[00:00:00] Speaker A: I'm Lila Rhee.
[00:00:01] Speaker B: And I'm Nick B.
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Listen, we're just two single girls from the city of Roses discussing all things love, lust, and perception.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: And roses are a symbol of all things beautiful about love.
[00:00:11] Speaker A: But as you know, love can get a little dirty. So we're here to talk about it.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: Dirty Roses podcast starts now.
[00:00:18] Speaker A: Hey, I'm Lilaree.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: And I'm Nick B.
[00:00:20] Speaker A: And welcome to Dirty Roses Podcast. Welcome. Today we are bringing in one of our amazing friends that you've heard us reference many times. And he's going to kill us for saying this.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: For the name that I love.
[00:00:32] Speaker A: The name that you love and that you. You say cuz you made.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: Listen, y' all, welcome to the life. The legend, Mr.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: Popcorn Poppy. The Popcorn Poppy. Y' all see the sh. Okay, listen.
[00:00:46] Speaker B: Listen.
[00:00:47] Speaker A: Okay. So again, no story needed here, but I'm talking about. We're talking about like a P.O. portland living legend here. We're saying businessman, entrepreneur. We're like philanthropist, music publisher, multiple business owning ass, having property management. Like, when I say he's gonna make.
[00:01:07] Speaker B: Him my mentor, listen, he doesn't know it.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: I was like, can we have a meeting? And he was like, sure, what's it about? I said, I'll tell you when we get there. You know, like, he's like, okay, I've got 15 meetings and you got 15 minutes.
And I'd be. I'd be bugging him. I'm like, I'm a whole bugaboo. But he is out here doing big things. And, well, we have now, like, we're kind of calling him the jack of all trades. Like, you know, he's out here helping people invest in themselves and invest in their businesses, their properties. So we talking about how to invest in yourself, make you a high value person. Because, you know, despite your stature, a little popcorn poppiness, he's high value, but.
[00:01:43] Speaker B: Not only just jack of all trades, but he's mastered them all.
[00:01:46] Speaker A: You know, you hear the phrase listen.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: We talking about you got platinum plaques on your wall. Okay, you talking about I am mastered.
[00:01:54] Speaker C: I appreciate it.
[00:01:55] Speaker A: Listen, you doing big things.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: We're not just trying to gas you up.
[00:01:58] Speaker A: This is really for real. For real. I appreciate it. We trying to be like you when we grow up.
[00:02:03] Speaker B: Five more years.
[00:02:04] Speaker A: Five.
He's gonna be like, I'm never coming back again. Because you guys have absolutely clowned me in the first two minutes of your episode.
[00:02:12] Speaker C: I expected it, though. I knew it was coming. I knew it was coming.
[00:02:15] Speaker A: What to expect when you come on Dirty Roses podcast But we are so happy to have you here, and we are excited to learn more about what you do.
Tell us about your businesses and business ventures and projects that you have going on right now.
[00:02:28] Speaker C: Firstly, I appreciate you guys inviting me out. It's an honor to be here with you guys. It's been a long time coming.
[00:02:35] Speaker A: We've been begging for this for a minute.
[00:02:37] Speaker C: We got here today. I appreciate it.
Currently, I'm the chairperson at Ferguson Consulting and Publishing.
[00:02:45] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:02:45] Speaker C: And we have a few entities like Joe Brown's, Caramel Corn, the North Bar.
We also have Portland Kid Publishing, and then I have Ferguson Realty as well.
[00:02:58] Speaker A: Geez. Okay, so Kid Publishing. What is that?
[00:03:01] Speaker C: Portland Kid Publishing.
[00:03:02] Speaker A: Portland Kid. Okay. I was like, is this, like, children's books? It's like kids bop. What are we doing?
[00:03:07] Speaker C: I just named it Portland Kid.
[00:03:09] Speaker A: Okay, got you. Okay.
[00:03:10] Speaker C: Just kind of give us some recognition when people see it across the country, across the world.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: Love it. Okay, so what do each of these businesses do, though?
[00:03:18] Speaker C: So the realty company handles real estate.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:03:21] Speaker C: The publishing company handles anything that has to do with my music catalog.
[00:03:25] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:03:26] Speaker C: Joe Brown's is, you know, we know.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: Popcorn for those of you that are not in Portland, because we. We do get watched all over the world.
We have a local company here that is, like, since 1960.
[00:03:38] Speaker C: We've been in business since 1932, but we've been in the mall since 1960.
[00:03:42] Speaker A: Okay, got you. And so Caramel corn. Listen, that organ style.
[00:03:48] Speaker C: Appreciate it. Appreciate it.
[00:03:49] Speaker A: I've been making my own combinations up.
[00:03:50] Speaker C: I.
[00:03:51] Speaker B: Can I get two looking for it?
[00:03:52] Speaker C: Yeah. We ship all across the world. Actually, we should probably.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: We need a dirty Roses blend.
[00:03:58] Speaker C: Let's work it out.
[00:03:59] Speaker A: Wink, wink.
[00:03:59] Speaker C: We can figure it out.
[00:04:01] Speaker B: What was the very first venture you started with? Where did. What was your first.
[00:04:05] Speaker C: First venture, period, Ever, Period? Yeah, real estate. That's where my bread and butter is.
So everything that I've achieved has been on the back of real estate.
[00:04:14] Speaker B: And is that you selling homes? Are you the broker? Are you the agent? Are you everything?
[00:04:19] Speaker C: Yeah, I've had a long career, so I pretty much played all of those roles.
[00:04:23] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:04:23] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:04:24] Speaker A: So if I wanted to buy a.
[00:04:25] Speaker C: House, I could help you right now.
[00:04:26] Speaker A: Oh, boom.
[00:04:27] Speaker B: So when you know.
[00:04:29] Speaker A: Hold on. You didn't peep the way he said it, too. He said, I can help you right.
[00:04:36] Speaker C: Now.
[00:04:37] Speaker B: Let me call your credit girl.
[00:04:38] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: Like, never mind.
I pulled it.
[00:04:43] Speaker A: It's the next business venture. Credit repair.
[00:04:46] Speaker C: I think they have enough of that going on.
[00:04:48] Speaker A: Listen, listen. Every other porting in town, you know what I'm saying? They all got pretty. Go ahead.
[00:04:53] Speaker C: Yeah, no, I'm gonna stick Lane.
[00:04:55] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. But okay, so I don't know if you watch any real estate shows, but I watch a lot of, you know, like the selling sunsets and those really high.
[00:05:04] Speaker A: Listen, when she's dating somebody or trying to date somebody, she will absolutely Zillow their home. Yeah, don't give me your she's out of pocket.
[00:05:13] Speaker B: But is.
Is it. Is it that smooth, like getting people into their homes that like you see.
[00:05:19] Speaker C: On tv, it just seems absolutely not. And a lot of those shows, they show how it's not smooth.
It's quite. It's, you know, it's definitely not an event. More of a process.
And the more your client understands that, the easier it is. Usually in process, I've also ventured into commercial, you know, so that's a lot lengthier process, but, you know, the pay is a lot better as well.
[00:05:42] Speaker B: Oh, and are you self taught or like, how did you learn this?
[00:05:44] Speaker C: You know, believe it or not, I am somewhat. You can't be self taught. You have to go to school, you have to get licensed in order to be a realtor.
But I started after I bought my first home.
I was like this goofball. I was looking for some transitions. You know, I've had some transitions in life. So this was one of those first transitions kind of coming out of what I would call my kitty phase of life, you know, where you kind of run the streets and do stupid shit.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: What was that kitty phase like?
