LET US BECOME SHARPER/TNS PODCAST
LET US BECOME SHARPER/TNS PODCAST
Spinning The Block: Because New Love Is Scary And Your Ex Knows Your Door Code
What happens when “doing better” gets mistaken for being soft? We open with a reset: standards high, excuses low, and a return to the original mix that made us hungry, focused, and hard to shake. From there, we shift into the heart of the service game and share why the barbershop is more than a chair and a mirror—it’s therapy, a social club, and a sanctuary that runs on hospitality as much as skill.
We break down CJ’s Hospitality Program, a practical playbook for barbers and stylists that covers booking flow, pricing clarity, punctuality, space standards, and follow-up—small habits that create big loyalty. We also lift the hood on the Michigan Beauty and Barber Association’s “Get To The Bag” movement and our circle of innovation, where we explore how AI and smart tools can reduce no-shows, stabilize income, and give pros more time to create. This is real-world optimization for independent craftsmen and shop owners who want to grow without losing their soul.
Then we dive into the spicy topic that gets everyone talking: should you “spin the block” with someone from your past? Delena offers candid reasons people circle back—comfort, known chemistry, and keeping the count tidy—while Carl makes a clear case for building forward only. We don’t push a single answer; we push better questions. If you go back, what changed? If you refuse, what are you chasing? The conversation is honest, funny, and grounded in growth.
Along the way, we share gratitude for the people who move our work forward and invite you into the community that keeps the edge sharp. Tap in, think with us, and tell us where you stand. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs this spark, and leave a review with your take—do you spin the block or lock the door for good?
We're back again, people, and uh we're happy to be here with you and for you to uh bring you another episode of Let Us Become Sharper Podcast. Now, what I have with me, I have someone with me that I'm very, very, very, very important person. She's be she's becoming, she's becoming, uh, truth be told, I gotta tell the truth, she's bigger than me. Every time they see her, they say, uh, podcast. Podcast, right? I know you, yeah. And I'm sitting over there like, yeah, podcast, her, yeah. So she's she, I don't know if this was her plan, but she's taking over, y'all. She's taking me over. So we uh let us become sharper slash Thursday night society. Introduce yourself, sweetheart, to the people.
SPEAKER_00:For those that don't know, for those who don't know, I am the wonderful Delena. Hello, hello.
SPEAKER_01:She's the wonderful Delena. That's her nickname. I am wonderful because she's a wonderful person, uh, wonderful spirit, and uh we're definitely happy, and I'm definitely happy to have her accompanying me on this journey today. So we're coming in from uh a podcast. Do we have a new mayor?
SPEAKER_00:I don't know yet. I have not been watching. I have not.
SPEAKER_01:We're gonna have a new mayor in a minute. Today is uh election day.
SPEAKER_00:Polls ain't well polls just closed, so I don't know who they're projecting yet.
SPEAKER_01:No diddy, polls just closed, polls just closed. All right, so we're back in action here. We want to uh just uh brush you up. We got a topic that we want to discuss today. We we handle this like we handle we handle in the podcast for the next few podcasts, like executives in the boardrooms coming into a uh new season, and then we're gonna go to the next level. We're gonna go up a level for right now. We got some unfinished business here. We're gonna come in like uh like I say, like executives and knock out the business that we have to take care of on the topic. But before we do so, I just want to give a reminder. I'm back, I'm back on that original mix. I was conversing with some people the other day, and they were talking about the podcast that we were talking about, business. We were talking about a few different, you know, we were covering a few different areas, and I told them, I said, listen, man, you know, my tolerance is thin. I'm back on that original mix when we were young, coming up, you know, there was a mix that we used. The mix was, I can't tell you what the mix was, but the mix was something that we created coming out of urban environments for not only survival, but for prosperity. And as we grow, develop to become stronger, older, wiser, and more powerful, we stray from those old ways and and we uh you know, we go on, we move on to a new mindset, new practices, new ways of doing things. This is just the