WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.240 comedian, writer, publisher now, and then seeking 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.119 to inspire and encourage others to build a platform 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:10.800 for themselves, I'm definitely going to ask, 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:15.759 how did you get started? Oh, man. Probably the 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:18.719 same way most people in my position get started. 00:00:19.379 --> 00:00:26.719 Bad parents, teenage angst, you know. No, I grew 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:33.119 up in South Central LA in the 80s. So not to 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:38.280 date myself, but it was an interesting life. 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:42.240 It was a rough life, a height of gang violence 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:48.020 and police brutality, a lot of issues. So I just 00:00:48.020 --> 00:00:49.880 grew up in kind of hardscrabble youth. You kind 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:55.460 of just get used to a lot of adversity. And just 00:00:55.460 --> 00:00:58.560 understanding you kind of got to grit it out 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:02.020 a little, right? And, you know, I went through 00:01:02.020 --> 00:01:03.700 my trials and tribulations. I went through my 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:07.500 hard times. And certainly, you know, I'm not 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:09.060 a high school graduate. I never went to high 00:01:09.060 --> 00:01:12.540 school day in my life. I ended up in jail most 00:01:12.540 --> 00:01:15.620 of my teen years. And at a certain point, I just 00:01:15.620 --> 00:01:19.959 decided I was done. I needed to make a change 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:24.120 in my life. Completely changed everything I was 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:27.500 doing. Where I lived, I changed what I was consuming 00:01:27.500 --> 00:01:33.299 as far as reading, eating, my habits for working 00:01:33.299 --> 00:01:36.319 out. I started doing yoga, reading Eastern meditation 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:38.560 and philosophy books and things like that. Just 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:40.840 really wanted to completely change my mindset. 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:47.859 started it kind of kind of fell into this but 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:51.140 started this uh because i was a hustler go -getter 00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:53.140 and i didn't have a problem talking to people 00:01:53.140 --> 00:01:55.400 i kind of fell into this independent marketing 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:58.180 and consulting business that i had for a long 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:00.659 time um which was very successful and it was 00:02:00.659 --> 00:02:05.599 great but it was very unrewarding i didn't love 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:08.900 it um it was it was rewarding financially but 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:12.180 My God, was it boring. It just wasn't what I 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:14.939 wanted to do. I was a writer. I wanted to write. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:20.300 I've always wanted to write. And I was in the 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:25.560 process of writing my first book. And I was at 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:31.060 a shitty comedy open mic one night. And I used 00:02:31.060 --> 00:02:33.400 to hang out and just watch. And this guy who 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:35.479 ran the mic afterwards, I'd hang out and talk 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:37.259 to him. And he's like, you're funny. You should 00:02:37.259 --> 00:02:43.439 try this. So next week I did and I had fun and 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:47.539 I kept doing it. And then I kept doing comedy. 00:02:47.659 --> 00:02:50.240 I kept I started doing more writing. And eventually 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:52.900 I left my business to just pursue writing and 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:55.439 comedy because it's what I really loved. And 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:59.770 that was almost 20 years ago now. That was my 00:02:59.770 --> 00:03:02.650 next question, because I swear, just the way 00:03:02.650 --> 00:03:05.289 you said it and how you put it, it's almost like 00:03:05.289 --> 00:03:07.469 remember we were talking about in the in the 00:03:07.469 --> 00:03:09.729 in the green room before this. It just seems 00:03:09.729 --> 00:03:11.669 like sometimes these things happen overnight. 