Latest / Black Fridays: Business Growth for Entrepreneurs, Creators & Professionals / How to Transform Any Room You Walk Into - Ep. 156 w/ Andre Ebron

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How to Transform Any Room You Walk Into - Ep. 156 w/ Andre Ebron · Black Fridays: Business Growth for Entrepreneurs, Creators & Professionals

0:00
[SPEAKER_02]: We say it a lot to motivate people, but like greatness is literally within you.
0:04
[SPEAKER_02]: And when you hear the right thing, whether you call it a eureka moment or a moment of revelation, or a moment of enlightenment, a bomb clicks on, right?
0:13
[SPEAKER_02]: And you can see somebody's eyes literally widen because what has been revealed to them is not something outside of themselves, but something with in that convinced of what they can do.
0:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I believe that.
0:26
[SPEAKER_02]: That is my cultivating human potential based upon divine purpose is what my whole career message is all about.
0:54
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're looking for a space that feels like yours becomes with way more perks, then bamboo's dedicated desk is exactly what you need.
1:01
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1:07
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1:26
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1:30
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1:45
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1:47
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1:55
[SPEAKER_01]: I look forward to seeing you at the Bamboo locations.
1:58
[SPEAKER_01]: With that being said, let's get into that episode.
2:00
[SPEAKER_01]: With update, Black Friday's family, welcome back to another installment of the Black Friday's podcast.
2:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Before again, to today's episode, make sure to hit that like button, subscribe, and then also drop some comments.
2:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you don't mind, go ahead and send some videos to some family friends and loved ones that we can keep this thing in going.
2:15
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, now that we got that business out of way, I got to introduce y'all to one of the dopest public speakers that I've come across, that's from right here in the city of Detroit.
2:23
[SPEAKER_01]: None other than Mr. Andre, E-Brown of E-Brown Associates, how you doing today?
2:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes sir, doing well, glad to be here proud of everything that you're doing with Black Friday's podcast and excited to be joined you today.
2:34
[SPEAKER_01]: appreciate that and now we was just talking so a couple of things so we've known each other for around the decade maybe a little bit over a decade go back to the in the black sweet days Oh, absolutely.
2:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, that was a crazy time.
2:47
[SPEAKER_02]: It was an amazing time like in the in the black sweets for black.
2:52
[SPEAKER_02]: It was listening.
2:52
[SPEAKER_02]: It was black Friday or what was it no state Friday
2:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Stay Friday.
2:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Stay Friday.
2:59
[SPEAKER_02]: And you don't know who will be coming through that day.
3:02
[SPEAKER_02]: It will be it could be our now lieutenant governor.
3:04
[SPEAKER_02]: He may show up.
3:06
[SPEAKER_02]: You will be there.
3:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I would be there.
3:07
[SPEAKER_02]: It will be doctors and lawyers emerging leaders tech professionals all having like just engaging conversations.
3:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, sitting at that table enjoying that that stakes will shout out to Marcus and Eric.
3:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and some of the more premier entrepreneurs who were getting their start back then around that time that are doing big things now in the city with the city and everything that surrounds that they were in those spaces like they were at those thick Fridays just chilling absolutely so what brought me actually would brought me to stay Fridays was I was a team of one
3:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Right, team of one as the I was providing I was selling private education.
3:47
[SPEAKER_02]: I was out for sake the name of the organization selling private education and I was the only admissions person in that department and during I was working in Marcus and Eric and in a matter of three months myself with their support we were able to shake hands with about 4,000 people
4:07
[SPEAKER_02]: in the city of Detroit and our conversion rate was around 11% yeah being able to bring in in three months now there was a lot of planning and things like that because air was designing at that time so far we were able to like rebrand and get things out uh but i was the only admissions director team of one and then they the two of them uh and we touched about 4,000 lives and were able to recruit and convert about 400 people
4:34
[SPEAKER_01]: phenomenal.
4:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so for those people out there that are listening like when you get with the right people and get into the right spaces, it accelerates your results, right?
4:43
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
4:43
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I encourage you, there are many pockets in the city, Black Friday's podcast, Black Tech Saturdays, what's happening at Bamboo, all of those different places where you can find your community, your tribe,
5:00
[SPEAKER_01]: No doubt.
5:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
5:01
[SPEAKER_01]: So, Andre, let's start here.
5:03
[SPEAKER_01]: You have your man in many titles, your educator, your public speaker, your entrepreneur, businessman, father, husband, all the above.
5:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Can we start with first I would love to be able to understand your foundation and proximity to education, because I know as you mentioned when we met each other, that was around the time.
5:20
[SPEAKER_01]: You are selling a private educate or not selling private education, but I guess you're just telling the fight.
5:25
[SPEAKER_01]: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
5:37
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so the way it starts is I have to shout out Dr. Oscar J Dowdell Underwood.
5:44
[SPEAKER_02]: He is my godfather out of forewing Indiana, the first black man to be named educator of the year.
5:51
[SPEAKER_02]: So like that is the genesis of it.
5:53
[SPEAKER_02]: He was my example and he created a school or what's known now as the I.M.
5:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Possible School, Cornerstone Christian College Preparedatory School, not to be confused with the cornerstone.
6:04
[SPEAKER_02]: That's here in Michigan, and that's my alma mater for which I graduate.
6:08
[SPEAKER_02]: So see prep all the way, right?
6:10
[SPEAKER_02]: But he created a what we would call now a safe and a brave space for, you know, children who look like us to cultivate their inherent power in their potential.
6:21
[SPEAKER_02]: He has a book out there called Bumblebee's Can Fly, right?
6:24
[SPEAKER_02]: So I encourage people to check that out.
6:26
[SPEAKER_02]: But he began to provoke the idea that no matter where the circumstances,
6:31
[SPEAKER_02]: surrounding a young person or an adult's life that they have an inherent potential, and they have an inherent power, there's just needs to be exposed to the right information in a loving environment and an environment that will challenge them to rise to expectations, not to settle for mediocre standards, and so that was my upbringing, right?
6:51
[SPEAKER_02]: My mother was an educator.
6:53
[SPEAKER_02]: My mother was a social worker, my mother was a marine, so I was always around these environments.
6:58
[SPEAKER_02]: that were designed to challenge you to become the best version of yourself, so that when I'm a toward and became an adult and launched my career, I found myself doing some of those same similar things, some of those same environments.
7:11
[SPEAKER_02]: And I tell people like this in a very poetic way, is that when I would see him speak,
7:17
[SPEAKER_02]: And we would be in the lyceum, right?
7:19
[SPEAKER_02]: So there would be lessons from the lyceum.
7:21
[SPEAKER_02]: When I see him speak, I can hear the cadence of my future in the tone of his voice, right?
7:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to be able to do that.
7:29
[SPEAKER_02]: So I just believe that because right now, there are less than 2% of minorities
7:36
[SPEAKER_02]: teaching right in the educational system specifically black men so I was like okay I am going to get in there.
7:44
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to make a difference and I have made a difference so over a decade in education from classroom teacher, peer professional, blended learning coach, administrator working in the communities, aligning and collaborating with community-based organizations.
8:01
[SPEAKER_02]: providing that whole wraparound approach to make sure that we're getting the parents and families what they need so that the home is conducive for learning like that is my jam.
8:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Like I love the educational environment because it speaks to the potential of who our young people can become.
8:18
[SPEAKER_01]: I love that.
8:19
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think it definitely ties in beautifully to the work that you do in terms of your opportunities that you have to publicly speak and host events and panels and things of that nature because I think that in my experience and getting a chance to listen to you when you're on those stages or on those platforms is that there is a element of motivation,
8:42
[SPEAKER_01]: What's the best way to put it?
8:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Motivation, but there's some practicality to it as well.
8:46
[SPEAKER_01]: So being able to have a message that's going to be able to resonate with you to take action and not necessarily just focusing on the feel good, so to speak.
8:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh yeah, listen, when a person becomes self-aware, they need a lot less motivation, because they are convinced to believe in themselves.
9:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, if I had to give my brand a title, it'll be the brand of belief, right?
9:11
[SPEAKER_02]: If I can get you to understand and believe in yourself,
9:14
[SPEAKER_02]: then the motivation is inherent because it's going to align with what's already in you like I believe in the the educational idea of paedaya right not just the indoctrination of filling someone with information, but what I'm sharing should provoke a response of something that already is within them like we say it a lot to motivate people but like
9:34
[SPEAKER_02]: greatness is literally within you.
9:37
[SPEAKER_02]: And when you hear the right thing, whether you call it a eureka moment or a moment of revelation or a moment of enlightenment, a ball clicks on, right?
9:46
[SPEAKER_02]: And you can see somebody's eyes literally widened because what has been revealed to them is not something outside of themselves, but something with Ian that they're convinced of what they can do.
9:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I believe that.
9:58
[SPEAKER_02]: That is my cultivating human potential based upon divine purpose is what my whole career message is all about.
10:06
[SPEAKER_01]: And I learned about that from a previous job that I had when I was at undergrad.
10:11
[SPEAKER_01]: It was a different method to it.
10:13
[SPEAKER_01]: It was called motivational interviewing.
10:15
[SPEAKER_01]: So I used to have to talk to students once they got in trouble for alcohol or drug violations.
10:20
[SPEAKER_01]: And so instead of me, like, basically, like, here's your funds.
10:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, this is, this is your restorative justice.
10:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Go do it.
10:26
[SPEAKER_01]: It was more so understanding.
10:27
[SPEAKER_01]: It was the root of the problem.
10:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, you can evoke changed behavior.
10:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, absolutely.
10:33
[SPEAKER_02]: And when people become, you know, the whole attitude when you know better do better, like when people become truly aware, it does lead them on a path of progressive growth, right?
10:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
10:43
[SPEAKER_02]: And it doesn't change overnight, but that reinforcement of,
10:46
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll wait a minute.
10:47
[SPEAKER_02]: He took the time where he could have been punitive.
10:49
[SPEAKER_02]: He took a restorative approach to actually actually, you know, to look at what is the root cause?
10:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Like root cause analysis.
10:57
[SPEAKER_02]: And generally there's some level of trauma associated with it.
10:59
[SPEAKER_02]: Some level of rejection associated with it, right?
11:02
[SPEAKER_02]: And some level of feeling like I produced these certain behaviors because I wanted to belong or align myself with some social group.
11:09
[SPEAKER_02]: and then all of that are external factors.
11:13
[SPEAKER_02]: But when you act a person to look inward and ask them, what is it that you really wanna do?
11:19
[SPEAKER_02]: And what it boils down to, I wanna be long.
11:22
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to feel seeing, I want to feel heard, and I want to be valued, right?
11:27
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to be appreciated.
11:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to see how my presence is making a difference.
11:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Like the relevance of who I am is important to this world.
11:36
[SPEAKER_02]: And when I can help people like acknowledge and realize that, that's a great day for both of us.
11:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Facts.
11:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
11:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Facts.
11:42
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
11:42
[SPEAKER_01]: So real quick, let's have some fun on Black Friday.
11:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's do it.
11:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to introduce you my favorite part, which is freestyle Friday.
11:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, listen, thank you all so much for listening to this episode and any episode of the Black Friday's podcast.
11:59
[SPEAKER_01]: But I got to be honest with you, I really think it's something missing and I hate to draw that and notice it.
12:04
[SPEAKER_01]: The thing that's missing is your podcast.
12:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Why am I not listening to your podcast?
12:09
[SPEAKER_01]: You talked about making one, which a friend years ago, you noted you need one to better market and promote your business.
12:15
[SPEAKER_01]: But yet you still don't have one.
12:17
[SPEAKER_01]: This is why I created the pocket podcast and course to teach you how to be able to
12:24
[SPEAKER_01]: and tools that you have right into finger tips in order to create.
12:28
[SPEAKER_01]: And I created two different ways in order for you to do that.
12:31
[SPEAKER_01]: You could join my digital, do it yourself, on-demand video recorded pocket podcast and course.
12:36
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm most literally step by step from idea on how you upload your very first podcast episode.
12:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And for my people who would like to have something a little bit more tangible, I have created a digital e-book that walks you through my podcast and journey.
12:48
[SPEAKER_01]: The things I've learned along the way,
12:50
[SPEAKER_01]: the tools and equipment that I use in order to create and elevate my show.
12:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Now look, I don't want to keep you too long, but I'm going to make this as simple as possible.
12:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Go ahead and head over to www.blackfrightax.com to learn more about the digital podcast course and also the podcast in ebook or you can hit the links in the show notes to take you directly to each of those resources.
13:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Alright, enough of that time to get back into that episode.
13:15
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think you are a little bit familiar with this so yeah, I said you got a free style for us Oh, man, listen, I got a couple bars No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
13:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, I love to read, never split the difference, okay?
13:47
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, you won't be an explain it?
13:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, yes.
13:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Never split the differences in negotiation tactics book.
13:53
[SPEAKER_02]: It talks about tactical empathy.
13:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Is that about a guy who was a Navy theorist?
13:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, let's talk about that.
13:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, see I age of things.
13:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:00
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, love that book, I don't necessarily employ tactical empathy in the way that he does it as he relates to sales, because
14:09
[SPEAKER_02]: It is a process that will produce a result, getting people to know all of those different things.
