SPEAKER_02 1:45

Welcome to another episode of the Hill Top Glove Podcast. Today we have the pleasure of speaking with the talented Jamie Ariel, a photographer, filmmaker, and storyteller. Jamie is an inspiring film director and producer with a passion for storytelling that amplifies black voices. With a background in mass communication and hands-on experience in photography and production, she's she brings a dynamic vision to every project. She is a true creative that has always been fascinated by the world, especially through the lens of a camera. Me too! She finds beauty and minimalism, but captures the intricate deta details that make every scene unique. Being behind the scenes is her comfort zone, allowing her creativity to flow freely. Although she loves working as a lifestyle photographer, she is now pursuing a second career as a film, production, and live entertainment industry. Okay. Jamie's words and creative voices have evolved significantly over time. She is committed to creating, advocating, and building a community for beautiful Black women like herself to pursue their dreams. And she firmly firmly believes that art has no boundaries. She is the founder of Black Creator, a nonprofit organization founded to supporting, uplifting, and inspiring Black creators and women in media. The vision of Black Black Creator is to create a powerhouse community of black women who can share stories rooted in black culture.

SPEAKER_05 3:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:15

Thank you. I love it. You're doing a lot. How are you today? How are you today? Thank you for being here. Great. It's the weekend, so I'm really pretty great. Okay, great. She said it's her first interview, so it is. We're knocking off boxes and checking. Check.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Stop it.

SPEAKER_03 3:30

I'm so serious.

SPEAKER_02 3:32

I like getting people's first because it's like people like, oh, we're so nervous when we come. I'm like, you know, just relax. We're regular people, we're chill. We just want to highlight everything that you're doing. Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

Now, what I want to do though, before we get too far into that, is this get this mic pointing at your mouth? Okay. You want to make sure. You ready? You can slide it down. So oh, you got it. You know what you're doing. I ain't making it. All right, I just want to make sure we're picking up clearly. Got you. I understand. Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

So for our people who are not familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about your upbringing, your childhood? What was it like growing up for you?

SPEAKER_03 4:06

Okay, well, I am a native of North Carolina. I'm from Durham. Okay. Oh, okay. Yeah, it's Bull City all day. Born and raised. So I am the youngest of three. And I will say I was that typical kid who loves like watching TV. I got a TV at a young age. I'm not gonna lie to you. I was given a TV at a very young age. And um, I watched movies. I watched, you know, Nickelodeon and you know, anything millennials watch, I watched it. And I came to a point where I I was, well, I won't say I grew up by myself, but my sisters were older. So they were kind of gone from the house. We're nine and seven years apart. So when Steph went to school, it was just literally me. So I entertained myself. I would reenact movies, memorize lines, like I had a whole imagination, y'all. I'm not gonna lie to you. I mean, like my mom would buy me like little microphones and I would sing in the room with my little boom box and just literally embrace all of the arts. Like I was, like I said, I was exposed to it at a very young age, and I was always an artistic child. The first one in the front at the school plays, like I was always just that kind of kid. Yeah, yeah, that was me.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Oh what's your sign? I'm a Pisces.

SPEAKER_03 5:12

I was born on Pi Day, y'all. Pi Day. Oh, yeah. Literally March 14th. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

It's coming up.

SPEAKER_03 5:19

It is.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Oh wow. Now, what what um what kind of schools did you go to as Eve?

SPEAKER_03 5:25

So I would say my elementary school was a melting pot. I was exposed to diversity very much. To meet the Durham. That's what I'm saying. Exactly. So I was in melting pot in elementary school. Middle school was predominantly black. That's when I got a little more of my culture. There you go. And then I went to high school. Now I will say this. I wanted to go to Hillside with all of my other friends from middle school. Mom said no.

unknown 5:46

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 5:47

So we all went to the same schools, elementary, middle, and high school. So they always knew who we were. And I was the last one, of course. So I always heard, oh, you have another one coming in? Yes. So my high school was a melting pot as well. Okay. So I didn't get fully, fully cultured in the black community until college. I went to the North Carolina Central University. Oh. I did Double Eagle. Go ahead. Where I got fully cultured into, you know, my blackness. So it was really, really nice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Man, that's interesting. That's an interesting story. Because I mean that Durham area is nice. But but with that being said, like I said, it's really diverse. People don't realize that. It really does. I mean, look what you got there. Now, one thing I will tell you this. I don't mess with no dude Blue Devils.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Yeah, I don't either.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

See? Yeah, I don't either. See? I tell y'all stop rooting for them dookies. Dookies know. Dookies no. Not at all. Alright, go ahead. My fault. I had to stop and up. Alright, so who inspired you as a child?

SPEAKER_03 6:45

Oh, it's so many because I was an actor when I was little. Like I said, I reenacted movies. Now, my favorite movie to reenact was um Karate Kid. I was that kid. Yeah. You were good like that with? I was, I mean, I I would literally study movies and like reenact with my shadow in the hallway. Like, I was literally entertaining myself for real. I love Ninja Turtles. I'll reenact that. Karate Kid. Um, what else? Um, let's see. Uh Are you a Frailter Dark? Was my favorite. All that was my favorite too. So I mean, literally, I would just take my imagination to go with it. Yeah. My mom thought something was wrong with me because I would like to make up stories in my mind, and I would use my dolls to act out the stories too. So like I was just that kid who always was hungry to be to be in that profession. Like you had to release it. I did. Yeah. Because I will say my parents didn't cultivate that part of me, which is fine. You know, they're born in the 50s. Their mindset was go to school, get a job, kind of thing. But I had a ball growing up. Yeah. And I really did.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

You sound like a true creative. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

You were you grew up in a media-dominated age. Yeah. Like, what is what did they expect? Like, that was that was the birth of all this media stuff that we think about right now. So it was gonna pop up. Um, so being a creative, okay. And this is interesting because like we always talk to creatives, right? Go ahead and give it to me. But we have to put together these questions and does a masterful job putting together these questions to help us get more out of it than just the run-of-the-mill answer, right? Because our podcast is based on millennials and us learning how to take care of ourselves as adults and make sure we're adulting properly. And anybody else who's interested in career advancement, learning about what people do out here, how they take care of their businesses, their health, wealth, or whatever it is, right? So you have certain challenges, of course, being a woman. Can you explain some of the hardships you face when starting out in this industry and how you've overcome them?

