Latest / Power Moves Media / Power Moves Ep. 2: Autumn Joy on Building LIT 106 & Owning Your Power

Transcript

Power Moves Ep. 2: Autumn Joy on Building LIT 106 & Owning Your Power · Power Moves Media

0:00
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to PowerMoves on Lit 106, where business meets community and opportunity meets action.
0:07
SPEAKER_02: And right now, there is a lot happening in Prince George's County.
0:11
SPEAKER_02: From Kevin Durant being a part of the major investment that is going to redevelop Six Flags.
0:17
SPEAKER_02: That's right.
0:18
SPEAKER_02: To legislators wrapping up sessions that's bringing back hundreds of millions of dollars right here to Prince George's County.
0:26
SPEAKER_02: The question is, what does that all mean for you?
0:29
SPEAKER_00: And more importantly, how do you position yourself to take advantage of it?
0:33
SPEAKER_02: Later in the show, we're talking to someone who's building a platform right here in the county about what it really takes to grow, scale, and create opportunity in today's media landscape.
0:46
SPEAKER_00: We've got a lot to get into.
0:48
SPEAKER_02: I'm Rose Johnson, co-host of PowerMoves and founder of the Spotlight DMV.
0:54
SPEAKER_00: And I'm Alexander Austin, president and CEO of the Prince George's Chamber of Commerce and co-host of Power Moves.
0:59
SPEAKER_02: Alex, let's get into it.
1:01
SPEAKER_02: All right.
1:02
SPEAKER_00: All right.
1:04
SPEAKER_02: So as I mentioned, there is a lot happening in Prince George's County.
1:08
SPEAKER_02: And we've got to start with this Kevin Durant's investment.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: I had to do it.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: I bought the newspaper.
1:16
SPEAKER_00: Show us the newspaper.
1:17
SPEAKER_00: Listen, take a look.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: Take a look.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: Front page of the Washington Business Journal this week.
1:22
SPEAKER_00: That is major.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: The way I read the newspaper is it always talks about activity and deal flow and investments at the beginning.
1:28
SPEAKER_00: And then it talks about other things at the end.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: But to be front page, this is major for personal discount.
1:34
SPEAKER_02: That is awesome.
1:35
SPEAKER_02: And so the way that we look at it, this isn't just one project.
1:41
SPEAKER_02: It feels like a larger part of projects happening all across the county.
1:45
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
1:46
SPEAKER_02: When you look at that investment, and then you look at what's happening with the Blue Line Corridor, with Suitland, with the Sphere, and all these development conversations.
1:56
SPEAKER_02: Alex, put into perspective what that moment what these moments signal.
2:00
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
2:01
SPEAKER_00: So it's, you know, it's it focuses and shows the economic growth, the opportunities for development, the steadfast commitment that I think our elected leaders have made to growing the county, opportunities for small, medium-sized businesses to participate, opportunities for communities that needed to have this type of focus and attention to get it.
2:24
SPEAKER_00: We have a lot, a lot of work to do, but this is really just an open door, I think, to the new wave of how Press Rhodes County is going to present itself.
2:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I agree with that.
2:36
SPEAKER_02: And well, here's the part that really stood out from the legislative wrap-up story.
2:42
SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
2:42
SPEAKER_00: That was a good event, wasn't it?
2:44
SPEAKER_00: It was really good.
2:45
SPEAKER_00: It was.
2:45
SPEAKER_02: So general session ended, Steiny die happened, and we had our legislators come back to tell us all the things that are impacting Prince George's County.
2:54
SPEAKER_02: And there's over$10 billion in contracts happening across the state.
3:00
SPEAKER_00: With a B.
3:01
SPEAKER_02: With a B.
3:02
SPEAKER_02: $10 billion.
3:04
SPEAKER_02: But a lot of that money is not staying here in the state or in the county.
3:09
SPEAKER_02: What's happening there?
3:10
SPEAKER_00: So historically, um there have been opportunities that have gone outside of the state where our local businesses have not had a chance to participate for a number of reasons.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: Some of those reasons we don't know.
3:25
SPEAKER_00: Last year's session, um, there was procurement reform, which really focused on it.
3:31
SPEAKER_00: And this year's session, I think, was an was kind of another um continuum of what the focus was last year around making sure that procurement for Maryland is in Maryland.
3:43
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then when you think about some of our installations here in Prince Rogers County, things that need to happen, it can boil down to a number of different things.
3:51
SPEAKER_00: It can boil down to, hey, are the the companies registered?
3:55
SPEAKER_00: Do we know all of the companies that we have who can do the work?
3:58
SPEAKER_00: Um, are they procurement ready?
4:00
SPEAKER_00: Uh do they have, if there's specific industries, bonding requirements that are needed to do these high-level projects, and in some cases, highly skilled labor, particularly around construction.
4:11
SPEAKER_00: And now we're seeing a lot more of that in the technology space.
4:14
SPEAKER_00: But if if you don't have skilled labor, and I don't mean, hey, you know, you have some flaggers on the road, I mean, you know, master electricians, master plumbers, master welders, right?
4:25
SPEAKER_00: If if you do not have a surplus of that and it's needed, sometimes you have to pull from out of state.
4:31
SPEAKER_00: Um, so a lot of those things kind of help to shape the narrative that money was leaving, and it was leaving from a standpoint of, hey, do we have the capacity?
4:41
SPEAKER_00: Do we know what we have?
4:42
SPEAKER_00: Do we know what assets?
4:43
SPEAKER_00: And our elected officials are doing a really good job in partnership with the business community to say, let's really start to understand the next codes, right?
4:52
SPEAKER_00: These businesses who fall in these categories, we need to know how many and where they are, what's the certifications or non-certifications, what's their capacity, and now let's bubble that up to the state to know so the state knows what you have in specific regions.
5:06
SPEAKER_00: I will say one legislation that was proposed was for um, you know, major transportation kind of development on uh truck, truck parking.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: Um, and one of the installations that was mentioned in the bill was in Prince Rogers County, right?
5:21
SPEAKER_00: So there's a big focus on just all types of infrastructure and transportation development right now.
5:27
SPEAKER_00: Purple line, blue line, those such a thing.
5:29
SPEAKER_02: And I think a huge piece of uh what I walked away from, uh, one of uh Senator Nick Charles talked about wanting to make sure that he's partnering with organizations that have access to business owners and know who the businesses are.
5:47
SPEAKER_02: Like you said, the NAICS codes and we're able to identify.
5:50
SPEAKER_02: And so it's so important that you are a part of some sort of organization.
5:56
SPEAKER_02: Whatever organization you choose, but choose the chamber.
6:01
SPEAKER_02: Well, I mean, but that's important because this is where these uh opportunities are are gonna be flowing through.
6:08
SPEAKER_00: Well, but you but I think you're right.
6:09
SPEAKER_00: It listen, it's the if it's not the chamber, it needs to be a business associational organization in the county that can help and is is in rooms that you are not in and representing you and your brand and your name.
6:21
SPEAKER_00: Um ultimately it's one business community, it's one county, right?
6:26
SPEAKER_00: We're all moving the needle forward.
