Latest / Life, Finance, & Real Estate with KirbyTheRealtor / EP 34 Beyond the Music: The Chris Crain Story

Transcript

EP 34 Beyond the Music: The Chris Crain Story · Life, Finance, & Real Estate with KirbyTheRealtor

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Life, Finance and Real Estate, where we discuss how to make smart money moves, the ever-changing real estate market, and of course, things going on in life.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: And here to talk about it more with you is your host.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: We talk about finance because whether we like it or not, money touches almost every area of our lives.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, we talk about real estate because real estate is one of the ways we can create ownership, build wealth, and leave something behind.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I always say, I don't just teach you how to what?
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: Earn it.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: I teach you how to sustain it.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Now, today's show is going to be a little different, and I'm so excited about this conversation because we're going to talk about what happens when you take a gift, believe in it, invest in it, and ultimately build something from it.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: And what makes today's conversation even more special is that our guest has roots right here in Lullo, Mississippi.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: Today I have the opportunity to sit down with Chris Crane, the singer, the songwriter, musician, producer, entrepreneur, husband, father, author, and a native of Lumberton, Mississippi.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: Y'all, we're going to talk about this, his journey, his music, his book, his documentary, the business behind the gift, money, ownership, legacy, and of course, we're going to find out what's next for Chris Crane.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: So, Chris, welcome to Life, Finance and Real Estate.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: Hey Kirby, thank you for having me.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: It's a pleasure to be here.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: I am so glad that we are able to sit and have this conversation to let the world hear a little bit more about our Chris Crane from Mississippi.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: So, Chris, I always like to start with the person before we get into everything that they've accomplished.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: So, for somebody listening today who may be hearing the name Chris Crane for the very first time, who is Chris Crane?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: What title do you give yourself in this season of your life?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_02: So I get that question a lot.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: When I'm doing interviews, they always want me to start out with saying, who is Chris Crane?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: And so I like to say that Chris Crane is a I'm a little bit of everything.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I from a musician to um an entrepreneur, I'm a risk taker.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'm a big dreamer.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I um I'm a facer of fears.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I'm always scared.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I'm always running up on stuff that's much bigger than me, but um I like to say um I'm scared, but I'm not scared enough to keep moving forward.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: I like that.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: I'm scared, but I'm not scared enough to keep moving forward.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, scared enough to not move forward.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: I like that.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: That can go on a t-shirt.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, when I started looking at everything you do, I thought, okay, I can't just call this man a songwriter.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: Because most people know, well, I know me.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: Because through my husband, it was the music, right?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: But there's seven different, several different layers to your story.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: But one thing that immediately, of course, you know, you don't live here in Mississippi, but to know that you were right here from Mississippi in Lumberton to be exact, am I right?
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we call it L Town.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: L Town.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: So we're sitting here talking about somebody y'all who has been able to take his gift beyond Mississippi, but your story has roots in a small Mississippi town.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: What was life like growing up in Lumberton?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: And what did growing up there put inside of you that you still carry today?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh man, Lumberton, and I talk about this in my book.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_02: Lumberton taught me a lot of things, and it taught me a lot about people.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_02: And one of the things that I will always take with me from Lummerton, Lummerton has so many different personalities, and those personalities taught me how to survive in the big city.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, growing up in Lumington, I I fought a lot, I stayed in trouble.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_02: I was always, man, I was cussing old people out.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, you were bad.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah, I was that kid.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_02: I was that kid.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: But it was because of, you know, I was I was born different with my disability, or what some would call a disability.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_02: But one of the things I learned about myself growing up in Lumberton is how to um persevere.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: And that's a word that I grew to love and to, you know, to describe myself.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I should have used that earlier when I you asked me who is Chris Crane.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: But Lumleton taught me how, because Lumberton was tough.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, growing up from being teased, but it was a balance though, because even though I fought a lot and I was teased and all of those things, but those same people, if we were out together, say we were in Hattersburg, and one of us got into a fight with somebody from Hattersburg, everybody in Lummerton fought.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_02: And so it was a big family.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, everybody knew everybody.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um still do.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I I learned how to persevere um despite, you know, growing up not having all of the resources.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: Because in Lummerton, of course, there's no music stores and you know, it was churches, but I didn't get exposed to music, you know, until later on in life.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_02: So I had to use what I had.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_02: You know, glean from, you know, the Reverend Clarks and uh Earl McClain's who came through Lumberton.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and so that's that's what happened in Lumberton.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_02: That's how I um ended up learning more about myself.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: And what I've taken from Lumberton is that it doesn't matter how small the place is.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: Or it doesn't matter if you don't have all of the resources, there's always a way for you to figure it out without all of the resources.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_02: And that's where I found a lot of my success, because I've not always had all of the money um to do some of the things that I needed to do.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um there were some projects I couldn't pay for, didn't have the money, so I had to find a different route to figure it out.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_01: Let me stop you for one second.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: So a lot I know a lot of people get caught up in the I don't, I want to do this, but I don't have the money.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: So you just said you you haven't always had the resources and you had to figure it out.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: What what did that figuring it out look like for you?