SPEAKER_03 8:43

Well, first off, a lot of times when I apply for different things, they think I'm a man because of my name. So I'm not sure why Jamie. So my my birth name is Jamie Lewis. So when they see that, it's like, hi, Mr. Lewis, I'm like, no, I'm not my father. You know what I mean? Like, I'm not him. So a little more backstory. I have a big tech background as well. So I did Mathcom and undergrad, and my graduate graduate degree was in instructional design in ed tech. So I have like big tech backgrounds. So when I apply for things or, you know, try to get you know internships and workshops, it's like, hi, Mr. Lewis. Then I interviewed for them, and it's like, oh, well, we chose a different candidate. And I'm like, oh. Oh, wow. I've interviewed for a job three times in person and still get didn't get the position. Now I qualified on paper with no problem. Ouch. And then I went to clown scenario.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

I've never seen a situation like that happen. That's so crazy.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

And I didn't realize that it was a problem. Because in my mind, I'm like, okay, I'm just going through the process. Yeah. Because again, it's how I was raised. You go through the process, they pick you pick you. They don't, you know, keep it moving. But I was like, no, that's not okay. Yeah. It took a long time to me to say, hey, that wasn't right. Yeah. So I decided to build my own avenues, which you know came from that particular situation. So I self-taught myself everything I know. Can't even lie. Um, it was hard trying to network when I moved here. So I moved here 10 years ago and started scratch. Durham. I left there. Oh, okay. I left there once I finished grad school. Got a job here, but I was still trying to get that creative, you know, feeling out or whatnot. So I had to make my own avenues, literally. Like I was see stuff on social media, trying to apply, trying to get get into certain networks. It wasn't easy because I do feel like the culture here to an extent were kind of from an outsider, y'all.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

I want to hear this. Yeah, this is a wonder.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

You know, outside looking in as a newbie in the area. Right. Um, if you don't know the same person, well, you have to like go through loops and bounds to get there. Um, which was I didn't mind a challenge, but then it's like it's exhausting. Yeah. Like, yeah, it's my insane. Exactly. So um, you know, as I've been going been going through this process of changing careers or whatnot, it's like, okay, who, cool. I don't have a space for one, a second career millennial. There's not space for us. You know, especially in the entertainment industry, starting from scratch. Because again, technology and media changes so much. And now I've been out of school a lot of years. And I said, Well, I want to create a space for people like me. But I haven't met any like me either. So it's like, okay, am I the only one? Or are they hiding or where they're at? Right. So it's out there, and I got to the point where maybe I'm making these avenues because it's feeding what I want and not for somebody else. So I said, Yeah, it's not a lot of stuff out there for second career millennials who want to be in the film and media industry. It's not. So let's make a platform for it. Let's have what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 11:44

I was, I was looking at your website. I was so inspired. I was like, I can't wait to meet this girl. I've never even heard of her. I'm like, where's she where has she been hiding? Maybe she should be hiding.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Like, you know what she'd been? They ain't been letting it in the spaces.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

Right.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Nah, this is it's a it's something that all creators talk about. Doesn't matter where you're at. Just so y'all realize. It's not about the specific place, it's just where you're at. Um, because we deal with the same thing in Columbia. And we know that there's politics on one side of the town as opposed to the other side of town. And the people that go to those things, those other things we're here. And we don't know why they don't, because it's just three, it's a it's a it's a what a 10-15-minute drive over there. But it happens. And especially as somebody who's coming in and you aren't foundationally from the place, it can be a bit more difficult to do. And when you when you talk about hurdles, just so that our audience can understand, because a lot of people don't know about what this stuff is and they're learning. Can you explain them what type of hurdles you would see? If there's any like small examples you have, hurdles.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

Or at any moment, did you feel discouraged?

SPEAKER_01 12:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_03 12:49

So again, starting from scratch, one of the show, trying to network and meet people who are credible. I'm very, very, very, very business savvy. I like contracts. I like contracts. Go ahead. So, you know, when people tell me, oh, I'm very interested in working with you, cool. Let me send you this document over here, the sign. You know, it's like it's the follow through that gets me.

SPEAKER_05 13:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

So, and I guess I'm a strong Pisces to where if you don't follow through, I'm on to the next. Like, I'm one and done. I'm I just I can't. Like, I at my big age at my I don't want to chase you to work. So, which has been a hurdle. So it has held up some of the progression I want, but I'm not gonna give up. And knowing that what my end goal is, it keeps me from giving up. And I'm also you know, thinking about other areas. So now things are so remote now. I'm like, okay, cool. Yeah, I can be somebody in California, I can be somebody in New York, I can be somebody in Atlanta, or I could just move, like you know, and all together. Like it's no all the things. So I would say the biggest hurdle is um sticking to your word. That does drive me crazy. It drives me crazy. It does.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

That's what it does.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

It gets the big biggest hurdle. It means everything. You are your word.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

People that if that's the only thing they have to judge you off of, it better be A1.

SPEAKER_03 14:09

Exactly. And I want to like again, at my big age, I want to have different responsibilities that I don't want to necessarily do. Yeah. And I'm like, I can't do them all. I'm a one person. So do you work by yourself or you have a team? Well, right now it is just me.

unknown 14:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:25

It is just me. So I have done projects in the past, but I take a step back. Because again, at my big age, I realized I can't do it all. Okay. So now my main focus, I will say, is the business aspect of it. Um, I'm still waiting for my official 501c3 to come back. Okay, waiting for that with the black creators. And then um I do have a um production company that's gonna be something I'm working on next year. Good. All right. I'm taking a step back. It's already registered, so everything is registered. It's just I'm working on one thing at a time. Yes, so I'm waiting for that, and then I've been screenwriting, so that's been my biggest thing. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

When did you pick up the screenwriting?