14:14
[SPEAKER_02]: But I use it from a genuine place of helping people again, helping people become self-aware.
14:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Like if I can say to you, don't you believe that everyone is do the proper resources to live a fulfilled life?
14:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
14:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, do you think that you have the resources in order to fulfill the purpose for your particular life?
14:36
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you say no, I don't, then I'll say, okay, what is stopping you today from accessing those things that are directly in your environment to make a difference?
14:44
[SPEAKER_02]: And generally it's connecting your belief.
14:46
[SPEAKER_02]: to your behavior and a practical resource, right?
14:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Belief, behavior, your resource.
14:52
[SPEAKER_02]: And when you do that, then the motivation is you just now leading you to execution, taking the first step.
14:58
[SPEAKER_02]: And when people experience progress, it generally difficult for them to go backwards.
15:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Because they realize another life is possible.
15:08
[SPEAKER_02]: If I just execute upon what I believe, how behave and the resources available.
15:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Love it.
15:13
[SPEAKER_01]: So, what would you say is your favorite speaker, public speaker?
15:18
[SPEAKER_01]: It could be anybody from any point in time in history.
15:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, my favorite, my favorite, listen, you all may not know these people.
15:25
[SPEAKER_02]: I encourage you to research them.
15:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Two of my favorite speakers.
15:28
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, I know you asked the first ones.
15:30
[SPEAKER_02]: But two of my favorite speakers, Dr. Carol E. Dixon,
15:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Business leader, mentor, pastor, I have got a chance to see the preparation, the execution, the time invested to love on people beyond just the platform of speaking and then Dr. Oscar J. Dowdale Underwood.
15:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Junior.
15:52
[SPEAKER_02]: I've got a chance to see him moving operate.
15:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Those are two of my favorite because it is some inspiration Because I've seen them in like government spaces where like they are faith-based people But they're able to operationalize their belief and share the message of the gospel through inspiration and
16:10
[SPEAKER_02]: And then I've seen them on a motivational space where they're like just lit on fire on stage going forth Then I've seen them in like the corrective action space or they're like addressing real time like political issues That need to be spoke out on but from a position of competency, you know like gross competence Like you know like that's what my mentors just always share with me like you need to know what you're talking about because somebody listening to you
16:36
[SPEAKER_02]: may make a decision about their life and you thereby are held accountable for what you share.
16:41
[SPEAKER_02]: So make sure you know what you're talking about.
16:44
[SPEAKER_02]: But there was a type of people who will sit you down while you're speaking if you don't know what you're talking about.
16:50
[SPEAKER_02]: So those are my training grounds.
16:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Have to be my two favorite speakers.
16:53
[SPEAKER_01]: love it.
16:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
16:54
[SPEAKER_01]: How do you get prepare for a speech like if the anything that you do to listen to music to get pumped up, do you kind of like to be calm and chill, do you like to, I don't know.
17:04
[SPEAKER_01]: What's your what's your plan?
17:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
17:06
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, so yeah, so the pregame.
17:09
[SPEAKER_02]: is I'm generally thinking about whatever I'm going to speak about and I am a person I live in my head a lot so I'm not going to go heat you with that I never wrote anything that I'm not going to heat you with that but I live in my head for a minute and I organize in my head there's always a soundtrack attached to the message like I had a message today which was you know if you leave they will follow
17:34
[SPEAKER_02]: And so in my mind I was just thinking of like really all of like Swiss beats all of the different rhythms he produced because if you listen to his read like his beats it's all to like a March cadence for right.
17:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
17:48
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I'm like, I'm not going to hit him like everything is up.
17:51
[SPEAKER_02]: It's kind of like, it's almost like rink and foul like militaristic drums in the background, like leading, I was a percussionist and so like the drums mean a lot to me and so those are like that's kind of what I do and then before I actually speak like when I'm there I kind of go silent.
18:10
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, I go silent just to kind of get like don't let me get in my zone.
18:18
[SPEAKER_02]: No but you know it's
18:20
[SPEAKER_02]: When I come out and deliver, so I like to leave it all on the stage On the platform or on the podcast like it is like how can I pour right?
18:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's almost I think of my messages is almost like impartation of me sharing a portion of my life Not just a message, right?
18:39
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not just trying to sit down and pull from my mental faculty.
18:41
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like
18:42
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to share a part of my life that connects to this message so that the relevance of what I'm sharing with you is not theoretical, but that is practical.
18:50
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's where it comes from.
18:52
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm literally like testifying through the message.
18:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, love that.
18:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Last but not least, do you consider yourself a Coney Island counterpart?
19:00
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh man, listen Detroit, don't hate me, please.
19:04
[SPEAKER_02]: But I'm trying to eat better, y'all.
19:07
[SPEAKER_07]: Okay.
19:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'm trying to eat better, but what I do get from the cone.
19:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, tell me your opinion.
19:13
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, what I do get from the cone is a veggie omelet, American cheese, hash browns, wheat toast, and if I need some sweet that day, pancakes with extra syrup.
19:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
19:25
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't have pancakes and syrup.
19:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I have like syrup with my pancakes.
19:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so more surf than anything.
19:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Understood.
19:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Understood.
19:35
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll appreciate you from partake in there.
19:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Please stop for our day.
19:37
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
19:38
[SPEAKER_02]: I was getting ready to drop a quick aid on you.
19:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I chose to hold back.
19:42
[SPEAKER_01]: First off, first off.
19:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Understood.
19:44
[SPEAKER_01]: So could you talk to us about E-Bron and Associates and the services that you offer and how long have you been in business with E-Bron and Associates?
19:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so Ebron and Associates has been around for about 14 years.
19:56
[SPEAKER_02]: It was the response to me losing my job.
20:00
[SPEAKER_02]: So I lost my job and like spaghetti on the wall.
20:02
[SPEAKER_02]: I took everything that I thought I could do, and I wanted to see what would stick.
20:06
[SPEAKER_02]: And so we've been around for 14 years, kind of meandering a little bit, and then we found a rhythm.
20:12
[SPEAKER_02]: allowing to really my gifts, talents, and my competencies.
20:17
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, E-Bron in Associates is a consulting firm where we consult, develop, and support personal professional and organizational transformation.
20:25
[SPEAKER_02]: So, if you see me in any environment, I'm doing one or three things.
20:29
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, they're inspiring people, motivating people, or helping them to transform in the best version of themselves.
20:35
[SPEAKER_02]: that is exercise through me either key noting and event, me providing workshops, me whether I am emceeing and event.
20:45
[SPEAKER_02]: I just got a chance to emcee an event for the opportunity resource fund with Rhonda Walker.
