Season 2 Episode 4 - "Ramond"

Episode Title

What Would This Chapter Be Called?

Episode Description

Sometimes you meet someone and the connection is instant. Easy conversation, real laughs, and the kind of energy that makes it feel like you’ve known each other much longer than you actually have.

That’s the vibe of this episode.

E sits down with Ramond, an entrepreneur whose world moves through three pillars: music, travel, and finance. The 21 kicks things off with laid-back conversation about Denver snow, petty peeves, retirement peace, creative inspiration, and what freedom really means.

Then comes The One.

If your life right now were a chapter in a book… what would it be called?

The conversation moves into purpose, growth, and how we frame the season we’re currently living in. Because sometimes the way we name a chapter says a lot about where we’re headed next.

This episode feels like meeting someone new and realizing the conversation was meant to happen.

What You’ll Hear

• The freedom behind OutKast’s Liberation and what it represents
• A conversation about retirement peace and financial freedom
•What are golden handcuffs
• How to the pro's and cons of the comfort zone

Season 2 Format

21 Questions
Light, thoughtful prompts designed to reveal perspective, some laughs and insight

The One
A deeper conversation sparked by what naturally comes up.

No scripts. No prep. Just presence.

Join the Conversation

After listening, ask yourself one question:

If your life right now were a chapter in a book, what would it be called?

Then send this episode to someone who’s writing their chapter too.

Transcript

E 0:20

IfRamon you haven't, I wish that for you. But if you have, you know how awesome it is and how rare it can be. Well, today's guest is one of the ones, y'all. So I've just known him for a few months. It feels like longer. We've had some great conversations, some encouraging and motivating conversations, some hearty laughs, and made an amazing pizza. I mean, can you ask for anything more? He is for sure cool kids certified, and he is that guy that everybody knows, and he knows everybody, and he has a gift of making genuine connections. I'm glad to have him on the pod. So let's have a refreshing conversation with Ramond. Welcome, Ramond.

Ramond 0:59

Wow, what an intro. Appreciate that. Oh, you're I appreciate that. I appreciate you having me. I appreciate you having me.

E 1:05

Oh, you know, homie, I'm glad you're here.

Ramond 1:08

Absolutely.

E 1:08

You can feel free to introduce yourself or we can get right into the 21. It's your call.

Ramond 1:13

I can do a quick introduction. So, like you said, my name is Ramond. A little bit of background, have a background. Yeah, I I would definitely call myself multifaceted, but if I was to break it down into three pillars, I would say it usually sits on music, travel, and finance. So those are kind of like the three pillars of entrepreneurial pursuits that I that I that I move through through life. And but other than like overall, just really, you know, just a really laid-back, cool guy with a vision, man. That's that's at the at the core of it. That's what we're doing. You know what I mean?

E 1:48

So that's a solid.

Ramond 1:49

I definitely appreciate you having me on.

E 1:51

Uh, no worries. And that's the solid core, you know. So that is, yeah, that's the core. Yeah, that's the core. It's nothing wrong with that. Absolutely. All right. So with that said, let's start the 21. So the 21 are 21 questions slash non-questions. They're lighthearted, thoughtful, nothing heavy. You ready?

Ramond 2:11

Let's do it.

E 2:12

Okay. So number one, I am, but I don't like. For example, I am American, but I don't like apple pie. Another example would be I like, but I don't like. I like the beach, but I don't like sand.

E 2:26 Speaker 3 2:26

Okay. Yeah, let's start with there. Like being that I'm from Denver, I love Denver, but I don't like the snow. Let's go there.

unknown 2:34

Okay.

E 2:34

Let's go there. Did you ever like the snow or did you just never it?

Speaker 3 2:39

I never never, never, but it may maybe because it was always there for me. I like I, you know what I mean? And and maybe because I was like shoveling the snow young, you know what I mean? That probably, you know, that probably played a piece into it. But I know I had moments in the snow, but I'm just, I I think at my core, I'm really like a tropical human.

Ramond 2:57

I think at my core, I'm supposed to be somewhere tropical, you know. So never was really for the stone.

E 3:03

All right. So number two, my petty pet peeve is. So this is something that, you know, just ride your gears. Somebody still don't want to know the opposite.

Ramond 3:13

I know this one for sure. When you hold the door for somebody and they don't say anything and just walk through.

E 3:18

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Ramond 3:20

That's definitely one of my I don't even know if that's petty, but that's one of them for sure.

E 3:24

It's valid. Petty or not, it's valid.

Ramond 3:27

Just say something. Just say something.

Speaker 3 3:29

Just say, you know what I'm saying? Appreciate it. Give me at least a little wave, like a cool little way. Do something. Acknowledge that I'm a human being holding the door. You gotta read it.

E 3:37

Yeah, because I'm gonna catch your attitude quick in a hurry when they don't say thank you. Gotta check myself and get back to one, but for that second.

Ramond 3:45

For sure. For sure. That's gonna change my next five minutes, for sure. You know. For sure.

E 3:56

All right. So number three, what is something that you are weirdly or oddly jealous of? If you need an example, let me know.

Ramond 4:05

Hmm. I don't really consider myself a jealous person, right? But I mean, I think if if if anything, just retirement, man. Just when I be seeing people just like kicking it, kicking it, man. I'm like, man, it's you know, like, you know, it's like I know it's coming, but that's one of those things. And I wouldn't, I don't know, jealous is the word, but it's like, you know, just having that that peace, you know, yeah. I think that's dope. That peace and freedom.

E 4:34

That's a beautiful thing. All right, number four. What is a book, song, or movie that you wish you would have written or created, and why?

Speaker 3 4:46

That's a great question. That's a great question. You know, I'm I'm I'm I'm always on the music side of things.

Ramond 4:52

I'm always, you know, I'm I'm heavy into music. But the first thing that came to mind, I don't even know, like this, I'm not gonna super go through all my choices, but like the first one that came to mind was liberation by outcast.

Speaker 6 5:07

Okay.