SPEAKER_03 15:09

Um, I've always had stories, I've always written stuff. You know, I just didn't know what avenue. So I will say this I like to dabble in a lot of different genres to see where it's gonna bite. So I'm gonna say, hey, I'm gonna dabble in a little bit of journalism. Okay, I learned how that works, how the you know, the gossip blogs work. Boom, I understand that language. Okay, so now I know I have stories to tell from my own life. You know what I mean? So I'm like, okay, let me start writing them down and converting them into screenplays. Cool. That keeps me going. Then I said, Hey, oh, I know I love production, I love putting the story together. Let me see what that's like. So I honestly uh worked with a nonprofit before, and um, we work with teen girls for them to produce short films, and I was like, oh yes, this is what I like. This is this is in my this is in my 10-year span of in here. Okay, so I will say that. So I've learned all the different genres on my own because again, it's just me and people aren't necessarily who follow through. So I literally teach myself these things.

SPEAKER_02 16:09

There's nothing wrong with that. You you growing at your your own rate. Yep. Yeah, and by looking at your website, like everything looks so good. Like so that was me.

SPEAKER_03 16:18

I I learned how to do websites by myself. I've learned these things by myself.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

What are you five times you learn all this? Where are you doing this at? So you have a hibernation time machine or something where you just press the button at freeze time, get work done and go back in? Pretty much. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

Yeah. I literally just I look at it to a standpoint of okay, who's gonna do it? Mm-hmm. Me. I'm just gonna learn how to do it. I may go to YouTube university or I just play. I'm a player, I get to play with things. Oh, yeah. Sometimes I don't let people like, I may ask if you know if they're willing to give me information, but for the most part, I literally play with different things. I'm I'm gonna learn Squarespace, I'm gonna learn um WordPress. I learned how to design, I learned how to um, what's the uh, I forgot the not the affiliate, but uh I can't think of the servers. Uh I forgot what the proper name of it is called. Well, I can't think of it right now, but uh I learned how to basically transfer transfer servers into WordPress. Like I taught myself all that stuff because again DNS. Yes, yes, DNS service, yeah. I taught that myself because again, who's going to do it? Like literally, like who's going to be tenacious?

SPEAKER_02 17:27

So you've got your foundation started. So if anybody else wants to come on, you are able to teach it to them.

SPEAKER_03 17:32

And that's my whole point of why I want to bring people on. If I want to give you my knowledge, and then I want you to have this position, is what you're gonna do in this company and keep it moving. Yeah, but the bite is not there.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Ah that's so crazy. Ah man, I said that.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

You know, because where we're where we're at, it's kind of like that, you know, some people are consistent or reliable, but then some people aren't. So I I didn't expect you to say that for this city, you know, for Charlotte. So that's that's kind of it must be just everywhere. That's what I said. It's an everywhere issue.

SPEAKER_01 18:03

You probably got the same issue in Nashville, you probably got the same issue in Tuscaloosa. Like, it's just it's something about the creative space and being in it. When you work with people in the creative space, I know this to be true. It's something about like you you kind of stop using your left brain, even though you still need that mofo. You still need it.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

I said all the time put your left and the right brain together. Because I feel like everybody can eat. Like, I don't I just don't understand the culture of it. And I try to, you know, always think outside the box of any people. You know, I'm very I am a people person. I love meeting people, I don't mind sharing information, logic, anything. I'm not perfect, but hey, I learned on my own. I'm not gonna charge you for what I know. I mean, I got it for free. Like, you know what I mean? So it's it's just it's different. I'm like, we all here trying to do the same thing. And as a creative, budget is a big thing. Budget is everybody gonna have coins. Okay, hey, guess what? I went to YouTube for this, I played with this. Yeah, it's not like trial and error.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

It's not locked, the the the knowledge is not locked away. Right. It's not, yeah, it's not locked away.

SPEAKER_03 19:03

It's not it as a community.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

If you could change, um, since you watch entertainment a lot, you watch TV, and you're one of them. If you could change one thing in the entertainment industry, what would it be?

SPEAKER_05 19:13

Mmm. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 19:15

Ooh, that's a good one. It just came offside my head. I'm freestyling. Yeah, you should be freestyling right now. I would say, uh what really grinds your gears?

SPEAKER_01 19:27

What do you not like seeing or hearing?

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:31

Okay. Because I'm a visual person. And it's a production thing for me. Uh when I know it's a green screen, that drives me crazy. Like, I just yeah, it drives me crazy. Like when it's moving, when you can see it, the edges. You can tell the edges, or I could tell the building is fake and we're standing in front of it, and I'm moving, it's like not blending in. That drives me crazy. Sometimes certain things writers would do. I'm like, what made you do that? We could put a spin on it. Oh, when shows don't align. When they don't align. So, like, if you got a spin-off show that is not seamless into the next one, okay, that drives me crazy. It does. I will say that.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

Because that is a production thing. Y'all didn't put more enough detail.

SPEAKER_03 20:20

So I gotta tell myself now to look at shows not from a production lens, but from a spectator. Yeah. And then I do enjoy it more. I will I do enjoy it more. I will say that. But from a production lens, it's like, come on, it has to make sense.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

But you're like a you you are a specialist in this field because like I told we were we're talking with somebody about this earlier, and she was talking about her over 20 years of experience. We looked at it and said, Where that 20, where'd that go from? Where had that happen? Your black don't be cracking. Yeah, don't crack. And what what she explained, which was smart, was well, I've been studying this forever. Since I was at this age, this is what I did. And so it moves from there all the way up, right? Uh, one of the things that I pointed out, um, that was being pointed out to me today, which you were talking about like production value, we're watching somebody's music video. And we're at Asylum Digital Recording and Mixing here in Charlotte, North Carolina. Uh, phone number 704-492-9289-226-Western House Boulevard. If you have some uh production that you'd like to have mixed down, or if you'd like to record something, please highlight my man Scott Slagle. But the reason why I say that is because he was telling me today, you were watching this and he said, You know what grinds my gears? I said, What, Scott? He said, People just don't do production right. And what he was looking at, he's like, it's the easiest thing. He said, Look at this video, Armor. What's missing? And I was like, the pop filter, because the person was in front of a microphone and ran a studio recording a video. I said the pop filter, he said, Yeah, that, but something more important. I was like, I said, What? What are you talking about? I'm looking. The cord from the mic wasn't even inserted into it. So they're recording. There was no mic. And the person was, ooh, and I was like, Oh Lord Jesus. And that's what he was pointing at like what you're saying, that quality and what you're doing, taking care, ownership and what you're doing to put out a good product. At least make it look like the TV working. Don't just you can't just make it fake, fake. Somebody on set forgot. Somebody forgot on set.

