TALENTS with Cody Williams
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Because success without alignment isn’t success.And money without meaning won’t move you.
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TALENTS with Cody Williams
He Advises the Most Trusted Names in the World. He Won't Send an Invoice.
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Im very excited about this guest Ranjy Thomas! Top artists save him in their phone as Uncle Ranjy. A few of them thought it was a term before they found out it was a person. His fingerprints are on some of the biggest names in music and ministry, and he refuses to send an invoice for most of it.
In this one he gets into anticipating the need, walking with people in their lowest moments, and why he plays for the decade instead of the single.
Follow Ranjy Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/ranjythomas
Follow Cody
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/cody.d.williams/
YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@CodyDWilliams
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/codynow
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A new playbook for getting clarity around money, meaning and momentum.
There's a joke in the music industry that if you look in someone's phone, you can just literally search for Uncle Rangy. I know there's tons of people that will ride to the mountaintop and party with you, but very few people walk with people kind of in their low valleys. And I just feel called to that.
SPEAKER_00You've worked with artists like Jake or Frank. What is it about you?
SPEAKER_03These people were in my life long before the rest of the world knew. I'm not looking for just like the next super famous person.
SPEAKER_00But to go, how can we get you where you feel you're called to go?
SPEAKER_03Your job is to anticipate the need. The world's economy is so loud. And God's economy is so quiet.
SPEAKER_00Ranji, you you and I have known each other for 25 plus years or something. For sure, yeah. We've got a long-standing journey. You have been a pivotal part of major transitions in my life. And um especially, you know, they say they say a man goes through three or four sort of big transitional seasons in their lives. And uh the things that sort of really shift the direction, location, vocation, ministry. Um I think it was Mark S. That said that to me. He goes, you know, Cody, every great man goes through three or four really big transitions. And I was thinking back to who you are, and you were really pivotal in my life for really two of those big transitions. What an honor. And then I step back and I think that's actually really who Ranji is. You know, you have been that role for so many people uh over the years. And um, so I kind of want to just start this conversation with um I I know what you do for me, I know the value you bring to me. Wow. But when I go to describe who Rangi Thomas is. Yeah, like what are you saying? I'm like, so so how would you describe what it is that you do?
SPEAKER_03Wow. Well, first, how do I like not acknowledge that kind words that you just shared? And and I want you to know, podcast, no podcast, you know, Cody, it's my life's you know, honor that I get to even be in your life, much less get those moments with you that are so special, right? And I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit of a junkie for those moments in people's lives. You know, I I probably have an issue somewhere where I just, you know, I know there's tons of people that will ride to the mountaintop and party with you, and you've had many, many successes in your life. So I never worry if there aren't literally hundreds, maybe even thousands for you, particularly in those high moments of just great success, because you've just had so many, you know. But very few people walk with people kind of in their low valleys, and I just feel called to that. I don't, it's not that I don't love the high moments just like everybody else. It's just that there's tons of people that are available in those moments, right? And it's the others. So so there is a Romans verse that says that we're to laugh with those who laugh and cry with those who cry. And that is a life function for me, you know. So it's not that I avoid the high moments, it's just that uh I have a a desire to be people with people in their lows, you know. And I don't even think ours were lows particularly. I remember, but they were I I agree that they were probably moments where God was doing something, right? And I that's what I'm a junkie for. I I think I'm a little bit of a hardy boys detective for people in my life that I can just feel God is shifting something, you know. And that is my party call. Like I want to come and be a part of that, you know.
SPEAKER_00So are you are you looking at um how how do you decide where that goes? I mean, you've worked with years ago you said to me, um, Cody, I have 10 sons, you're one of them, and they're all doing amazing things across the globe. Yeah. And uh you would introduce me to some of the other sons. Like I mean some of my brothers. Yes. And uh I've ended up being really close friends with a lot of them. Yeah. Um, I think you made that statement over 10 years ago. So I imagine that list more than 10 years ago. I imagine that list is grown uh when you think of sons.
