Michael B. Jordan on Being Loved Isn't Enough to Make It Work

You said, when you come from where I come from and everybody doesn't get those breaks, that luck, you start to question, why am I successful in life? Why did I go this way and everybody went that way? And I just thought that that was, you know, again, extremely humble and also representative of where you grew up, how you came up, like, which way did everyone go? And where did that luck begin for you? You know, I think coming up in Newark, New Jersey, coming up in that environment and, you know, when you're younger, you know, you're living life, you know, you're taking it a day at a time, you know, you're going to basketball practice, you're going to school, you know, you're going to church, you know, for me, it was, you know, taking a lot of trips to New York City, going on auditions at a really, really young age and just figuring out what that is, having parents pretty aware, you know, and very present in my life, you know, growing up, you know, that was rare amongst my family and amongst my friend group, you know, having both parents that was there and very present and aware of my environment as well, you know, what, you know, being told to look out for these things and make good choices, to be disciplined, to be focused on things, you know, get your school, you know, all the, the, you know, the positives and growing up in an environment like that and, you know, hats off to my parents and to sacrifice so much to make sure their kids, you know, were safe and grew up in, you know, in a, you know, grew up in an environment, ain't easy making ends meet, you know, grew up very poor, but didn't feel like it, you know what I'm saying? It was very, you know, I think they did a good job at hiding those things, you know, I think as we get older, we look back, it was like, oh man, we went through that, or that's why we slept in the kitchen that one time with the oven open, or that's when we stayed at grandma's house for like, you know, a couple of weeks when you, you know, so you, you, you get that reflection of how we kind of grew up and, and I think for me, you know, always having a, you know, a bigger purpose, I think, or just, you know, just that optimism, you know, that, that I was a big dreamer as a kid and, and I think, you know, you start to, not just to focus on the, just the work of it all, but since I was working at such a young age, that's the thing that I can kind of point to of, you know, booking auditions and getting this job and traveling to this place and experiencing these things and coming back home with these experiences and not having a lot of people who could relate or could, you know, I could soundboard off of. And, and I think in feeling like that, you don't want to alienate those people, you know? And I think, and this is all, I guess, in hindsight, you don't share these stories as much, you know, maybe you should, because you don't want somebody to feel like inadequate or, you know, not being able to have that experience that you might've had. And I think, you know, that snowballs as you, as you get older and from stepping stone to stepping stone, as, as, as I continue to be successful at a, at a, at a young age, you start to question why am I being so successful? And the people that look just like me that are right next to me in these everyday things, aren't necessarily doing that or not choosing to, you know, just didn't have those options that were laid out to them. And I, and I think you start to doubt yourself for whatever reason, or feel guilty for the things that you may or may not have. Even though, you know, our parents were people of service, you know, block parties, or, you know, cooking church dinners, or, you know, whenever, you know, my house was the house that everybody came to at some point, whether we were going to get pizza that night, or dad was going to take everybody camping or going to these things. Like it was, that was kind of my house within, within my neighborhood and community. And, and so I think for me being a person of service kind of, cause you know, it's kind of comes from how I was raised and those are the examples that I knew growing up. I always felt lucky too, as you become more successful and you see less people look like you that are being successful in this, in this realm, and you end up being the one guy that looks like me that's successful, or the couple guys that, or the usual suspects that you see in the audition room or things of that nature. You know, you start to sometimes question why, why, why are you? Now I can, I feel as though it was my, it was my path, you know, it was my purpose and spirituality and growing up in a, in a household that was very focused on, you know, you know, church and spiritual and meditation and, and, and just being aware of the world that we live in. You know, I felt I was destined for, for something, not knowing what that was, but just something. Wow. Yeah. And I mean, when I'm, when I'm hearing that, it sounds like, I love what you said. You were like, you know, they, they hid we were poor and we didn't even see that, but this idea of like, you sound so, when I, when I see you talk