Ramond 5:08

You know, I I always just I loved the vibe of that record.

Speaker 3 5:11

I loved what they were talking about in it. I love the collaboration between different artists.

Ramond 5:16

And you got outcast, Erica Badu, CeeLo Green. It's always gonna be, you know, something special coming from that.

Speaker 3 5:22

So yeah, just like the concept of just I I think most things that I do in life is based on reaching towards one type some type of freedom or like helping people get some type of freedom, whether that be financial freedom, mental freedom, just you know, just freedom from you know, working a job. Uh, most things that I'm moving towards is in that and liberation, you know, that that speaks to it.

Ramond 5:48

So that was the first thing that came to mind when I heard that question. So let's go with that.

E 5:52

Well, lock it in. All right. So number number five. This is another one. It's it's it's thoughtful, so but it's it's you know, get ready. Okay, prepare the others. So here it is. So give, steal, destroy.

unknown 6:07

Okay.

E 6:07

What is one thing you can you would give away that you value? You can steal anything in the world and never get caught, and you can even display it. So let's say you stole an amazing necklace. You could still you could be walking around with a necklace flossing and living your best life, and you would it would just be maybe they'd be none the wiser. They'd be like, Oh, that's a nice necklace. And let's say, and then the last thing is destroy. What is one thing in the world that you would destroy? So give, steal, destroy.

Speaker 3 6:42

Okay, so it's give away something that you that you care about, right?

E 6:46

And no take backs.

Ramond 6:50

That's a hard one, though. That's it. I'm trying to like, I mean, it's like little stuff you care about, but I can just throw out a little one, but I'm trying to go a little deeper for you, right? Like I could just, you know, say, you know, get get rid of my body cream or something, and it'd still be all right, you know what I mean?

E 7:03

But just walk around.

Ramond 7:06

Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I yeah, I figured something else out, but nah.

Speaker 3 7:12

Something that we give away. I'm still gonna keep it actually pretty light. On that one, I'm gonna just I'm gonna give away like I I use this scalp, the scalp oil for my head, you know what I mean? You know, you know I'm bald, so I use the scalp oil. I really I love it too, you know what I mean.

Ramond 7:28

But if I had to just give away something, that's the first thing that came to mind. I'll just go somewhere that that naturally has a little bit of humidity, and I think I'll be all right there, you know. You know, so and then steel is the second one, right? Still, it could be anything, huh?

E 7:44

It can be anything. You never get prosecuted for it, you never be asked about it. People always think it was yours.

Ramond 7:50

It was like it, like it, like it It was just it was just always mine.

E 7:54

It was just always yours. Nobody's gonna check you. Like I said, you ain't gotta live in the shadows. It is it is it is officially yours.

Ramond 8:02

That's a good question. What would I just take? Just take two. We'll go something random, man. I'm just gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go, I'm taking 15 million Bitcoin.

E 8:15

Okay.

Ramond 8:15

That's what I'm taking 15 million bitcoin. I let you know, I'll let everybody else divvy up the rest.

E 8:21

Yeah, yeah. You can definitely, you can definitely retire on that.

Ramond 8:24

Yeah, I'll be all right. We'll be all right. But the kids, kids, kids. And then I just feel like you know, having a like an asset like that for the long term would be like kind of insane. So yeah, digital goal, digital goal. So go with that and destroy just a bit a very basic one, man. Just which is it's almost impossible, but uh but like homelessness. Okay, you know what I mean. If I could just destroy that where everyone could have some real estate, I think that's the first thing that came to mind on that.

E 8:56

I like that. All right, let's go to number six. If you could be part of any TV show, what TV show would it be? Extra points if you know the character you would like to play, or if you would create a new character for the show for you to play. And it could be a TV show from any time. So it wouldn't have to be a current TV show, it could be a TV show from 30 years ago, 40 years ago.

Speaker 3 9:18

Okay. Um, yeah, I mean, it this is probably easy. But I'm going with Fresh Prince of Belair, and of course, one would be Will, man. Okay. That's it.

E 9:27

The original version or the remake?

Speaker 3 9:29

No, the original. You can keep it OG. You can keep it OG, man.

E 9:32

Okay, that's cool.

Ramond 9:34

We keep it OG.

E 9:35

No, that would be a good one. Why, why the Fresh Prince?

Speaker 3 9:38

Um, man, I think just being young, man, he he kind of exemplified everything, right? Like just like like the the coolness, but he wasn't like, you know, I I I resonated with like the coolness, but not like super hood, but you know what I'm saying? But at the same time, could like he could be in both worlds. That like towards the end of it, he was able to kind of like maneuver through both worlds. You know what I mean? But still kind of like and and do it in his own way too, right? Like somehow, some way he just made certain situations adapt to him and other situations he could adapt through. But you I think what's not talked about about that show enough is is just the underlining just misunderstood that he had to be feeling going through all of everything and and still, you know, just kind of figuring out how to walk his own path. And you know, even though they might have looked at him a certain way, you could tell that he always had a good heart through it, you know what I mean? So I'm gonna go with that. And then at the same time, it's just funny as hell, right? Touche. You know, so you know, so that's on the other side of it.

Ramond 10:45

You know what I mean? Okay, yeah, so all right.

E 10:48

So number seven, what is the compliment that you love to receive?

Speaker 3 10:54

Compliment I love to receive. One of them that I love is uh you can tell that you were raised right. Oh, it speaks to my family, it speaks to more than just me, it speaks to my family, it speaks to the what I've taken from them and we've been able to apply. So I love that one.

E 11:08

Yeah, and my favorite one. And having met your mom, yeah, she's she's pretty awesome.

Speaker 3 11:13

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So all right. Yeah, I definitely came from good family on both sides of my family, so like that kind of speaks to my whole lineage when I when I hear that.

E 11:21

Yeah.

Speaker 3 11:22

Yeah, I love that one.

E 11:23

Oh, that's beautiful. All right, number eight, what is your non super super power?

