The Amsalu Podcast
Welcome to The Amsalu Podcast—a raw and authentic space where faith meets everyday conversation. Join Amsalu and a dynamic new co-host as they dive into the world of media, Christian perspectives, and Christ-centered insights. This podcast is all about genuine and unfiltered conversations—the meaningful, the mundane, and everything in between. As Amsalu and the co-host grow more comfortable in their space, you’ll experience conversations that invite you into deeper reflections and community. Tune in and be part of a journey that brings faith to the forefront of everyday life.
The Amsalu Podcast
From Burnout To Breakthrough: Boundaries, Faith, And First Clients
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If you’ve ever promised a helicopter before you even had a brief, this conversation is the reset you’ve been craving. We get candid about how creative ambition drifts into people pleasing, why overpromising sours client relationships, and the simple systems that pull you back to steady ground. From physical notebooks and calendars to clear, written scopes, we map out how to trade emotional decisions for factual ones without losing the heart that makes the work worth doing.
We share how different friendships act like mirrors—one friend brings grit and blunt truth, another brings empathy and method, and a brother throws the tough, clarifying questions. That support turns self-awareness from self-critique into actual leadership. You’ll hear a raw, faith-filled breakthrough story too: months of stress, a few tearful nights, a spontaneous walk-in at a salon, and a first client that reignited confidence. It wasn’t luck; it was proximity, preparation, and a clear offer delivered with calm.
We also dig into the engine of a creative collective. Delegating the Instagram page isn’t busywork—it’s how you turn conversations into content, show your process, and invite collaborators to add their talent. Sensitivity shows up as a strength rather than a flaw; it’s how you detect harm, take accountability, and build trust. And we close with the mantra we keep returning to: love is the engine, money is the fuel. Price with clarity, act professionally, finish what you start, and let your circle keep you honest.
If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s building something, and leave a quick review to help more creatives find us. Your feedback shapes what we make next.
Wait, so if if I'm hearing you correctly, what you were saying is um your self-awareness kinda gets in the way in the sense that um if you are not in a good space media's not in a good space media's not in a good space a relatable challenge, yeah, yeah, yeah. Monday, yeah, see the answer is that's why you need friends, friends that also want the same thing as you do. Monday, I was stuck, I didn't want to do this but you call me up, it's like yeah nigga, you ain't serious. Ain't serious about this nigga, you know what I mean? Nigga, you ain't right, you know, and and and and which is like the reason why I'm so grateful for you for Percy, like you get the difference in your guys' personalities and shit.
SPEAKER_05Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_03Like in my life, you all serve different purposes. If I'm looking for grit, I go to Percy. Cause what I'm gonna get from Percy is just straight up, no no sugar coating, no nothing.
SPEAKER_04It's just it's just it's just what it is boiled, boiled, just in water, boiled chicken, no salt, nothing, nothing, you know.
SPEAKER_03You this is you're hungry, bro. You know, you can never take it. There's a couple truth, have a cup of truth right here, you know, and then um if I'm looking for empathy and um what um a more detailed view as to why things are happening this way and how I should approach it, but from a sympathetic point of view, I come to you because you have um a gentle approach to situations, and like Percy, you know, and then if I'm looking for one of the most hardest, like someone just ask me some hard questions, go to my brother, my brother just asks you some random questions, bro. He's just like this little nigga.
SPEAKER_04This little nigga, you know, better check himself, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So so so I I think I think you you you you you you you you you you're good, dog. You're good, you know.
Time Management And Emotional Decisions
SPEAKER_04It's not it's not like I mean I'm sure you can see the consistency of my plight. I don't know if that was the right word to use, but you've seen the consistency of my of my being hard on myself. Um so much so that it's self-defeating. Um but let me shift it, Doug, you know, while we're in this tester. What for you has been the biggest challenge this year within media space to be more specific within your skill set and within your ideals and goals. What has been your biggest challenge this year?
SPEAKER_03Um my biggest challenge this year time management, I think and and and uh being able to make decisions not from a point of um emotion, I guess. Yeah. Being able to make decisions from a point of the facts are saying this, and I've checked what I can do and this is what's gonna happen. What a wada wada. Just get out of that uh that that that that point of like you know you know you know you know when you um um let me let me let me put it this way. I saw this um this TikTok that said uh this guy was saying Woody When you struggle for such a long time, you fail to recognize between a good blessing and a bad blessing. You know, okay a blessing that's going that's coming in to be good for you, and a blessing that's coming in and to put you down, yeah. You fail to s to to to see the the difference because you're anxious, you you're you're emotional, you're desperate. I guess I guess like this year, man, um you know I I've made some pretty emotional decisions.
