Build As You Are: Personal Branding Without Perfection

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Speaker 1: Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, Christophe, and this is to keep it positive.

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Speaker 2: Sweetish show.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to keep it positive, Sweetie, the place where we he'll grow and learn together Today it's even more special because.

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Speaker 2: It's just me and my sweeties.

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Speaker 1: It was important that I do this solo episode since I get so many questions about my personal branding, showing up online and what it really looks like to build a brand while you're still becoming, because I think a lot of people feel like they need to just have everything figured out before they show up, and that's just not the truth. So get ready. This is going to be so so good. I hope you enjoy it, Shelley, this is exciting.

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Speaker 2: This is exciting solo episode.

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Speaker 3: Yes, So we're gonna talk about just some personal branding, which you're so great at. You do it so effortlessly, and I know that people are really wanting to know more. So we're gonna just jump into it the first time. Start with I Grow.

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Speaker 4: I g right.

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Speaker 3: So I'm sure you get asked about it a lot. You've been on Instagram since twenty eleven. You have over seventeen hundred posts, and it seems like you never cleared your grid.

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Speaker 2: I did a little clearing a little bit.

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Speaker 3: Okay, if you scroll all the way back, and I'm sure a lot of the sweeties do, you can kind of see your evolution from early posts. So like you announcing your styling gig with Tyler in twenty sixteen to your lifestyle content, it's all there. So today people are really focused on aesthetics and curating, deleting, starting over. They might have color schemes, all these things. Right, let's talk about that. Why hasn't aesthetics ever been just something you've been fixating on.

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Speaker 1: I believe that my entire life and brand is an aesthetic where I don't have to get caught up in the color schemes. I've seen people do that, and I've tried it, but it's just too much to keep up with, you know.

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Speaker 2: And my life isn't a color scheme. You know.

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Speaker 1: Some days it's gonna be bright, others it's not gonna be so bright, and you're gonna get all of it, you know. So I feel like there's authentic, there's transparency and not getting caught up in the super curated content and even the look of the page.

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Speaker 2: You know, I am intentional about the content I put out.

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Speaker 1: I think that's very important when you're building a brand, but for me, that wasn't a big thing for me.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I love that, you know, you're definitely consistent with the content, but more so like you kind of like I like it because it's like, if you like it, you're gonna post it, period.

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Speaker 5: Don't think too much about it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's social media. I think people get caught up.

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Speaker 1: It's already takes up so much of our time, right, so much so I believe that when it comes to it, just post organically, post what feels good to you. And what I've noticed is that if it feels good to me, nine times out of ten, is gonna feel good to the people that are following me.

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Speaker 2: That's what they're here for.

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Speaker 1: So I think that's what sets you apart from other pages, you know, is that you are setting the tone. People know what they're gonna get when they come to love christal reinee Perfect.

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Speaker 3: So that kind of goes into like not really focusing what's on the page. Brand actually is so talk more about that and how we say, like you don't really care about what it looks like, but what it actually the content, the meat of it. How do you kind of is there a circler, like are you doing.

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Speaker 5: Some type of like lisz?

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Speaker 3: How do you figure out like these fauss the proper bucket for your content?

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Speaker 5: Yeah?

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Speaker 1: I think in the beginning, it was about posting things that I organically did around the house, whether it was doing my hair, doing my makeup and ti your design, you know, anything that I organically would do. I just put out my camera, you know, and just posted it just to let people kind of into my life, give them more of an insight of who I am outside of my YouTube and all the other things that I was doing back then.

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Speaker 6: You know.

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Speaker 1: I think a big part of it is making sure that people when you do things that are authentic to you, not what everybody else is doing. And I think that's what set me apart. But I am intentional about what I post. I'm not just like, oh, I'm just post this or whatever, intent to make sure that whatever I post is on brand with who.

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Speaker 5: I really am.

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Speaker 3: I love that. I love that. So let's talk about that. You were consistent about it and you are intentional. What has that done for your brand?

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Speaker 5: Man?

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Speaker 1: It's done so much. And here's the thing twenty eleven I started this. It's probably twenty twelve thirteen that I started doing hair videos that was planning seeds, and that was over a decade ago.

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Speaker 2: You think about its twenty twenty six.

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Speaker 1: I was doing things because I loved it, not to make money from it. I don't think we were getting paid off at Instagram at that point in time. It was just we were just doing things that we loved and this new age of social media was opening up a world that we weren't familiar with. And I look back now, all the things that I was organically posting has turned into brand deals for me, you know. And I think that's what makes businesses and companies and even the people who buy my products now really believe because it's like, oh, she was doing this when she wasn't making anything off of it, you know. And I think that's important when it comes to businesses understanding do what you love, build off of something that you genuinely care about, something you would genuinely use, not just oh this.

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Speaker 2: Is popping right now, but I don't really use it.

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Speaker 1: Like anything I do is something that I'm I'm behind one thousand percent.

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Speaker 3: And I think that that's what I love following your content. I'm like, oh, Crystal said, because I know she no fraud, no fraudulent, So I know, like, okay, this is legit. So I definitely know that about you and appreciate that, and I think that's what we all love about it is like we know if you put your stamp on.

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Speaker 5: It, my girl, she didn't use it.

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Speaker 3: She doesn't yeh, or she gonna tell you like, okay, this is.

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Speaker 5: So we know your.

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Speaker 3: Story and how you you've always wanted to be in you know, in like a star. Right, So your confidence was pretty much there. But for someone that doesn't maybe feel like they have that confidence or just not sure, how would you what would you tell them to do the start of building a personal brand they don't feel confident yet.

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Speaker 1: I would say that being in front of the camera is not the end all, be y'all to building a brand.

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Speaker 5: You know.

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Speaker 1: I think there's been so much emphasis put on social media and online presence, which is very, very very important.

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Speaker 2: You reach so many more people.

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Speaker 1: On social media then you may be able to on a website or in other ways of marketing. But I would say, figure out your strong suitse what you are comfortable with, you know, because I don't feel confident every single day, you know, so I can understand like the person who may be like, I don't want to get on camera, I don't like speaking, I don't like doing this. Figure out research other ways to build a brand where you don't have to do things you're not comfortable with.

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Speaker 2: But at some point you're going.

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Speaker 1: To have to be able to speak about it, talk about it, whether you're trying to pitch it to a company or investors. That's going to come a point where you have to talk about it. But maybe getting in front of a camera may not be your thing.

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Speaker 3: That's good because I know that a lot of people facize a lot of people away from doing their dreaming on it because they feel like social media is the way to get it out there when there are so many different ways.

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Speaker 5: Right.

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Speaker 1: But I will say this too, Shelley, there's two folds that some people are confident, but they just feel like, oh, I don't have enough following, or I don't have all the equipment or the lights and all the things.

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Speaker 2: You have to start somewhere.

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Speaker 1: You know, before I had this huge office and the lights and the camera, the crew, all that I literally had a tripod in my iPhone and I don't even remember what editing software I downloaded on my iPhone. I was doing everything and I didn't have all the followers. But once people started catching on, they're like, oh, I like this, and before I knew it, it started growing. But it's because I was doing something organically and I started with what I had a lot of people feel like they got to start where they see other people finish. No, like we all had to start somewhere. I don't want people to forget that you have to start somewhere. Start where you are, start with what you have. People are shooting the whole movies.