Speaker 3 11:30

My non-super super power? I've heard this a lot. Like, I heard that I'm a natural dot connector. So pretty much it's like if you just put me in a situation, somehow I'm able to connect the dots for whatever's going on, right? Like if this person needs to connect with that person or just just like a net like it's something that I never really knew I was good at, but I just would always do it in everything that I was in. And I realized like it was always easy for me to like develop and create teams and get them on the same page. Those I didn't realize till later that those teams might not have worked if I wasn't the the the connector. You know what I mean? So yeah, so that so the dot the dot connector, I feel like that's that's definitely it.

E 12:10

It is because even in the intro, that's I said that you have a gift of making genuine connections. So yeah, it is for sure. No doubt superpower. All right. If you had a soundtrack or a theme song, what would it be?

Speaker 3 12:26

Uh to be honest, I think I already do. I you know, like being that I it was been in music for so long, like I feel like I at some point I created my own soundtrack, and it was, you know, it was a project that I created called Seeds. And I just feel like it just touched it touched on just literally what my life was at that time, just the the growth that I was trying to go through to touching on things in the past. So like that's the easiest question ever because I feel like I already created it, you know.

E 12:56

What type of music? What's what's the what's the genre? Is it lo-fi, is the R and B is the trap soul? Like what's the what was the genre?

Speaker 3 13:04

Nah, I mean it's that it's it's it's definitely it's definitely hip more hip hop based and it definitely has like R and B undertones.

unknown 13:10

Okay.

Speaker 3 13:10

But it was just cool to kind of like take that project from the from the ground up, you know what I mean, and you know, work with the producers directly, sit down, produce some of the stuff myself, and all the concepts of it. I think it just it really exemplified where I was at that point in time and just you know where I came from and stuff like that.

E 13:26

So so when you're referencing it, you make it seem like it was a snapshot in time. When you listen to that music now, is it does it still hit the same, or do you look at it, look at it as this is where I was then and appreciate it for what it was?

Speaker 3 13:44

Man, it's so great question by the way, but kind of both. I actually listened to it again last week from from top to bottom. And there's definitely the project is called Seeds, and it's all about like you know, putting when you put seeds into the world and just what they end up growing into. So it's kind of cool because it's like I at that time there was a lot of like a lot of my mindset that was growing at the same time, and just to see who I am now, it's like I might have grown into who I was growing into at the time. You know, so it's kind of like a snapshot, but it's like I seen some of the things that I was moving towards. Maybe not exactly what it looks like, but you know, there's certain things and ways that I move now and just decisions that I make that I know I'm a more grown person than that version. So um, yeah, it's a little bit of a little bit of both, but I would say it's dope to see that I kind of knew where I was going, even to connect on that a little bit more. I I I heard this thing that said like we act like no one has psychic abilities, right? That sounds like a crazy thing for someone to have psychic abilities, but if you look at somebody's habits, you can kind of see where they're going. But kind of cool to see just what I was talking about at that time, and then you know how certain things is from how the seeds went to fruits in the life right now.

E 15:05

So wow, that's cool.

Speaker 3 15:09

Yeah.

E 15:09

All right, so number 10. So yes, we know you're a DJ, but what would your radio DJ need DJ name be? And what would the name of your show be? So you have to choose a different, totally different DJ name.

Ramond 15:22

A different DJ.

E 15:23

Different DJ name, and you have to tell me what the name of your show would be.

Speaker 3 15:30

Let's call it DJ. I would be DJ B side.

E 15:34

That's cute. Okay.

Speaker 3 15:36

Yeah, DJ, DJ B side.

E 15:39

Okay.

Speaker 3 15:40

And the show would be songs y'all forgot about.

E 15:46

Okay. So the the songs that y'all forgot about show, is that coming on midday? Is it morning, late night? What what when is your when it what time of day is your show?

Speaker 3 15:56

I definitely think it's a late night show. It's a definitely it's definitely a late night show.

E 16:01

Okay.

Speaker 3 16:02

It's definitely a late night show.

E 16:03

Okay. Would you like a suggestion going off of your radio name for your show?

Ramond 16:08

Let's go.

E 16:09

Waking up. Waking up on the B side.

Ramond 16:15

That's a good one. That's a good one. You know what I mean? Woke up on the B side of the bed. Yes, yes. That's good stuff right there. I see it. I see it. I see the vision, man.

E 16:29

I can see you helping people get through traffic and their morning commute, whether they're driving or whether they're um, you know, on public transportation. Yeah, I can see you doing the morning shift. Watch out, Tom. Watch out, Tom Joyner. I don't know if he's still is he still doing stuff? How did he retire?

Speaker 3 16:47

But still watch out though, because these DJ B side comes on.

E 16:50

Listen, I'm telling you some movement.

Speaker 3 16:54

Absolutely.

E 16:56

All right, number 11. If you won the lottery, you might not tell anyone, but there would be signs. What would one of the signs be?

Speaker 3 17:04

The signs would be just one.

E 17:07

I mean, you can give me more than one, but just one.

Speaker 3 17:10

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's kind of becoming that now, but it would for sure be that. Like, I would probably like the immediate sign would be like every time you call me at the airport or headed somewhere. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like it's like you just really would every time you call me, you'd be like, What you got going on? I'm actually uh let me call you right back about the board. You know what I mean? Like, not not even. I'm about to we're about to take we're about to take off. It wouldn't even be about the board. We're about to take off because I'd be in that PJ. So you know, we're about the board. You know what I'm saying? I'd be in the PJ. So yeah, I think that, you know, man. If I get to, if I get to every time you call me, I'm in the airport or or somewhere foreign, and you know, that might be the one.

E 17:56

That that might might be the sign.

Speaker 3 17:59

We're doing all right.

E 18:02

DJ DJ B side has arrived.

Ramond 18:05

DJ B side. Never on your side.

E 18:11

I got a show in Thailand. I'll talk to y'all later.

Ramond 18:14

Yeah, real quick. You know what I mean?