SPEAKER_04And for your time management, what would you say you you you didn't do um what are you looking to fill up your time management schedule with next?
SPEAKER_03A calendar.
SPEAKER_04A calendar, physical, digital, not physical, okay.
SPEAKER_03I've always I've always felt like physical things work much more better than digital.
SPEAKER_04They just give it that that extra sense of reality, you know?
SPEAKER_03Okay, so so so so if I can get a physical, I'm happy um almost finishing my notebook and it's like yeah, flip.
SPEAKER_04I'm jealous of niggas that do that. Like KG's like this is my third notebook this year. In my head, I'm like, I'm still trying to get on like page three of the one I got last year.
SPEAKER_03The trick about notebooks, bro, is not to don't don't don't don't don't write notes like you in school, you know what I mean? Yeah, like just write what you're thinking. Look, bro, it's a it's a bunch of crap in there, bro. But what's what's what's what's what's what's important is I understand each and every crap in there. You know, every sentence, every word that I wrote in there triggers a certain thought, reminds me, it takes me back and and it's like facts. It's like yeah. Okay, yeah, I use it as a as a reminder. My notebook is my reminder, I write my my dates in there, I write my conversation with God in there, I write my prayers, I write conversation to myself, I write a letter to my son. Uh you know, like I wrote just anything that I'm thinking at that moment. Ideas and and and and and it's just yeah, and also it gives it gives you that feeling of like yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess, you know, you know.
SPEAKER_04I had ink and I was I wrote a tick. You know, that tick just said I'm done.
SPEAKER_02You know, if you can get a notebook and get a nice pen, like your favorite pen. Yeah, one of those gel pens.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, Doug, you know, you did that for me, and uh, but I will I will say you made me go get that notebook and the and the gel pens. Oh was it you? Yeah, yeah, at Value Co.
SPEAKER_03At Value Co. We got those the ones with flowers, yes, yeah, pro cool gel pens.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, Doug.
SPEAKER_02You know, gel pens are so nice, right?
SPEAKER_04And I'm gonna lie, I have I have I I have used some pages there. Yes, I've got like four four or six pages there, you know. Um but okay, Doug, time management calendar.
People Pleasing And Scope Creep
SPEAKER_03Um yeah, what about you though?
SPEAKER_04Managing expectations, so clients, whoever collaboration, I I hadn't been managing expectations. I've been people pleasing, so kind of yes, definitely I can do it, and I can do it this big. And what do you think of this? You know, what if we we put helicopters up in this? Uh, you know, I talk to my friend, he has a helicopter. Uh well, he had it five years ago. You know, it's just it's just very sketchy. Very I'm trying to make you impressed um before even actually starting the work, before knowing exactly what you want. And then I put myself in a in the grave. Two weeks later, I'm um I'm hating the client who hasn't done anything.
SPEAKER_03You you sold it.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, they're asking too much of me. Sold them in trailer.
Faith, Low Points, And A First Client
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah, flip. I think I can bring in helicopters. Who do I look like? Tom Cruise. Elon Musk? Look like Tom Ganya. But like it's like nah, um, I didn't manage expectations probably. Telling you, but I'm actually but um that's what I'm I'm hoping to kind of manage in the coming year. And execution, like I said, so execution falls in with completing the work I've started, uh primarily for for for for I'm salu media, for my my clan of media-based people. So completing our work, uh, completing our admin, completing things like that, I want to start branching into um so I can start actually chasing down the goals I have towards my dream, um, towards really reflecting um just honor and praise in in all that we do. Which which which uh leads me to to to a part two of the challenges, biggest challenges, biggest spiritual I don't know, you can call it breakthrough, you can call it uh moment or realization within your work. Where where what can you say has been the biggest moments, biggest highlights where you see God's hand in your work this year?
Execution, Admin, And Momentum
SPEAKER_03Oh you thought your brother had questions, brother. The the biggest breakthrough that I saw in my work and that I saw the hand of God is when I got my first client Tattoos Place. Man, because like like I got the idea like three days before I got the client. Dude, okay it's like it's like the whole month, the whole July, the whole August, I was stressed out. I was just stressed now, you know, like I couldn't I couldn't I wasn't even functional, you know, like like I was stressed out, bro. Uh nigga cried on some nights.
SPEAKER_04Hey man when a man cries, I should make a song when a man cries. Yeah, you know, like like like R. Kelly, you know, remember he made a song when when when a woman loves when a man cries, he cries for real.