[00:06:13] Speaker C: I'm going to that. So if you ask me a question, let me go ahead and finish that out.
[00:06:16] Speaker B: So anyway, let's finish that out.
[00:06:20] Speaker C: The guy that took me out, he. Let's see, I think he took me out three times, a total of three hours. The last time I found the place, we found the place and I looked at the commission, it was like 14 grand. So I just like, you know, that's like three hours worth of work for 14 grand. I think I can do that. Maybe some back work. You know, I learned afterwards. There's a little bit more that goes on, paperwork wise, however, you know, I asked him, where can I, you know, where can I go to school and do this? And I did. And that was like 2004.
[00:06:50] Speaker A: Oh, wow.
[00:06:51] Speaker C: So I've held a license here in Oregon and Washington since 04.
[00:06:54] Speaker A: 21 years. Is that is my math right? Okay. Oh, jeez. All right. That's about a long. My marriage last.
[00:07:02] Speaker C: Oh, Lord.
[00:07:04] Speaker B: But you, you have to renew every year or is it good for, like.
[00:07:07] Speaker C: Every two years on your birthday, you renew so you don't forget.
[00:07:10] Speaker A: Oh, that's hilarious. Or make sure your ID and your. Your realtor license got okay. So with all of that, then, did you always want to be an entrepreneur or did you, like, were you want to be, like, a career corporate person?
[00:07:25] Speaker C: Yeah, I've always been an entrepreneur. I think it's something that's in you. It's just so hard and complicated. Yeah, you have to, like, you have to be born with this kind of skin. It's not glamorous by any facet. You know, it's a lot of grinding, a lot of lonely times, a lot of misunderstood times.
So it's not something that you can. I don't think that you can just be you or. Excuse me, become. You have to be.
[00:07:51] Speaker A: I know we. A lot of people have, like, this thing on social media. They're like, not everybody's an entrepreneur. Like, and everybody's, like, trying to push it. Like, go be your own boss, and you ain't doing nothing if you ain't out here, you know? Like, they try to really push entrepreneurship on everybody.
[00:08:03] Speaker C: I know.
[00:08:03] Speaker A: And not you, but, you know, but like, this society and social media and all the things, like, it's the popular thing, and I'm like, it's not a thing thing that's for popularity, because if you're not built for it, you're not gonna last. And you're gonna be a serial entrepreneur because you're always gonna be looking for the next thing to work. And I really. I despise that. That thought. Hey, because if I'm an entrepreneur and you're an entrepreneur, how I need a consumer. I need someone that's gonna be, like, buying my stuff and helping me be my entrepreneur best. So for those people that want to be entrepreneurs, like, what is the.
The thing that you say? Like, that's how I know I got it. Or that's how, you know, you. You're built for this.
[00:08:39] Speaker C: I guess I'd say it's a combination of really being steadfast, being okay with being misunderstood. And in order to be a. What I call a real entrepreneur, you have to have great foresight. You know what I mean? And everybody. That's not everybody's specialty. I think that's. That was my gift.
I feel like I have great foresight. I kind of feel like I know where people should be and things should be and pretty. Pretty good at forecasting.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:09:14] Speaker C: So if you're an entrepreneur, you have to exist in spaces that aren't already there.
So if you are capable of doing that and being comfortable, being uncomfortable, then it's for you. But it's a lot easier said than done.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: That's facts.
[00:09:30] Speaker B: No, I know that's right. I'm actually in the process of dissolving my business.
So what do you say to the entrepreneur that is interested in having their own business but not ready to leave the consistency of a corporate paycheck? That's been my biggest issue, is like, I'll have my own little side business. And I know that I could probably go further with it if I were focused more on only it. But I'm like, oh, but this paycheck that I get every two weeks, which I can count on, and that is also supported supporting my business. I'm just sort of like, how do I walk away from that? That's always been my issue.
[00:10:09] Speaker C: And again, to be quite frank with you, like, that's the difference. That's. And I don't mean any different.
That's what qualifies an entrepreneur.
[00:10:21] Speaker B: Because I'm not a risk taker and I know that. And I'm like, that's absolutely been my downfalls. I'd rather do the safe thing because.
[00:10:28] Speaker C: I like most people. And there's nothing wrong with that. Like you said, we need people with consistency. We need people to execute those plans, all of that. However, without that component, it's going to be. It's really hard to just take on that entrepreneurial spirit. You have to be a super risk taker. You have to be willing to eat ramen and live out your car, whatever it takes. You know what I mean? And if you don't have that type of fortitude, it's like, find something. And there's no. You can have a side hustle. There's nothing you don't keep your job, continue to. Yeah, you got side hustles. Continue to work your job. There's nothing wrong with that. I always say, just find something that you can invest in that you can make money in when you're not, you know, when you sleep. Other than that, I mean, there's nothing wrong with having an everyday Dynafi.
[00:11:11] Speaker A: Right.
[00:11:12] Speaker B: And so I take it you're an investor too. Stocks, all bonds.
[00:11:14] Speaker C: Well, when you're an entrepreneur, that's pretty much what you are. You're an investor. I don't have the wherewithal to sit and execute everything that I put together. I have to have really good people around me. But that's the part about Having good foresight and just kind of understanding, you know, being older, I have a lot of time put into it, so I've seen a lot. I understand patterns, I understand things like that. So that helps it, it helps you forecast a lot easier. So without that, that kind of skill set is probably, you know, it's a lot harder. And so that's just something that's, you can't just acquire that. You have to like spend time developing that and being in it.
[00:11:55] Speaker A: Yeah, you mentioned, like, you have a really good team and you have people around you that are really good. How do you vet people and how do you allow people into your space that you trust with your business and your personal. Because I know there's probably overlap with all the things that you do.
[00:12:07] Speaker C: It is, it is, but you just, you know, there's no way to escape being around shitty people, you know, I mean, it's just part of the game.
[00:12:17] Speaker A: Right?
[00:12:18] Speaker C: So you're gonna have to go through that. You're gonna have to learn to eliminate, again, foresight forecasting.
I've seen some patterns already where that's not going to work for me. So you just, it becomes a lot easier for you. And essentially you're wrong. Sometimes I'm okay being wrong when it comes.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: How involved are you in hiring your team? So I know you're obviously the one at the top who ultimately like makes final decisions, but do you have a team that you've already entrusted to say, hey, this would be a great assistant for you? Or this person would be wonderful to help you here? Or is that all you and only you?
[00:12:58] Speaker C: It's a little both. You know, I don't, I don't do everyday hiring.
[00:13:04] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:13:04] Speaker C: But when it comes to people who are going to be kind of intrinsic parts of the system, then I, you know, I want to say so.
[00:13:11] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. The way that I had to chase him down so we could get that code for the other building.
This is why I need an assistant.
[00:13:18] Speaker C: So that's the personal side when it comes to businesses. I have all kind of people that can help me.
[00:13:23] Speaker B: But let you into the building, that's like, that's different.
[00:13:25] Speaker C: Whoa, that's almost, That's a lot said.
[00:13:29] Speaker A: You asking for a whole lot right.
[00:13:31] Speaker C: Now, you know, you know, but I worked it out, didn't I?
[00:13:36] Speaker A: You know what you did? Got your little lock box and you were like, here's the code. Don't talk to me again until you're done.
[00:13:40] Speaker C: I didn't say it like that.
I was just saying you got what.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: You Did I don't see your name come across my cell phone for the next week.