E 18:19

All right. So number 12. If you could pick your name, what would you have wanted your name to be? And you can't use your existing name, so it has to be totally different. What would you have wanted your name to be?

Speaker 6 18:34

That's a that's an interesting one.

Speaker 3 18:39

It's it's hard because you never really know. Like it's like you kind of grow into what your name is, right? Like, you know, but if I could have picked it, I'd be Bartholomew.

Ramond 18:54

What then? Yeah, I was just playing.

E 19:00

Wow, okay. Okay.

Ramond 19:03

No, I was just playing. I was like, but you know, uh I am from W minutes, man. That's I get from W minutes. That's why I'm not sure.

E 19:12

I'm not even saying the counter because if you were, you know, DJ. No, no, no, because if you're DJ B side and your name was Bark Pass.

Ramond 19:18

Oh, you see what I'm saying?

E 19:19

I mean, I I can see I can kind of see. I can kind of see it.

Speaker 3 19:23

Uh no, nah, nah. This is a tough one. But I probably just I probably go. For some reason, I I I remember one time I'm this is the first thing that came to mind. I remember one time I was like on a, I was like on a like a spring rake trip, and I we just all came up with names. And I was just I was just I was Maxwell, you know what I'm saying? I can see I don't know why I I have no I have no really reason or what, but I was I was Maxwell, so that's who I would be. I'd be Maxwell.

E 19:52

That fits you. I could yeah, I can see you being a Maxwell. Definitely, yeah. Definitely before I see you being a Bartholomew. But yeah, Maxwell's flying.

Ramond 20:05

Let's go with Maxwell.

E 20:06

Okay. All right, number 13. This is all about your dream concert lineup and location. You get up to five acts. They can be groups or solos, they can be dead or alive, and they'll be at their prime peak performing level. So even if they're like, let's say they're 70, 80 years old, like I think I don't know how old Patty LaBelle is, but you know, she's still she's still doing a thing. So let's say you wanted Patty LaBelle is one as your guest. You could have her or whatever your her peak level is, even though she's still doing way better than I could ever do at her current age. Okay. Whoever you want, five people and groups.

Speaker 3 20:44

This is great. This is this is great. Okay. No particular order. Michael Jackson has to be on there.

E 20:51

Okay.

Speaker 3 20:51

Prince has to be on there. Okay. We're gonna go we're gonna go Tupac.

Speaker 6 20:56

Okay.

Speaker 3 20:58

Um we're gonna go Marvin Gay.

Speaker 6 21:00

Okay.

Speaker 3 21:01

Man, let me get six, man. Let me get six.

Ramond 21:05

Let me just six. Let me just six today. Damn.

E 21:15

You ain't even named number five yet. You still skip over five.

Ramond 21:19

No, I need I need six. I need six. Let me let me go six. We're breaking the rules.

Speaker 3 21:23

All right, so Michael Jackson, Prince, uh huh, Tupac, uh-huh, Marvin Gaye, going temptations. I'm going, I'm going, I'm going out cash.

E 21:32

Okay, now that is interesting. Okay, so who would be the headliner and where is this concept?

Speaker 3 21:39

It gotta be it gotta be Michael Jackson. Okay. MJ gotta he gotta headline that. And in this con this, it's definitely in Africa, man. It's uh we're doing it in South Africa.

E 21:50

Okay. All right, I can dig it. Okay, so since you since you, you know, didn't want to abide by the rules, I'm gonna change it up up some as well. Who's

Ramond 22:00

Who is opening for this amazing concert in South Africa? Now I gotta disrespect somebody.

E 22:07

Exactly. See, this will happen when you don't pick finals.

Speaker 3 22:12

I think it's fair to say outcast. Outcast. Just in that lineup, yeah. Okay, because age or what? Uh I guess so. Yeah, I just I just I feel like it's too disrespectful to anybody else. And maybe if that's just the like some of them pass, so it's kind of like you feel like it is, but it's it's gotta be, it's gotta be. I feel like outcast would just be a good kickoff to the show. But I don't think I don't think they nobody else could go before them that makes sense. So that's that's that's it.

E 22:41

And and also I would dare say that they would want to go first so that they can get off the stage and see everybody else.

Speaker 3 22:47

There you go. There you go. Yeah, that's a really good thing. Yeah, yeah, because I think I honestly think I've even heard like Andre T. Dazu say one of his biggest influences was Prince. So right now.

E 22:57

Oh, okay. Oh, that fits.

Speaker 3 22:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think they would they would all want to see that, you know, everybody else snap in the stream. Yeah, for sure.

E 23:07

Okay. So number 14. If a day in your life had a voiceover, whose voice would it be? If it had a voiceover, DJ B side is getting out of his car and heading to the studio. Like the voice that would be doing the voiceover. That's a good question. Are you noticing a theme here? Oh, my questions are good. My questions slash non-questions.

Speaker 3 23:30

There ain't been a bad one. There ain't been a bad one.

E 23:32

Oh, it is.

Ramond 23:34

Yeah.

unknown 23:35

Yeah.

Ramond 23:36

Oh, Denzel Washington. Let's go with that.

E 23:40

Oh, interesting.

Speaker 3 23:42

Yeah, he's talking through my voice. He's talking, he's talking through my life for sure.

E 23:46

Interesting. Okay, but you know what? Okay. So when I think of Denzel Washington, I think of drama. But when I think of you, I think of light and levity. I can't imagine Denzel Washington doing levity. Not to say that he can't, but it's just, I'm just in my head, I'm thinking of King Kong ain't got nothing on me. Or what did he say in training day?

Ramond 24:09

So I'm thinking of like that.

E 24:12

I'm thinking of that level of Denzel. So maybe save it for a bad day. Not that I wish bad days could be. Right.

Speaker 3 24:20

But then there's, you know, there's there's there's there's like smooth Denzel too. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? I do get you though. He plays more roles that are like a little more extreme than usually how I move. So I do get you. But that that's the I I thought you just meant like voice alone.

E 24:42

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean?