20:50
[SPEAKER_02]: That was amazing shout out to Rhonda.
20:52
[SPEAKER_02]: She always is great.
20:54
[SPEAKER_02]: So we got a chance to share the stage together.
20:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And then I'm also doing some one-on-one coaching or some group coaching, helping people you know begin to map out what their goals are for their life.
21:06
[SPEAKER_02]: I am your accountability partner and I'm taking those shorts no losses.
21:11
[SPEAKER_02]: So before you choose to engage without organization, two things you need to access of, how much am I willing to change, how committed,
21:18
[SPEAKER_02]: am I to the process of changing and am I ready to be here goes the adage of being get comfortable with being uncomfortable right the life that you desire is right on the other side of the thing that you fear the most and realize the fear according to my main man of oh what is this name looking right now no he was the number one speaker I'll come back to it but he was he
21:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's rise.
21:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's rise.
21:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:53
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:53
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:59
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
21:59
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
22:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
22:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
22:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
22:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
22:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
22:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's rise.
22:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, thanks, and speaking of that, I think that that ties into what I would love to know next in terms of transformation and like what would you say is the secret to Internal personal, but everyone to call it transformation in your experience and working with these organizations because of the end day working with people whether it's a business that brought you on or works with you or Organization individuals what would you say has been some of the Secrets to that transformation where you see that light bulb going for people
22:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, skill or will, right?
22:35
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's what we're coaching, right?
22:36
[SPEAKER_02]: If it's a matter of up-skilling your staff or yourself, it's about getting in the property, we talked about getting in the proper environments, around people who are willing to share their expertise.
22:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Somebody is the best at whatever it is that you want to do, and I'm a little competitive.
22:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Right?
22:51
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I believe if I'm going to engage, I want to be the best.
22:55
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I want to run with people who are the best and what I found is generally those who are the best at what they do are looking for viable spaces for them for that gives them an opportunity to pour what they know.
23:10
[SPEAKER_02]: And so what it took for them to become the best is built on the back of so much sacrifice and they're looking for a viable safe space of someone who will take action upon the information.
23:20
[SPEAKER_02]: I guess not as short as the information, right?
23:22
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's about being able to say, do I need to upscale a reskill, right?
23:26
[SPEAKER_02]: And then here's where transformation either begins to accelerate or be halted.
23:31
[SPEAKER_02]: It sits right in the seat of our will.
23:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Right?
23:35
[SPEAKER_02]: We need to detox our mind from things about like what we believe is possible or not possible.
23:40
[SPEAKER_02]: We need to lean into the radical imagination of what it is that we can do where we currently are with the resources we currently have.
23:48
[SPEAKER_02]: We need to asset frame our lives and begin to speak our narrative in such a way that even motivates us.
23:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Like when you talk to you about you,
23:56
[SPEAKER_02]: like does that lead you to encourage me, right?
23:59
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
23:59
[SPEAKER_02]: And then what it really or transformation is either halted or moved forward is our ability to release what has been.
24:09
[SPEAKER_02]: The successes, I'm talking about the experiences, the successes, or what people qualify as failure.
24:14
[SPEAKER_02]: My mentor would say, Dr. Careley Dixon would say that failure, it just tells you that there's another way that this has to be done.
24:21
[SPEAKER_02]: So don't put it like an entire emotional investment in the thing that didn't work, learn from it, right?
24:28
[SPEAKER_02]: And then pull the pieces that did work and move forward.
24:31
[SPEAKER_02]: Right?
24:31
[SPEAKER_02]: There's a talk about people's EQ, right?
24:35
[SPEAKER_02]: They're emotional quotient.
24:36
[SPEAKER_02]: When you become and mind your business talks a lot about this, you should get that book, mind your business.
24:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Right, kind of one more time away.
24:43
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, get that book.
24:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Mind your business, right?
24:46
[SPEAKER_02]: It's designed to help us increase our self-awareness, our social awareness, our self-regulation, building healthy relationships, and literally making a matrix on like, how will you make decisions?
24:57
[SPEAKER_02]: If I were to ask the, you know, Joe public, like, how do you make decisions?
25:02
[SPEAKER_02]: most people don't have a formula or a matrix or a process for how they make decisions.
25:08
[SPEAKER_02]: It's all often emotively motivated, like this is what I feel.
25:14
[SPEAKER_02]: I didn't do it today because I didn't feel like it or I did it and I accelerated and I jumped into that risk because I felt like this was the right thing to do.
25:24
[SPEAKER_02]: And passion has its place, right?
25:25
[SPEAKER_02]: But passion must also be moderated by facts and truth.
25:32
[SPEAKER_01]: And what do you feel like is some of the hindrances for people not being ready for those transformations and how can you recognize that for yourself so you can take that step back to say maybe I'm not fully ready to commit to that new thing or that next phase of life and I need to do some more work before I can even do a transformation.
25:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so before I even leave people down the transformation of the world, I look at preparedness and readiness, right?
26:01
[SPEAKER_02]: And we do an assessment.
26:02
[SPEAKER_02]: We go through that whole piece like, are you prepared?
26:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you ready?
26:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Have you counted the cost?
26:08
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, I mean, I'm talking about mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, occupationally, financially, like those eight dimensions of well being like, let's go through this, is not, are you strong enough to do this right now?
26:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you well enough?
26:23
[SPEAKER_02]: to do it right now.
26:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, like that's important to me because I don't want you to achieve the success and lose your family.
26:29
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't want you to achieve the success and you are totally exhausted that you can't even enjoy it.
26:33
[SPEAKER_02]: I look at a fool like those eight dimensions of wellness to say like, okay, not right now doesn't mean no.
26:41
[SPEAKER_02]: It just means not right now.
26:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's look out like some I'm taking more calculator risk myself now because both of my children are in college I am an empty nest or we need to put some sounds right there.
26:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Sounds right there shout out to all the empty nesters But looking at your life plan.
26:58
[SPEAKER_02]: I I wanted to get involved in politics a year ago, right?
27:00
[SPEAKER_02]: I had aspirations and dreams.
27:02
[SPEAKER_02]: I believe I would have been a
27:04
[SPEAKER_02]: beased on the political realm, right?
27:05
[SPEAKER_02]: That is a full contact sport where I'm advocating for the least and the underloved, the overlooked, the marginalized, like I am there to fight for those who don't have a voice.
27:17
[SPEAKER_02]: You know what I had to do?
27:19
[SPEAKER_02]: I had to ask my family.
27:20
[SPEAKER_02]: I said, here are some of the things based upon my observation and my contact with this particular profession that's going to impact our family.
27:28
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you all ready for that?