SPEAKER_03I don't think of it in numbers. That's so kind. And and I want you to know that uh I have changed my metaphor just so it doesn't sound creepy. Is it uncle? No, yeah. Well, I'll I'll tell you a story about that in a second. But I will say it's so funny that you said that and I'll explain in a minute. Um, I I I feel like the Lord has just given me this incredible privilege of meeting anointed people before they even find out what God's calling is really on their life. And I it's not that I have this incredible insight into what it might be, but I kind of know it's about to happen. Does that make sense? So we've kind of affection I know you know this already, but we've affectionately kind of um readdressed that statement to like the Avengers, right? Because, you know, some of you are like the Hulk, and another one's like more like a Tony Stark, and some of them are Captain America, right? But the power of it is not to, you know, it's so funny in a lot of sadness, frankly, in especially in like megachurch movements, that kind of stuff, there's been a lot of letdowns in the metaphor of a family. So I'm actually really sensitive to the family analogy now because some people feel like that can kind of borderline into like even abusive senses, right? And I just never, that was never my my heart was to say I love you like someone that I would sacrifice crazy for. So much more than you would ever ask or imagine. Um the number one thing, if I have one comment that happens so consistently in my life, is people pulling me aside and lovingly saying, Ranch, you know that guy over there, like it's so impressive how you just go to the wall for him. But you get that he's taking advantage of you, right? Like you know that he's using you. Do you do you not see that? And I always respond exactly the same way. You have no idea what I was willing to give.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_03So what you think is being taken advantage of is that's not even the start. Now apply that to a God level, right? And it's like God is a billion trillion times more than that, right? And so, yeah. So that's kind of Where do you where do you think that's the thing? So are you Tony Stark? No, I love I'm I'll say we'll give you Wonder Woman.
SPEAKER_00Well, and I feel like we're uh I I think I mean I appreciate you um sort of qualifying that. Uh because I do think that's a it's it's wise. I've never looked at it as negative with you because you're you're right. Uh to a certain level, you know, that can that can move into unhealthy territory. Yeah. I've never felt that from you.
SPEAKER_03Well, that means the word what whatsoever.
SPEAKER_00But what what is it that I mean, Ranji, your fingerprint is on some of the most amazing projects, amazing companies, amazing individuals. Um I mean, we could sit here and uh and and I mean you you've worked with the chosen, yeah, U version, subsplash, um, creator. Yeah. Um you've worked with artists like uh Jake or Forrest Frank or um what what is it about you that that because everybody that I know that knows you that interacts with you in this way, there's I I if somebody says, Well, what does Ranji do for you? I I would I would consider you a mentor, but I would consider you a strategist. I would consider you somebody who sees where things are going and tries to speak to them. And so what makes you unique is that you have this business mind that you can speak to me as a mentor about business decisions, but then you also have this truly father's heart that um allows you to not get caught up in sort of the bottom line of business, but to go, how does your gifting align with this opportunity? And how can we get you where you feel you're called to go? And I just don't know anybody like that. I know coaches, I know gurus, I know therapists, um, but you really are truly a mentor. And I want to get into a little bit of your background and what you've done for people who don't know you, but yeah, I really want to like zone in on the uniqueness of of what you do for for all of these really uh influential people. I mean, I'm I'm grateful to be even included in the conversation, but um you've really helped some big names in uh I don't say that to talk about big names, but it you don't do that if there's not something that is unique and special on your life.
SPEAKER_03I will receive that compliment, and it means the world to me, especially coming from someone like you who's done what you guys have done and what you and Banning do together is like you know, truly special in the world. I will only receive that compliment if you'll also acknowledge that in most of the cases, not all of them, but in most cases, these people were in my life long before the rest of the world knew, right? And and the only reason why that matters to me is that um I'm not looking for just like the next super famous person and you know, how can I get into their life? I have zero time for that, zero interest. I appreciate the blessing of what it means to walk with people who kind of change the marketplace or do something so unique, you know. But um, yeah, I get asked this question. I never know exactly how to honor it because in my heart, I was always have been and will always be a pastor first. It's just what I do. I'm a I'm a minister of the gospel, I love people deeply. God, I think I I think God puts a deep love in me for people that I don't know how to explain. But it's that, dare I say, supernatural part that is why it's so crazy when they end up in these places 10 years, 15 years, sometimes three years later, beyond anything we could ask or imagine. But even that's a scripture, right? So it kind of fulfills the very things we know about the nature of God, you know. So yes, I'm first a pastor. Now it's true that my education and my life experience has mostly been in uh at my youngest age, like 20 years old, I had a privilege to be a part of a startup company that we all eventually used. Now, what's funny is the generation that's probably listening to this wouldn't even heard of this company. But believe it or not, at one point it was like the third largest mobile carrier in America, and eventually globally, and it was a company called Nextel. And it was a wireless communication company. Had a weird feature, had the walkie-talkie dating you. You know that the walkie-talkie flip phones, right? Exactly. Yeah, press a button.
