The Foureva Podcast
Welcome to The Foureva Podcast, where we break barriers and redefine success!
Join host Jamar Jones, a dynamic entrepreneur, national speaker, and author of "Change Your Circle, Change Your Life," as he takes you on an extraordinary journey of inspiration and motivation.
In each episode, we bring you an impressive lineup of star-studded guests, each with a unique voice and a wealth of insights to share. From industry leaders to renowned experts, we uncover their secrets to success in personal, business, and marketing domains. Prepare to be captivated by their stories, strategies, and experiences that will empower you to reach new heights.
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a marketing professional, or simply seeking fresh perspectives on life and business, The Foureva Podcast is your ultimate destination. Discover the transformative power of changing your circle and unlocking your full potential. With each episode, we delve into the minds of the most influential voices in the industry, providing you with the tools and inspiration you need to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness.
Don't miss out on this dynamic podcast that will fuel your ambition, challenge your limits, and propel you toward success. Tune in to The Foureva Podcast and join a community of driven individuals who are ready to make an impact. Get ready to be inspired, motivated, and 'foureva' transformed!
The Foureva Podcast
Why Every Artist, Creator & Entrepreneur Needs to Hear This in 2025
Want to build impactful events, connect communities, and unlock new revenue streams in today’s creator economy? In this episode of The Foureva Podcast, Jamar Jones sits down with technologist, DJ, and community builder Devin Jenkins, founder of Share the Vibes LLC.
Devin—also known as Jink the DJ—shares how he combined his passions for music, technology, and human connection into a growing multi-city movement that empowers creators, educates communities, and showcases emerging talent through the Share the Vibes Festival.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ How to turn a side passion into a profitable business
✅ Why vision matters more than perfection when launching events
✅ The secrets to landing sponsors and strategic partners—even without a huge budget
✅ How to build an event experience that creates real ROI for attendees and brands
✅ Modern revenue strategies for creators, DJs, podcasters, and musicians
✅ How to scale your impact with delegation, intention, and leadership
Devin also shares his personal journey from a pandemic business plan on the patio to building a festival that fuses AI workshops, live podcasts, and community-building vibes—all in one dynamic, inclusive experience.
🎧 Whether you’re an event organizer, creative entrepreneur, artist, or tech enthusiast, this episode will give you the tools—and motivation—you need to go from vision to execution.
🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and leave a review if you’re loving this podcast!
Connect with Devin at ShareTheVibesLLC.com and follow him on IG @sharethevibesllc
I knew some artists that were talented and I knew there were people who would enjoy enjoy hearing them and I knew those artists would benefit from being exposed to those audiences.
Speaker 2:That's why it was me.
Speaker 1:That's why I started the festival and, talking to different people, I said, hey, you should do a workshop. Hey, you should do a panel. Hey, you know, think like South by Southwest or something. That's how it all kind of came.
Speaker 3:Oh, and that's how it evolved over time.
Speaker 1:Now it's evolved over time and what it is now.
Speaker 3:What is up, what's going on? Everybody, welcome back to another episode of the Forever Podcast. Man, we got a special episode today, I think, for all my people that put on events, attend events they're going to learn a lot about this but also people that like to create things that are unique and special. You know, in entertainment, community, business, and also the essentials, the skill sets to get people to the next level. We're going to get us in some awesome conversations. So it's your boy, it's your host, jamar Jones of Forever Media, and, man, I can't wait for this conversation. So we got my man, devin Jenkins, in the building. Man, what's going on? How we doing?
Speaker 1:What's going on? Jamar, I'm glad to be here, man, I am elated Dude.
Speaker 3:I was just telling him that, like dude, our podcast is kind of going crazy right now, so this is going to be no exception, and so it's a good time to hop on Dude. So first of all, just let everybody know who you are and also what you do.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure. So I'm Devin Jenkins, aka Jink the DJ, currently reside in Charlotte, north Carolina. I have a wife, two daughters, so I'm a family man, husband, father, but I'm a technologist, work at GE Healthcare by day, I'm in IT and then I am the founder CEO of Share the Vibes LLC, which is the culmination of all my passions. I'm naturally a connector. I always have been. I love music, I always have, and I'm a technologist, so I've always had an interest and a passion around technology.
Speaker 1:So Share the Vibes connects people to music and technology. To put it plainly, I know we have professional DJ services. We have Share the Vibes podcast, which, if you dig through there, you'll see Jamar on one of those episodes as well. We were just getting this thing started, so he's a legend in the Share the Vibes world. We also have our annual Share the Vibes Music and Technology Festival, which we'll definitely get into here today. But it's all about promoting emerging music artists, providing technology education and bringing people together in a safe space where you can build relationships that matter, get skills that enhance your life and ultimately, all this is using music and technology as the vehicles to build thriving, engaging communities. That's really kind of what it comes down to.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, and that's exactly what you're doing, because how many years have you been doing? Share the Vibes.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, this is fifth year of the business, fourth year of the festivals. Yeah, this is the fourth one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, man. So hey, consistency is amazing to even just put on those immersive events and do that time and time again. It's definitely a celebration for that. And also, if people go to sharethe vibes loccom man, I'm telling you right now that that, that front page picture, that's the one, that's the one if you guys go on there. So just a fun story that, uh, we had the man dj um, also our first Lead the Movement conference, which was at Pfizer Forum. That picture looks so dope, that picture looks so fire. It's also got purple lights in it, so it fits your brand.
Speaker 1:so perfectly the person who was designing the website. She was like hey, do you have some pictures of you, djing? I was like, yeah, I got some pictures. They ain't all like professional pictures though, so I'm just shooting some. I'm thinking she's gonna waste right over this one. This is I think godzilla took this on his phone, sent it to me and I it's one of my favorites she's not gonna be going for this. She's like oh no, this is perfect oh no, you, no, you did that, you did that.
Speaker 1:So the media, you know, just for having me that was what 2022?.