6:28
SPEAKER_00: And so 22,000 registered companies in Christ Roses County, you know, it's hard to manage 22,000 people.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: So you just need as many partners as possible.
6:37
SPEAKER_00: And if we're all moving in the same, in the same accord in the same direction, the county wins.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: That means businesses win, right?
6:44
SPEAKER_00: The community wins.
6:45
SPEAKER_00: We all win.
6:46
SPEAKER_00: Uh so I think you you like that is a very important point.
6:49
SPEAKER_00: Like, get connected.
6:51
SPEAKER_00: Because what's happening on a horizontal linear um focus is all of the business associations are connected.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: So you're not missing, right, certain things.
7:02
SPEAKER_00: We're all sharing information, want to work together, want to move the needle and figure out ways where we can be unified to move one or two agenda items forward that impact the community in a possible way.
7:13
SPEAKER_02: And so to that point, it's about whether businesses are positioned to actually take advantage of these opportunities that are out there.
7:22
SPEAKER_03: That's right.
7:23
SPEAKER_02: So, what needs to change for more businesses in Prince George's County to benefit?
7:28
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I think it's access to a number of different things.
7:31
SPEAKER_00: One, we got to look at two spectrums, right?
7:35
SPEAKER_00: Because the narrative sometimes is, well, I can't get business in Prince George's County.
7:40
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then on the other side is, hey, the businesses aren't ready for the opportunities in Prince George's County.
7:46
SPEAKER_00: I think we have to meet in the middle.
7:48
SPEAKER_00: And that's where the development of our equity and procurement program really was birthed from.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: Let's figure out ways to make sure businesses are procurement ready.
7:57
SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm gonna talk about small businesses are procurement ready.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: There's a whole nother segment that we're not talking about.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: But small businesses are procurement ready, large businesses or corporations or entities are also looking at their internal policies so that the barriers can be can be eliminated or reduced to make sure businesses can compete.
8:21
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
8:22
SPEAKER_00: Now, one thing that we did do that often gets overlooked are the medium-sized companies because small businesses have a lane, large corporations and government entities and agencies have a lane.
8:36
SPEAKER_00: But if I have grown beyond being classified as small, there is no lane.
8:42
SPEAKER_00: Which means I'm too big to be small, I'm not big enough to be a large corp.
8:47
SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
8:48
SPEAKER_00: Meaning I can't participate.
8:50
SPEAKER_02: That's the story of my life, middle child.
8:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:54
SPEAKER_00: So there in partnership with WSSE, we advocated for a bill that allows for more control and autonomy for those larger corporations that are, again, not the small companies, they're the mid-sized companies, but those are your primes.
9:08
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
9:08
SPEAKER_00: Right?
9:09
SPEAKER_00: And if you got primes, the primes are helping the small businesses because they're the subs.
9:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
9:14
SPEAKER_00: So that is very positive legislation that I think is kind of a caveat of the Procurement Reform Act from last year.
9:21
SPEAKER_00: It's it's these little microcosms that are happening where we're starting to see these developments and we share organizations and agencies step in to say, hey, for our own ecosystem, this is what we want to do.
9:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
9:33
SPEAKER_02: And I think that's that's great that you're bringing up the forward movement.
9:37
SPEAKER_02: You know, it started last year and we keep seeing the momentum going.
9:41
SPEAKER_02: And so another thing that came up at the legislative rackup was that there are no new business taxes this session.
9:49
SPEAKER_02: And there were grants and incentives for business.
9:54
SPEAKER_02: So on paper, it looks like a pro-business environment.
9:58
SPEAKER_02: But I want you to really interpret what people should take from that.
10:04
SPEAKER_00: So I do think no new business taxes is a good thing.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, I do think it's a step in the right direction, for sure.
10:11
SPEAKER_00: Because traditionally what has happened is when the when there's a there's only but so many resources to go around and you have to pay for things, it gets offset onto the business community through different legislation, different opportunities that could somehow impede the growth or impact the business in a in a in a very adverse way, particularly if they're small, medium-sized companies.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, you think about companies that uh I'll do the example that could be doing 10 to 20 million a year, which is a lot of money, yeah, right?
10:46
SPEAKER_00: But if they get a penalty or if they assess a penalty beyond their control for one-time infraction of$20,000, and they have 10 of those in a year, that can impact your operations.
11:00
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
11:01
SPEAKER_00: So it's things like that that we have to continue to monitor, where in theory, it sounds good when it's proposed, but when you look at the economic impacts of it over time, it only is going to hurt the business from being able to contribute back to the economy.
11:17
SPEAKER_00: Right?
11:18
SPEAKER_00: And so no new taxes is great, but that doesn't mean taxes won't increase.
11:22
SPEAKER_00: It just means no new taxes, right?
11:24
SPEAKER_00: Which I agree with.
11:25
SPEAKER_00: Like, no, we do not need any more taxes, but it's one part of a multi-part system that we have to continue.
11:34
SPEAKER_00: It's a great beginning.
11:35
SPEAKER_00: Um, and it's also a commitment from our leadership on what they see, right?
11:40
SPEAKER_00: They want to be competitive.
11:41
SPEAKER_00: This is the first start of being competitive.
11:43
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, 100%.
11:45
SPEAKER_02: And I know, you know, we're not gonna get too deep into um into quantum and and some of the initiatives.
11:54
SPEAKER_00: If you ask me to explain quantum, good luck.
11:56
SPEAKER_02: Well, not necessarily explain it, but you know, the priorities that the governor has set set for the state and for where we want to be and where we want to focus going, you know, that's a piece of it, which we'll get into in another episode.
12:12
SPEAKER_02: But for someone listening, whether they're a business owner or trying to grow, what should they be doing right now to position themselves?
12:21
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm glad you brought up quantum.
12:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, the governor has some lighthouse industries, right, which are private for the state.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: And quantum is one of those industries.
12:32
SPEAKER_00: If I'm a small business owner, medium-sized company, even large corporate, large corporate has resources.
12:37
SPEAKER_00: But if I'm small and medium, I am really trying to understand and immerse myself in agentic AI and the components of AI.
12:45
SPEAKER_00: And that means if I provide a service to a client that is not in the supply chain of AI, right?
12:54
SPEAKER_00: I'm using it to help me craft my message, craft my search.
12:59
SPEAKER_00: If I'm looking for procurement opportunities, that that AI model to be working for me when I am sleeping or when I'm out with a client to always do my RD, my research and data.
13:11
SPEAKER_00: If I am in the supply chain of AI, I would really be thinking about how I can better serve that supply chain.
13:19
SPEAKER_00: So when you look at a, I had a chance to look at a quantum computer, right?
13:25
SPEAKER_00: And when you break down the components of a quantum computer, it's welding, right?
13:30
SPEAKER_00: It's plastics, it's wiring, we gotta speed those up.
13:36
SPEAKER_00: Because as quantum grows in in the state of Maryland, the thing that you want them to also do is get their supplies and their services from companies in the state of Maryland.
13:46
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
13:47
SPEAKER_00: That goes back to 10 billion.
13:49
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
13:50
SPEAKER_00: If we're not prepared to maintain, repair, preventative maintenance, fabricate, advanced manufacture, the components of AI, and what happens is that 10 billion almost gets doubled or quadrupled because of the need of AI and where it's going.