SPEAKER_03 22:09

It was all these people who are in those positions. I'm like, you have all these people, nobody noticed it. Yeah, nobody. It's like, come on. But yeah, yeah, making millions of dollars. I'm not mad at you. Hey, I'm trying to get where you at. But I mean, but it's like those little things like do matter. Like, I just yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:25

If you could be on any set, what set would you be on? Movie theater, show, um, production crew, I guess, director.

SPEAKER_03 22:33

Okay, so my favorite people in the world right now. I love Abra Du Rene. I love her. Yes, girl. You need to watch her masterclass. See, okay, so okay, we'll talk about that. But yeah, I I adore her. And I adore Ethan Ray's story. Those are my girls, leaning the waist. That's my girl too. Like, I would love just be in the studio with them. And I'll also say, my guy, I do like Tyler Perry because he does give opportunities. I love it. But I would love to be on in his studio as well. Like, I'm trying to make a way. Tyler, hey. Hey. Stage play. Stage play.

SPEAKER_01 23:05

Would you do a stage play?

SPEAKER_03 23:07

Um, I would try it. I'll try anything. Okay. I'm not trying anything.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

I'm I'm you remember lines and lyrics, and I do. So stage play. The reason why I say that is because right now I think it's having a a re-emergence. Stage plays because local content, small content is being used. Like people like it, right? Stage place. You got the personality.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

Yeah, I've I will say I've never. It's something I it's on my bucket list. I will say that. I wouldn't mind being on stage. I've never done it in my adult years. Yeah. I've done like little small music productions, stuff like that, but like I've never fully done. Something like that. And I would like to to see what it's like. Because you're not because my safe space is behind the scenes. Yeah, yeah, I know. I mean, she got the eye. Yeah. Her eye is trained. I can already tell. So I like to move and shake. So, but I wouldn't mind a line or two, you know, put a little acting book out there, you know. Just a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

But I see what you're saying. That does make sense. That makes lots of sense.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

What stories are you looking to tell with your film work?

SPEAKER_03 24:13

Right now, I'm currently writing a series about just being a black woman from childhood to now. And then special especially now with all the adversity we're about to go through, um, I would love.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Oh, I told you we ain't talking about Diddy today. I told you. All right, my part, continue.

SPEAKER_03 24:34

But no, I I really think um hearing stories from black women, from millennial black women, needs to be heard because everybody's story is different. So I even know my own, like going through this process of trying to make, you know, transition to a new career. Um looking at, you know, how I have a big supporter by HBCU, how that's going to be changing financially. Like all that stuff is like eating differently, and then just going to work every day. Hey, this might not be my job tomorrow. I don't know. It might not be my job next year. Okay, healthcare. Oh my gosh. I have no kids. I want a little nugget. I don't know. What may happen with that? So all that stuff, even mental health. Like, I want to tackle all those stories from different black women's perspectives because you don't hear the truth. Well, I won't say you don't hear the truth. You don't hear those stories. That's really, really authentic. Like, I don't want to make it up. I want it to be like truly like this is your story. Are you okay with me sharing this? Let's talk about it with a therapist. Like, I want to literally share real stories in real time. Gotcha. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

That's that's important, though. That's very important.

SPEAKER_05 25:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

If you don't tell your own story, they will. And they will leave out important details and accurate times, dates, locations. They'll put you in a bubble machine ball machine when you never were there. Because I do actually go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

But I do feel like a lot of stories that are told aren't always as authentic. Of course, they they may bend it a little bit to make it stretch for the audience. I'm not trying to do that. I want it to be truly authentic. Raw, real stories. You're talking about real happen.

SPEAKER_05 26:09

Real uncut.

SPEAKER_03 26:10

Yeah, I mean, uh uncut, yes. The story needs to be uncut. Yeah. She's a quality one. The story needs to be uncut and not fabricated. You know what I mean? But not hard edited. Yeah, like I mean, I mean you can have a TV series that still tells the same story, but it's not fabricated.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

Question Do you like Basketball Wives?

SPEAKER_02 26:29

Or do you just despise the fake drama? Okay, so I will say this.

SPEAKER_03 26:33

I like a little bit of drama.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

I got my little trash TV.

SPEAKER_03 26:36

I'm saying that because I know I got mine. I do. Yeah. However, being that I do know it's you know scripted, it's kind of like I want you to get mad right here and throw this at her. No.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

That's not the type of reel you're talking about. I want the audience to be understanding of that. So I know what you mean by that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:54

I want them to reveal this story that really happened to me or through this character, but it's a real story. But it's still gonna be a series. It's okay. Yeah. For it to be authentic. It's okay. Awesome. Awesome. I like hearing that.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

Um, I want to ask this because I know you smile too bitch.

SPEAKER_05 27:09

Oh, yeah, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 27:10

That's a good one. So, as a female creative, what strategies do you use to create strong characters? Now, I want to preface this by saying this, I know this is not in here, but I like I want to talk about this because I hear this all the time. They always want black women to be strong. Always. Like y'all are like you all are some kind of oxen or a Buick muscle car. Y'all ain't that's not what y'all is. Y'all people. So now for real, I hear this all the time. Like, this is not oxen. Um, but so when they say like strong characters, what do you mean? What does that mean to you, a strong character?