Speaker 3:Yeah, 2022, man.
Speaker 3:That was a very ambitious conference, but, man, we pulled it off and also thanks to you and people like you for believing and just helping with that. And everybody loved just the vibes that you set for the that day. Um, and it's just like I'm just staring at the picture now it's just, it's just crazy. It takes you right back to the day. Yeah, um, and so that's just so dope, so.
Speaker 3:So anybody that's listening that's ever been to any of our events. I'm telling you right now, like the Shared, the Vibes Festival is the same type of energy. Different groups of people are coming together, they're collaborating, connecting over music and entertainment, but also media podcasting, talks around tech and just around community as well, and that's why we've always been supporters talks around tech and just around community as well. You know, and that's that's why we're, you know we've always been supporters of of this event. Obviously, you know actually a lot of people that I know attend this event. You know, in all honesty, a lot of people like I'm seeing a lot of the pictures and stuff. I'm like, okay, promise, I see you, dj Leo. You know just so many amazing people that are out there. Can you let everybody know? Like, why did you start, uh, the share the vibes festival. Like why, why did you want to do this, um, and why did it have to be you to start this?
Speaker 1:so share the vibes came to be around 2019.
Speaker 2:So if you've never heard the backstory, by the time I moved to Milwaukee in 2015 from Immerse, yourself in a place where bold ideas are sought after, where all are encouraged to bring their personal flourish. Here, innovation is a way of life In this city. The beat flows Together. We're dancing to the rhythm forward. Now it's your turn to grab hold of that energy. Well, you'll remember not just the meals, the celebrations or the uncommon coasts. What you'll remember is how we made you feel. Come experience Milwaukee, where fresh meets fearless every day.
Speaker 1:Miles College in Birmingham, working at GE Healthcare, like I said, and somehow between like 2017, 2017, I mean 2015, 2017, I kind of just became the music guy among my friend groups.
Speaker 2:I wasn't.
Speaker 1:DJing, nothing like that. But I was listening to everything that dropped on Fridays and I just text people. I knew like, hey, wayne just dropped something you might want to check this out. Or hey, I just dropped a song you might wanna check this out. Or hey, I just heard this new R&B song from this artist I've never heard of before, but it's your vibe like, check this out. So I was doing that for like 15, 20 different people. I'm sending out all these text messages whenever I hear a song or album. I like I was like there has to be a Facebook group before you make it and share the vibes was the first thing that came to mind.
Speaker 1:So I did share the vibes, put a bunch of music emojis after it and that's what it was. And then, like a few days later, I was in the shower. I was like, hold up, I think I got something here.
Speaker 1:So we probably had, let's call it, somewhere between 20 and 40 people who joined the group, and this consisted of people from my Milwaukee crew people. I went to school with people from back home family and all of them are interacting around these songs that are getting dropped in the group. All right, all right, we got people having connections and conversations that wouldn't normally be doing this. So that's that's how this started, and over that next year I was having conversations with, like, nadia Johnson Shout out to Nadia, who's doing our work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, shout out to Nadia man. She's doing big things with Milky Way Tech Hub. So we were kind of like accountability partners and I think she sent me a business plan template. I talked to some others so over that next year, like I kept saying, all right, I'm going to get this business together, I'm going to put the business plan together. I want to start here. Whoop-de-woop, and then my daughter was born. My youngest daughter was born May 2020. So, smack dab middle of the pandemic, when it still wasn't cool, she was born at this time.
Speaker 1:So I'm home for six weeks on paternity leave. So I sat on the patio and that's really when I put the business plan together Just on paternity leave, baby girl taking a nap, sit outside might have a little drink and putting the business plan together. So in that plan I had in there some type of festival. Didn't know what it looked like, I didn't know and I think I literally wrote out this might be something intimate, kind of like Tiny Desk. This might be something big, like Coachella, I have no clue.
Speaker 1:I just wrote it in there and didn't think anything about it again for like another year or two. So the next summer I went by DJ Lolo, so shout. Next summer I went by DJ Lolo, shout out to Lolo, she'll be with us this year too. Lauren Feaster Somebody there just drunkenly said to me so share the vibes fest. I had not mentioned this to her or anybody else for that matter. I was like you know what I've actually been thinking about that. At that point I said you know what I'm pulling the trigger, I'm going to do it. I started hitting up people and say, hey, I'm going to do the share the vibes fest next year. Um, I don't know what it looks like. I don't know how we're paying for it.
Speaker 1:I don't know if it's not going to come out, but um, yeah, we're doing it so so as I started pulling people together, I was like, hey, so, mom, I'm going to do this festival this summer. What's it going to look like? I don, but it was my first. Few events were Zoom kickbacks during COVID, where I would come in. We had three rounds with three different themes. People would share a snippet of a song based on their theme, but in doing that, you also had to introduce yourself as well.
Speaker 1:So people from the Facebook group started to put faces and names because they were from different circles in my life. So you talk about why was it me? I was the like the linchpin here, bringing these people together, using my passions for music and technology to do all of this. So that was the birth of this. So the festival is like my brainchild and I've got people around me that can help make it happen, and we've been learning each year since then. But that's really what it was. I had something here that was bringing people together. I wanted to do something a little bit bigger and then I realized you know, I know a lot of artists in Milwaukee.
Speaker 1:Not a lot of people know them. So that first year or two that was pretty much me reaching out to people. I knew like, hey, you want to perform, I'm going to try to figure out a way to pay you. I'm doing all that, but you want to come perform and that's how I know those first couple lineups came to be. So I knew some artists that were talented and I knew there were people who would enjoy hearing them and I knew those artists would benefit from being exposed to those audiences.
Speaker 2:That's why it was me.
Speaker 1:That's why I started the festival. And then, talking to different people, I said hey, you should do a workshop. Hey, you should do a panel. Hey, you know, think like South by Southwest or something. That's how it all kind of came.
Speaker 3:Oh, and that's how it evolved over time.