about your family and for those of you watching, you can see it on Mike's face, but there's so much joy and there's bliss and there's like a, there's like a happiness when you're looking back on that time. Like I can see it's a positive experience because of how you feel you've been loved and cared for and supported, even though the resources may not have been there or the access or opportunities. And, and I was wondering when I was listening to you, like, is there a memory or an experience from your childhood that you think defines who you are today? Like, was there a, a memory or a story that you have in your mind of an experience you went through that you think brings out maybe that service element or brings out that purposeful element? And I think this, this bliss and this, this, this appreciation for how I grew up comes in hindsight, you know, like, you know, the first time you have a moment where you're like, pick up the phone, you know, one morning you just call your mom and be like, thank you. I get it. I'm, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for, for being that kid at some point. And I'm so sorry for not understanding. I totally get what you guys are going through. Sheesh. I love you guys. You know, like you, you have those moments when you get older, you know, that you just can't really have that perspective when you, when you were a kid. And I think, you know, I was very mischievous, you know, as well. And, and, and I think there were moments when my dad disciplined me, you know, for, for, for, for whatever the, you know, whatever I did at that time. And then my mom would have a conversation with me around the why and then being also forced or pushed and nudged into a space where you had to acknowledge your siblings also, you know, in that situation and, and, and the importance of family and what that means, you know, my parents have different upbringings, you know what I'm saying from, you know, and different family structures growing up. But one thing they've always provided us with is just a sense of like family over everything, you know, and how important that is. And that just kind of kept the groundedness to me throughout. So I think just the experiences of, of just family. I like your point about hindsight. I've definitely made that call to my mom, for sure. Like, yeah, I made that call to my mom. We were around the same age. So for me, it's like, I've made that call. And I think I made it probably like 25, maybe 26. It was probably around then when I finally made that call. And not that I didn't love my mom before that, of course I did, but it was like that honest understanding of just how hard it was to do what she did. Cause she was raising two kids. She was dropping us to school, picking us up. She was the breadwinner of the family. She made us breakfast, lunch, and dinner fresh every day. Like, and you don't recognize that as a kid, you don't realize the sacrifice, the hustle, the, and, and always making you feel loved on top of doing all of that. It's hard work. You've talked to, you said that now you feel like you've got to a place that it's your path. What was that switch for you that went from like, I don't deserve this. God, like I feel out of place. I'm lucky to being like, no, actually now I see it as this was meant to be my path. Because I think a lot of people and a lot of our listeners will be there. Like a lot of people are like, they're making moves and maybe they're first person in their family to go to college. Or maybe they're the first person who started up a business an entrepreneur, or maybe one of our listeners is trying to break generational trauma and they're the first person to spot it. And, but then they all live in that space. Like, can I do this? Like, am I the one to do this? And so what was it that made that switch from like, I'm not sure I'm the guy, but Oh, it is my path. It's the sum of all things leading up into that point. I think it's all the doubt. It's the imposter syndrome. It's the, the blessings that you can't really accept fully. And you listen to other people speak who are successful, or you see examples that you kind of feel connected to like, man, that, that kind of feels like me or what he just said, or what she just said. I kind of, I resonate with that. You know, I feel like that sometimes, you know other people who are looking at you saying, no, Mike, this is what you have. This is what you are. Nah, nah, I can't. No, that's, that's too good. No, that ain't me. You know, your own presence in a situation where you have to step back and look at yourself and be like, am I this guy right now? Like, Oh man, there's a room full of people who showed up because of something I'm doing and they're in service or in support of my idea, my thing. Okay. That looks and feels like I'm the guy. Okay. You're in, I'm in the industry where, you know, you're the success of your work and your art has been, you know, dictated and validated by other people's opinions. And whether those opinions are factual or projected on you from their own individual perspective, I think it was a, it was a combination of all those things. And I've always been curious and walk towards the, how