SPEAKER_03 27:45

Okay, so my younger self, strong character, I would say you roll with the punches, you always get back up regardless. It doesn't matter. Um, I don't want to say the word feelings don't matter because that was told to me when I was younger.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Whoa. Mm-hmm. Whoa.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

So um I that's what I was taught to keep them moving. You can't react on feelings because again, nothing gets done when you react on feelings. But I'm like, but hey, I'm a woman though. Like I have a lot of those things. I have a lot, and I didn't realize I had them until I was in my 30s.

SPEAKER_02 28:20

Right.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

They don't have to tell you about it.

SPEAKER_02 28:22

They don't prepare you for this.

SPEAKER_01 28:24

They don't, they don't know. They'll just wake up and boom, they hear me.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

It's like I care now. I care. I cannot not care. Yeah, didn't know. So I I I won't say I don't like the strong black women um scenario, but it's okay to not be okay. Yeah. And I wish that was taught to us as we're growing up. Now I understand being African-American growing up in this world is gonna be rough. Of course, your parents are gonna teach you to be strong, be respectful, all that kind of stuff. However, comma, what I'll do with these feelings as I'm getting older. Right. How to maneuver them. How to maneuver them, how to navigate them. Yeah, we're not. Well, I won't say we as a whole, but I wasn't prepared for any of that. So now as I'm growing, growing into having feelings and processing them, I have a great therapist. I ain't gonna lie to you, but she's making me understand why I'm feeling this way, why I'm a react, why am I reacting this way? Because we're really just literally human characters. There it is. We're human. There it is. That is the word of today. You know, human is flawed. More human. You know, it's okay. Like, it's really okay to say, okay, I'm not going to walk in this building, you know, being a perfectionist today. You know, I'm just gonna let it flow. And that's okay. I had to learn that because I am I am a perfectionist. Like, everything has to be done right, organized, to the point. Because in my mind, it's like, okay, if I do it right and perfect, guess what? You're not gonna bother me. Now it's like I'm human.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:02

So if I don't get it done, guess what? It'll be there tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

Yep, you come by. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 30:06

But that's a that was a hard transition because I'm so used to things being perfect, like has to move like a clockwork.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Like, it's like you gotta reprogram your brain to like I gotta answer this. What your parents do for a living?

SPEAKER_03 30:19

Okay, so my dad was a professional parole officer.

SPEAKER_01 30:23

No wonder click click click cling. I nobody just yeah, you gotta do it right.

SPEAKER_03 30:28

And I was daddy's baby, so that's what I'm his baby girl, named after him and everything. Yeah, and my mom was a nurse.

SPEAKER_01 30:35

Um protocols and procedures.

SPEAKER_03 30:37

Yeah. So by the time my sisters, you know, graduated and left, it was like, You got too much focus. It was just me.

SPEAKER_01 30:43

Yep, they were just looking at you. Yeah. If your sisters and stuff were there, it'd probably have been a different situation.

SPEAKER_03 30:47

But it was like they said they were gone. So dang.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

So how was I don't know, this has nothing to do with what we're talking about right now. How was that growing up with somebody who works in law in in that sense in law enforcement and healthcare?

SPEAKER_03 30:59

I was so young when my dad was in law enforcement, so I didn't really like pay attention. He was just dad.

SPEAKER_01 31:03

Like Wow, he never talked about it?

SPEAKER_03 31:05

Not really. He was just dad. So he was always there. I will say that my parents were always involved. They were always, always what are you doing? You better do your homework. See, that's what I'm saying. They were and that's why you go on your PZ. Mom's in play, you better read this book before you go outside and play anything. I'm like, okay. But I had like neighborhood friends. I will say, like, my sisters had each other because they were two years apart. And I grew up in an era where I had neighborhood people. So I was always outside. I wanted to play outside. Kickball, dodgeball, basketball, football, I played it all.

SPEAKER_05 31:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:33

I mean, it was me. I was, I was all the things with me. I mean, all the things. I was the Tom Girl. Yeah, all day.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

That's funny, right? But yeah, that was me.

SPEAKER_03 31:47

So, um, but again, I had to have good grades, you know, all that stuff was required. You know, I had to go to school, you know, they wanted me to work.

SPEAKER_01 31:54

You had to go to school. Oh, yeah. I like how she said I had to go to school. Yeah. She didn't say I went to school. I had to go to school.

SPEAKER_03 32:00

They want all of us to go to college, you know, all types of things. My parents went to college, so it was like for them to be born in the 50s and go to college.

SPEAKER_01 32:06

You get definitely going to college.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

But that's why your work ethic is so high and your standards are so high. Yeah. I will say, you know, being, you know, my dad was my little hero, because he hear his stories growing up. He was born in 1953. Like he was hustling or, you know, working at a young age, trying to shining shoes, you know, you know, going to a grocery store for people. Like he was always, you know, whatever he could do.

SPEAKER_01 32:28

Because that was the era. Yeah, that was the era.

SPEAKER_03 32:30

Six of them, and they all went to school. Like everybody went to school. Wow. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

What did my parents do?

SPEAKER_03 32:37

I honestly when I, I guess, because I was again the baby, I never really talked to my grandmother. She already, you know, at an elderly age. So I didn't know what she did. I didn't know anything about her. Never never met my grandfather, but I knew he worked.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_03 32:49

So, but yeah, all of them, all of them went to school. Wow. All of them.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

That is amazing.

SPEAKER_03 32:54

Um, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

Enduro?

SPEAKER_03 32:57

Well, they're from they're from New York.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

Preach. See, I'm about to say, that explains a lot.

SPEAKER_03 33:02

So they're from Brooklyn. That's from the Bitcoin area. There you go. I'm the only North Carolina baby. I was about to say, now it makes sense. Um they moved here um when my middle sister was born. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

So that explains so much of the story. Now I know why. Yes. Oh, Lord. Yeah, I like to connect the dots. Gotcha. Sorry, you're human, right? More human. Um, but awesome. Um, do you have uh we know that one about that, yeah. You do it by yourself. Yes, for yourself. For yourself.