14:10
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
14:10
SPEAKER_00: Right?
14:11
SPEAKER_00: So we got to get into that supply chain heavy.
14:14
SPEAKER_00: And that's part of the advanced manufacturing, that's part of Lighthouse Industries.
14:18
SPEAKER_00: So it's a lot to it.
14:19
SPEAKER_00: And then you think about um, you know, technology is one part.
14:25
SPEAKER_00: The other thing that I would be doing is building relationships.
14:29
SPEAKER_00: And do not be biased on the type of relationships you build.
14:34
SPEAKER_00: Titles do not matter.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: They do, but they don't, right?
14:38
SPEAKER_00: You have to be finding your tribe of people who want to grow.
14:42
SPEAKER_00: You have to find your tribe of people who you can grow with, I mean, who can help you grow.
14:47
SPEAKER_00: You have to find your tribe of people who you can pull with you and connect those dots, right?
14:52
SPEAKER_00: But you you have to, have to, have to be networking because in in the multiple layers of what's happening in our society right now, there's so much institutional knowledge that may not ever make it to the forefront because of they never met or they never connected or a question was never asked.
15:11
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
15:12
SPEAKER_02: And I I like what you're saying about, you know, looking at the whole ecosystem that that uh is required for technology, for AI, for quantum, yeah, you know, from actually putting together the computers or building whatever warehouses or anything like that, to then actually the people that are using the technology and know how to implement it in their business.
15:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
15:39
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'll tell you this one story real quick.
15:41
SPEAKER_00: I went to a quantum I went to the quantum lab in College Park, a very cool facility.
15:47
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, if we can focus on the workforce that that is prepared to to get into the AI sphere, that that's gonna start more at the education level.
15:58
SPEAKER_00: But they were already working on the second generation of machine, third generation of machine, I'm sorry.
16:05
SPEAKER_00: So they they have one machine working right now, they're testing the second one, and in their RD labs, already developing concepts for the third.
16:15
SPEAKER_00: There are two companies in the state of Maryland at the time that they were procuring from.
16:21
SPEAKER_00: One was in Prince Rodgers County, the other one was in Western Maryland or Baltimore.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: That's it.
16:29
SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna be the capital, we need to be the capital of procurement and supply chain supplying these quantum labs that are getting ready to sprout up like nobody's business, and not just here, but for the rest of the nation.
16:44
SPEAKER_00: Because if we're the capital, that means we lead the innovation.
16:46
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
16:48
SPEAKER_00: Samsung is in Asia, they have plants here, but their headquarters is there.
16:53
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
16:55
SPEAKER_00: Same thing.
16:56
SPEAKER_00: Same thing.
16:58
SPEAKER_02: And so between investment, development, and policy, there is a lot happening.
17:03
SPEAKER_02: And again, the real question, who's positioned to benefit from it?
17:08
SPEAKER_00: I think, I think we the the small business community is really positioned to benefit.
17:13
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, the the biggest thing is again, you gotta get connected.
17:17
SPEAKER_00: We have to think about access to capital totally differently.
17:22
SPEAKER_00: Right?
17:23
SPEAKER_00: Because, and oftentimes it's hey, you can't get the chicken or the egg.
17:28
SPEAKER_00: I need to get the loan or I need to get the product.
17:30
SPEAKER_00: I need to we have to have the right resources and partners in front of us.
17:36
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes it may be a company that invests in your product and service, it may be a neighbor, friend, or family.
17:44
SPEAKER_00: It may be, hey, I'm just gonna sell this product and scale it up, right?
17:49
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think the opportunities are there, and you also have leadership that is focused on homegrown opportunities.
17:58
SPEAKER_00: So it's truly up to us to make the most of the and do not take it for granted.
18:03
SPEAKER_00: Do not take it for granted.
18:05
SPEAKER_00: Because it will take one missed opportunity for it to then be back to wherever it was or whatever it didn't happen.
18:14
SPEAKER_00: Um we gotta excel.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: Because if you can get the opportunity here and do very well, you can take this as a portfolio, go somewhere else and do very well.
18:24
SPEAKER_00: I think the other thing you have to think about is be absolutely based here.
18:29
SPEAKER_00: But Prince Rogers County's roots expand so far.
18:34
SPEAKER_00: There's opportunities because you are a Prince Roger's County company in places that you may not have thought about.
18:40
SPEAKER_00: But bring that money back home.
18:42
SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly it.
18:44
SPEAKER_00: Yep, bring it back home.
18:45
SPEAKER_02: Earlier, we talked about building and positioning, and now we're joined by someone doing exactly that.
18:53
SPEAKER_02: Today's conversation is a special one because we're sitting down with Autumn Joy, general manager of Lit106, media executive, and on-air personality with over 20 years of experience across radio, television, and digital platforms.
19:09
SPEAKER_02: She's covered major moments like the BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and has appeared on platforms like Fox 5, TMZ, MSNBC, and also the host of Autumn Joy Live Talk Show on CTV Network.
19:28
SPEAKER_03: Come on now.
19:29
SPEAKER_02: I know, I know, I believe, right?
19:32
SPEAKER_02: And now she's leading a growing network right here in Prince George's County with a full lineup of shows and voices shaping what people hear every day.
19:42
SPEAKER_02: And the community has recognized that impact in a real way.
19:47
SPEAKER_02: Guys, she has her own day.
19:50
SPEAKER_02: Come on now.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: Listen, you know, you know you're doing something when you got your own day.
19:55
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
19:58
SPEAKER_02: She was named the pride of Prince George's County in 2023 with January 26th.
20:05
SPEAKER_02: Declared Autumn Joy Live Day.
20:08
SPEAKER_01: Come on now.
20:09
SPEAKER_01: Autumn, welcome to Power Moves.
20:11
SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me and my two-year-old, who I was hoping would be quiet, but here we are.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: Welcome, welcome, welcome.
20:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's just a family.
20:19
SPEAKER_01: And we forgot mama.
20:21
SPEAKER_01: And that and all of that, I am still a mama of all else.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: Super woman, super bad, doing.
20:26
SPEAKER_02: And that's what it takes to get things done.
20:28
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you gotta have those babies in here with you.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: Learning, watching.
20:33
SPEAKER_02: Well, so Autumn, take us back for a moment before the titles, before the platforms.
20:38
SPEAKER_02: What pulled you into media?
20:40
SPEAKER_01: Oh, wow, that's a that's a great question.
20:42
SPEAKER_01: Um, so I I always had an interest in radio, right?
20:45
SPEAKER_01: Um, growing up here in Prince George's, I grew up listening to the live squad and you know, listening to the radio.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: I mean, radio was my life.
20:53
SPEAKER_01: And so I knew that I wanted to do something in radio because I didn't know how radio was formatted.
21:00
SPEAKER_01: I just didn't know what it was called or what I wanted to do.
21:02
SPEAKER_01: So when I got to college, um I got a track scholarship to Bethune Cookman.
21:07
SPEAKER_01: And I remember walking on campus and saw they had a student radio station.
21:11
SPEAKER_01: So I was like, oh snap, that looks like something that I would want to do.