cycle of life, right? We move on from the old people that we used to be, and we develop ourselves, we develop and we turn, we evolve into people that we see and deem greater than the people that we were yesterday. So we try to be what's called honorable, we try to be honorable, we try to be reliable, we try to take what's called a big word, accountability. Ooh, that's a big one. That's a big word. Accountability. We try to take accountability for the things that we are for our actions, and we try to cover, you know, our our own our own situation, you know. We try to take accountability, but I see right now that they don't appreciate that. I'm getting the notion, I know y'all don't think y'all are cute out there not appreciating accountability, responsibility, respect, trying to be a good guy, be a good girl. I know y'all, I how dare y'all think y'all not gonna come out and try to play those games? I'm back on that original mix. I'm back on what got me started in this game. Y'all want to strip it down in that wild and go all crazy? Watch how we came out of HP. Watch how we came out of those urban environments. I want you to see something. No, this no, this is real. We gotta address some things here. Oh, I'll show y'all how you get it. Oh, you act like you don't want to see that we evolve. Oh, you want to act like we take accountability and then you act like we didn't take accountability. Don't talk that talk to me because I'm real powerful. I don't care about no about no responsibility, none of that stuff. It's dog eat dog. It's who got the best today. My mentor, a man that was valued at 50 million, taught me a lesson, and I'll share this lesson with you because I feel it's warranted to do so. He taught me a lesson. He said, Carl, the name of the game is who has the best sugar honey iced tea today, not yesterday, not tomorrow, today, and right now I see that the original mix need to be in play because you're trying to be respectful, and trying to wait about your feelings. I don't give a f about your feelings.
SPEAKER_00:I showed up, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You got me confused. They take it's it's cliche kindness for weakness, they take courtesy for weakness. I wouldn't be sitting here if I was weak. Nobody said here, here, go, here, here's, here's the keys to the studio. Just go in there and do because you whined about it. Yeah, just go ahead, just go ahead and do it. Just go ahead on, do it. This is all yours here, all for you. Nobody said that. So we're here for a reason. I'm here with Delena for a reason. We're talking about hospitality. Now, there was an once again here back to what I was saying. There was a person said something to me about barbering. You know, I've been in the game X amount of a very, very long time. We're talking about that. Okay, that's beautiful. But you got to realize one thing, and I think I uh mentioned some couple things on social media. I think I was talking about a few things on social media about yeah, you could talk about that all you want. You can talk about it all you want. But remember, to all my barbers, to all my stylists, my self-employed people, I want to remind you of one thing. Back in the days, it was the uh it was the always of how can we maximize the dollar? That's something that we always strive to do, especially the professionals, right? But now we understand that it's about the other aspect of the game. Don't worry about me because I I you know I've always been uh a pioneer in the trendsetter and transcended the game. Always. Now I do it once again. I'll tell you, hospitality. The hospitality program is my new program that I put in place. It's called the hospital CJ's hospitality program. I'm putting it in place. We are now exploring the other side of the industry. The service side of the industry is your appointments, your booking apps, your pricing, your schedule, how you how you deal with for a client to the patrons, how you deal with, but you also got to understand hospitality is one of the reasons that keep you paid. Hospitality is a reason why they come to see you. The way the hospital, the hospitable aspect, you know, the barber is the therapist. The barber is the is the is the the closest thing that you're gonna have to a therapist for the lowest price. Your therapy, your country club, your peace, your getaway, your escape, something to look forward to is the barber shop. This is what you have available to you for the lowest price. So we're gonna make sure that we understand, concentrate on the hospitality side of the industry as well. I'm a part of the Michigan Beauty and Barber Association of Detroit. We're having the event get to the