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it's it's it's simple.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: Like, if you don't have the money to do something, but you still want to do it, if you really, really look and dissect that thing, you can do it without money.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know, or I remember, you know, I would equate money and support.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes I would find myself where I didn't feel like I had the support from family, friends.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's nothing worse than releasing a record that you know is great.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: And the people around you, I'm talking about the people sitting right next to you that eat at the table with you, ride in the car with you, they don't support your record.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: They don't download it, they don't tell nobody.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: To me, I equate that to not having the financial support, right?
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_02: And so what I started to figure out is I didn't have the money to pay the guitar player to do it, but what I could do was mix and edit.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: And what I could do is play keys and even drums, and I could song right.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so I would barter with this guy.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_02: I've cut grass to do some things.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and you know, it's it's it's shocking to me when I hear people say they won't do it or they they they gotta wait until they get the money.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_02: I was just in the studio with a guy um yesterday, and he wants me to work with him, but it's the man, I just gotta get my ducks in the role.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: But what ends up happening is while you're waiting to get your money, time passes.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: Time passes, then life continues to happen, whether you got your money or not, and before you look up, it's 15 years and you ain't did nothing.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: You still had conversation.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and so for me, I strive to not let anything stop me.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and and uh I think a lot of that also comes from growing up with the disability or with the birth defect that I had.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I could have made the cho I could have made the choice to, well, I can't do this or I can't do that because, you know, I don't have the same ability or physical ability, or I have limitations, but I I decided not to, you know, that was never good enough for me.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: So if you look back, I played basketball and I just wasn't on the team.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_02: I started.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I played football, and I just wasn't on the team, but I was a factor.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: I ran track.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: All of these things I did in spite of my birth defect, and then you look up, I learned to play drums.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: I learned to play the piano, and I never just wanted to be regular.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_02: So the other piece is that made me put in time when everybody else sleeps.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: I'm working.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: You know, when everybody else is on vacation, I'm working.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, when everybody's kicking it, now I still find time to do the kicking it and to do the things, but but that's just that's my work ethic.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_02: And I think a lot of that stemmed from my childhood and my upbringing and just the experiences that um I had growing up in that small town of Lumberton.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: So let me ask you this, because you also mentioned, you know, Lumberton didn't have all the things like the music and all.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: So when were you introduced to music?