27:30
[SPEAKER_02]: And my family said, no, no, they did and because I am more committed to them, of course, then I am to my ambition, I chose not to do that, but I found another realm of advocacy and activism that I could use that kept my family safe, that looked at the total picture, and I know I can hear some people saying, oh, you should have done it, man.
27:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, years later, I ended up being in a position where I could affect effectuate changes in policy, where I was talking to policy makers, where I was, you know, in the spaces with these government officials, and talking about, you know, how do we center the voice and lived experience of those who have been marginalized or historically excluded, and that's, that's all I wanted to do through politics.
28:16
[SPEAKER_02]: I was able to do it.
28:18
[SPEAKER_02]: And timing was the big factor.
28:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.
28:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Yep.
28:21
[SPEAKER_02]: Tiny.
28:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And in terms of, I would love to know like your journey into speaking and being able to curate that type of career and would love to know at what point in your life did you know that it was meant for you to be able to get on stages or to lead panels or to stand up in front of people, a classroom, whatever the case may be, and be able to speak and convey a message that would evoke change.
28:47
[SPEAKER_01]: You might not know all that back then, but I would love to know like
28:52
[SPEAKER_01]: drawn to that that type of career.
28:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, no, it was a mandate on my potential.
28:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Like again, I grew up in church and so whether you say it's the you know Sunday school, you know speeches or the Easter speeches and for those who believe in the prophetic function that God can use another person to speak divinely into your life, to provoke you and to provoke your action
29:16
[SPEAKER_02]: and increase your awareness of what he has called you to do, like my pastor at that time, he's in the hospital now, and I was talking about him as my mentor, my god dad.
29:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Tell me in third grade, he said, Andre, God is going to use you as an oracle, a mouthpiece for him.
29:32
[SPEAKER_02]: And so you need to be, it was in a prophetic space, but it also was in a fatherly man day like, what's on your life is serious?
29:44
[SPEAKER_02]: you have an auditory like gift.
29:47
[SPEAKER_02]: This is a gift that's attached to your calling and because God's going to use you to speak a couple things to exhort to edify and to comfort.
29:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Same thing inspired, motivate, transform.
29:59
[SPEAKER_02]: You need to be mindful of the things that you are saying because results are produced by the word that you speak.
30:04
[SPEAKER_02]: And so in third grade, that's what he told me.
30:07
[SPEAKER_02]: And in third grade, I was like, I'm going to be an oracle of God.
30:10
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
30:12
[SPEAKER_02]: But I understood the responsibility of that.
30:14
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
30:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And so he would allow me to lead chapels.
30:17
[SPEAKER_02]: He would speak.
30:18
[SPEAKER_02]: We would have to practice.
30:20
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, I mean, so this didn't just happen overnight.
30:22
[SPEAKER_02]: But actually, I'd never intended to like, I was like, OK, I'm going to be a preacher, right?
30:26
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
30:26
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I am an elder.
30:28
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, in the church, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, I never really intended to go out and like be a speaker until I met a brother, uh, Otis Belinger and people know Otis shout out to brother Otis, uh, he has a building better men group.
30:43
[SPEAKER_02]: And we were in the same space and he was like, Abraham, I want you to, you know, come speak to my young man.
30:48
[SPEAKER_02]: And I had been like speaking at, you know, at youth groups and doing different things like that.
30:53
[SPEAKER_02]: But it wasn't for me like to be a speaker.
30:55
[SPEAKER_02]: And so then all of a sudden, like when I went out, I've never get the title of it was, uh, the message was practice mode.
31:02
[SPEAKER_02]: And of course, young men were very familiar with the video games that allow you to play in practice mode.
31:07
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was telling them that in their homes,
31:09
[SPEAKER_02]: That is the safest space that they'll ever be able to practice for life, right?
31:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And so you go on practice mode and you correct things and practice mode, you get a chance to see what works and what doesn't work, so that when you get ready to engage in life, you don't get upset when somebody corrects you in practice mode, so I'll tell them to respect their elders, the value of their mothers and fathers, you know, to listen to the correction that is coming to them.
31:33
[SPEAKER_02]: to begin to look, successfully, as a kid, like follow all of that.
31:36
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you see somebody try something like practicing and practice mode, right?
31:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Because when you get out there, life is real and serious.
31:43
[SPEAKER_02]: And there are consequences to every action you take.
31:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Both positive and negative.
31:47
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I spoke practice mode.
31:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, there's something to this.
31:52
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, because every place I work is using me as the spokesperson.
31:57
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, I think I can do this for myself.
32:00
[SPEAKER_02]: And so then I launched out, and I was speaking at all of the community-based organizations, I did all the free talks, I was at all different schools, and then all of a sudden I said, I'm going to start charging for this.
32:10
[SPEAKER_02]: And then exponentially things have been going up.
32:13
[SPEAKER_02]: So anybody listening, if you're looking for a powerful speaker, someone that's going to bring change.
32:17
[SPEAKER_02]: to that environment, the very fabric of that environment would change it would be conducive for people's minds to grow, to learn, to develop, and to engage.
32:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I am your guy.
32:30
[SPEAKER_01]: That's it.
32:31
[SPEAKER_01]: And can you tell us, in your opinion, what do you feel like makes a good, compelling, powerful public speaker?
32:38
[SPEAKER_02]: Number one, engage in the connection.
32:41
[SPEAKER_02]: When from the time you hit the stage, it is all about the people that you are speaking to.
32:46
[SPEAKER_02]: The stage in the platform is just a vehicle to be able to share with them something that will help them be able to radically change their lives and let them run in full abandonment in the direction of their dreams.
32:57
[SPEAKER_02]: I believe that my speaking removes barriers, right?
33:00
[SPEAKER_02]: So I want to address whatever the problem of practice is, right?
33:03
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, here's the problem of practice.
33:05
[SPEAKER_02]: right?
33:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Then I want to be able to build a community of practice.
33:08
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm going to lead you from some very like hype engagement.
33:12
[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to address the problem of practice.
33:14
[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to lead like every to every all changes a process and then I'm going to invite you into a community of practice where you can do same thing I told those young men going to practice more before you launch.
33:25
[SPEAKER_02]: So that if you're listening, you all those who want to speak, make sure you come in engaging, engaging in a way that's authentic to you.
33:32
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm high energy, right?
33:34
[SPEAKER_02]: When I come in, I'm a calling response kind of guy.
33:36
[SPEAKER_02]: I want you participating.
33:38
[SPEAKER_02]: I want your voice to be in the room, right?
33:40
[SPEAKER_02]: And then I'm going to lift the problem of practice.
33:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, here's the problem of practice that we're seeking to address.
33:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Everybody can identify that if you're a leader, you can identify the problem, right?