do I make myself better? What are the things that I need, the tools that I need in order to improve myself, the way I think, the way, how do I maximize myself? You know? So from, I think getting a, you know, an executive coach, you know, who talks to executives all day and, and, and, you know, how to create healthy conversations, the right type of conversations to have as you're building a team around you. Cause you know, as you know, it's not just us, you know, we have an entire team of people that surround us that help us achieve our dreams and get the big idea done. You know, a spiritual advisor, a spiritual coach that I have who, you know, helps me do my energy work, my spiritual work and help sift through the noise and find those things. And I think it wasn't until I had, you know, roles that challenged my spirit and myself in a real way that, that, that, that, in the weight and where the attention was so loud that it was, you know, it was deafening and it was, and, and I couldn't, you know, see clearly and, you know, these champagne problems, you know what I'm saying? I, you know, you know, they're like, you know, we're blessed. So, but the weight is so heavy, you know, and people sometimes think, and they see what we have or what, you know, or what we're, you know, what we're doing. And it's like, Oh, just be grateful, you know, or just, you know, what are you complaining about? You know? And, and, you know, most people wouldn't be able to walk, you know, a block in our shoes, you know, with, with this stuff. And I think it was, and then you have moments where you, you resent things and you're angry at, you know, the feelings that you accumulate for not being clear or, or not understanding, you know, why this, there's a lot of whys and you're not going to get all the answers, but you want to, you know, be able to get to a place where you're, you're clear. So to answer your question, when did I decide, when did I, like, you know, when did I feel like that? Maybe two years ago, maybe a year ago, you look at where your family has come from and ----, look at your bloodline, you know, you look, you look at, you know, the community, you're like, man, there's a cycle there from generation to generation that happens. When you get to yourself, you're like, man, can I stop this? Can I change this? I could do this. Once you, it's like, once you, once you know better, you got to almost do better. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. And I refuse to ignore it. I refuse to see it an opportunity that I had to change things and act like it didn't exist. And I think that was the thing for me that was like, nah, I gotta, I gotta, if that's my purpose, if that's my path is to just see it and I could see the pieces and if I can just continue to do this, or if I stay down the pathway on that, and I might be able to make a big difference in my nephew's life or my, my, my future children's, my future grandchildren's life, I got to do that because there's been so many people that might, that didn't, that, that it wasn't the perfect storm for them to have that opportunity. That's been something I've always felt since having the name Michael Jordan and understanding that there's another guy out there named Michael Jordan that was the best ever to do something and being teased and picked on about that and, and, and, and, and made me for a moment, not wanting to play sports, but then it was like, nah, I'm actually going to make sure I'm competitive. I'm going to compete. At least I'm going to compete. You're going to at least see me. I'm going to be somebody that it's not going to be, oh, his name is this. It's going to be, oh no, but he can play or, oh no, he can, oh, he, he, he has something about him, something that is formidable. That is above average. That is, that is unique to him. And, and I, it gave me a healthy chip, you know, so, so, and I, and for the people who are listening, who, you know, who do have, you know, that doesn't feel like they can change their circumstances with the way they think or they feel just hold on, just endure, endure, you know, look at things differently, challenge yourself to look at things as the glass half full, challenge yourself to think four steps ahead. Think your way through it. Like now we have so many tools. We have so much information. There's a lot of misinformation out there, but there's, but there's so much information to, to be curious, find something that you, that does resonate with you. Even if it's not in the world that you ever thought you would be in, find something that you align with. And cause everybody aligns with something and that's not an excuse. I'm going to, I'm willing to take from anybody, you know, align with something and find your, find your positivity, find your intuition within that thing and, and, and be obsessed about it. What have you been obsessed with lately? Like, what would you say is the thing you're most obsessed with right now or, or that you have been in the past couple of years that is kind of. Just man, I've been obsessed with getting my team, right. I've been obsessed with getting the right personnel on the right brain frequency and getting everybody on