[00:13:48] Speaker A: I'll be good.
[00:13:48] Speaker C: Y' all want people, though, you know, my cell phone, it gets ignored a lot. So.
[00:13:53] Speaker A: Yeah, until 2:00 clock. Right after 2:00 clock, only person you'd be special if it answered the phone or responds to a text before 2 o' clock. That's like a miracle.
[00:14:02] Speaker B: I imagine that's gotta be for certain people, though. I mean, not everybody operates after two.
[00:14:08] Speaker C: I mean, it's not. And that's not even true. That's her exaggerating.
[00:14:11] Speaker B: Oh, gosh.
[00:14:12] Speaker C: Totally exaggerated.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: Making up.
[00:14:13] Speaker C: What I do is every day I take time for myself. That's just all. So that it varies when that is. And when that happens, I'm not answering the phone. I don't want to be bothered. I'm just like. Like I said, I'm getting older. I've been working my ass off for a couple decades.
[00:14:26] Speaker A: Right.
[00:14:27] Speaker C: So it's just I'm slowing down. You know, I've had the same number for 20 years, so you can imagine how many people have it. So it just doesn't control.
[00:14:35] Speaker A: Yeah. What does self care look like? Because with all the businesses that you do, like, I can imagine that you absolutely have to have like a regimen of scheduled time.
[00:14:42] Speaker B: Meditate.
[00:14:43] Speaker C: Yeah, I meditate and I try to exercise. I have a little exercise room at home, couple gym memberships. So for me, that's really what it is. Trying to keep the heart moving good and the lungs moving good. You know, sometimes, you know.
[00:14:56] Speaker A: Got it.
[00:14:57] Speaker C: You lose some weight, sometimes you gain some weight. It is what it is.
[00:15:00] Speaker B: I mean, if I worked at the popcorn shop, listen, I'd be eating those chocolate gummy bears, first of all.
[00:15:04] Speaker C: Listen, that's why I don't work here.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Cause I walked right in and said, listen, let me get a half pound.
[00:15:10] Speaker C: Of chocolate gummy bears.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Probably the only person that buys them.
[00:15:13] Speaker C: No, it's some people. Trust me. Them too. Joints go, yo. Every time I can see. Yeah. It, you know, the candy over here is. Yeah.
[00:15:21] Speaker A: And then having the spot at one time next to your lounge.
[00:15:25] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:25] Speaker A: Oh, my God.
[00:15:25] Speaker C: I'm working on that again. So we, you know. Yeah.
[00:15:28] Speaker A: So that's coming up. But definitely was fire.
[00:15:30] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:31] Speaker B: Do you now? I realize that you probably enjoy all aspects of business, but do you enjoy working on one type of project more than another? Like, if you could say I'm only able to do one area of entrepreneurship, I would do real estate or I would do restaurants and lounge or you know, what would it be?
[00:15:51] Speaker C: So financially, it would be real estate, passion wise. It would be music.
[00:15:56] Speaker B: Music.
[00:15:58] Speaker C: I've been in music. I used to rap and I got CDs and all kinds of.
[00:16:01] Speaker B: Wait a minute.
[00:16:02] Speaker A: When I say jack of all trades.
[00:16:04] Speaker C: Hold up.
[00:16:04] Speaker B: You got CDs.
[00:16:05] Speaker C: 99 real CDs. Real CDs.
[00:16:11] Speaker A: Some of these CD side.
[00:16:12] Speaker C: It's on Apple Music too. We a. I'll tell y' all that.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: Later though, pulling something up.
[00:16:16] Speaker A: So we're going to put it on real. This is going to be your real. When we do our content later, it's going to be popcorn poppy.
[00:16:21] Speaker B: Do you write your own stuff?
[00:16:22] Speaker C: Back then, yeah, but. Yeah, but now I'm more into publishing.
[00:16:26] Speaker A: Can you freestyle?
[00:16:27] Speaker C: Not. Yeah, at home.
[00:16:30] Speaker A: Like he was about to say, not today. Right. But like not right now. What about dropping bars that you've already written?
[00:16:34] Speaker C: No, no rapping for me these days. Those days are over. But that is. But when I say passion, product is what's enabled me to kind of make the transition to the back a lot easier. I just love music. I always have. I've loved writing. First publishing was in seventh grade, Oakley Green Middle School. Mr. Franklin.
[00:16:54] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:16:54] Speaker C: Voices of Kumba.
Yeah. A little poetry book kind of, you know.
[00:17:00] Speaker A: Oh, that's what's up.
[00:17:01] Speaker C: So I've been intrigued ever since I.
[00:17:02] Speaker B: Was gonna ask you. When you said publishing at first I was thinking books. Is there space for you to publish Written like book. Would you do that too, or is.
[00:17:09] Speaker C: It only material in my catalog?
[00:17:11] Speaker B: Okay, listen, because we trying to write some books, trying to get some stuff published.
[00:17:15] Speaker A: Listen, we about to be the. The dirty popcorn poppies.
[00:17:18] Speaker C: See that popcorn poppy y' all gonna have.
[00:17:21] Speaker A: We gonna. Everybody gonna be saying it now.
[00:17:23] Speaker B: Them ladies gonna be like.
[00:17:31] Speaker C: Y' all funny, man.
[00:17:32] Speaker A: But no. So explain what published music publishing is for those who don't know.
[00:17:37] Speaker C: Well, there's all. Well, publishing is just basically owning the rights to some. Some. Some works of art.
[00:17:44] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:17:46] Speaker C: Usually in order to earn that, you have to kind of be on the financial side and then the guidance side.
[00:17:51] Speaker A: So kind of like how Michael Jackson owned the Beatles writes their music and stuff.
[00:17:54] Speaker C: Publishing. He owned the publishing.
[00:17:56] Speaker A: Right, right. So then he. Whatever. Like, so you make money off of the music or whatever it is. It is.
[00:18:01] Speaker C: Okay, so like that. That platinum record you guys were talking about, like just owning some of the publishing off that. So when it's performed or if it's landed anywhere, you don't have to be a part of that conversation.
[00:18:14] Speaker B: Why would an artist not own Their own work to begin with.
[00:18:20] Speaker C: Well, it's not that they don't. They own parts of it, too. Usually on a song, there's like 300% to divide, if you can kind of.
[00:18:29] Speaker B: How do we get to 300? Because, like, I.
[00:18:31] Speaker A: She's like, yeah, like, I understand the whole pie.
[00:18:34] Speaker B: Right. I understand how we get to the.
[00:18:35] Speaker C: Well, it's a little bit more the intricate parts of it. So essentially, there's 100% of the master.
[00:18:41] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:18:41] Speaker C: There's 100% of the writers and composing side.
[00:18:46] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:18:47] Speaker C: And then the publishing side is in the middle there. So, yeah, essentially it's 300% to divide.
And the master is just. When you put it all together, then the publishing is kind of the ownership of the copyrights, and then you have the person that wrote it and then the person that composed it.
[00:19:05] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:19:05] Speaker C: And sometimes that could be one person.
[00:19:08] Speaker A: True.
[00:19:09] Speaker B: And then. So typically, the person either rapping or singing is just essentially the talent.
[00:19:14] Speaker C: So they're usually a writer. They usually write their own product because they usually don't compose beats. But some people do.
[00:19:19] Speaker A: Drake.
[00:19:20] Speaker C: Yeah, but Drake is a publisher because he essentially buys. Excuse me, he does the work for hire. So as a publisher, a lot of your contracts involve work for hire. So essentially, I'm gonna pay you out for your work, and then I'm gonna have a piece of the ownership. Not credit. Ownership. You have all the credit. It's a big difference.
