drama.
And so to see what is happening now and watching
him lead the way and watching so many more talented people,
it's merely amazing to me because of the fact that
(27:59):
you at the center of that and a clear understanding
that your talents are mushrooming this new content era for
black black producers and writers and directors. How do you
feel about that?
Speaker 5 (28:14):
Man?
Speaker 4 (28:14):
That makes me feel amazing? You know, I mean, I'm
a I'm a little girl from making Georgia. You know,
I started out, I didn't know anybody in this industry,
coming up like from where I was from, and it
just it just makes me feel amazing that now you know,
I'm one of those people who can inspire somebody else,
(28:36):
you know, and that that means the world of me.
It really does mean everything. And and it's always really
heartwarming when a younger, you know, black woman comes up
to me and says, you know, I see you, and
I see myself in you, and I can as you're directing,
I can see myself directing. And that's what it's about
(28:57):
to me, the fact that you know, you can look
at me and see yourself and you know, and and
that that's what that's what makes the difference. Like when
you can see yourself doing something that you couldn't see
yourself doing before. That's a breakthrough just in just in that,
you know, just in that realization that's sometimes that's life changing.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Absolutely absolutely, you know, you know, I want to if
I want to ask you one more question now, if
you if you can stick around for one more break,
because I want to talk about the rise of the
female Black female directors and you're part of that because
you know it's it's really brilliant what we're seeing out there,
and it really exploded during the COVID, really exploded the opportunities.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
And I want you to mention some of.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
The name if you don't mind, and how how this
whole chemistry is starting to just not long do you
take over this, but dominate the industry and from producing
and EP and and all that stuff, and it's it's great,
and just stick around. We've got one more break. I
held her. She already told me she don't have a
job right now, so I can keep her. She told
me she hasn't run in those sets. See our jobs
(30:03):
coming now, but right now Rashaw McDonald, guy, Miss christ
Ropers from Lockdown, don't got where. We're back for more
money making conversation Mastering Class. One more big question, and
she's going to respond, don't go nowhere.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money making conversations. Masterclass.
Speaker 9 (30:19):
HBCUs represent Black Excellence if you attend or are an
alumnus of an HBCU. We want to hear about your story.
The My HBCU Story digital Library will allow current HBCU
students and alumni to share their stories. Registration is open
to everyone. More information is available at HBCU college day
(30:40):
dot com. Click my HBCU Story. Next, you can upload
a photo. The photo can be recent or from when
you attended your HBCU. Then share your academic or social
experience at your HBCU, which can be your favorite class, hangout, joint,
homecoming game, student center, on or off campus party, greeks show,
(31:00):
and how attending an HBCU changed your life. We also
want to hear stories if you pleasure a fraternity or sorority.
The goal is to use your my HBCU story to
promote and uplift the HBCU brand. Your HBCU prepared you
for success and now we want everyone to read about
your black excellence. More information is available at HBCU College
(31:23):
day dot com. You can click my HBCU Story to
share your story.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by
Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
I've kept her one more break, MS Rowerson. You know,
let's let's let's rehash some of her greatness, you know,
because she's wants to sit around and be humble. Directed
episodes of green Leaf. I'm just mentioning some of the
things that, you know, if I could still be talking Greenleaf,
which is on Own Network, All America, which is on CW,
dire Future, President, Disney Plus American Soul, bet Long Slow,
(31:55):
EXL Paramount, Black Mafia Family which is BMF Star, The
Gilded Age, HBO, you know, Genius, which is now GEO,
and now she's doing animation. Yeah, and she sits on
this call y'all. Well, you know, Rashine, it's about relationships.
You know, I call here, call there and people remember me,
(32:19):
and uh, you know, it's really about that relationship. For
sh It's really really what it amounts to my situation,
my situation, you know, but people know I like, let
me just tell you something. When you're talking to somebody
humble like this Roberson, she said, you know, I really
went over to do Genius.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I just really wanted to do one episode. Then he
told me.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Four, and then he told me four because I was
a producing director.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
Yes, yes, I remember everything.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
People say to me.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
They said, ra Sean, you remember everything because I like
to remind people in the world we live in. I've
been in Hollywood as a writer since ninety two. The
Roberson's of the world did not exist, not like they're
but existing, and now they existing now today as producers,
as contributors, as independent thought bringers that are not pigeonhole
(33:12):
and duct tape to say this is what you're supposed
to do. Her resume of work is tremendous. But she's
not alone. Talk to us about why is there a
tremendous rise in African American female directors and what impact
are you guys making on the industry.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Well, yeah, I mean, listen, I'm so fortunate to be
able to come up in this like new renaissance of
black women directors. And one person that I gotta gotta
give a lot of credit to is Ava DuVernay.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
Like Ava Amen, Oh.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
My goodness, Ava single handedly made a big, big difference
in uh for for female black women directors. She just
women directors in general. When she started doing Queen Sugar
on own and she only hired women directors for the show.
(34:10):
That made a big difference because suddenly, because that got
the attention of a lot of other shows that got
the attention of studios and networks, and suddenly people you know,
were looking out for women directors. And then things started
to change in Hollywood where you know, people started to notice, well,
(34:32):
out of the last one hundred directors that you've hired,
only two of them have been black women, and why
is that? And then people began to be to question
it and bring it out into the air and expose it.
And so I think that you know, that happening allowed
people like me and a lot of my sisters now directing.
(34:56):
It allowed us all to be seen finally and to
come through through and then they gave us a shot
and it was like, oh, these women know what they're doing.
They're doing great. And so I think people like Ava,
people like Easter Ray, you know, those really amazing powerful
black women who went to the forefront and really showed
(35:18):
people like, Hey, we know what we're doing and we
do a great job, and we're also going to reach
back and bring our other sisters up here to do
it too. That was a really major turning point in
the industry. I think that happened about about six years ago.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
Absolutely, it was I know that because of the fact
that you know, at one point blacks only participating.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Really, I'm just being honest when I talk.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
On these shows because you're in the industry reality shows,
Oh we were were We were killing it in reality shows,
fighting and throwing glasses and jumping over the table and diving.
That's where they was betraying Black women on TV. Y'all
were killing it in reality Okay, there was no there
was no culture tied to black women. It's all about screaming, fussing,
fighting over man and throwing glasses and climbing over the
(36:12):
tables and beating each other up. That was the portrayal
of black women in the media, especially on television, in
the reality world. And then behind the camera, you guys
started changing the narrative and it took a powerful courageous
I'm gonna tell you the word courageous because I'm gona
tell you something. What Ava Dubne did. It was a
lot of people questioning her, and I mean, I've been there.
(36:34):
I have been there. When you start making decisions and
you know people are questioning it and you it'll creep
into your life. You have to got have strong faith,
You got to have strong relationships, and you have to
be more importantly confident that you're making the right decision
and you've chosen the right person to lead you out
of that darkness into the light. Because that's all she
(36:57):
was doing. And I you know, and it show the
level of work that she does. But she she knows,
she you know, it's like it's like, you know, Michael
Jordan know he gives you know, he got six championships
to do that, but you know, he also knew he
had to pass the ball off to Pippin. You know,
Steve Kerr, you know he had to pass the ball
cart right, he had passed the ball off to people
and otherwise you can't win. So what Ava du Vine
(37:20):
is doing in this industry or have done in this industry,
she's passed the ball off. And yes, y'all made the.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
Shots, Yes exactly. That's what you gotta do. You gotta
make it. You know, you gotta make the shot. If
they pass your ball, you gotta make the shot. That's
your one shot.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Well, you know, you know, you know the great thing
about my show is that that I love and I'm
to appreciate it. I'm allowed to do it every week
and bring people like you on my show because the
word master class is attached to it. And when I
say master class, you are you epitomizes that term because
of the fact that you know, corn, you're somebody, you
(38:00):
were born in Germany, you know, raised in making. Because
if anybody can't hear that Southern accent, because she she's
not losing that that that country girl.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
Is tied up.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
It's tied up all up in you.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
And and and then but the enthusiasm of the fact
that I just you know, I said one more question,
but I got to ask you this next question.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
There are always.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Doubters in individual paths to success. How did you move
past those people? You know, when they used the word
luck or they use the word right place at the
right time, or girl, don't get too excited about that.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
How did you get past that?