SPEAKER_00He shits his soul bro, yeah, bro.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, yeah. The man cried bro. Um uh but then then then I got an idea. I'm like, oh I got an idea. What if I made this with this and then do this, this, this, this, this, and that. How would that look? I guess the first person I need to talk to is Fleur de Rosa. So I had a conversation with her. You know, uh and she's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. So come back tomorrow, let's have a meeting, uh, you know. So yeah, man, woke up and woke up in a good mood uh after four days, you know, um bought a new pair of Chuck Taylors, Chuck Saventas, green, feel good about yourself. I feel good about myself, man. You know, I'm like, hey, she she should go along. Because the day that I asked for a meeting with her, she was wearing Chuck Taylors too. Chuck Saventors. I'm like, oh gotcha. I got something for you. I got something for you. When I got my shoes, you know, the first thing she said was like, oh, nice shoes. I'm like, oh thank you. I like your shoes too. So she she she she she realized she saw something for me, yeah. You know, so that made the whole conversation. I mean, we we we were chatting, like she she she like she she made me feel comfortable, she felt comfortable enough to even tell me about like what's going on in her business, like what was supposed to be uh an interview, ended up feeling like like this, yeah. You know, we were just like talking and it was so cool. So as I was leaving there, feeling good about myself, I just and I just see the salon and I just walk in there, and they're like, uh we just need someone who can do uh you know these these flyers for us. I'm like, oh flyers, I can do that.
SPEAKER_02I can do flyers, uh I can do a whole lot of things, you know. I I I do marketing too. I'm a social media marketing and all that, you know photography, you name it.
SPEAKER_03So I didn't think I was gonna get a client. I was just marketing myself as I would do to anybody I meet in the streets, yeah. And they ask me, like, yo man, what do you do? You know, so I go home and yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember we go to OG, we bust in the J. Cole comes in. Hey, uh Tarzan from the saloon uh was wondering if we could meet. You said you can do this, this, this, this, and that, and I'm in need of your services. I'm out shit doing weekend things.
SPEAKER_04My eyes is red now.
SPEAKER_03I'm doing weekend things. Uh yeah, unfortunately, uh, can we can we can we uh set up a date? She's like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we can definitely do that. I'm sorry for calling you on a weekend like this. It's just that I'm available on weekends. I'm like, okay, it's cool, don't worry about it. I'll make time for you. No problem.
SPEAKER_04I remember I remember you even you even put that bass voice when you did say, you know, you went from hey dog, you know the thing is, and and and I was thinking like, whoa, it's titles blitz. Hey, uh Diala Jamela speaking, how may I help you? Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_03Hey bro, I had to add a little bit of depth, change that EQ a little bit, a little bit, you know. Thought a little bit of refab. Uh so so I I go, I go, um, and then um we had the conversation uh and then I told her listen, I do photography, I do videography, and I'm new, I'm fairly new in social media, but I'm not new with marketing, you know. Uh I'm a salesman, as you like I can sell anything, I can even sell you your own shoes, yeah, you know. But uh I'm I'm and now I'm just going to the digital side of marketing, you know. Um yeah, so she's like, oh no problem. Um why don't you come and do that for me and see if your ideas are gonna work with my company, with my salon. Yeah, I'm like, oh hell hell yeah. Hell yeah, oh yeah, let's do it. I'm bad. She's like, yeah, so you you just gotta go think about it, write me, uh write a contract and everything. Um send me things that I gotta sign, tell me how much you want, and and and and and and then we get working. And that was my breakthrough. That brought me back to life from a very dark space, bro.
SPEAKER_04But uh big ups to you for even navigating through that space. Um because I was there, you know, and and taught me a lot as well in my uh to watch you go through that, you know.
SPEAKER_03Um was it that bad? Was it bad bad?
Sensitivity, Masculinity, And Accountability
SPEAKER_04Nah bro, I'm just I'm just highlighting, I'm just highlighting how how my nigga commits to a journey, you know. If it's emotional, if it's going through the bushes, you go through all of them. You don't you don't you don't you don't shy away from it. Um which is which is taught me a lot, you know. I'm glad bro uh so hey dog don't worry about it, don't worry about it, man. You know niggas can be sensitive.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, okay, well, nah, nah.