[00:19:42] Speaker A: Yes, you're right.
[00:19:43] Speaker C: Yeah. I don't take credit for anybody's work, but I just take ownership for what I own.
[00:19:47] Speaker A: That makes sense.
[00:19:48] Speaker B: Do you ever struggle with, I guess, anyone underestimating your skill in negotiation and foresight who you haven't worked with? Is it hard to start working with new people?
[00:20:02] Speaker C: In what facet?
[00:20:02] Speaker B: I guess in every way. I wonder, like, if I were to start up a new business. Do you ever run into people that say, oh, you probably don't know what you're talking about, and then you have to convince anyone.
[00:20:15] Speaker C: So those days are over.
[00:20:17] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:18] Speaker C: Yeah. If I'm not in spaces where I have to do much convincing and not in an arrogant way, I just kind of, you know, I'm in. I exist in spaces where I'm comfortable and where people respect my talent.
[00:20:32] Speaker B: But you said in. Maybe in the beginning it was a challenge.
[00:20:34] Speaker C: Oh. You know, you have to build up a resume. You have to actually show, improve.
You can't just talk the talk.
[00:20:41] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:42] Speaker C: You know, I mean, so I've built up a resume. I've put in the work. Lots of work.
So I kind of demand a certain level of respect when we're doing business. Otherwise, it's just not for me.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:20:55] Speaker B: It makes me wonder, do younger folks look at you and wonder how you get there? Do you mentor? Do you explain that process? Because I know folks, just like you were saying, they have an idea, they have a concept. Oh, I'm gonna start this business with no footwork.
[00:21:09] Speaker C: Well, yeah. So in all facets. Yeah. So in, like music, for instance, a lot of young folks hit me and, you know, what's the formula? Can you put me on? Or all that kind of stuff. And a lot of that's because they've seen some of my work, but they don't understand it's more about their work. I'm looking for your work. At this point, I don't really need anything. You know what I mean? So if you come into me looking for something, then I'm going to want to see what you have or what you're willing to do, what you're willing to sacrifice for your dream or to make it happen.
[00:21:43] Speaker A: That makes sense. What you said that you mentioned that people get to be uncomfortable with being not liked or being, you know, whatever. What is some of the biggest misconceptions that you think people have about you?
[00:21:56] Speaker C: I don't even know. I know I hear stuff all the time, but honestly, I don't really know. I don't have enough time to figure it out.
[00:22:04] Speaker A: Right. With 85 businesses, I don't got time.
[00:22:06] Speaker C: To worry about that. No. That's the least of my worries. And what people say about.
Because you can't control that and people are going to say what they want anyway.
[00:22:14] Speaker B: Would you ever retire?
[00:22:15] Speaker C: I feel like I'm getting. I'm. I'm in a phase where I'm semi there, you know, where. So for me, the rest of Lord will and the rest of my life will be more about kind of picking spaces and then kind of, you know, executing what I already know. I'm not really looking to read any wheels at this point in life. I'll stick in the genres that I'm in.
[00:22:38] Speaker A: That makes sense. How do you balance your work and family life?
[00:22:43] Speaker C: That's a sacrifice. So you honestly. You can't.
[00:22:48] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:48] Speaker C: You can't. You know, I sacrificed my marriage time with my kids.
I sacrificed it all for mine. So sometimes you have to really live with the fact that you did that and live with the.
Live with being comfortable, with being uncomfortable. And that's a really uncomfortable thing that tell yourself or to know it. But when you feel like you put here to do something, you know, you gonna, you gonna go for it or not? And I'm one of those people, I'm gonna go for it. And I've sacrificed a lot.
[00:23:19] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:23:20] Speaker C: So, yeah.
[00:23:21] Speaker A: Do you feel like your family understood the, the sacrifice that you had to make or was it, was there a contention at all ever?
[00:23:29] Speaker C: Well, there's definitely contention, but I've, you know, you know, my kids, you know, I have two boys, they understand now, they're older.
[00:23:37] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:23:38] Speaker C: You know, other than that, you know, when I'm off of this earth, they'll probably appreciate even more some of those.
[00:23:49] Speaker A: Things that you understand later in life after the fact, you'll be like, in the moment, you're like, I just want my dad.
[00:23:53] Speaker C: Yeah. And again, I wasn't, you know, I'm not like a super absent father.
[00:23:57] Speaker A: Right, right, right. No, I'm not saying that at all.
[00:23:59] Speaker C: It's just that some things you have to be willing to sacrifice. And if you want it bad enough, and when you're dealing with a relationship and you're dealing with another adult who has their own perspective on life and their own walks to walk, then you have to be comfortable letting them do that, and they have to be comfortable letting you do that. And sometimes that just means that two people are going to go in opposite directions.
So that happens. That happens again. I, you know, I hate to say it. I wouldn't change it though.
[00:24:30] Speaker A: Right.
[00:24:30] Speaker C: You know, because I still love, you know, my family. My kids are good.
I'm setting up for generations so I'll be comfortable. I'm comfortable looking in the mirror with the decisions I make and the sacrifices I make. Everybody isn't willing to do that, though.
[00:24:46] Speaker B: I was gonna ask, is, is that the only formula? Can you have both? Is, is there a way to balance both or is it just not working for you?
[00:24:54] Speaker C: I'll just, I'm just speaking personally. As you get older, you try to, you figure out that formula a lot better, but you're still sacrifice involved in that. So I just kind of, most of my career, I've.
I've kind of lived with the fact that you're either going to be great or happy.
You know what I mean? And it's really hard to be both.
[00:25:15] Speaker B: And I'm be careful how I ask it because I don't want it to sound regretful, but if you could go back and not have children, would. Would you, knowing that you maybe couldn't have been around as much for your kids because of the path you chose, Would it have been easier to not have kids?
[00:25:36] Speaker C: No. And I don't want to make it seem like I'm not one of those. I'm not like a. I wasn't like an NBA player on the road, you know what I mean? So it's not like, you know, I was with my family. What I mean by those sacrifices is the separation. Like, when I'm there, I'm there. You know what I mean? But just willing. And that's just 50% of marriage is dissolved. So that's really a common thing. So it's not like it's abnormal.
You know, it's not something that you forecast or you don't do it. Of course. But no, I wouldn't. Wouldn't not have the kids. No, no, no, no. They've been good part. And they're like my legacy.
[00:26:09] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:10] Speaker C: They've actually been part of the or a large part of the motivation that you to do those things. I'm like, okay, I can be here now and do this, or I can create this for you for the future. And that motivation is going to push you one way or the other.
[00:26:25] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:25] Speaker A: How old are your kids?
[00:26:27] Speaker C: 19, 25.
[00:26:28] Speaker A: So do you allow them spaces to participate in your business now that they're of those ages?
[00:26:33] Speaker C: Yeah. The oldest is not interested as much. You know what I mean? Which is cool. But my baby, he's in college, still playing ball, but he'll probably be the successor.
[00:26:43] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, that's what's up. So you mentioned that there's a singleness in your. In your life, possibly say that. Okay. I'm putting words.
[00:26:53] Speaker C: I wasn't married.
[00:26:54] Speaker A: So you're not married.
[00:26:55] Speaker B: He's not married right now.
[00:26:55] Speaker A: Not married right now. Okay, so start.
[00:26:58] Speaker C: Don't start.
[00:27:01] Speaker A: I just want to know the listeners.
