Elevathers

Finding Growth in Embarrassment

• Elevathers

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We bounce from pop culture chaos to real-life lessons, unpacking how hype, power, and money influence what people buy and what stories people believe. We keep it honest with our own not-so-elevated moments, then pull out the practical rules that help us move smarter in dating, work, and friendships. 
• reactions to the AP x Swatch collaboration and why some luxury collabs feel tacky 
• camping out, resale flipping and asking if the juice is worth the squeeze 
• Drake’s album run as business strategy and what contract leverage can look like 
• why credentials matter online and how to fact-check in an AI misinformation era 
• unserious date stories and the boundaries we wish we set sooner 
• “fly yourself out” culture and what we refuse to do for men 
• career cringe moments that taught us to stay ready for opportunities 
• harassment and disrespect toward women in media and why teams must speak up 
• girls’ trip money rules, splitting rooms and simplifying group payments 
• “luxury” purchases we regret and what we would do differently now 
If you guys have questions that you would love us to answer or funny things, because I'm like, there's so many more that we could even touch on. I would love for us to do this again. So you guys tap in the comments, hit us on Speakpipe, send us a message, voice, a voiceover, whatever it is that you want to send us to let us know what you guys want us to talk about to get to know us more. 
If you guys like this episode, like it, comment, subscribe, share, and all the things.


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SPEAKER_03

Hey elevators, welcome back. We are here for another episode. If you are just listening to us, you're driving, you're not watching us on YouTube. I'm Amanda Booz.

SPEAKER_02

I'm Crystal Vega, and we're so excited for you to be tuning in for another week of elevating. How are

Welcome Back And Life Check-In

SPEAKER_02

you, Amanda? How's it going?

SPEAKER_03

Girl, I am good. I've had a very good weekend. Um, I know you guys are getting this episode top of the week. I've been chilling, girl. Just this weekend was really cool. I had like a little thing with my cousins last night, so we did like a little getty. Like, listen, we always get in our lives together, everybody. So that too.

SPEAKER_02

But everything's been good. I'm feeling good. How are you? I'm good. Getting your life together is an everyday practice. Like it's an everyday muscle you have to flex. And I'm starting to come to terms with that because I very much feel the same way. I'm like, why do I always feel like I need to be getting my life together? And it's because life be life. Life be life. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's like going to the gym. You gotta go every day. You gotta go every day. Every single day. Every day. Um, but yeah, I'm I'm good. Staying in a pocket of a routine is super important for me. But work has calmed down very much. So now I'm going to be able to like be in a routine a little more, you know? So I'm excited for that. Um, but yeah, there I even though I feel like it's like calming down, I feel like there's so much going on, maybe around us, like maybe not in my life, but like in the pop culture world, girl. I am overwhelmed when it's only Monday.

SPEAKER_03

Same. The news have been like, it's been, it's been hot this weekend. Like, okay. So three three things that I have been seeing everywhere. Drake. Drake has a new album. Yes. Drake has a new album. Um, three, not just one, three new albums that spell out him. Okay. Very Drake coded. Um, the other thing is this AP watch, Swatch craziness. AP did a collab with Swatch Watch. We could talk about that. And then, girl, have you even seen the T on Doctor? Well, I don't even know if I'm able to say Dr. Cheyenne Bryant. There's just I it's where do we want to start?

SPEAKER_02

Let's start with the swatch. Because that one's easy, breezy, beautiful cover girl to talk about. I think so many things need to just be left alone. Like, if it's not broke, don't fix it. I do not like

The AP Swatch Backlash

SPEAKER_02

the collaboration. I think it's giving G shock. I think the color, I like, I just don't like it. Straight up. It's it's not classy. It's not on brand for AP, in my opinion. I'm very surprised. Um I also think that pocket watches are ridiculous and corny and also very outdated. So I don't see why they would also make a pocket watch version of an already ugly watch. But hey, who am I to talk?

SPEAKER_03

I don't even own an AP. Listen, I personally like AP watches. I want, if anyone's listening, a frosted mini AP. If anybody's what I want. Christmas for Christmas. No, I'm just playing. But no, I really, okay, so I just really hate how clownish we be looking outside. You know, like, why are we camping out for a $400 watch to put in our pocket when a lot of y'all only know the time because it's digital? Like, let's make it make sense. I think camping out for anything these days, if you are above 25 years old to me, is ridiculous. The last time I ever camped out for anything was a pair of J's in high school. Because in my mind, there's nothing I need that bad unless they're giving away like houses and cars. Maybe I may camp out for that. But I'm not camping out for something I'm not picking up every day. I don't, I personally just think it's ridiculous. Like I hated seeing all the lines and people in line for them. I hate the renditions of what people are doing, putting them on Birkin bags. I hate seeing people make watch bands, 3D printing to put them. I I just hate all of it. Like I think it's tacky. And if you don't can't afford an AP watch, why you uh just Why even get a pocket watch?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Why? I I am at a point in my life where anything output needs to bring an input. And if it ain't bringing me more money or flipping my money or helping me bring in more money, I'm not spending it straight up.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. And people are flipping them. So like I think they were retailing for $400. And I another thing that's embarrassing is it's not even like a limited release. So I think that's even more funnier. They probably wanted to see what the craze was. Um I feel like, I mean, you guys could definitely look it up. I'm not sure how long it's gonna be out or if they're gonna come back with more for the different colorways, whatever. So it's almost it's not a limited release. However, I get people are buying them to flip it, but I feel like, is it even worth the flip? Like if you're buying it, I mean, it's not like you're flipping it for the actual price of what the watch costs. Like it's I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

I just think it's it's not my is the juice worth the squeeze? Is it worth sitting out for X amount of hours? And maybe it is. Maybe, maybe the the couple of hours it takes for them to sit outside, they make more money in doing that and then flipping it than what they would buy wherever they work or doing whatever they do. Maybe so. But generally speaking, I think, especially for these brands that we believe are premium in our heads, it's if it's not broke, don't fix it.

