Latest / Mrs. PIE / Resilience and Representation: A Conversation with Black Hollywood Producer Quand Robinson Thomas

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Resilience and Representation: A Conversation with Black Hollywood Producer Quand Robinson Thomas · Mrs. PIE

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: 眉毛.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Welcome everybody.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: It is another Tuesday.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: This is hi.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: I'm excited because you know how we're in Atlanta and this is Black Hollywood.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: I am so excited to have you on this program.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: I'm about 2.42 am production.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: I am so thrilled about everything that you're doing.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: So welcome Kwong Robinson Thomas to my show.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: I'm so humbled.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: I really appreciate the invitation.
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: I'm so excited to talk to you too.
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: This is new, it's awesome.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: Y'all, you know you can make.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm going to do my part.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Please don't forget to like the channel so they'll keep us back and pay our bills.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: And also, special shout out to ParadecTV.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: We are actually live.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: I forgot to point out that one, but we are live.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: That community, those 6.5 or many million folks there are on that, that's where the community is.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: I'm so excited to be here.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: I wanted to make sure I got this done right.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: Okay, actually, you know the perfection.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: There is an actual media kit, all right y'all.
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: So I wanted to get into.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: You know what do you do?
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: I also, you know, recognize the kind of what's going on right now, with strikes and sag and all those things those are not aware about what's happening.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: But just really quickly, I just want to read off a couple of things On top of the fact that she is the CEO of T42A Productions.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: She's a sought after producer y'all, unlike real shows and real men that piece of them drop, because I got to set it straight so people know what's coming on.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: You're also a podcaster.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: You're also an award winning author and I'm going to dig into all of that.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: I do want to just stop and just give you a little shout out.
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: She's an award winning producer with over 10 years of experience in all phases of production, y'all from development to delivery.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: She previously worked at CNN, nba TV, tyler Perry Studios, turner Classic Movies, which is like my favorite.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Tcm is the bomb.
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: So shout out to all of us Shout out to TCM, shout out to TCM.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: I'm so excited that you're here, you've done a lot of work and, as I was thinking about when we first met, I think one of the things that really attracted and impressed me with you is the work that you're enjoying to support our community.
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: I said that we're in Atlanta and this is Black Hollywood, but y'all should know that that doesn't mean that it makes it any easier and the competition is really tough.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: Tell us a little bit about you and 242 AM productions.
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely Well, of course.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: Thank you again for inviting me in the space.
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: I'm so excited to be here with you.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: And yes, so I founded 242 AM Productions and we're basically an independent boutique production company.
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: I focus on television film branded content and really the mission behind it is to move the margins to the center, which is a quote from Bell Hooks, the author that I love, and so I want to do that within the space of film and media right, and so to do that, we focus on visibility, representation, and we really nurture the creatives that we work with and their stories and create pathways for future creatives as well, and I focus primarily on the BIPOC creatives.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: So 242 AM Productions is a space for underrepresented and marginalized creatives to create the content that they want to create, which will transcend the screen, transform lives and also challenge others' ways of thinking.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: So that's kind of like what we do over here at 242 AM Production and exactly like you just mentioned, yes, atlanta is the Black Hollywood that's what it's called, but that doesn't mean that anything ever gets any easier, right, just because the studios are here all the time and just because people are working all the time doesn't mean that all of the doors are opened, we still have to make our way through the doors, and even the doors that are open, we still have to find the key and keep it open.
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: And so I think you can see right now, in the climate that we're in, that even with the studios, even with major studios and networks, nothing is guaranteed across the entire industry.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: You're seeing a lot of layoffs and you're seeing a lot of cutback.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: You've got the WGA and the SAG strike.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: So much is up in the air right now that you really really really have to figure out ways to support each other and to support yourself so that you can continue to do this really, really, really important work, which is sharing incredible content that needs to be shared and creating that visibility and representation for others to see and hear your stories.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: So, yes, we're focused on all of that right now.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: I love that and so we actually have.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: I just want to give a quick shout out to the Dumping Ground, which is another podcast, and they actually serve not just, I was going to say, the Georgia area, but broader than the Georgia area, and they talk to business owners like yourself every so I just got to give a quick shout out because they are very supportive.