[00:27:04] Speaker B: Not get in trouble because I want free popcorn.
So I'm be on my best behavior.
[00:27:10] Speaker A: She said, look, I want this organ style and these chocolate gummy bears. You go ahead and get cut off.
Listen, I'm making sacrifices right now.
[00:27:22] Speaker C: Sacrifices. Right. Okay. All right.
[00:27:24] Speaker A: But no, what does that look like dating wise? Like, are you able to enjoy, you know, the perks of what you've created and being able to enjoy those with people? Or, you know, do you kind of just stay to yourself?
[00:27:38] Speaker C: A combination of both.
[00:27:39] Speaker A: He's like. He's like, I'm gonna give you two word answers. Right?
[00:27:42] Speaker B: You pick one combination of both.
[00:27:45] Speaker A: Okay. Okay.
Do you find that women tend to approach you either because of who you are and what you are able to provide, or are there do you find that you get, like, really sincere interest from people?
[00:27:57] Speaker C: Never know. They're both masked the same.
They both. Yeah. They wear the same costume.
[00:28:04] Speaker A: Really?
[00:28:04] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:28:06] Speaker A: Explain that.
[00:28:07] Speaker C: No. Would you get it? Well, I will, actually.
You don't know that. You don't know that.
[00:28:12] Speaker A: Right. Okay.
[00:28:13] Speaker C: You don't know that. You don't know that.
[00:28:14] Speaker A: Right, right.
[00:28:15] Speaker C: You don't know who's there for what. That's just. That's a process.
[00:28:19] Speaker B: It takes time to get to know something.
[00:28:21] Speaker C: You can only wear the mask so long.
[00:28:22] Speaker A: Yeah, right. That's facts. That's facts.
[00:28:24] Speaker B: Okay. I don't know. I would imagine, though, someone who's absolutely got his stuff together, that because there are women that are specifically seeking.
[00:28:35] Speaker C: I know who they are, too.
[00:28:36] Speaker A: Yeah, you can tell.
You can tell.
[00:28:38] Speaker C: But the thing about it is, there's two type of men, successful men. I tend to be very along the lines of, I spend more time making myself attractive rather than trying to attract. And it happens both ways. So I spend a lot of time working on myself, working on the things that women tend to like. And then they come. You know, women are attracted to that.
[00:29:01] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:02] Speaker C: Then there's the man that's constantly trying to attract that, attract that, attract that. That's really not in my nature, you know, so in my space, it's easy to kind of. Easier to kind of cipher who's who.
[00:29:14] Speaker A: That makes sense. That makes sense. What do you find works best in, like, a relationship for someone like you? Is it somebody that supports you and your entrepreneurship businesses, or do you, like. Would you prefer someone that also has their own ambitions and their own things going on?
[00:29:28] Speaker C: It depends on what phase of life you're talking about. Like, in the beginning, I definitely prefer someone to kind of have their own space because I was kind of figuring stuff out.
[00:29:37] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:29:38] Speaker C: At this point in life, my partner has to align with the things that I'm doing.
[00:29:45] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:29:46] Speaker C: You know, and, you know, I need, you know. Yeah, you have to align with what I'm doing because I'm so entrenched in it. You. You're going to have to figure that part out, too.
[00:29:55] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:29:56] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:56] Speaker A: So, like. Because if they're out doing their own thing, it just kind of is.
[00:29:58] Speaker C: No, you can. Do you have your own life?
[00:30:00] Speaker A: Not like that, but I mean, like, if there are investing CEOs. Right.
[00:30:04] Speaker B: Who are responsible for running companies.
[00:30:07] Speaker C: I'm not looking for a CEO. Now, that's. That's definitely. That's a boiling water.
[00:30:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:30:12] Speaker C: Because that's what I do. So my perfect partner is Going to have to understand that and kind of fit in that role to help me navigate those dark spaces or difficult spaces.
So. But in turn, you know, life will be a lot easier for her too.
[00:30:30] Speaker A: But you make that face because you.
[00:30:32] Speaker B: Know, my wheels are turning.
[00:30:33] Speaker C: Go ahead.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: So then while a CEO and a CEO would be a little bit of oil and water situation.
Would you ever be comfortable with someone who is just a housewife? You know, like they don't have. Their only job is to take care of home and take care of you when you come home. Is that.
[00:30:50] Speaker C: That's comfortable. Closer along the lines of what I'm talking about.
[00:30:52] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:30:54] Speaker B: They gonna find you now.
[00:30:56] Speaker C: Yeah, you gotta be able to.
[00:30:57] Speaker B: So I don't gotta do it, even though.
[00:31:00] Speaker C: No, it's a lot of something. No, it's a lot of something. But you have to be, you know, I can like those remedial thing. I had a good mom, so I. I can cook, I can clean, I definitely pay my own bills.
So housewife is more of like again being a good partner to help me navigate through those spaces. But I don't really want my partner to have.
And it may even sound arrogant, whatever is, I don't want my partner to have another boss. You know, like, you can't go.
You know, I can't be wake up one morning, say we're going to Hawaii and then your boss tells you we can't go.
[00:31:36] Speaker A: Oh, that makes sense.
[00:31:38] Speaker C: Never. I'll never. No, no, no, no.
[00:31:40] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:41] Speaker C: So that's. That's kind of along the lines where you have to be able to navigate because then that means his authority is bigger than mine. And I'm like that in my space in life as a, you know, as a. As a man. That, that can't. Those can't.
[00:31:52] Speaker A: No, that makes sense. Because you as an entrepreneur, because you get to set your own schedule, your own times and you can kind of. You've worked really hard to be able to do the things that you want to do.
To have somebody that's bound by regular.
[00:32:04] Speaker C: Not even regular, just somebody else's. Other than I have enough to be able to do that for both of us.
[00:32:09] Speaker A: Right.
[00:32:09] Speaker C: So why would you. If you are that concerned to do that, then we aren't compatible at this point.
[00:32:14] Speaker B: And then also with that, not every job, like, yeah, we all people who work in corporate America, they do have a boss that they answer to. But like I think about my job, if I have the availability to take off, I don't need your permission to take off. I can use my Leave as I see fit. Now, if I don't have it, that's one thing. But there's not gonna be anybody that says, sorry, you can't take off during this period because it's busy season. If I got my time.
[00:32:38] Speaker C: But you know, even with those kind of parameters, that's still tough. Somebody. And again, I don't know. I'm not. But I'm sure somebody can say, ah, not right now.
You know what I'm saying? Like, no, we have something important. I'm sorry I didn't inform you.
[00:32:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:32:55] Speaker C: But no, that's. No, yeah, you know what I mean? And that would just.
[00:33:00] Speaker B: I fly people in from Mexico or whatever it is.
[00:33:03] Speaker C: There's somebody that's going to be able to say, you going have to cancel that one. And so that just doesn't work for.
[00:33:07] Speaker A: Me at this period in life that makes sense. Like I just take my computer and work for where I want to. Like, hey, I'll tell you where I'm at, when I'll get there.
[00:33:15] Speaker C: And I don't even know if I want that. What you doing with that little computer?
What is that? You know what I mean?
[00:33:22] Speaker B: Turn that hospital.
[00:33:22] Speaker A: The world. Is your computer with me.
[00:33:25] Speaker C: Come on, girl.
[00:33:26] Speaker B: Me, baby.
[00:33:27] Speaker C: I'm just saying. What you doing with that computer?
[00:33:29] Speaker A: Look, he making himself sound real enticing right now.