bag November 17th. It's in tech town. So we're we're associated with this, you know, the the circle that I'm in, the circle of innovation. This is the most innovative circle that you want to be in. You're a part of it or you're not. For all the barbers out there, I'm on I'm in control of the barber stuff. All the barbers out there, I recommend that you come in and check out and become and join the circle of innovation. It's called get to the bag. And when when I send that text out, you listen and you pay attention to this. Don't come to see me. The spec, I'm not the spectacle, I'm not the highlight here. The highlight is the circle of innovation and evolution taking the business and taking the industry farther and farther beyond it has ever been before. Also, for my Thursday night society, we have the TNS raffle exchange. We're giving away the gift this weekend, this week, this Thursday night around 7 o'clock, 7 p.m. We're giving away a gift. I want to give it, we're giving away a ball of voove clico to some to the lucky winner is gonna win that. And then you you keep your your rat your tickets for exchange. We're having uh a surprise, undisclosed location. We're gonna meet up and you're gonna be invited to that as well. So we're moving right along, moving right along. Now we want to get to our topic uh coming from Thursday night society. Delana, we were talking at the shop. Me and Delana was at the shop. We've been spending a lot of time at the shop together now. We were talking about spinning the block. Now, let me define for you what spin the block mean, in case you don't know. Spinning the block means you deal with a person, then you don't deal with that person for a period of time. Then you spin the block and you go back and deal with that person again. Someone that you've dealt with from the past. Now, this is gonna be an opinionated, topic-based discussion that we gotta clear up in the air right now about spinning the block. Going back to someone who you already dealt with and it's over with, and then you move on in life, you got other people, you got other situations, you evolve, as they would say, and then you go back to that person. Now, Delaney. Yes, Delaney, the wonderful Delaney. What is your thoughts on spinning the block, dealing with someone moving on, and then going back to that same someone? Now, now, now you gotta help me here. What's your thoughts on this?
SPEAKER_00:Well, it depends on why you why you spin the block, in my opinion. So for me, it's usually because I'm bored. I I know that not a good reason, it's not a good reason. Sometimes you get bored, and then people get comfortable with what they know, so it's easier for me to spin the block on somebody I've already dealt with versus having to deal with somebody new, and it depends on what you're really spinning the block for. Is it for companionship, just somebody to talk to, or for what? What's the laugh about or a little bit something more? You talk oh, you're talking about a physical add a body count, so you spend a block because you might not want to add to that count. So body count, yeah. You keep it down if you spin a block on somebody because you already been there.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, been there, done that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so it's different reasons why people spin the block, yes.
SPEAKER_01:Interesting. Why do you spend the block? If you I'm I well, I don't know. We never we didn't get into the we never, I never answered the block. We never you never answered the question. So spin the block, you say. So what's this what's the logic behind that? Why do you do you do you spin the block, and if so, why?
SPEAKER_00:I have.
SPEAKER_01:Shout out to Yeti. We got the CJ Yeti. Got the white one, yeah. We got the CJ Yeti there with the embroidered.
SPEAKER_00:But it it's it's funny because I got a random text from somebody, and I feel like that particular person I want to leave where they at.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but but the but do you can dog, but you can dog spinning the black dog.
SPEAKER_00:But I'm thinking like, why you want to like I want my I wanted to ask the question because I knew we were gonna talk about this today, because I wanted to ask them, but I was like, I ain't gonna do it. Because I want to ask, like, why you want to what's the reason? What's the reason behind it? Oh because we're talking a three, four-year period.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_00:Like this, not yesterday, last, we talking at least three years.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and then I want to spin back to your life.