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: So hello, Dumping Ground and yeah for the writer's strike and everybody who was impacted.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: So I definitely wanted to pause because this is kind of a serious moment.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: People need to eat and a lot of us I think we are.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: You know, we're taking in, we're receiving the content, but I don't know that a lot of us appreciate what goes into.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: You know the creative side of it.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: So one of the things that I want to touch on with you is this book.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: I want to know, I didn't know, I'm so, I'm so in her business.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: Y'all will talk producing and all those things.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Because I do want to, you know, I want to kind of call out a couple of opportunities.
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: That I think is just beyond amazing the fact that you offer, offer those, those, those private street, private screening, right, so people can really book Y'all.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: Again, I told you we're in Atlanta, Only in Atlanta, can you say.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: You know this is an opportunity to work with you, so can you touch a little bit on that?
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: And then I'm going to talk about your book.
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: Okay, sure, so I'll talk about the screenings first.
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: Interestingly enough, the idea and the the, the vision for the screenings, came out of the space.
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: That we are in a strike right now.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: Things in the industry are completely slow, for a lot of people is like at a complete halt, right?
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: I think you really touched on it too, is that?
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: I think, in the grand scheme of things, you you enjoy the content, you enjoy the creators, you enjoy being the comfort of being able to see it in your home and everything.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: But it's really, it's really difficult to to translate to others how much work goes into creating content, how much work it takes to create your favorite television show or to create your favorite movie.
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: I mean, if you ever watch TV or you go to the movies, take the time to sit and watch through all the credits.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: At the end there's a reason why the credits are so long.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: It takes a lot of people to pull the stuff together, and so, when you think about the fact that we're in a strike right now, all of those people, all the names that you see in those credits, those are people who are likely very, very affected by it right now.
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: And so I do want to take this time, right now, to say that to 42 am productions.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: We stand in full solidarity with the writers Guild of America and also with SAG-AFTRA, as I've worked with both Guilds on productions and on my short film.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: So we stand in complete solidarity with them and we are advocating for, you know, a quick and fair and equitable resolution to the strike that's going on.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: And so that's that's where 242 am stands.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: And then, when it comes to the screenings that you mentioned, that I that I host that idea came out of the strike because right now, while things are kind of slowing down, there's still a lot of content that's already readily available that people should be able to have access to, and that you don't have to wait on a studio to come and pick up your, your project and give you distribution.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: Like, we should start talking about ways that we can distribute our projects ourselves.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: We need to start talking about ways that we can get our projects into the homes and into the lives of the actual audience that you created it for.
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: Like as a filmmaker and as a content creator, you are creating your content specifically for our audience, and you don't necessarily need to go through a huge studio to find your audience.
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: What you should do is be able to put your, your content in front of them, working with other independence who are doing the same thing as well.
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: So that's what I do as a branch of 242 am productions, and so what we do is called curated mission.
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: So it's.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: It's basically creating and hosting very curated, creative events specifically tailored towards hosting screenings for your intended audience.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: And so if you have any content right now that's already produced, already, you know, fully available, you know, and it's just like sitting on your laptop and you never gotten a chance to like actually see it in a theater, come to us like we can help you put on a screening so that you can have the right people in the audience, so that you can have people who can go out and now champion your content, because they've seen it in a very intimate way and in a way that really highlights the work that you're trying to do and be able to share it with the exact audience that you're trying to communicate with.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: I think, too, when you see, like some of the big, you know, hosted screenings that you see on social media, usually a lot of those experience you know come from someone like sending out a message like who's interested in a free screening, and then you sign up and you go and then nothing, like they just show you the movie and then there's nothing.
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: No, we're doing a full experience where you could have a Q and A with the director or you could have like a social event surrounding it, you know, or you can have a, you can have an organization or a group you can host like a fundraiser, like there are different things that you can do.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: So, by all means, any creatives that are watching this or listening to us right now, feel free to reach out to 242am productions.