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Speaker 2: On their iPhones.

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Speaker 1: These iPhones are so good now you can do so many different things.

00:08:02
Speaker 2: Get on Amazon. We were just talking about Amazons.

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Speaker 1: Was just somebody, honey, get a tripod and get to shooting, you know, And it's I mean, they've made it so easy now where you can like edit super easy.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes some abs even do it for you.

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Speaker 1: So with AI, there's so many tools that are readily available.

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Speaker 2: I think that it's so easy get caught.

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Speaker 1: Up and where everyone else is and comparing yourself to others that they can stop you and you can get pigeonholed like that absolutely.

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Speaker 3: And I think some of my favorite creators are people that I started when they first started and then send them and be like, oh, they got a new light or that's a new set, or they got a new you know, like that's always cool to see. Yeah, them evolved, but still like being themselves and sharing the same concept but elevating it and getting better with it. Right, So, speaking about evolving, how do you stay consistent when, like you said, you may not have the perfect light or things like that, but you know you have to shoot. What was your motivation to keep going and something that's maybe not say per se cliche, but something people could really hold on to.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, they kept me going when I was doing it all by myself, without the with the bathroom, like I don't know if I had a ring, Like at that point, that was an investment I had to make. And when you're first starting out, everything is an investment and sometimes you don't have the money, so you got to save up for it. I think the thing that kept me going was attraction. You know, when you see people are interested in invested in what you're doing, they keep coming back and they're like, oh.

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Speaker 2: Please make more content like this.

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Speaker 1: Even if it's just a few people, you know, you're onto something, you know. So I think finding what that niche is your laying and create off of that and create out the momentum.

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Speaker 2: That's something that definitely kept me going.

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Speaker 1: And even today, I feel like sometimes when you don't get the collapse, initially you kind of want to give up. But if it's something you truly believe in, continue to do it, continue to create because everybody's not going to love everything.

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Speaker 2: There's stuff that I do and some people are like, ah, you know.

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Speaker 1: In the beginning, even like they were like she's not good, you know, but then it's like God had another another plan and then it turned into something else. So I think, if you believe in it, no matter what, just keep pushing.

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Speaker 2: That's what Anything not just right?

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Speaker 5: Yeah everything okay, so let's get into something else.

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Speaker 3: So I am a avvy. I need a social media break. I'm always like I gotta get off, and I'm like, dang, this is pretty much I gotta stay tapped in.

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Speaker 2: Yeah you do.

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Speaker 3: So I often have been thinking about you a lot because I'm like, she posts great, she always posting, consistent.

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Speaker 5: You know what's going on? She does it so well.

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Speaker 3: When you're building the brand, showing up consistently sounds good, but in real life it can be a lot just from like the doom, scrolling the news, the bots, like everything right, Yeah, has there ever been a moment where you felt burned out from showing up and wanted to take a break from social media?

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Speaker 5: And then what did that look like? Did you do it?

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Speaker 6: DoD it?

00:10:49
Speaker 5: Like? Like what did that?

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Speaker 3: Could you tell it in the content, Like what does that look like for you? When you are feeling that way.

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Speaker 1: A lot of times people on the outside wouldn't know it because you continue to show up. But I get social media fatigue quite often.

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Speaker 2: It's a lot. It's demanding.

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Speaker 1: You get desensitized that so much is being pumped out. Every time you open your phone, you're seeing something that we shouldn't even be seeing, you know, Like our psyche is not meant to taking so much information, and there's so much that we're being given every single day. So for me, yearly, I take like a month off, And sometimes there may be other peers where I'm just like I gotta shut it out, you know.

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Speaker 2: But when you are building a.

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Speaker 1: Brand, it's really hard. Shelly it's hard. You feel like my life is dependent on this. I gotta keep posting because if I don't, then they're not. I'm gonna lose followers and followers turning into dollars and I gotta So we put this pressure on ourselves to continue to be present, but we're not showing up for ourselves. We're not showing up for our families, the people that love us. Because you think about people that are really into the social media world, you go to dinner with and what are they doing now their phone exactly?

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Speaker 2: I do that took at food getting good. I gotta get this fun up. But yeah, I'm like, okay, now y'all can eat.

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Speaker 1: But it's one of those things where it consumes everything, and I feel like we are losing a sense of reality when it comes to that. Even that personal touch or just like being in tune with each other, we miss so much because we're blinded by our phones, you know.

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Speaker 2: So I think it's one of those things.

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Speaker 1: I get burnt out a lot, and when you're doing it on your own, it's gonna happen.

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Speaker 7: You know.

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Speaker 1: I'm fortunate now where I have a social media manager. I have someone where I can kind of tap out and she loves that. She said, no, I want you to disconnect, you know, and she loves creating, so it's perfect. Shut eye, Anna, But she go over there editing. Now, Hey Anna, I'm shouting you out.

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Speaker 2: She's so focus working out.

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Speaker 5: I love it.

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Speaker 1: But see now I have somebody that can do that, so I can have these type of conversation or I can go study. No, I'm about to film, so I have so much going on where eventually you'll have to delegate, you know. That's something I had to learn the hard way because I love being hands on on everything, you know, because it is an extension of me. Everything I do is an extension of me. So it's hard for me to let go and relinquish the control because not everybody does things the way you like. So it is a vetting process to find the people that can do it the way you would do it, to the standard that you want it.

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Speaker 2: But yeah, it's one of those things.

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Speaker 1: Burnout is real, and I think it is very important to disconnect from the phones, take a break, you know, And there's so much clarity that comes with it. When I tell you I take social media fasts, I get so many amazing ideas, ideas that are going to bring more wealth, more opportunities to the people around me that I probably wouldn't get because I'm all you're seeing is what everybody else is doing. There's nothing original coming from it because it's like, oh, oh, this is.

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Speaker 2: What we're doing. Okay, this is on trend.

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Speaker 1: You know, no like tap out so that you can really tap into the source to get those original ideas that are just for you.

00:14:05
Speaker 2: Tap out, come on. That's a bar, write it down, put it in your notes.

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Speaker 5: So I love that. So is your month for your month?

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Speaker 3: Is it like a set month or it's kind of like you just feel like, Okay, I'm gonna have a little bit more downtime maybe, or do you have it like already programmed, like you know the holidays, or.

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Speaker 2: I have a September sabbatical that I do love.

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Speaker 1: This started a few years ago and September is my month where I go dark. And it's crazy because God prompted me on this probably two years ago, two or three years ago, and I had been like looming right under a million. It's like maybe one hundred thousand under a million. I took that month off when I came back, I had a million, so I missed nothing and it was a message and that I posted this on my Instagram page.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes when you tap out and tap in.

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Speaker 1: It was metaphorical for me to show that like are symbolic for me that when you let go and like focus on God, he handles the things that you're so focused on. It's like, I gotta do this. I got do so I can keep building, keep building, And he was like, focus on me and watch what I do. And that turned into something else, and you know, it's just one of those things where I've noticed that in every air of my life, when I just.

00:15:17
Speaker 2: Let go and let God, it multiplies.

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Speaker 5: Yeah. Who I love that, Like, don't even worry about They're gonna be here. They waiting on you.

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Speaker 1: They are, and when you come back, they're excited, you know, and you got some refreshing ideas.