He didn't want to answer these questions, but now look at him. He about to be up here getting. This is like dirty roses dating right now, silly.
[00:33:38] Speaker C: I'm just saying, you know, you.
It's just a requirement. I'm just not interested in what I'm not interested.
[00:33:46] Speaker B: No, but I love that for you. I love that you're in a space that not only can you articulate what you do and don't want, but you know what will and won't work for you. And not everybody has the awareness of what they need to actually say that.
[00:33:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:33:59] Speaker B: And then they find themselves in relationships that aren't working and they can't pinpoint why. And it's because they haven't identified their actual needs in the relationship.
[00:34:07] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's good that you've gotten to a place in your life where you have set yourself up to be able to enjoy still while you're.
[00:34:13] Speaker C: It's part of that sacrifice.
[00:34:14] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:15] Speaker C: You know, I was just praying I made it to these years to be.
[00:34:17] Speaker A: Able to do it. That's facts. What were your examples growing up, like, professionally, financially and like relationship wise? What were your examples?
[00:34:25] Speaker C: That's a big ask there. Let me see Let me start somewhere.
You know what my primal examples, I would say, look, if I wrote a book right now about my early years, it would be the power of what not to do is really what kind of shaped who I am today.
[00:34:45] Speaker A: Okay?
[00:34:46] Speaker C: So a lot of the examples that I.
A lot of the examples I had growing up were strong, strong examples of what not to do, who not to become.
So anything opposite of that kind of works. And that's just kind of how, you know, the earlier years, how I navigated, I had some of the closer people, like my uncles, I have four uncles, you know, they all were on crack. You know what I mean? I had a lot of people in that, that drug era, 80s, 90s, really turned out right. So you see somebody running down the street with your grandma's microwave, you know what I mean? Right. And that was the big ass microwave, you know what I'm saying?
[00:35:26] Speaker A: The big ass Microwave, big back TVs in the microwave, strong as fuck to carry them. Shit.
[00:35:34] Speaker C: You see your uncle running down the street, still running you with your grandma's microwave?
[00:35:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:35:39] Speaker C: You know what I mean? You kind of like, damn, you see your grandma's face and you know, you know, it's just powerful examples of what not to be. So with those examples, I fought hard to be something different, you know, that's good.
[00:35:51] Speaker A: A lot of people either do the exact thing or they do the opposite. Yeah.
[00:35:56] Speaker B: Is it hard then to have compassion for the person that says I can't do different? Because I've never seen different when you are an example of someone who's doing.
[00:36:06] Speaker C: Different than what you saw, maybe earlier. At this point in life, I'm good on compassion. I try to give out as much as I can, you know, So I. And again, at this point in life, I understand a whole lot more. So I'm a whole lot more understanding to people's. The nuances that come up in everybody's life. You know, when you're locked in and you're trying to be great.
Excuses. You don't want to hear that shit. You don't want to, you know, anything that's like off the beaten path, man, fuck that.
So it's just one of those type deals where now I'm a little bit more comfortable in my space where I have room for compassion. But that wasn't always the space. Sometimes it's like, man, fuck all that.
[00:36:44] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm still working on compassion because.
[00:36:46] Speaker C: I'm still, I'm still getting. I have my days.
I have my days where it's definitely not My strong suit, because yet again, as a person who's walked so many paths and been through so much, it's like. I don't want to hear too many excuses.
[00:37:01] Speaker A: Right.
[00:37:01] Speaker C: I was born in a villa.
[00:37:06] Speaker A: For those of you not from Portland, that is our hood.
Kind of.
[00:37:10] Speaker B: Great segue. You have a restaurant or a lounge coming up, both with the name north, though, right?
[00:37:16] Speaker C: Oh, north. Yeah. So, yeah. So is it north or north N O, R F. Huh? Yeah.
[00:37:22] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:37:22] Speaker A: North.
[00:37:23] Speaker C: Yeah. I'll be giving tribute to the north, too.
[00:37:25] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:37:25] Speaker C: So I got some good stuff coming, but, yeah. I recently secured The Grand Central 833 Belmont, the whole.
Pretty much south side of the building. And so I'm gonna segregate. It's about 4,500 square feet. I'm gonna segregate it into two spaces.
Two thirds of it will be the bar and the restaurant for north, and then one third will be good old Joe Brown.
[00:37:51] Speaker B: And I can't wait to check that out, because my very first kiss was in the original Grand Central bowling alley.
[00:37:56] Speaker C: It's still over there. It's still over there.
[00:38:00] Speaker B: Became, you know, the.
[00:38:02] Speaker A: The fancy one.
[00:38:05] Speaker B: I loved it when it was the old.
[00:38:07] Speaker A: You loved it because you love the little stairwell with the little cameras. Point the opposite direction.
[00:38:11] Speaker B: Opposite direction. So I get my little smooch down in the game room.
[00:38:14] Speaker A: You already nasty.
[00:38:17] Speaker B: But no, that place actually holds spot. My parents, they both bowled on leagues there, so we were there every Wednesday night. And I remember they had a lounge that, you know, obviously I could never go into, but I always used to peek what's going on in there. And then there was the little game room downstairs at a restaurant, and they had all these lanes. And so we grew up on the. On the bowling alley. And it's just really cool that you got spot there.
[00:38:39] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. I'm actually on the other side. They still have all that. I literally have just as much space as they do on the other side, though.
[00:38:46] Speaker B: Crazy.
[00:38:47] Speaker C: Yeah. So it's been a. It's a big overhaul. I've been at it since January. I'm in the final parts of the permitting phase, so I anticipate starting construction within the next few weeks.
[00:38:59] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:39:00] Speaker C: So it'll probably take me easily 100, 110 days to complete that.
[00:39:04] Speaker A: So that still sounds quick to me. I don't know why.
[00:39:07] Speaker C: Well, the. The hard part is getting.
[00:39:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:39:09] Speaker C: The a. Okay. To do everything you want to do. You know, you'd be surprised. Putting up a wall. Now I got to switch the sprinklers. Because the plan is different. And then you. So it's all kind of things that come up here and there.
[00:39:21] Speaker B: When you acquire spaces like that. Is it a bidding war? Like, were there a lot of people that were eyeing it? How do you get it versus somebody else? Is it just money or is it more than that?
[00:39:30] Speaker A: Especially some prime real estate.
[00:39:31] Speaker C: Like, yeah, you know, I was blessed. So I came out of a really kind of shitty situation that I'm still kind of battling. And some. Some of the people there heard about it and kind of reached out and, you know, gave me some. Some. Some confidence and the rest is history. So, yeah, they, you know, it was a little bit of both, but they're, you know, the Thirsty lion group, they're been super, super accommodative for me. They're like super dope. Yeah. So, yeah. Yeah, it's good to do good business and be good people.
[00:40:01] Speaker A: Good things come back, I was gonna say. Cause a lot of what it is, is you have the knowledge, the wisdom, the experience. Experience. But then you also have the connections and. And part of being like a high value person.
He said, don't forget the money. I got all of that.
[00:40:13] Speaker C: No, no, it wasn't that. I'm just saying you have all that other stuff. And then they're like, so, Dave, so.
[00:40:18] Speaker A: How you gonna pay for this?
[00:40:18] Speaker B: Right.
[00:40:19] Speaker C: Here's your fifty thousand dollar bill.
[00:40:21] Speaker A: Right, right.
[00:40:23] Speaker B: Contractors need their money.