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: I will be updating my website soon, but it's called curated mission, so think of it like curated and then admission, like admission to a theater, but curated mission, and talk to me, and like we can put on something very, very special to really put your content out and share it with your intended audience.
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: Wow, I just love that.
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: And, as you were talking about getting your content into the audience, there's a I mean there's a lot of limitations.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: There's a lot of folks with a lot of ideas and no place to put it, unless you know someone, who knows someone who might know someone.
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: And so the access that I think that your organization provides for a lot of people who are there's, folks who've been at it for a long time but they've never had the opportunity.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: That didn't know the right person.
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: And you actually are the right person and I think your background, because you came from this world, you know what I mean.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: It's not just a content creator saying I'm just gonna sell you some channels.
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: This is someone who's from this, has this experience and from this background, and you understand how to tell a story.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: And I think, as I'm thinking about how a storytelling and why I'm such a fan of yours, is going towards your book, and so can you tell us a little bit about your book and what made you write it?
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: And tell us a little bit about it, and I'm gonna drop y'all.
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna drop the link so you can find her.
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: There you go, daddy's daughter.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: I will drop the link so y'all can find her.
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: And if you can't find her, you come to me.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: I will find her, yes yes, well, this is the book and you're so sweet, but this is.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: I always give a shout out to our lead author, elder Denise Grant.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: She is the visionary, she is the lead author of the book.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: I am a co-author for this wonderful, blessed book that we were all able to come together.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: I share this space with six sister authors.
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: I love to call them my sister authors.
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: I love that, and so in the name of the book is Daddy, daughter loves stories celebrating African-American fathers and, like I said, the vision comes from Elder Denise Grant, who had this idea to really bring together women who had a shared experience of losing their father and having a really close relationship with your father and then losing them, and then the life lessons that you've gained from that and how having that relationship with your father has informed who you are today, and then also how those characteristics that you and your father may share also align with characteristics that you may share with your heavenly father as well.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: So that was her vision for the book, and so we connected because we were both a part of the Ladies of Howard University alumni group.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: Shout out to Howard.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: She's shout out to.
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: Howard we always have to give a shout out to Howard, so H-U, and so she's a part of the alumni group with me and she posted about putting together this project and it really spoke to me and so we connected and so we have been on this journey for two years.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: I believe was a total timeframe that it took for everyone to write their part of the book in order to come together and become the project that it is, and what I can say is that, now that it's here and it's in our hands and we're sharing it with you know, our communities and different bookstores and networks that we're a part of, the outreach and the response to it has been so amazing.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: I mean, it's been really, really, really impactful.
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: We launched our book on Amazon, I believe, back in April, and we were named best sellers on, I think, about five different categories Wow On the first day that we released our book, and it's just been a blessing ever since then.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: So if anyone is interested, or if you have experienced the loss of a father or had a difficult relationship with your father, this is not even just for you know, people who've had, you know, beautiful relationships.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: This is for people who've had challenging relationships.
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: This is where people who have had a zero relationship with your father because the greater connection is always within like healing yourself and healing, you know, whatever hurt comes from that space within your life, healing that and then also connecting it to the larger father that we all share, which is our Heavenly Father.
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: So you know, it's been a really, really profound project to be a part of.
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: I'm super grateful to Elgin, denise Grant and then also my other sister Office as well for us all being on this journey together and now sharing this project with everyone else.
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: So we've been really, really gratified.
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: That hits me.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna read this comment.
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: I'll tell you why this hits me, but so thank you.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: So being a girl, dad is a special seat at the table.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: Your father sets the tone and sets the bar for the man you will allow in your life.
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: Black men, take your seat and cover and protect your daughters.
• 17:14
  Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: Love that.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: I love that my there's.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: The gentleman that most people see on the wall is my daddy, passed in 1996.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: And I am, you know.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: I realize now the characteristics that I have very similar to him in the way that we think about business.
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: He was also an entrepreneur and a philanthropist.
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: He did a lot of stuff.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: So that definitely hits home for me that you would capture your personal stories, and I love, I just love when women come together and work on something that helps all of us y'all, and I'm pretty sure I can say this that this book is not just for women, this is for men.