33:49
[SPEAKER_02]: But that doesn't make you a leader.
33:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, make, uh, identify in a problem a lot of times it's not difficult.
33:54
[SPEAKER_02]: But knowing that you have a process to help overcome the challenge or the problem that you can see the opportunity that exists within the problem of practice and that you can build a pathway and show people, hey, I want to move you from problem to practice, right, and I want to simplify structure and scale your response so that it's easy to do that's what I provide.
34:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And let's say I'm not quite there yet.
34:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's say I'm not a Andre Ebron and it's not natural to me, so to speak.
34:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm out of no you had to work on it throughout the years and skill up, but let's say it's not, it doesn't come to me as naturally.
34:28
[SPEAKER_01]: How can I skill up if I'm somebody who's interested in doing more public speaking to be able to land opportunities and give myself opportunities?
34:37
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, listen, go to the places and communities where you feel loved and that you're willing to express love because they're not going to take it to truth.
34:46
[SPEAKER_02]: You get it.
34:47
[SPEAKER_02]: And you get chance to get some reps in, right?
34:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
34:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Tell people, nobody is going to the juvenile homes, right?
34:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Go there.
34:57
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
34:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Go to the nursing homes.
35:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Go to the youth groups.
35:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Go to the places they don't have a budget.
35:07
[SPEAKER_02]: And then, ask for feedback, like be willing to hear the feedback.
35:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, listen, we gave you 20 minutes, you took 30.
35:14
[SPEAKER_02]: That's not okay.
35:16
[SPEAKER_02]: Especially when somebody is paying you.
35:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
35:19
[SPEAKER_02]: If they tell you 20 minutes, you really want to end between 15 and 18 to give them space to transition, right?
35:26
[SPEAKER_02]: You want to always be invited back.
35:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I have never spoke a place that I haven't been invited back to speak.
35:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Why?
35:32
[SPEAKER_02]: I respect their time.
35:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Right?
35:37
[SPEAKER_02]: It helps you build community and a following.
35:40
[SPEAKER_02]: And I say this is not false humility.
35:43
[SPEAKER_02]: So I say it from a position of recognizing that to speak people I'm speaking to in community are more important than me being on the stage.
35:52
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm talking about true humility of recognizing that, and this is just my personal faith that you are a vessel, the information.
36:00
[SPEAKER_02]: So they're not looking for perfection.
36:01
[SPEAKER_02]: People are looking for perfection.
36:03
[SPEAKER_02]: They will take a real speaker,
36:06
[SPEAKER_02]: over a polished speaker because they can connect to them.
36:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Now there are times where you can get all the different modalities and learn and actually, hey, if you're leaning in, come on, until you're here, I am launching a public speaking and communications course called Echo.
36:22
[SPEAKER_02]: It's inspired by my pastor.
36:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you know right now on this earth, there's an echo that lives from the Lord?
36:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm talking about the creation story from him saying, let there be light.
36:32
[SPEAKER_02]: There's an echo that lives on the earth that can be scientifically proven, that they know and can pinpoint that it came from when he spoke.
36:40
[SPEAKER_02]: So hey, if you want your life or your legacy to revertberate beyond your natural life, you have to determine what your story will be and I can help you craft that.
36:51
[SPEAKER_02]: So the short answer can't tag me.
36:53
[SPEAKER_01]: love it and I wanted to ask you because we're obviously and I always tell people I feel like podcasting is a chico and or opportunity to be able to flex some of those muscles that you had talked about if you want to.
37:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Get more in the public speaking and like display like to type messages in that you can do and show showcase your work or if you want to get better at it And just being able to have better conversations with people.
37:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that is the case as someone who has been in the podcast space previously I would love to know your your thoughts on that.
37:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
37:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Let me tell you my first podcast.
37:29
[SPEAKER_02]: I had an outline You know, I was ready to I had all these different things because I thought it had to be this way
37:37
[SPEAKER_02]: It didn't.
37:38
[SPEAKER_02]: And so my podcast, he got better over the years.
37:41
[SPEAKER_02]: I launched it.
37:42
[SPEAKER_02]: We would podcast it for about three years.
37:45
[SPEAKER_02]: It was called the drawing board podcast.
37:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Be tuned in.
37:48
[SPEAKER_02]: That's coming back as well.
37:49
[SPEAKER_02]: But you just need to be able to engage in like rich conversation.
37:53
[SPEAKER_02]: Like,
37:53
[SPEAKER_02]: meaningful conversation, the conversations that go beyond the surface and allow people to share their story, right?
38:00
[SPEAKER_02]: Like we are more connected than we are and we're more that that's similar to who we are Connects us as opposed to our differences and we learn to appreciate people's differences when we recognize the value and who we are
38:14
[SPEAKER_02]: period.
38:16
[SPEAKER_02]: If you find people that are having challenges, celebrating the differences in other people, it's a clear lynch pin to a reality that they haven't fully discovered the value of who they are.
38:27
[SPEAKER_02]: And so podcasting, it allows people to share, they can be, you know,
38:32
[SPEAKER_02]: just unhindered and like who they are and like there's so much richness and like quality and the stories that we hear of like I believe strongly in the oral tradition.
38:43
[SPEAKER_02]: That's where I come from, right?
38:44
[SPEAKER_02]: And so like all of these things that we're talking about now like storytelling used to be testifying, right?
38:50
[SPEAKER_02]: You know the the podcasting space to me used to be like when you were around your elders and you used to just sit and listen
38:58
[SPEAKER_02]: And they would add levity because what is life without levity?
39:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Like you gotta be able to laugh.
39:04
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, if there's ever a powerful space that I think that we all get a chance to live in is, and this is from another added to my pastor talks about being able to live life to life.
39:16
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
39:17
[SPEAKER_02]: and podcasting allows like when we're sharing now, being able to live life to life.
39:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
39:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And I agree with everything that you said because podcasting has people tricked in the thinking that I'm an extrovert when I'm really introvert.
39:32
[SPEAKER_01]: And so yeah, I like to be intentional in the conversation that I have with people and I get a chance to do that.
39:36
[SPEAKER_01]: in a space like this and a 101 conversation, but yeah, and I'm not, I'm not excavated all, but people will beg the differ because, yeah, I have this platform, I'm like, no, I'm pretty introverted.
39:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, and when they're hearing your voice, and like, no, you must be talking on the time, how do you get these people?
39:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no.
39:55
[SPEAKER_02]: And so that's a testament to for those people who say that they, and I don't know why they call it, that they struggle with introversion.
40:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, it's a super power, it is the charging pack, right?
40:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Of like, I find solitude and aloneness as the thing that recharges my social battery.
40:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Exactly.
40:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, that knowledge is important.
40:16
[SPEAKER_02]: If you're extroverted and you're like, oh, man, I need to get in the crowd of people.
40:21
[SPEAKER_02]: I need, and some people think, actually, all extrovers are loud.
40:24
[SPEAKER_02]: That's true, right?
40:25
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not.
40:26
[SPEAKER_02]: But it just means that you're charged up by being in and with community.
40:30
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you're, what is it, ambiavert?
40:32
[SPEAKER_02]: And be very, you can go between the two of those, like, figure that out and then build a system around your superpower, right?
40:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Because you know, okay, oh, my social battery is starting away and they take people in pockets.
40:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Let me make sure I duck off, right?
40:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, even when you we're at conferences, like, you know, you got to find a space like, hey, okay, I'm going duck off.
40:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
40:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, I'm going to make sure that I take all of my lunches away from the conference area.
41:00
[SPEAKER_02]: right and like building like social systems because as opposed to like I'm just not going to go.
41:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
41:06
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know.
41:07
[SPEAKER_02]: It's necessary to network, right?
41:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Yep.
41:09
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm going to go.
41:10
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to take a lunch away from here.
41:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Let me look and see.
41:15
[SPEAKER_02]: These are the couple sessions I really want to hit and then I'm going back to the hotel.
41:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
41:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
41:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
41:21
[SPEAKER_01]: For me, I got it when it comes network and I got to make it a game for myself.
41:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Like if I talk to three people and meet three new people, I I did something or if I talk to the people that I specifically
41:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Connect with, then I did something, but yeah, everything else is optional because it took a lot for me to even be like, oh yeah, let me go speak to this person or meet this new person and then, yeah, because and then to your point about the conferences, when I go to conferences and all day with the same people or a bunch of people do not ask me to do nothing after the fact I may come to the happy hour just to, you know, show face, but yeah, once I'm in a hotel room or wherever I'm like, I'm done like I'm my battery is gone.
41:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I, you know, rest in peace, Glenn Macintosh, if everybody knew him, really big guy in the city of Detroit, he worked at Oakland University and I'm talking about multiple generations have benefited from his tutelage.
42:14
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
42:15
[SPEAKER_02]: And when I talked to him about it, he was like, listen, man.
42:18
[SPEAKER_02]: Networking is about high visibility short amount of time here's like you got things to do places to go You got a family you could not be spinning all at that time out there networking high visibility See the people that you need to see right do your homework about who's going to be there first
42:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Hit, talk to those people, shake hands, have meaningful conversations, get out of there, right?
42:41
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like, you know, this is what family men must do, right?
42:45
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's something that I've held dear for many years, high visibility, short amount of time.
42:50
[SPEAKER_02]: So people say, Hey, bro, I made you everywhere!
42:52
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not going to be there the whole time.
43:01
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not going to be hanging and doing all of that.
43:03
[SPEAKER_02]: If I pass through the happy hour, it is literally a past.
43:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I walk through it.
43:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll tell you, and I grab a soda or a cranberry juice.
43:12
[SPEAKER_02]: just to sit down for a minute so, you know, kind of shake hands, do all of that, and then I'm going to see where the work is being done.
43:19
[SPEAKER_02]: And I know people, well, that's where the business deals listen, if you connected to the right folks.
43:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
43:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
43:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
43:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And it takes time to build the relationship, like you said, have the ability to start it.
43:29
[SPEAKER_01]: See, that's the gym.
43:30
[SPEAKER_01]: So shout out to Mr. Macintosh for dropping that.
43:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And I know people that have been impacted by him and his work and his wisdom.
43:37
[SPEAKER_01]: So.
43:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's a that's an amazing bar that I'm I'm putting that in a I was like, yes, I have this ability short amount of time and people will swear that you were there Yeah, entire event.
43:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, because you know who moves like that that I realized celebrities and athletes
43:53
[SPEAKER_01]: They do, they're amazing at that.
43:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Where's like, shake a hand, autograph?
43:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, how you doing at super short interaction?
44:00
[SPEAKER_01]: But then it's like, I'm on to the next thing.
44:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I'm not going to say here too long.
44:03
[SPEAKER_01]: And we talking to you for 20 minutes, like, no, we did the thing.
44:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Had the interaction.
44:08
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, boom, I'm off to the next thing.
44:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and it mastered in such a way that it doesn't feel like the person is being rushed.
44:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Exactly.
44:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Exactly.
44:16
[SPEAKER_01]: They engage.
44:17
[SPEAKER_01]: You hit the point.
44:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
44:18
[SPEAKER_02]: It's eye contact.
44:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
44:20
[SPEAKER_02]: In there, I'm listening to you.
44:22
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like authentic engagement.
44:24
[SPEAKER_02]: We're laughing.
44:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Slap five.
44:26
[SPEAKER_02]: Dap up.
44:26
[SPEAKER_02]: You know.
44:27
[SPEAKER_02]: And then.
44:29
[SPEAKER_02]: time to go to the next thing right and by that people would be like man you've hit like four events you know one night yeah like because I'm only there yeah and I'm slide through because like time is time is valuable.
44:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and especially my kids are young adults now, but like my I'm real big about family.
44:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so like if there's a space where I'm going to be investing the majority of my time like I love y'all But I have to get home to my family.
44:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, because I get one good shot at this right.
45:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and they don't stay young forever.
45:04
[SPEAKER_02]: So I had to make sure that my time
45:05
[SPEAKER_02]: It was allocated to them.
45:07
[SPEAKER_02]: So people were like, he brought, you know, man, we haven't seen you out of, yeah, with my kids, with my family.
45:12
[SPEAKER_02]: And then, as they got a little older, I started making them go with me to do an events, right?
45:19
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, teaching them about volunteerism and things that I nature.
45:22
[SPEAKER_02]: And so now that's a part of the fabric of their lives, but I still teach them.
45:26
[SPEAKER_02]: this ability.
45:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, short of my time.
45:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I love that.
45:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I love that.
45:31
[SPEAKER_01]: So I want to we start it talking about community and then I wanted to be able to piggyback on what we're just talking about in terms of community and we had a conversation off camera just in terms of how you can't do everything by yourself, whether in business and life and how do you build that team or that community around you in order to elevate and
45:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Change the trajectory of what you're trying to do and help you scale.
45:52
[SPEAKER_01]: So could you just talk about how have you developed community over the years?
45:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Because we know a lot of the same people and like we say we talked about in the black sweet and how that community is expanding and people are doing their thing.
46:03
[SPEAKER_01]: But for you, how do you intentionally build community?
46:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, I love people.
46:08
[SPEAKER_02]: And so the way that I do it is it generally comes with me adding value up front.