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Speaker 2: So yeah, take your time, let the thing marinate.

00:15:34
Speaker 5: Yeap. So always better that way. It is.

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Speaker 3: It is so you're basically talking about discipline and how you're discipline not only how you show up in like your working things, but you're disciline when you listen to God and take up take a beat, right, But how do you decipher between okay, stand discipline, I'm a post this day, or I'm just tired, like I need a break, Like how can someone kind of know what the difference between, Like, actually, you need to get up and do it, Like, Okay, this is real burned out, you really need risk.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I think.

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Speaker 1: Having a discernment and being in tune with your body and what your body needs is very important for any person in business, but especially entrepreneurs.

00:16:14
Speaker 2: When it comes to pouring, you're pouring so much.

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Speaker 1: If you're depleted, you have nothing to give your company and the people that are working for you and with you. So I think it's very important to take those moments.

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Speaker 2: I'm a blackout queen.

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Speaker 1: When I say blackout, I mean blackout dates okay on the calendar, not available, don't call me.

00:16:35
Speaker 2: And that goes for everything, you know.

00:16:37
Speaker 1: So I think when it comes to social media, just listen to yourself, Like when you know you need a break mentally, literally, physically, whatever the is, shut the phone off, don't pick it up. You know they will be there. Like we said, the people are going to be there. They're gonna be excited when you come back. They're probably be wondering where you are, which builds great anticipation, you know. I mean it's really strategic, honestly. You know, if we want to talk about brand strategy, sometimes not being so seen or in the in the light can be a blessing and a strategy as well.

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Speaker 3: So let's talk more about that and just kind of stay in the course and you know, really listening to yourself and things like that. So now and then also to speak for someone that may not have those million followers and kind of like really starting because I'm a comment creeper. I like to look on the comments and the comments and what's going on, but I feel like the sweeties, it's just so it's literally keep it positive, sweetie on your page, right, But how do you protect your energy? Because I'm sure because you can actually see anotherifications it's not telling what you see, what people are actually saying and things like that, how do you protect your energy while still building your brand? And in those earlier years when you were first starting in people the naysayers for real, like how did you just keep showing up? And what does that look like for someone in that space?

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Speaker 1: Early on you think, well, I have innately been a risk taker. I don't care what you say I'm gonna do it. You know, That's always been me. It didn't matter what it was. My mom could say I don't like that, and I literally look at her face and be like I do. Like I just never care what anybody else saw until I became famous. And then it's like you, I think, when you're hearing the people you love, it's one thing.

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Speaker 2: But when you're hearing it from strangers, people you.

00:18:23
Speaker 1: Don't even know that are hiding behind their phones or computers. I don't know why, because it should be the complete opposite, it sings differently, you know. And I think it took me a long time to get to a point where I just got out of the comments, you know, like when it came to like my stuff, you know, like you posted comment. You know, I'm saying it's good to comment and engage with people, because that's what it's about. But then at some point it's like, all right, that's enough, you know, because at some point you're gonna get down there and it's gonna be something that's not so positive.

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Speaker 7: Right.

00:18:57
Speaker 1: So I think for me, it's maintaining my piece is knowing when the log off and also just knowing that everybody's I'm not everybody's cup of tea.

00:19:07
Speaker 2: And that's okay.

00:19:08
Speaker 1: I'm okay with that, you know, because there's a one point five million people that love me, you know, so, and I'm.

00:19:13
Speaker 2: Sure it's more than that. But on Instagram, we just kind of on Instagram. I don't know how people in the world love me.

00:19:17
Speaker 5: Yeah, everybody, everybody.

00:19:19
Speaker 2: Everybody love me. Everybody love me.

00:19:22
Speaker 1: No, but yeah, when you look at the grand scale of things, you know, I know my God loves me, My mom and Daddy loves my family love me. And I've got a tribe of sweeties who just ride for me. So you know, when you look at that, it's like, am I really about to give these few people this much's attention and allow them to disturb my peace?

00:19:40
Speaker 2: No, I'm not doing it. So that's where I am. Now, that's how protected.

00:19:43
Speaker 5: I love that.

00:19:44
Speaker 3: So before I get into some other stuff, I just had another question that popped in. How is it now with Instagram? Like at first, you know, people use it as like as a homegirl, like you could check in on people.

00:19:55
Speaker 5: It's like your job, like your business.

00:19:57
Speaker 3: How was that for you to kind of like switch, like you can't maybe send a little shade comment to your homegirl, cause they like, you know, like, how were you able to work?

00:20:06
Speaker 5: Did you have to shift that? Monse? Has there ever been a time where you were like I could not post it? Why did I?

00:20:11
Speaker 3: You know, like have you ever had those moments where you couldn't be in your comments? Because it's like I am Crystal.

00:20:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, there's plenty of times I want to clap back on people and I have to remind myself of who I am.

00:20:22
Speaker 8: You know.

00:20:23
Speaker 1: It's like you can't do that, you know when Michelle Obama says, when they go low, we go high, you know. So it's like I have to remember the influence that I have, the responsibility that I carry now as Chrystal Hine Hazlet, and the brand is positivity?

00:20:40
Speaker 2: Am I leading with that?

00:20:41
Speaker 5: You know?

00:20:41
Speaker 1: So I try to exude that in every aspect of my life.

00:20:46
Speaker 5: Yeah?

00:20:46
Speaker 1: Yeah, oh yeah, girl, Yeah, I have to do very like cause you be liuse now, I'm human, okay, and I'll get with you now, So I have to do I might do a little and then delete, but.

00:20:59
Speaker 7: Like y'all see, like, yeah, so we've been talking a lot about, of course Instagram, because that's like the leading, but you are everywhere your Instagram.

00:21:10
Speaker 3: TikTok, YouTube, hate your newsletters, website. It is a lot to manage. So we of course know you have Ayana shout out to her again. Yes, but when you think about all those platforms, do you think they serve a different purpose or do you approach them the same?

00:21:25
Speaker 5: Is it hard to decipher? Like was it hard to decipher?

00:21:28
Speaker 3: Okay, I'm gonna use this for this and use for this for this and then again like you're a brand, So not being on TikTok really wasn't an option because one somebody is that's still your name and be e you're making content anyway, t listen, what was.

00:21:42
Speaker 5: That like for you?

00:21:43
Speaker 3: And how do you with I mean, they're only making more social media and things like that, So how do you decide where you're gonna you know land?

00:21:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's good when it comes to the content. This is something Ayana and I have said down to really decide like what type of content goes on each platform. With TikTok, I do this thing basically called a FaceTime where I'm talking straight to camera doing a life update, and I talked to them about what I have going on. Lessons I may have learned in this season or whatever I have going on, I really just opened up transparently about it. Nine times out of ten, I'm doing my makeup or just like sitting with no makeup on having a real conversation, and.

00:22:21
Speaker 2: I found that those are moments that they really enjoy.

00:22:24
Speaker 1: So I was like, Okay, we'll do this on TikTok and then we have some of the more fun trendy content on TikTok, and then you go on Instagram.

00:22:30
Speaker 2: It's more branded.

00:22:31
Speaker 1: We have the podcast, we have the hair care in large unapologetic. It kind of shows you everything that Crystal Rene Hayes a brand, encompasses, right, So it's almost like a pitch deck yep.