SPEAKER_03 33:32

For now. I'm looking for it. For now.

SPEAKER_02 33:33

I'm looking for who are you looking for? What kind of help are you seeking or would love to collaborate with?

SPEAKER_01 33:39

An assistant and an editor. What do you mean by assistant? Make sure detailed products.

SPEAKER_03 33:44

I would say yes, administrative. Yes. Okay. Yes, it's yes. Um, I could pass documents over, emails over uh as necessary. As far as the editor, I love editing at one point in my life, but now I'm like, mm-mm girl, meeting. Ready to pass a torch. Yeah. Here you go.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Because it's like you gotta sit still for a long time and a long time and just keep playing it. And our minds are just it's so many images and thoughts in our mind. It's hard to slow down and really focus on that video anymore. It's like I'm past that video. That video's just it's done. Yeah, somebody can do it.

SPEAKER_01 34:16

Exactly. We let AI do it.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

It's an option. You need real, you need to be.

SPEAKER_03 34:24

I'm just speaking for computers. Yes, for editing purposes, I would definitely want a human. But I will say this I do like AI.

SPEAKER_01 34:30

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

Again, if it's used properly, uh-huh, it's a great tool. It makes your brain.

SPEAKER_01 34:36

Isn't that right, Tamaya?

SPEAKER_02 34:38

Talk about it. That um I was at a meeting the other day, and the lady was talking about alternative words that they won't get flagged by AI for black, I guess, black events. That's okay. It's saying like international instead, like switching your words up instead. How do you feel about that?

SPEAKER_03 34:54

I disagree with that. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

I really I So still put our lingo into the generator. Yes, I do.

SPEAKER_03 35:02

So I train it to speak like me. So for example, I may have a simple writing and I may say, hey, make this sound a little bit more polished. And then I'm like, I like that word. You can change it. You know what I mean? I use it, I train AI to think like me. Okay. So when you start putting your writing in, start putting like your content in there, it's like, okay, I'm training my brain to think like you, and then may change some of the words. Now, black's gonna be black. I'm sorry. Right. That's gonna stay. I'm sorry. Right.

SPEAKER_01 35:26

Well, they want you to change the word black.

SPEAKER_02 35:28

No, no, just say like if you're applying for something and you're trying to stay under the radar because you don't want it to get flagged if if you wouldn't get that funding. You see what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 35:37

So you're using other words to substitute so like you're you're you're how you're speaking the the the dialect?

SPEAKER_02 35:43

Yeah, yeah, what you're feeding the AI, or what you're I guess you want the AI to spit back out to make it sound more polished. And it's apply.

SPEAKER_03 35:52

And that part does to an extent bother me. Why like why do I have to change the words if I'm targeting this particular market? Like, even when people say, um what was it? Trying to remember how far back it was. I can't remember I cannot remember who it was. I can't confirm or I can't confirm or deny. But changing it to um oh was it not like now? Um people I have people of color. Like I understand it. Oh, sometimes it it's okay to be just for black women or black people. Like it's that shouldn't be a problem. You know what I mean? And like I just it it bothers me that for funding purposes we gotta bend language to seek funding. Yeah. And it bothers me, it bothers me even more because I can't confirm or deny this either. We have so many black people out here who are making these coins that are not going to our community.

SPEAKER_05 36:47

Ouch. She hurt me with that because I knew it.

SPEAKER_03 36:48

Yeah, that bothers me. Yeah, and that bothers me. It's like okay. Because Oprah was a big um role model for me growing up. I said, I want a heartbelt when I get older. I sure do. But I don't, but again, I I will say this, I didn't do my research. I don't know who she's giving back to.

SPEAKER_05 37:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:02

So why isn't that flooding in the community of those who are trying to get to where you are? I don't hear about that. Or I don't see it. Or I may see a document saying, Oh, well, we're looking for people of color.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

Well, you know, they've they've this they support like these one or two organizations throughout the year, but it I feel like they could be doing so much more on a global impact. You know what I'm saying? That's what my problem is with the civilization.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

Yeah. Like things that make the money to make money to pay for stuff.

SPEAKER_03 37:30

Especially when you're telling our black stories, right? Yes. Like you're telling our stories and our hardships and all kinds of stuff, but what where is the funding to bring it back full circle?

SPEAKER_01 37:39

They're they are not watering the garden, but they are surely picking the plants.

SPEAKER_03 37:42

Right. But at the same time, I don't know what adversity they're meeting up in those meetings either. Right. Like who are they up against? Like who's at the table that makes those decisions too?

SPEAKER_01 37:50

Why gotta say that and scare me? Now I'm afraid.

SPEAKER_02 37:52

No, like you know if you don't if you want to border something, so you can't cross certain lines to make a deal. Right.

SPEAKER_01 37:58

I mean, but like, you know what's sad is it's what you're talking about with like it it people within our community, right? There's no way for them to speak amongst each other like other communities, rich people just speak amongst each other to decide that they're going to do something like fund kids going to camp. It happens every day, all the time. They just get together and say, Hey, we're gonna do this for our our community. So, because interestingly enough, we had an uh interview with a young lady, she's an educator, and she was telling us about the difference between two schools she worked in. As remember, she was telling us at one school she didn't have the type of input and energy from this the ch the students, right? Um, that she had at this other um school. And the students at the other one, they they were doing okay, but they weren't as well off. These other children at this other school, they have this certain energy, they they really care. The community cares. The the parents come to the school to help the teachers do work. They'll come in on a Sunday. You ready? Do you know the difference in the two communities? What do you think it is? I ain't gonna say nothing. I don't gotta say nothing to you. So why can't we get to no one's beating telling them to them them people's parents they can't come in? Why can't we talk to each other? Why do we gotta speak in the dark behind the corner with the door closed and mute on because we're afraid that they're gonna come and bite off our tidywinks? Like, what is going on here?

SPEAKER_02 39:21

But that's trauma. That's the trauma.