Speaker 4 (38:42):
My father told me once, he said, he said, people
are gonna doubt you, and he said, you're gonna doubt yourself,
but as long as you don't listen to it and
move on, you'll be fine. And in those moments, I
remember what my father said, and I had doubts myself
(39:03):
and other people had doubts. I had somebody tell me
in college, you know, you need to be realistic. When
I said, I want to be a film you need
to be realistic, and I was like, I am being realistic,
you know, And but you just can't listen to it.
You have to you have to know that the doubt
is gonna happen, because you don't need to be thrown
(39:25):
off by it. Okay, it's gonna happen. You're signing up
to do one of the hardest things in the world,
like you're as a as a as a black woman director.
I know I signed up to do something that one
percent of the whole world could could only do. So
I know that it's gonna be hard. I know people
(39:45):
are gonna doubt. I know that's gonna happen, and I
just say, Okay, that happens. It's like feeling to burn
when you're working out. Some it starts to burn. But
you know that's gonna happen. You want it, you know,
it's like that's a part of the whole process. But
you gotta you gotta do it anyway. You just got
to do it anyway. And you know you got to
sign up. You signed up for something hard to do,
(40:08):
and you just got to make it happen. Wow, you know,
And that's what that's what makes it. It's not easy.
You know, if it were easy, everybody would be doing
it right.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
If you listen to that person said be realistic. Be realistic. Yeah,
get married, get a job, and just stand in line.
That's where you're supposed to be, just standing in line.
Let your dreams just become nightmares, because that's what will
become if you don't live your dreams.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
But I wanted to thank you for coming on my show.
Speaker 10 (40:35):
You.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
I know it's been a lot.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
It's been a journey to get you on this show,
and it's been a blessing to hear your conversation.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
How can we get in touch with you via social
Do you have a website?
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Can you tell them an audience, Yes, I am cc
Roberson that stands for Crystal Clear Roberson and on Instagram,
i am c. C. Roberson Creates and then my website
is cc Roberson. And be looking out because I'm about
(41:03):
to start c see our story House, which is going
to be a really great resource for up and coming filmmakers.
I'm going to start giving grants for short films and
a lot of really great creative advice. So just stick
with me and stay tuned in and you'll start seeing.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
That when you start. Now that's a program you're about
to start or has it started? I'm about Okay, cool,
come back on the show so we can let my
people know. Okay, come on, Georgie girl, come on back
down here and talk to us. Okay, right, come on,
talk to us again. Thank you for taking the time
to come on my show. An extended interview with the
running on it, Miss Crystal Robinson.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Thank you, Rashan.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
You're amazing, and continue to be blessed and continue to
work hard and continue to uplift the community because every
time I'm telling some people need to understand how gifted
you are. And I'm marveled because I know the hard
work that it comes with a resume that you built
so far and you continue to build. And you can
throw out the word thirty nine because I'm telling you
something that's a forty nine, fifty nine year old resume
(42:05):
you're talking about right now.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, you'd be safe out there.
Speaker 7 (42:09):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I appreciate you, Thank you. Wow, you know it was
I'm opening up the phone lines.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
I know that interview went longer than normal, but I
want to talk to you guys, if you want to
talk to me.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
You can ask me any question.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
But more important, I want to share a couple of
thoughts before we go to break about you know what
she was talking about how people would throw that doubt
in you. Well, people will question your dreams with people
because that's a dream that they can't understand because that's
not their dream. My life is always been a life
where people have said what I should be doing and
(42:45):
what I could.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Not be doing.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
And and I'm not saying that I went out there
to prove the wrong. I just lived my life. And
when I think about the different things and the different
famous people that I've been associated with all my life,
within my life even today, it's because they saw something
in me that I didn't see it myself, and they
saw a skill set. I was interviewing Brian Brian Custer.
(43:13):
He's an ESPN analyst and he does a college play
by play and uh and he was he did the
fight this weekend where Garcia guy hitting the ribs of
the liver and he just sat down in the corner
and he was and he said, man, you're a legend.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
You're a legend. I said, what do you mean? He said,
you are a legend.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
He said, people sleeping on you, brother, And I said, wow,
I said, thank you. That's all That's my wife has
told me, well, lushun, when people compliment you, please say
thank you, because sometimes I just get taken back because
I'm not expecting a compliment. All I'm doing is expecting
myself to understand that I'm just grinding. And sometimes you
grind you you just walk walk, just run right past
(43:55):
the accomplishment, Just run right past the what you have
achieved in you don't recognize what you have achieved is
very unique and very special. Because I was this past weekend,
I was honored at the Black Media Honors. It was
this event and I didn't know, you know, I walked
in there. You know, they walked in there. Mister McDonald
coming this way is the Black Media Honors, and uh
(44:19):
put me on the red carpete taking pictures. People want
to do selfies with me. I'm like being tossed around
like a little pinata dog, a little dog. And you know,
and I wasn't the only person being honored. April Love
was being honored, Steven A. Smith was being honored, Matthew
Knows was being honored. My boss Samuels from Revolt TV,
Alfred Edwinds Junior from Black Enterprise was being honored and
(44:42):
Rushaun McDonald was being honored and for some reason, I
didn't understand why they honored me. But we have one
more phone call coming back. When we come back, Rodrigus,
don't go anywhere. This is your show now. You called
talk to me, asked me the question. I will responding back.
More money Making Conversation Masterclass and tell you.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
Can win, man, You can win.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Just believe in yourself and stick around people who believe
in your dreams.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Be right back.
Speaker 5 (45:10):
Please, don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 6 (45:17):
You are now tuned into the Money Making Conversations Minute
of Inspiration with Rashawn McDonald.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Michelle Williams is a Grammy Award winning recording artists and actress.
She rose to stardom as a member of the Omega
group Destiny's Child. In her new book Checking In How
Getting Real about Depression save my life and can save yours,
this book will help you see the science to overcome depression, to.
Speaker 11 (45:40):
Go into counseling. I really want to help people in
entertainment and sports because I don't feel like we have
to live these lives, whether dysfunction or not, identifying hurts
that trigger certain behaviors and responses because just because I
was hurt in my childlihood does not give me the
(46:01):
right to go hurting people as an adult. And then
I really feel like we can go on to be
more whole and have great quality relationships.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
Michelle Williams full interview.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
It's available at money Making conversation dot com.
Speaker 5 (46:15):
Keep winning Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass
hosted by Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
There are no guarantees in life. People.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
They can push you back down that mountain. There are
no guarantees in life. Ask Don Lemon, asked Tucker Calls.
You have to say at the top of the mountain,
and one day somebody decided to say, you know, some
of that mountain has a base, and we're gonna push
you back down that base. So while you're living this
dream of these doubts that your dreams cannot be achieved
(46:43):
because guess what somebody's told you you can't achieve it.
Try try and guess what I'm not. Don Lemon's not finished.
Tucker Calls is not finished. They just got knocked down
and they're gonna get back up because they're fighters. They're
twenty four to seven people. I'm a twenty four seven person.
I've been knocked down. I have been knocked down. I
(47:04):
have been I've had dirt kicked in my face. I've
had times when I looked in the mirror and go
is there a future? But that was only for a
little moment, because I would not let negativity win. We
have a caller here, Rodriguez in at LASTA. How you doing,
rod Vegas? What can I do for you?
Speaker 1 (47:20):
My friend?
Speaker 8 (47:21):
Hey, yes, sir, thank you for taking my call. I
just wanted to more amend you on your program and
say that you know the end of you someone like
Crystal Roversen, who is born in Germany and raised right
here in Georgia making they have that exposure for the
average person who may not ever have that kind of exposure,
and to realize the possibility, especially being so local, I
(47:44):
think it's an awesome thing. So I commend you. I
listened to you sure as often as I can. But anyway,
this is one that really caught my attention, as many
of them have.
Speaker 12 (47:53):
But my question more pretends to the average person like
myself I'm a real estate investry and go on. One
of the things that we are in critical need of
is mentors. How do we align ourselves with people like
Crystal Robson who wants to give back in terms of
(48:14):
you know, those networks. I think that's one of the
biggest things that we're going to require to go to
the next level and be that explosive type of young
people even as we mature in our age. But that
mentorship is so critical because you know, it's one thing
to believe in yourself.
Speaker 8 (48:30):
That then you've got to have that.
Speaker 12 (48:31):
Right connection or right connections, if you will. So how
do we build those organizations so that we can really
start to expand?