00:22:41
Speaker 2: You know.

00:22:43
Speaker 1: But like if you go on, it's like any brand that we want to talk to, they can go to my Instagram be like, oh she works out, Oh she's a health nut, Oh she.

00:22:51
Speaker 2: Loves the Lord.

00:22:52
Speaker 1: It's there, you know, so they don't have to question like what is she about and who is she for?

00:22:57
Speaker 2: Do we want to work with her? Because it's all there.

00:23:00
Speaker 1: It's solely keep it positive, sweetie, you know, trying to decide if I want to open it up to other things, maybe blogs and things like that, but most of that lives on Patreon, which is our pay subscription. And it's one of those things that's so many different things, and it is a lot to keep up with, which is why I need an ayana because it's a lot and it can get draining.

00:23:21
Speaker 2: And at one point I was doing everything.

00:23:22
Speaker 1: I was posting stuff on YouTube, I was posting on Instagram, pushing it to Facebook, I was posting on TikTok.

00:23:27
Speaker 2: Then I had to post it on.

00:23:28
Speaker 1: Patreon and it's like, oh my gosh, like I need help, you know. So it's one of those things you do what you gotta do until you can get the help that you need.

00:23:39
Speaker 3: So we're going to talk about that. But before we get into that, you said it's some of the things. It's something that you did just because you had to do it. So the person that's in that point, they might be right at their tipping point where they can go pay somebody, but they're there now where they still have to do it. What do you What are some strategies for them that you have? Are you is it plann or organization notes like automated? What are some things that people could do to really make sure that they're showing up on all these platforms.

00:24:06
Speaker 5: But it's just them.

00:24:07
Speaker 1: There are so many amazing apps. I'm not gonna plug them because they're not me. Unless you want to talk, we can talk. But there are apps where you can plan properly. Planning social media.

00:24:19
Speaker 2: Will alleviate a lot of the time that you have to spend. Have a bachel they of shooting.

00:24:25
Speaker 1: Just schedule out, okay, I want to shoot, Get ready with me, make a routine, hair, routine, workout, video, whatever those things are.

00:24:31
Speaker 2: Write it out. Figure out if there's a.

00:24:34
Speaker 1: Day that you can just shoot all those different things, like wake this morning. You know you're gonna work out, film it. I did that this morning, knock it out. You know, I know that I'm probably. I did my hair so I knew it was day five hair. I wanted to show them this is what I do. My hair is looking crazy. Get that water bottle and that jail, that napolotlot.

00:24:52
Speaker 2: You know it, unapologetic jail.

00:24:56
Speaker 1: Get that, I know right, get that unapologetic jail, and we go slick this thing back.

00:25:01
Speaker 5: You know.

00:25:01
Speaker 1: So like I kind of think through my day, Okay, what I have to do scheduled out, you know, and sometimes.

00:25:06
Speaker 2: Just pull it out. It doesn't have to be perfect.

00:25:08
Speaker 1: People think they got to have all these cameras and it's got to be a shot and overhead and all this stuff. Honey, I do autumn shots with one camera. I lift that thing up and slant it down, pull it back down, get different angles.

00:25:20
Speaker 7: You know.

00:25:20
Speaker 1: You can do all that with one camera set up, you know. So I think scheduling it out. There are apps that you can use to do scheduling so that you know on Thursday this is going up.

00:25:30
Speaker 2: It can already be in there and it's already scheduled out. You're good.

00:25:33
Speaker 1: I think that until you can do it, sometimes you're gonna have to do what you gotta do, you know, and it's it's just a part of it. This is what you really want to do. I'm telling you, every single job, I don't care what job it is. When you do it, there's gonna be something that you don't really enjoy. And sometimes it's maybe the shooting that you're tired of, but you know it's a part of the job.

00:25:52
Speaker 2: So you just got to do it.

00:25:54
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's good question.

00:25:55
Speaker 2: Yes, Oh, okay.

00:26:00
Speaker 8: Question is I know that as an entrepreneur go down to I know that as an entrepreneur, you have to be you have to have a social media presence, you have to share your work. Your social media profile and presence has become your resume, your capabilities deck a. But for some of us it's not that easy to kind of create the content sharing that way.

00:26:24
Speaker 4: We're probably more I don't.

00:26:25
Speaker 8: Know if it's old school or uncomfortable and sharing that way. So my question is as a creator, as a multi hyphen it how much of the content that you create and the amount of content that you create, how much of it is strategy versus passion.

00:26:41
Speaker 1: Mm, that's a great question, Shauna. Okay, So I feel like when you're in alignment with strategy and passion, it marries right. So, uh, with the hair care line, it's a passion, but it's also a business. I have to be strategic about how we do this. Are we doing storytelling? Are we gonna like show organic like me? Today we posted me washing you on West's hair. That was organic, showing like me really into the project. And then like today, we had a big meeting for another I'm a serial entrepreneur at this point for another venture where I had Iana come shoot BTS and now is because I'm always thinking of storytelling. But for the people who may not be like cause you have an incredible marketing company, event planning, you do a lot there, maybe even be NDA's where you can't even film the stuff you know, So I think finding those moments where you can having a videographer you don't have to be talking, you make because some people don't want to be in front of camera, they don't want to be out dancing all in.

00:27:39
Speaker 2: The videos and stuff. You know, some people just want to get the work.

00:27:44
Speaker 1: So I think having someone there just to fly on the wall, catching the content and creating to show people this is what Because you do it at a very high level, people don't even know half the stuff you do. So I feel like even just having somebody come in be like, hey, I don't want to be on camera, you can catch me.

00:27:58
Speaker 2: I don't want them to hear me talking.

00:28:00
Speaker 1: Just get BTS fly on the wall so people can see how I create these and curate these events without you having to really be a part. But that's strategic showing that one building your brand. Also when people like when I say, hey, you need to book a Shauna but when you go to Shauna's page, you don't see nothing about what she does, you know, not really, So like, even if you don't want it to be your page, what we're doing now is kind of separated and keep it pot of sweety from Crystal and a hazelet build out an ares Agency page. I would say that that takes you out of it but shows everything you can do. So when people are like, oh, the as Agency, Oh this is what they do.

00:28:35
Speaker 2: You know, so did the answer?

00:28:37
Speaker 8: Yeah, it feels like it starts with the passion and the become strategy. Yeah, if you're really passionate about it, yes, yeah, because people can Yeah, no, for like create like as much as I'm into creating, like a beautiful experience or experience that you just do the I need to be as passionate about yes.

00:29:05
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:29:06
Speaker 2: But some people you're so present though, and I feel like you are.

00:29:08
Speaker 1: You come from like a different world like from you, I'm saying, with some real goats of our time where you don't oh geez, where you don't film everything, you don't document it, you don't talk about it. And if it is it's more like documentary style where we're telling the story for later or somebody just important it is.

00:29:25
Speaker 2: To compete, you gotta have.

00:29:27
Speaker 8: To be able to show the work. And like now, it's not you can't just write it on paper and say I did this, I did that. It's like we need to see it, and like you're the community that you build and the movement that you build around your business is as important it is. I definitely acknowledge that, which is why this conversation is very important.

00:29:50
Speaker 1: I really feel like a shan and you should like put that in your line items, like there should be a part of your budget videographer every event you do, have a videographer there from beginning to the breakdown, like should be Yeah.