the same page to, to accomplish these things that we need to go accomplish, because I truly believe it's going to be better for everyone. I think it's really going to make an impact, you know? And, and so there's, there's a, there's a obsessiveness that you've got to have to over-communicate, to follow up, to be redundant, to be consistent, you know, that you need. And, and I'm obsessed about it, you know, strengthening my family. I'm obsessed over it, you know, to lead by example, you know, and break generational trauma and curses. I'm obsessed over it. And I'm obsessed over every project that I lend myself to. So this next movie that me and Ryan's doing, I'm literally, you know, I'm growing all my stuff out, you know what I mean? My hair and stuff is out now. I'm becoming obsessed with it, you know, and that character. And it's, it's a, it's an addictive feeling to have a thought and see it come to fruition, to create something out of, out of, you know, out of an, from an idea. And to be persistent and to see it and to manifest it, you know, manifestation. I just love it. You know what I mean? It's cool. So, so that's something that I've been, I've been really, really locked in with. And I think it's also something that is going to help people. You know, there's, there's always a, I don't want anything that's not multi-hyphenate. I want, I want anything that I'm involved in. It has to have layers to it. You know, how do you help? How do you educate? What's the leave behind? What blueprint am I leaving for the next generation? You know, I got a nephew now, you know, that is looking up at me constantly. Yes, because of height, but also because of the example, you know, and he's mimicking everything I do. You're mimicking anything. I can say something, do something, I can sit a certain type of way. He's doing it too. Crazy. So it clarifies your intention when you do things because you want it to have, you know, purpose and intention, you know? So those are the things, and I'm obsessed with being the best version of myself. And that's a daily thing, you know? And some days are better than others. Finding my, myself in a world where there's so many seen opinions about yourself, when everybody's telling you who and what you are, you know, learning how to live, you know, growing up and then like, and it's so wild. I've been doing this for 25 years straight, you know? And that's a wild thing to think about. But man, more than half of my life has been my identity was been through the work that I've been doing and growing up in with, you know, social media, what didn't exist. Now it does at a point where I'm old enough to understand what that can do. So I'm obsessed with finding myself now after and not having to prove anything to anybody other than myself and my family, you know, really myself and realizing that that is enough. You know what I'm saying? Like that, like giving your best is enough. And sometimes we lose track of that, you know? And, and yeah. So for anybody out there, you know, you're enough, man. How have you been able to learn how to sense or understand whether someone's on that same brain wave and as you said, or brain energy as you are, and, and has that same value set that you have? I think it's a lot of conversations and, and, and sometimes trial and error. I think my, my intuition and my gut is the first, you know, litmus test is the first kind of line of defense, you know, that I, that I have of like energies vibe, you know what I'm saying? Like, okay, that, that, that, that you feel on par, how, you know, how you answer a question. What are the things that you're saying? You know, are you speaking from ego? Are you speaking about, you know, what, what is the, what is the thing? You know, you, you, you know, we're used to, we meet so many people, we have to use quick judgments and who gets our time, you know, who do you open up to, who do you not? And I think when it comes to building into a team, especially nowadays, you're coming into something that's, that's well oiled. You're coming into a machine already. So you have to fit, not just with me, but you have to kind of fit with everybody. You know, you, you, you have to know how to communicate the things you need to know how to communicate to you. You have to, the, the ego is something that can get in a lot of people's way when joining a team and joining something that's already really established. And I think, I think I'm coming to a place of learning and listening is really important and not taking things personally. I think, I think and then it's something to the people that's already been in the team to understand that there's going to be additions and there is a process of, there's an onboarding, there's a welcome, there's a thing that you have to, to bring people into the fold in a way to get the best out of them. So I think there's been, there's been those learning things along the way. That's really, that really helped me identify people who, that fit and work well within the circle, you know? And, and yeah, I think that's been my, my kind of process thus far. And then, yeah, I always want to create an environment where people want to be. Yeah. You know, you're