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: Y'all wanna know how to be a good girl?
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: Dad, go buy the book, go get some cheat notes.
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, and it's not even just about being a girl dad.
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: I 100% agree with what the commenter said, but it's about fatherhood in general.
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: I think if you again look at media not pointing the brain because I'm in the industry but if you look at media, if you look at, you know a lot of the commentary that's repeated often One could easily walk away with the idea or the notion that African American men aren't good fathers and that African American men you know are often absent in the home, or you know, or aren't connected with their families, or you know they just play a backseat role and let the mom do it all.
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: That is easily a narrative that can be shared.
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: However, when you live the experience and you know better, you know different then you know that that is not the norm, right, but the truth of the matter is is that majority of our homes do still have men in our lives.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: You know, majority of our homes have fathers, majority of our homes have husbands, and so a large portion of this book is also dispelling the myths about black fatherhood that a lot of people may have leaned into or may be connected to, and just to reinforce that.
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: No, there are a lot of really good, amazing, strong fathers out here who are raising their kids, who are providing for their families, who are present in their families lives.
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: So this book does a lot to speak to that too, and I also think it gives fathers a great insight on how their daughters may feel about them.
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: You know, unfortunately for all of us, the sister authors, you know we're sharing this story after our fathers have passed, and so you know, for me personally, like I know my dad knows knew how much I loved him, and I mean, if you read my part, you'll see that it was a very strong connection between my father and myself.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: But I also know that, like I never got a chance to tell him how much he meant to me, like in these kind of words, while he was here, and so if you are a father and you read this book, you have the opportunity to right now go and have that conversation with your child, go have that conversation with your daughter and really hear in real time the impact that you've had on your life.
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: And so that's powerful too.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: Wow.
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: I told you all she's a heavy hitter.
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: So we've talked about 242am, we've talked about curated missions, we've talked about the book and now want to touch on podcast.
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: Let's talk podcast world.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: So I told you all she had a whole media kit and I have my little cheat notes.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: But I want to.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: I want to talk about podcast because there are so many people who are stepping into podcasting and one of the things that I the question I get a lot because I do business mentorship as well is when should I or should I do it?
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: And I always ask people like why and who are you talking to?
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: Why do you think you want to do this?
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: Because being a guest on a podcast is nothing like running a podcast, producing the podcast, writing the podcast, maintaining the podcast, building the numbers, playing with data.
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: It is totally different.
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: So so, from your perspective though, as you're, as you're moving into this space, I know for you it's probably different y'all, because she has, she's an actual producer.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: So it's very, very different, and I've been begging her to make me her Oprah, so that.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: So there's that.
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: We're still on, don't worry, that's on the to do list.
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: So can you talk about your podcast and what?
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: What's that going to be about and where can we find?
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: And you know I'm going to be stalking you- yeah, absolutely.
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: So I created a podcast.
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: The name of the podcast is Daddy's Girl Talk and the podcast was was created in support of the book Right, so if you go get the book then you will read and hear all of our stories.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: And then I also created a podcast to allow space for other people to share their similar experience.
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: So that is why it's called Daddy's Girl Talk right, so it's Daddy's Girl.
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: And then we're also doing some girl talk.
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: So we are taking the conversation of grief right, because the common thread that we all have is that we've lost our fathers.
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: We're taking that common thread of grief and we're turning it into girl talk so you know more approachable and and so that you know there's a space where you can really connect and really share that experience and realize that you're not as alone as you think.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: I know, when I was going through the loss of my father, you know there's I spent a lot of that time really just thinking that, like, well, one being a denial, but then two, just thinking that, like all of the things that I'm feeling, like nobody else understands, nobody else, you know, like if you've never been through it, you don't get it.
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: And part of that is true, right, like, yeah, you know where a large part people say after you lose a parent, you're part of the club, right, that's the thing that a lot of people think about.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: And mine I'm an orphan.
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: Both of mine are gone, so it's it a total different club.
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: That's.
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: That's a different club, right?
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a very unique experience that, like, only someone who's been through that really can understand it, really can appreciate it, and so we've created this space where, if that's your experience, then you can come in, you can share your, your experience and know that you're not alone.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: And so I host the podcast with one of my best friends and her name is Sean Q battle.