SPEAKER_03

Just leave it alone, please. Um, but in this economy, when gas is five dollars, in this in this, in this economy where it cost me $30 for one piece of fish, you guys are out there watching the I'ma leave it. I'm gonna leave it.

SPEAKER_02

No, for real, for real. It's crazy. Um, but Drake dropped his album, yes, plural, and I love me some Drake. Period.

SPEAKER_03

Same here, girl.

SPEAKER_02

He is, first of all, he's for the girls. Second of all, and he understands the power

Drake Albums And Label Games

SPEAKER_02

of women. He always has, right? Um, however, he ain't nothing to play with, and his team ain't nothing to play with. And I say this all the time. Whomever is on his team that caught the fact that the record label was trying to diminish his popularity and make it seem like he was on a downfall is so brilliant. Because if you think about it, who would have thought to be like, yo, they're doing this on purpose so that they don't renew your contract at X amount of dollars? Brilliant. Cause honestly, I'm not gonna lie, that might that might have gone over my head.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And that would have been.

SPEAKER_03

To come out with the three albums, right?

SPEAKER_02

Well, well, what happened was the whole Kendrick Lamar and Drake Beef was apparently financially fueled by the record label owner. Um, the guy, he drops his name in the album, but they were intentionally like putting money behind Kendrick, putting spins behind Kendrick, so that it seems like, oh, like, you know, they're playing this music because people want to hear Kendrick more because everybody is on like Kendrick's side or whatever, really creating a beef, but with uh the intention to make it seem like Drake's value is diminishing. So when it's time to renegotiate his contract, they can say, Hey, you're not as hot as you used to be, which is insane. Insane and dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty business. Um, and I think this is a business tactics that people talk about that that, you know, honestly, I think happens very often. But because Drake is who he is, he has the resources that he has. Why would you even play with him like that? No, for real, for real. Why would you why would you even play with him like that? And so, yes, so I say all that to say that it's brilliant that his team caught that and they settled out of court for those who don't know, which means whomever he was suing didn't want to take it to the courts because he could have A, gotten more, or B, they didn't want to spend the finances or whatever the case may be. Typically, when people settle out of court, it's because they don't want the press on it, and also, andor the evidence is gonna be stacked against them.

SPEAKER_03

So this is true. This is true. Yeah, I agree. I um I am also a Drake. I I I love Drake's music. I do, I really love Drake, um Drake's music. I I I'm definitely here for it. I really don't understand why people kind of deny Drake's talent. Like Drake has been doing this for a minute. Don't get me wrong, this is not like Kendrick versus Drake. I love Kendrick, I love Drake, but I like resonate more with Drake's music. Yeah. I was listening to Drake's music like in college. I mean, mixtake Drake. Like, I know a lot of people are getting hip to Drake now, dissecting it and feeling like they are these wizards when it comes to like dissecting lyrics and all that. But Drake has been doing this for a minute. Like, this is not something that he just started doing. So I think it's definitely very brilliant that he's doing that. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I feel like he's also doing this to sell his catalog so that any music he makes after this is his music and his music only. Like no one else has the rights or ownership to this music. So I just love when people kind of like take a stand and just take control of their own.

SPEAKER_02

So you think this is strategic?

SPEAKER_03

You think that he these three albums absolutely done with the contract? Absolutely. And Kendrick did it. With Kendrick's last album, that was his last album with TDE. Now he's strictly independent. So I think Drake dropping these three albums now makes him also an independent artist. Meaning anything. Anything he makes is his own money if he wants to sell his catalog for, I think it's like allegedly it's worth like 20 something billion, if not more than that. And he could sell that and anything he makes after this release on. Because Drake is in his 30s. Like he could do this for a little minute. Like, this is nothing. Like he can do this for a little minute. He can have different phases in his life. I would love to hear Drake rap about being married. Like, I would love to see a married Drake. You know what I'm saying? Like Drake right now is like in his lover boy era. He's always been in his lover, lover boy era. So we can still continue to see so many different versions of him as an artist. Um, so I'm here for it. I'm gonna be honest, I have not listened to all of the albums. I like to do it in order. So I am at H, which is I think Habib BT, Habi BT or Habi B T, whatever. I'm listening to that one and I'm going through like track by track. But so far, it's cool. And I never really love albums when they first come out. I have to listen to it. What was the album we were talking about that we were like, oh, if you ever been to Greece, what was that? Which one what was that one? Honestly Nevermind.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, honestly never mind.

SPEAKER_03

Good album. Great album. But when I first heard it, I didn't love it. So I'm like, for me, I never like to judge albums when they first come out. I need to listen to it. Give me like a couple weeks with it, and I'm gonna let you guys know. I'm gonna report back. But I'm ready for some new music. So I love this. Perfect. Right on time for summer. Love it.

SPEAKER_02

I also feel like listening to this stuff is like listening to a soap opera. Like it's just T after T after T after T and shots after shots. I'm like, oh my God. Wait, why is it? Oh, it's coming for everybody. So the other thing I wanted to say though is that, you know, we're talking about this pop culture stuff, but it's really about like business. Like that is the through and through line here. It's like how smart he is when it comes to his business and like making decisions that help him elevate and grow and either remove himself from a situation that he doesn't like to find benefit elsewhere. Like, I just think that's so important. And and that's really the foundation of the conversation. It's like really cool to see how somebody could take themselves and their branding and just turn themselves into this like mega powerhouse. And and even them, it's like also crazy to see and hear about how like new level new devils, like he's he's going through his own issues. You know, everybody is going through something, and it's a matter of how you deal with it and how you pivot and how you get yourself out of it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. And you brought, I think what you said was a perfect segue in people keeping their receipts and remembering things. We gotta talk about Dr. Cheyenne Bryant. Cow, that is. We have to talk about it because everybody is talking about it. So we we we're also bringing our POVs on this situation. So if you guys don't know who Dr. Dr. Cheyenne Bryant is, she is a um what what I thought was a medical doctor. She um has been on so many podcasts.