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I was introduced to music early on.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um my mom, she was um the choir director at our church.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: So she taught all the records.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_02: My older brother played organ.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so I found music very early.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um I played drums.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I thought I was pretty good, but I never got a chance to really play.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I didn't really, really, really meet music until I was um probably 13, 14 years old.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: I was at a um singing convention.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: I saw this dude, um, he was came in, and when he came, he came in late, and they escorted this dude to the front.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm saying, who in the world is this guy?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: And this guy turned out to be James Hammer.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm watching this, I'm watching him, all of this confidence.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: And he once he got on the piano, his group came up, and I'm watching James, and it was just, it was mesmerizing to see somebody sing and then move a crowd the way he did.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: He created an environment or an atmosphere, and I could just see him, when he moved his hand to the right, everybody moved to the right.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: Like he just commanded the room, and that's when I met music.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: And it, and just it's the way it all went together.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_02: I've never seen that in my life.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: Would you say, like, okay, so that's when you met music.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Was that also when you kind of realized, hey, I can actually, like, when did you realize you can actually make a living doing this?
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that was that was later on.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: That was later on.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I ended up, and it it's amazing how how events in life are sovereignly synchronized.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you know, and I think the Bible speaks of how before you was even born, he already knew who you were, and your steps were already ordered.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_02: You were predestined.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_02: And it just worked out that my older brother was playing organ for James Hamler's group.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: He took me to a rehearsal, and I sat again and watched him just move this group of people.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I ended up playing drums for his group.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: James took me on this wing and showed me how to play.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: Like he showed me how to play, he insisted that I learn hymns, he insisted that I learn how to follow and create an environment.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: And at that moment, and it wasn't too long after that, that I um got my first church to play at.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I was playing at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Lumberton.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I started out making what a hundred bucks a week.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_02: Now, you gotta remember, I'm 14 years old.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: I was already driving, all of the things.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: And then I ended up getting a raise.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: Then another church in Wiggins wanted me to play for them, so I'm playing for another church in Wiggins.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: They moved me up to 150, then another church in Hattersburg, um, director that I knew.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um we started, he and I started The Sovereign Corral together years ago.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Walters.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, he was playing at a church at Greater Mount Beltham, maybe.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's what it was, Greater Mount Belt.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: And was paying me$175 a week.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: At 15 years old.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: $175, you were rich.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_02: You couldn't tell me nothing.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and so I realized that you can make an actual living doing music.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but the the pay didn't increase significantly significantly significantly for me until I got a little bit older.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I, you know, gave myself some more tools, took some classes, you know, um, got some certifications, and just really unlearned um and learned to understand what music really is.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: You know, a lot of people just want to go and make money because they can play, but that ain't where I don't think a lot of people should be getting paid personally.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_02: Because all you can do is play.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_02: Now there is a market for it, but it's not high.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_02: But if you can learn how to move people and separate people and use your gift in that manner, then I think, you know, and so once I learn how to do that, you know, and in the church arena, you have to love people.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: You have to love the organization of church, you have to love God for sure, right?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: Now that's not even, we shouldn't even have a talk about that.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that should be first and foremost, but you can love God, but if you don't love people, then you can't leave people.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: And so those things happen.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so it it has gone from me just playing music to um getting jobs, doing nothing but music.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: And then later on, I moved into creating my own music and making money off of my own music.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Which is good, by the way.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think so.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's my role, you know, when I'm driving down the road.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, I appreciate it.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: I mean crispy jamming.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I got a whole lot more stuff that I'm getting ready to release in the very near future, too.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, so once you learn, once you get to a place to where you can earn using your gift, then it doesn't feel like work.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_02: You know.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_02: But you still gotta have that work in thing.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: I'm still up at four in the morning.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I do a quick workout, and then I do all of the other things that I need to do before six o'clock.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: And then once school starts, then I have to take my kids to school.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_02: So it's the balance thing, you know.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_02: You, you know, you you have family, you know, it ain't all just work, but man.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's switch gears a little bit because a lot of people, you know, they see your gift, they see you performing.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they can see like the finished product, right?
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: And that's that's an issue I have with people.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: They always see the finished product and they want what you got and all that good stuff.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: But and they see you performing, they see these opportunities, but they never, they don't understand what it actually costs.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not, when I say cost, and you just hit on it, some, it's not just a financial cost.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's your time and different things, but they they never know what it truly costs to sacrifice and the different relationships, but there's opportunities that you you may even have to turn down.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, money is good, but when did you realize that being talented wasn't good enough?