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: Well, her name is Shandra.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: I call her shine, but her name is Shandra Q battle.
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: So we co hosted this podcast and we did the podcast from Mother's Day the Father's Day, specifically to bridge that gap and to offer support for anyone who's lost the father During that season, because that's sometimes a very triggering season.
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: I see, you're not, oh yeah, because like you just said, you're, you're, you've lost both your parents.
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: So I know, you know mother's day and father's day they can be triggering, and so we wanted to create that safe space so that people could, you know, while everyone else is Running out by a mother's day cards and father's day cards and doing all the rituals and things like you're not forgotten, there's someone who understands what you're feeling and what you're going through.
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: And so we we launched on mother's day.
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: It wrapped on father's day and again, the Outpouring support in the response to it has just been really, really supportive.
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: I invited some of my sister authors from the book.
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: They joined the podcast.
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: Another podcaster, warren Denise, her podcast is this to shall suck.
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: Her podcast is about grief.
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: She joined us on the podcast and it really was just about creating girl talking a safe space to really to share that experience.
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: So you know, that was that was my foray into the world of podcasting and, as you said, for me it was completely daunting because, I'm a producer.
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: I like to be behind the scenes, I like to just tell other people what they should do, what makes things work and how they you know how it should look, but it's a completely different beast when you are on the other end, when you're in front of the camera or in front of the mic.
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: So it was a new experience for me, but, you know, I learned a lot and and I was really able to hone into my story teller skills and make sure that we created a great place for our, our guests, to share their stories and still comfortable sharing stories, because this is a very intimate and a very vulnerable topic for a lot of people.
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: So we made sure that it was a, it was the right environment for that and, you know, thankfully, you know, people have been blessed by it and so I'm really grateful to have been a part of that journey.
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: So are you gonna restart it, because I'm about a hundred people are gonna hit me.
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: It's so interesting that you say that Every I I completely went into it saying this is a limited right, but Everyone keeps saying, okay, when's the wins, the next episode or what else you know?
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: Are you gonna come back for a season trip?
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: So to answer that, I will just say check in with us and we I'll keep you posted.
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: Follow us, follow 242 am Productions on Instagram, follow 242 am Productions on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn and you will get all of the updates and and if we come out with a season two, you'll be the first to know if you follow us.
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: I have an I am DD profile and I'm a beyond.
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think a lot of people are gonna get blessed.
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: But once you start, once you start pouring into people in that way, it's hard to turn that off and there's gotta be a lot of heart behind it.
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: So I appreciate that.
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: That all of you and the sisters in the riding club Right sisters of the book, all of you all were able to to You're actually willing to share that side of your experience.
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: A lot of people don't.
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: They don't talk about it or they monetize it in a way that feels cheesy y'all.
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: So I really appreciate that you, you know all of you have put your heart into helping others through grief.
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: And there's there again.
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: Like I said, I'm waiting for season two.
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: I'm speaking it out.
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: Y'all need to bring it back.
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: There's too many people who you know, who need to be blessed from from what you guys are doing.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: So I love all of that.
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: So, um, so, be coming down to our clothes, and I realize this dinner hour and you know when this one, our original programming, run for those y'all who catch us on the podcast streets.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: We run at 7 pm and we run into dinner time when people start getting hungry.
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: But before I let you escape, I want to find out from you what are, what are, some of the things that you have coming up for you towards the rest of the year.
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: You know, how can we tap into what you're doing?
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
• 28:03
  Speaker 2: Well, we're just talking about podcasts, right?
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: So, yeah, season one of daddy's girl talk is done.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: I do have two more podcasts that are coming out this year, um, one podcast is going to be about black fathers.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: So I'm I'm sending to launch that in the fall of this of this year, again highlighting the real, the real lives of real fathers, real black dads that are, that are really in the homes and supporting their family and and and hearing directly from them, because I can only say so much, how much I was impacted by my father, but I don't think you ever really get a chance to really hear from fathers themselves, that's true, talking about how fatherhood Impacts them and how they've approached fatherhood and and how you know whatever kind of father or relationship they have with their father, how that has impacted them, and then inform the way that they, you know, perform as a father as well.