Dr Cheyenne Bryant And Fact Checking

SPEAKER_03

I think she's on our Cam's podcast, um, B. Simone. She was like doing some other. So she's on a lot of press, media press. And I think a lot of people are kind of calling her bluff because allegedly, I think she was on like The Breakfast Club or something like that, and she did like an interview where the school where she got her doctorate, her doctorate from apparently lost like their accreditation, and she never really got her doctorate. Like that's what people are kind of like all up in arms with because we don't really know if she's a doctor for for sure. And you wanna know what's so funny to me out of all of this, is my girl got a doctor chain. She got like a doctor necklace, it said Dr. Cheyenne Bryant. Anyone that I ever know that like has real credentials never wears it. You ever notice that? Like they never like, they're never like promoting it. Like it's not like the first thing they lead with. I'm always super weary about anybody that leads with something, then I'm like, I know everyday people that have that and they don't act like that. Like, why are you acting like that? You know what I mean? So that's when you're overcompensating. I think this brings, yeah, you're overcompensating. And I think what this situation is, whether the documents got lost in translation and whatever the case may be, I think people are still trying to figure that out. And I think she's still kind of standing strong on her being a doctor. This made me realize that we put too much emphasis on people online because of following, um, influence, and we don't really check the facts. I think we gotta do a better job as a community to really check the facts and also call people out if we need to also ask them, gracefully ask them, like, you know, because sometimes we need answers. Like we can't just say, oh, this is black because, for example, I don't know, this shirt is a certain brand. Because sometimes it might not be. It might be a knockoff of the brand. You know what I mean? And I think we just I think we give power over, we give people too much power sometimes. And we don't really we don't really do the fact checking.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you know what? I think it's just a reflection of over consumption. Like there's so many things going on. You're consuming, you're consuming, you're consuming, you're not really like critically thinking. And I really highly encourage everybody to critically think before they consume something, and maybe that's the journalist in me. But anytime something is said, I'm like, but who said it? Why did they say it? What's their background? Where did it come from? And not because I don't believe them, but because when you ask those questions, you find yourself finding bias in a lot of things that people say who are supposed to be accredited sources. And I was very con I was always super confused. And and not that you can't be on basketball wives and have like your doctrine, but I was always super confused as to why people thought she was like this medical doctor or whatever. I always thought it was like she was like a psychologist or a therapist or something who just has like her doctrine, which is like whatever, fine. Not whatever. I think that's what it is.

SPEAKER_03

I think she's in psychology. I think she's in psychology. I don't think that's medical, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Which is which is fair. I think the problem here is that she doesn't have proof. So, which is kind of crazy to me. I also don't, I'm speaking from a place of like not really uh knowing. I think you're supposed to keep like your your last like big project. It's called something, and that and the word is slipping my mind. Your dissertation? Your her dissertation, which she's never kept, which is weird. It's almost like not keeping your degree. Very weird. Um, however, I will also say maybe the school she went to doesn't exist anymore, which is also still kind of weird. But maybe I'm not saying she's right, she's wrong, she's lying, she's not lying. I'm just saying, like, there could also be the other side to the coin. Certain people, certain things, certain the way they lead, I'm always skeptical of. And I say all that to say everybody should be too, with all the things that they are consuming. Be very skeptical, ask questions and do your your your research. And guess what? If you don't want to do your research, you shouldn't be consuming the content because that tells you that you don't really care for the you don't really care to put in the energy to do the research, which is good because then you realize at that point you should say, Well, this shit don't matter to me. So I don't care. I'm not gonna consume this type of content anymore.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. And in the world of AI with all this stuff coming out where it's so hard to decipher what's real and what's fake, the best thing to do is research. Research, research, research. Like, just don't take everything for face value. And I feel like if we did a better job at not just reading the headlines and actually reading the articles and like, you know what I mean, not just looking at something and saying, ooh, that's facts and that's true. Like, have your own identity in something and just think about it. You know what I mean? Like, if something just like you said, Crystal, some if something doesn't sit well with you, or if you need to like further do some digging, if it matters that much to you, do it. You you have to in in this in this day and age, you really have to. So that's that on that girl. Anyways, so we talked to you all about elevating in all different ways, right? But I think it'd be so dope if we did an episode where we talk about our not so elevated moments, just moments where we were like, you know what, I wasn't on my game there. I may have slipped up. And I think it's really it's gonna be really important for us to kind of show you guys that because we're also like, you know, talking about the good and the not so good when it comes to like just the different phases of our lives.

SPEAKER_02

No, I agree because I think that

Our Not So Elevated Moments

SPEAKER_02

with elevating comes lesson learning. And typically when you're learning lessons, if you're anything like me, you have to touch the stove to know it's hot. So you gotta go through some shit. Okay. You gotta go through something to be like, yeah, in the future, I'm not doing this or I'll do it differently. And that's where the elevating really happens. That's where the the valleys um take you to the peaks. Remember that?

SPEAKER_03

So let's get into it, y'all. So, first, let me ask you this no judgment. What is the most unserious date that you've ever been on? Unserious?

