Latest / The Scene Projects / Ya Girl Michelle on Empowerment, Media Innovation, and Midwest Talent Awards

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Ya Girl Michelle on Empowerment, Media Innovation, and Midwest Talent Awards · The Scene Projects

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  This program is part of the Scene Projects podcast network.
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  Scene Project features interviews with independent musicians, comedians, and artists
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  from across the Midwest.
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  Become part of our community and support local art wherever you are.
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  Welcome in to another exciting episode of the scene.
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  I'm your host, Bubba Starts, and with me today is your girl, Michelle, from the Empowerment
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  Divas Network.
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  Welcome to the show, Michelle.
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  I should say my girl, Michelle.
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  That's my girl.
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  That's my friend.
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  Hello, everyone.
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  How are you?
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  Oh, we are so good today.
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  It's, yeah.
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  Winter is definitely settling in.
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  We got the freezing rain in Eastern South Dakota today.
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  I'm sure across the Midwest, it's much of the same lately as we head into the holiday season.
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  But, before we get too far into everything that we're both up to now and all the great things
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  that we have to share, I wanna give you an opportunity to just, share with our listeners a
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  little bit about your backstory, how you built the Empowerment Divas Network, and and then
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  we'll get into all the good stuff.
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  Okay.
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  Great.
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  So we started in PowerMedivas Network in 2017, and the goal was to create a platform for women
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  owned businesses.
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  We did a lot we did a lot of research in Ohio and Michigan and realized there wasn't really a
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  big platform for those local artists and businesses.
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  So as we continued on, we realized that we couldn't leave out the guys.
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  Okay?
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  So 2019, we decided that, you know, we'll focus on every business.
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  '20 the end of 2019, 2020, we started talking, and we realized that a lot of local artists
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  still needed a nice platform.
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  So we started interviewing a lot of artists, a lot of authors, and things like that to come on
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  our show.
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  And then at that time, we were partnered with a couple different radio stations globally.
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  And in '23, we decided to open up our own Roku channel.
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  So if you go to EDN or Roku, you definitely will find a Parmadiva's network.
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  So cool.
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  Yeah.
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  And that's really where all of this is heading.
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  I don't know if people really know as, legacy media as we call it.
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  Like, the terrestrial radio and TV stations, because of their power suck on you know, just
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  to have a a station that's broadcasting to that, because of the extreme cost of that and
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  the lack of revenue that they're turning over, they are slowly fading away.
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  And it's why they're owned by a conglomerate, you know, a Clear Channel or an iHeartRadio is
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  buying up all the TV stations.
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  But, eventually, they're just going to start as these towers deteriorate or the satellites need
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  to be replaced, that they just won't do it.
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  And all the data will be available on these fast streaming networks.
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  So you are really ahead of the curve on getting into there, occupying your space, and building
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  a platform in that arena.
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  So kudos to you.
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  You're you you beat me to the punch by a couple of years.
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  Unfortunately, I beat myself to a couple of things.
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  And, you know but I think it's just because when I do research, I do it thoroughly.
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  I might find, you know, deals and specials and stuff.
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  And so I try to be different, from the average person.
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  You know?
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  So that's that's where the the competition you know, everybody's in competition.
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  I am not in competition with anyone because, apparently, I am in competition with myself
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  trying to make sure that I continue on bettering, the brand.
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  No.
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  And you are different because not everyone has that servant's heart to serve their community,
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  whether that community is, you know, black female business owners or just female business
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  owners or just business owners and then, you know, expanding out.
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  And it feels like, you know, you started with a very niche idea and then realized that, like,
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  everyone needs this.
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  Artists, musicians, like, everyone needs a platform to come and talk about their
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  businesses and to, you know, to be able to bring in new clients to just share their story.
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  And not a lot of people out there are willing to do that for someone else.
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  Right?
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  And I think especially in the podcasting artist communities that a lot of it is kind of a look
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  at me industry, and there's very few people that are out there going, no.
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  No.
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  No.
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  Look at you.
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  Look at what you're doing.
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  That's so impressive.
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  So I absolutely adore that.
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  I thank you for having me on EDN, even though we're gonna have to redo our episode over
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  again.
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  I had such a great conversation with you getting to know you and everything that you've
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  been doing.
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  I would be honored to come on again and again and again until we get it perfect, to share
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  with the world.
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  So I couldn't let
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  you back up.
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  I'm definitely thankful, you know, to have met you.
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  And this is, I guess you know, I don't I haven't throughout the years, I haven't had a
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  lot of time to fully network in person.
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  A lot of times, I've missed a lot of events, but I've met so many people on, you know, the
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  Internet and just kinda, like, advertising media and, you know, different things like
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  that.