21:14
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, fast forward, um, I ended up going to Eastern Shore and becoming like the GM of their little ratty WHWK radio station.
21:24
SPEAKER_01: Um, I literally dusted it off, uh built it back up.
21:27
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, the the love for radio and entertainment was was built literally in college.
21:33
SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
21:34
SPEAKER_02: No, I I love that.
21:35
SPEAKER_02: And I love that you're from your early days, from your start, you already were already building something, you know.
21:42
SPEAKER_02: So that kind of is a foreshadowing of what we have going on here now.
21:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
21:49
SPEAKER_01: Um, I mean, it's it's definitely it it's like when you when you have your baby, when you when you birth a business or when you birth something and you present it to the world, it's like, please don't call my baby ugly.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Please love my baby.
22:01
SPEAKER_01: Please think it's as beautiful as me.
22:03
SPEAKER_01: Um, so anytime you're building anything, it just takes a certain amount of audacity, if you will.
22:10
SPEAKER_01: You know, like you, you, because you you have to believe that what whatever it is that you're building is going to be the next beautiful big thing that anybody has ever seen.
22:17
SPEAKER_00: So looking back on that, yeah, let's talk about it.
22:19
SPEAKER_00: What decisions created that momentum for you?
22:22
SPEAKER_00: And not just the momentum, but the move.
22:24
SPEAKER_00: Like, hey, I gotta go right now.
22:27
SPEAKER_01: Um, I would say, so after I lost my scholarship, my track scholarship to Bethune Cookman, I literally had no idea what I was gonna do.
22:37
SPEAKER_01: I started working at the sports and learning complex.
22:39
SPEAKER_01: You know, I went from full scholarship in Daytona Beach, Florida, partying, having a good time, to now having to be up at five o'clock in the morning at work at six.
22:48
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, what is my life?
22:50
SPEAKER_01: Like, what am I doing?
22:52
SPEAKER_01: So I do think that in that year that I had to just kind of literally sit down, I had to make a decision.
22:58
SPEAKER_01: I had to decide, like, are you what are you gonna do?
23:00
SPEAKER_01: Are you gonna take this entertainment thing that you really want to do seriously?
23:04
SPEAKER_01: Or are you gonna keep pounding the pavement as a nine to fiver?
23:08
SPEAKER_01: And so uh that is what really pushed me into uh the world of radio.
23:14
SPEAKER_02: And now you've gone from being in media to building a media platform itself.
23:20
SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about that shift.
23:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
23:22
SPEAKER_02: What does it take to build and grow a station like Lit 106 today?
23:27
SPEAKER_01: You know what?
23:28
SPEAKER_01: It just it honestly takes knowledge.
23:31
SPEAKER_01: You really have to know radio to build a radio station to help build it from scratch.
23:38
SPEAKER_01: It's it's hard because you know, Lit 106 is um, our parent station is Autolis.
23:44
SPEAKER_01: And so Autolis houses, I want to say about 15 to 20 different stations with different genres.
23:49
SPEAKER_01: And a lot of the stations, to be quite honest, don't really last after a couple of months because people just think you have you could just throw a station on wherever, and people, the listeners will come.
24:00
SPEAKER_01: No, no, no, no.
24:01
SPEAKER_01: You have to literally work for it, you got to get it out the mud.
24:05
SPEAKER_01: You, I'm I'm the marketing, I am sales, I am the GM, I'm on air talent, I'm every the street team, everything you think of.
24:14
SPEAKER_01: They're like, hey, can I speak to your manager?
24:16
SPEAKER_01: Hold on, put my mustache on.
24:18
SPEAKER_01: Yes, how can I help you?
24:19
SPEAKER_01: This is me, the manager.
24:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, but you know, it just it really just takes a certain amount of just like um goal, if you will.
24:27
SPEAKER_01: Like you, you really have to believe in whatever it is that you're doing and just believe that it's gonna win.
24:32
SPEAKER_00: So, from a business standpoint, like you know, how do you measure growth in key drivers and metrics?
24:37
SPEAKER_00: Like, is it hey, a certain audience, is it a certain number of listens?
24:41
SPEAKER_00: Like, how do you know that you're growing?
24:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so so we have a a company called Live 365.
24:47
SPEAKER_01: So they are the ones that deal with our numbers.
24:49
SPEAKER_01: So, um, and shout out to y'all because y'all will get your numbers next month.
24:52
SPEAKER_01: For sure, for sure.
24:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, okay, okay.
24:54
SPEAKER_00: Numbers are good.
24:56
SPEAKER_01: We love seeing because because when especially when you're when you're also trying to sell something, right?
25:01
SPEAKER_01: People want to see numbers.
25:03
SPEAKER_01: Like we see, okay, this is great, but I need to see what the behind the scenes who's actually listening.
25:08
SPEAKER_01: So shout out to Live365, they're the ones that that give us our numbers.
25:11
SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, I mean, it's it's it's one of those things where you just have to like really hope and pray that people don't call your baby ugly.
25:20
SPEAKER_01: People are really buying into it.
25:22
SPEAKER_01: And one of the strategies that I use is bringing people on board that are just as hungry and love radio just as much as I do.
25:30
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I handpick everybody that you hear on the station.
25:33
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I get so many folks that want to come on board, but you can't do that.
25:38
SPEAKER_01: You really have to be very picky with who you bring on board because you just never really know.
25:43
SPEAKER_01: And so everybody that's here, they either were people that I was drawn to because they already have a platform and they already have a brand that they've like packaged up and it looks amazing.
25:53
SPEAKER_01: So I knew that they were going to do the same thing for Lit.
25:55
SPEAKER_02: You know, I think that's important when we're talking about partnerships and um relationships that are gonna help us grow.
26:03
SPEAKER_02: And that shows up across all kinds of different industries, how you partner and collaborate for your future.
26:10
SPEAKER_02: So, what gap were you looking to fill with a show like Power Moves?
26:17
SPEAKER_00: Good question, Rose.
26:18
SPEAKER_00: Good question, good question.
26:19
SPEAKER_01: I think what you did there.
26:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, I'll say this, you know, being being a Prince, a native Prince Georgian, um, the the reason why this show is oh, again, shout out to my two-year-old, y'all.
26:30
SPEAKER_01: Um sorry.
26:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, but but the reason why a show like Power Moves is so important is because one thing, especially with radio, is that you want it to feel homegrown and you want people to be able to relate and uh the the listenership here in Prince George's or the whole DMV to actually hear what's going on in their backyard.
26:51
SPEAKER_01: You know, shout out to all of the talent because all of the talent is here in the DMV, but you all are micro-focused on, you know, what's going on with the businesses, how the the needle is moving when it comes to should you start your business now, should you wait, you know, what's going on in Prince George's, uh, the political front, all of the things.
27:10
SPEAKER_01: And I do think that having two well-versed, knowledgeable voices on the platform um is what's going to continue to help us grow.
27:19
SPEAKER_01: And I also have to remember that everybody doesn't just like listening to music.
27:23
SPEAKER_01: There are people that are listening that love listening to talk radio, that love listening to podcast style radio.
27:29
SPEAKER_01: Um, and and I do think that you all do a masterful job of keeping everybody engaged, um, keeping your stories interested.