SPEAKER_02

Well, you actually, it's funny you say that. I went to a meeting that I thought was a meeting, and my man like Sejok and say that it was a date. And like in retrospect, he wasn't wrong. I mean, I got up out of there once I realized, like, what the fuck is this? And it was when we early first started, like when we early, early, early first started, and you know, I was still like dealing with I was in music a little more, whatever. And um, this guy that I knew was like, hey, would love to meet and talk about, I think it was like something around music. So I get there and it was like early in the day, it was like a lunch. Um, so I'm like, okay, cool, not tripping, it's not a dinner. We could do a quick lunch and like talk about said things. And I'm fully thoroughly under the impression that we're gonna talk about music or XYZ. I get there and it's like awkward. And I'm like, what is this? And he's kind of like on his phone, and then I'm like, hey, so like what's up? Like, would love to talk about you know what you say you want to do. Getting straight to it. And he was like, Yeah, so um, how are you? And like just like pivoted and like was more casual than anything. And I'm like, all right, I'm gonna go ahead and um wrap this up. I did not stay long at all. I might have honestly ate lunch and dipped. Um, but I was like, that was weird as hell, and I would never do something like that ever again. And I've never been caught up in that kind of situation ever again. Especially now that we have Zoom, thank God. I'm very like, yeah, let's put it on the calendar. Let's get it on the calendar because y'all not go first with something like that ever again. And my boyfriend literally, he jokes, like, oh, you went on a date. I'm like, I did not intentionally go on a date. You would have been on a date. He was he was on a date. He didn't know if the date was. Not his damn self, girl. I might have, I might have also paid my half to, I can't remember, but I'm almost sure I paid my half to prove like this ain't that, honey.

SPEAKER_03

That is hilarious. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02

And I'm the type, I'll pay your half too, because what you think this is? Don't do that.

SPEAKER_03

Don't leave with the money, honey, because we got it over here. We could pay for ourselves too. That is too funny. Oh my gosh. I have an unserious date moment, but I was the one that was unserious, if I'm being honest. So I'm gonna, well, this is in college, but young and dumb. I there was this guy that like he liked me, obviously, and he was like, hey, I want to cook you a meal. And he hyped up this meal. In college? Like in the dorm? This is in well, we were like, I feel like where where I'm because I went to school in Orlando, I was never in a dorm. Like I always lived off-campus housing, and I feel like he did too. And a lot of my friends did as well. So it's like college associated apartment complexes. Yeah, yeah. No, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02

Because I was like, what y'all cooking in a dorm?

SPEAKER_03

Microwave movie. So he's like, and I thought he was so cute, whatever. He's like, I'm gonna make you a meal. And I was like, Oh, I was supposed to be with my girls, and then like, you know, whatever. I get to his house, right? And he He's cooking and he's in like a white feeder. So I'm already like, why don't he have on any clothes? So he turns around and I kid you not. And there's nothing wrong with chest hair. Not one thing wrong with chest hair.

SPEAKER_02

But his- At that age is kind of jarring.

SPEAKER_03

You're not used to it. So I'm like, yo, and you cooking in front of the kitchen? It's like, that's unsanitary. Like I was like cracking up inside. So I'm texting my girls and they were like, you want us to come get you? You want us to come save you? Because they also kind of knew this guy as well. And I was like, y'all, he's cooking Alfredo. Like, you you made it seem like you were cooking a meal and it was Alfredo pasta. I get it we're in college, but I'm like, I was thinking I was getting some gourmet, like steak, potatoes, you know, broccoli, something crazy.

SPEAKER_02

Right, because you're cooking dinner and you're trying to impress me. You, you, you made Alfredo pasta. That's the number one thing. You cannot make anybody dumb. That you're trying to impress. You cannot make Alfredo pasta. I don't care if it's from scratch.

SPEAKER_03

So I tell them that where I'm at, and kid you not, five minutes later, five girls pull up, do, do, do, knocking on the door. So they come there, think by the way, me and him are there thinking like he's thinking it's like a date situation, and my girls come in. So now it immediately turns very like, oh, like this is just a hangout. We ate and we ran out of his house. Like, oh my God. Ran out of his house. I never heard from that. Embarrassing. I never, I never heard from him again.

SPEAKER_02

Girl, I don't think you missed anything. I'm I'm I'm sure. I'm very sure that you didn't miss anything.

SPEAKER_03

Yo, I'm so I'm screaming inside. Like, I can't believe that my friends like literally they came to save me. You know what? Maybe that was, maybe that was serious. Shout out to the girls that are gonna come save you. Whether you text and say, hey, 911 when you're at that table, and they know what to do. Call you. Right. Come find you. I love that. I love that for you.

SPEAKER_02

Your girls heard Alfredo pasta and they said, hold on now, we gotta go save her.

SPEAKER_03

And we're gonna get some food at the same time. And we go get some food. We're gonna eat the food too. So yeah, so it was funny. Was it good? That was my unit, it wasn't memorable. It wasn't memorable, no. It was edible. It was edible. It was edible. No, for sure. In college, listen, in college, things taste good then that don't don't taste good now. So it's like whatever. But yeah, that was my unserious um date moment. But I do, I I wanted to talk about if we've ever done this, which I think is absolutely nuts, but I've seen girls talk about this online. Have you ever flown out or flown yourself out to go see a man?

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely not. No ma'am. No ma'am. Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'm not I'm not doing that either. I've never flown myself out to go see an a man. However, I'm um, sisters, I am embarrassed to say this. I have driven three hours to go see a man, but he didn't pay for the gas. Ooh, I mean I'm gonna assume you were in college. I wasn't. Never again. Never again. I wasn't in college, and you know what? This is an embarrassing moment, but I was okay,

Flying Out And Driving For Men

SPEAKER_03

so at the time I was in the same state. So I was in like Texas, like working on a project, whatever. And met this guy, I was like, oh my gosh, he's so cool. He's like, yo, come hang out. Like, I guess where I was at was in Austin. He was like in Dallas or something like that. So I'm like, I literally drove there. And by the way, a Drake album just came out.

SPEAKER_02

Um well then that was an easy drive.

SPEAKER_03

Perfect easy drive, okay? So I was listening to that the whole way or whatever. But like in hindsight, I thought about it. I was like, girl, that is really probably the dumbest dating thing you've ever done was driven to go see a man that could have one, flown you out, and two, didn't even offer to pay for the gas. I was like, yeah. The date was cool, but it really wasn't worth like me. I felt like Sheila when she was going to the mountain to get her man, like in um why did I get married? Like I really I felt like Sheila like going up the hill. I was like, what are you doing? When I got when I got into the city, I'm like, did you really drive three hours to see? Clutch my pearls, like, yes. I'm I'm embarrassed to admit it, sisters, but we learn, okay? We learn and we move on.