Speaker 1:Now it's evolved over time and what it is now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's dope. I think there's a huge learning lesson for everybody listening and watching. You know a lot of everybody. You know people have ideas right, and then it just kind of sits in our brain but not many people execute on them. And there's something to be said about how you went about executing. You didn't necessarily have the plan. You said you kind of put out a business plan of what the idea looks like on paper, which is good. You should write out your idea.
Speaker 3:But the other thing that's really special is that you actually went around and talked about that idea to people and said, yo, I'm doing this. I don't have everything mapped out, but I'm'm doing this. Would you want to come to something like this? You want to be a part of it. And so you started to put that idea actually into fruition and gave it some legs, gave it some life and see the viability of the idea, because a lot of people's ideas just they. That's just exactly what they are. They're just and then they just die. And so you actually going out and making that happen and then evolving it over the years is incredible. So I think a lot of people can learn from that. You don't have to have all the answers. Just go out and put it out into the world and kind of see what happens. If you get enough people and also, depending on how much you're talking, talking about it and who you're talking to, somebody might be, might come along and be like yo.
Speaker 3:I love that idea actually. Let me, let me help you, man. Yeah, let me help you with that. Let me, you know, embrace it. Let me give you some contacts, some connections, whatever it is, um, and that's just, that's's just so special man. So now this thing has evolved into almost like a South by Southwest type vibe where you have learning, you know, panels, but now you have, like live podcasts. You have also, you still have the entertainers that are coming through, you have DJs. Now, how does that work with the flow of the event, because now there's so much happening, um, so, like what, what should someone expect if they come to, uh, come out to share the vibes?
Speaker 1:no, that's a great question, um, and it's something that we've been figuring out each year. So, like I said at first year, just kind of try some stuff. Second year made it a little bit better, um, and last year I felt like we like perfected the flow. That felt like our best festival yet as far as what the experience was and how things flow throughout the day. So what I learned is that let's start with the tech, let's start with the learning, and then we'll transition into the music and the game, so it doesn't get broken up in a weird way where you lose people or you got a podcast going on up front and people are talking in the back, yeah, so those are things you learn over time.
Speaker 1:So we start today with our tech workshop. So 12 o'clock we'll have our official kickoff and somewhere between 12 and 12, 15. I will have Dr Nadia Johnson kicking us off with that tech workshop, with this year's around profit, with AI strategies for this new digital economy. So we hear all this talk about chat, gpt and Gemini and Copilot and Gen AI and all this other stuff, and a lot of us we use it to say, hey, make this email sound better for me, you know, or give me an idea of how to do this. But the B is going to be showing people and walking people through how to create something tangible that you can then take and use to generate profit. Maybe that's a coloring book, maybe that's a prototype for your brand, maybe it's a logo, I don't know, but we're going to come in there and I don't know all the details of it.
Speaker 1:I'm intentionally not being close to it, so I'm going to be there, like everybody else.
Speaker 1:But in the end, though, you're going to get hands on tangible takeaways there, so you can literally leave with something that you can use and monetize, and then that transitions into our live podcast. So Tech Workshop this year is going to be very hands-on. Last year was more of a lecture style, but we're getting very hands-on this year. So bring your laptops, bring your phones, and we're going to get down and dirty and build something, but then they're going to transition into our live podcast. So this is when you get a little bit more energy, because it's not a panel discussion, it's a podcast, so it's a conversation like we're having now I mean last year.
Speaker 1:You know Mwanjay, he was at that leading movement conference as well, yeah, the visionary, as we call him, in the podcast world in Milwaukee, but he had questions for the other people that were in the podcast but the microphone was moving around that room the whole time People were so into it.
Speaker 1:I loved it as a coordinator because you have these discussions and sometimes people are just staring at you, but this is one where people really got into it and were a part of the experience, which is another part of what Share the Vibes was all about. We get into our live podcast discussion this year, which is around modern revenue streams. As a creator. We have DJ Bizon, who is a very well-known DJ globally, one of the best to do it, and he's also a Twitch partner.
Speaker 1:So if you're knowing a, thing about streaming and Twitch there's different levels. You can be the people that go on the casual stream. Then you have affiliate where you can start to monetize and partner. That's when you're the truth of this and you're really getting paid to do this.
Speaker 2:He's a Twitch partner.
Speaker 1:He really does this thing. We also have Mwanjay Thompson in that live podcast with Audio Moguls Media, with Shared Advice Podcast as a part of that network. He's mobilizing the voices of people, especially black and brown voices, talking about different topics and teaching them how to podcast and how to monetize those things, to build up what they're doing, and I share why it will be with us as well. Who is the creator of you sample, with music administration and teaching people how to properly get your business together with the music, how to clear samples, all these things getting your splits together, all this in your sheets, registrations, all the stuff you don't know you need to do as a musician?
Speaker 1:She handles all that, but she also streams and does content and hosts events. So there's going to be a great discussion just around. In today's age, you know there's different ways to create. You know you don't just have to be a musician, you don't just have to be an athlete, you don't just have to go viral on social media. There's different ways to create. But if you are a creator, there are modern and unique ways to do that. So that's going to be a conversation all around the different ways to just generate revenue as a creator.
Speaker 1:So that's the first half of the day. That gets us to about 2 o'clock, if you will 2, 30. That's tech, that's learning, that's talking, and then, the rest of the day.
Speaker 1:We get into those live performances and the audience competitions in between. So we got local emerging artists coming. They're performing their sets. We got DJs. So, as music is live, it's high energy, and we have these games in between where the audience gets to be a part of the experience. It's not just you come and look at us, you get to be a part of Share the Vibes. That's what sets us apart. You're actually a. What do you call that? A spoke in the wheel.
Speaker 3:Yes, a spoke in the wheel. You're an ingredient in the dish man.
Speaker 1:You're the bacon, you're the pig, not the chicken.
Speaker 2:You're committed to the bacon. You're the pig, not a chicken.