00:03:11.969 --> 00:03:14.349 And I love the fact that you put a number to 00:03:14.349 --> 00:03:17.110 it, because to me, I'm like, oh, this moved pretty 00:03:17.110 --> 00:03:20.449 fast. But to you, you was like, no, this is this. 00:03:21.129 --> 00:03:25.210 Yes. And so how long did you do comedy for and 00:03:25.210 --> 00:03:27.189 are you still in comedy? Oh, yeah, I still do 00:03:27.189 --> 00:03:30.159 comedy. That's how I. pay the mortgage um that's 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:33.659 that's the main that's the main job um i've been 00:03:33.659 --> 00:03:36.259 doing that for yeah i mean i guess comedy has 00:03:36.259 --> 00:03:38.500 been i guess it's been probably close to like 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:40.919 i say close to 20 years probably like 17 years 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:45.699 about that i since i first did it um and the 00:03:45.699 --> 00:03:48.900 uh yeah still do it still doing shows every week 00:03:48.900 --> 00:03:53.569 somewhere um this last six, eight months is I 00:03:53.569 --> 00:03:56.189 took some time off, not doing it as much because 00:03:56.189 --> 00:03:58.969 I've been working on the publishing end and the 00:03:58.969 --> 00:04:02.150 graphic novel thing that I launched. But, you 00:04:02.150 --> 00:04:03.669 know, I'm at a point where I've been doing it 00:04:03.669 --> 00:04:07.789 long enough. I have the autonomy to take that 00:04:07.789 --> 00:04:10.530 time off. And, you know, it's not like this grind 00:04:10.530 --> 00:04:12.710 where I feel like, oh, if I don't, if I don't 00:04:12.710 --> 00:04:14.629 go to this next show, if I don't reply to this 00:04:14.629 --> 00:04:16.709 email quick enough, I don't, you know, I'm going 00:04:16.709 --> 00:04:18.529 to get forgotten. I'm never going to get a show 00:04:18.529 --> 00:04:21.829 again. It's like, no, I, I'm my own production 00:04:21.829 --> 00:04:24.069 company now. I produce most of my own shows. 00:04:24.290 --> 00:04:27.269 I have the ability to pick and choose where I 00:04:27.269 --> 00:04:31.250 go instead of hoping I get an email and someone 00:04:31.250 --> 00:04:34.610 will pay me $30 and a hot dog to drive six hours 00:04:34.610 --> 00:04:40.850 and do 10 minutes. But again, there was a climb 00:04:40.850 --> 00:04:44.170 of over 17 years of doing that. It wasn't overnight. 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:48.439 know you talk about vision i think that's the 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:51.160 biggest problem people have today is that they 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:54.980 don't have that long -term vision of what it 00:04:54.980 --> 00:04:58.019 takes to you know we're an instant gratification 00:04:58.019 --> 00:05:01.610 society where you know you you click a button 00:05:01.610 --> 00:05:03.629 on your phone you have to click a button you 00:05:03.629 --> 00:05:06.529 just say alexa and then you know next thing you 00:05:06.529 --> 00:05:09.310 know whatever you ordered is a drone is dropping 00:05:09.310 --> 00:05:11.329 it on your head in three minutes you know it's 00:05:11.329 --> 00:05:13.709 like there's no there's no weight there's no 00:05:13.709 --> 00:05:17.089 there's no work ethic to have to grind and take 00:05:17.089 --> 00:05:20.649 these steps um but really that's that's what 00:05:20.649 --> 00:05:22.310 you need to do to get to where you want to be 00:05:22.310 --> 00:05:26.930 um and it also makes it more worth it you know 00:05:27.579 --> 00:05:31.980 Yeah. And I would say, in my opinion, which is 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:34.360 not a professional opinion, you have comedian, 00:05:34.660 --> 00:05:37.600 you have writer and you have publisher. Did your 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:40.699 did your vision change somewhere to change those 00:05:40.699 --> 00:05:45.819 journeys? Yes and no. So, I mean, like really, 00:05:45.939 --> 00:05:49.199 the reality is as when I was ever since I could 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:51.779 put pen to paper, I wanted to be a writer. That's 00:05:51.779 --> 00:05:55.600 what I wanted to do. That's that was. And I wanted 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.519 to do that in a lot of capacities. You know, 00:05:57.560 --> 00:06:00.600 I had ideas for books. I had funny stuff I wrote. 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:02.579 I wanted to write graphic novels. I wanted to 00:06:02.579 --> 00:06:07.459 write screenplays. And so I just want to write 00:06:07.459 --> 00:06:09.500 everything in different formats, different ideas, 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:11.379 struck different chords. And I'm like, oh, this 00:06:11.379 --> 00:06:14.259 would be good for this or this would be good 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:16.500 for this. I've written books of poetry even, 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:19.100 you know, I did hip hop music for a long time. 00:06:19.579 --> 00:06:24.360 So I've done a million things writing, but. And 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:28.740 the really comedy kind of I kind of fell into 00:06:28.740 --> 00:06:30.120 that, too, because like I didn't know how to 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:32.519 start in comedy. It's just like I wouldn't have 00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:34.879 known how that guy would have never said you 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:36.800 should get up and do this. I wouldn't have known 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:39.819 that I could get up at that open mic and do that. 