SPEAKER_02

We definitely we and we learn quick, okay? I'm not gonna lie, you weld out with that one. You definitely welded out. Well, I have driven, like when I was in college, I was in a uh long distance relationship. So technically I did drive, but like not really because I would like drive back home. So like it didn't really count. Um but my man would fly me out. Period. That's it. That's it. That's honestly like the only time I've been like flued out, and here we are seven years later.

SPEAKER_03

So yeah. I've been flown out to see a man, but I've never like flown myself out. But yeah, I agree with you. I'm like, I've drawn the line. I've I've been I've I've been flown out. I'm not I'll admit, I've been been on a couple PJs to see somebody for sure. You know, we've done that before. We've done that, but um, they not here, so it don't matter. I'm screaming, but yeah, so we have to talk. We had to talk. I had to tell you guys that.

SPEAKER_02

Um have you ever had a moment where you were like, girl, why did I do that? Like professionally in your career?

SPEAKER_01

Hmm. That's a great question. Now with McDonald's, a McDouble is only $2.50. So you can get your gym games on or just get lunch for only $2.50. Get more value on the under $3 minute.

SPEAKER_00

Limit time only. Prices and participation may vary, prices may be higher for delivery. I'm trying to think.

SPEAKER_03

I'm sure I've had plenty. I I'm sure I've had plenty. But yes, tell me what.

SPEAKER_02

When I first started um in entertainment, I used to intern at Sirius XM. And I knew that I wanted to, at the time I was interning with like this this Taylor show at 6 a.m.

Bombing An Interview Then Leveling Up

SPEAKER_02

And I was so excited that they finally pulled my resume. Cause you know, when you apply online to stuff, you never get it. They pulled my resume, they gave me an opportunity, and I was so excited. I went, I killed the interview. I was interning with them for like a year, and then after interning for a year, the internship was coming to an end. And they were like, Well, what do you want to do now? Like, how can we help you? I was like, Oh, I wanna uh, you know, I wanna stay here in the building, but I think I would like to intern with Sway in the morning because it's more hip hop, it's like more up my alley, you know, just like culturally more relevant to me. They were like, Okay, we'll get you an interview. And I'm like, oh, okay, fine, girl, in the morning. So I used to intern at like 6 a.m. I used to intern from like 6 a.m. to nine or 10 o'clock. I would go home, take a nap, eat some food, and then I would go to work at Tau at like sometimes one o'clock, sometimes three o'clock, and I would be there till 12 a.m., 1 a.m. I would go home, take a nap, be at my internship by 6 a.m. So I was literally living off naps for a semester, hustling. So lo and behold, one day they're like, hey, you know, we have this interview set up for you. It was like eight in the morning at this point. I was about to get ready to leave, and they're like, hey, they actually want to interview first way in the morning, an hour. Can you do it? And I'm like, yeah, sure. Cause I'm like, I got this. Like, I can just, you know, I'll do some research uh off the most, most recent interviews, and you know, I'll I'll prepare myself for the next hour. So I'm finishing like my actual work day to day, and then they call me like 30 minutes later and they're like, hey, can you come downstairs? And I'm like, what is happening right now? Like, I'm like, God does not want me to have this opportunity because I have not even been given the opportun the chance to prepare. Like, I know, I know I I mentioned this like a week ago, but everything's moving so fast. And I go on the interview, long story short, I blow it back. Really? Blow it bad. They're just asking me, well, they're asking me like basic interview questions, and they were like, Oh, well, like, what do you like about Sway in the Morning? And I'm like, you know, I just love that, you know, it's in hip hop. And they were like, Yeah, but it's not just hip-hop, it's like other things. And I'm like, Well, yeah, I know, but like they were like, Okay, so like what's one of your favorite like recent interviews? And I was like, Well, actually, I haven't been, you know, I work a lot, I haven't had the opportunity to like sit down and and watch the show recently. Um, but I love like what you represent, how you're like, you know, just like pivoting girl, because I'm also like, I'm also a pageant girly, so I'm gonna pivot the question every time. Then we ended up talking about like how I studied abroad in Italy. So then I used that and I was like, okay, cool. He likes Italy, I like Italy, and then and and by the way, it was a group interview, like it was like four adults interviewed where I was like, this is overwhelming for a college student, you know? I'm like, this is a lot, but that's fine. So I'm trying to do my best, and it doesn't matter because I end up bombing it. But we talk about Italy and like the conversation goes and so on and so forth. And then, of course, I don't get it. And one of the questions that they had asked me during the interview was like, Yeah, you know, we hear you like, also they didn't really know how busy my schedule is. Like they're looking at me like, oh, this is a little college girl who thinks she's busy, not realizing, like, no, I'm actually like living off of four-hour naps in between my days because I'm hustling five days ago.

SPEAKER_03

Seriously, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And but then they're they're like, So if you knew that you had an interest, like, why did you wait till the moment you had to get ready instead of staying ready? And I kid you not, that like that moment really like affected the way I handled things throughout the rest of my career after that. Like that was my learning lesson, and I took that as an intern, which was like, cool, like everybody goes through it, right? But like, let it be that thank God I went through that embarrassing phase and experience when I was an intern because I was just an intern. Like, that's when it's supposed to happen. And I never allowed myself the grace after that to wait until an opportunity came to me to then prepare. I always made sure that I was prepared and I was functioning in said industry or way that I already wanted, whether I had the opportunity or not. So yeah, girl, I was embarrassed because I was sitting there like, oh wow, like I've never really funked an interview. And like, yeah, this is me bombing an interview right now. I was so embarrassed.