SPEAKER_00:It's like I want to know why.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you well, you gave some valid reasons, so maybe it's one of those. You gave you gave legitimate reasons on why one would spin a block, why one would double back into a life into someone who you've already dealt with them. Obviously, we found reasons to uh part ways, or you know, you go your way, I go mine type deal. And now you come back again. Here you are again, representing yourself to me for whatever reason. But you gave some good reasons for spinning the block.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, you did, and some good reasons not to also, but me personally, it depends, it's very situational, yeah. And it depends on the person, of course, because it's some people that are absolute no, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I get that, I get that, I understand that. But you definitely have uh shed some light on spinning the block, dealing with people, dealing with a person, and doubling back, moving on, and then doubling back and dealing with that person again. Yeah, spin the block. So, yeah, so that's you know, it's that that's definitely we're gonna strike that the box of yes, is that something that you know that you believe in, something that you you know, given the reasons, given given the correct right reason, uh you'll spin that block. Me, I don't spin that block. I never we would never ever spin the block. Once you're done, you're done. Now, when I was speaking about this at the shop, we were talking about I was I was stating my reasons, and people was looking this way, they was looking that way, they was dubious, you know. Uh yeah, you say that now. No, the truth is I don't spin the block, and let me tell you why. I I used to have conversations and arguments, and uh what would they call it? Debates. Why do why do debates often turn to arguments, right? I used to debate about how I'm the type of person that likes everything brand new. So I like the the the thrill for me is the no safety net. Or the thrill for me is the level the the the the level of difficulty aspect, like bungee jumping without a without a net. Yeah, I like it that way. Now, in the in the particular that specific scenario of bungee jumping, I'm gonna have a net. Believe that there will be a net down there without bungee if and when I decide to bungee jump, there will be safety precautions in place, but I am one who will bungee jump. See, bungee jump within itself, yeah, is like you know, so is is is that thing. I don't like I like everything to be cutting edge, and that's the thrill of life for me. Similar to a lion, lions don't eat dead meals. If the meal is dead, is laying there, the lion don't prefer to eat that. The lion wants to hunt, the lion wants the live action, you know.
SPEAKER_00:More of the act, more of the act.
SPEAKER_01:I don't want what I know I can do. I know I can do you. I know I can do you. Been there, done that, been there, done that. You're a thing of the past, like behind me. So now I'm coming back, returning to you. That means I'm not moving forward. But like you said, the safety of it. I already could the comfort of it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that's like the the non-bungee jumper. I'ma just I'ma stand over here. I'm gonna let you go ahead and bungee jump. I'm uh I'm gonna stand on the side and watch. I'm gonna be a spectator.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you're gonna watch me bungee. You're gonna watch me. I'm gonna watch you jump, put on a harness.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, and I'm I'm gonna sit here and be a spectator.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm the I'm not that person. I'm the person I don't do. I had a I had a really uh uh a young woman long, long, long time ago. She long time ago, might I say. She told me that, yeah, you I know you with me, but you I know you got a plan B. I said, plan B. I said, you don't know me well. You may know my favorite color, but you don't know me. I said, I don't do no plan B, I only do plan A. If I if we go Kerplunk today, I gotta go out into the world and create a new relationship and a whole new plan.
SPEAKER_00:So it's not necessarily a plan B. You gotta start over.
SPEAKER_01:I start over. That's me. Do you see the yes? Do you see the reflection? Yes, that's what I like. I like starting over. I don't like I don't like the trace. I don't like I never like color in books where the picture is already there, and then you add color. I like to draw, I like to create the image and then add the color. That's how I do, but I'm that revolution. I'm you know, I'm that I'm that person. So plan B, yeah, and that's not to say that plan B can't happen, but it's very, very unlikely. I like things to be brand new and fresh. I like to create from the off top, similar to how Jay-Z tells people when he creates his albums. Don't bring your beats here. We got the studio here, we got the we got all the instruments here.
SPEAKER_00:We're gonna create it right here.
SPEAKER_01:We're creating it right here. We want that's how I live. When I heard that he did that, I don't know if that's a Sagittarius thing, but when I heard about that, that that he that was his method of making these these albums, I said, Yeah, I get it. Because I don't like pre, I don't like preset, I don't like comfortable, I don't like what I already know. I want to go new.
SPEAKER_00:And I I can be both, which is weird.
SPEAKER_01:Like no, I don't know. I don't want both. No, you you're not both now.
SPEAKER_00:See, now I said I could be, I didn't say I am.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, you can't be because you already said that you spun the block.
SPEAKER_00:I didn't say I wouldn't. I can't I get the whole newness thing. That's why I when I'm when I say you spun the block. I mean, I'm sometimes you do new.
SPEAKER_01:Well, once you spun the block, that's it.
SPEAKER_00:No, that'll be it because you can still find something new after that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but you spun the block, so you so you're not true to the essence of what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, not entirely.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, you're not you're not true to the essence, you're not on that original mix. See, I told y'all when we started this, I'm on that original mix. I'm not taking that answer, Delena. You told me that you're gonna spin that block.