SPEAKER_00I felt so cool having one of those in 2002.
SPEAKER_03I love it. Yeah, you press the button, you can talk to a group of people. And so I just by God's grace stumbled into that opportunity and it exploded. So, like at age 20, I got to be a part of a company that uh grew so fast, I literally dropped out of Pepperdine University where I was going to undergrad, and I ended up running with that opportunity. And then this is what was even crazier about it is the leadership team that created that company, and I was just a kid, they were all very seasoned executives. I was a nobody in the picture, but um they had some of them, not all of them, had done very well in the same mobile communication industry. And frankly, had recently come into wealth in their life, and so they were middle class people that then became pretty wealthy and they were off buying jets and going on different things. So they let me, 20-year-old Rangy, kind of the one incredible thing is we had mobile communications so we could talk to each other. So they had me go to these other cities and start up offices and recruit the people, and I was nowhere near a uh what's the word qualified to do what I was called to do. And yet I got this MBA by just watching what does it take to build a national infrastructure company that eventually becomes a household name, um, but just in a few years, like in a little window of time. Wow. So what it allowed me to do, largely because I had some leadership that just wasn't around. They were like doing all the cool stuff in the world. Um they let me go from city to city, and I would just call ministries and say, I'm a single guy, I wasn't married yet, and I was like, hey, uh, I'm gonna be in your town. I often share the gospel. I guess you could say like an evangelist, uh, if you want me to come, I will be here on these dates and totally understand. This is P4 podcast, before frankly, it was before like Facebook. I mean, it was that long ago. And I'm I think MySpace existed, but that was about it, right? And so they had no idea who I was or whatever was going on, but a few people said yes, and then that grew. So I would end up building this network of ministry leaders across the whole nation. I think I spoke 52 weeks a year. Like I would literally, somewhere, someplace, mostly to young people, and it grew and grew and grew. And so I can go anywhere in the country now, and there's some person that we had real quality life together moments. Wow. And we just stayed in touch after all of those years, you know. So that's my you asked me in my background. Yeah, so so I snuck it in there.
SPEAKER_00So you I know I really appreciate that. So when you were with Nextel and a part of that at such a young age, what what were the skill sets that you learned then? Yes, or what were the things you identified about yourself? Yes um that really propelled you in into really what you're doing today.
SPEAKER_03Yes. If there's one thing, and I will give my father and mother for that matter some credit for this. I don't know if it's an Indian thing, so all you Indians out there, maybe maybe you're gonna go like, dude, that's India. That's not your family, that's everybody. Uh there's a billion of us, by the way, just in case you didn't know. But we're just raised with a really clear understanding that your job is to anticipate the need.
unknownWow.
SPEAKER_03Anticipate the need. If you can get ahead of what is happening in the moment and try to anticipate the need, you will always be of great value. That was my dad. I could say it's an Indian accent if you'd like. But um, but I those those words ring in my ears. Anticipate the need. Now here's the crazy story. So there's my story and my brother. So I have a brother older than me, and uh both of us grew up uh probably before it was legal, so don't don't don't follow up. But we we um we were too young to be working in America and both got hired by Nordstrom. Um my brother ended up being the president, and so he, you know, over his whole lifetime grew to lead that company. He's actually retired, believe it or not, so he's already had that full career. Uh if any of you ever shopped at a Nordstrom rack, he was a big part of how that grew across the nation from just a small concept. It was it existed before he ever got involved, but it grew exponentially uh under his leadership. And the one core value that both of us have brought to every company we've ever touched, anticipate the need. And you will always be valuable, right?