27:36
SPEAKER_01: I mean, Alex, you know, listening to your story, you know, a few weeks ago, you I didn't even know.
27:41
SPEAKER_01: You have a football team and you own this.
27:42
SPEAKER_01: You and I, I was like, oh my gosh, I did not know that about Alex, you know.
27:46
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then, you know, Rose, you know, your your award that you won.
27:49
SPEAKER_01: Like these are things that like the listener hears and it's like, oh wow, I did not know that about them.
27:54
SPEAKER_01: And then it makes them love you even more.
27:57
SPEAKER_01: It it it it tugs on the heartstrings and makes them want to support and listen.
28:01
SPEAKER_02: So and also, you know, a part of what we're building with Power Moves, while it is focused on Prince George's County, we also get outside of the county.
28:12
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, we we we went to Houston last year.
28:16
SPEAKER_02: Maryland Collective went to Houston to talk about why Maryland is such a great place to open a business.
28:23
SPEAKER_02: And so we're even talking to people outside of the region to see what is happening business-wise and what people are looking for in the future.
28:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the county, and I always say this, um, the the county's borders are more than the 450 square miles.
28:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:38
SPEAKER_00: Um, anywhere I go, we were in Houston, Prince George's County, Detroit, Prince George's County, North Carolina, Florida, Prince George's County.
28:47
SPEAKER_00: And even last week, I was with the um the Guinea Chamber of Commerce, which is now establishing a satellite office here.
28:54
SPEAKER_00: We have so much to offer.
28:56
SPEAKER_00: Um, and so we are just every place you can think about, there's routes here.
29:01
SPEAKER_00: Everyone's touched the goal, to come back here.
29:04
SPEAKER_00: I think the, you know, we talk about uh Six Flags property, that's a full circle moment of what Prince George's County really is.
29:10
SPEAKER_00: Like you start here, you ascend to the top, you go somewhere else, you come back, you invest.
29:15
SPEAKER_00: That's the story.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: That's Prince George's County.
29:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
29:19
SPEAKER_01: I love being from here.
29:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
29:20
SPEAKER_01: And it's so crazy because when I was younger, I wanted to get away.
29:23
SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh no, take me to Florida, you know, take me out of town.
29:26
SPEAKER_01: I lived in Florida, I lived in New York, I lived in Raleigh, I lived in Delaware, I lived everywhere because I was like, I want to get away from here.
29:33
SPEAKER_01: But now that I'm back home, I'm like, oh, I'm never leaving.
29:36
SPEAKER_01: This is it.
29:36
SPEAKER_03: Like, that's right.
29:39
SPEAKER_02: You know, I love that.
29:41
SPEAKER_02: So my entire career had been in print publishing in print publishing.
29:46
SPEAKER_02: And at the time that I even got into print publishing, they were saying that print was dead.
29:54
SPEAKER_02: And it is not dead, it is still here.
29:56
SPEAKER_02: And I even feel like it's it's starting to emerge because there's so much digital noise.
30:01
SPEAKER_02: And so to that point, uh, what kinds of things were you hearing, you know, now that you're in this digital era and we're talking about ownership and, you know, what does all of that look like in this new era?
30:15
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, I I'll say this, you know, Lit 106 is like the the first of its kind.
30:21
SPEAKER_01: So I think back to Kathy Hughes when she started Radio One, right?
30:25
SPEAKER_01: I mean, that was the first of its kind.
30:27
SPEAKER_01: There aren't hardly any, if any, outside of Lit 106 urban streaming radio run platforms.
30:37
SPEAKER_01: And I positioned it that way specifically.
30:40
SPEAKER_01: Well, obviously, one, because I do have the radio background, but two, because the digital space is the wave.
30:47
SPEAKER_01: Um, there, of course, have been like uh rumblings and rumors with the FCC under this administration, um, how radio stations are under attack.
30:56
SPEAKER_01: If you've noticed a lot of radio personalities are being laid off and they're opting to um, you know, uh streams uh one personality for multiple stations.
31:07
SPEAKER_01: And not just that, they're trying to shut down people's opinions and you know, uh uh control what people are listening to and watching.
31:16
SPEAKER_01: And so with lit, you know, I pride myself on my talent being able to be who you are, being able to say who you are, especially when it comes to the black media space.
31:26
SPEAKER_01: You know, we all saw the attack on not just media, but especially black media.
31:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, with the whole DEI thing, you know, people's true colors truly came out when, you know, there was an influx of layoffs when it came to uh to to black minds and black spaces.
31:41
SPEAKER_01: They they shut down, you know, the departments that were dedicated to telling our stories.
31:46
SPEAKER_01: And and so I I when I when when lit was, you know, brought to the forefront, that was the first thing that I thought of.
31:53
SPEAKER_01: I was like, I don't want anybody to shut us down.
31:55
SPEAKER_01: I want to make sure that no matter what, we can still stand strong and still speak our mind, even in this digital space.
32:02
SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I do tell people, you know, it's hard.
32:05
SPEAKER_01: It's hard to sell a radio station that's not on the FM dial.
32:09
SPEAKER_03: Right.
32:09
SPEAKER_01: Because if you can't get in your car and it comes on and you people are like, well, this is great, but I don't know.
32:17
unknown: Yeah.
32:18
SPEAKER_01: And it's like, hey, we got the numbers, we've got this, we've got that.
32:21
SPEAKER_01: And people love that.
32:22
SPEAKER_01: But instead of people jumping right on board, let me think about.
32:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, let me process it, let me see, let me see what I can move around.
32:30
SPEAKER_01: And the the thing that people have to understand is that when it comes to digital, our footprint is so much bigger.
32:37
SPEAKER_01: We reach far beyond just uh uh Prince George's County and and the surrounding counties.
32:42
SPEAKER_01: We reach the nation.
32:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, we get worldwide numbers.
32:46
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
32:46
SPEAKER_01: We've got great listenership in South Africa.
32:48
SPEAKER_03: That's what I'm gonna do.
32:49
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
32:50
SPEAKER_01: In the Caribbean, you know, shout out to Mystic Vibes.
32:52
SPEAKER_01: They they they come on on Tuesdays, I'm sorry, Mondays, they have their their their show uh based around the Caribbean.
32:58
SPEAKER_01: But I say all that to say I do believe wholeheartedly that this is the wave of the future, that the digital space, you can listen to us on Alexa, you can listen to us on you know on uh TuneIn, you can listen to us on Apple Music, Spotify, Odyssey, the Autolis app.
33:15
SPEAKER_01: Anywhere you can stream, you can get lit 106.
33:19
SPEAKER_00: I like it.
33:20
SPEAKER_00: I like it.
33:20
SPEAKER_00: I'm listening I'm just happy that you say worldwide, I'm like, worldwide.
33:25
SPEAKER_03: Y'all listen, y'all have to broadcast them in a country somewhere.
33:29
SPEAKER_00: Literally, yeah.
33:30
SPEAKER_00: Um, okay, so when we talk about like the level that uh recognition uh with recognition comes in the level of impact, right?
33:39
SPEAKER_00: So what do you think people are really responding to?