not here for a check. Yeah. You're here because you believe in what we're doing and what we want to do. And I'm pretty transparent about those things, you know? So, so I think, I think just being extremely transparent and forward with those things and, and, and know that it's nothing personal. This isn't it, you know? Like I'm, I'm the best, I'm the, I'm the guy that's always going to give you a great recommendation. You know what I mean? Like I'm, I want, I want people to win. Yeah. You know, at the end of the day, I want people to win and, and seeing somebody in their strengths, you know, and being like, okay, I can, I can use that, that this, this, this would be helpful in this way. And if that works out, it works out. And if not, then man, man, I want to see you do well. Yeah. I love that. Yeah. We, I remember years ago, I was listening to Eric Schmidt, who is the CEO of Google for a bit. Yeah. And he was talking about how they were looking for smart creatives. And I love that, that they had two words that kind of summed up what they look for. They, they look for people who are smart creatives. And for me, it became humble champions. I was like, I want humble winners. I want, I want the people who can, who want to win and have that ambition, but are able to put their ego aside because then we're going to speed up getting there because the thing that slows you down from winning is ego. Like the thing that stops you from passing the ball is ego or, you know, bowing out and saying, it's your turn is ego. And so, but, but you still have to have that champion mindset because it isn't just about, oh yeah, no, no, no, you do your thing. Like, and that was a big thing. And then the other thing that worked for me was I was like, I need to work with people that I could go to breakfast, lunch, or dinner with if we didn't work together. Do I actually want to go to breakfast, lunch, and dinner with this person? Because I probably will be when I'm traveling or on the road. That means I like spending time with them, which means I'm happy to coach them. And I'm happy to learn from them. Whereas if I don't want to, and initially I was like that, I used to just hire people who are great at what they did. We didn't really have chemistry. Like we didn't, we didn't, we couldn't hang out. And that wasn't because they were wrong. It was also because I wasn't aware. And then of course, yeah, the mission, the purpose is, I mean, that's core and central. Because even for you, I mean, you're spending time from your family where, you know, your team becomes your extended family. They, they, they are your family. You're eating, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You know, like there's, there's a part of you that, you know, it has to feel like I'm getting a little bit of my family here. And if it's not that, you know, it's really hard for me, you know? And obviously like, you know, you have a bigger company and there's employees and you're not going to be as personal with everybody within the company. You know, you're not having breakfast, lunch and dinner with everybody. But, but there's a, there's a, there's a feeling of, you know, I don't mind on a Sunday, everybody at my house watching the game, spending time. Cause that's when not the nine to five time to be creative or the nine to five time to do the job. That's the, that's the extra mile. That's the, oh, I had this idea and I was just thinking, oh, oh, we're looking at something together. And this would be great though. The best ideas sometimes come from those just hangout moments and those moments where you're just spending time with, with, uh, with people that you work with. So yeah, I think that, yeah, you're right. That's, that's really important. Yeah, for sure. When I, before the obsession point that came up, which, which was fascinating, I'm glad I asked you that. And you went, you went into it, you're talking about like, you know, you, you live in an industry and you talked about social media, where people have an opinion of you, people, people, even an opinion is that people have a lens because they've seen you in a particular light. And I was wondering like, what do you think something that people get right about you? And what's something that people sometimes get wrong about you? Like, what, what do you feel like when it comes to that? Like, I'll tell you mine, like, I feel like for me, a lot of people think that I get like often because of what I teach and what I'm sharing and what I'm guiding. It's like, oh, well, Jay must get everything perfect all the time. And like, you know, he's like super deep and like always just saying profound things. And, and that's not true, obviously, because as much as that is who I am and that is my heart, I'm not always like that. Like I have, I have bad days, I have bad moods, I have off days, I have days when I'm not feeling that way. Right. And so that's, that's something that people get wrong about me sometimes in the, in that perception because, but I'm dedicated to this work. I'm obsessed with it. I'm obsessed with being better, but that doesn't remove me from having flaws and weaknesses. And, and so, yeah, yeah. You should do a blooper