Speaker 3 (48:39):
Well, thank you for calling Roveguez. You know, here's the
interesting thing about that question that you're asking me, because
it's like relationships, like she said this, Roberson said, this
is my relationships, whether it's in church, whether it's fraternity, sorority,
or any membership that you need. But you have to
build it by relationships. You have to build it by
a group, like by the people. Some people start organization,
(49:01):
like they start these little financial clubs. It may be
two or three people. I would tell you this is
that there are people who think just like you. All
you need is another person. All you need is one
more person Rodrigis to think like you. Then that person
would get another person, and then you set a consistency
within that group saying we're gonna meet once a month.
(49:21):
Don't over don't overburden the relationship. So a lot of
people do things they want to meet every week, or
let's meet every Sunday. I remember our family did that
to me about we're gonna meet it every Sunday. You know, virtually, yes,
what we don't meet it all anymore because this war's
out now. Things just say it once a month. We
probably still meeting. But you have to put a schedule
(49:41):
together that everybody can meet and live with and adhere to.
So I would tell you that there's another person out there.
It's not so much you need mentorship. You just need
to talk to somebody who thinks like you, that's all.
And so a lot of people confuse the word mentorship
like they need to get advice from somebody who knows
more than them.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
That's not true.
Speaker 3 (50:02):
You need to talk to somebody who talks and thinks
like you, who has the same aspirations and the same dreams.
Speaker 1 (50:08):
That's who you need to be talking to.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
And there's another person out there just like you are
thinks like you. You connect with that person, you connect
to your social media. You can ask for that person
to your social media, just post to say, look, I'm
looking for a person want to connect on to start
the club, you can start a Facebook club on your
Facebook and a group of people can meet through your Facebook.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
That's what people.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
Facebook advertises that all the time. Facebook is not promoting
likes or followers. They're promoting these clubs that you can create.
And there are people over these Facebook clubs, but one
hundred thousand, half million groups of people who meet through
these clubs in these chatrooms. So I would start with
your social media and put the word out what you're
trying to do, and you can screen these people. But
(50:53):
more importantly right because you're not looking for a mentor,
you're looking for somebody who thinks like you, who is
the same aspirations, the same goals, and the same hard
working skill set, and you can find that person through
social media today. Okay, I got phyllis, phyllis or mableton,
How you're doing phyllis?
Speaker 10 (51:15):
How are you good?
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Good?
Speaker 4 (51:17):
Good?
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Welcome to Money Making Conversation master Class. What can I
do for You's your show? I'm giving it. I'm no
more interviews. I'm just talking to y'all.
Speaker 1 (51:24):
I'm talking to.
Speaker 10 (51:24):
Y'all, and I don't really have a question. I just
want to say I am so excited that I heard
Crystal on your show today. I did not know who
she was. I've seen all the stuff that she has.
Speaker 4 (51:41):
Good.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Isn't it crazy?
Speaker 10 (51:43):
I know? And I wasn't even supposed to be in
the car. I am a I have a gift. I'm
the person that always does the videos for the parties
and the graduation And before Georgie Film Academy started, when
they were trying to get it started, I took a
(52:04):
class Atlanta, take a weekend class and just to see
what it was about. And I'm still dabbling in it.
And she has inspired me. I'm almost in tears. Really
me tell you a little.
Speaker 3 (52:20):
Thing about her resume. She started in the high school.
And I'm not saying that you got to start in
high school. It's awesome at a camera shop, at a
camera shop and making well.
Speaker 1 (52:31):
She converted old.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Sixteen millimeters home videos to videotape movies, to videotape.
Speaker 1 (52:37):
That's how she started. That's how she started.
Speaker 10 (52:39):
She was talking. She was literally talking to me today. Okay,
I just came from class from uh I go to
a technical college in the media. I've been in media
all my life, but I've been working on a job
because life happened to me. I'm thirty seven years into
my job. I could have retired in twenty fifteen, but
(53:02):
I'm still sitting here and then trying to make this
film thing happen. She was talking to me today.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
Let me tell you something right quick.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Don't say film thing that you said, thing like it's
not something that you can do or going to do.
I always tell people when I when I wake up
in the morning, I do exactly what I'm going to do.
Speaker 12 (53:24):
Now.
Speaker 3 (53:24):
I'm tired all the time. People hear that as people
say that too. I say that. One radio he said,
we sure you get at four thirty in the morning.
I said, I'll be mad when I get up to
I got up before thirty this morning, and I was
not happy, but I had to get up because I
had goals tied to.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
Be getting up.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
And that's what makes a difference when you're trying to
be successful. So when you called me, you just amplified
your dream. You saying it out loud and other people
are hearing that. And when you say it out loud,
that's you started your goals in motion.
Speaker 1 (53:55):
So don't stop.
Speaker 10 (53:56):
I can't. This is her show. You recorded it, right,
I gotta I gotta hear it again because to begin
out of the car.
Speaker 4 (54:06):
But I heard the important part.
Speaker 1 (54:08):
That I needed to heal with my friend. The important
part is that you called in.
Speaker 3 (54:14):
And the important part is that this show is here
every week, and this show is for you and everybody
who listens. And I want to inspire people. That's all
I want to do with money. Main conversation.
Speaker 4 (54:23):
I'm I'm sorry, and you know they shout, they shut.
Speaker 3 (54:28):
Down music for an hour and let me talk to
people and let me invite friends on people.
Speaker 10 (54:33):
And I listened to you here, I listened to you
here and there.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
Well, that's all I need is hear and that.
Speaker 3 (54:38):
That's all I need is hear and that because here
and that keep you rolling because of because it's.
Speaker 10 (54:44):
Sitting in the car. I don't want my husband to
see me cry.
Speaker 13 (54:48):
Well, I'll tell you this. You drive them tills, your
little thirty seven year old behind.
Speaker 1 (54:53):
I can't. I'm so old.
Speaker 13 (54:55):
My job thirty seven Okay, you've been on your job
thirty seven year. We guess I'll tell you something about
this and I'm gonna wrap up.
Speaker 1 (55:05):
And by the minute, is that do not let age
be an excuse? Okay, Oh I don't, I don't.
Speaker 3 (55:10):
Can you cannot? And so, But people are listening on
this call right now, listen to this call, have loud
age being an excused. They've allowed family to be an excuse,
They've allowed injuries to be an excused. They've allowed themselves
to be the excuse. My friend, you take this inspiration,
you take this moment that you've had on the radio
(55:31):
with me, and continue to stay motivated, and you update me.
Speaker 1 (55:35):
Okay, call me next week coming jute.
Speaker 3 (55:37):
So we shine this was happening because I'm being on
the air do I'm not going anywhere.
Speaker 1 (55:42):
And they've told me they like me up here at
this station, and so it says they like me. You know,
we're gonna be here for a while. But thank you
for calling the money make com
Welcome to money making Conversations.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It's to show that she is the secrets of success
experience firsthand by marketing and Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I
will know he's giving me advice on many occasions. And
in case you didn't notice, I'm not broke. You know
he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision make
because it's what he likes to do.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's what he likes to share.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Now it's time to hear from my man, Rashan McDonald
money making conversations.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Here we go, Welcome to money making conversation. He's announced
my name and I have to step up to it.
I am Rashan McDonald. Our theme is every Tuesday, every week.
Our theme is there's no perfect time to start following
your dreams. That's the thing. A lot of people don't
know when to start. A lot of people are afraid
to start. But if you start, at least you can
hear it in the direction that may makes some sense.
(00:51):
The problem I have with people that they just sit
there complaining, going to the same job, complaining, probably dating
the same person, complain, married to the same person, complaining.
If you start moving the complaints out the way, you
can probably start moving forward with some positivity in your life.
Stop creating your own level of negativity because I recognize
(01:13):
that we all have different definitions of success. For you,
it may be the size of your paycheck. Mine is
inspiring you to accomplish your goal, your goal and live
your very best life. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start living your own.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I hear that a lot people always talk about their
purpose or gifts. If you have a gift, lead with
your gift and don't let your friend's family will cowork
and stop you from planning or living your dream. Today's
show really is about black girl magic. That's the person
I am about to interview is truly black girl magic.
My guess is a writer, director, and producer. Crystal Robison
Christal is a member of the Director's Guild of America
(01:51):
and has directed episodes of Green Leaf, All American Dire
or Future President, American Soul, Long Soul, O Slow Exhale,
Black Mafia Family BML, and The Gilded Age. She's also
Enjoyed and George, serving as a producing director on Queen's
which is on ABC, and Genius which is a great
(02:12):
series you can find on that geo. She's an enthusiastic
writer with projects and development and remains excited about storytellers
for generations to come. And she's African American. Please work
with the Money Making Conversations Master Class, Crystal Roberson.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
How are you doing, Crystal?