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:42.500 Like I had no clue that these were people that 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:46.120 were just, you know, just anyone off the street. 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:52.560 Right. So that. But I but I was good at it and 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:54.899 I enjoyed it. And that that kind of became a 00:06:54.899 --> 00:06:56.939 thing that was like, oh, I'm good at this. I 00:06:56.939 --> 00:07:02.860 like it. And it fulfills the writing. It's something 00:07:02.860 --> 00:07:06.000 I enjoy. I didn't know much. I love this. But 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.319 really, like I want to write, you know, so all 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.500 that time I've been doing comedy. I've also been, 00:07:12.500 --> 00:07:14.980 you know, worked writing for shows. I'll write 00:07:14.980 --> 00:07:18.439 screenplays. I'll do sketches. I'll do. Write 00:07:18.439 --> 00:07:20.980 books, write these graphic novel series. And 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:25.160 I eventually had this, you know, I think two 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:28.800 years ago I did like was my busiest year in comedy. 00:07:28.860 --> 00:07:32.660 I did like 189 dates on the road and I was just 00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:36.420 like burnout. I'm like, man, I got to I got to 00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:39.420 take some time off. I just moved to Texas and 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:42.860 bought this new house and was remodeling it and, 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:44.800 you know, doing some stuff. And I'm like, I'm 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:46.079 going to I'm going to take a little time off. 00:07:47.420 --> 00:07:50.959 not travel as much. And, you know, I'm going 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:54.759 to, I'm going to work on this new graphic novel 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:57.079 series I wrote and I'm going to take it seriously. 00:07:57.139 --> 00:07:59.540 And I'm like, I've always wanted to do this. 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:01.519 I'm like, I'm just going to take the time to 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.959 do it finally. And it really, you know, I found 00:08:05.959 --> 00:08:09.819 out how not easy, but I found kind of figured 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:12.480 out the steps to do it. And then I got, okay, 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:15.829 I can figure out the workflow creatively. how 00:08:15.829 --> 00:08:17.810 to get it, how to publish this, how to market 00:08:17.810 --> 00:08:19.649 it myself, how to get it out to people, distribute 00:08:19.649 --> 00:08:22.589 it, you know, direct to consumer, how to get 00:08:22.589 --> 00:08:26.089 into retailers. And I just kind of went through 00:08:26.089 --> 00:08:28.990 the steps and then realized in, I've got a million 00:08:28.990 --> 00:08:32.990 stories to tell in that medium. So I'm like, 00:08:33.009 --> 00:08:34.889 well, I'm going to keep doing this and kind of 00:08:34.889 --> 00:08:37.610 offset with the comedy a little more, travel 00:08:37.610 --> 00:08:41.289 a little less and do this. And then also I always 00:08:41.289 --> 00:08:46.440 wish that I had, you know, a, Company that was 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:51.460 holding up and supporting younger artists. That's 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:54.120 what I always, you know, I always wished for 00:08:54.120 --> 00:08:57.460 that when I was younger. So my goal is to be 00:08:57.460 --> 00:08:59.580 able to do that for up and coming creators that 00:08:59.580 --> 00:09:02.240 also want to get into the field, even if it's 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:06.360 a meager step up. It's it's it's a beginning. 00:09:06.940 --> 00:09:10.460 And I love that. So I just had this crazy aha 00:09:10.460 --> 00:09:14.700 moment. I was like, OK. You've always the foundation 00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:18.320 of you wanted to be a writer always. But you 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:21.559 also have to write your jokes. You also have 00:09:21.559 --> 00:09:24.100 to paint a picture for people to understand your 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:26.279 jokes. And then you just went ahead and decide 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:30.860 to to publish your own, you know, start your 00:09:30.860 --> 00:09:33.179 own thing. So it all definitely marries. It's 00:09:33.179 --> 00:09:35.320 just interesting how you started out in comedy 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:39.519 and then it rolled into that. So when it comes 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:42.460 to. i mean when it comes to everything that you 00:09:42.460 --> 00:09:45.820 have decided to do knowing that you did not go 00:09:45.820 --> 00:09:48.899 to you know go to high school and and do all 00:09:48.899 --> 00:09:53.200 those things that most people normal things most 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:56.899 people do along the way what what encourages 00:09:56.899 --> 00:10:00.379 you to keep going like you know i love that that 00:10:00.379 --> 00:10:02.879 that you've even just started and now look at 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:06.259 where you are what encourages you um i think 00:10:06.259 --> 00:10:09.820 the biggest thing is just I have a million things 00:10:09.820 --> 00:10:12.220 I want to do. I'm going to die with a to -do 00:10:12.220 --> 00:10:19.360 list creatively that is, you know, just longer 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:22.399 than you can imagine. So I want to get as much 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:25.340 done as I can. I want to get my voice out there. 00:10:25.379 --> 00:10:26.899 I want to get the stories out there to people 00:10:26.899 --> 00:10:30.700 who need them, who want them, who enjoy them. 00:10:31.070 --> 00:10:34.509 and you know really it's just not doing not living 00:10:34.509 --> 00:10:36.549 this life to the fullest when i have the opportunity 00:10:36.549 --> 00:10:40.269 it's like this is you know it's fleeting i i 00:10:40.269 --> 00:10:43.750 like i said i saw i saw a lot growing up i lost 00:10:43.750 --> 00:10:45.830 a lot of friends very early on to violence gang 00:10:45.830 --> 00:10:48.590 violence and stuff like that i i saw it in front 00:10:48.590 --> 00:10:53.070 of my face a million times and i You know, this 00:10:53.070 --> 00:10:57.750 can be taken away very swiftly. And I don't want 00:10:57.750 --> 00:11:00.830 to waste a moment. I want to enjoy it. I don't 00:11:00.830 --> 00:11:03.889 want to sit on a screen and scroll through reels 00:11:03.889 --> 00:11:07.950 for five hours a day. I want to, you know, I 00:11:07.950 --> 00:11:09.929 want to travel. I want to see the world. I want 00:11:09.929 --> 00:11:13.210 to be able to write about that. I want to be 00:11:13.210 --> 00:11:17.490 able to connect people that need ideas that they 00:11:17.490 --> 00:11:20.539 maybe wouldn't. think of themselves or maybe 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:22.460 wouldn't look at it that way or understand that 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:25.919 they are seen in a certain light, you know, represented 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:29.740 all those things. I just think that's very, very 00:11:29.740 --> 00:11:33.440 important. So I don't want to sit around and 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:35.399 just kind of I'm not a waste time guy. I don't 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:37.620 watch TV. I don't even really like I don't even 00:11:37.620 --> 00:11:39.600 really watch sports anymore. I'll go to Spurs 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.399 game every now and then. But beyond beyond that, 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:45.200 like I don't really I don't really I used to, 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:46.919 you know, spend a lot of time watching sports 00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:50.059 and just kind of hanging out. I don't I quit 00:11:50.059 --> 00:11:52.120 drinking. I don't I don't go out. I don't do 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.759 it. I mean, I'm like, no, I want to create and 00:11:54.759 --> 00:11:58.779 I want to leave something behind, you know. Absolutely. 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:01.980 And I don't know. I just feel that you're so 00:12:01.980 --> 00:12:04.179 passionate about it. You know what I mean? It's 00:12:04.179 --> 00:12:07.799 like I'm going to die with a to do list. Oh, 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:10.620 yeah. Believe me, it's going to be longer than 00:12:10.620 --> 00:12:14.460 you can imagine. That's crazy. So so what's next? 00:12:14.659 --> 00:12:17.820 I know that you have all these plans. You know 00:12:17.820 --> 00:12:20.820 what? Forget the what's next. Is it just you 00:12:20.820 --> 00:12:23.490 or do you have a team of people? It's pretty 00:12:23.490 --> 00:12:29.169 much just me. Yeah. So like, I mean, I started 00:12:29.169 --> 00:12:35.309 a comedy production company about 10 plus years 00:12:35.309 --> 00:12:38.210 ago. So I run that. I book a lot of comedians 00:12:38.210 --> 00:12:41.549 across the country. I run about 40 shows in about 00:12:41.549 --> 00:12:47.929 20 states. And so I can book my own shows too. 00:12:48.009 --> 00:12:51.879 So I'm used to running that. And then with the 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:53.720 publishing, it's pretty much just me. I mean, 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:57.360 I've got printers I work with and creative artists 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:00.179 and people I work with that do pieces of it, 00:13:00.220 --> 00:13:03.059 but it's just contract work for what I, what 00:13:03.059 --> 00:13:06.799 I need done. Okay. So, yeah, I mean, I, this 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:10.320 is what I spend my, you know, six days a week 