SPEAKER_03

I've never been that embarrassed in my life. But listen, you handled that like a champ because I think most people would take those moments that that happened to them and kind of like allow that to keep them down. You know how people have dictated jobs. Yeah, and they're like, oh, well, I guess it's not meant for me, and then just took that ran with it and didn't continue to pursue further after that. There, I guarantee you, there's so many people that we probably probably even know that had passions of being in one career field and had an opportunity to interview and missed out because they, you know, maybe something didn't go well. Like, you know what I mean? Maybe it was a test or not a good test taker or whatever. And that literally changed the trajectory because now they're doing something completely opposite. So I love that you use that as a like a learning moment, like in your in your 20s, you know what I mean? To be like, oh, like, oh, bet, you're not gonna find me like this again. So, girl, listen, we all been there.

SPEAKER_02

But honestly, I only took it that way because A, I knew myself and like, and I knew that I truly was thoroughly busy. However, I have always been a spiritual girly, and I was like, there's no way that if God wanted me to have this, he would stack all these things against me. There's a reason he doesn't want me to have this. And then after that, I did end up going to Jenny McCarthy's Serious XM show, and I just felt like I had such a better experience than what I would have had at Sway in the morning working under four different adults versus Jenny McCarthy and her two people who were like super cool. And I was like, oh, this is where I was supposed to be. Like, yeah, I thought that that door was for me, and it really wasn't. It was that, it was this door, and like seeing that at a young age and like just being tapped in with God for me is what helped me keep going. Because Lord knows, yeah, it could have definitely dictated and and made me feel like, okay, this industry as a whole is not for me. But yeah, that's good. That was crazy too. I was really embarrassed.

SPEAKER_03

Girl, and then look, you got a better opportunity. So sometimes that's what it's about. I have one, but it's more like it was like like on live television, where I was like, Oh, I don't know how to handle this kind of thing. This was at an awards. I was hosting a red carpet. This is also something that's people probably glamorized, like being on red carpets and stuff like that. Although they are super fun or they look super fun, they're very chaotic. So I was viewed I was hosting VC Awards, red carpet with um Safari. And at the time, Safari had beef with Meek Mill because he was dating Nikki, right? You guys remember that? That's how long, that's how far back I'm taking this. So behind the scenes, if you've ever watched it in hindsight, there's moments where he's not there, where they're like, I have to take over because said person is walking the carpet and

Red Carpet Chaos And Media Misogyny

SPEAKER_03

they can't be in a certain proximity because they want to avoid beef, right? So I was like, well, you know, red a red carpet of that magnitude, like sometimes you never can be overly prepared. Like you never know when you're gonna be overly prepared for stuff like that, right? So that threw me off, which, as you know, that kind of could affect you professionally, like how you go about like your interviews and stuff like that. So, anyways, he came back and one of the rappers came through to um you guys can find us online because I don't want to give away who it is. But one of the rappers came through to be interviewed, and we're talking to him, and I noticed he was like standing on the side of us, right? So, like after the interview we had, like he comes up on the side and we're like, oh my god, let's interview you. Like we was like, oh my gosh, you know, he had like the biggest hit record out that summer at the time. And I was like, you know, we were like, oh my gosh, we're so happy for you. Like, how's everything been? He was like, you know what? I'm gonna be honest. I didn't really want to do this interview. I just came up here to ask you for your number. We're live. Oh, sir. Sir, we're we're live. And Safari's like, oh bro, I already tried. This is all live? He was like, Wait, this is all live? This was live. They're attacking you. He said something like I already tried or something like that. And I was he was obviously with joking because Safari was cool. He wasn't like, he wasn't weird or nothing like that. He was super cool. You played it off to be like, no, he's playing it off. You know you gotta improv. Yeah, like you gotta improv and all that. But it was funny because this was live. I think it was like live on the pre-show or something like that. Like it was either live on the pre-show or live on social, but the clip is somewhere, trust me. I thought that was really embarrassing because I was thrown off. I'm like, I'm I'm here working, sir. Like, this is my job. I know some people to be thinking like we do this and this is for fun. No, this is like prof a professional, just like you clock in to go to your job and you're there, like this was professional. So it I was thrown off. I was like, but I didn't want to be rude about it. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know how you want to like be nice because you don't this could go left really quick. You know, when you tell a man no, that that can go left like instantly. But that was like a really embarrassing moment because I feel like my face was like, okay. Yeah, like yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Honestly, people don't realize how much like women go through when you work in media and and I honestly it's every industry, like every industry. But especially like I remember it didn't happen to me, but something that was also really pivotal, like a really pivotal moment in my career. And now that I say this out loud, it's probably one of the things that's also like constantly motivated me with Fortune and Forks, which I didn't realize. But like one time, and you're gonna know exactly what I'm talking about. Okay. I'm not gonna say no names, but um, one time a rapper was doing an interview with my co-host, basically. We we hosted the same show, not at the same time, but we were like one of the rotating guests, and she was doing an interview with him in the studio, and it was a bunch of people in the studio and his team, and you know, our team and like our staff, and he starts scrubbing her shoulders, and he was basically hitting on her the entire time. Yes, nobody spoke up for her. I know exactly what you're talking about. And I remember after I remember hearing, like, obviously, she was uncomfortable, nobody spoke up for her, and I think she had finished the interview or whatever, but just like hearing what happened to her was so frustrating because not only that, but I remember hearing another woman who was an exec at the time. She came upstairs after, and she was like, and this is why we can't have women doing these interviews. I was like, what? No way, no way did I just hear that. I'm like, there's no way that you think she was the problem. Basically, that's what you're saying. Like, whether you realize it or not, maybe her into maybe her intention was to be like, you know, like we have to protect them more, but like that's not protection. That's removing them from an opportunity. When y'all was in that room, y'all should have said, let's take a let's take a break here. Y'all should have had his team correct him and then put her back on set or asked her, Hey, do you want to go back on or not? Like, what? And that moment has always stuck with me because I was so disgusted. And I'm like, the fact that nobody in that room said anything or like spoke out for her made me so mad and was honestly probably one of the fueling factors in creating Fortune and Forks. It's like, nah, we really gotta stick together. Those of us who believe, or those of us who are like-minded at least. But yeah, I was like that. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03