00:30:00
Speaker 2: And even have them do a time lap. Yeah, yeah, so you can stay.

00:30:08
Speaker 3: Can reach out for the client anyway, so you might as well go ahead.

00:30:11
Speaker 1: And even have them do testimonials like where people are like, hey, I'm catching some testimonial about this event. Howd you do yourself where people can get real Like you know what I'm saying. It doesn't feel forced, it's not.

00:30:23
Speaker 3: People would absolutely love to see you and love they would love it.

00:30:28
Speaker 2: That's a showing itself love it. That's a show.

00:30:31
Speaker 5: They would love it. They would love it. But this is great. So this goes shack to who is Shawn's show?

00:30:39
Speaker 7: Oh so so on Billboard?

00:30:47
Speaker 3: But that's perfect now, So that helps because I feel like what we're talking about, Shauna is one of those people that is present relationships.

00:30:54
Speaker 5: She can call anybody. She literally knows everyone in the room.

00:30:58
Speaker 3: So that goes into my next question, which its rezooming out for a second. So social media is a very small part of the brand, but it's a big part for you, right, But without social media, I still think you would thrive just because of your ambition and things like that.

00:31:12
Speaker 2: Thank you.

00:31:13
Speaker 5: It's not the whole story.

00:31:14
Speaker 3: So brands also live in your relationships, your partnerships, your real life interactions. How do you think about your personal brand beyond social media and real life in these rooms and relationships? And I say that because we talk a lot about how we meet people who may come in here and we be like that it's you know, like or a lot of people, it's like you are how.

00:31:35
Speaker 5: You are on the internet.

00:31:36
Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, talk about your real relationships and we always I always say it about you like you are exactly who you are.

00:31:43
Speaker 5: I love that, you know.

00:31:45
Speaker 3: But let's talk about that and people that forget social media just those type of relationships. What does that do for a personal brand everything?

00:31:54
Speaker 1: You know, So many of the deals that I've been able to accomplish have been off of true, honest relationships that didn't start off as transactional, you know.

00:32:05
Speaker 2: I think a lot of times you get caught at what can you do for me?

00:32:08
Speaker 1: You know, and when you really just go into it, like yo, I really like what you're doing, Like I rock with you?

00:32:13
Speaker 2: How can I serve you? How can I poortant to you?

00:32:15
Speaker 1: You're building real relationships with people outside of the social media world. I think it also translates through how when I go out in public or I have events where I actually get to see the people who support me.

00:32:29
Speaker 2: That's when the real.

00:32:31
Speaker 1: Tangible things happen, because you can really connect with someone versus Ah, it's all through the internet and through social media where I'm just texting you and it's like, hey, gir I see you. When you can actually get with somebody and really look at them in the eyes, it's something different about that, And I think that's how my brand translates off of social media into real life, which is why I love doing the live shows. I love doing the pop ups, the meet and greet. Yeah, it's so important.

00:33:00
Speaker 6: Can be.

00:33:02
Speaker 1: I am an ambrovert, where like I can be an introvert and an extrovert, and it's one of those things where like my energy and my battery depletes really fast. So I have to allow myself to have my energy stored up so that when it's time, I can give them everything that they deserve, you know.

00:33:21
Speaker 2: But as soon as I'm done, my team knows.

00:33:22
Speaker 1: I'm like, all right, cause it's like it takes everything out of it. It's a lot, it is, But I think it's so important, and that's the biggest part.

00:33:31
Speaker 2: People relate to real, you know.

00:33:35
Speaker 1: And I think once you get behind the screen and get in front of the people, that's where the real, the real energy, the real.

00:33:46
Speaker 2: Relationship is built where they're like, no, I know this girl, like how you like when you meet me. It's like, oh, no, I feel it. You know, you feel that I'm a big energy person, So I feel it. Yeah, I love that.

00:33:59
Speaker 3: Okay, So I'm sure a lot of that and going back to the team, a lot of that. You're able to do that and be present in these rooms again because of your team.

00:34:05
Speaker 2: Yes, shout out the team.

00:34:07
Speaker 3: When was the first time, Well, what was it when you were like, I cannot do this all by myself? And was it from like a not that part? But when did you know? And was it more like, Okay, I'm a sacrifice the cast for it, or I got the cost it's more like about my piece. What was the last stob like, oh no, I got to get somebody there to do this.

00:34:26
Speaker 2: That's really good. I think it was season two of Sisters, so that's probably like twenty twenty going into twenty twenty.

00:34:35
Speaker 1: One, after the world opened back up, which Atlanta never closed. I think it was then where I realized I needed a team, and that started with management and then from their new opportunities came and I was like, okay, now I need a videographer, like I've got brand partnerships, I gotta do content for them. And it was more than me just setting up a tripod at that point, like they needed certain things, so I needed to start building this team. And then even then I was still doing a lot of stuff organically on my own. It really wasn't until twenty twenty four. Towards the end of twenty twenty four that I started to build things beyond my own capability. Where I knew was like, I cannot do this, Like where I want to go. My vision got clear. I was praying for in large territory and I knew where I was going, Like I could see it. I knew where I was going. I was like, I can't do this by myself. So building the right team, people that understand me, that see me, that see the vision, that get it and don't mind getting in the trenches with me doing the work. When I tell you my team, I was on an interview the other day and I said, there's nothing that I've come to them with. And we just talked about how Shanna can literally call anybody on the phone and say I don't care what it is between her and West and say hey, I got this idea, this is what I want to do, and they're like, oh, I know somebody like in a meeting is set up within you know what I'm saying the week or so. So it's a blessing one but it also is a beautiful situation when you have people that get it and you're in alignment.

00:36:16
Speaker 2: You know, even with.

00:36:20
Speaker 1: What we're doing now, we got the hair care line that was a shauna, you know, like saying, hey, no, we're not selling squares on an Instagram page. We want to build a brand and we want equity and like some big.

00:36:33
Speaker 2: Boss Yeah, okay, can we get into it?

00:36:37
Speaker 1: Like like and that's the type of energy that I give, you know, like listen, like we ain't tiptoeing, you know, we're stopping around this day. We're gonna be over with it, but like we're coming and taking what's ours and understanding that the world is our oyster, you know, and we don't We're not a monolith. We don't have to just do one thing. But you cannot do that by yourself. And I think that was too. Twenty four was when I realized I got big goals and big dreams and girl, you cannot do this on your own.

00:37:05
Speaker 2: We're gonna have to pack the tripod up, pass it on, yeah, and get some help. Yeah.

00:37:13
Speaker 5: So for someone that's like okay, I'm ready the team.

00:37:17
Speaker 3: But and we talk about this a lot, just like this nasty needed people that's gonna get in the trenches. What does that look like? Or I mean we talk about legends of Sharma and West, so it's like come on, no, yeah, It speaks for itself for someone that is like, Okay, I'm going to have to interview people. I'm gonna have to do this. What does that look like to someone?

00:37:37
Speaker 2: You think, let's talk about it?

00:37:39
Speaker 1: Because I I let's talk about it.

00:37:42
Speaker 2: I had.