reel. You should do a blooper outtake reel of those moments. You have your team catch you in these little moments and you should put one out. That'll be fun. That'll be fun. That'll be fun. I like that. I like that. That'd be a good one. I think for me, it's like, I think I've intentionally stayed out the way so much where I'm not giving anybody any, anything to go off of other than what I want you to know. You know, I think, I think that's been it for a long time. I've always had the approach of like not speaking on things and not giving them life. You know, there's, there's, there's going to be perspectives and there's things about you that just aren't true. Do you, do you care to correct somebody or not? You know, cause most of the time people's minds are made up no matter what you say it is, what it's going to be, you know, stay out the comment section. You know what I mean? You get some great entertainment in there, but then you can get a lot of stuff that is just people who want to project the thing that's going to get the most attention and the issue that I have with a lot of that is they can be completely false. And we have a industry of, we were talking earlier, the lack of journalism, the skill of that, that will run with those things, knowing that there is no basis to them. But now that's a narrative that's attached to you, that you have to be strong enough and strong minded enough to knowing it's not true or this human nature feeling of wanting to know that's not true. I want people to know this about me. And I've always walked on that line of, you know, not caring, trying not to care and knowing that I'm enough and knowing my truth and the people who know me, know me, you know, I am about my community and my people, you know, wholeheartedly and a lot of the choices that I make and the things that I want to do and be a part of is in service of that bigger picture, you know, of helping that, you know, my community in a big way. So I think the biggest thing sometimes if they ever feel like that they're not my top priority is maybe one of the biggest misconceptions. You know, the love I have for my community, regardless of people's approach, I think everybody has a different strategy and approach to how they affect and make change. Everybody, it doesn't all look the same. And because it may not be typical or the average voice, because the package is different and the craft and my field is different. So I have a different set of boundaries that exist in my lane that I maneuver with that in and out of like, I love playing chess. I love, I love, I love strategy. I love, I love reverse engineering and building things. So I think, I think that's one of the biggest things. And, you know, sometimes ignorance and a laugh or a joke or a like, or a thing, we've encouraged the behavior of negativity and things and loudness is the thing. And that's just not what, that's not what I'm into. I'm into the love of things. I'm into the humanity and bringing people together the best way. And also I'm human. Yeah, no, I appreciate that. I mean, I also think we've put a false pressure on the definition of authenticity, meaning you share everything with everyone. And I'm not sure I vibe with that definition because I think authenticity by nature is you sharing what you feel comfortable with each person, right? That's what it means to be authentic. And you could argue that authentic just means being however you want to be in any given situation. And so I think there has become a false pressure of, are you going to show your authentic by showing every part of yourself? And I don't know if that, that triggers anything for you is like, what's the definition of authenticity for you? Or for me, that's what it is, but what is it for you? I think it's, um, but then in hindsight, there's a, there's a piece of it that not even just to go back, but there's, there's also like, maybe that's my insecurity framing what the loudness of the things that I'm most sensitive of. Is this noise somehow? Yeah. It triggers us for a reason. You know what I'm saying? There's some stuff that you just go, oh yeah, yeah, whatever. But it's like, man, like, why does that, why does that bother me so much? Like there's something that there's something about that, that, because I know what that does in the bigger, like, I'm always thinking bigger picture. It's very rarely that I really focus on the thing. It's always about what's the cause of that in a bigger conversation. You know, um, the, the authenticity to me is being able to sleep at night, being able to go talk to my mom and knowing that the people that know me, every fiber of my being, every, my intention knows my heart through and through that they see the same person. They're able to connect with the same energy and the same vibe and the same spirit. My energy has never changed. You know, I think being authentic to that frequency is super important to me, no matter where I go, no matter how I evolve, um, and have to mature and grow up. I want my energy to always feel the same. That's when you meet certain people and it's been years that go by and you pick right back up where you left off. It feels like no time is lost. That