33:42
SPEAKER_00: Like when they hear a message or they hear a song or they hear a voice, like what are they responding to?
33:47
SPEAKER_01: They're responding to the personality.
33:49
SPEAKER_01: I when I came up in in uh terrestrial radio, FM radio, everyone was like, oh, music is the star.
33:56
SPEAKER_01: Just just, you know, your word economy needs to be no more than 53 and a half words, and then you go.
34:03
SPEAKER_01: It was it was very much that.
34:06
SPEAKER_01: I always believe that people listen to who they like, and that's the difference.
34:12
SPEAKER_01: So people are gonna tune in because they like Alex, they're gonna tune in because they like Rose, they're gonna tune in because they like listening to Autumn Joy.
34:19
SPEAKER_01: And and it's it's literally like listening to your friend be on the radio.
34:24
SPEAKER_01: And so that's why I always encourage the talent at Lit, be yourself.
34:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, talk as much as you want, not too much, but talk, you know, you you walk and talk as much as you want, but like everybody, it's like, you know, get get as much out so people can feel your personality.
34:40
SPEAKER_01: Because guess what?
34:41
SPEAKER_01: We're in an age where they can turn on other streaming platforms and listen to just straight music.
34:47
SPEAKER_01: They won't hear anybody talking so maybe a quick ad.
34:50
SPEAKER_01: Whereas with us, they know that they're gonna get a personality and someone that they that they feel like they can relate to and they love on.
34:57
SPEAKER_01: I won't tell you how many times I heard people like, oh my gosh, I love Khadija.
35:01
SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness, you know, the the uh the sledges, Any and Christina, they're my favorites.
35:06
SPEAKER_01: I hear that's and it feels good because I didn't used to hear that, but now that I'm starting to hear it, right?
35:12
SPEAKER_01: People are tuned into Lit 106.
35:14
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
35:14
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
35:15
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, shout out to Media Prince because I love him.
35:18
SPEAKER_01: Media Prince, that's not that's my shout out to Media Prince, Khadijah.
35:21
SPEAKER_01: I mean, these are people that have been from the inception of the station.
35:25
SPEAKER_01: That just speaks volumes to the to the culture that we've built at Lit 106.
35:29
SPEAKER_01: Love it.
35:29
SPEAKER_01: They could have gone anywhere, but they're here, they're here with us.
35:33
SPEAKER_02: No, I agree with that, and I I think that is a beautiful sentiment where you have people that bought in before you even did anything, right?
35:43
SPEAKER_02: You the you sold them the vision, yeah.
35:45
SPEAKER_02: And not even sold, but they saw your work and who you were, what you were about, what you already had behind you.
35:52
SPEAKER_02: And now let's let's go forward together.
35:54
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
35:55
SPEAKER_02: So there's someone listening right now who wants to build their own platform, brand, or business.
36:01
SPEAKER_02: What are the first two to three moves they should make right now?
36:05
SPEAKER_01: Um, uh I'm a visual person, so I need to see it.
36:10
SPEAKER_01: So the first thing that I did, um the logo.
36:15
SPEAKER_01: That was the first thing.
36:16
SPEAKER_01: I I wanted to because if I could see the logo, everything else to me is a piece of cake.
36:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
36:22
SPEAKER_01: So if you're a visual person, get your get your logo together, whatever visual aid you need, um, built the website.
36:31
SPEAKER_01: Again, the website was just like like like shell, like a shell, but the logo is there.
36:36
SPEAKER_01: So I could type in lit106.com, pow, logo baja.
36:41
SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, oh, it's coming.
36:42
SPEAKER_01: Woo! Under construction.
36:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, and so for me, that is what kept me motivated every day.
36:50
SPEAKER_01: Um, and keep it to yourself.
36:52
SPEAKER_01: One thing I've learned in just life in general, when you're building something, especially as fragile as a radio station or as a show or a concept or whatever it is, keep it close to you because people won't fully understand why you're doing what you're doing.
37:12
SPEAKER_01: Or they or they'll they may, you know, cast a little bit of doubt.
37:16
SPEAKER_01: And so I kept it close to me.
37:17
SPEAKER_01: I'm like very close, you know, while building with with the team at um Autolist.
37:22
SPEAKER_01: Um, so I would say if you're a visual person, definitely get the get your logo, get the aesthetic, get the color scheme, um, and just protect yourself.
37:31
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
37:32
SPEAKER_01: Like if it's a if it's an original idea, but get your LLC it, you know, trademark it, co it, whatever you need to do, protect yourself because the last thing you want to do is put your idea out there and then somebody steals it.
37:45
SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
37:46
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
37:47
SPEAKER_01: And and that's happened to me.
37:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'll keep it right there.
37:49
SPEAKER_01: But um, just protect yourself.
37:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
37:53
SPEAKER_02: I think that's important as well.
37:54
SPEAKER_02: You know, and those are some of the things that we talk about to the uh new businesses, some of the steps that they need to take to build and and and put some structure around what they're doing.
38:06
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
38:07
SPEAKER_00: I mean, build when you think about you know building something at this level, it's more than just talent, right?
38:11
SPEAKER_00: It it uh to your point, it takes vision, it takes discipline, um, and strategy.
38:16
SPEAKER_00: Uh and so, you know, I'm I'm right there with you that the business becomes real when you see the logo.
38:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
38:22
SPEAKER_00: Like, see, and I got a lot of logos.
38:24
SPEAKER_00: I got a lot of business, but it really is something about you know, in that symbol are operations and strategies and sales and customers and clients and all the good and all the bad that comes with business or lessons that come with business.
38:39
SPEAKER_00: But you can see, you literally can see the the road ahead.
38:42
SPEAKER_00: So I'm with you.
38:43
SPEAKER_00: I'm with you.
38:44
SPEAKER_02: So, Autumn, this is one of my favorite parts of the show because we get the moment behind the journey, and this is something that we're gonna ask every guest.
38:55
SPEAKER_02: What was your power move?
38:57
SPEAKER_02: That decision or moment that changed everything for you?
39:02
SPEAKER_01: Oh, Lord, how much time did we have?
39:06
SPEAKER_01: But but I'll keep it, I'll keep it brief.
39:08
SPEAKER_01: I'll I'll say this a a very traumatic life experience happened.
39:14
SPEAKER_01: I got fired from my dream job.
39:17
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I thought I was gonna retire at this place.
39:20
SPEAKER_01: I thought that my son would be able to go to school for free, and you know, I was making the most money I've ever made, and my relationship was beautiful.
39:29
SPEAKER_01: I found out I was pregnant, and oh, this was the life, right?
39:33
SPEAKER_01: Like this is what I had been working for.
39:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
39:36
SPEAKER_01: And then that rug just whoop pulled right from up under me, got fired.
39:41
SPEAKER_01: I was five months pregnant with my little guy.
39:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, my relationship completely fell apart because of the firing.
39:49
SPEAKER_01: Um, and so for me, I would say that was the major pivot because it was either sink or swim.
39:56
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
39:57
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
39:57
SPEAKER_01: I was nobody was hiring.
40:00
SPEAKER_01: Um, I had a newborn baby.
40:02
SPEAKER_01: My, like I said, my relationship was falling apart.