SPEAKER_01 39:23

I heard this lady, she's a um, my brother put her on because my dad put, he puts us on these people to listen to, right? And this is this one lady, she's dope. And she's a black woman, she's from New York, Brooklyn, and she, her and her husband, they work in et cetera, but they do this media stuff. And one thing she was talking about is the fact that black people have to realize it's only been 61 years since we've been able to participate in political movements without fear of violent redress. Like you would get redress, but violent redress, like where someone can just, I'm gonna come murder you and it's okay. So that means like we don't even know how to speak with each other internally about politics and how to like in the politics in the sense of not like red and blue, I'm talking about how to organize to take care of your community. Like, hey guys, uh yeah, hey guys, our streets are dirty right here, and it causes us to have a clogging in our water. So when a runoff comes, it floods our yard. Can we figure out how to clean this? Or these kids need to be able to go somewhere and learn some economic what enrichment so that they can start their own businesses early and get ahead and build credit before they turn 18. Because we're gonna go ahead and buy a credit card and put it in their name, and we're gonna make sure we keep it good. So by the time they're 18, they got 15 years of credit card history and great credit. And so now when they get out there and go to school, they can buy a car, they can get an apartment, they can start taking care of themselves in their head.

SPEAKER_03 40:38

We all be sitting with each other in rooms, we'll be scared. And that sounds like a millennial person because literally, I think back to even when I was in college, the first thing I saw on campus was like, Hey, you want a credit card? Yeah, application out immediately. Immediately, and oh, I can speak to that so well. But you're gonna tell that story wise. That's gonna be a part of the story. So it it was at one point. I wanted to talk about education and how funding is being processed, how this school may have these resources and this school may not may not. It's designed that way. To me, it's it's literally designed that way. The system works. It is the responsibility of the educator to educate outside of what we're told to do. Oh, you really believe that. I I do. And I do believe kids would do anything if you build that relationship relationship with them. If you have that bond, they'll move mountains. It may not be the interest of their, you know, current curriculum or current assignment, but hey, you can get that same, you can you can test that same standard based upon what those kids go through. Listen to them talk. Yeah. So it's it I I do think we have to expose our kids to what's really going on in this world for them to understand how to navigate it. And I do think like I was telling my mom, I said, I said, mom, you taught us to basically be very respectful, you know, do not be aggressive, do not, you know, basically be human to an extent when you're around adversity or whatnot. But I do think the millennial parents tell our kids now, say what you feel, and it's okay. Yeah, however, we did forget how to tell them to be tactful. They raw. They raw. They raw, and it's and it's raw. And it's raw to the point where, okay, hey, um, I don't want you to get arrested tomorrow. Oh. We gotta bring this back. Let's say the same thing a different way. Let's let's talk about it. You know what I mean? So I think that's something that needs that I think millennial parenting expresses now. Don't don't hold your feelings back. Let them know what it is. Especially to a teacher, real quick. They'll tell rip immediately.

SPEAKER_00 42:50

Yeah, we didn't have that.

SPEAKER_03 42:51

We were not allowed to teach that. Whatever the teacher says, what happened.

SPEAKER_01 42:55

I'm always like, as long as they don't touch you or say something to endanger you or your people. If it's nothing like that, they can talk, say, they can say inaccurate facts. Now you know better, just don't listen to them.

SPEAKER_03 43:08

But now they will say whatever they feel.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

Well, stop them.

SPEAKER_03 43:11

And you have to cultivate it. It's okay. That's how you feel. Well, tell me why you feel this way. Let's have a conversation. Let's break this down real quick. And they don't they they need that processing. Because again, they're going off the dome real quick. Yeah, they're not processing why that is happening or why I said this. They just say it out, yeah. And then they'll get in trouble. Why why are they really in trouble though? When they really don't understand why they're saying what they're saying. Or what's what's making them react that particular way. Especially if they're right. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 43:38

So do you think you could teach this through video storytelling through production?

unknown 43:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:45

Um, I think from I would think that would be more of a documentary piece, in my opinion, and just talking to different students and their how they experienced school growing up. Like I've had a confessing educator. But yeah, having a student give me feedback on how their experience was um them going through high school was rough for them. You know, just being silenced, and I'm like, silenced? Who silenced you in high school? No, ma'am, because you you were one of my babies, like, no. So just you know, a lot of kids have so much to say, but we don't ask either. Nobody's nobody wants to listen or ask.

SPEAKER_02 44:20

That's so crazy because you know, we get to we do podcasts for the kids, and just hearing their stories, you'd be like, Man, I you never really get to hear them release and really just talk because when they go home, you can't talk around your parents a certain way. When you in school, you can't talk a certain way. You can talk around your friends, your friends, and so we let them be with their friends and talk, and everything comes out.

SPEAKER_03 44:42

So it's like y'all really are holding in a lot of trauma because their parents are at work, you know, they gotta care for their siblings, you gotta know especially post-COVID, you know, all that was a lot, you know what I mean? So they're human too. It's okay, you know.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

I know we gotta get ready to rap, but what I want to do, we need to speak about a black creator.

SPEAKER_03 45:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:02

Tell us about it.

SPEAKER_03 45:04

Well, like I said, in the beginning, it started from the idea of creating a space for second career millennial black women. That was the whole vision. I wanted a space for us to well want to network, be able to create together and put up, push out content. Um then as I started doing some more research about different um foundations, like I studied Lena Ways Foundation, I studied uh Color Corrective, I was just looking at how they formulated their companies and whatnot, and even Able Duvernay array. And I was like, well, maybe it's the biggest thing that's hindering a lot of our stories getting out is funding, right? So I said, I wonder can or somehow I'm able to apply for grants to help. Fund indie artists. So my trajectory has changed from okay, just being together, creating together to no, let's fund our stories as well as build a community. So that's kind of the vision now. And um that's kind of where I am. Like I said, I'm waiting for my Five of One C three to come back. So I file for some grants and fund some indie projects for black women. Black women.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Yeah, yeah. We can definitely help you with that. Yeah. Gotta support you on that. Because it's that's what that's something that we complain about. Yeah. That's real.