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: Um, so that podcast will be released later this year, in the fall of this year, um, and then also, I will be releasing a podcast, um.
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: It's.
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: It's centered around intentional dating, uh, as an adult, right?
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: So, okay, everyone is always talking about how hard it is in these streets for people who are single and how hard it is in these streets for people who are looking for a good man or looking for a good wife and and and really just the crazy stories and and experiences that come with that right.
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: So this podcast again will focus on that experience for people who are, like, intentionally dating, people who are looking for, you know, a partner to share their life with, and the obstacles that they, you know, encountered out here.
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: You know dating and you know, in relationships and in situationships and in courtships and just all in the friendships, just all the ships that come along with it, right, yeah, and so that podcast will launch in the fall as well.
• 30:15
  Speaker 2: So those are the two podcasts that we have coming up.
• 30:18
  Speaker 2: I have wrapped production on the first short film that we produced under 242 am production.
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: That short film is called I Wish Are Pretty.
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: It was written and directed and acted in by my incredible, credible friend and a more honestly talented writer, hannah Chang, and it tells the story of a Korean American woman's very intimate and real experience with navigating the impossible beauty standards and how it threatens to you know how it threatens her, her view of herself and her self-worth, and then also her relationship with her best friend.
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: So we wrapped production on that.
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: We're currently in post-production and we intend to start our festival run also in the fall.
• 31:05
  Speaker 2: So it's a very big problem.
• 31:08
  Speaker 2: We got a lot of stuff happening in this fall, um, and then I feel like I have something else that's coming up that I'm not saying what what else could you wait at the moment?
• 31:18
  Speaker 2: I really know I I know that there's something else.
• 31:21
  Speaker 2: Oh, this other short film, that's what it is.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: I'm like I know there's something else so the.
• 31:27
  Speaker 2: So I have another short film that I'm currently writing, so I'm putting on my writer's hat for this one um.
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: It's the working title for it is lovers lunch and um.
• 31:37
  Speaker 2: I'm writing that and I am looking to finish that the writing um by fall so that we can start shooting um right here in Atlanta.
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: So if you are in the film community here in Atlanta and you want to follow the project and see how we're doing, definitely follow me online on instagram, um on my website to 42am production, 242ampridecom um and keep a tab on how things are going.
• 32:03
  Speaker 2: We've already received some uh, some financing behind it and some really strong support, so we're really excited about funding the project together.
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: I just need to find a couple of moments to sit right down and finish it all right and 2024 she'll be doing, mrs pie says, series, and then, of course, the, the big spoiler where we're going to say you know, shelly is going to become the next Oprah and I'm going to be her, her award-winning, her Emmy award-winning television show.
• 32:32
  Speaker 2: So that's also.
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: We're speaking that into existence as well we're speaking it and um Nate, who is our road manager, is is in the chat, so he's probably fell off.
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: I don't know if he fell off by now.
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: He's like what?
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: Yes, that's shelly, she's gonna do it.
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: Yes, I am yes, oh my gosh.
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: So I am, you know, I definitely want you to come back, you know, later towards the year, because I want people to to know about what's happening.
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: I want to make sure that our community, which is a mix of entrepreneurs and business leaders and moms and kids and everybody, you know we're all aware of what's happening.
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: This is such a great way to give access to a lot of really talented people that cannot get it.
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: So he said hold on.
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: He said I'm here, nate, check in, check it in.
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: That's our road manager right there, nate, I'm gonna be mrs pie on her.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: On her, she's gonna produce our show so, and you know what I?
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: said it is going to happen.
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: So, um.
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: So I just I really genuinely appreciate it because, quite frankly, with your background and your expertise, you could have gone a total different way right and been paid big bucks faster, and yet you've decided to take this journey and help many of us along the way.
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: So, truly, from the bottom of my heart, I really appreciate everything, all the sacrifice.
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: I know this is a lot of it's hard work, y'all she's not like you know she's not, like you know, just sitting backing bonbons.