Speaker 3 24:45

I'm going with that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Ramond 24:47

So I'm I'm still I'm sticking with it.

E 24:49

Yeah, it's a it's a solid answer. Okay, so number 15. This is about superpower, but you know, I gotta put my little twist on it. So I need a superpower that would be a selfish superpower, so just for you, you're the only one that benefits from it, and a superpower that would be for the greater good.

Speaker 3 25:07

Okay. Ooh. The first one is it's just like to be able to just transport anywhere.

Speaker 6 25:14

Okay.

Speaker 3 25:14

That just immediately, like, right? That you know, I'm just I'm just there. So you know, wherever I want to be, I'm just there immediately. So that's that's my selfish one, is like this transporter.

Speaker 6 25:25

Okay.

Ramond 25:25

The one for the greater good. And it's one, it's one superpower. It's not like the powers of superheroes. Nah, nah.

E 25:32

What's the little buddy from the from the multi from Marvel with the di with the with the gem songs? Nah, not him.

Ramond 25:40

You can't do it. Yeah, I can't I can't go thanos. That's kind of what I was looking at a little bit. I can't go thanos. I can't have all the infinity songs. No, just pick one.

E 25:49

Just one.

Speaker 3 25:54

I'm trying to think about how you how many people I could say with certain things. I guess, I guess, yeah. I guess to heal people. That's what it would be.

Speaker 6 26:04

Oh, that's good.

E 26:06

Yeah, that's cool. Okay. All right, number 16. If you can have a dinner party, you if you can have the dinner party of your dreams, who all gonna be there? You get five. Look, you ain't getting six now. I done let it let it slide the concert. So I got you. I got you. I'm not gonna do that again. You get five people. You also need to know what's the cuisine and are you cooking?

Speaker 3 26:32

Okay. All right, so five people.

E 26:37

Five people.

Speaker 3 26:38

Okay. I'm going Nipsey Hustle.

E 26:40

Okay.

Speaker 3 26:41

I'm going, and this is like all time, I could be anybody, right?

E 26:44

It could be anybody from the beginning of time.

Speaker 3 26:48

Yeah. So I'm going Nipsey Hustle. I'm going Gary V. Can I put earn your leisure as like one person? Or I gotta pick one of them.

E 26:59

Oh, you know what, just to make things complicated. Well, hold on. You can pick you can pick both of them, but they're gonna count for two. Or you can just pick one.

Speaker 3 27:07

I'm going Troy. Troy from Earn Your Leisure.

E 27:09

Okay.

Speaker 3 27:10

I'm going Troy from Earn Your Leisure. Let's put Denzel back in there.

E 27:14

Okay. He deserves a meal after narrating your day.

Speaker 3 27:17

Yeah, after narrating my whole life, man. We could at least have a conversation. You know what I'm saying?

E 27:25

Okay, you got one.

Speaker 3 27:28

Oh, I'm gonna throw it. I'm gonna shake it up a little bit. We got the woman in there. I'm going my adela in there.

E 27:32

Ooh, okay. Okay, the good doctor. I appreciate that.

Speaker 3 27:38

Yeah. All right, what's the cuisine? The cuisine is definitely upscale seafood.

E 27:44

Okay. Are you cooking?

Speaker 3 27:46

Upskill seafood for sure. I'm not cooking. Just because for like, I can cook, just by the way. Let's throw that in.

E 27:52

Let the record show.

Speaker 3 27:53

But like yeah, but this, let's not do that. You know, but but but just for like what I would want, I probably want like just some some real high skill stuff that I probably haven't made before. I want to focus on the uh the conversation.

E 28:10

Yeah.

Speaker 3 28:11

You know what I mean? I'd want to facilitate the conversations and just be a student of the conversations. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

E 28:18

Now we're at number 17. So we're getting close to the finish line. So number 17 is what is your dream occupation? It can't be what you're currently doing. It could be something that you have no particular training in, but something that you always were like, man, it'd be cool to be XYZ. What was your dream occupation?

Speaker 3 28:36

See, and I don't know if dream is the word, but like I always felt like in a in a multi, in like a the multiverse, the other universe, a different different life, I always felt like I was I was gonna be a pilot. It kind of makes it maybe it makes sense that I love to travel the way that I do and stuff like that. So I'll put I'll put that on there. I'll say a pilot.

E 28:54

Oh, I like that.

Speaker 3 28:55

Yeah.

E 28:56

Okay. Oh, you know, that leads perfectly into number 18. What is your go-to or must-have at the airport or mall food court?

Speaker 3 29:05

At the food court? Mm-hmm. Are we talking about places to eat or just things?

E 29:09

Yeah, places to eat. Like for me, if ever I'm in an airport or I'm at the mall at the food court, I gotta stop at Auntie Ann's. I gotta give me one of their pretzels and give me a lemonade.

Speaker 3 29:19

So, like what's I I don't do it all the time anymore, but there ain't nothing like that Cinnabon, man.

E 29:25

Oh, okay.

Speaker 3 29:27

That's even the smell of it hitting you, man. That that Cinnabon, I don't do it all the time anymore. I'm trying to try to walk a better path. But that Cinnabon, man. Make Denzel proud. I like my weekend. Like, like to be honest, like I can't walk past, like, even if I don't get it, I'm sitting there looking like, damn, should I? Like I do this, you know what I mean?

Ramond 29:48

I might do it.

E 29:49

Yeah.

Ramond 29:50

So yeah.

Speaker 3 29:52

But let's go with the Cinnabon, man. I think that's one of the that's like one of the top smells ever in life to me for sure.

E 29:58

Like Cinnabon. Okay, and you know what, man, you it it nobody knows the questions prior to the episode. And you are literally a couple of times your answers have led me, have been like great segues into the next question. And here's another one. So number 19 is what would the name of your signature scent slash cologne be?

Speaker 6 30:20

Ooh. That's a good one.

Speaker 3 30:26

I wouldn't want the I know what you're saying. Like I I don't I wouldn't want necessarily cologne to be Cinnabon.