Speaker 1:You're committed to the experience.
Speaker 2:So that's, that's how we.
Speaker 1:That's how we get the flow of the day. So by the end of it, everybody's kind of gotten comfortable. You've seen people get up and get into these, these games, and you learn that, hey, I could be a part of this too and kind of break the ice. People are having conversations, meeting people that's always my favorite part. People tell me, hey, I, I met such and such, we're going to be working together pretty soon. Or one of the sponsors came up to me last year Like hey, I just wanted you to know I got like six leads coming out of this event just by being
Speaker 3:a sponsor there.
Speaker 1:And this has turned into some business for me. So that's what I love to see, man, but that's the flow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, 100%. That's super dope man Speaking of you know, on the music side. So who's your top five artists of all time?
Speaker 1:all time, hmm, all time.
Speaker 3:Should we, should we? It looks like you got a lot of people that are they're um into hip-hop. Should we just say your top five hip-hop artists?
Speaker 1:okay, I was about to go a different route because I'm where are you gonna go?
Speaker 3:well, you know I know marvin gaye is up there for me okay, okay, hold on, maybe, maybe this is good, maybe just just do artists yeah, so I know I have to go.
Speaker 1:Marvin Gaye Legend yeah, top five, marvin Gaye. I'm going to go Jay-Z. When you think hip hop and longevity and what he's been able to do with the business, not too many people have done that. So, marvin Jay-Z, I'm going to show Beyonce her flowers.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:She's doing her thing, and I wasn't thinking about Beyonce when I said Jay-Z or vice versa.
Speaker 3:It just happened to me to be there. This is no in particular order, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 3:Just going it out there. Just got five Okay.
Speaker 1:I love Luther Vandross, luther Vandross. So, good, and I'm not going to overthink luther vandross, luther vandross, so good and um, hmm, I'm not gonna overthink it too much, I'm gonna go with the isley brothers okay, okay.
Speaker 3:So you, so you also appreciate that that r&b, oh yeah, in your life yeah, I prefer it I feel like too, the older you get, the you get, the more you just be like man. I just want to listen to some R&B man.
Speaker 1:So you know like I'm 31. I'll be 32,. I think, next week, something like that. Oh yeah, so basically I turned 32 yesterday. Maybe, if you're listening to this, on drop day, so, yeah, so I'm 31, 32, whatever, you hear this uh, but you know, you talk to my friends, they'll tell you I'm like 75 for real for real like I grew up listening to you know those body and soul cds that was basically like mixtapes.
Speaker 1:You know for mixtapes before, like the mixtape era, if you will yeah, you had isaac brothers on there and, um, you know, the miracles might be on there too, and teddy pendergrass and all this. So it was, you know, all that company. That's the stuff. I was just ago. That's not. My mama had me a little bit older and I grew up in church, so I couldn't listen to the question you know around her and stuff. So yeah, there's a lot of albums I didn't hear all the way through until I was an adult okay, because I couldn't get them when I was younger.
Speaker 3:But like those body and soul cds, like listen to luke, yeah that's cool, man, that's cool, yeah, I mean, there's just there's nothing like some of those days, man, I just feel like r b is just so different nowadays. Um, you just don't get that same man, that soul man, that soul that they were singing with. And also I just feel like r&B turned into especially a lot of like the new R&B has turned into like I don't know, man, they just used to be like a mystery, like you know, and now they just saying everything they do in the bedroom. Man, I'm like yo, I ain't trying to hear all that man.
Speaker 3:Lord, leave something to the imagination.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's definitely deliberate. Now there's not much discretion, but if you listen to some of the older music, you get it too. But I will say to your point it was mysterious. So one of my favorite revelations in the last two years so not last year, I think it was year before last amazon had a platform called amp, maybe that was last year.
Speaker 1:That might have been last year actually, um, so I got on amp and I you can disallow anyone. You could get your phone, do it right now if it was still a thing, but you could go and host your own radio shows. So people from all over hosting radio shows. Then they're starting a bunch of celebrities into it. My guess is it got to be a little bit too expensive and that's why it's not here anymore.
Speaker 2:I don't know, but.
Speaker 1:Ant was a super dope platform so I said you know what I'm doing, share the Vibes radio. Every Wednesday 9 o'clock got on there and I did Share the Vibes radio. I'd talk a one to two hour show different. Those was like songs that mean something different than what you thought they meant and I learned through this that Reasons by Earth, wind, fire, one of the most soulful, smooth songs of all times.
Speaker 1:Really about a one night stand. Listen to it, really. Listen to it. Now the love games have been played and all the illusions just a parade. Yeah, I'm messing up the words and all the illusions just a parade.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm messing up the words. And all the illusions start to fade after all the reasons why, after all the reasons we're alive, all the reasons why, after the love games have been played, and all the illusions is just a parade, something like that. But you listen to it. Yeah, life on the road. Life on the Road. It was about a one night stand.
Speaker 2:Dude. But, they made it sound so romantic.
Speaker 1:You're going to be like dang. I never knew that that's crazy. Now I can't hear it in a different way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's a lot of songs like that man. You think that they're talking about one thing. But you get older, like you, you think that they're talking about one thing, but you start, you get older, like wait a minute yeah you're talking about yo the macarena, the macarena, not the macarena macarena.
Speaker 2:Look it up, look it up her husband was away in the military.
Speaker 3:She was doing a thing damn you gonna ruin these songs for you, man that only was everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that was. But that was stuff I did, but you know to your point. So stuff was a little bit mysterious back then. You don't have to really guess now you kind of know what's up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, man, well, that's gonna be a fun clip. Uh, maybe, maybe we go, we go put some music or something with that, just enough so people understand what it is. That's gonna be a fun clip. Um, no, this is. This is cool, man. So what, what kind of organizations you got uh that have that? Have uh been a part of this event?