You remember I was telling Lori? Yes, and that's crazy because I'm like, a lot of the times I feel like, granted, people are looking for these celebrities, musicians, artists, actress, whatever person to come on to shows to be interviewed, right? And I think to some degree, they're given like a level of like, I don't know, like they're above the person interviewing them. Yes, and nothing should ever like disrespect is disrespect. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you do and where you're from. If it's disrespectful, if it's like just making someone else feel uncomfortable, it's not okay. I don't care what the situation is. And I think that's one of those situations where we have to believe women and we need to stick beside them. Like, no, sir, we're gonna re like you said, regroup. Let's figure this out. Yeah. But no, that's crazy. It makes me think that stuff that we dealt with, girl. I wonder what like VJs, like all the people who were hosting stuff before us came, like when they were coming up, the things they had to go through. Because I'm sure so much things happened behind the scenes, which is why a lot of the Me Too movement and stuff like that kind of came up. Because um, yeah, like think of like I've I've heard crazy stories about like women just having to do crazy things for for jobs or be like, you know, influenced or pressured, or you know, it's just it's crazy. It's it's it's nice. It's so crazy.

SPEAKER_02

And and honestly, as much as we hate social media, we could talk about it, uh talk negative about it. There's so many positives. Like people who who did not have a voice at one point have so much power now and have a voice because they can speak up about these things that have happened to them, and people will actually believe them now. A lot of times in the past, people didn't have a platform, so nobody believed the things that they were saying if they didn't have hard proof. And honestly, I wouldn't believe half the things that that you know we've experienced or like heard our counterparts experience had I not been in the office to hear said person say, and this is why we shouldn't have girls doing these interviews. Excuse me. Oh my god, that threw me for a loop. I wanted to throw, I was so mad, and I was I was really young at that time too, but I was super, I should have, I also should have spoken up. I'm like, what? You sound crazy, HR, right now. What do you mean? No, you're like, you know, but sounds nuts. Yeah. Yeah, very crazy.

SPEAKER_03

I know, I know exactly what you're talking about. That's that's nuts. Shifting gears for something. I was I wanted to talk about like what's something you will never split again on a girl's trip.

SPEAKER_02

That's a good one. Wow. I'll go. Where do I start? Okay, no, you go, you go, and then I'll go. No, I got it. I was fighting my words. I got it, but I was fighting my words. Okay, well, the guest list. And I say that because I realized during a girls' trip on a shared birthday, girls' trip, that for the most part, everybody was a vibe. Everybody was a vibe. There is one to two things that I found that I really didn't like. And it was that trip that made me learn I can't travel with everybody, especially not a large group

Girls Trip Splits And Money Rules

SPEAKER_02

of people for my birthday specifically. Because I'm a birthday brat and I'm like, my birthday, what I want to do. But on this birthday trip, I shared the guest list with one of my best friends, and she had her own friends at the time. And we were still like very like not fresh into our friendship, but like still very new. A lot of her friends, I didn't really know them like that. Um, and my friends, she didn't know like that, but I knew my friends, and I'm my friends are about it. Um long story short, one of my friends' friends that came on the trip, she just kept saying like very like boohoo me stuff. And she was like, Oh my god, stop doing that. Like your body looks so good. And I'm like, You just told my birthday girl to stop looking so good because you're so separate about yourself. Yes. And I'm like, you're not hanging out with us no more. Like, I don't like that energy. Like, we're here to have a good time, and you keep boohoo, you look better than me. I'm like, are you jealous of her? Like, just kept saying things that I was like, you're weird, and like you can't come next time. And also during the birthday dinner, her her food was not on the bill, supposedly, and she didn't want to split the bill with everybody because her food was not on the bill, but she ate. I say, Yeah, you're not coming no more.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, you're not coming. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_02

That was a that was a clear bearer.

SPEAKER_03

Maybe you can still pay.

SPEAKER_02

You still gotta chip in because at the end of the day, we are all here under. Birthday trip, and like that's a thing too. Like when it comes to money.

SPEAKER_03

Because the birthday person should be paying, period.

SPEAKER_02

And we did. We all we all chipped in. We all chipped in. But my homegirl, as a matter of fact, one of my close friends was like, Don't worry about it. I'll pay the whole bill and took the whole bill. I said, I know that's right, girl. Yeah. You're gonna be coming next time.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's definitely very tacky. Ooh, I hate that you went through that. That's I don't I don't like stuff like that. You know what it reminds me of too? You were really young though. No, and I get that. I'm like, when you're really, and this that's the thing. I feel like when I was really young, there was certain things that I didn't that I had to sacrifice for for comfort. So for me, something that I feel like I'm never splitting again when it comes to a girl's trip is four people to a two-bed. I'm not doing that. Me personally. I and especially if you don't know the people, right? But I feel like at this big age, I just two people max. If it's a two-bed, two people max for me. I think because you gotta think about it, we all got suitcases, we got bags. Some people like to put their stuff and be a certain way, but it's like the one bathroom, the four people, like getting ready, like it's chaotic sometimes. You know what I mean? I feel like back then we were in college, like we had to figure it out. Like, you know, like we were scrambling, like, you know, trying to figure it out, like as far as like how much things cost. But for me, that's just if I can help it, I would prefer to just be a two-person room situation. Or I'ma just get my own. You know what I mean? Like, I just that's I don't want to split that.

SPEAKER_02

And I'm splitting that. You ain't wrong. You ain't wrong. Four people in a room is chaotic. Four people in a room with people you don't know is even worse. That is scary.

SPEAKER_03

And then splitting the bill with six different plus cards, I'm not doing that either. No. We put two cards down, three Macs, and we zell in Cash App and whatever the rest to the person that paid. Not doing that. No, and we also have credit cards. You want the points? Put the card down. You'll get the points. You know what I mean? And just have everybody pay you back. You should be. I'm quick. Let me put my card down. Listen, people should be providing for which card's gonna get put down because I need the points for my next travel. Let me put my card down. If you really like that. If you really like that, you putting your credit card down. Don't worry about it. Y'all can sell me next week. I just gotta get.