00:37:45
Speaker 1: I hired my first assistant, probably in twenty twenty two, hired an assistant. I met her at a Hawks game and she just seemed like a really you know what I'm saying, young, eager, energetic person. I was like, this might be a good fit, you know. So we interviewed her. We interviewed one other girl. The other girl came in with this energy like, oh, I know I got the job, and I was like, no, that I didn't need that. I needed somebody because I could already tell where that would have gone even working together, Like you're too comfortable already, that's not going to work. So I ended up hearing another girl and she end up being a thief. Yes, she gave my gate code to my housekeeper. I had never given that code to anybody. Gave my alarm code to my housekeeper, and I would have known that because my alarm takes pictures every time you put in the code.

00:38:33
Speaker 2: So I know who's like, I literally can see who punched in the code.

00:38:36
Speaker 1: From my phone and so I called him like hey, I was like, did you go let the cleaning people in?

00:38:42
Speaker 2: And she was like yeah, And I'm like, no, you didn't, No, you didn't.

00:38:45
Speaker 1: I was like, cause I see as Morelda on my eighty t Okay, me and Zzi been together since twenty fifteen. Anybody getting them colds?

00:38:55
Speaker 2: Okay, So you gots to go.

00:38:56
Speaker 1: But it's this is a thing like people think that it's just so easy to find good help. It's not, you know, and you're gonna find people that are not honest, you know, and people that will take advantage of you.

00:39:07
Speaker 2: But you cannot allow it to harden your heart.

00:39:10
Speaker 1: You got to stay open knowing who you are will eventually be transferred through the people that are around you. So that was a thing where like I hire somebody and it was not a good experience. And I wanted to share that because I think a lot of people look at me and be like, oh, her life is great, She's never had any No, I've I've had instances where like that was a bad choice. This is what happened, and I had to learn from it. But that's when it comes to like vetting and really trying to interview.

00:39:34
Speaker 3: How long after that did you take a beat and was like a hold on now, I don't know about this existing or was it like okay, get.

00:39:40
Speaker 5: Back on them.

00:39:41
Speaker 1: I end up hiring somebody that I knew, Okay, okay, yeah, I end up going with a close friend Marquise Okay, yeah, it was like a brother's man of hiring him. And then yeah, but like it's like, you know, one of them things where everybody has dreams, everybody has passions, so understanding you have to find somebody who really wants to be in that position. I think a lot of times you want to help people, want to do different things and bring people on, but you have to talk like what are you really trying to do?

00:40:06
Speaker 2: What is your endgame? For me?

00:40:08
Speaker 1: I know, I need an assistant that want to be an assistant, you know what I'm saying, Somebody who they just thrive off of helping people a heard of service, you know, And you got to deal with every position, what do you really want to do? And you got to put them in a position to thrive, you know, even if it's you're my assistant, but you want to.

00:40:22
Speaker 2: Be a writer.

00:40:23
Speaker 1: Okay, I got an opportunity for you to write as well, So they can still be felled, you know, because you may like doing something, it may not be feeling your purpose and making you fool, you know. So I think it's important as a leader to also talk to your team and like really find out what do you want to do?

00:40:37
Speaker 2: Why are you here?

00:40:39
Speaker 1: Because you can have people around you that's just trying to get a check, you know what I'm saying. But if they're not passionate about it's going to show eventually.

00:40:46
Speaker 3: I think it speaks to character too though, because in this industry we all know and I'm sure in several industries people have such egos.

00:40:55
Speaker 5: So it's hard for you.

00:40:56
Speaker 3: To I just want my assistant to myself or I just want mine, and it's like no, you have to really get to know a person and know what a person wants and know, like you said, greta territory. God has things coming for you. So if you sow, it'll come back. And I think you do a great job of that just with your team overall, like we are all gonna eat. But was that always a mentality? Is it something that you just saw practice or you know, for someone that doesn't have that mentality, how could they shift their mind to be open to allowing someone to have a position on their team but also be doing their own thing.

00:41:34
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:41:35
Speaker 1: Honestly a lot of people who are watching this probably already know my story with how I even got to where I am round and that was through Tyler Perry actually allowing me to do what I love and give me the opportunity to do what I really wanted to do.

00:41:48
Speaker 5: You know.

00:41:49
Speaker 1: So, I don't even think i'd be sitting right here today if I hadn't had the guts to ask one or for him to be.

00:41:56
Speaker 2: Like I support that, you know. So I think seeing it and.

00:42:01
Speaker 1: Being a recipient of it allows me to also see other people and be cognizant of, Hey, what is it that you really want to do? And also knowing how I am and knowing that there's so many different things I want to do, you know, so understanding that just because somebody is in this position. I tell my teams all the time, Like Wes is building a brand, I tell them all the time, Hey, I know this isn't your end all be all. Ashanna has an incredible company. This isn't her Christo h and Hazlet Enterprises, whatever we would call it. It's not their end all be all. They have other things they're doing. But I never feel it, you know what I'm saying, like they don't take on too much. Then I always tell people, look take on as much you can, you know, because you want to give excellence in every part. I never feel like I'm getting a backseat to anything when it comes to them. And I think it's important because a lot of times you hire people and then it's like I'm not I'm not getting that.

00:42:55
Speaker 2: But here's your question.

00:42:57
Speaker 5: Now you're answering it.

00:43:00
Speaker 6: Your internet. Now your internet. We're covering everything. And also yep, yes, yeah, and so it allows us.

00:43:25
Speaker 5: Give us she knows it's gonna get handled the moment.

00:43:36
Speaker 2: Yes, conversation, opportunity back, Yeah, okay, we yes, absolutely, yeah, grace and trust. And I'm like, I was.

00:44:01
Speaker 3: Definitely thinking that, and that's what I was going to say. Overall, it's even with the team that you chose, you chose they were chosen for a reason. You see the roster, you see how it's full circle, you see the storytelling of it all, and I feel like you do the same thing as well, just the connections and how everything is. So I think that's great to even say that. And again, you know who you have as your team, so you're also trusting them. But that goes back to mindset, to mind shift, and how it may not have always been like that. Right, So you find your perfect executive assistant.

00:44:30
Speaker 5: Shout out to.

00:44:33
Speaker 3: That guy, you find your perfect manager, you find these things, right, how did you shift your mind to be like, Okay, this is what I wanted. I wanted it on autopilot. I wanted not to have to think about it. I want to just say something because I'm sure they didn't just come overnight.

00:44:47
Speaker 5: What was that like for you? Were there any instances where it was like.

00:44:52
Speaker 2: It's always like that for me because I'm so hands on, Like I don't think anything. It's ever autopilot. We all work really.

00:44:57
Speaker 1: Hard to make this happen. Everything people see. I had some people ask like I've been seeing people like trying to talk to us, like, which'll, hey, they're mighty because everybody sees they see the fruit, they see what we are doing over here, and they're like, yo, I want to be a part of that.

00:45:16
Speaker 2: But it wasn't it wasn't always like that.

00:45:18
Speaker 1: And I think for me it's not autopoly because we work really hard and I am very hands on with everything, you know, and I just feel like anybody who has something they care about as much as I care about every entity of my brand, they're gonna be hands on, you know. So I think for me, it's the trust comes when I know that I can say, Hey, this is what I want to do and these two human beans are going to make it happen with whatever if they're gonna try together. If they can't, you like, hey, we couldn't do that. But there hasn't been many instances where that has happened.

00:45:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, So.