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I'm doing great, Rishawn, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
First of all, how do you have time to talk
to me? How do you have time to talk to
me on my little show, Money Making Conversations Maths Class.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Well, you know, first of all, it's not a little show.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Hear.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
A lot of my friends are big fans of your show.
And right now, you know, in the film industry, we
do a show and then we have a break. So
I'm enjoying a break right now. I start prepping on
being math next week. But for now, I am relaxing
in Los angele lists enjoy my off time.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Well, thank you, will thank you for the compliment on
the show.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
But let's let's talk about because I know, I jokingly said,
because being a director is not a forty hour week job.
It's not going to work at eight leaving it five.
It's not Oh can you stay a couple of hours. Oh,
we're gonna run a little over the five o'clock. You're
gonna be good with that, because that's why I know
that in season I could never interview you. When you're
an actual production, trying to interview you will be just
(03:26):
like a really like a waste of time because you
really can't dictate your schedule because anything.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Can pop up.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Can you get people like a capsule of what what
is the director's life like?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Yeah, so a director's life is you know when your
in production, Like you said, we go we shoot at
ten to twelve hour days every day, and so we
do that to just maximize the amount of scenes that
we can shoot in a day, and the mo the
more that we get done in the day, the less
(04:02):
time the overall show takes to be completed, and the
less money as well. So the more days you spend
doing it, the more money you're gonna spend. So they
try to push as much into a day as possible.
So that's why people in the film industry work twelve
hour days. So as a director, I get there at
(04:24):
call time. We have everything is unionized in the industry,
so that's why it's so unpredictable because you have to
have twelve hour turnaround. So if we've wrapped at eight
pm at night, we can't come in until eight am
or nine am the next day, and so we never
know kind of what time we're gonna wrap, So we
(04:46):
never know what time we're gonna start, you know, and
so it becomes hard to tell, like when your lunch
break is gonna be and all of that. But the
so the life of a director is very you know,
it's time consuming with uh when you're filming, and you
really have to try hard to do that work life
(05:07):
balance and maintain you know, relationships and everything with your
family and loved ones. But usually people are pretty understanding,
you know, people who love you, they understand. And then
you have great moments where like like I just wrapped
a Genius M l k X mid March and I've
(05:30):
had all of the rest of March.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And stuff right that it's not that I just wrap
email k X Martin Luther King Malcolm X. Now can
you give us a little because I saw the Aretha
series on Genius, which was amazing. What's amazing? I think
a Cynthia Riva was the was the play the Reva.
(05:53):
It was played Aretha in that series. Yes, and she
was amazing. And so what they do is they kind
of it's like maybe even where from four to six episode?
Speaker 1 (06:02):
How many episodes was this was? This series? Was this
limited series for?
Speaker 4 (06:07):
It was eight episodes?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Eight episodes and you directed all eight?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
No, I directed about four or five. I've directed about
four out of the eighth.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Okay, So talk walkers through that. First of all, what
is it the series about? Because you have two iconic
civil rights activists, both tragically were assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr.
And Malcolm X two.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
One was pieced.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
One was someone would say or advocated violence in the
sense that, you know, you got to fight for what
you want in America. So talk about bringing you on
board for that project and what did you have to
do to prep for it?
Speaker 4 (06:49):
So what got made that job? You know, I had
just general meetings with people. You know, you want to know,
you want people to know who you are when you're
an African American, you know director coming up in the industry.
You know, I like everybody to meet. So I went
(07:09):
out on meetings. I had a lot of general meetings
and one of the producers who I'm of genius, I
met about two years prior to the Genius mlk X job,
Francie Calfo, So I met her in general, and she
really liked me, so she always sort of kept an
(07:30):
eye out for me for things. So when I saw
that Genius mlk X was coming up, I was like, wow,
I would love to direct on that show. And I
just reached out to her to see how she was doing.
You know, it's really about maintaining those relationships and knowing that,
like even though something might not come from it right now,
(07:52):
that you never know a year from now, two years
from now, it could pay off big. And that's what
happened with me. I had a general meeting, we hit
it off great, and then by you know, a while later,
mlk X was coming up, and I would have been
happy just to direct one episode of Genius m LKS,
(08:14):
but they saw me as a person who could be
a great producing director. So I was a producer as
well as a director on the on the series and
prepping for that really like tons of audio books. Wanted
to know not only Malcolm and Martin's story, but also
Karta and Betty's, you know, reading all the autobiographies. You know,
(08:40):
when you're a busy person. Auto audio books are the truth,
you know what. I'm so on the way in the work,
on the way to the grocery store wherever I was going,
I was listening to Malcolm Story, Martin Story, Kartta's or Betty's,
and I could and I could infuse that into the
work because when you come, when you come to that
(09:00):
type of work with the truth of what was actually
what actually happened, everyone there, the actors and everyone there
is at ease because they say, oh, our director really
knows this stuff. She knows what she's doing it.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
But did it sadden you a little bit because of
the fact that you, you know, you learned some things
and then the value of their relationship was just snuffed
out so early in their lives and for just for
just for just for violent reasons when you were doing
your research, because I've done research on projects and I go,
wow it and it really touches me emotionally, and to
(09:37):
do too iconic men like this, Well, how did they
impact you personally?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Well, it was, Honestly, it was more inspiring for me
than I thought it would be, because, you know, even
though it's sad, they were both assassinated at age thirty nine.
But you know, it was very inspiring that these men
because I'm I'm thirty nine, you know, dare I say
my age on radio? But like it hit me because
(10:07):
I was like, wow, all the things that these men
dare to do by thirty nine years old. I mean,
they knew that they were putting their life on the line.
They knew that like they were on dangerous territory, they
knew the FBI was spying on them and out for them,
and they still saw the need to make sure that
(10:30):
they stood up for what they believed in. And that
was really inspiring. It was like, wow, you know, there
are people in this world who will risk it all
for their brother, you know that for their sister. And
it was just inspiring to me. And every day was
so fulfilling because even on our hard days are long days,
(10:54):
you knew that you were paying, you know, tribute to
this legacy of these men and women, and it was
just it was really inspiring. It made you look at
yourself kind of in the mirror like okay, what am
I doing, you know with my thirty nine years.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
You know it's really when I look at you, I'm
speaking to HIMSS Crystal Robinson Robertson, excuse me, she's.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
A member of the DJA.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
The reason I say that because they have rules. When
you're in DJA, you're going to work so many hours.
Like I'll remember when I got my first writer's job,
when he said, why are people going on strike? Because
they got to fix rules that people will abuse you.
I remember I was writing on Me and the Boys
on ABC. It was I think it was ninety three,
and I was my executive producer kept me in the
(11:40):
writer's room and everybody else till sun up. I mean,
we came to work when it was light, it got dark,
and we were still in the writer's room when it
got light again. And that is why you have to strike.
That's why you have to have rules. That's why you
have to have these deals because people will abuse you. Yes,
you are well paid, but you don't have to be
abused because that's what you're fried mentally. And so that's
(12:02):
why she said, Look, when you stop working, you have
to come back at a certain hour. Otherwise their people
out there will work you sixteen eighteen hours.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Correct, Yes, they will keep working. If there are no
rules to keep you from working all day, they will
work you day and night into the next day. Like
you said, you see the sun twice, you know, see
the sun rise twice.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
And that's not fair. That's not fair.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
And I just want to say when I you know,
it's really interesting because when I do research on everybody,
when I come on the show, and then you know,
they send these little blurbs about you, and they send
a bio or and you start googling your name. You going, Okay,
her name keeps popping up over here, popping up over here,
and when and I just won't put everybody in perspective
with your talent, your actual talent.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
You know, she directed Greenleaf.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
That's gospel church, okay, in all American you know, that's
sports football. Okay, we'll go, and then we go American Soul.
That's soul trained that music right there, Okay, Okay, she's done.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
And then b M F.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Black Matfield that's drugs. That's violence. That's scary people, scary people.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And this did he slide right over there to Diary
of a Future President Disney? Plus, how do you keep
all these hats on your head?
Speaker 4 (13:31):
Well, you know, like at the end of this no,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Miss Robertson, No, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
Don't you put them?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Don't you do that where you know Rashon.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Well, Rashan, They're all stories, right, And so I love
great stories. And at the end of the day, I
just tell myself, I know how to tell this story.