SPEAKER_03That's that's that's caught the trap, bro. That's caught by the trap. That's one of those those lies that need to be erased. Bro, it's like the reason why we we we we we growing up with with fatherless communities, yeah it's because of that niggas ain't supposed to be sensitive, like low key most niggas have been turned into fucking robots. Yeah, they don't see their wrongs anymore because they're not fucking sensitive. You can only see your wrong or I can only feel the pain that I have caused to you if I have the capacity to be sensitive. If I don't, I can't feel your pain. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's a bit right there. That's no, that's not a bit, sorry, that's comedy. That's uh that's uh what what they call it what they call it audio clip, what I don't know, yeah. Whatever whatever the short version. Yeah, bye, sound bite. Sound bite sound bite. Look at you all current and cultured.
SPEAKER_03That's the that's the mic.
Delegating Social Media Ownership
SPEAKER_04Love to see you like, but yeah, man, I think I think this is a good test uh um a positive tester. Um while while we're on camera actually, would you would you mind handling the I'm salu Instagram page? It is in your line of work, and we can't talk about you know fee structures and all off camera. But I mean the page is there and uh snippets that we can extract from this conversation, any other conversations, which which is only the upload and knowing what we need to do with the page, edits and so on. I've I've I've got covered, but running that page and and keeping tabs on it.
SPEAKER_03What took you so long, nigga.
SPEAKER_04Well, I was gonna you know, like you said, it was three days before you realized I had to make sure you realized the real thing. You know me, Doug. You know me Doug. I need to see the mistakes from somewhere else. You know? It's like the haircut thing, Doug. You gotta cut some you gotta cut some heads, cut cut up some hairs, you know, give some niggas some scars before I know, like hey. Maybe you can give me a haircut. Yeah, but yeah, Doug. Yeah man. Let's do it. Let's let's see, let's see the future.
Building A Creative Collective Engine
SPEAKER_03Yeah, um, I would love that. I would love that. Um Yeah, uh yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's do it. Let's do it. Like and also um Salam Media, bro. Um This is how I've been looked like like how it's it's it's it's I don't know if it's what would I say it's an idea or advice or whatever but it's a positive thing to take it broad but I was watching uh video clips of Tyler the creator and um he was talking about how old the future came to be. And um basically how it came to be was he just knew his friends were pretty talented, he was just talented and he had some cool motherfuckers around and cool cats, bro, like cool dog niggas that can do this, this, this, and that, and you know, and they're like yo niggas you can do that, I can do this, you can do that, he can do that, and shorty can do that. Oh is that shorty now?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, Sid, yeah, shorty, shorty, sh shorty dude, yeah, shorty dude, one with the shit with the cheese carpet with the mohawk.
SPEAKER_00Oh, oh, oh tell them you're my girl, they don't know your work.
SPEAKER_03She reminds me of Toya the Lazy.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, why because they're both lesbian? No, no, they're haircuts, uh the haircuts, but yes, the haircuts.
SPEAKER_01Okay, okay. I didn't know.
SPEAKER_04Listen, I didn't know a lot of us be censoring our thoughts, right? Brother, I'm comfortable around you, so you better know in the show I'm gonna be sharing from a comfortable place.
SPEAKER_05Oh my god, right?
SPEAKER_04That's an observation I quickly made when you said Toyota the Lazy and see it.
SPEAKER_03You know, that's our thought.
SPEAKER_04But they could never date.
SPEAKER_03They can never men. I think I think I think because of the Mohawk, the Mohawks, they they both the the gents of the of the relationship. It's like imagine dating yourself, bro. I mean, I would love to date myself, yeah. But themselves, I don't I don't think they would love to date themselves.
SPEAKER_04You reckon, I mean that's I mean, uh come on. If you if I had my shots, but golly nigga, you just you just you just mean that they self-worth. No, I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I don't think they'd like to date themselves.
SPEAKER_03I'm just saying that like from from the tracks.
SPEAKER_04I can't remember to early the lazy songs.
SPEAKER_03Because another thing, bro, she she just she she she hates being born that way. Why would she date her talk?
SPEAKER_04This is where you know, as much as I said I'm comfortable, I wasn't saying we should all be comfortable.
SPEAKER_03It's just the observation.
SPEAKER_04I'm just my point. I'm willing, I'm willing to ride with it. I'm willing, I'm willing to be with you there, you know. But you know, should you come to a place where you have to answer this, I'ma say let my brother who didn't say it answer for himself. I'll help him on the other side.
SPEAKER_03Uh sensitive topic, eh?
SPEAKER_04I'm telling you.
SPEAKER_03Hey.
SPEAKER_04But uh yeah, no, no, I know I should take accountability. I did start it.
SPEAKER_03Oh, it's not your fault, bro.