[00:40:24] Speaker A: There's a lot of that too. But it just. It's a. It's a testament of you as a person, honestly, because, like, you're able to do these things, but without. Without all the things that you have encompassing that, it's still not possible for a lot of people because they haven't been able to. To harness the network, the capital, the experience, the knowledge. And so you being able to do that and then move in the spaces that you do, like, that's amazing. That's really dope.
[00:40:45] Speaker C: Blessing.
[00:40:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:40:46] Speaker C: I believe in a higher power. So a lot of this stuff is already written.
[00:40:50] Speaker A: That is.
[00:40:51] Speaker C: I'm just trying to walk in it.
[00:40:52] Speaker A: I love it. So you mentioned the group that's helping you out, but you also are on a board of another group that does a lot of stuff for the community, and that is the Poetic Justice Foundation.
[00:41:01] Speaker C: Y' all should know. Y' all been in the building the last couple years.
[00:41:04] Speaker A: I mean, I was a segue, you know what I'm saying?
[00:41:06] Speaker C: Okay. All right.
[00:41:07] Speaker A: Because as y' all recall, the past two seasons, we were in a building that was owned by the Poetic Justice Foundation. We shouted y' all out every episode.
[00:41:14] Speaker C: Thank you. We appreciate that, too.
[00:41:15] Speaker B: You guys have been great for that.
[00:41:17] Speaker A: Definitely appreciate it.
[00:41:18] Speaker C: It's one of the reasons I'm here.
[00:41:22] Speaker A: But no, it's. It's an amazing space and you do a lot of things for a lot of businesses, too.
So explain a little bit more about that and what people can hope to get from that interaction with you in that aspect.
[00:41:32] Speaker C: I appreciate it. We started after a need during the pandemic. So we were fortunate enough to have enough capital to sponsor, I think, close to 20, 25,000 meals. And the great part about that was we often bought out food carts of people of color, paid full price for their food, and then we would also let the public who needed it come get it for free. So we felt like we were serving two needs in that aspect. Then there was a component where we saw the need get greater during the pandemic as it continued. And so we offered $100 gift cards along with that same amenity so people would come out and get a free meal and $100 gift card.
[00:42:14] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:42:15] Speaker C: And I think we probably gave away $50,000 worth of those during the pandemic.
[00:42:19] Speaker A: I remember hearing about that. I was like, oh, I didn't hear about it soon enough. I'll miss that line.
[00:42:25] Speaker B: That's.
[00:42:26] Speaker C: And so, yeah, yeah. And since then, we've sponsored like, we've probably bought out a few of, like the local clothing brands. I think we did last time back to school, just let families in need come and just get whatever they want, you know, things like that. So our. We're based on being, you know, helping the community and then having the space has also allowed us to offer low rent in a high district area.
[00:42:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:42:49] Speaker C: So we've been a space for commerce, for black businesses or women owned businesses, or both.
And so, yeah, it's just been a blessing to be able to provide that space, be able to provide some blessings to the community.
[00:43:03] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:43:04] Speaker B: It's been good with all your success. I know oftentimes we learn more lessons from our failures.
What was your biggest failure that taught you the most in business?
[00:43:17] Speaker C: My biggest failure? Well, the bigger your risk get, the bigger your failures become. So that's probably just going to continue to get bigger and bigger because I'm always failing, you know, I mean, that's a part of the game.
[00:43:30] Speaker A: Right?
[00:43:31] Speaker C: So. And then it's also how you.
How do you.
How you categorize failure? Yeah, right. For me it's, you know, so it may be different for others than it is for me. I don't really put log too much is more of a lesson for me.
So. But I would say, like this last venture, I was very trusting of community members. Right. And I probably could have been a little bit more vigilant. Paper wise work, even though I still did good enough to be able to defend myself. But just that trusting aspect, unfortunately, it kind of makes you a little bit more callous when you're doing business with even people that.
That you respect or that you look up to.
So that was. That's probably been a valuable lesson recently, learning to.
That even your talent makes space for itself with people that you look up to. And at times they can try to take advantage of that.
[00:44:25] Speaker B: Would you agree with the saying they say never mix business with like pleasure or friendships or family.
Have you ever ran into problems of mixing business with personal friendship relationships?
[00:44:40] Speaker C: Yeah, but I don't think that at a higher level the two coexist without the other. Because the more you go up the ladder, it's really about those relationships is everything. It's like everybody has money.
[00:44:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:44:53] Speaker C: You know, you know how many people want to own an NBA team, but you know, when one is available, like, a lot of people have the money, but it's like you got to have the network for the people to want to let you in.
[00:45:04] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:45:04] Speaker C: So that's kind of how we sign that one up.
[00:45:10] Speaker A: Do you feel like your circle of trusted, close friends has gotten smaller with the. The higher success that you've gained?
[00:45:16] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't really have a lot of friends. I'm alone a lot.
[00:45:20] Speaker A: Aw.
[00:45:20] Speaker C: I'm not complaining.
[00:45:21] Speaker A: You got us.
[00:45:22] Speaker C: I know. I'm here for a. I'm okay, though. I'm okay.
[00:45:25] Speaker A: He's like, I'm good.
[00:45:26] Speaker C: I'm okay.
[00:45:26] Speaker A: He's like, I'm good. Take this friendship.
[00:45:28] Speaker C: No, no. Y' all my people and look, y' all, I don't mean it like that, but I don't do a lot of fellowshipping. You know what I mean? It's not for. It's just never been my thing again. You can concentrate on being happy or great. Most of my relationships in a form there you learn as you go up, they're not as transactional, but really when it's in business, there's some type of transactionality involved.
[00:45:52] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:45:53] Speaker C: You know what I mean? So you don't really spend time in spaces that don't really make sense for you or have some type of advantage for you. So I'd rather just be at home or working on the next deal, rather than just fellowshiping to celebrate. Fellowship.
[00:46:09] Speaker A: You don't kick it to kick it. He kicks it. For purposes and reasons.
[00:46:12] Speaker C: And when I celebrate, I have a reason.
[00:46:16] Speaker B: I'm getting paid to, but I gotta reason.
[00:46:19] Speaker C: I don't believe in celebrating just to celebrate. I'm not one of those people that's gonna be out at all the functions just because they have enough. Yeah, I'd rather not operate in that kind of space.
[00:46:27] Speaker B: Do you have any businesses outside of the state of Oregon, or do you hope to?
[00:46:33] Speaker C: Well, I mean. So popcorn. We ship all around the world. Yeah, the music plays all around the.
[00:46:38] Speaker B: World, but can you set up a shop out where I live? Because I'd love to just be able to walk in and buy some.
[00:46:43] Speaker C: We're working on that.
[00:46:44] Speaker A: In other words, the popcorn ships all over the place.
[00:46:47] Speaker B: We're working on them.
[00:46:48] Speaker C: We're working on them. So I had to kind of. I've had Joe Brown five years now, so I've had a plan. First five kind of get to know it. Next five, expand and then find an exit for five after that. So I'm in that five where I'm looking to expand right now. So that's why you see us will be popping up on Alberta. See us popping up there at the.
At Belmont. And then you'll also start seeing us move west.
[00:47:12] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:47:13] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:47:13] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:47:14] Speaker A: How much farther west? Oh, we're talking about western Oregon. I was like, wait a minute.
[00:47:16] Speaker C: We've already Western Regional here.
[00:47:18] Speaker B: They're going to Seaside.
[00:47:19] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean out there, too. We used to have a store out there, actually.
[00:47:23] Speaker B: Good.
[00:47:24] Speaker A: That would do. Good. I didn't even think about that.
[00:47:26] Speaker C: Joe Browns had a store out there.