SPEAKER_00:I don't do that, and you don't, I don't because you like the new. I said I like the I'm not saying I don't like the new, I like the journal, but I will still spin the block because I like the journey. I already know what I'm getting.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_00:That's another I know what I'm getting. That's a comfort that's a comfort thing, it is a comfort thing. It absolutely is.
SPEAKER_01:That's a comfort thing, yeah. I get that. So, yeah, spinning the block. So, you know, today we're talking about uh spinning the block. Do you go back and spin the block back on someone who you've already dealt with, you already had a you know history with a past relationship, and now you're moving on, but then you end up going back to that same old person. How many people out there going back to that old person?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, it's a lot going back to that old thing, going back to that old thing.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, it's a lot you tell you something about me. I don't go back to no old thing, huh? Once I'm done with that thing, I don't go back to no old thing. I'm moving on for the thing, don't thang no more. I'm moving on to the future. That's my style. Cutting edge to the future, crisp, new, and beautiful. Becoming sharper. Let us become sharper. So we got to give uh, I want to say this. I want to say about my and thank you so much, Delana. You we we we we move it, we're becoming sharper, moving the needle. We're moving the needle on this one. We got to cover some ground. Our next topic that I got for you, I'm gonna save it for next time, but I got something else I want to talk to you about. But I'm glad that we spoke about spinning the block. I want to talk about Nina and Shay. Nina and Shay, you have been on my mind. Nina and Shay, they had to take a break for a minute. Yeah, oh, they'll be back. Trust me. You that we had to take Nina and Shay for a minute. I want to just say that you are, you are, man, you are phenomenal. Women, you are beautiful. We thank you. I thank you, we thank you for the time that you put in. A lot of the time, people uh put in time and effort that goes unrecognized. I want to say to you, Shay, Wheels, we appreciate you. We also I will say to you, Nina, that we appreciate you equally. You two are the best. You two are ride or die, you forever hold a place in my heart. And I can't wait till we hang out. We'll probably hang out in a week or two. Even if we don't record, we just hang out. I want I can't wait to see you again. I want to say that to y'all. Also to Tanisha T. Tanisha T is my new homie. Tanisha T is the homie. So we got to give Tanisha T her flowers. We got to give, well, I'm sorry, the sexy vegan. We have to give the sexy vegan her flowers. I don't want to do say too much of you know government names as far as she's doing business. We got to give her her flowers as well. So I wanted to make sure that I recognize these special people because these are the people who are going to move Let Us Become Sharper Forward, have already been doing so, but going to continue to move it forward. And I appreciate them. I want to make sure that I uh put that out there uh while it was top of mind. I wanted to say that. So to our supporters, to the people who to the new people and all of the people who have been stepping in saying, Listen, you're doing great with this podcast. I've been doing it for some time now, so now it's time to uh bump it up. You know, we got great topics like spin the block, we're gonna bump it up. All cash is verified to any cash coming in or any cash coming out from a monetary standpoint is verified and pinpointed and recognized for the people who help us. To my personal supporters who've been so supportive. Just in a short time of us not being on the show, I've been through this situation, that situation, this situation, that just that fast. And my support system is the people who have been coming in, taking care of things for me, you know, pushing me forward, pushing me to be the best, me, the best of myself. So I tell you all, cash is verified, and I thank you. Respect my Chow. I respect your Cho and I appreciate you for doing so and being uh the best part of you, and want to recognize it right now while we're on the air. So we're talking about spinning the block. Do you spin the block? A question to the people out there do you spin the block, or are you the type of person that once you're done, you're done? This is not a revolving door in every situation. Some people say once you go out that door, you can't, you you won't, you won't be back.
SPEAKER_00:Like an automatic lock. Once you go out, you can't get back.