You know, you you just you read the story. You're like,
I understand this and you and I find the part
of it that speaks to me, or the part of
it that I've experienced before, or you know, the part
(14:04):
that's closest to my heart, and I'm like, you know what,
I know how to tell this story. I know I
know exactly what to do. And at the end of
the day, that's really all you're doing. You're telling a story,
and you're making sure that the audience is going to
enjoy it the way that you enjoyed it. And so
I'm sitting in for y'all. I'm always sitting in for
the audience. When I'm directing back to who I'm thinking about.
(14:27):
I'm thinking about the people at home, you know, watching
and how they're gonna feel. So if I can always
just put myself in that place and understand what the
story is, I can tell any story I'm not intimidated
by any time period or however big explosions or any
(14:48):
car chases or whatever, because at the end of the day,
you're telling a story and you're doing it one shot out.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
The guilded age, the guilded age time Carrio.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You know you you.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
I love talking to individuals like you because you know
you're hard workers, and so sometimes you forget how talented
you are. And and and that's what because there are
certain people like you know, Michael Bay he just blows
stuff up. That's just he's super rich, blowing stuff up. Okay,
(15:25):
same thing with James Cameron, shot high tech, blowing stuff up.
You know, every time you do a movie goes over
a billion dollars in box office. But that's what he does.
That's a specialty he does. I'm telling everybody, look at
what I'm saying here, Look at the range. And when
we come back, she hasn't even another project that has dropped.
(15:46):
Look at we're gonna announce it on my show when.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
We come back.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
She is another show.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
And the person that she's doing business with has money
in his name.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Money in the night.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Right back with more make it conversation about the class
with the humble, humble but great.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Christ Robuston, Please.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more Money
Making Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
You are now tuned into the Money Making Conversations Minute
of Inspiration with Rashawn McDonald.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Kirk Franklin is a sixteen time Grammy winning artist, songwriter, producer,
concert promoter, and recently he was inducted into the Hall
of Fame by Stevie Wanner's powerhouse radio station KJLH one
on two point three FM. Kirk has never been one
to stand still. We talked about his new podcast and
why it is important to diversify.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
I'm honored at whatever capacity to be able to do
life with people, to be able to be part of
people's journey for God to loan me words and music
or whatever that I can borrow from Him, to just
be a catalyst. That's something that I take a great
level of humility and responsibility in And it was never
my intent to try to do something that would be
(17:00):
left of center.
Speaker 8 (17:01):
That was that was never.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
If you want to hear this full interview with Kur Franklin,
visit Money Making Conversation dot com.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Keep going in.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by
Rishan McDonald.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Bring individuals who are just super talented, who rarely do
interviews like this because they's just so busy, they're always working.
And she's one of them, Miss Robinson is one of them,
one of the brilliant directors. And I feel so fortunate
to have her on Money Making Conversations Masterclass because she's
she's in between big projects and if you have an
opportunity you want to talk, you have these aspirations to act,
because when you direct, you deal with actors, When you
(17:39):
deal with producers, you.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Deal with writers.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Plus, she's a writer, and she has always been a
dream of hers to do these things, and she's now
living her dream. As we return back to this conversation
with you, Miss Robinson, what is the new project that
you have that just dropped and it evolved man taking
(18:01):
over everything, not dollar, not five dollars.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Yes, I'm so excited. It's a new animation series called
Lady Danger, and Lady Danger is an animation and uh,
the lead is going to be Nicki minage. I'm really
excited because we you know, we all know Nicky's voice.
She can do all sorts of crazy things with her voice,
(18:30):
and she has a very animated way of expressing herself,
so I think that the animation is just going to
be perfect for her as the lead. And you know,
fifty Cent has a really like his his eye, his
finger is on the pulse, you know, and his eye
is on the streets and in the culture, and he
knows exactly what people want. He knows what audiences want,
(18:54):
and he's had a lot of I think that's why
he's had so much success with his show. So really
excited to be working with fifty and g Unit on it.
And I'm excited to explore the future. You know, we're
exploring year twenty seventy five and so we get to
sort of go into the future and we're being really
(19:15):
you know, everything coming out now with artificial intelligence and everything.
I think everyone's eye is on the future and what
it's going to look like, especially for black people. So
I'm super excited about this new project. I'm one of
the creators of the show, one of the executive producers,
so I'll be writing the show as well as producing
(19:38):
the show. So I'm excited about that.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Super excited. This is mss Roperson again. You know, animation animation.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Didn't blink. Didn't blink? Now, what preps you? This is
all This is a question that I always ask people.
What preps you to be able to do a show?
An animated show? What is the difference between an animated
show and a live action?
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Well, you know, it's interesting, there's there's there's not a
lot of different in terms of writing. There's not a
huge difference in it, except you got to know, like
when people are watching animation, it's it's a bit of
a heightened experience when you're dealing with an animation about
a superhuman And so we just want to make sure
(20:23):
the writing is really punchy and and really interesting, Like
every every other line needs to be really kind of
like ear catching or eye catching in some sort of way.
So we want to make sure it's always fun and upbeat.
But besides that, you know, like I said before, you know,
a story is a story, and as long as you
(20:44):
know how to tell that story and you can feel
those different characters, then you know you're good. You can,
you can, it'll translate to animation, it'll translate to live action,
right or whatever you want it to be.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Yeah, we know because I have pitched animated projects, and
it's almost like you have to do extreme writing. You know,
you can't talk just you know, because I guess what,
somebody who's walking next year. In animation, you become a tomato,
and can become a chicken, can become a human, and
you have to understand you have that creative freedom to
(21:20):
make that happen in animation, whereas when you have a
person who's structured like I am, coming from a world sitcom.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
It was a major leap for me to understand.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
It's fine, you can do that and guess what because
you're dealing with animation, and because animation extremes allow you
to tell a story sometimes a lot better than live action, correct,
I believe.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
So I've always it's been a lifelong dream of mine
to work in animation. So this project has been like
a dream come true for sure. And a lot of
times pitching animation, the studios want to know, like, well,
why is it animation? So a lot of times, like
like you said, like somebody turning in to a tomato
(22:01):
or having like an animal side kid that talks, or
doing things that you would not be able to really
do in live action. They want to know like why
is this animation, Why can't this be just a regular show.
So all those elements are important when you're writing it
to know like, this is why this has to be animation,
(22:24):
because you know we have the pillows talk to you,
seeing you to sleep, or you know, whatever whatever you
want to put in there.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Right, You know, it was really interesting because when you
start talking, the only thing the project that really comes
across is live action that kind of feels like animation.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Is the you know, Guardians of the Galaxy.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
You know, they have the treat you know, the little
raccoon that talks the treaty.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
With walks around and participates physically.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
It's almost like an animated project, but they're treating it
like it's live because it's live action. And but really
that's not reality. And when I look over the years,
you know, when Star Wars started going to these different
planets in the different world and bringing in these odd
looking characters, that wasn't the sense was animation because they
was stepping into a culture that wasn't real. But guess what,
(23:11):
it is the world that I'm creating so I can
get away with it. And that's what animation allows us
to do. And so when you look at these different
projects when they and you absolutely correct. That was one
of the major questions they asked me, and I guess
that's why I don't have an animated project on TV.
They said, Rashaan, why is it necessary to do this
project and animation?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
I went because I like it. I think it'll work.
And they said, we'll get back with you. Willgi back
with you, because.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
You really have to say, this project of this storytelling
can only be achieved by doing it this way, and
that's what you're achieved.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
How did you get Nicki Minauche involved in.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
This, Well, that was all fifty cent. You know, he
has that relationship, that friendship with Nikki, and he thought,
you know, he came to the table thinking like we
had to pitch pitch it to him, and then when
he got on board with it, he was like, you know,
I think Nicki Minaj would be perfect for the lead
(24:09):
for Lady Danger. And then we had a meeting with
Nicki and we had to pitch it to her as
well as she had thought, and then she she was interested, thankfully,
and so and she's also you know, she's interested in
the fact that, like, you know, the studio time in
(24:31):
order for her to do to do the Lady Danger voicing.