[00:47:27] Speaker B: They did.
[00:47:28] Speaker A: One of the original stores. Oh, that's dope. Okay, Is there. Is there a business venture that you wish you would have taken on that you never did?
[00:47:37] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:47:37] Speaker A: What?
[00:47:38] Speaker C: Or I shouldn't say adventure, but it's some of.
[00:47:42] Speaker A: So look, he didn't roll his eyes and said, I'm going to ignore you completely.
[00:47:45] Speaker C: No. What? I didn't hear.
I wish. No, I don't wish. Let me take that back. No, I don't.
Come on, man. Anyway, what it is.
Look, bitcoin, man. I had somebody tell me about bitcoin. Like, literally, probably 7, 8, 9. Let's see, 16, 15. So 10 years ago almost.
And they were like, probably like $5.
[00:48:10] Speaker A: Right?
[00:48:11] Speaker C: And I. I got some later, and then it just blew out. I think I was buying them at, like 2,100 bucks.
And then I just sold all that shit a few years ago and then just recently and probably within two years after that. It's where it's at now. So, yeah, I regret not keeping my hands in the digital currency market, but other than that, no, not really.
[00:48:33] Speaker A: I'm so bad with stocks and tradings and like all those things. Like, it's like foreign language to me. And when I heard about bitcoin, I was like, what kind of stuff scam is this shit? Like, I just really did.
[00:48:43] Speaker C: But I heard about it long especially I think literally either five. It was some type. It was either 50 cents, $5 or $50 something. It's inched in my brain with that five. But they were that low.
[00:48:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:48:53] Speaker C: And the dude was like, I'm telling you. I'm like, man, it's crazy, right?
[00:48:56] Speaker A: You want me put my money into some electronic.
[00:48:58] Speaker C: I'm in music at this point. I think we were traveling the country. I think he was in LA and he was telling us about it and he's like, I'm telling you. And we like, man, he like, invest some of this music money in this. Diversify. The was smart, you know what I'm saying? But I'm looking at him like he. You don't.
[00:49:12] Speaker A: Right, right, right.
[00:49:13] Speaker C: Bitcoin for real. This is. Yeah, come on, man. The government's not gonna allow that. And look at this shit.
[00:49:19] Speaker B: My biggest regret was not doing my.
It's a dumb name. Faster than fast. Fast food.
[00:49:25] Speaker C: Faster than fast Fast food.
[00:49:27] Speaker B: And so the concept of it was what today is ordering ahead on your mobile app for fast food restaurants. But when I was doing one of my capstones, I was like, you know, why don't we have an order ahead?
[00:49:38] Speaker C: Ahead?
[00:49:38] Speaker B: And they're like, that's stupid. It's already fast food. There's a drive through now, look, everybody has mobile apps. And I was like, see, faster than fast. Fast food could have been a thing.
[00:49:46] Speaker C: Yeah. But you wouldn't see them taking away so many jobs. That's really where you have to really be the see in that space where, okay, they're digitalizing everything and they're like taking jobs away. So if you looking in that take our jobs. Well, certain things won't be able to be outsourced. But more and more stuff is. I'm starting to see these robots, man. It's crazy.
[00:50:08] Speaker A: Oh, that's facts.
[00:50:09] Speaker B: The cars that drive themselves. I. I don't, I don't like it. It just makes me feel away.
[00:50:13] Speaker A: Well, we've had a few crash into food carts in Portland.
[00:50:15] Speaker B: What?
[00:50:16] Speaker A: Yeah, the One on mlk. Didn't they crash in the fish Fusion?
[00:50:20] Speaker B: I don't even think it was a.
[00:50:22] Speaker A: A driverless car. It was a driverless car that was parked on mlk and it. Absolutely. I don't. Okay, don't quote me on the business that it ran into, but there's the food cart pot over there by Safeway.
[00:50:32] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:50:33] Speaker A: And a car was parked and went into drive and crashed.
[00:50:37] Speaker B: I'm sure whoever they crashed into got.
[00:50:39] Speaker A: Some money, you know, because the car drove itself. So clearly we have money. We have all that.
So if there's any advice that you would give to somebody coming behind you, what would it be?
[00:50:53] Speaker C: Don't get caught up in the look. You got to get caught up in the work, you know, I mean, the look comes like, right now we talking about this stuff, but I've been doing this. This is a culmination of 25 years.
[00:51:04] Speaker A: Right.
[00:51:04] Speaker C: Literally.
[00:51:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:51:05] Speaker C: Like beating the pavement. So don't get caught up in what you think it should look like. Just keep working.
[00:51:10] Speaker A: Okay. I love it. And where can people find you if they're interested in mentorship or business ventures or property or.
[00:51:18] Speaker B: Let's take it that. Let's do that.
[00:51:22] Speaker C: I'm on all of them. The socials.
[00:51:23] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:51:24] Speaker C: At. I am David Ferguson on Instagram and.
[00:51:27] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:51:27] Speaker C: David Ferguson on Facebook.
[00:51:29] Speaker A: Okay. You got Joe Brown's lounge.
[00:51:31] Speaker C: Yeah, we got. Joe Browns is on everything. Joe Brown. Joe Browns. Caramelcorn.com.
[00:51:35] Speaker A: Yeah. Order it.
[00:51:36] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:51:37] Speaker A: I love it. Okay, well, thank you so much for joining us. I, you know, as y' all see on the table and behind us, and if y' all ain't, you know, looking at us, you can hear us. Nicole. Nick B's been sipping away. We've got our Nebula 9 sponsors this season six. They are a local black owned Pacific Northwest vodka company that is doing some really big things.
Their vodka is amazing. You've seen our little videos that we've been doing with the recipes.
Some really amazing.
Can't taste the liquor, liquor drinks.
They are four times distilled agave, natural fruit juices, no added sugars.
[00:52:13] Speaker B: Apple cider vinegar.
[00:52:14] Speaker A: Apple cider vinegar so that it is good for digestion. No hangovers. Like, it is a amazing version of the healthiest version of vodka. Absolutely. If you can be healthy by drinking, this is gonna be it.
But they also have their ready to drink cocktails that come in the cans. They look like little energy drinks. You see them on the table or you can check out their website, but they come with two shots of liquor in them. They're like super strong and you still can't taste the alcohol. Probably really dangerous for the person who shouldn't be drinking too too much. But you can check them out on all their social medias. They are Nebula 9 vodka. And that's the number nine or Nebula 9 vodka.
Check out everything that they got. You can order them. They're, they're in Costco's, wherever Costco sell liquor.
[00:52:52] Speaker B: Some select liquor stores.
[00:52:53] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. So make sure you check them out. But Nick B, where can they find you?
[00:52:57] Speaker B: Yeah, so if you guys want to reach me, I can be found on all Dirty Roses podcast platform. May that be our Facebook, our Instagram, our Tik Tok. And if you're looking for me specifically, I can be found on Instagram at Nick B. Underscore nick B. And Ms. Lila Re. Where can they find you?
[00:53:11] Speaker A: Yes, I am looking for personal and personal private investors in myself. So if you want to invest in Lila Re, you can find me everywhere.
I am on every social media platform. Lila Reits, L E I G H L A R I E and of course Dirty roses podcast and dirtyrosespodcast.com and you can check us there. We'll see you next time. Bye.
[00:53:34] Speaker B: Guess what, Rose buddies, We are thrilled to introduce our new sponsorship packages. Be sure to hit us
[email protected] to inquire how we can showcase your brand on our platforms.