46:16
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm always looking to, how can I add value to black Friday's podcast?
46:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, you know what, I'm sharing it when I can't, you know?
46:24
[SPEAKER_02]: And so it's like, oh yeah, you know, yeah, he shared.
46:26
[SPEAKER_02]: And you get a chance to see like, no, I believe in what you're doing, right?
46:30
[SPEAKER_02]: And so when people are moving, like, I want to support.
46:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Like if that's something, like I'm known for that, people know if E-Bron is in the building, help just walked in the building, right?
46:40
[SPEAKER_02]: And there's no task to Minio, nor no task to great and how he will.
46:44
[SPEAKER_02]: support me, right?
46:46
[SPEAKER_02]: And so that has landed me in certain communities where I'll say this way, I'm kind of good in every hood.
46:54
[SPEAKER_02]: And so from I and I tell my young people from the block to the board room, the name of the game is respect.
47:00
[SPEAKER_02]: And so the currency I respect has taken me a long way.
47:03
[SPEAKER_02]: into all different type of environments, having all different kind of conversations because I lead with respect, I lead with integrity and support.
47:13
[SPEAKER_02]: And so from there, I can fall into this community of folks.
47:16
[SPEAKER_02]: And I look for alignment, like I'm like, listen, there's something similar about you and I, let me find that as common ground and then let's build from there.
47:25
[SPEAKER_02]: And the diversity of our giftings of who we are will just flavor the experience, right?
47:30
[SPEAKER_02]: and I just believe that.
47:32
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm always curious, I'm going now I'm going to really give you some secret sauce.
47:36
[SPEAKER_02]: I have this question in my head whenever I see and meet people being public spaces, I'm like, Lord, I know you created each and every person with a purpose and me meeting them is not by accident and what way am I going to be an instrument that helps on earth through collaboration,
48:00
[SPEAKER_02]: So I kind of take a hippocratic old format on my own, say if I cannot help you, I promise not to hurt you.
48:07
[SPEAKER_00]: That's dope.
48:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
48:08
[SPEAKER_00]: That's dope.
48:08
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's how I feel like it's all interconnected.
48:11
[SPEAKER_02]: And if I'm not in a space where I can help you, if I don't know a person, the person, I do know the person who knows the person.
48:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
48:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
48:19
[SPEAKER_02]: You know what I mean?
48:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
48:20
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's about going to relationships.
48:23
[SPEAKER_02]: They shortcut.
48:25
[SPEAKER_02]: And when I say shortcut, I mean, they can have a chance to accelerate what you want to do because the learning and the expertise is already there.
48:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so when I'm talking to organizations I always share with them why collaboration is so critical is because your pain point is someone else's passion point
48:42
[SPEAKER_02]: and they've developed a full system on being able to execute that passion point.
48:46
[SPEAKER_02]: So don't waste your time trying to be all things like specializing what you do, niche down, and then or niche up, however you wanna say it.
48:55
[SPEAKER_02]: And then connect with someone who has a specialty and has done the 10,000 hours of doing that work so that you all can collaborate and compliment one another.
49:08
[SPEAKER_02]: your pain point is someone else's passion point that's it yeah that's it yeah so whenever you run into a pain point your business or if you're being enterprising within an organization like a pain point is a red sign to say it's time to collaborate right it's time to collaborate so that's how I take it I don't try to I don't try to just drive through the pain point yeah like oh wait a minute here's a pain point I need to collaborate I need to phone a friend I need to
49:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
49:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
49:37
[SPEAKER_01]: For sure.
49:38
[SPEAKER_01]: So what do you see on the horizon for e-brown associates for Andre himself?
49:43
[SPEAKER_01]: What do you see in your crystal ball that you you have on horizon?
49:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Well listen, I am getting ready to travel the world right speaking and starting with the nation speaking and so if you're out there and you need a powerful speaker for your event whether you're looking for a workshop, podcast,
50:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Keynote, MC, I can help you in that area.
50:08
[SPEAKER_02]: So that is what we're scaling right now.
50:11
[SPEAKER_02]: I have a couple of engagements, and I say couple, which is being modest, coming up, closing out this year, and going into 2026.
50:19
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's more on the horizon there.
50:22
[SPEAKER_02]: My third book is going to launch on my mother's birthday, March 2nd.
50:27
[SPEAKER_02]: It's called the sketch collection.
50:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Messages from moments that matter most.
50:32
[SPEAKER_02]: People looking for that treatment to come out on our birthday.
50:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
50:35
[SPEAKER_01]: December 10th to 10th.
50:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's go.
50:36
[SPEAKER_02]: You'll hear more about that.
50:38
[SPEAKER_02]: My third book that's coming out.
50:40
[SPEAKER_02]: And really also like even in my current role.
50:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Like inviting you all out in November 20th.
50:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Dr. Bettina Love is going to be out.
50:49
[SPEAKER_02]: I serve currently as the Chief of Staff at City Year Detroit, not City of Detroit, City Year Detroit, Dr. Bettina Love, it's gonna be in here and talking about her book, Punish for Dreaming, how educational reform harms Black children, and how we heal.
51:05
[SPEAKER_02]: So listen, we need all the educators.
51:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Come out, come out, City Year Detroit, you can get your tickets today.
51:11
[SPEAKER_02]: So, that's what's happening.
51:13
[SPEAKER_02]: Still loving and I have my beautiful powerhouse of a wife.
51:17
[SPEAKER_02]: So, she is our CEO over E-Bron and Associates.
51:20
[SPEAKER_02]: We're procuring business through that.
51:22
[SPEAKER_02]: If you all need to work through restorative practices, or you need someone to come and facilitate a session, we can do that for you.
51:28
[SPEAKER_02]: So, I'm in a lot of great things.
51:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
51:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, a lot of great things.
51:31
[SPEAKER_01]: And we run in two types of often at BlackTex-Iriads.
51:35
[SPEAKER_02]: BlackTex-Iriads, so we love you.
51:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, love what you are doing.
51:38
[SPEAKER_02]: Very proud of the work that you started.
51:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
51:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, Andre, this has been amazing, man.
51:43
[SPEAKER_01]: It's always good to see you always positive energy and good vibes, great conversation, and I love the wisdom that you share here on the podcast and in general, and how you pour into our community and to our youth and to the adults and not so young.
51:57
[SPEAKER_01]: We definitely appreciate the work that you're doing there.
51:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Hope that we can continue to see you thrive and support you moving forward.
52:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely, I do a drop.
52:03
[SPEAKER_02]: This is Andre E-Bron here on the Black Friday podcast.
52:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for that.
52:11
[SPEAKER_02]: I appreciate it.