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  So I am appreciative that I have not only found people in Ohio, but I found people globally.
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  So this is truly amazing.
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  Yeah.
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  I know the Internet can be a total cesspool, but also there's a lot of really good people
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  out there, and it takes a little bit more to find them.
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  And most of us have rather small platforms, not a lot of people that are willing to shine a
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  light on other small businesses and people with, you know, small or no platform.
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  We're not doing it for the fame.
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  We're not doing it to be famous ourselves.
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  We're doing it because every single person that is that watches and finds one of our friends or
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  guests on the show is one person that they may not have met.
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  And each person has the ability to change another's life.
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  And and I say it on my podcast all the time that if if this conversation only changes one
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  life and that life is mine, well, then it was successful regardless of how many views it
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  gets.
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  Definitely.
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  Definitely.
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  There's been times where, you know, we would have events and I didn't get to that many
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  people out.
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  But the ones that came out were, like, you know, very happy and excited to learn more
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  about what we're doing.
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  And so I'm really excited because we got a new event coming up in March, the Midwest Talent
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  Awards.
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  And we got a a couple new hosts, and so we're kinda trying to get them solid.
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  And then after that, we're gonna interview them, and they can start telling people, hey.
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  You know, join us.
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  We're gonna do, I'm a tell you just a little snippet, but we're gonna host a telethon here
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  in Toledo, and we're gonna try to do one in Detroit.
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  But the goal is is that any event that you see, we always give a percentage back to the youth
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  and the families.
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  So it's not just about, you know, okay.
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  I'm a get rich or paid off of this, but it's it's definitely helping to impact somebody else
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  again.
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  So
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  Yes.
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  And you said it.
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  It to me, it's not about numbers at all.
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  I don't measure my success in any kind of numbers.
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  Would I like this to be something that provides financial stability for my wife and family in
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  the future?
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  Sure.
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  But I'm willing to put in a lot of work, before that and to make a great impact before that as
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  well.
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  As you can see behind me, Operation Combating Veteran Suicide is a nonprofit that we work
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  very closely with.
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  And for that purpose, that we don't measure our impact in numbers, we measure it in lives
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  changed.
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  And that is why I was so grateful to you being on your show and and to see just what you were
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  doing, supporting artists, supporting businesses, supporting families.
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  There's so much that you're doing, and your impact on your world is felt and will be felt
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  for generations.
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  And even if you don't live to see that that and even if they don't remember your name, that
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  impact will remain the same.
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  And I think that's way more important.
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  That's a legacy.
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  And I think that's what, really motivates me to continue doing what I'm doing, and I'm sure it
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  has to be a lot of the same for you as well.
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  Yes.
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  Generational wealth, you know, they say that's big.
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  But I definitely want, you know because I, obviously, I'm running three businesses at one
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  time.
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  And I and I put a business in my son's name, and the goal for that is agriculture.
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  So agriculture, cut you know, cutting grass, snow removal, things like that.
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  So my thing is I wanna prepare these children of mine to be set up, but then offer programs
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  for other children so they'll be set up and prepared and have goals lined up.
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  These kids nowadays don't even know what they wanna do.
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  And so if they come this way, oh, by the time they leave, wow.
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  Well, we got a whole goal plan now.
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  And I have some resources for you.
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  So that's my impact.
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  That is what I focus on.
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  But you but you definitely gotta keep going as far as podcasting and things like that.
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  Because when we first started, we were only getting, you know, maybe a few 100 or less
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  views.
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  But then when I started reaching out to these different radio stations and partnering, the
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  highest amount of listeners I've had throughout the years was 8,000,000
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  listeners.
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  Incredible.
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  So you definitely gotta keep going.
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  Yeah.
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  And we're just, we're planning a big national tour right now.
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  I think it was after I got off the phone with you that I was like, yeah.
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  Maybe I do have to travel a little bit.
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  And, so we're going out and hitting some award shows and, going down to Austin for South by
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  Southwest, teaming up with a young lady named Ellie Arnold who's just beginning her music
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  career and, taking her out on the road.
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  And and the whole goal is she's beginning as the opening act, but by the end of this tour,
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  she's gonna be the headline.
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  Right?
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  Like, she is going to be the story.
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  And to watch her grow and to, elevate to that role, because it's not about me.
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  It's not about what I can do.
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  Like, I I just don't I don't wanna say that I don't care because I care, but I don't have to
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  be the star of the show to be, to be impactful.
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  And and I have no problem being a sideshow, which I've probably been most of my life
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  without knowing it.
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  And to to be one who facilitates these things behind the scenes, you know, booking venues and
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  making sure that sponsor support is there to do these projects and to make sure that the impact
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  is felt.