Ramond 30:37

I know I was going there, you know what I'm saying?

E 30:42

I knew you're gonna be better than that.

Ramond 30:44

Right.

Speaker 3 30:46

Hmm. You did some work on these questions, man. You used Shad DBT or how'd you come up with it?

E 30:53

Dude, I just sat you sat off the top. Yeah, I literally just sat and I was like, what were some questions that intrigued me? And these I just kind of knocked them out.

Speaker 3 31:02

This is okay, I got it. Royalty. That's what it would be called. That's what it would be called.

E 31:09

Okay, and okay, so we're going royalty. Okay, what are the what are the notes? Or like what what's in royalty?

Speaker 3 31:16

It definitely has like a like it has like some some wo some like earthy like wood undertone.

Speaker 6 31:24

Okay.

Speaker 3 31:25

It's kind of maybe a little little floral, you know. I would say similar to like it's Bath and Body Works men, there's a mahogany teak wood smell that I really like.

E 31:38

I have not smelt it, but I've heard great things about it. It's on my list. I definitely want to check out.

Speaker 3 31:42

Next time, next time you go, next time you go to Bath and Body Works, just go to that men section. I don't know if you owe it for any reason or not, but just go over there, open up that mahogany teak wood, and that's anybody listen to this too. Do yourself a favor, man. I might be dropping one of my cheat codes, but I go ahead and check that out because that would be similar, a similar a similar feel to what royalty smells like for sure.

E 32:04

Okay. All right. Okay, number 20. What is your definition of self-care?

Speaker 3 32:12

Hmm. Uh I think the basics of self- my definition of self-care is I really think it's just like either a day or a moment that you're the only one that matters in that moment. Like you're not doing that thing, whatever that thing is for anyone else, right? Like you if you some people if it's taking a bubble bath, it's that bubble bath's not for anyone else, right? Like if you meditate in that meditation's not for anyone else. If you you know I mean sleeping in, that's not for anyone else. So I think like it's a moment that is really just for you and not for anyone else, it's just for your own greater good, you know?

Speaker 6 32:54

Yeah.

Speaker 3 32:55

That's what I like.

E 32:57

I like it. All right. So we we reached the last one, and that is the 21. And that question is what would the title of your autobiography be?

Speaker 3 33:11

I think it would just be the first thing that came to mind, I'm first thing that came to mind was just a tell it's a tale of two paths. I think it makes sense on multiple levels, just being that I'm a you know, if people believe in signs, I'm a Gemini, so it, you know, I always say it's the twins. I'm just always having, like, I feel like every decision is like a left or right decision, right? So I think like that would just be a good way to tell the story through that lens of like could have gone this way, went that way. You know what I mean? And every, every every and every like, yeah, it's a tell or two paths, we'll go with that.

E 33:48

I like that. Okay, so bonus question. And you can't choose Denzel for the audio version of the audio version of your book, would you read it? I mean, if not you, who would you have read it?

Speaker 3 34:04

I would have to do it.

Speaker 6 34:06

Okay.

Speaker 3 34:06

I would have to I I think I I would have the voice that would portray the life. You know, you know what I mean? I think that that that's that would work for me to read that, I'm sure.

E 34:17

Right on. I like it. All right, that was the 21. See?

Speaker 3 34:26

Come on, man. We made it.

E 34:28

We made it.

Speaker 3 34:29

That was some great, that was some great questions. I really thought you had some help with that because that was some thing. Every time we talk, it is like a conversation like that, but like that was some great questions.

E 34:40

Tell a few for that. Thank you. I'm really trying, I really put you know, put thought to thought to this and just wanted to facilitate a great conversation and an easy conversation. So, you know, thank you for for being down.

Ramond 34:56

Absolutely.

E 34:57

Okay, so we still have the one left, but we're gonna take a little break.

Speaker 6 35:01

Okay.

E 35:03

And then we'll get into it. Okay, all right. Now that we're all warmed up, let's get into the one. One question, one moment, one real refreshing conversation. So when I come up with the ones, you know, it's questions that go a little bit deeper, but still nothing, you know, crazy or outlandish. And I'm torn which question to ask you because it's supposed to be the one, but I really got the two.

Ramond 35:31

But we might do both. You know, we break it through all this time, man.

E 35:37

I feel good.

Ramond 35:37

You can break it.

E 35:38

You know it's my podcast, but no, I'm I'm gonna try to I'm gonna try to stick to this one except they're both thoughtful. And you know what it means? It just means you need to come back. Boom.

Speaker 3 35:48

Come on, that's it.

E 35:49

I'm ready. There we go.

Speaker 3 35:50

We're gonna do this from a different country next time.

E 35:52

You know what? Say less. Say less. Okay, so the question that I have for you is if your life had chapter titles, what would this current chapter be called?

Speaker 3 36:08

Current chapter right now. It's kind of funny because you kind of you kind of inspired it, and it's the first thing I thought of, but I would think it would be called breaking breaking the golden handcuffs. It would be called breaking the golden handcuffs right now.

E 36:23

Okay, explain that to the people because not everybody, you know, is familiar with the term.

Speaker 3 36:28

So this is a yeah, so let's let's dive into that. You know what I mean? Yeah. Let's dive into it, man. We me and you had a really, really dope conversation, and it's so funny, like it's it's like the red car theory, right? It's like once somebody has a red car, you keep seeing that car. But you were the first person I heard say it. And it was the concept of golden handcuffs, really just being still, no matter how much you actually get paid, when you are attached to whether it's a job, it's a you know corporation, it's whatever that may be, no matter how much they pay you, if you're working for them, then you're still kind of chained to whatever that entity is, right? So we call it the golden handcuffs because it's not the same way we think it's like slavery or jail or whatever, you know what I mean, that that we usually think of it, but it's golden handcuffs because it's like it's built by this system that still kind of owns you in a way, as long as you're a part of the system, right? And you know, I don't want to put that in the way of like some people love their job and they love the situation and you know I mean they're good with it, and that's cool, right? That's that's a beautiful thing, man. But you know, I do feel like there's you know, there's a thought of like just being free from certain things and being disconnected from a system that for a long time hasn't really served us. And a lot of a lot of like most times, you know, for most people they don't love it, right? And for me, I always looked at my job just like my investor for the things that I actually wanted to do. Right. But when I'm when I can finally buy out my investor and I own a hundred percent of my life, that's what I'm looking forward to in life. So like I said, I haven't broken, but I feel like just things that I've been learning, things that I've been applying, things, you know, where my life is kind of getting set up now, I feel like this is the chapter where I'm actually in real time breaking the golden handcuffs.