You know, she can do that from home, from a
home studio, and with her being a mother and having
her own label and doing all the amazing boss things
she's doing. And I think it's also appealing to her
because it's something that she can do, you know, from
(24:54):
the studio in her home and she doesn't have to
you know, go through hair and make upbe and traveling.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
You know, they will be there with that camera because
you got to get the b road side of it,
of them actually doing it, so you can't get too
too regular.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
Yeah, that's true. But for the most part, you know,
she's able to like be there with her son and
all of that. So I think that was also.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Oh absolutely absolutely. You know, let's let just talk about
fifty Cents. You know this, I got to use the
word brilliant. You know, I've been knowing him, I've been
knowing of of knowing, and met fifty Cents way back
and when I was doing the Beat in LA with
Steve Harvey and that's when I first met fifty Cents. Uh,
you know, the birthday and all that something, all those
(25:42):
all those those hits he had back then when Power
came out.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
That's Power is.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
A series that launched his production and television brand. And
I remember when that show was announced, it was said
it was a it was a show about a drug
dealer who ran a nightclub, and it's being produced by
fifty cents. And I immediately turned to my friends, go,
that'll never make it because I just didn't see it.
(26:07):
I just didn't see it. I didn't I didn't think
the American culture was ready for that. I didn't think
that America would would would would buy into that.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Boy was I wrong?
Speaker 3 (26:18):
And boy did I not miss an episode. I watched
every episode because what I what he showed me was
if you look at every one of his series, it's
just like the Fast and Furious series, it's about family.
All his series are successful because it's about family. It's
just family, and it's just a different way of parenting
because all if you look at the core Power, it
(26:42):
was about a mother, a husband and wife trying to
raise their kids as safely as possible, and a drug
community that they built.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Mm hmm, that's true. That's true. Yeah, yeah, And I
mean I think that like that's what makes make shit
so relatable. And I think that's why audiences love it
because you know, it's an escape first of all, and
it's really grounded, and then you can relate to it
because it's still, at the end of the day, a
(27:13):
story about family.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
It really is.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Andin' I'm gonna tell you something, I have to take
my head off to you because you're helping these stories
being told. Because as a person who's been in this
industry a long time and watching black portrayal, black creative,
black content, and you know, we had no dramas. I mean,
we couldn't keep a drama on the air back in
the day. You know it, come on, I mean Tim
Reid his drama came on and they counsel it. Oh
(27:39):
my god, can we keep a counsel And they kept
saying black people are television in the world or the
television community audience will not see it and watch black drama.
And so to see what is happening now and watching
him lead the way and watching so many more talented people,
it's merely amazing to me because of the fact that
(27:59):
you at the center of that and a clear understanding
that your talents are mushrooming this new content era for
black black producers and writers and directors. How do you
feel about that?
Speaker 5 (28:14):
Man?
Speaker 4 (28:14):
That makes me feel amazing? You know, I mean, I'm
a I'm a little girl from making Georgia. You know,
I started out, I didn't know anybody in this industry,
coming up like from where I was from, and it
just it just makes me feel amazing that now you know,
I'm one of those people who can inspire somebody else,
(28:36):
you know, and that that means the world of me.
It really does mean everything. And and it's always really
heartwarming when a younger, you know, black woman comes up
to me and says, you know, I see you, and
I see myself in you, and I can as you're directing,
I can see myself directing. And that's what it's about
(28:57):
to me, the fact that you know, you can look
at me and see yourself and you know, and and
that that's what that's what makes the difference. Like when
you can see yourself doing something that you couldn't see
yourself doing before. That's a breakthrough just in just in that,
you know, just in that realization that's sometimes that's life changing.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Absolutely absolutely, you know, you know, I want to if
I want to ask you one more question now, if
you if you can stick around for one more break,
because I want to talk about the rise of the
female Black female directors and you're part of that because
you know it's it's really brilliant what we're seeing out there,
and it really exploded during the COVID, really exploded the opportunities.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
And I want you to mention some of.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
The name if you don't mind, and how how this
whole chemistry is starting to just not long do you
take over this, but dominate the industry and from producing
and EP and and all that stuff, and it's it's great,
and just stick around. We've got one more break. I
held her. She already told me she don't have a
job right now, so I can keep her. She told
me she hasn't run in those sets. See our jobs
(30:03):
coming now, but right now Rashaw McDonald, guy, Miss christ
Ropers from Lockdown, don't got where. We're back for more
money making conversation Mastering Class. One more big question, and
she's going to respond, don't go nowhere.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money making conversations. Masterclass.
Speaker 9 (30:19):
HBCUs represent Black Excellence if you attend or are an
alumnus of an HBCU. We want to hear about your story.
The My HBCU Story digital Library will allow current HBCU
students and alumni to share their stories. Registration is open
to everyone. More information is available at HBCU college day
(30:40):
dot com. Click my HBCU Story. Next, you can upload
a photo. The photo can be recent or from when
you attended your HBCU. Then share your academic or social
experience at your HBCU, which can be your favorite class, hangout, joint,
homecoming game, student center, on or off campus party, greeks show,
(31:00):
and how attending an HBCU changed your life. We also
want to hear stories if you pleasure a fraternity or sorority.
The goal is to use your my HBCU story to
promote and uplift the HBCU brand. Your HBCU prepared you
for success and now we want everyone to read about
your black excellence. More information is available at HBCU College
(31:23):
day dot com. You can click my HBCU Story to
share your story.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by
Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
I've kept her one more break, MS Rowerson. You know,
let's let's let's rehash some of her greatness, you know,
because she's wants to sit around and be humble. Directed
episodes of green Leaf. I'm just mentioning some of the
things that, you know, if I could still be talking Greenleaf,
which is on Own Network, All America, which is on CW,
dire Future, President, Disney Plus American Soul, bet Long Slow,
(31:55):
EXL Paramount, Black Mafia Family which is BMF Star, The
Gilded Age, HBO, you know, Genius, which is now GEO,
and now she's doing animation. Yeah, and she sits on
this call y'all. Well, you know, Rashine, it's about relationships.
You know, I call here, call there and people remember me,
(32:19):
and uh, you know, it's really about that relationship. For
sh It's really really what it amounts to my situation,
my situation, you know, but people know I like, let
me just tell you something. When you're talking to somebody
humble like this Roberson, she said, you know, I really
went over to do Genius.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I just really wanted to do one episode. Then he
told me.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Four, and then he told me four because I was
a producing director.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
Yes, yes, I remember everything.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
People say to me.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
They said, ra Sean, you remember everything because I like
to remind people in the world we live in. I've
been in Hollywood as a writer since ninety two. The
Roberson's of the world did not exist, not like they're
but existing, and now they existing now today as producers,
as contributors, as independent thought bringers that are not pigeonhole
(33:12):
and duct tape to say this is what you're supposed
to do. Her resume of work is tremendous. But she's
not alone. Talk to us about why is there a
tremendous rise in African American female directors and what impact
are you guys making on the industry.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Well, yeah, I mean, listen, I'm so fortunate to be
able to come up in this like new renaissance of
black women directors. And one person that I gotta gotta
give a lot of credit to is Ava DuVernay.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
Like Ava Amen, Oh.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
My goodness, Ava single handedly made a big, big difference
in uh for for female black women directors. She just
women directors in general. When she started doing Queen Sugar
on own and she only hired women directors for the show.
(34:10):
That made a big difference because suddenly, because that got
the attention of a lot of other shows that got
the attention of studios and networks, and suddenly people you know,
were looking out for women directors. And then things started
to change in Hollywood where you know, people started to notice, well,
(34:32):
out of the last one hundred directors that you've hired,
only two of them have been black women, and why
is that? And then people began to be to question
it and bring it out into the air and expose it.
And so I think that you know, that happening allowed
people like me and a lot of my sisters now directing.
(34:56):
It allowed us all to be seen finally and to
come through through and then they gave us a shot
and it was like, oh, these women know what they're doing.
They're doing great. And so I think people like Ava,
people like Easter Ray, you know, those really amazing powerful
black women who went to the forefront and really showed
(35:18):
people like, Hey, we know what we're doing and we
do a great job, and we're also going to reach
back and bring our other sisters up here to do
it too. That was a really major turning point in
the industry. I think that happened about about six years ago.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
Absolutely, it was I know that because of the fact
that you know, at one point blacks only participating.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Really, I'm just being honest when I talk.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
On these shows because you're in the industry reality shows,
Oh we were were We were killing it in reality shows,
fighting and throwing glasses and jumping over the table and diving.
That's where they was betraying Black women on TV. Y'all
were killing it in reality Okay, there was no there
was no culture tied to black women. It's all about screaming, fussing,
fighting over man and throwing glasses and climbing over the
(36:12):
tables and beating each other up. That was the portrayal
of black women in the media, especially on television, in
the reality world. And then behind the camera, you guys
started changing the narrative and it took a powerful courageous
I'm gonna tell you the word courageous because I'm gona
tell you something. What Ava Dubne did. It was a
lot of people questioning her, and I mean, I've been there.