Speaker 1:Yeah, man. Well, I was so, so thankful for all of our partners. Yeah, no matter whether you're giving, promoting or whatever. So I know a partner that has worked with us most of our years has been Hyphen and Radio Milwaukee. So, Hyphen actually was launched the day after the first festival.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:So that was a pretty cool connection we were able to make. We were June 18th 2022, and they launched on Juneteenth 2022. So that was super dope. I remember Element came in there with her hyphen jean jacket on hyphen converses and just doing her thing. So shout out to Element. We got Hyphen Radio Milwaukee with us this year. The Sherman Phoenix is a huge partner this year, so we're glad to have Dr Thompson and the Sherman Phoenix with us.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Stacia.
Speaker 1:One of my guys back from school has a phenomenal logistics company now Jackson International Express. So, they're a big sponsor for us this year Sumptuous Spirits out of Michigan mobile bartending business. They're sold into what we're doing this yearro charts you mentioned dj leo earlier. Yeah, so if you come to share the vibes fest this year, you get your ticket. You will get six month uh premium subscription to afro charts for free uh, so nice.
Speaker 3:So hey, this, hey, six months, six months. Hey, people normally just do like a month or two.
Speaker 1:Be showing love man gonna share the vibes afro chart six months premium for free. Nice, um, yeah, man, um. I know I'm forgetting people, your educators, credit union career coach sale yeah, um cardin stone. I see, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah that store will be dropping soon doing a feature on us cardin stone was actually at the event last year doing live interviews, so Naisha is down in Atlanta now.
Speaker 1:Yeah you can't be there, but she's still. I think we might have an ad on her Web site right now, and we got to put you up pretty soon. So shout out to Naisha and Carter. So she just got a deal with Amazon too, so shout out.
Speaker 3:Oh no, I did not know about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah no she's doing her thing, she's doing her thing us, and there's others. I know I'm forgetting, so count it to my head, not my heart.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, so you have all these partners. So I know that a lot of our audience they're putting on events, maybe that they have their own podcast. How are you getting these partners? You know, how do you get somebody to buy into your vision, um, to help you put this, really this whole thing, together? How, how are you, how are you what's working for you? That way, somebody else can, um, can be able at least to learn a little bit of what the magic is, what devin's doing?
Speaker 1:you know people ask me this often and I'm like I have not figured it out. But I'll tell you what I've done technically and then I'll tell you what I think, kind of like the real answer of it all is. But no, technically I put together a sponsorship deck. So even from the first year I put together what? What is it that we're trying to do? Because one thing you have to realize you're building a business, you're putting on an event, you're coming up with an idea, you're launching a product. Nobody is thinking about this thing the way you are.
Speaker 1:So as clear as it may be in your head, it's almost never that clear to someone else. So that's, why people ask you hey, what is it that you're trying to do? A lot of times we'll stumble with trying to explain it because I can't really give you the words for it, but I just know the pieces of work that come together.
Speaker 3:Especially something like you doing with this man. This ain't your lunch. And learn, bro. This is a lot. There's a lot going on here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So we need things like the sponsorship deck just to clearly lay out what is it that we're trying to achieve.
Speaker 1:We need to be able to clearly and concisely tell people what is the objective of this, because everybody is not going to want to invest in what you're doing, but there's a contingency of the population that will have an interest in what you're doing.
Speaker 1:So for me, it's promoting emerging music artists, providing technology education, promoting businesses and helping people form relationships. That causes the community to thrive, and this is also an opportunity to potentially drive retention and growth in your cities, to get people into these jobs and things. So you have to speak the language of the people you're trying to get invested in what you're doing, because most people don't care. They don't have a music festival. They do care that I'm bringing together people that are interested in technology and that we're upskilling people with technology skills that that could then turn into people that could maybe be employees for them or maybe they could be partners for them to do things that they need and find value in. So so find out what it is that you're doing, put that in the words and share that you know in a way that's clear and concise.
Speaker 2:So I do that through a sponsorship deck.
Speaker 1:I lay out my objectives. I put together sponsorship packages because different people want to invest at different levels. I mean when you do that.
Speaker 1:You get different things as a part of that because we need to give you value in return. So that's a certain number of admissions. That's placement with our marketing. Depending on how much you give, depends on those certain different types of perks you get at the festival itself and beyond. And I also don't approach people solely for money. So if you've gotten a sponsorship email from me I intentionally say sponsors and strategic partners Sometimes the value you can give me is bringing me on your podcast. It's going before your audience of entrepreneurs who could get some benefit out of my event. For some people they have a massive email so they can share things out to somebody, bless this out and know that we got a lot of vendors to give them opportunities to come into the businesses this year.
Speaker 1:Some people have media platforms, some people have connections to artists Leo, he sponsored one of our artists last year who was an Afrobeats artist. So, there's different ways that people can oh that's some gems right there.
Speaker 3:Man, people always just looking for the bread, man, it's like. Think about the way on how I like word is like. Think about all the activities that need to happen throughout the event and you've already done a great job of mapping out every you know for the audience. But think about all the things that need to happen for your event. So, if that's the food, that's the venue, that's that's the certain activities, that's you know booths, that's you know whatever, it is all the things that need to have for the event, and just say there could be a partner for each right and you're just helping people navigate to what you need. So, okay, you need artists. Okay, cool, some people could just, like you said, sponsor an artist to come out. So that way, that helps alleviate one less thing that you got to be in charge of and figure out and take care of at the end of the night. So it's strategic partners are are essential, especially like if budgets are tight, like that is. That is the way to do it.
Speaker 3:I even feel like, um, I know, on the other side of the coin, right, I know large companies that put on these, like put on their own events. Bro, they're spending way too much money. I'm like, why is the budget so massive for this little thing that you're doing, this little annual retreat that you're doing with your company? It's like, why is it $200,000 for you to put this team together? I'm like yo, if you gave me 000 I could have this. I could have this whole thing cracking for you. You know, through partnerships, through, I mean, the venue the food is in, an av is usually your, your biggest cost. Yeah, um, doing anything and then and then typically maybe it might be a big speaker or something like that that you have coming through. But you know, then there's all these other ancillary, these other costs, costs that come in. So I think you did a great job helping people, you know, think about their event, what's working for you, also how you're presenting it and how you're talking about it. And you've got proof in the pudding.