E 38:24

Right on. And I'm excited to see how the chapter works out, friend. For me.

Speaker 3 38:34

I was gonna say, why are we on the topic? What is golden handcuffs? What's that what's that break that down for people, man?

E 38:39

So it's essentially, I mean, you summed it up perfectly, but it's it's it's comfort. It's the it's the the the seduction and the the familiarity of comfort and almost the illusion of comfort as well. Because I firmly believe, and I can't take credit for this saying, but everything you want is on the other side of comfort. Right. But that also requires you to face the fear of leaving what you think is comfort for the unknown. So the golden handcuffs, like specifically in my case, was I had this job, it wasn't taxing me. Anybody else would love it. You know, I got good benefits, you know, I'm making good money, I'm going places, I'm doing things, I have a level of freedom that I had never had before. And not that I came from like super meager beginnings, but we weren't rich. You know, we were, I say we like like I was making money, my parents weren't rich. So we were like maybe middle class. And you know, the bills were paid, the food, everybody had food. So we didn't go without, but it wasn't like a lot of luxuries. So it was now, you know, I got to a certain point where it's like, oh man, I'm now luxuries. I'm flying, I'm flying business class, I'm flying first class. Whereas up until you listen, it'll change your life, up until a few years ago, I was like, what's the cheapest way, the cheapest way I can get to point B? You know, 18 hours, $200, sign me up. Now I'm like, what?

Speaker 3 40:14

Yeah, we're not doing that now.

E 40:16

I can't do that no more. God bless those that can, you know, but that's not my ministry anymore. So it was like, you know, I got used to that. And it was like, man, am I gonna leave this? Am I gonna walk away from this? Am I gonna walk into this unknown, to this life that I say I want it, this career that I say I want it, this freedom that I said I want it, and know that it's gonna be a while before I get back the income that I gave up. But on the flip side of it, like I was telling you, these mornings where I'm like, mmm, I just want to take another nap, or you know, I don't want to do nothing today, or let's just go for a walk, you know, being able to have my time and then not be relegated to just two days out of the week, or me having to ask somebody or check in with somebody or clear with somebody, my God, on today. It is, it's worth everything. It's worth everything that I gave up. I've been so creative over these past few months. And it's like I literally take the time to thank God. I literally take time to be cognizant in the moment that the life that I led, the work that I put in to get me to the point that got me to that job that was opening my eyes to other things in life that I walked away from. I'm grateful for that moment, but I'm grateful for where I am now as well. So to get back to what you asked me and back to the chapter of your amazing chapter that you're writing right now in your life is those golden handcuffs. You have to be willing to figure out is it worth the cost? Because, like I say, all everything that glitters ain't gold. So it might be fine and dandy that you're making this good, good check, you're making this good, good money, and you got these good, good benefits. But if it's costing you your soul, not that it was, it wasn't cost, it wasn't weighing that heavy on me, but I wasn't happy. And I realized that even though the job was easy, the people were nice, I wasn't stressed because I've been in jobs where the people weren't nice. I've been in jobs where I was hella stressed, and that was not the case in the job that I left, but it just kept weighing on my soul, and each day I just kept dreading it. And I was like, why am I dreading this? This is this is cake. This is this is this is what people pray for, this is what they want. And I'm like not wanting it. And it was just to a point where I realized that I wanted more, but then also to look at it from a different perspective, and you might resonate with this when it comes to helping other people, I can do more, you know, than I might be able to do for myself. You know, I'll put myself in the back burner, but oh, oh, you need help? Okay, I got you, right? Um, type of thing. And I was like, me sitting in this job is preventing somebody else from being blessed. And I was like, somebody else could be sitting in the seat, making, I'm not saying I was making like a gazillion dollars or whatever, but I was, you know, I was comfortable.

Ramond 43:11

You was good. I was I was good. We was in first class, we was in business class, we was in business, we had business class salary.

E 43:20

But I'm I'm from I'm blocking somebody else's blessing. And so that I think that when I looked at it from that perspective, because what if it was five years ago and the person who previously had that job? Well, I mean the job didn't exist, but let's say somebody was sitting in that seat and they weren't, they didn't move, it would have blocked my whole trajectory. So I did, I would not want to be a blockage or or impetus to somebody else's trajectory to getting to their next level. So once I got to that point between just being like, okay, this is not serving me, these little things that aren't major are oh man, you want me to come in? Oh God, I gotta get up and go. It was like things that just weren't really major things just felt like so egregious and felt so stifling and just just choking to my creativity. It felt like I had to try to stuff my creativeness into the four to six hours I had, or just burn the midnight oil and get a little sleep, and then I'm right back up. It's like I was just stuck in this illusion. So that the cost of it was no longer worth the expense of it. The expense being my freedom. So that in a nutshell is what it is.

Speaker 3 44:36

That makes so much sense. I love I love the way you put that, man. And it's you think about a lot, like what I've been thinking about a lot is is just the time that you spend somewhere that could be spent somewhere else. We always think about like we need to be here for our time, like you know, just to to make this amount or whatever that is. But we what we don't think about is what the the cost of what we're losing on the other side, right? Like if you meet fifty people at whatever job someone works at, right? You over the course of a year, maybe you meet fifty people in the company, right? Versus meeting fifty people if you didn't work there, meeting fifty people on the course of of the purpose that you actually wanted to walk.