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: This is a lot of work.
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: I wish I would a lot of work and a lot of commitment no, and you're absolutely right.
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think I've been, I've been so fortunate in my career.
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: You know you read my bio and you know people can look me up and see I've been so fortunate in my career.
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: But I've never forgotten the fact that, like you know everything that I did in my career like it.
• 34:23
  Speaker 2: It's not for me to hoard, it's not for me to just hang on to it and like, keep with a secret and just like be like, oh, I figured it out for myself, so you figured it out for yourself.
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: Like, no, that's not.
• 34:33
  Speaker 2: That's not who I am, that's not what I believe in.
• 34:35
  Speaker 2: I am anti like any kind of gatekeeping.
• 34:38
  Speaker 2: Like there were so many people who opened the door for me, so many people who gave me, you know, free advice or took me under their wings or mentored me or, you know, just gave me a chance when no one else would give me a chance that I would be, I would be ridiculous to not do the exact same thing that many, many, many people have done for me.
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: Um, and and so everything I look at my career as, as this knowledge was given to me and it wasn't.
• 35:07
  Speaker 2: It wasn't given to me in the space of, like you know, secrecy.
• 35:12
  Speaker 2: It was given to me so that I can now do something with it.
• 35:14
  Speaker 2: And so I now use my resources and I use my reach and I use my, my connections and networking to always try to make sure that I'm putting someone else in a space where they can grow and they can thrive and they can develop and they can create.
• 35:30
  Speaker 2: Um, that's why a large part of 242A and Productions is about creating pathways and nurturing creatives and and, and telling their stories and and, and, you know, providing that safe environment to grow and to develop.
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: Um, because I know that that was given to me, whether it was within my family home I have a super supportive family or whether it was in my education and going to the Howard University or you know, whether it's, you know, in my career and being a part of some really, really impactful global brands.
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: Um, I've just given up.
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: I've been given a lot and, and, and I never want to, you know, hold on to that and and keep anyone else from receiving what they need to do to go on and be amazing and incredible creatives out in this, in this industry.
• 36:16
  Speaker 2: So wow.
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: See, that's why now y'all get why I absolutely adore her.
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: It's her heart, it's the fact that she gives.
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: She gets it, but she gives it, and that's the space we live in.
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: That that, literally, is like me in a nutshell.
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: It doesn't make sense for us to hoard it.
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: We're not.
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: We're not going to make any impact or influence any global change if we just kind of hoard what we have.
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: So we're going to hang out in the back room for a minute.
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: I'm going to try not to cry through my glasses.
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: I am so, like I said, honored and grateful for everything that you're doing for everybody that's watching.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: You can find 242 am on instagram.
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: You can find her on all the social media streets and, like I said, if you can't find her, you let me know.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: Thank you again to everybody who's watching live and the replay.
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: If you're watching the replay, you know again, please reach out, um, don't miss these opportunities, y'all, and I definitely want to put our hearts, hearts, out to everyone who's been impacted.
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: Um, everyone with the, with the writer's strike, to all the strikes, because the, again, these are people's jobs and again, I'm just so grateful that you, you chose to come on this platform and share your story and I know someone is going to get blessed.
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: I'm it.
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: Thank you everybody for watching and you want to wait until these people?
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: We're going to go backstage and hang out.
• 37:32
  Speaker 2: Thank you for sharing that with me.
• 37:35
  Speaker 2: You know, of course you are going to meet, so me just being here and being a part of of your show just is, is that's the.
• 37:49
  Speaker 2: That's the kind of relationship and I think that speaks to you know just who we are as individuals just pouring into other creators, pouring into others who are doing, you know, good work and and strong work and just really, um, creating that safe space.
• 38:02
  Speaker 2: So, thank you, thank you for pouring into me and thank you for offering this opportunity to me.
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: I appreciate you my pleasure.
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry I had to.
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: I had to get that out all right all right, buddy, we'll catch y'all next time.
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: I'll be back next week and we'll hang out in the back room.
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for watching.
• 38:19
  Speaker 2: Goodbye everybody bye.