SPEAKER_00And so I don't know if that answers your question, but so that's that's so that's so wise. I think for the young entrepreneurs that listen to this podcast, I'm wanting not to just inspire them, but to actually give them insight that they can put to work in their own lives. And I think I think our 20s is such an interesting decade where we're discovering who we are, while we're also discovering the giftings that are on our lives and and where are we naturally uh gifted, uh what what seems to come natural and I think that there's uh an element of for the young the young generation, there's an element of risk taking that I I always want to encourage people to walk in. I feel like fear is at an all-time high. Yeah, yeah. And I'm like, you gotta be okay okay to just fail. You gotta be okay to just go try some things and and and see what happens. I think one thing that's unique. I'd be curious if you agree with this or not. Yeah. It seems like most successful successful ventures, businesses, startups, whatever. The ones that really, really go somewhere generally didn't come out of some strategy meeting in a boardroom.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00They come from some passion, some desire, some identified need.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and a lot of failure.
SPEAKER_00And a lot of failure. Yeah. And um you know, so I I I I'm always curious. Uh I don't know that I've seen any failures in your life.
SPEAKER_03Oh. Cody, I mean, honestly, that uh I wish I could tell you how asinine that comment would have been. And I'm actually I'm like, I don't think Rangy's ever felt. I'm humbled by the statement because it makes me worried. Like, how did I how did I miss it with you for you to not know? I'm riddled in failure. But I will tell you this. I had the privilege of growing up in a generation where by far people failed before they ever hit success. So we kind of everyone got it. Sorry about that. So everyone just kind of understands that, you know, to to w what is it if you can hit three out of ten baseballs, right? Yeah. You're a major league player. Yeah, that's a pro-limitable. Three out of ten. Yeah. Right? I mean, that's mind-blowing when you think of it. And if you can get to the higher number of that three, you make millions and millions and millions of dollars. So we just didn't grow up in a generation that felt like failure wasn't an option. You just kind of knew it's just the way to the win, right? Just X number of failures, and then eventually you have a win. I and again, I don't vilify social media. I'm so grateful for people like yourself who can influence people and help give them encouragement. Um, and I'm I actually am mesmerized by it. But if there's one drawback, is you can edit to the win in social media and you can't edit to the win in life. And you will never get the win, in my opinion, if you haven't traversed some failure. It just it's the character building, it's like, you know, um I myself am not a bodybuilder. It's probably obvious by looking at me, but I will tell you that when I hang out with folks who are really rich, you know, really uh what's the word, disciplined um with those things. I was gonna say ripped. They live in pain. They live in pain a lot of the time. Yeah. And it's because it's actually how muscle grows, right? Is the tearing of muscle tissue that then eventually creates the muscle. I know these are almost, you know, cheesy to talk about, but but that that same pain exists in doing something of any value.
SPEAKER_00You know, what what feels cliche at times we actually need to keep saying. Right, right. Because sometimes we forget about it.
SPEAKER_03So the edit to the win or social media, I think, is the saddest part. It's always fun. It's actually how we started this podcast, right? Everybody loves to celebrate at the top of the mountain. Very few are that interested in walking with people in their darker days.
SPEAKER_00So we're looking at 20s, the rant the 20s of Ranji. Right. Uh anticipate the need. Yeah. I think is so wise. Um, expect that failure is a part of the process. Yeah. What did you identify about yourself in that phase?
SPEAKER_03Okay. I normally I'm doing this in a business setting, so I'm not used to doing this necessarily in a spiritual setting. So, and I know you personally, so I know that I won't be doctrinally off with how you see the world. Sure. I do believe there's probably people in the audience that may struggle with what I'm about to say. Okay. But what I understood about myself was the ability to hear the Holy Spirit and just to actually have that competitive advantage that I can call out to God. I think Bono calls it God's phone number, right? You know, the the that there's this idea that Jesus left us with the comforter, is what we call him. And by the way, when I read that, I was only seven years old. My dad and I in my mom. We would read scripture. I literally thought we were talking about something that you put on your bed to keep you warm at night. Like nobody explained to me that the comforter wasn't like a bed sheet. I thought the comforter can actually fill you in on things you can't know otherwise. And I don't mean like crazy specifics like, hey, bet on red or you know, buy low, sell high. I'm not talking about that kind of stuff. But uh in my twenties, I realized that being open and pursuing the Holy Spirit's comfort to understand, have insight that you couldn't otherwise have, has without any question, I mean, I'm hands down, any technique that I may have learned or taught taught from even master like teachers, not just things that I may have discerned, nothing has ever been able to outdo what the Lord can tell you directly for you. It's specifically designed to your algorithm, right? Your LLM is actually God, you know. So yeah, so that I learned in my twenties, probably later 20s, to be honest. Like I was coming upon 30 before I really was comfortable, not necessarily speaking about or telling people about it, but just acknowledging that it's really uncanny how you can actually hear from the voice of God.