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  So, yeah, maybe we'll be looking for some more radio stations to share our stuff with and get
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  our get our message out there into the wider world.
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  I got plenty of interviews they could go back and siphon through to to go out.
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  And, you know, we have our own Internet radio station as well, and it was kinda just like
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  occupying all the space.
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  Right?
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  Getting out there, occupying the space, and then we'll kinda figure it out later as we go
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  along.
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  So let's talk more about the the award show.
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  I know you're just kind of in the beginning phases of it right now, but why?
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  What was kind of your inspiration for starting an award show?
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  Well, last year, you know well, I'm a I'm a tell you this first.
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  So, normally, every year, we host the Savvy Music event, and that event is locally whether
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  it's Toledo or Detroit.
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  And the goal for that event was to get all the different local artists together for one night
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  for to support a cause.
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  And so at the end of that event, a percentage of the proceeds goes to youth interested in
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  arts, media, and and things of the line of that nature.
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  And so we've done that, you know, for years.
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  And then 2020, we, broadcast the, Savvy Music tour.
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  Okay?
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  I have 40 artists that signed up.
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  We were going to 35 cities, but we all know what happened in 2020.
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  So I had paid for all these different venues.
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  The artists paid me, and I had to, you know, pay all these artists get these these artists a
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  refund because it was COVID, and nothing was really open.
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  And I was like, no.
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  We're not going out there.
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  In 2020, it was barely mask available.
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  You know?
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  I'm like, no.
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  We're not going out there.
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  So the goal is for, like, '26, '20 well, '27, I'm a say, that we're gonna propose to do a
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  tour.
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  But the Midwest Talent Awards was something where, okay, not only are we focusing on Ohio,
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  but we're focusing on the whole entire Midwest, getting the whole entire Midwest together,
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  different artists, nonprofits.
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  So right now on my roster, we're because we're preparing to do a I have my staff working, and
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  I had did the research on, like, all these different nonprofits.
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  Right?
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  And so we were talking about it, and they they were like, well, how many did you find in the
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  Midwest?
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  I said, well, aligned with what we're doing, you know, arts and music and things like that,
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  it's about 2,000.
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  And they were like, 2,000?
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  Are you gonna reach out to 2,000 by Monday?
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  I'm like, yes.
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  Yes.
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  We're gonna reach out to them by Monday.
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  So that's our goal.
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  So by Monday, I'll be here, you know, kinda invited them to our event, asking them to be a
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  vendor or a sponsor and things like that.
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  But we also have a lot of different artists that we've already worked with and that we've
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  been looking at.
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  And so these artists know about what we're doing, and it's just real and it's, like, real
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  empowering to bring the entire Midwest together.
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  When I googled Midwest Talent Awards, it didn't even pop up.
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  Matter of fact, the only thing that popped up was, like, country.
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  And I was like, well, okay.
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  So so let's include Midwest Talent Awards because it's for the artists.
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  We're going to reach out to some dance teams, the coaches, things like that.
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  And then also you have those poets.
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  You have those nonprofits who deserve, you know, some type of an award for being the best
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  in their area.
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  So that's what we're aiming towards.
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  I'm really excited.
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  And, you know, I was talking to my partner.
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  She she's like, hey.
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  It's almost March.
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  I'm like, I know.
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  Let's get, you know, let's get going.
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  So we went down to to see we chose a hotel, and, you know, we went down to see it, the
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  Westin in Southfield, and we were so amazed, and it's so beautiful and nice.
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  It didn't even look like we were in Michigan.
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  It looked like we were somewhere else.
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  And so I was like, yes.
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  This is it.
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  You know, I'm looking at the price.
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  Okay.
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  Well, that's fine.
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  But it really inspires me to, you know, be able to offer something this big and have a lot of
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  backups, you know, people helping me along the way because I definitely couldn't do it by
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  myself.
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  So No.
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  It takes a team, especially to achieve something that large.
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  Now for me, I kinda run the podcast by myself, and I'm able to travel and do a lot of things
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  solo.
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  But there there's other pieces behind the scene that make this network.
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  And when I wanted to expand into more shows and just more content, there's only so many hours
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  in the day.
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  And you can use all the AI that you want to and be as efficient as possible, and you're still
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  gonna run out of time.
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  So I know the importance of a great team.
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  We've got a good one here.
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  You have an amazing one there, obviously.
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  Do you have a date picked out?
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  I know you've said March a couple of times, but is there a solid date for the award show right
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  now?
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  March 6 through the eighth, that whole entire weekend.
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  We're gonna have different workshops.
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  We're gonna have the award ceremony that Saturday.
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  We're gonna have a brunch.
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  So we got it all mapped out.