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like you also, well, I think you probably hit on it a little bit too.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta understand the gift, the gift that's given to you to create your business.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it's it's definitely not, it's not good enough because everybody's good.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_02: If you scroll down Facebook or Instagram or even TikTok, I mean, you'll see several videos of amazing singers, you know, incredible musicians.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, from guitarists to pianists to drummers to I mean, just everybody's incredible, but everybody can't get to the stage to where they can earn.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think understanding, having understanding what you bring to the table, you gotta have an area of discipline.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_02: What are you trying to do other than play?
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: And then finding the market, you know, because you can be an amazing player, but if there's 75 players lined up over on the other side of the room, then what's going to make, and and granted, don't forget that all of those players are great.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody they can play in all their keys, they can play all genres, just like you.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: So what's gonna make you different?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: So the things I had to really sharpen was how to relationship build.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_02: You know, how to I hate to use the word network because we just use it for everything.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_02: But how to find yourself in the spaces where the people that make decisions are.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_02: You know, how to look the par.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you rarely see me out with sweatpants on and a t-shirt.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: You know, when I step out and I'm going places, you know, I dress the par.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_02: I dress how I want to be seen.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: That's important.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_02: It's very important.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: Say that again.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: You gotta dress how you want to be seen or how you want to be respected.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_02: Now that doesn't always mean you're gonna get the respect, but it's a good start.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: You know, so I don't wear my hair all crazy, and you know, I do care about style and all of those things, but style don't get you paid.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: And style don't build a relationship because most people who are in that I've met, I can't speak for everybody, I can't use a blanket statement, but a lot of the people that I've connected with, we don't don't really care about the style.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: You know, is can we get the job done?
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: On my way, um, I was getting on the flight, headed down to New Orleans.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: I mean the airport, I ran into two guys that I've worked with before: Ruben Whitmore, um Second, and Brian Meir.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: Now, these uh heavy hitters.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_02: Reuben Whitmore, all of the movies on Netflix that's has my music in it came from Ruben Whitmore.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: And Brian Meir.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_02: Ruben was on his way to Hawaii to do some work, Brian was on his way to New York.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'm on my way to down south to do some work.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: And so you you see these people and they're dressed in such a way.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: They just chillin.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: But they they got their tie on.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_02: You know, they're moving around.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so it's it's how you wanna be seen.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: And and so for me when I walk in room, Kirby, it's I command the room.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_02: But it starts with when I walk in.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: You know, the confidence, you know, I've always my daddy used to always tell me, when you look good, you feel good.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: That's true.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: And so I put it on, and you know, and but that's that's one of the things, you know, building relationships, understanding your area of discipline, and then I'll tell you a quick story.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: I um got a chance to meet this guy named Richard Blackmore years ago in big and finance world, moving money.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: And so um spent some time with him in his home in Jacksonville, Florida.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_02: And one of the things he told me, he said, in whatever arena that you're in, you have to bring something to the table.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_02: Never sit down at the table empty-handed.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_02: Never come to the table empty-handed.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: So if that if that means if you have to go and find um what's needed, then you go and find that.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: But you don't go to the table empty-handed because then you're invaluable.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: You're not valuable at all.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: So, and I take that.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: So for musicians who are playing at church, you gotta bring something to the table other than playing.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: Because from a business perspective, how do you add to the bottom line?
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: Because I can run the track and get by without drums.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: I can use the triggers, and we don't need a keyboard player.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_02: We can run stems, we can run instrumentals.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: So, what do you bring to the table?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: How is this place better overall because you're a part of it?
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so I approach that in every part of my life, you know, relationships.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_02: How do I make them better?
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_02: Why is it important for them to have a Chris Crane in their lives?