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Do you just sitting on that? How does how do you work that out day to day? Yeah, yeah. Well because I think people hear that and they go, Oh, I really like that. Yeah, that's yeah, the Holy Spirit's great. Like I, you know, if you come from faith at any level, you understand that. Yeah. I think I think where we get stuck sometimes is I'm like, how do I how do I live out how do I live that out daily and and you know continue to move forward in stewardship and strategy and innovation and anticipating the need, you know what is that what does that look like? I I think you have a really unique structure in your life of how you start most of your days. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, you remember that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So okay, I appreciate that. I think in volleyball that's called a lob for a spike ball, right? Is that what you're giving me? Okay, I then I will take it. If you're gonna stop, if you're gonna set me up for a spike, I will tell you. Uh and again, might sound cliche. I don't know. I I literally, I don't mean metaphorically or kind of generally as a trend, or or hey, just good healthy disciplines or good habits, none of that. I start every first waking moment of my life saying, Lord, may I have a divine appointment today? Can you do something with today? I'm gonna honor my schedule. I know we have to honor people's time. We can't just throw it out and not care. But can you do something that will allow me to witness just your glory, your power, your honor, your loving kindness, right? And uh, can I be a part of it? Can I co-labor, is what scripture says, right? Can I co-labor with you? And I'm telling you, the Lord shows up. I mean, it's just so I would consider this today. Uh, you know, I don't know if we're allowed to say how the sausage is made, but I think you texted me yesterday or maybe the day before. You said, Ranch, I'm gonna be in town. I have a little bit of an extra moment. Yeah, would you come do this with me? To me, that's just the obvious ring of the of the divine appointment. Yeah. Well, anything with you would generally will be that. But but the fact that out of nowhere um you just call me. I don't have it in my schedule, I shouldn't be able to do it. But who, you know, I if you call me, I'm gonna say yes. That's just my yeah, my thing. So so yeah, for that matter, yeah. So there is truth to that. And I appreciate you saying that because it's it is probably the fundamental truth is if you're saying functionally, how does that play out, it would be, and I would really encourage you and anyone in your people that love you or know you or you know, look to you for guidance, like just try that and watch what God does. It is really shocking how universally true that has turned out. Um, I'll also warn you that God's ways are not our ways. So sometimes those little uh unexpected, you know, cute pastor talk, divine appointments end up like you just took the, I don't remember what the blue pill or the red pill in the matrix, but the pill that makes you end up having hours and hours and hours of commitment because you just slid down a hole with somebody into their darkest moment.
SPEAKER_00You just said yes to something that's just yes to it, right?
SPEAKER_03And what does that say about me if all of a sudden I'm like, ooh, now that you've told me what it is, I don't have time for that. Sorry, I gotta go. I can't do that, right? Yeah, and so and then you never know. So at the end of that divine phone call or that divine appointment or whatever that is, you don't know what you're getting into until you all of a sudden slide.
SPEAKER_00I would almost I would almost say that's what stewardship is. So there's you know, God's called us as stewards, he's called us to steward what he puts in front of us. But when you when you bake that with I wake up in the morning and I say, Holy Spirit, yeah, what do you want to do today?
SPEAKER_03Right. Yeah, that's cooler. You know it sounds like something Microsoft would do. You know, I'll still say it's cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, what do you want to do today? Um then you that that's where that's where that collaboration thing begins to take place. Because you're like, God, I what you put in front of me, I will say yes to.
SPEAKER_03Yes. And actually, I think very few people are willing to do that prayer. Yeah. And I don't know if it's because they're scared of it or they don't even really believe it would lead to anything, or I have no idea. I don't know. I don't know many people who claim to me that they actually are willing to do that.
SPEAKER_00Okay, let me let me go one little later.
SPEAKER_03You probably do. I actually believe that about you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I try to. I think the tension that I feel, and I think a tension a lot of people feel I'm gonna say an assumption that I have.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And you can c slap it back at me and go, no, that's not true. I think maybe it's the lie that I believe. Right, which is um you're able to do that because you have been able to make the money that you need to make to, you know, uh cover your lifestyle or your, you know, your family or what have you. So it's like, well, Ranji can say yes to that because he's he's not tied to a nine to five.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I have that heart, but I'm tied to a nine to five. Yeah. So how do I put that in the right?