(36:34):
I have been there. When you start making decisions and
you know people are questioning it and you it'll creep
into your life. You have to got have strong faith,
You got to have strong relationships, and you have to
be more importantly confident that you're making the right decision
and you've chosen the right person to lead you out
of that darkness into the light. Because that's all she
(36:57):
was doing. And I you know, and it show the
level of work that she does. But she she knows,
she you know, it's like it's like, you know, Michael
Jordan know he gives you know, he got six championships
to do that, but you know, he also knew he
had to pass the ball off to Pippin. You know,
Steve Kerr, you know he had to pass the ball
cart right, he had passed the ball off to people
and otherwise you can't win. So what Ava du Vine
(37:20):
is doing in this industry or have done in this industry,
she's passed the ball off. And yes, y'all made the.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
Shots, Yes exactly. That's what you gotta do. You gotta
make it. You know, you gotta make the shot. If
they pass your ball, you gotta make the shot. That's
your one shot.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Well, you know, you know, you know the great thing
about my show is that that I love and I'm
to appreciate it. I'm allowed to do it every week
and bring people like you on my show because the
word master class is attached to it. And when I
say master class, you are you epitomizes that term because
of the fact that you know, corn, you're somebody, you
(38:00):
were born in Germany, you know, raised in making. Because
if anybody can't hear that Southern accent, because she she's
not losing that that that country girl.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
Is tied up.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
It's tied up all up in you.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
And and and then but the enthusiasm of the fact
that I just you know, I said one more question,
but I got to ask you this next question.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
There are always.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Doubters in individual paths to success. How did you move
past those people? You know, when they used the word
luck or they use the word right place at the
right time, or girl, don't get too excited about that.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
How did you get past that?
Speaker 4 (38:42):
My father told me once, he said, he said, people
are gonna doubt you, and he said, you're gonna doubt yourself,
but as long as you don't listen to it and
move on, you'll be fine. And in those moments, I
remember what my father said, and I had doubts myself
(39:03):
and other people had doubts. I had somebody tell me
in college, you know, you need to be realistic. When
I said, I want to be a film you need
to be realistic, and I was like, I am being realistic,
you know, And but you just can't listen to it.
You have to you have to know that the doubt
is gonna happen, because you don't need to be thrown
(39:25):
off by it. Okay, it's gonna happen. You're signing up
to do one of the hardest things in the world,
like you're as a as a as a black woman director.
I know I signed up to do something that one
percent of the whole world could could only do. So
I know that it's gonna be hard. I know people
(39:45):
are gonna doubt. I know that's gonna happen, and I
just say, Okay, that happens. It's like feeling to burn
when you're working out. Some it starts to burn. But
you know that's gonna happen. You want it, you know,
it's like that's a part of the whole process. But
you gotta you gotta do it anyway. You just got
to do it anyway. And you know you got to
sign up. You signed up for something hard to do,
(40:08):
and you just got to make it happen. Wow, you know,
And that's what that's what makes it. It's not easy.
You know, if it were easy, everybody would be doing
it right.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
If you listen to that person said be realistic. Be realistic. Yeah,
get married, get a job, and just stand in line.
That's where you're supposed to be, just standing in line.
Let your dreams just become nightmares, because that's what will
become if you don't live your dreams.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
But I wanted to thank you for coming on my show.
Speaker 10 (40:35):
You.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
I know it's been a lot.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
It's been a journey to get you on this show,
and it's been a blessing to hear your conversation.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
How can we get in touch with you via social
Do you have a website?
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Can you tell them an audience, Yes, I am cc
Roberson that stands for Crystal Clear Roberson and on Instagram,
i am c. C. Roberson Creates and then my website
is cc Roberson. And be looking out because I'm about
(41:03):
to start c see our story House, which is going
to be a really great resource for up and coming filmmakers.
I'm going to start giving grants for short films and
a lot of really great creative advice. So just stick
with me and stay tuned in and you'll start seeing.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
That when you start. Now that's a program you're about
to start or has it started? I'm about Okay, cool,
come back on the show so we can let my
people know. Okay, come on, Georgie girl, come on back
down here and talk to us. Okay, right, come on,
talk to us again. Thank you for taking the time
to come on my show. An extended interview with the
running on it, Miss Crystal Robinson.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Thank you, Rashan.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
You're amazing, and continue to be blessed and continue to
work hard and continue to uplift the community because every
time I'm telling some people need to understand how gifted
you are. And I'm marveled because I know the hard
work that it comes with a resume that you built
so far and you continue to build. And you can
throw out the word thirty nine because I'm telling you
something that's a forty nine, fifty nine year old resume
(42:05):
you're talking about right now.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, you'd be safe out there.
Speaker 7 (42:09):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I appreciate you, Thank you. Wow, you know it was
I'm opening up the phone lines.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
I know that interview went longer than normal, but I
want to talk to you guys, if you want to
talk to me.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
You can ask me any question.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
But more important, I want to share a couple of
thoughts before we go to break about you know what
she was talking about how people would throw that doubt
in you. Well, people will question your dreams with people
because that's a dream that they can't understand because that's
not their dream. My life is always been a life
where people have said what I should be doing and
(42:45):
what I could.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Not be doing.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
And and I'm not saying that I went out there
to prove the wrong. I just lived my life. And
when I think about the different things and the different
famous people that I've been associated with all my life,
within my life even today, it's because they saw something
in me that I didn't see it myself, and they
saw a skill set. I was interviewing Brian Brian Custer.
(43:13):
He's an ESPN analyst and he does a college play
by play and uh and he was he did the
fight this weekend where Garcia guy hitting the ribs of
the liver and he just sat down in the corner
and he was and he said, man, you're a legend.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
You're a legend. I said, what do you mean? He said,
you are a legend.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
He said, people sleeping on you, brother, And I said, wow,
I said, thank you. That's all That's my wife has
told me, well, lushun, when people compliment you, please say
thank you, because sometimes I just get taken back because
I'm not expecting a compliment. All I'm doing is expecting
myself to understand that I'm just grinding. And sometimes you
grind you you just walk walk, just run right past
(43:55):
the accomplishment, Just run right past the what you have
achieved in you don't recognize what you have achieved is
very unique and very special. Because I was this past weekend,
I was honored at the Black Media Honors. It was
this event and I didn't know, you know, I walked
in there. You know, they walked in there. Mister McDonald
coming this way is the Black Media Honors, and uh
(44:19):
put me on the red carpete taking pictures. People want
to do selfies with me. I'm like being tossed around
like a little pinata dog, a little dog. And you know,
and I wasn't the only person being honored. April Love
was being honored, Steven A. Smith was being honored, Matthew
Knows was being honored. My boss Samuels from Revolt TV,
Alfred Edwinds Junior from Black Enterprise was being honored and
(44:42):
Rushaun McDonald was being honored and for some reason, I
didn't understand why they honored me. But we have one
more phone call coming back. When we come back, Rodrigus,
don't go anywhere. This is your show now. You called
talk to me, asked me the question. I will responding back.
More money Making Conversation Masterclass and tell you.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
Can win, man, You can win.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Just believe in yourself and stick around people who believe
in your dreams.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Be right back.
Speaker 5 (45:10):
Please, don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 6 (45:17):
You are now tuned into the Money Making Conversations Minute
of Inspiration with Rashawn McDonald.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Michelle Williams is a Grammy Award winning recording artists and actress.
She rose to stardom as a member of the Omega
group Destiny's Child. In her new book Checking In How
Getting Real about Depression save my life and can save yours,
this book will help you see the science to overcome depression, to.
Speaker 11 (45:40):
Go into counseling. I really want to help people in
entertainment and sports because I don't feel like we have
to live these lives, whether dysfunction or not, identifying hurts
that trigger certain behaviors and responses because just because I
was hurt in my childlihood does not give me the
(46:01):
right to go hurting people as an adult. And then
I really feel like we can go on to be
more whole and have great quality relationships.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
Michelle Williams full interview.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
It's available at money Making conversation dot com.
Speaker 5 (46:15):
Keep winning Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass
hosted by Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
There are no guarantees in life. People.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
They can push you back down that mountain. There are
no guarantees in life. Ask Don Lemon, asked Tucker Calls.
You have to say at the top of the mountain,
and one day somebody decided to say, you know, some
of that mountain has a base, and we're gonna push
you back down that base. So while you're living this
dream of these doubts that your dreams cannot be achieved
(46:43):
because guess what somebody's told you you can't achieve it.