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:12.580 doing five days a week, depending on how hard 00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:16.720 I'm working that week. So it's I mean, this may 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:19.419 sound like a crazy question, but I'm definitely 00:13:19.419 --> 00:13:22.759 going to ask what's success to you? Because interesting 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:26.960 enough, in my mind. You've reached a level of 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.080 success that not many people. So what is success 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:31.879 to you? Do you feel like you're even successful 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:35.830 right now? Yes and no. Like, yes, in a sense 00:13:35.830 --> 00:13:39.789 that like I have imposter syndrome, you know, 00:13:39.809 --> 00:13:43.029 you know, where you feel like I've been doing 00:13:43.029 --> 00:13:46.470 comedy for, like I said, 17 years. I've toured 00:13:46.470 --> 00:13:48.350 across the world. I've performed in like six 00:13:48.350 --> 00:13:51.049 different countries. I headline clubs across 00:13:51.049 --> 00:13:53.230 the country. And every time I do it, I still 00:13:53.230 --> 00:13:55.190 feel like there's still a little like I know 00:13:55.190 --> 00:13:57.070 I'm good at it, but there's still a little piece 00:13:57.070 --> 00:13:59.649 of like, man, it's crazy to believe this is still 00:13:59.649 --> 00:14:03.299 working. You know, this is still. I still getting 00:14:03.299 --> 00:14:10.320 over on these people but the it's yeah I mean 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:15.779 here's here's the deal like you know I was told 00:14:15.779 --> 00:14:20.419 my entire life that like writing and comedy and 00:14:20.990 --> 00:14:23.090 Comic books, graphic novels, things like that 00:14:23.090 --> 00:14:26.250 was like frivolous. It would never get you anywhere. 00:14:26.409 --> 00:14:29.190 And now I get to make a living doing those things, 00:14:29.269 --> 00:14:35.970 you know. And I can you know, I get to still 00:14:35.970 --> 00:14:38.970 travel like all my bills are paid. I'm you know, 00:14:38.970 --> 00:14:45.370 I get to make a living doing what I love. And 00:14:45.370 --> 00:14:48.210 that's. That's really what it's about, right? 00:14:49.070 --> 00:14:53.250 There's always an opportunity to have more, but 00:14:53.250 --> 00:15:02.090 at what cost? Do I want to go back to some unfulfilling 00:15:02.090 --> 00:15:05.830 job where I'm... I'm making a ton of money, but 00:15:05.830 --> 00:15:08.610 I hate every moment of it. Like, what's the point? 00:15:08.750 --> 00:15:11.610 Why even be alive at that point? You're not enjoying. 00:15:11.809 --> 00:15:14.409 You're not getting to enjoy. Like, I would do 00:15:14.409 --> 00:15:17.429 what I do now for free. I did do it for free 00:15:17.429 --> 00:15:20.750 for years. So to be able to make a living at 00:15:20.750 --> 00:15:25.429 it is fantastic. You know, I mean, again, I can 00:15:25.429 --> 00:15:29.250 afford, I was able to buy a house. I get to travel. 00:15:29.429 --> 00:15:31.490 I get to travel for work. I get to, you know. 00:15:32.090 --> 00:15:41.289 create every day. That's true wealth. That freedom 00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:44.090 of my soul and my spirit and my mind, that's 00:15:44.090 --> 00:15:47.370 true freedom. I'm not tethered to a desk. I'm 00:15:47.370 --> 00:15:51.490 not tethered to anyone else's requirements of 00:15:51.490 --> 00:15:56.690 me every day. That's true freedom. And it's interesting 00:15:56.690 --> 00:15:59.450 because I'm just going to, I guess I'll just 00:15:59.450 --> 00:16:02.409 mention it. It's very personal for me. 10 year 00:16:02.409 --> 00:16:07.389 old our 10 year old draws like crazy her and 00:16:07.389 --> 00:16:11.029 friends are trying to do a graphic novel like 00:16:11.029 --> 00:16:13.509 she won't read anything else yeah anything else 00:16:13.509 --> 00:16:17.210 it's all graphic novels it's it's dragons it's 00:16:17.210 --> 00:16:20.909 all this stuff and in my mind and i'm not saying 00:16:20.909 --> 00:16:23.889 even as a parent and not you know college all 00:16:23.889 --> 00:16:26.330 that in my mind i'm like where does this come 00:16:26.330 --> 00:16:30.149 from where does this creativity I'm from. And 00:16:30.149 --> 00:16:32.429 all I see is like pictures all over the place. 00:16:32.590 --> 00:16:35.009 But what I will say, Deese, is that you have 00:16:35.009 --> 00:16:38.309 just truly inspired me to nurture that in home 00:16:38.309 --> 00:16:41.750 and at home. Because I'm not saying I don't nurture 00:16:41.750 --> 00:16:44.730 it. It's just I don't understand it. Right. I 00:16:44.730 --> 00:16:47.049 read books to get something out of it, like the 00:16:47.049 --> 00:16:51.029 meditation, the ways of life, the journey. But 00:16:51.029 --> 00:16:53.610 I love the fact and I'm sure there is someone 00:16:53.610 --> 00:16:56.250 listening who's like, I didn't know what to do 00:16:56.250 --> 00:16:59.409 with it either. Right. You just really don't 00:16:59.409 --> 00:17:02.870 know. So I appreciate that. I thank you so much 00:17:02.870 --> 00:17:04.549 because now I'm going to be able to tell her 00:17:04.549 --> 00:17:08.930 