SPEAKER_04Thank you, sir.
SPEAKER_03We see these things too.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, man.
SPEAKER_03Maybe just waiting for that moment to relate.
Money As Fuel, Love As Engine
SPEAKER_04But yeah, Doug, I think I think that's been the case. I mean, look at look at Creative Corner. Um, the intention is really to meet, not for our talents to meet as friends. And I've been thinking about a lot lately, and and I think remember that what we were talking about about the engine. I think we need to build a creative corner type engine, you know, because I think Tyler had a vision to be doing something, and he was already kind of in it, and he was kind of like, yo, dude, come check out what I'm doing. And when they came, they saw and they added, you know, and and I think people need to see what we're doing so they can add or back.
SPEAKER_03True, true. That's that's what we need to do.
SPEAKER_04The biggest thing we need to do.
SPEAKER_03We already started. Yeah, Doug. This is the first step. The first step on the moon.
SPEAKER_04Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Aye man, I wanna I wanna get to editing this, so um the the cube, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah, no problem, bro.
SPEAKER_04Um, any any closing remarks? Uh shout out to my mom and stuff, you know.
SPEAKER_03Leave out the principal part.
SPEAKER_04Hey my man, hey my man, it depends. Doug, I'm gonna see its currency if it's too expensive to leave out.
SPEAKER_03Hey, hey, I don't know, just just just just just just leave out the money talks.
SPEAKER_04Of course, Doug. Yeah, I just yeah, I got your back, dog.
SPEAKER_03I don't I don't I don't want to feel as if I haven't forgotten. Facts, you know, but I haven't. Because a lesson was not learned, it will be learned in the future.
SPEAKER_04Well, my last words are a little more positive.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, what are your last words?
SPEAKER_04Much like my brother here, we need to get our money next year. Get it, get it. I think I think it's all love. It's all love on my end. Um and I'm excited, bro. Um I'm glad we we starting, you know?
SPEAKER_03Also, wait, Fed before we go any before we close this.
SPEAKER_04Wait, now we're gonna be sounding like pastors. It's gonna be like a pasta type podcast.
SPEAKER_01Well, what makes you say that?
SPEAKER_04I'm about to wrap up. I'm about to wrap up.
SPEAKER_01Okay, okay, okay.
SPEAKER_03Check, it's all love, but at the end of the day, we wanna get paid. You know? Yeah, yeah. So let's and I think I think denial that you want money in the end is what keeps us trapped. You know, like that's why we don't make certain because if you want to get paid, you act professional. When you act professional, you get a gig. When you do it for love, you barely act professional. Because usually what you do for love requires you to be sensitive, you know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think I think as well, as well, it's a conversation to obviously dive into, but getting paid and and and what does it look like? Um especially within the fields, um, Salu is trying to take it, and then as well as us as individuals, I think.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, um, we just need to find uh a way to balance the love and the fuel because money is the fuel, it's not it's it's it's it's it's not the driving force, yeah. You know, it's it's not the engine. The engine is love, but for the engine to move, that needs the fuel, it's money, you know, and then we we we're moving. And and it and and also if it's a if it's a don't do, like you know, nothing beats the feeling, the feeling of being paid to do something that you love. It doesn't matter how much it is, it doesn't matter whether it's a lot or it's less, but just being like, yo dude, I want you to do this for me. I'm gonna give you this. Nothing beats that feeling because I'm gonna take it like oh shit, this nigga, this nigga sees me. See this nigga sees me, and and and and divinity now when you have to take another gig the next day, you'll be chasing that very same high.
SPEAKER_00Hence you always be better every time, I guess.
Closing Banter And Next Steps
SPEAKER_04Alright, man. We out. Shout out. Oh yeah, that's the that's the that's the tag. And before it used to be row to 27, we out. Yeah. Um so don't ever say shout out again. Oh wait, okay. My bad, my bad, my bad.
SPEAKER_03Hey man, amen.
SPEAKER_04Nah, nah, you know, I was I was reenacting a scene from the Diddy Diddy movie documentary where like you didn't want niggas to be like a pro no the Nipsey in in studio with Nipsey. Um he was clapping for the Diddy was like you've been up clapping up in my studio now.
SPEAKER_03It was giving him uh deja vu.
SPEAKER_02I'm pretty sure.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because I mean I would like I'm a fan of that series, though.
SPEAKER_02I need to watch it, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Oh bro, it was well done. I need to watch it, it was well done. It was it was funny as hell, Doug. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, that's what's up. Editing time, we out.