Speaker 3:That's why people are asking you this question, because they see all the logos that you're. You know that you have with your event. And I'll tell you this. I'm gonna add like one little extra thing on what all the information you just gave. But look, man, once you get your first sponsor, all the others are easier. Every single one is either. And so think about this you know, from people that are listening and watching, maybe that first sponsor is a strategic sponsor right in a certain area. That's helping you alleviate something within your event.
Speaker 3:But then, man, at least you have somebody else that said yes to your event, your idea, and they're co-signing it. You know that's what we say in the entertainment world. You know you co-sign something, they're co-signing your vision, and it helps somebody else. You know. You see, oh, sherman Phoenix is involved. Maybe I should get involved. It helps. It helps that that craft the narrative for your event. And so you're doing an absolutely incredible job, man, with this event. What do you? Where do you see this in your eyes Devin Like? Where do you see this event going? Like, can we? I just want to get inside the visionary's head for a second and like where do you want to take this thing, man?
Speaker 3:so you're already on year four, yeah, which is crazy, even to say it is. Um, but where? Where would you like this to go in your, your vision of where you want this, uh to of take you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, no, it's. It's that. That's the question, right. And so what? What next?
Speaker 1:So I envision share the vibes fest being something that travels around to different cities and and not because I'm clout chasing or I want to build a name and all these places. It honestly has nothing to do with me. It's because this is what I say. I share the vibes. This is about going back to the conversation we were just having. It's promoting emerging music artists. It's providing technology education. It's promoting business owners, bringing people together to form meaningful relationships.
Speaker 1:That's something that's needed in every single city across the country. Every city has talented artists. Every city has people who need to know about technology. Every city has business owners that need promotion and opportunities to share what they're doing. Every city needs to have meaningful relationships, build them on their community. So share the vibes provides one place that's safe, is fun, is family friendly, is inviting and you can knock out all three in one. So I want to take that to different cities. I want to go to Atlanta and promote your emerging music artists and businesses. I want to go to Birmingham and do that. I want to come to Charlotte and do that. Dc, it doesn't matter. There's a need, there's a niche for this everywhere. There's a use case for it, for my business people out there. That's what I see. I see it being a traveling festival so that we can expand the impact.
Speaker 1:That's going to be my prayer this year. I'm asking God hey, everything that I'm connected to, I want this year to be impactful, profitable and scalable. That's what we're trying to do. That's what I see. I even see it going to college campuses. Similar concept promoting the students and the alumni at those campuses. That gets the schools invested in what we're doing here.
Speaker 1:I have a vision for how to scale it and take it different places. I've been trying to figure out the sausage making process these first few years Right, and there's still a few things I need to do, but then we're going to start getting to it.
Speaker 3:That's dope, man. I mean the vision sounds. It definitely sounds grand, but you're right, every city needs it, you know. So if you guys are listening in um, especially if you're, you know, in the midwest like check this event out. Um, it's one of a kind, and I always tell people like you got to be willing to change your circle, man, like get outside. People like yo, I ain't making any money get outside, go out here to these events. Uh, get connected. And also, uh and I was just ranting to one of our clients today, uh, that I um coach and advise, but uh, I was like yo, not enough people are actually looking for opportunity, like really looking. I think people just are waiting for like opportunity just to show up like wrapped in a bow and perfectly placed like right in their hand for them to do anything. Yeah, it's just, it's crazy, it's it's the amount of people also that don't ask for help yeah which is crazy, like this event.
Speaker 3:Like, hey, you go here, how many people can you connect with just to ask for help of whatever your vision is, your business is, whatever you're trying to do? Also get outside and start learning about ai. Learning about like. It sounds like this this year's event is heavy on revenue. It sounds like because I know past past years it's been like a mixture, yeah, and then there's been all the like tech skills and other things like that that have been, but this seems like this heavy on revenue. Why? Why revenue right now, in 2025?
Speaker 1:listen to your question. I don't know about the listeners, but I could use some more of it. So I mean, and it goes back to you know, everything goes back to what's in it for the attendee.
Speaker 1:Like why is this important? Why is this something sponsors should be investing in? You know we're talking about music technology, but no, no, revenue is important. How can you leverage music and technology to bring more revenue into your life so that you are able to change that circle and change your life? You know, like Jamar preaches, you know is this nothing is free here. I mean we.
Speaker 1:We live in a society and a time where things are getting more expensive. We're dealing with tariffs and inflation and all this other stuff and wars, and it's crazy, like I don't know that it's getting any better anytime soon. So we have to figure out how to navigate the turmoil. You can't just sit by and stay in your cocoon Just saying, I mean, tomorrow's going to be a brighter day, like faith without works is dead. So we pray, but we're trying to give you tools that you can take and use to start making that own difference in your life and in your businesses. That's that's what it's all about.
Speaker 1:And if you're an artist, there's people that's at this festival, no who who know what it takes to monetize your music, to make sure you're protecting yourself and doing the things you need to do. So when you do blow it, when you get that know that bad bitty moment you get that moment, you're in position to do what you need to do with it. So that's what it's all about. Man Revenue is important and we're in a time where people are struggling. Housing market is crazy.
Speaker 3:So if you're trying to do some of these things that we talk about in this American dream, we got to have these modern revenue streams, so we're trying to be the tools to get them and I think the cool thing, too, is like, uh, you, you incorporate music into your festival, uh, but a lot of music artists need to think about their music as a business. Yeah, and I think that's the. That's like such a big. I like there should be a lot of artists going to an event like this. Okay, how do I monetize me?