00:45:50
Speaker 1: I feel like when it comes to the tenacity and the grit, I feel like it's the perfect harmony because we all like work really really hard. Like why I say getting the trenches with me, they be in the trenches with me.

00:46:02
Speaker 8: Yeah, I have something to add. I should have just been a part of this episode.

00:46:05
Speaker 5: Come.

00:46:07
Speaker 8: But so I because you guys are talking about like building a team and what what is it like to or how do you build the right team? And one of the things that I feel like is so important and that I try to remind myself of and that's worked for me actually is like, you know, I imagine there's a lot of people maybe watching this episode who are just starting to build their business or right in the middle.

00:46:29
Speaker 5: You know, there's you.

00:46:30
Speaker 8: Know, it takes a lot to get to where Crystal is. She's at a different type of level. And so when building that team and trying to get to Crystal level, sometimes we look at the person who's doing it big, we look at our mentor we look at someone who already has the success. We want the big manager who has big clients. We want the big publicists who has big clients. We want insistent who used to work for the president right right, And I think oftentimes we miss the people who are on our level and parallel to us, who want it just.

00:47:03
Speaker 4: As bad as we do, who you.

00:47:06
Speaker 8: Know, we're operating with a different type of passion hunger, And I think that's the thing that we miss, Like we're always looking for even me, like you're looking for someone I want. I want the marketing person who worked that translation, who worked at Sunshine Sacks. It's like, no, actually, the person who may not have been at an agency at all, who just has ideas, who you can trust, who knows how to operate with discernment, who.

00:47:34
Speaker 4: You know doesn't lie or cheat like you know, that's the thing that.

00:47:37
Speaker 8: You should look at first before the person that has all the experience in the world has the big clients, as we me included, are looking at like team building, building our infrastructure, building our teams like you may not want to look ahead, look next to you, because that's usually like Wes and I. Wes and I met twenty years ago when I was the head of marketing at one of Brothers and he was managing an artist that was on Warner and I was the head of marketing. He had an artist there, and we established a respectable great rapport. Twenty years later, he is calling me to partner with him on the Chrystoerz. So you know, you never know where those opportunities will come from. And if I was looking at somebody else to partner with or to you know, it wouldn't I would have missed it right versus looking to my right and my left and seeing the opportunity that exists with the people who are on my level, who want, you know, the same thing or cut from a similar claw, who have the same hunger.

00:48:36
Speaker 3: I think it talks about energy though, Crystal, and how you put the energy out there too. And so again, even with you and West, y'all been friends and you and you surrounding yourself with these type of people, yeah, and your circle, and how that does matter because you are you all are after the same things.

00:48:52
Speaker 5: You have the same.

00:48:54
Speaker 3: Mindset, you have the same integrity, you have the same drive the thing goes and I know even in my realm, it's definitely.

00:49:01
Speaker 5: Parallel, you know.

00:49:02
Speaker 3: And then when you do meet these people, it's like, oh, we're good over here, you know, to the retreat.

00:49:09
Speaker 8: Yeah, like trying to meet this person next to.

00:49:14
Speaker 4: You may have a great idea.

00:49:16
Speaker 8: Y'all might partner on something and turn something into you know, something you couldn't even imagine, chasing you know this CMO, c O, president, founder, whatever.

00:49:30
Speaker 5: For you.

00:49:33
Speaker 2: Hello, we'll run circles around there. Get to get on the microphone.

00:49:39
Speaker 3: Come on, because we all know West from the I'm like I knew West and West with a homeboy.

00:49:44
Speaker 5: He came through and it's been great to just really work and.

00:49:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, how you doing.

00:49:51
Speaker 9: Okay, So now let's have a question. You know, we all are close, we all are tight, Like, how does for you being in the position you are, for us to be in a position we are in, how do you handle doing business with friends?

00:50:07
Speaker 5: That's great.

00:50:08
Speaker 9: I think a lot of people like a Shanta Shawna's point, how she said, you know the people next to you. People next to you a lot of times are your friends. So like, how do you distinguish what friend can go with you and what friend can do what? And how do you handle that?

00:50:22
Speaker 2: That's a great, great question. Vig Feller. Okay, so there's a caveat to this, Yah.

00:50:30
Speaker 1: Working with friends can be amazing, right when friends understand that business is business and friendship is friendship and understand the boundaries. So the thing that I love about you and I West and Ashana Wes, you and I have known each other a lot longer is that, like we work together, but I can tell him, like when I'm pissed off about something or like I'm not happy how this is going, like I would anybody else that I work with, versus.

00:50:59
Speaker 2: Like I got a tiptoe.

00:51:01
Speaker 1: And I've had situations where I feel like I had a tiptoe around because I was working with friends. And it's not a good feeling because I need you to understand this isn't cool, you know, so I need to be able to talk to you, and like anytime I call it with me like yo, like what's going on, because like we're learning together, you know, like we're figuring certain things out together, certain ventures.

00:51:20
Speaker 2: It's like, all right, we're gonna you wanna do this, figure.

00:51:23
Speaker 1: It out, you know, and then you naturally things don't go as planned. Sometimes there may be things that frustrate me. But I don't have to tiptoe around it. I can express how I feel without being disrespectful, and he'd be like, you know, I got it, You're absolutely right.

00:51:38
Speaker 2: I'm with you, got you.

00:51:39
Speaker 1: You know, like we can like talk things out like that and I can let them know like, hey, this is how I'm feeling versus There's been times where that's not the case. And for me, when it comes to who can come with me, are the people one who I know genuinely support me, which I've never had the second guess that with either one of these or with herman people that one are not trying to like be in my position and do what I do. You know, I feel like we all uniquely have our own things that we want to do where there's no hidden agendas or like that subtle competition or jealousy. You got to be real careful with that when it's work, when you're working with friends, and then also people understanding when I'm working, I'm working. I used always reverbordcked Tyler because Tyler and I were really good friends, but he was also my boss. When we were working, it was yes, sir, mister p Like then when we on the plane headed to where we had to, Hey, tee, you never gonna get you know, But it's I knew my boundaries, I knew my lane, and when I'm working, I'm working, and it's a respect there at all, no matter what. Like I still didn't do nothing crazy even when we were off, but like I knew I could relax a little bit when we're not working, you know what I'm saying. But like I feel like sometimes it's hard for friends to understand when she's working, she's working, and I need to operate like I would any with any other boss. And I mean I've had me and Herman have had conversations where I'm like, hey, like we'll do check ins, you know, like I think every leader should always do checking It's like, hey, how you feeling, you know, like just want to check in to see like are you still enjoying this or whatever the case may be. And then I'll have a list of like, hey, when you did this, I didn't appreciate that, or hey I need you here dad, and given real expectations of what you want from the job, especially when you work with friends, because it may be a thing it was just a lack of communication where oh I didn't know you expected that of me, you know, so like really putting it out there like this is what I need from you. And if you don't see a shift or be like or you feel an attitude like, then that's when you know you can't they can't go you know what I'm saying. You got to be able to take construct the criticism, want to grow, feel inspired when you're like with herman, like, we've been friends. We worked together, we were pas at Tyler Perry Studios together. That's how long we've known each other. And he was my supervisor when I was a costume designer, So like I knew he understand how to run things and how to like manage I knew if he could manage me at the studio, he could manage my life.