Try try and guess what I'm not. Don Lemon's not finished.
Tucker Calls is not finished. They just got knocked down
and they're gonna get back up because they're fighters. They're
twenty four to seven people. I'm a twenty four seven person.
I've been knocked down. I have been knocked down. I
(47:04):
have been I've had dirt kicked in my face. I've
had times when I looked in the mirror and go
is there a future? But that was only for a
little moment, because I would not let negativity win. We
have a caller here, Rodriguez in at LASTA. How you doing,
rod Vegas? What can I do for you?
Speaker 1 (47:20):
My friend?
Speaker 8 (47:21):
Hey, yes, sir, thank you for taking my call. I
just wanted to more amend you on your program and
say that you know the end of you someone like
Crystal Roversen, who is born in Germany and raised right
here in Georgia making they have that exposure for the
average person who may not ever have that kind of exposure,
and to realize the possibility, especially being so local, I
(47:44):
think it's an awesome thing. So I commend you. I
listened to you sure as often as I can. But anyway,
this is one that really caught my attention, as many
of them have.
Speaker 12 (47:53):
But my question more pretends to the average person like
myself I'm a real estate investry and go on. One
of the things that we are in critical need of
is mentors. How do we align ourselves with people like
Crystal Robson who wants to give back in terms of
(48:14):
you know, those networks. I think that's one of the
biggest things that we're going to require to go to
the next level and be that explosive type of young
people even as we mature in our age. But that
mentorship is so critical because you know, it's one thing
to believe in yourself.
Speaker 8 (48:30):
That then you've got to have that.
Speaker 12 (48:31):
Right connection or right connections, if you will. So how
do we build those organizations so that we can really
start to expand?
Speaker 3 (48:39):
Well, thank you for calling Roveguez. You know, here's the
interesting thing about that question that you're asking me, because
it's like relationships, like she said this, Roberson said, this
is my relationships, whether it's in church, whether it's fraternity, sorority,
or any membership that you need. But you have to
build it by relationships. You have to build it by
a group, like by the people. Some people start organization,
(49:01):
like they start these little financial clubs. It may be
two or three people. I would tell you this is
that there are people who think just like you. All
you need is another person. All you need is one
more person Rodrigis to think like you. Then that person
would get another person, and then you set a consistency
within that group saying we're gonna meet once a month.
(49:21):
Don't over don't overburden the relationship. So a lot of
people do things they want to meet every week, or
let's meet every Sunday. I remember our family did that
to me about we're gonna meet it every Sunday. You know, virtually, yes,
what we don't meet it all anymore because this war's
out now. Things just say it once a month. We
probably still meeting. But you have to put a schedule
(49:41):
together that everybody can meet and live with and adhere to.
So I would tell you that there's another person out there.
It's not so much you need mentorship. You just need
to talk to somebody who thinks like you, that's all.
And so a lot of people confuse the word mentorship
like they need to get advice from somebody who knows
more than them.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
That's not true.
Speaker 3 (50:02):
You need to talk to somebody who talks and thinks
like you, who has the same aspirations and the same dreams.
Speaker 1 (50:08):
That's who you need to be talking to.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
And there's another person out there just like you are
thinks like you. You connect with that person, you connect
to your social media. You can ask for that person
to your social media, just post to say, look, I'm
looking for a person want to connect on to start
the club, you can start a Facebook club on your
Facebook and a group of people can meet through your Facebook.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
That's what people.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
Facebook advertises that all the time. Facebook is not promoting
likes or followers. They're promoting these clubs that you can create.
And there are people over these Facebook clubs, but one
hundred thousand, half million groups of people who meet through
these clubs in these chatrooms. So I would start with
your social media and put the word out what you're
trying to do, and you can screen these people. But
(50:53):
more importantly right because you're not looking for a mentor,
you're looking for somebody who thinks like you, who is
the same aspirations, the same goals, and the same hard
working skill set, and you can find that person through
social media today. Okay, I got phyllis, phyllis or mableton,
How you're doing phyllis?
Speaker 10 (51:15):
How are you good?
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Good?
Speaker 4 (51:17):
Good?
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Welcome to Money Making Conversation master Class. What can I
do for You's your show? I'm giving it. I'm no
more interviews. I'm just talking to y'all.
Speaker 1 (51:24):
I'm talking to.
Speaker 10 (51:24):
Y'all, and I don't really have a question. I just
want to say I am so excited that I heard
Crystal on your show today. I did not know who
she was. I've seen all the stuff that she has.
Speaker 4 (51:41):
Good.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Isn't it crazy?
Speaker 10 (51:43):
I know? And I wasn't even supposed to be in
the car. I am a I have a gift. I'm
the person that always does the videos for the parties
and the graduation And before Georgie Film Academy started, when
they were trying to get it started, I took a
(52:04):
class Atlanta, take a weekend class and just to see
what it was about. And I'm still dabbling in it.
And she has inspired me. I'm almost in tears. Really
me tell you a little.
Speaker 3 (52:20):
Thing about her resume. She started in the high school.
And I'm not saying that you got to start in
high school. It's awesome at a camera shop, at a
camera shop and making well.
Speaker 1 (52:31):
She converted old.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Sixteen millimeters home videos to videotape movies, to videotape.
Speaker 1 (52:37):
That's how she started. That's how she started.
Speaker 10 (52:39):
She was talking. She was literally talking to me today. Okay,
I just came from class from uh I go to
a technical college in the media. I've been in media
all my life, but I've been working on a job
because life happened to me. I'm thirty seven years into
my job. I could have retired in twenty fifteen, but
(53:02):
I'm still sitting here and then trying to make this
film thing happen. She was talking to me today.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
Let me tell you something right quick.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Don't say film thing that you said, thing like it's
not something that you can do or going to do.
I always tell people when I when I wake up
in the morning, I do exactly what I'm going to do.
Speaker 12 (53:24):
Now.
Speaker 3 (53:24):
I'm tired all the time. People hear that as people
say that too. I say that. One radio he said,
we sure you get at four thirty in the morning.
I said, I'll be mad when I get up to
I got up before thirty this morning, and I was
not happy, but I had to get up because I
had goals tied to.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
Be getting up.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
And that's what makes a difference when you're trying to
be successful. So when you called me, you just amplified
your dream. You saying it out loud and other people
are hearing that. And when you say it out loud,
that's you started your goals in motion.
Speaker 1 (53:55):
So don't stop.
Speaker 10 (53:56):
I can't. This is her show. You recorded it, right,
I gotta I gotta hear it again because to begin
out of the car.
Speaker 4 (54:06):
But I heard the important part.
Speaker 1 (54:08):
That I needed to heal with my friend. The important
part is that you called in.
Speaker 3 (54:14):
And the important part is that this show is here
every week, and this show is for you and everybody
who listens. And I want to inspire people. That's all
I want to do with money. Main conversation.
Speaker 4 (54:23):
I'm I'm sorry, and you know they shout, they shut.
Speaker 3 (54:28):
Down music for an hour and let me talk to
people and let me invite friends on people.
Speaker 10 (54:33):
And I listened to you here, I listened to you
here and there.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
Well, that's all I need is hear and that.
Speaker 3 (54:38):
That's all I need is hear and that because here
and that keep you rolling because of because it's.
Speaker 10 (54:44):
Sitting in the car. I don't want my husband to
see me cry.
Speaker 13 (54:48):
Well, I'll tell you this. You drive them tills, your
little thirty seven year old behind.
Speaker 1 (54:53):
I can't. I'm so old.
Speaker 13 (54:55):
My job thirty seven Okay, you've been on your job
thirty seven year. We guess I'll tell you something about
this and I'm gonna wrap up.
Speaker 1 (55:05):
And by the minute, is that do not let age
be an excuse? Okay, Oh I don't, I don't.
Speaker 3 (55:10):
Can you cannot? And so, But people are listening on
this call right now, listen to this call, have loud
age being an excused. They've allowed family to be an excuse,
They've allowed injuries to be an excused. They've allowed themselves
to be the excuse. My friend, you take this inspiration,
you take this moment that you've had on the radio
(55:31):
with me, and continue to stay motivated, and you update me.
Speaker 1 (55:35):
Okay, call me next week coming jute.
Speaker 3 (55:37):
So we shine this was happening because I'm being on
the air do I'm not going anywhere.
Speaker 1 (55:42):
And they've told me they like me up here at
this station, and so it says they like me. You know,
we're gonna be here for a while. But thank you
for calling the money make com
Host
Rushion McDonald
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