Speaker 3:If you're a musician or an artist, you are a creator and you should be creating content. You should be putting that out there. You should be going crazy with that and figuring out ways to monetize it. You should have the place packed with artists that are trying to learn about this stuff. Ai, how do you get profitable with it? You know how do you utilize those tools? So I think that you know artists should also be going out to this. Entrepreneurs, for sure, creators should be going out to this so that way, they can get connected and get plugged in and you actually get real face time with the, with these speakers that you brought in. How do you go around, go about your, your speaker selection process, like, how, how do you choose the right people to? Uh, make sure that the message gets across?
Speaker 1:yeah, so first year, maybe first two years. Uh, it was all me, I was kind, of kind of doing it all, just say I think you could do this.
Speaker 1:And I reached out somebody like, hey, you got somebody can do this. And I'll reach out to somebody like, hey, you got somebody that can do this. So no, since then I built a committee and learned how to delegate. So I have one on my committee who knows how to podcast and is connected with podcasters and connected with people who can talk about these topics, so I've delegated that to that person to go find them. We have conversations about it and see what makes sense and go from there them. We have conversations about it and see what makes sense and go from there. Same thing with the workshop. I have somebody in the committee that I say, hey, this is what I kind of want the conversation to be around this year is what I'm envisioning. Who do you know that can do that? And that's kind of how it goes. So I even have a I learned this term is your talent buyer.
Speaker 1:We have a talent buyer for the festival now. So first year or two it was me reaching out to artists I knew saying, hey, will you perform? Now I have somebody who knows about music administration, that knows these different artists in the city, that curates events for artists to perform. She actually shout out.
Speaker 1:Shell just had a set at Summerfest this past weekend bringing out local artists, giving them that platform, so getting people that are plugged in, especially with me being in Charlotte now. I can't be there to be the hands and feet of everything. So that's another thing for those who are listening. You're trying to do events. You're trying to launch businesses and grow things and scale them. You got to learn how to delegate link to some of that control. Get some people around you that can do the things that you need to do so you can focus in on a few certain areas and let the team help you bring it together.
Speaker 3:Yeah, do you drop in gyms today?
Speaker 1:This is what I've been learning these five years.
Speaker 3:You've been dropping just bad, and and you know what really helps, though you doing this, and I just want to give you your props props, you know for, for putting on this event four years straight is that you you're not only are you a visionary, but you are also a leader, because it would be really hard to put a committee together if you weren't leading right, if you were just.
Speaker 3:You know all, all in for yourself, don't know how to cast the vision, don't know how to explain it, get other people buy in and in on it. Uh, it would be extremely hard for you to do that, um, but like you are, you're a guy that can cast that vision for people actually to follow man, um, and and building that committee and just the team around it, uh, the the partners and sponsors to come in, the speakers, the talent I mean everybody's believing in you and your vision and what you've created, and they're all buying in man. So that's props to you for just creating something like this, because it takes guts. It takes guts to do something like this. So, yeah, man, that's absolutely incredible.
Speaker 1:I appreciate it. You know, and I want to say thank you to you. So we talked about and we kind of breezed over a little bit. You go to the website. You see me in the Fiserv, you know, djing at the Movement Conference, which Jamar did not expect to see that today by the way. He did not know that he he was doing his preparation for this. He didn't even tell me this. I just know how it goes. He's doing his preparation. Wait a minute so so yeah, but what?
Speaker 1:but what you don't know as the listeners is I. I was like I was less than a year in at that point, you know, with DJ, and when Jamar asked me to do this conference and I don't even know if you do that or not I was like less than a year in for real. When you talk about me sitting there, about that, I really didn't know what I was doing yet. I still don't think I know what I'm doing.
Speaker 3:This is great.
Speaker 1:I was in that. Five searches up there. Yep, I'm confident, I got it. It worked. So shout out to you for believing in me, you know, and that kind of, put the battery in my back too. Yeah, I was you know, it came to me. Maybe that might have been late last year and I was just one day, I think. I was going through old pictures and I came across that picture. I was like you know, don't squander an arena anointing on a backyard vision. Mm hmm, say that one more time.
Speaker 1:Don't, don't, don't, squander an arena anointing on a backyard vision, mm. Hmm, no, be just as we met at your Lead the Movement conference. He performed at the second Share the Vibes Festival One of my favorite songs and it happens to be by him. It's August 21st. He'll tell you this. I told him he had to perform it when I asked him to come perform. But he has a line there. He says no, I wasn't anointed and appointed. It's only right I coined it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, it's that thing of like. Sometimes we feel like we're not worth the moments that were presented, right, and some people go into a shell and they go and hide from the moment that's presented in front of them. And we just talked about opportunities, the moment that's presented in front of them, and we just talked about opportunities like you could have. You could have said in your brain, you know, in your mind, of like man, am I ready for this? Like dude, I don't think they realize that, like, I'm still trying to figure this joint, go in the in an arena, in a sports arena, yeah, um, you know it's uh. But you, in your mind, you said, yo, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna take the opportunity, I'm going to, I'm worth it, yep, I'm worth it for this opportunity. Let, let me, let me step into this. And that takes, that's you that has to do that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that's that's special, man, because not a lot of people do that. They shy away from the opportunity and they're just like oh, and all these negative thoughts come in their head of like, why they shouldn't be doing this, yeah, and then they're, then they're kicking themselves later of, like man, I ain't getting no opportunities, I ain't like how come I can't get anything going. But dude, like sometimes the door opens. You got to. You know, if it cracks open for you a little bit, you got to step through.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, you definitely, and you did that, man, and that's why I do things like this and I found out later on, like my true purpose, I would would say, in what I love to do. But you saying that just validates why I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. Um, because, like to give you that opportunity to have you step into that and just just even to be in the arena right, hear the music cracking. I mean, dude, it was cracking. I mean I was like yo, I mean it's cracking, and just to be on the stage, like when you look at this photo, it's just like it's just, it's amazing to put people into places where we can fast track the success. Right, and that's what's amazing. And actually this is a perfect segue, because that's why you have to show up to events like Share the Vibes Festival, because it fast tracks your success.