00:53:53
Speaker 2: But now it's more personal.

00:53:55
Speaker 1: You know, Tyler Perry was paying our bills then now I'm paying them.

00:53:58
Speaker 2: So it's a different expectation that I have.

00:54:01
Speaker 1: But when you just it's a constant thing you got to express, like, hey, this is what I'm feeling, this is what I need. Hey you're doing great. Hey you're slipping, you know, and just being honest. And when you have people that can roll with you and be like, you're right, I messed up, own it, take accountability and like, no, I want you to tell them when I'm messing up, you know. So it's like that kind of thing. But it gets tricky. It can't get tricky.

00:54:24
Speaker 5: You working iron shoping is iron though.

00:54:25
Speaker 3: And I think that in these spaces of excellence, if you're excellent, you're excellent. So you're just gonna have certain types of characteristics where you understand what you're there to do. And like you said, everyone has their own lights, so you're gonna shine regardless of where you're in. And I think you guys do a great job of showing that.

00:54:44
Speaker 5: And it's great to be a part of it.

00:54:46
Speaker 2: We're happy to have you.

00:54:47
Speaker 3: Love so I think that's good for people that maybe want to work with a friend or may not, or maybe want to be the leader and work with their friends. I think those are good tips to have, just so you understand a point of view and the perspective right now. And again, people don't see the labor of what you guys really do and how you guys are having meetings after beating and talking and you know, checking in and all these things.

00:55:11
Speaker 5: People don't understand.

00:55:12
Speaker 1: Oh my god, I talked to them like twenty four to seven, Like me and Herman are like I'm on the phone west every morning, like, hey, where's this?

00:55:18
Speaker 2: What are we doing this? Where's this?

00:55:19
Speaker 1: You know, like there's real things happening in real time. We got one brand to just launch and then I've got my merch over here. Stuff is stuck in customs, Like people don't see those calls, like where is it? Like we're trying to figure stuffing out and tears are out the roof is like now we got to do this and oh it's stuck here.

00:55:33
Speaker 2: You know, they don't.

00:55:34
Speaker 1: They just see the end result, but they don't see all the phone calls, the hours of meetings and have the ones I'm not even on because they're on them right, you know, so that I can be available to do what I had to do. But it's so many moving parts, and yeah, you just got to have I think clear boundaries. Co communication is the biggest thing when it comes to working with friends.

00:55:56
Speaker 3: Yep, those KPIs matter, like when is the expectation? Yeah, but I think what you also speak to is no ego because you are the boss, but then they're also bosses in their own rights. And I think operating from that of knowing like yes, I am serving Crystal per se, but like I'm I'm on my calling calling as we talk about being called right, and so I think that that's amazing to see too, is how everyone shines in their light. How when you say herman's name is excellence for you know, it's the representation of you, but more so repsentation of who he is or West or a Shawna or any of us here.

00:56:31
Speaker 5: So I think that's great. I think that's amazing.

00:56:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, for those people that so we've talked about social media, we talked about building your team, we talked about personal branding. But for those people that just you know, they may be raising families, they may be building behind the scenes, or they just don't want to be online or or like that someone who feels like it just isn't their thing, but they still want to have they still yearn for that that personal brand or building and not maybe even that's a personal brand, but just a brand period.

00:57:05
Speaker 5: What do you say to them? Can they still build up a brand you think? Or is there is there an instance where it's like, Okay, now something.

00:57:13
Speaker 2: Can they build a brand without being on social media?

00:57:16
Speaker 3: Social media or social media and that like networking and being out there?

00:57:22
Speaker 5: Is there a something?

00:57:24
Speaker 1: Yeah? I don't know, Like Shauna has built an incredible company and brand, but she doesn't have a huge social media presence, So yes, it can be done. But a Shauna has a network at the wazoo, like she can pick up the phone.

00:57:36
Speaker 2: So you gotta either have a network or you're gonna have to.

00:57:39
Speaker 1: Put it out there so that people can understand and buy into what you're trying to sell. I think you're gonna have to do one or the other. Yeah, I think it's hard to build anything without having people that have your back that will because you need resources, you know, whether it's financial resources or hey, I know, you know so and so I need I need this from them, like can you connect us so we can like barter or work together whatever the case.

00:58:04
Speaker 2: May you do your China is coming back.

00:58:05
Speaker 3: Oh no, And I wanted to just I wanted you to say that because I think a lot of times, I'm sure you meet people and they're pitching you and they're saying and it's like, okay, well you don't have no social media, you don't got no website, nobody don't, nobody can vouch.

00:58:22
Speaker 5: So I think it was important for people to hear like, you gotta do so, you.

00:58:24
Speaker 2: Have to do something.

00:58:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, agreed. Period. I would also say you have to do great work.

00:58:33
Speaker 2: Come on.

00:58:34
Speaker 8: So you know, I think a lot of times, especially young the younger generation, they get caught up in the social media presence and not in the work.

00:58:42
Speaker 4: And you have to do the work. The work comes first.

00:58:44
Speaker 8: And so when you don't have that social media presence like me, you know, somebody can ask, or you can have a referral, or somebody can say, well have you worked with her, or what's you know, what was your experience or how did this turn out? You're always gonna get like they work hard, she's created or whatever whatever it is. But I think you know, you can't lean on your social media presence and you're pretty you know squares on Instagram and not have the work to back it up. Like, start with the work because then everything else is gonna come. And then when you add your social media presence, and when you add all of that, that amplifies the work that you already do.

00:59:22
Speaker 4: But you can have one without the other.

00:59:23
Speaker 2: Come on.

00:59:26
Speaker 3: It was like, what is some real tangible ways people will build their work?

00:59:30
Speaker 5: Do it excellent?

00:59:34
Speaker 1: And that goes back to what we talked about in the beginning about doing the work for huh oh my goodness lord, because yeah, be kind please, yeah now, but that it goes back to what we're talking about the beginning about doing it because you love it, you know, do the work, you know, and it's not about the paycheck. It's like, no, I actually enjoy doing this, and then it's gonna make room for you and you're gonna, like we see it. You know, you will end up and pay a big time. The payout will come. You just got to do the work. What I hope you take away from this is that your brand isn't something you wait to become it is something.

01:00:09
Speaker 2: You build as you are.

01:00:11
Speaker 1: You don't need the perfect plan, and you don't need the perfect esthetic.

01:00:15
Speaker 2: You definitely don't need to have everything figure it out.

01:00:18
Speaker 1: What you need is the willingness to show up consistently, honestly and as yourself.

01:00:23
Speaker 2: Because at the end of the day, people don't connect to perfection, that connect to the truth.

01:00:28
Speaker 1: So wherever you are your journey, don't overthink it, don't compare, don't wait to start showing up, and let your brand grow with you. Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of Keep It Positive, Sweetie. Guys, don't forget to download the season eleven kIPS reflection Guide at Christine Hazel dot com. Subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs it.

01:00:50
Speaker 2: And if you ever need advice.

01:00:51
Speaker 1: Positivity, or want to share what you're going through, just email us at Keep It Positive Outcomes at gmail dot com.

01:00:58
Speaker 2: I'll see you guys in part two.

01:01:01
Speaker 1: As always, stay blissed, stay encouraged, and keep a pause.

01:01:05
Speaker 5: The City m