energy is never, it's always the same. And I, I love when people I haven't seen in a long time or come at me like, man, whoa, it feels, you know, it's the same. And that, that just lets me know that I'm not losing myself. I'm not losing track of, you know, who I am and where I come from. And, uh, I am always going to be an agent of change, Trojan horse or not, you know what I'm saying? And, and yeah, you're just, and continue to lead by example. You know, I know, I know, um, the path that I'm on isn't easy. You know, sometimes it may look easy, you know, uh, for the successes or whatever, but, but it's, uh, behind closed doors. I'm doing, I'm doing the work. So the future generations have it a little bit easier. We'll have a little bit more tools to use. Um, and they can ask for certain things that won't be like what it'd be almost standard form, you know? And, you know, from my vantage point, I'm able to see a lot of the road blocks that exist within systems, you know, and, and paperwork and precedents. I've been chipping away at those where I can in places. And there's so many, look, I say I a lot in this interview, there's so many people out there doing that type of work, you know, that exists men and women in these places that are breaking down doors that are chipping away. It's like Shawshank Redemption, you know, grab rock at a time, gravel at a time, you know, eventually that hole is going to be open. You know what I'm saying? Eventually it's going to be open, but just chipping away. And unfortunately, everybody can't be the loudest one in the room. You know, gotta be, sometimes you gotta be the quiet guy in the room, gotta listen and look and pay attention and, and, and move how you need to move the chess pieces. They have different rules and different movements for a reason, you know, and they're on the board in different places for a reason. And, and, uh, I know my place on the board. And I think that's, that's what it comes down to. Right. It's like, I appreciate you bringing out that point around how things that trigger us, give us somewhere to focus on, you know, within ourselves. Like I feel like that too. Like, I'm like, there's certain things that just don't phase me at all. And I can look like the most detached guy and like, I'm, you know, I'm bulletproof and there's something that gets through that vest and, and, you know, it's because there's a part of it that feels true. And there's a part of you that you've allowed for it to feel true because it could be that you are, there's, there's a part of your self-esteem you haven't worked on. There's, there's something you took from your childhood and made true for you. And now when someone else says it and you didn't even know where it came from, but, you know, I was talking to a friend the other day and we were talking about how one of his mentors was letting him down. And we discovered in that I've been friends with this guy for like 20 years. We're best mates. And it was like 20 years later, we figured out that he'd made his mentor, his father figure. Okay. And he didn't really put two and two together until just now. And neither did I for him. And he was like, wait a minute. No wonder I'm feeling so much pain with this mentor of mine, because I'd made him a father figure and gone through that feeling of he's Superman. And now realizing he's not, even though I'm a 40 year old man. And so it's just so interesting how the stuff that gets under our skin, it can just be hidden there and it gets stale and stuck. And then you don't look at it because you're like, oh no, no, it's nothing. It's nothing. But at one point when you feel safe enough, you have to kind of like look under the hood and go, you know, why is that there? But coming on to the point you were just making around paving the way for others and setting an example and the responsibility that comes with. And like you said, there's so many people doing that. I feel like, how would you define your current purpose? Like how do you define with everything you're doing? Because you talked about purpose being a big thing for you. And you talk about the mission of your company. Like what is the purpose of that work? Which doors are you trying to open? Which paperwork are you trying to shift? What systems are you trying to affect? I think I have my purpose right now. Yeah. That's what I mean. Yeah. I think I have a chapter 25 years acting, producing, being in front of the camera, being talent, learning so much about the world, about myself, about the industry. I think being a representative from my community in a way that places that a black actor hasn't gone. Obviously you have the greats, you have the Wills and the Denzels, you know what I'm saying? That I look up to in a big way that through their talent, the business and the craft has extended to a new height. So they've opened up doors for me that I didn't even know was possible. Now it's like, oh wow, now we have this and that. Now I could do that and do that. So they've kicked the door down in a way that's internally grateful. So leading by example is a big purpose for people to be able to see it. It was big for me to see it and think that I can do it too. So