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: I like that.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: I don't even have to.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: You kind of like in my business a little bit.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: Because like my next question was like, it was gonna be having a gift and building a business around your gift are two completely different things.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_01: So you're already like hitting on it.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_02: So I gotta say this.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I was just having this conversation.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_02: So I just did the show with Gladys tonight.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it was a big show, it was great.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: But I was telling one of my good friends that sometimes I find myself in a lonely space, and I explain.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_02: Because I'm a visionary, and so I see things all the time, and I'm a move past conversation kind of guy.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about it, let's figure it out, and then let's do something.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people aren't wired that way.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people want to talk about it, talk about it, talk about it, pray about it, talk about it, pray about it, talk about it.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: And again, I'm saying, okay, we done talked about it, we done prayed.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: What are we doing?
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: What are we gonna do?
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_02: So you're right.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: And so I I just move.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_02: And a lot of times I look up, and the people that was rolling with me, they ain't here.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: Where are they at?
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: What happened to them?
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I'm moving, they play it.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we getting up at four, where you at?
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: It's 4 30.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: I'm on my way.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Don't worry about it.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, don't worry about it.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_02: Because we supposed to be up at this time.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: Why are you on your way 30 minutes later?
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_02: You're supposed to have been up 30 minutes earlier.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: And so that's the way I try to move.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_02: Now, I'm not saying I'm always perfect with it, but I want I try to surround myself with those kind of people.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_02: But that's not your average person.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: True.
• 26:12
  unknown: True.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_02: So some people they just don't have the motivation, and I don't judge you for not having it.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_02: You just can't hang around with me.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_02: Because I can't pull you, I can't drag you.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I'm moving and I want to go somewhere.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_02: I got goals, I set these goals, and I'll find my way to the goal.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_02: So anyway, yeah.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: I like that.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, one of my mentors used to always say, you know, you respect people's time, and sometimes I used to wait and I stopped, but I would set meetings, and it's 10 minutes pass, and it's like, oh, I beat in about 15 minutes.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: No, it was gonna have to reschedule.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_05: That's a fact.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: Time is not just money.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you can't get time back.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I know.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when a minute passed, that's a minute in the past.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: So you know.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, I don't know, Chris.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: You you done dropped some nuggets today.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_01: And we we ain't even scratched the surface here.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_02: All the things that I'm doing.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, tell us, tell us like what's next for Chris Crane here.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I um I'm working on a series of things.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'm releasing five new songs.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_02: Well, they're not song, they're not new, but they're rearranged, what I call rearranged.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_02: I took five of my songs and I did some different rearranges.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_02: So I did um Times 12, I did Dreams, I did Never, I did um what's the other song?
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um Stage, the one I did with Eric Roberson.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yep.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_02: I did a rearrange to that, and I did um They Say, and then I stopped videos for those.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_02: So I'll be dropping those soon.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um my book is out, and it's called My Life, My Song.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I took 18 of my songs and I told the stories behind the inspiration about those songs.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_02: And so I guess at some point I'm gonna start promoting that.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_02: Although I didn't write this book to become a a um book seller.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I wrote the book because it was inside of me and I wanted to get it out.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_02: And I did.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: And it's called My Life, My Song.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_02: My Life, My Song, it's on Apple Books, it's on Kindle, Amazon, and I am gonna at some point get some hard copies.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_02: I just haven't done it yet.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_02: Again, because it's just one of the priority.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people have been inboxing me about the book.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I probably have those end of November.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um I got the documentary that I'm working on.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_02: And it's I love it because it's just amazing how you know, I I I used to always hear people talking about you gotta manifest this, you gotta manifest that.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I've been manifesting a lot of things.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just speaking it.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and even without speaking it, I guess it's still a form of speaking it because my I'm just putting the action behind it.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_02: So I ain't doing a lot of thinking about it.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: The action goes behind it.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um that that documentary, um, it's called Who the Elf Is Chris Cray?
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: And that came from, I had a um promoter reach out to me real quick about booking me up in Delaware.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, cool, man, this is great.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_02: I'm excited about the opportunity.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_02: So dude hit me up.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um he reached out to me on Facebook, we exchanged numbers, and I sent on my stage writer because he wanted my call to what I needed.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_02: And he called me and he said, Man, who the elf is Chris Crane asking for all this money?