SPEAKER_01:You won't be back. You know, you use a little key just because they used to be like, if you come back in this house, yeah, and you may have got back, but this time you won't be back, or some people say the door is always open, the door might be open, yeah. So for all those people out there that spin the block that say, now you're married, but you still got a door open, talking about you're gonna spin some block for all you people out there in relationships, especially committed serious relationships, and you're still going over here spinning the block with that old thing. Well, I feel for you. But that's your but that's your that's your preference, that's your prerogative, as they would say. That's your business.
SPEAKER_00:Because how you here and you're trying to spin the block on something old.
SPEAKER_01:I don't spin the block on nothing old. I come brand new. Yes, I don't do no hookup, I don't do no none of that. I'm coming brand new. So that's just a that's just a me thing. So my opinion just on that today is showcase and letting you, you know, highlighting my opinion, but also letting you know from a from a listener standpoint more about me, something about me personally. That's how I am adding to the podcast, also letting you to know me and the way that I do business. I don't spin the block. I don't spin the block. I don't go back to that old thing, but for all y'all that out there to love that old thing, have fun and enjoy your lives while you while y'all back there with that old refurbished thing, and I'll be out here with some brand new things. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00:New shiny toys.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm brand brand new, shiny, sparkling new Cast Middle toys. I don't go back to that old refurbished thing, but to each his own, enjoy yourself. So weigh in on this topic. I want y'all to I want y'all to check it out, you know, and and vibe to it and see what how you know, get your opinion on it, see how you feel about it. Spinning the block, going back to that old thing, that old person. How do you feel about that? Do I go back? Do you go back, or do you condone some people say that they feel safe going back?
SPEAKER_00:And what, yeah, I want to know the why. I want to know why. Everyone has their different reasons. I want to know why.
SPEAKER_01:You know, I can imagine that it's a million reasons why.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I want to know some of the whys. Like, I I've said my why. I just want to know, like other people. Yeah, you said a few. Yeah, I want to know other people's whys.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I said I said a I said the few reasons of why I don't.
SPEAKER_00:Or if you don't, why don't you? Because it may be different reasons than you have.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yes. And I and it gotta be somebody out there that agree with me. Once you're done, you're done.
SPEAKER_00:I'm quite sure it is. You think so? Yes, I'm quite sure it is.
SPEAKER_01:It ain't a whole lot of them, I don't think. I think that I think people out there spinning their block. I think people out there going back. But it but there are some people on the on that razor's edge that's like, hey, I don't go backwards. I don't, I don't go back. I'm not hitting her up like hey, how you been? I don't care how you being. So hey, how you got a man? Hey, how you? I don't care if you got no man. I don't care.
SPEAKER_00:You still single?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you look, I see somebody oh, hey, how you doing? Keep on walking. I don't know you. I don't know you, fool. What you talking about? So, yeah, that's so that's it in a nutshell. I want to I want to speak about coming in as as we started today. I want to just speak about the uh the circle of innovation. I was sitting in the circle of innovation. I I sat back, I had a moment. I'll share before we go. Last minutes that we have. I I had a vision. I was sitting on the panel of the uh Michigan Beauty and Barber Association of Detroit. I was sitting on the panel of get to the bag, and I noticed that the innovation of the women, the men too. Now I gotta you be gentle, you know, the men too, but the innovation of the women, they sat in a circle and they created ideas, they created an idea about AI, Chat GPT, they innovation, they're innovative. How are we going to fuse that into the beauty and barber industry? And man, when I look, I said, this is it because I was trying to fit my way into how do you fit, right? How do you fit into this package, right? And I said, Wow, it's a joy to be a part of it. My role is to bring people to the circle of innovative to witness it as I have witnessed it and be a part of it, and be a part of it. So that's the that's the game there. I love the fact of spin the block. I love the topic. We'll be back next time. We're about to go and uh we got some business to take care of, but it's me and Delena, like I said, as promise i said me and delay are gonna roll for a few because this here's my this here's my roll dog we're gonna roll for a few yeah we're gonna have some guests come in there but we're gonna roll for a few we're gonna knock out two or three topics that we gotta cover we did spin the block today so we out of here and to the next time like I say be safe out there we always leave when we say that be safe out there but I want to tell everybody let us become sharper and we gone