40:04
SPEAKER_01: I was trying to figure out how I was even going to survive, you know, after this breakup because we had to move out, right?
40:11
SPEAKER_01: And be on my own.
40:13
SPEAKER_01: And so I would say for me, the the power move was reminding myself of who I am.
40:21
SPEAKER_01: Reminding myself that your autumn joy, you built this brand of being autumn joy well before that relationship.
40:31
SPEAKER_01: Well before that job.
40:32
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
40:33
SPEAKER_01: You got the job because you were autumn joy.
40:35
SPEAKER_01: And I would even step out and say, my relationship was because I was autumn joy.
40:38
SPEAKER_01: He might have been a fan.
40:39
SPEAKER_01: But anyway, oh, that's why another podcast.
40:45
SPEAKER_01: Um, but but no, I that was that was when I had to take my power back and really like dig myself out of that self-doubt.
40:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, dig myself out of that dark place of telling myself I wasn't, you know what, girl, that was it.
40:59
SPEAKER_01: That was the that was the best you were gonna do.
41:01
SPEAKER_01: Maybe Walmart's hiring overnight stock shelf or self uh shelf stalkers or whatever.
41:06
SPEAKER_01: Like that was what I was telling myself.
41:08
SPEAKER_01: Like that was it.
41:09
SPEAKER_01: I'm I have hit the bottom of the barrel.
41:11
SPEAKER_01: And I was like, hold up, let's leave and say, dust yourself off.
41:15
SPEAKER_01: And let me let me dust myself off and and really get back out there.
41:20
SPEAKER_01: And so that's what birthed the Autumn Joy Live experience when I took my show on the road.
41:24
SPEAKER_01: I was like seven months pregnant, waddling around with my microphone.
41:28
SPEAKER_01: I had my table, my setup.
41:29
SPEAKER_01: I went out to businesses and promoted the business and just like hung out there.
41:33
SPEAKER_01: I came to a couple of businesses in Laurel.
41:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, it just really helped put them on the map.
41:39
SPEAKER_01: And that's what gave me that sense of you're gonna be all right.
41:44
SPEAKER_01: What you're doing is going to continue to push you forward.
41:49
SPEAKER_01: And I just had to wholeheartedly just trust God.
41:52
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
41:52
SPEAKER_01: Just to like, and not to get super religious, but to just really just pray and just say, God, you know what?
41:58
SPEAKER_01: I've done it this long by myself.
42:00
SPEAKER_01: Here you go.
42:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there you go.
42:02
SPEAKER_01: Like, because the way I was doing it wasn't working.
42:04
SPEAKER_01: So, so just for me, my power move was taking my power back and not giving it to anyone or allowing anybody or any situation to ever make me feel like I'm less than.
42:16
SPEAKER_01: So when Lit came along, I was like, you know what?
42:19
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna help create something that I can't get fired from.
42:22
SPEAKER_00: How about that?
42:22
SPEAKER_00: How about that?
42:24
SPEAKER_00: Drop the mic.
42:28
SPEAKER_03: And I went to suitless.
42:30
SPEAKER_03: Come on.
42:32
SPEAKER_02: No, you know, I I feel like that's so important.
42:35
SPEAKER_02: That's an important message for a time like now.
42:38
SPEAKER_02: Oh, yes.
42:39
SPEAKER_02: You know, because there are so many people in this area being impacted, being losing their jobs.
42:47
SPEAKER_02: They are, they don't know what to do next.
42:49
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
42:50
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, some people are okay, others they're struggling.
42:54
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
42:54
SPEAKER_02: And it's hard out there.
42:56
SPEAKER_02: I had a friend talking about all these interviews she went through, and she ended up not getting the job.
43:02
SPEAKER_02: It's just like, well, they put me through four or five interviews.
43:04
SPEAKER_02: They could have at least called me.
43:06
SPEAKER_02: They sent me a, they sent me an email weeks later saying, you know, you didn't get the job.
43:11
SPEAKER_02: And she started to internalize that.
43:13
SPEAKER_02: Like, it must be me.
43:14
SPEAKER_02: I've gone through all these interviews, and you know, it's hard for me to give some consolation words because nothing I say is gonna matter at that point.
43:24
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
43:24
SPEAKER_02: But, you know, Alex, what have you been seeing?
43:27
SPEAKER_00: Same.
43:27
SPEAKER_00: I, you know, I've always um seen, I've experienced the change, I've seen kind of economies change.
43:34
SPEAKER_00: We're in a position where um we're just we're just due for a change in our economic cycle.
43:41
SPEAKER_00: Um, and so when we think about it is nothing wrong with having a job.
43:44
SPEAKER_00: I have a job, right?
43:46
SPEAKER_00: But sometimes I think jobs can give the illusion of being okay.
43:51
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
43:51
SPEAKER_00: And you're really not.
43:52
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
43:53
SPEAKER_00: And then when it goes away, you realize you really weren't.
43:56
SPEAKER_00: Right?
43:57
SPEAKER_00: Um and so all.
44:00
SPEAKER_00: All of us have the ability to create some level of uh resiliency through our ideas through our energy, talent.
44:08
SPEAKER_00: Um now, is it gonna be a$10 million company?
44:11
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
44:12
SPEAKER_00: But in this new economy, it's it's a gig economy, right?
44:16
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
44:17
SPEAKER_00: So you have to have a job, you gotta have a business, you gotta have a side hustle, right?
44:23
SPEAKER_00: And then you gotta you gotta do whatever else to that's just the the economy we're in.
44:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: So now where we're gonna see this shift, this this temporary discomfort is gonna become permanent fractional employment.
44:38
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
44:38
SPEAKER_00: Right?
44:39
SPEAKER_00: So you won't work 40 hours.
44:41
SPEAKER_00: You may be working as a CFO for 10 hours, but then you may be doing something else totally different for another 10 hours.
44:49
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
44:50
SPEAKER_00: There are economies in the other parts of the world where you think about what a virtual assistant, like the virtual assistants in other countries, they're all multi-skilled on various things.
45:01
SPEAKER_00: That's where we're headed.
45:02
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
45:02
SPEAKER_00: Right?
45:03
SPEAKER_00: You can't be one dimensional anymore.
45:05
SPEAKER_00: And so with AI, you know, coming in and just kind of uh some of the changes, that's in a way the I think the the the um powers that be are saying become multi-skilled.
45:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right, and and go from there.
45:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
45:23
SPEAKER_01: No, I I I agree wholeheartedly, and you said something very key.
45:27
SPEAKER_01: It is a gig economy.
45:29
SPEAKER_01: It is.
45:29
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've I have people hit me up like, hey, Autumn Joy, can you uh come come past my store and just say hi to the people?
45:37
SPEAKER_01: Sure, what's your budget?
45:40
SPEAKER_01: One thing uh my friend that's a multimillionaire, he told me he said, Autumn Joy, you take those small gigs because those small gigs add up.
45:48
SPEAKER_03: Yes, they do.
45:48
SPEAKER_01: Guess what?
45:49
SPEAKER_01: That little gig paid my paid my little phone bill.
45:52
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
45:53
SPEAKER_01: And as a serial entrepreneur, this is the first time in my life for two and a half years, I don't have a paycheck coming every two weeks.