like, yo, like, really? Reality. Yes, yes, yes. 00:17:09.029 --> 00:17:12.940 Because I've never met anyone that. does this 00:17:12.940 --> 00:17:16.759 and has such a creative mindset. Your mind is 00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:19.319 all over the place. No wonder why you'll have 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:21.799 a to -do list because I'm like, what else will 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:27.180 you do? The ideas never stop. That's the hard 00:17:27.180 --> 00:17:33.299 part. What I will say about your daughter is 00:17:33.299 --> 00:17:35.880 definitely nurture that because here's the thing 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:40.920 that a lot of people don't know. not of their 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:44.559 own fault just because of how it is um like graphic 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.819 novels and comic books and things like that are 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:49.480 a are really really fantastic and underrated 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:52.579 medium that people that you know everyone thinks 00:17:52.579 --> 00:17:55.039 like oh like superman capes this and that and 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:57.160 like that's a genre inside the medium but that 00:17:57.160 --> 00:18:01.460 medium it can tell any story you want you know 00:18:01.460 --> 00:18:04.019 you can tell you know there's stories that are 00:18:04.019 --> 00:18:07.420 just about people's lives you know and like really 00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:11.140 important tales that have a lot to do but you 00:18:11.140 --> 00:18:13.640 can tell very important stories with fantastical 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:16.940 avatars um and you can you can make the delivery 00:18:16.940 --> 00:18:19.440 system more palatable to tell stories that you 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:21.200 might not be able to get through to people otherwise 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:26.339 um you know like the current book i'm publishing 00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:30.279 kill stan is it's about a guy who wants to end 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:33.400 his own life so he decides to do it through vigilantism 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:37.140 um So on the surface, you see Vigilante. It's 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:40.500 kind of a neo -noir crime thriller. But the reality 00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:46.640 is the story is about him and his it's a character 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:50.240 piece about loss and trauma and the crazy things 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:52.200 we do. And we feel like we have nothing left 00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:56.519 to live for, which is like I think a lot of people 00:18:56.519 --> 00:18:59.319 can resonate with that these days. You know, 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:02.019 that kind of loss and having feeling like they're 00:19:02.019 --> 00:19:04.450 at the end of their rope. You know, that's a 00:19:04.450 --> 00:19:06.349 story that might be hard to get into people's 00:19:06.349 --> 00:19:09.529 hands if you're doing a self -help book. Yes. 00:19:09.630 --> 00:19:12.990 But when you put it in this, through this medium, 00:19:13.150 --> 00:19:15.930 all of a sudden people, you get a delivery system 00:19:15.930 --> 00:19:19.069 that becomes palatable for them and impactful 00:19:19.069 --> 00:19:22.200 and something that they can. sit with and resonate 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:26.099 with a little bit better. So, I mean, don't undersell 00:19:26.099 --> 00:19:27.960 the medium. I tell people all the time, it's 00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:30.220 something that, I mean, I've read some stories 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:33.660 in graphic novels that have still just blow me 00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:35.640 away. And I'd go back and reread once a year 00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:38.180 where you're like, this is just a masterclass 00:19:38.180 --> 00:19:41.660 of art and storytelling. Thank you for being 00:19:41.660 --> 00:19:43.599 here today. I'm really happy that you tuned in 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.259 to Vision Pros Live. I'm looking forward to seeing 00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:49.299 your reactions as these episodes continue to 00:19:49.299 --> 00:19:51.000 move forward. This is going to get more and more 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:53.319 fun. We'll have more and more engagement as well. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:55.259 We'll invite people to participate in the show 00:19:55.259 --> 00:19:57.440 and thank you for giving us your time and attention. 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:00.359 Have an excellent time building out your vision 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:01.740 and becoming a vision pro yourself.