Speaker 3:If you're sitting at home and you don't understand what's going on and you're like man, I'm not worth it, or you don't even have the headspace or the mindset around yourself to say, okay, how do I get those opportunities? Okay, it looked like it worked out for him, but maybe it won't work out for me, you have to show up, you have to be in these spaces. You got to. What is it? $20, $26, $27. Like, come on, dude, you spend more at Chili's. You know like, what are we talking about? You know like, it's like you spend more at Chili's. Man, show up at the event, get off the couch, be listening to this. If you guys are in Milwaukee, chicago, even Minnesota, like anywhere in that vicinity, you don't have an excuse, right?
Speaker 3:If you're like yo, I'm not getting the connections I want, I'm not getting the visibility I want, I'm not getting, um, the right type of knowledge to get me to the next level. I like to to actually step into where you want to go. Like you got to be in these spaces to have that transformation happen. It's not going to happen with you sitting on the couch. It's not going to happen with you. Just, woe is me. Like you got to step into this stuff, um, and that's just real man. Like I'm going on a little tangent, but like it's real man. I don't understand 2025, people just sitting on a couch and then they're complaining online. They're like yo, where's my phone at? They're like yo, yo, this is not happening, this sucks the economy, this and that it's like, like yo, get off the couch, yeah, get off the phone and do something.
Speaker 1:Man got to, got to. And that's the beauty of share the vibes fest, because, you know it, when you put on events, you launch companies, they kind of take on the personality of the person who's doing them. So you know, if you know me, I'm one who's like, hey, I'm not judging, you, do your thing. This is a space where it's a safe space. Nobody's going to come in here, like you don't know what chat GPT is. No, you're going to come in here, all right. Well, you'll know it in five minutes. You'll know when you leave here. So this is a space where you get to come through. We're going to take care of you Like we got you know. And this is not no one of the major conferences where you got to drop a bag.
Speaker 1:You got to talk about this. We're making it accessible. That's. That's the whole point. This is accessible, it's engaging, it's it's, it's, it's available to you.
Speaker 1:That's, that's the whole point. Is you want to take these, these, these lessons, this upskilling that you have to pay very good money to do Oftentimes, and put it to you know whether it's accessible for you. That's engaging, that's digestible, and you know people that are approachable. You can go to people throughout here and say, hey, man, I heard what you said, can you tell me more about that? And people have these conversations and the conversations can continue after the event. That's where the beauty of it comes from. Jamar and I connected because I took that step. I had that first Shared Advice Festival. Somebody at Penrod was like hey, I think y'all might want to talk. That's how that came. And the conversations continue after that.
Speaker 3:That's the beauty of it.
Speaker 1:It's not something to be intimidated by. We make these things accessible and available for you. It's here Come get it.
Speaker 3:We got you Dude, so you guys don't got an excuse Get out there. Location is in Milwaukee, at 1818 North Farewell Avenue, Milwaukee, wisconsin. The website is sharethevibesllccom slash stvfest. It's very easy to find guys, it's very easy to go to, and the date is July 12th, saturday, 2025. And it's from 12 to 7, man, you guys got to make the decision, though People like us, we're creating the spaces for you to succeed.
Speaker 3:It's up to you to show up. It's as simple as that. Do you believe in yourself enough to show up in these kind of spaces? That's the real question and that's what I've learned over the years. Sometimes I got so frustrated why aren't people showing up? Why they don't believe in themselves enough to show up in the places that they need to be? So, like you guys got to make this decision, we're putting it on a silver platter for you showing up and, like you said, like you get to actually connect with a lot of the speakers, the entertainers. Like, talk about access. Yeah, you know. Otherwise, before you got to start sending emails, you got to try to get a meeting and blah, blah. Like just show up, show up. Uh, grab your tickets. You can get tickets online. You can also request to be a sponsor. Um, on there as well. You can also request to be a vendor. Uh, as well. Is it too late, is it? I'm sure you? You'll take a conversation, won't you?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll, we'll talk with you for sure, for sure. Yes, still assuming sponsors, uh, vendors well, you might have to go on a wait list at this point because we just might feel it pretty, pretty quickly over the last week or two. Yeah, but yeah, yeah, but sponsors, vendors, definitely reach out. We will have a conversation and see if we can make work for sure.
Speaker 3:That's super dope, man. I appreciate you having you on the podcast. Man, this has been good, like a lot of a lot of things that people can learn, especially about casting a vision, making it come true, putting an event together, how to get partners, and then also just like how to really increase your network, too, and and taking an idea and actually put it into execution. So, man, this is this is incredible. Happy to be a part of this thing, man, and, yeah, any any other places that you want people to go to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know we're on Instagram. Share the vibes LLC, so make sure you're following us. We're putting a lot of content out there right now podcast clips highlighting the different festival participants. There could be some giveaways coming up, everything you don't know so. So make sure you follow us on Instagram and share the Viles LLC. Linkedin, Facebook. We're on all those, so make sure you tap in with us on social media. Join our mailing list. You go to the website, give it about two seconds. A pop up is going to come up. You can join our mailing list and stay looped in that way as well. So, yeah, sharethevicellccom. Sharethevicellc across all platforms and I'm Jink the DJ across most platforms. And if I'm not Jink the DJ, I'm Devin Jenkins, so I'm pretty easy to find too. So, yeah, you have to tap in with us for sure.
Speaker 3:Dope man, appreciate having. Please, guys, if you're watching listening, please like, comment, share the podcast episode. Definitely, drop us a review. We're trying to get our reviews up, so don't be stingy. Drop us a review and don't forget if you can change your circle, you can change your life. Thank you so much, devin, for being on here, and we'll catch you, guys, on the next episode. Peace, peace. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe, and don't forget to hit that notification bell for more amazing content that we're going to be putting out. And don't forget you can change your circle to change your life, thank you.