SPEAKER_02

No, for real. For real.

SPEAKER_03

Three times on food, whatever, four times back on food. We got it.

SPEAKER_02

I am your afterpay. Pay me next week. You're good. I want the points for sure.

SPEAKER_03

I'm not, I'm not. Those are just some things I'm never ever doing. Or what's something that you thought was luxury? Like you could think it could be something like from back then or currently that you thought was luxury and you're realizing was very irresponsible. Oh, child. Michael Kors watches for like how much you used to spend on those?

SPEAKER_02

Like 300. The MK in the middle. We thought we were so tea. At that moment, the big face. And at that moment, I should have known that I was gonna be a watch girl for the rest of my life. Because that's when I was like, oh, I love watches. Like, I made sure I got that Michael Kors watch. Actually, my friend was working there and I got a discount for it. And I was upset.

SPEAKER_03

You remember that? I had one. My gold Michael Kors watch felt like a Roley. I don't care what anybody says. When I was It was a Rolex back then. It was my Rolex. I was like, don't talk to me.

Fake Luxury And Expensive Keepsakes

SPEAKER_03

I have a Michael Kors watch on. Like, literally, don't speak to me. Back up. Back up, peasants. Like, no, no. Literally. My Michael Kors watched that big old watch. That's how I felt. Literally. Looking at the doofy. My wrist is so small that the watch was overpowering. Like it was disgusting.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, looking doofy. Straight up. Looking doofy.

SPEAKER_03

My irresponsible luxury moment, I think, was I'm gonna take it back to high school. And if you were one of these high school girls, if you are currently in high school, please, you don't need it, sis. You don't need it. I was one of those seniors that I bought everything. I bought the ring, I bought the jacket, the yearbook, the necklace, the whatever. And when I tell you that stuff was so expensive, high school rings, like who's wearing high school rings right now? Like, does anybody have, was it Justin or Justin? Does anybody have a high school ring with your birthstone? I just, I just, I didn't need it. I thought it was really luxury back then to have like all these graduating stuff. And I think it's dope to have like keepsakes. I had a, I'm gonna tell you, I had a leather, I had a Letterman jacket in high school. It had a nickname that a guy that I was dating that I thought I was dating gave me, and I put on the back of the jacket.

SPEAKER_02

The fact that you said a guy that you thought you were dating is comedy. Because how do you think you're dating?

SPEAKER_03

So only one of y'all was on the page of dating, the other one was not only one of us. Like, it was it wasn't on the back of the jacket, it was on the front of the jacket. So basically Worse, telling y'all all my business. It had my name, and then he gave me a nickname, and I put the nickname right under, and then it said class of 2008, right? So it was just embarrassing. My love language was mus is always been kind of like music. So he would make me like CDs and it'd be like RB songs, and he writing with the Sharpie marker. And it and he I don't even want to say the nickname. I'm so embarrassed. Oh my god, I'm nauseous for you. What?

SPEAKER_02

And so he would write-should make you CDs from Limewire.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, God with all the songs on it, okay? All the RB songs, the Maxwells, the the Marcus Houston, the B2K, the all that. Like all the little, yes, I had four of them. Like this was like a thing. So now you guys see why the nickname went on the jacket. I was like, oh, he in love. Me too. No, me too. Oh my God. I mean done. I'm embarrassed, y'all. But don't buy them high school um, them items. You don't need them. You don't need the jacket. You don't need the yearbook, yes. You you you need it. And don't also also, the proms are getting expensive. I don't know if I would have been able to afford it now. I'm seeing so much with prom, like the send-offs and all that. Who got money?

SPEAKER_02

No, for real. Y'all got money. The kids is wearing Rick Owens these days. I wouldn't have survived. All I had was polo, uh, true religion, juicy couture, Ralph Lauren, rugby. I don't know if rugby was a thing down here in the South, but in New York, maybe you had a rugby, you was T. Yeah, we had all of that.

SPEAKER_03

We had Jabot jeans, Pepe. The most expensive thing I had was like Montclair. Yeah. I think the most expensive thing I had was like some juicy couture stuff. I had like the bag and all the jewelry. You know, all the jewelry with the charms, they were running it up. So I had that.

SPEAKER_02

And I used to work there. So, you know, me girl, I found a hustle in everything. I said, I want juicy, I'm gonna go work there. And I'm exactly. That was me at Hollister.

SPEAKER_03

That was my high school job. I love the Hollister. You do look like a Hollister girl. That was my Hollister. I almost didn't get my Hollister job, I'll tell you that, by the way. Because it was a group style interview, and I went to the interview and I had a thick, juicy couture necklace with the charms on it, and the bracelet, and my and my boss was like, Well, you're doing it, you're doing a lot. Because you know, Hollister girls, they were simple. I was like, oh, you know, but yeah, that was my very much my story. Oh yeah. This is funny. We have learned a lot. Yes, and there's so many more questions. If you guys have questions that you would love us to answer or funny things, because I'm like, there's so many more that we could even touch on. I would love for us to do this again. So you guys tap in the comments, hit us on Speakpipe, send us a message, voice, a voiceover, whatever it is that you want to send us to let us know what you guys want us to talk about to get to know us more. If you guys like this episode, like it, comment, subscribe, share, and all the things.

SPEAKER_02

This is funny. This was so much fun. But y'all, like I said, the the messaging here is we have elevated, we have learned, we have grown, and it's all because of the things that we have gone through in life. So if you're going through something right now, just know that you're gonna come out of it, elevating and growing and learning from it. But make sure you are actually learning from those experiences and not just keeping yourself on a hamster wheel. But thank y'all for tuning in to another episode of Elevators,

Questions From Listeners And Wrap

SPEAKER_02

and we will catch you next week. Until then, bye y'all. Bye guys.