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_02: And so I said, Well, number one, you want me to come to Delaware.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_02: You want my whole crew.
• 30:08
  unknown: Yeah.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_02: And you want me to pay to get there?
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_02: I said, what I gave you is an all-in.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: That's flights for everybody, and then that's lodging for us.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: We're not coming 15 hours just to turn around, you know?
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_02: And so he was like, Well, I was thinking you guys would come for about 2,000.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, yeah, no, that's not gonna happen.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_02: But he he hit me with the who the elf is Chris Crane.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_02: So that inspired me to say, okay, if he don't know who I am, that means I'm not doing a good job.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_02: I gotta tell the world who the F Chris Crane is.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so, and that's what I'm doing.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_02: And so through my music, through the book, through the documentary, um, I'm telling my own story.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not waiting for somebody to want to tell my story, to see it as valuable enough.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: No, I'll tell it.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, it'll be the correct version of it.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: You know, don't nobody know me better than I know.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_01: Nobody.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_02: Nope.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I like how you said, like, some people don't understand the value.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: They don't understand who they are.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, they'll allow, they'll be like, so it's opportunity, right?
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, so-and-so call me, and then they jumping up because they're excited.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, you had to use common sense here.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you want my whole team, you want us to do this.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: It would have put more pressure, but you're more valuable than that.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: So if you want Chris Crane, you're gonna have to pay for Chris Crane.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that confidence, it's it's scary to have that kind of confidence because people will, you feel like you're missing opportunities.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_02: They won't call you.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and I've been there several times.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_02: Well, if I charge too much, they're gonna call me, but I had to say, well, they're gonna pay for something else.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_02: They're gonna pay for catering.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_02: You know?
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_02: And that's they have the it's their prerogative to spend their money like they want to, but I can't pay to be a part of your thing.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and so you gotta find the confidence in yourself.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_02: You gotta, you have to find that.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_02: Because if you don't, you know, people will take advantage of your fear.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: Or they'll they'll use you up, you know.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um that's a fact.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_01: Oh no.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Chris, um, thank you for sharing your story.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_01: And more importantly, thank you for reminding somebody listening today that where you start does not have to determine your finish.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_02: That is a fact.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that I don't know.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna be quiet because I start rambling.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_01: But um, let's end this show.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think today's conversation really shows why we talk about all three things together.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_01: Life, our life, life shapes you, your finances require you to become disciplined and definitely intentional.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_01: And ownership gives you an opportunity to build something that can outlive you.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: And you're building that, you're building legacy.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: You have children, right?
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_01: Two.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: Three.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh oh.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we got three.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_01: Some behind.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_01: So we got three, that legacy, but they're learning, they're gonna learn from daddy, and you got some to leave them.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: People are gonna know who Chris Crane is.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, that's right.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so ownership gives you the opportunity to build something that can outlive you.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: Your gift may open the door, but eventually you have to learn how to manage the opportunity on what you create and build something sustainable.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_01: And for everybody listening today, you don't have to be a musician, you don't have to write a book, you don't have to produce a documentary, but there's something in your hands.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: And the question is, what are you going to do with it?
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_01: This has been another episode of Life, Finance, and Real Estate, and I am your host, Kirby the Realtor, reminding you that I don't just teach you how to what, how to earn it, I teach you how to keep it.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: So until next time, thank you for listening.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_01: Bye for now.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_01: See you soon.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in to Life, Finance, and Real Estate with Kirby the Realtor.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: You can catch us every Thursday at 12 p.m.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_00: on 92.1 WJMG, 93.1 WGDQ.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: And also you can listen live at 921 WJMG.com or 931 WGDQ.com.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_00: If you happen to miss the live recording, don't fret.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_00: We'll replay it at 6 p.m.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_00: tonight.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you once again for listening to Life Finance and Records.