46:01
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
46:01
SPEAKER_01: And guess what?
46:02
SPEAKER_01: I've been able to survive.
46:04
SPEAKER_01: Y'all, you hear that that that cumbersome little two-year-old in the background.
46:08
SPEAKER_01: I've been able to provide for him and my 14-year-old, you know.
46:11
SPEAKER_01: And and I I and I do think that when it comes to black women, we're in a very unique situation right now.
46:18
SPEAKER_01: We either are going to seat or we're gonna swim.
46:21
SPEAKER_01: And one thing black women, we're gonna swim.
46:23
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna make it.
46:24
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna make doggy paddle, you know what I'm saying?
46:26
SPEAKER_01: We may sit afloat on our back, but we we're gonna swim and we're gonna make it and we're gonna figure it out.
46:32
SPEAKER_00: 100%.
46:33
SPEAKER_00: 100%.
46:34
SPEAKER_02: That's why Alice got uh he got us all on his team.
46:37
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
46:38
SPEAKER_00: Period.
46:42
SPEAKER_04: Okay.
46:42
SPEAKER_00: No, listen.
46:43
SPEAKER_00: This is all right.
46:44
SPEAKER_00: That's all right.
46:45
SPEAKER_02: No, so Autumn, your story is an amazing story, and uh, you know, we're excited to be on this journey with you with Lit106 and to help grow it and make impact.
46:57
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
46:58
SPEAKER_02: So for those listening who want to stay connected uh to you, to your work and everything that you're building, how could they find you?
47:06
SPEAKER_01: Sure.
47:06
SPEAKER_01: Um, just Autumn Joy Um Live on Instagram, and that's joy with an eye.
47:11
SPEAKER_01: And from there, I've got my link tree in the bio, and you can just tap on the bio but tap on the bio um and just grab grab all of my information there.
47:21
SPEAKER_01: And can I just say thank y'all for being patient with me?
47:24
SPEAKER_01: I swear, I swear, oh my god.
47:27
SPEAKER_00: The the the um fearlessness of a two-year-old is how every entrepreneur should be building their business.
47:36
SPEAKER_00: Just free thinking, moving.
47:38
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna do this.
47:39
SPEAKER_00: No cares in the world.
47:40
SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's the entrepreneurial spirit right there.
47:43
SPEAKER_01: That's it right there.
47:44
SPEAKER_01: Just loud and just in the way.
47:46
SPEAKER_00: Doing what I gotta do, making it work.
47:48
SPEAKER_02: No, I love it.
47:49
SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you so much, Autumn, for joining us.
47:51
SPEAKER_01: Yes, thank you for having me.
47:53
SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
47:54
SPEAKER_01: I am so, so happy to have Power Moves on our platform.
47:57
SPEAKER_01: It is my new favorite show.
47:58
SPEAKER_01: Don't tell them, don't tell everybody else.
48:00
SPEAKER_01: So I said that.
48:02
SPEAKER_01: But thank you both for having me.
48:03
SPEAKER_01: This is great.
48:04
SPEAKER_00: All right.
48:04
SPEAKER_00: So before we wrap, I want to make sure, we want to make sure that you are tapped into what's happening.
48:10
SPEAKER_00: Every month, we have, every first Tuesday, we have our coffee connections, which is a great event.
48:15
SPEAKER_00: Brings together about 30, 40 business owners and entrepreneurs who are there just to network over coffee.
48:21
SPEAKER_00: Um, it is one of the best uh, I think, training grounds that we have for anyone who's not necessarily as confident to network.
48:28
SPEAKER_00: Um, this is a great way to do it.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: You gotta meet at least four people.
48:31
SPEAKER_00: You have a good time.
48:32
SPEAKER_00: I meet some interesting people in the roads.
48:34
SPEAKER_00: You meet interesting people.
48:35
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
48:35
SPEAKER_00: Um, just for about an hour, hour and a half of your time, and you can start the rest of your day.
48:39
SPEAKER_00: Um, we're gonna have our uh golf tournament, which is slated for June 22nd, uh, which again, we're gonna go out there, swing on the greens, connect, network, have a great time, raise money for a good cause.
48:52
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then we have our state of the chamber, which is really focused on ensuring that we give a report of what is happening with the chamber, what is our state of the chamber?
49:01
SPEAKER_00: And then also what are we, what's what's in the year ahead that's coming up?
49:05
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then we'll be, we'll be participating in some other events as well, like prequest, right?
49:09
SPEAKER_00: That will be happening in Laurel this year.
49:11
SPEAKER_00: And uh there was a recent announcement of the state making an investment and acquiring Laurel Raceway.
49:17
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then there's also a big one.
49:19
SPEAKER_00: If I'm an entrepreneur or a business owner, I have a product or service that I'm trying to connect and expand, select USA.
49:25
SPEAKER_00: It happens in our backyard at the National Harbor.
49:28
SPEAKER_00: It's about a week-long activity.
49:29
SPEAKER_00: You have 60 countries that convene on Prince George's County soil for a week to do business.
49:37
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
49:37
SPEAKER_00: That's huge.
49:38
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
49:38
SPEAKER_00: That's huge.
49:39
SPEAKER_02: And Alex, I'm really excited about Preakness and about the revitalization of that raceway, you know.
49:48
SPEAKER_02: So there are good things to come in Laurel for sure.
49:52
SPEAKER_02: And then, guys, you can catch me uh through the Spotlight DMV.
49:56
SPEAKER_02: I'll be at Jazz and Polo in the Baltimore Peninsula on the red carpet.
50:01
SPEAKER_02: That's on May 23rd.
50:02
SPEAKER_02: And then the very next day on May 24th, I'll be at the service ball through the storehouse, which is a Prince George's County founded food bank, started right here to provide fresh food to our residents.
50:18
SPEAKER_03: Nice.
50:19
SPEAKER_02: So make sure you come out and support.
50:21
SPEAKER_02: And you can follow me on Instagram, on YouTube, uh, on Facebook, all social media at the Spotlight DMV.
50:29
SPEAKER_02: I share a lot of events that are happening all across Prince George's County in the DMV.
50:34
SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you mentioned that.
50:35
SPEAKER_00: I want to kind of segue real quick around the USDA leaving the county and the opportunity around agriculture that we have.
50:44
SPEAKER_00: Next segment.
50:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
50:45
SPEAKER_00: Stay tuned because that's a big one.
50:47
SPEAKER_03: That's definitely a big one.
50:48
SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, when you think about what's out there in our next meeting, um, I'm curious to know what is your next power move?
50:58
SPEAKER_02: We'll be looking for it.
50:59
SPEAKER_02: Comment below.
51:00
SPEAKER_02: Tell us what your power move is.
51:02
SPEAKER_02: Until next time, guys.
51:06
SPEAKER_02: You've been listening to Power Moves on Lit106.
51:09
SPEAKER_02: Remember, this isn't just about what's happening, it's about how you position yourself within it.
51:15
SPEAKER_02: Catch us every other Tuesday at 2 p.m.
51:18
SPEAKER_02: right here on Lit106.
51:20
SPEAKER_02: Stay informed, stay connected, and we'll see you at the top.