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  And like I said, we're preparing the website is actually live, www.midwesttalentawards.com,
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  where people can go and they could cast their votes on who they feel is the, you know, the
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  top artists.
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  They have a different categories listed.
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  And then, you know, towards, I'm a say, February probably the February, we're gonna
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  review everything that was casted in, and then we're gonna reach out to the ones that, you
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  know, we feel deserving because, obviously, it's not about popularity or things like that.
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  It's more about who's consistent.
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  You know, who is maybe who is doing stuff in the community, who has been, you know, out
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  there with a a music video and is, you know, attracting a lot of people.
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  But the goal is is not just popularity.
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  It goes it's a different It's a whole outline of aspects that we're looking at to make sure
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  that we choose the the best people.
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  Just awesome.
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  So you have three days.
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  So there's a lot going on here.
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  Let's kinda dig in a little bit to the awards, and and it's more than just an award show,
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  obviously.
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  You're educating.
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  You're you're kinda I I'm envisioning some conferencing here where people can learn.
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  Are you doing kinda panels where people are speaking and and artists are able to kinda
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  learn from some experts out there?
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  Yes.
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  BMI, ASCAP will be there.
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  We have a few different people in those different nonprofits that, the the research
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  I've done, there's a lot of nonprofits who offer, music classes and different things like
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  that for artists, and I don't think they know it's available.
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  But the point is is that we're gonna definitely have it to where you're gonna see a lot of
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  different vendors and people you wouldn't normally see altogether that night.
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  So you got the workshops.
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  You got the panels.
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  Like I said, you got the networking event.
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  We wanted to include a fashion show.
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  Oh, boy.
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  That's a lot.
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  But you definitely get you definitely get a lot for that weekend.
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  And like I said, I'm preparing to give you that final outlook and let you know what in detail
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  what's gonna happen that weekend.
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  So
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  Awesome.
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  And what day will the award show?
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  Will it be on the Saturday or on Sunday?
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  It's gonna be on Saturday.
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  Fantastic.
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  Well, you know what?
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  I I have some loose plans right now, but I may be changing my plans.
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  I think coming up there and seeing you sounds like a better use of my time.
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  I can always get to Texas in a couple of days no matter where I'm traveling from.
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  So I'm gonna look at my schedule when I get done here.
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  If you'd make some space for me, let me hang out.
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  You doing a red carpet at all?
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  Yes.
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  Yes.
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  I would love to come and do some work on the red carpet.
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  Yeah.
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  We're definitely gonna have it.
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  Well, I was gonna invite you anyway.
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  I don't know why you think I wouldn't.
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  But, yeah, definitely, like I said, we're gonna be making sure that by Monday, certain well,
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  majority of the organizations and different people that, you know, we have already, they're
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  gonna have that information, and they can choose and decide on what they wanna do.
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  Because we're also gonna be at, the South what is it?
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  South by Southwest event.
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  Yeah.
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  We're gonna be there as well because we realized we had time to do our event and still
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  go there.
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  So I'm really excited.
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  And Mom, you know what?
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  I'm gonna bring our tour vehicle up there.
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  We're gonna pick you up.
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  Everybody's gonna get on the bus, and we're gonna all go down to South by Southwest
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  together because that's where I'm headed.
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  So I think this was just meant to be, Michelle.
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  I'm so thrilled to hear about everything that you got going on.
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  Go ahead.
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  Shout out the website for the awards again.
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  Shout out some of your other businesses and everything you got going on.
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  We may be doing a few more podcasts talking about the award show for sure before March as
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  well.
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  So go ahead and plug away.
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  I'll let you go for now, and we'll reconvene here off the air.
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  Okay.
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  Definitely.
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  So to cash you cash your vote, you can go to www.midwesttalentawards.com.
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  You can also go to empowermedivasnetwork.com, but we are on all social media platforms.
• 21:53
  And, you know, just shout out, hustle man live.
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  He's one of our DJs, DJ Cookie.
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  And and just so you know, that they they have 17 radio stations.
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  So if you wanna add, you know, your podcast and your songs, be sure to, you know, send that
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  information to me, and I can give it to them.
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  Awesome.
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  Well, Michelle, I just so appreciate everything that you're doing for your community and this
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  community of artists at large.
• 22:26
  This award show is gonna be absolutely incredible.
• 22:29
  I am looking forward to making some plans to come out and to see you and to take part in a
• 22:35
  lot of this stuff.
• 22:36
  I might have some tour rerouting that I need to do now, but that's okay.
• 22:40
  We're in the early stages anyway.
• 22:42
  Michelle, thank you so much for being part of the scene.
• 22:46
  Well, thank you for having me.
• 22:48
  And every day, you know, every time is a great opportunity, and I appreciate what you do as
• 22:53
  well.