there's that part of it. There's the business side of things that I've got an opportunity to learn from investing your money. What do you do with the savings and the things that you do have? I'm a big sports guy. I've always wanted to own a team. I'm competitive. I wanted to be involved in that environment, that energy of sports and found a football team in Bournemouth. Soccer, as in football in my world. Yeah, football in your world, but soccer. I've literally had to bite my... I cannot say soccer anymore. You gotta say football. Yeah, you gotta say football. Great partner, Bill Foley, and he owns the Las Vegas Golden Knights and really trying to turn that program around and just amplify it in a big way, but learning how to invest in those things. Oh, there's going to be a new stadium. Oh, there's opportunity to invest in real estate. Oh, wow. Now you invest in real estate and something that's going to be around for however many year lease and this and that. Okay, cool. I could take that. Oh, wow. Invested in, started a JV for underneath an umbrella company to have your own product. And then from there you can create another JV. Oh, you can invest capital. Oh, you can have a venture fund. Oh, snap. Okay, wow. This is a whole other game. This is a whole other nuance of acquisitions and investment and capital that I never even knew exist. I'm used to W9 forms and taxes. You know what I'm saying? On the talent side, there's a whole other game to be played. And taking that information, just the information that that exists and what that would do to the next generation, knowing what's available to him, knowing that there's other ways to maximize my brand, your brand, creating things, ownership of things as streamers and studios. And there's so many other platforms that people are content crazy. Podcasts, it's become a business as well, a new venture that people will be able to monetize their own following, their own likeness in a real way. Retirement, what does that look like really? A will, leaving a will behind, like what? There's things that you just don't get taught. So I've stumbled upon it, these things within my success and my intuition and my partnerships and my relationships. But again, it goes back to the why me, this one guy that has gotten access to all these things. And my man over here, my guy over there, you guys would never know about none of these things because of how whatever your life path has taken you has not been in these areas or nobody's had the opportunity to say those things to you. So I put that on me as a purpose to be able to give that information, you know, in a real way. That's real. And identify the, you know, people that are hungry enough and, you know, that want it, you know, that want it, they got to want it and they got to be up. Then come on, let's go figure it out. All right, let me, let me, let me figure out how to help set you up with the right people. So you got the right conversations, you know, and then you also got to be careful who you help too. You know, you can't, you know, you want to help everybody, but you can't help everybody. But you can leave a blueprint for everyone. You know, sometimes that's all a person should need sometimes is seeing it and being in the thought. Then you got to leave it on the person to do their, their part of the work, to lift that part of the weight, to put on that burden, to go do that for themselves, their family, their, their, their, their people within their, their circle and stuff. Yeah. Like, is there a lesson that you learned recently that you're like, I wish I learned this one earlier? I think being unapologetically honest with what you want and that, and that goes across the board. I was trying to think of something that kind of crossed the board. If you can communicate your truth and, and, and not worry so much about how somebody is going to react to what you say, because a lot of times the fear of how somebody is going to react to what you're, you really want to say is what stops you from saying it sometimes. And you find another way or you put it off or you don't say it. And then maybe the situation doesn't change and you get frustrated and upset with why this thing doesn't change because you kind of, maybe you might not have said it the way you wanted to say it, you know, and I think there's a, you know, a way to be unapologetically and still be respectful and speak your truth. If I think I would have done that earlier, I would have been further along in relationships that I have with people I care about and, and, and not intimately. I mean, I mean, I mean, across the board, work relationships, business, family, female friends, you know, whatever it may have been, I think being honest with, with, with where you stand and how you feel, it's really giving another person an option and opportunity to be as honest with you. And whatever your fear of that is of that outcome is never really as big as what you make it up to be, you know, it's really not that. So I would say, I would say maybe just being, being, being honest and, and living with the results, you know, and tomorrow is not promised to anyone, but time will move on. You know, you will move past it.