SPEAKER_03 46:18

And I also think a lot of that stems from, I guess, I don't want to, I'm not gonna say I've been silenced, but again, I wasn't taught to show feelings. I wasn't taught to talk about things in the past. If there's adversity, you you look at it, shake it off, and keep it moving. But that stuff builds up. So as you get older, when you get my age, my big age, it builds up, you explode, and you have nothing to do with it. So I'm like, oh, I'm putting in on a screenplay as my release. You know what I'm saying? So I know there's so many other black women out there, like some of my um immediate circle friends. I'm like, let's put in a story because you got something to say, hon. Let's say it. Yeah, and to be real and authentic. I'm big on real and authentic. Like I yeah, I have to be real. I know. Like if it's not real, I don't want any parts of it.

SPEAKER_01 47:00

Like, you're tired of this shift and shuffling.

SPEAKER_03 47:04

You know, watch too many. Yeah, I did. I've seen it all. I know all the storylines. Like I like, I still do study things. Like right now, I'm re-watching, I will admit, I'm re-watching Sisters in this in the team, but I'm just like just studying it as, you know, okay, how would I want my show or entertainment to be from here?

SPEAKER_05 47:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:23

Like, I know he's he's telling black stories, yes, but I want all of it to be real. Yeah. Like everything. Like, you know, having two babies pregnant, like two different parties.

SPEAKER_00 47:34

I mean, you know, but it but it's exciting.

SPEAKER_03 47:36

Again, it's a teaching grabber. I get it. That's what it is. But it's not real. Yeah, yeah, for beautiful black women. Yeah. Talking about being sisters.

SPEAKER_05 47:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

Where's the real part of it? Okay, so wait, before we go to the next question, I'm sorry. What is a show that or a black show that you really admire?

SPEAKER_05 47:53

A different world.

SPEAKER_02 47:54

A different world. A different world. You gotta play the game.

SPEAKER_01 47:57

Oh, you need to play the Hillman game.

SPEAKER_02 47:59

My friend, our friend has made a board game out of it. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_01 48:03

We're gonna send you her information.

SPEAKER_03 48:05

So I will say a different world because I was excited to go to college from that show. And also, I love Spikely, y'all. I want to meet Spikely really, really bad. School Days is my favorite movie of all times.

SPEAKER_00 48:19

I love School Days.

unknown 48:20

I love it.

SPEAKER_03 48:21

Yes, it was my two favorites. Yeah. Awesome. And I'm trying to see you at the low, but you know, those tickets are like $800. Yeah, man. Yeah, man. Ooh, this is I love you. I really want to support you.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

But now he's like bit his tongue, and he's having an issue like pronouncing the words and stuff. He's trying to hope that the swelling goes down before they start. Because he does it every year. He does the Shakespeare in the park. But um, yeah, that kind of sucks. That does sucks. But I hope he was able to get there this year because it'll be dope.

SPEAKER_03 48:44

Because I want to go so bad. He's one of my favorites too. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

All right, so can we expect from you in the future? And what do you have coming up?

SPEAKER_03 48:53

Okay, so I am finishing my screenwriting, my series. That is finishing. I'm gonna submit it to different film festivals in my goal in the fall. Uh, I'm actually uh let's see what else I got coming up. I did apply for my first film grant. So I'm excited about that. Uh let's see. Anything else about the year? End of the year. End of the year. I do want to cast my first production. But I will say, I'm gonna admit, I am nervous. I am nervous. I am a little scared to cast sometimes. But yeah, I cast my first production to where I can start filming next year. My first short. But I have so many screenplays I want to submit at the film festival is my biggest goal for this year. So that's where I'm at. And of course, applying for grants getting my 501c3 back.

SPEAKER_02 49:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:44

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 49:46

Well, where can everyone find you and stay in contact with you?

SPEAKER_03 49:49

You can find me on Instagram at I am Jamie RL. Also follow Black Creators on Instagram and ask me. What's your main platform that you know Instagram is my favorite right now? Okay. I like Instagram the most. I am on TikTok, I am on Facebook, but my biggest platforms I use a lot. On a regular is Instagram. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 50:09

Hey, I'm gonna send you an email right now with the link to the board game.

SPEAKER_03 50:13

Oh, yeah, somebody get that.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

I'm gonna send it to your email address.

SPEAKER_03 50:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 50:17

All right, so it'll be there so you can check it out. Now, I know you're gonna like it. Because if you said that, yeah, you're gonna love the game. You're gonna love the game. All plays. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's really detailed.

SPEAKER_02 50:27

Like inspired black creator.

SPEAKER_01 50:28

So female woman. So y'all need to connect anyway.

SPEAKER_02 50:33

Definitely do. Yes, yes, yes. We have so many people that you will probably be interested in talking to. So I'll send you, I'll probably DM you. Thank you so much. I will love that. And I'm always finding funding for something. Okay. And I will definitely send it to you.

SPEAKER_03 50:46

Okay, thank you so much. I'm ready to spread my wings and not be scared. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 50:51

You got it, sis. I know you got it. Because you're impressive, man.

SPEAKER_03 50:54

Thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I really do appreciate it. No worries.

SPEAKER_01 50:59

Well, Hill Top Glove Podcast is DJing what?

SPEAKER_02 51:02

Tamaya. Mike.

SPEAKER_01 51:03

And our esteemed guest, Jamie Ariel. We want to appreciate, we want to let you know that we appreciate you being here. This is this is your first. As uh Tamaya says, she always likes to break that seal. Okay. So we're gonna get you rolling and we hope that everything grows and becomes bigger from here. If something pops up, please let us know about it. If you want to come back on, please let us know about it. We'd love to have you back as a guest.

SPEAKER_03 51:26

I would love that. Thank you so much again. I really do appreciate it. Thank you. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01 51:30

Well, till next time, tell somebody next to next to you, beside you, down the street, or somewhere around in the interworld that you love them and you appreciate them. Peace.