SPEAKER_03Really, everybody, he's kind of lying to himself and to you right now.
SPEAKER_00But you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03I I do think that um I do acknowledge for some people that would be really easy to kind of disqualify that I am not a prosperity theologian. So I don't come from a give-to-get philosophy or any of those things. I just don't think it's God's economy. And frankly, if you asked me, I would tell you that suffering is much more something that is really easy for me to see in scripture all throughout than this idea of jackpots of gold. Um, at this age and stage of my life, you might be right. Not because I have some outrageous crazy wealth, but my wife and I, we live a pretty modest lifestyle. If you came to our house, you're not you're not coming to a baller's mansion, right? So we have made some decisions in what we choose to do with money that you're not wrong. I really do have the freedom in miraculous ways. Probably with some of my business partners that would not appreciate the fact that I will stop everything for a divine appointment. It kind of drives some people crazy, and I do my best to be super delivering on the other end of that. But the thing I would say, I'm not going to shoot it down because I know there's truth to what you're saying, but I actually believe that God just provide is my provider. I've never thought any of my business partners are my provider. I've never had a W-2 connected to any kind of or a 1099 for any of the entrepreneurs in the audience, right? None of them were ever my provider. In fact, anytime I even get close to hoping that they can be my provider, I am sorely misled or sorely disappointed with the longevity of what I thought could be, oh, I'm set for life now, right? So when I just like honor the calling, I don't think it's an earned thing, though. It's such a dichotomy. It's hard to explain. But I will say without any question, to the degree that maybe there's truth to what you say, I don't worry about a mortgage or I don't worry about some of the things that many, many people have in their lives. I don't believe in give to get prosperity theology. I actually think God has provided to free me up so I can just work for Him. Yeah. You know? Yeah. So I actually feel like I don't have that crazy freedom. Like I know some, I have some very wealthy friends, and in theory, they have crazy freedom. They can literally do anything they can imagine, and they don't really have any dollar limit to what that would require. Some of the most longing for the joy that I experience of all my friends, some of those people say, I don't know what it is that you have. I know I could buy you a hundred times if I wanted to, your entire net worth and everything else. But there's something about what I see in your friendships and the world that you live in, da da da. You know, how do I get that? And and and we have thoughtful conversations about those things. So to answer that, only I would I would I would shoot it down, yeah, is I think that God provided for that in a way that if you actually look at my checkbook or how finances come into my hands, it's pretty eclectic. It's it's pretty bizarre. And there's people who give me money who I don't feel like I won't say should. I just trust the Lord. I say, Lord, you're my provider. I I don't ask people for money, I don't go to them and say, hey, pay me this much and then I'll do that. I just try to add value and then we see where we are.
SPEAKER_00Let's let's I'd love to sit on that because that's also one of the most unique things about you is um and I think I think I I really I really want to stress what you're saying because I I really believe that most people miss utilizing what God's put in their hand because they're convinced that that's somebody else's story. Well, if I had Rangy's life, then I could do X, Y, and Z that I really feel called to do. And I think part of the mission of talents and everything I'm building is really trying to establish that the secret to a fulfilled, impactful, purposeful life is connecting what God's put in your hand and in your heart with what you do.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Period. Yes. And um I think a lot of times we take ourselves out of the game because we are convinced that it just it it just didn't work for me. Right. I just wasn't set up this way. And the truth of the matter is I think when you do the things that we're talking about, yeah, you're pointing yourself at a life that goes, nope, this is the direction I felt God calling me, or this is uh how I feel God's called me to live. And you even carry that into businesses, business opportunities. If it's okay, if you're okay to share it.
SPEAKER_02Sure, sure.