Speaker 6 45:16

Yeah.

Speaker 3 45:17

You know what I mean? So it's like it's like those those fifty people on the on the on the second side of things would probably be leading you more to the person that you want to be or the things you actually want to do. You know what I mean? So just the time and the people that you meet, the the energy that you spend, it's those things are things that you can't really get back to. You know what I mean? So I know I definitely, I definitely feel you. I wanted to ask one last one last question for you is how did you know it was time to make the jump?

E 45:45

Like I said, it's just the the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. The the goal wasn't it wasn't worth it. You know, it was like the like it's just little signs. And it'll kind of start as a whisper, you know, but also it was always my end game. At a certain age, I didn't want to be working. You know, I wanted to be either just living off a passive income or be doing my own thing. I just knew I did not want to be working for somebody else and being being on somebody else's schedule. And like you said, that's not to knock anybody's hustle. You know, we need we need nine-to-fivers just as much as we need entrepreneurs, just as much everybody has their roles to play. So it's I never want anybody to think that I'm down playing, you know, having a having own having your own gig or you know, having to have a boss, you know, it is nothing wrong with that. You do what you got to do to survive and and and make a way for yourself and for your family. It was just for me, like to and I do realize that I was fortunate enough to be able to make these decisions and not have anybody else affected. You know, that's another reality. Like if somebody has either a spouse or a parent or a kid that's depending on them, you know, they they might not have the same mobility and freedom to just be like, you know, F y'all, I'm out of here, I'm out of here. Um so like for me, it was just just the the whispers and the the the discomfort, even though I was in comfort, if that makes sense. So the discomfort of I don't want to be here, but on that same note, being like, man, this job is this job is not bad. I come in, I ain't gotta go to meetings, which I despise meetings. It was just like I come in, I do my job, and I'm out. That's all they expect from me. I'm gonna do it to the best of my abilities. But once a certain time come, time frame comes and it's time to go, if I done got my job, my work done, I'm on the other side of that door or head to the parking lot to go to my car. And it was just like it just wasn't enough. And I think that that point comes. If it does come, it'll sound different and it'll look different for people. My suggestion is don't do it hastily unless you have like a backup plan B, C, D, or D E F G all the way up Delta Z, whatever you need to be comfortable. You have you need more than a plan A. And like I said, it was something I had wanted in my, I had in my heart for a while, and something I've been saving up for. And it was just like everything aligned, everything aligned in my inner monologue of not wanting to be there, and my inner monologue of wanting more was louder. So that's how I knew that it was time.

Speaker 3 48:21

All the all the dots connected, huh?

E 48:23

All the dots connected, but I will say it is scary. So don't think that it wasn't, it wasn't because I put it off for years. It'd be like, oh, oh man, let me do it after the holidays. Ain't nobody working during the holidays. I'll be a foolder. Right. Quit my job during the holidays because you you're only there for like two days. I mean, you're there for more, but it's you know, the holiday season, everybody's jovial, you know, things start to wind down. So you're good until I say for like maybe November to maybe February. It's real pretty, pretty. Well, depending on your your industry, it's pretty slow pace. Um, so I was like, no, I can't do it during the holidays. And it's like, okay, let me just do it next year. Oh, it's cold. Don't nobody quit a job when it's cold. And then it's the summertime. Literally. Yeah, it's the summertime. Oh, it's hot. I won't not have a job when it's not busy.

Ramond 49:11

You can always the the truth is is you can always you could always, you can I can't do it when it's cold. Oh, it's two nights out to be but the truth is you're hitting on something super heavy right now.

Speaker 3 49:28

It's just like you can always, you can always kind of find another reason, right? It's always true. Right when I was right when I was about to my alternator in the car went out. Ah man, I'm not supposed to say, but it's it's kind of always a reason, but at some point you you just have to jump, right?

E 49:44

Like Yeah. And and that's why I say that it's going to be scary. So, but the only thing you can do is prepare yourself as much as possible. This is a have a plan, have some savings, either or have something, have something lined up. Don't just jump and you ain't got a parachute or your parachute got a hole in it. Right. You need to have a plan. So, I mean, do it, do it smartly, but do it is the best advice I could I could tell somebody.

Speaker 3 50:15

That's what's up. So I'm listening because that's my chapter right now. That's what you can tell somebody. I'm the I'm somebody.

E 50:28

Rich about to touch your name, but no. No, listen.

Speaker 3 50:30

Now listen, yeah, listen. You know, I hope, yeah, I hope everybody listening. Y'all took that too, but that was for me. You know what I'm saying?

E 50:39

You know you should have just called me and I would have told you the same thing, but no, but we got it documented this time.

Ramond 50:45

We're here, it's documented, man. In case I need it too.

E 50:51

All right. Well, y'all, this has been awesome. Um, you just like I said, just got a glimpse into man, like our everyday conversation, dude. I mean, this is just just us.

Speaker 3 51:03

Absolutely. It didn't feel like an interview, it felt like a regular conversation that we've all that we've had since we met, right? This is cool. Yeah, this is definitely cool. Like I said, those those questions was A1 too, man.

E 51:15

So thank you.

Speaker 3 51:17

Let me ask you this. Did everybody get the same questions?

E 51:19

Yeah, everybody gets 21 questions. Sometimes I'll swap once one or two out, depending on the flow or whatever, but for the most part, it's the same, at least the same, same 20 to 19 questions. Everybody has the same ones.

Speaker 3 51:35

Yeah, I'm excited to hear other people get stumped on some of those too, man. It wasn't just easy questions. But they weren't like they was lighthearted, but they wasn't easy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I I I I love it though, because it really makes you it makes you think, you know, like I think mess not enough people is is thinking that's you know, so yeah, so I thought, yeah, yeah, I enjoyed that.

E 52:02

Yay! Alrighty. Well, that was the one. And altogether, this was a refreshing conversation. So thanks for listening. I hope y'all got some good laughs, some goodbyes, and some insight, because there's always something to talk about when you have a refreshing conversation. Until next time.