SPEAKER_00Um you've poured into businesses or people for that matter that I know firsthand information, where you're not coming to the table going, all right, well, here's my consulting fee and here's my day rate. Right. Um but partnerships do come out of that at times. Yes, um, you know, I mean, some of the most recent stories that I'm thinking of that I'd love to maybe sit on is just some of the support that you've been to some of these young artists. And um I remember you telling me on a phone call, got Cody, I don't know what God's doing, but I'm just trying to be obedient to that. Um because I asked you, well, are you I think we were talking about Jake or I was like, are you their manager? And you're like, no, no, no. Um I love their managers. Yeah, I'm like, what what are you? But can you unpack some of that? Because I think it's so unique. But I think if more of us did what you're talking about, right, it would unlock something in our lives.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, I love it, and I can speak pretty openly about it. I don't know that it would honor the different people for me to get specific about what they've done or haven't done. But I will tell you that to a person, um, both in the secular realm or general market music, I guess you'd call it, right? Because pretty much everyone I'm alongside are mostly believing Christians and at varying levels of passion about sharing their faith, and then some actually having to make real decisions about when I share my faith, it has to be strategic because of the potential. Uh, it's a whole other podcast, but I would love to talk to you about it someday. About how Christians become very well known in the world, have to be careful about how they honor God because it can actually bring a bunch of not secular haters, Christian haters. So I won't name the artist, but we have close friends who are doing the most amazing things. I'm so proud of them. I just want to tell you, I want to shout, you know, how proud I am from the mountaintop. And they'll do something that's just a nod to acknowledging the sovereignty of God, right? Not hardcore preaching or teaching. And then they'll just Christians, and if you're one of these people, I want to talk to you right now, will literally hate on the non-Christians who are saying something in relationship to whatever that faith statement was, right? And they'll just attack them as brutally as like I there's something about online that people don't feel in accountability to just normal human decency. Yeah. It's the Christians that we worry about. It's not the non-Christians. Yeah. We're totally fine with whatever they whatever they authentically feel. And some of them have come from real places of trauma that's valid. Sure. And of course it colors how they see things, right? So, so um okay, I'm I went off on a di-tribe for that, but I'm telling you, this is an episode of preaching that man. Someday we should talk about it. We'll do a part two for sure. Because it's so key. But yes, to answer your question, um yeah, God brought me into this kind of community of artists who are at the literally top 1%, both in the faith and in the general market world. And for some, they are Christians, so I don't want to make it sound like they're like, oh, I can't figure out why I like you, you know. But there's something about it. In fact, you made a reference earlier. There's a joke in the music industry that if you look in someone's phone, you can just literally search for Uncle Rangy. And and I think it's a joke. I don't know exactly what it is, but they all put me in their phone that way. And now in the music business, like agents and like pretty high power folks in the industry have become aware of this term Uncle Rangi. I had met one some somebody recently with a very, very high-performing artist that we know on a global scale. And they thought Uncle Ranchi was a term. They didn't realize it was a person. Does that make sense? Yes. And so it's crazy. Yeah. But again, divine appointments. God just brought me to a place where I happened to connect in with one particular artist who I adore and who I think is maybe one of the most genius people I've ever met in my life, very young, in their young 20s. And as God is my witness, they've definitely taught me more than I've ever been able to teach them. But there is something comforting about someone who understands your spiritual worldview and knows the craziness of the music business, especially in the general market side. It is it is crazy. I mean, the things you see, the surreal situations, the negotiations, the insecurity of music labels and not understanding where their core market, even though they're doing incredible, by the way. Every one of them is making crazy money. But for some reason, there's a real fear.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And and then the artists are exploring what it would mean if I didn't even use a label. So there's definitely a natural business tension. I don't I don't put anything at odds for that. But there was just some role. And by the way, some of these have existed for many years. I'm not the only person who's ever operated in this realm where you're not really the manager and you're not the lawyer for sure, and you're definitely not the accountant, right? But somehow a lot of these artists just like a voice of reason that understands deeply their Christian values and worldview, and they just want you on the team.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna ask you if I sat down with any of them and said, What does Brand Rangy bring to you? Right. What would they say?
SPEAKER_03I I wish I could say that emphatically, because it would be slightly different for the different folks.
SPEAKER_00But I think But I I mean high level.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I mean, honestly, it's it's probably the greatest desire in the whole business world. I feel like I can just trust him. I feel like he's gonna tell me the truth. He's not gonna tell me what I want to hear, and he's not gonna like be critical. Like he'll just shoot with me what he sees. And by the way, he's not always right. But that's not what I value about his like perfection of wisdom. I just know he's with me in uh in the things that we do. And when things don't work out, he's just as much there with his uh sleeves rolled up and digging, you know, um, if it's necessary, you know. And uh and yeah, some of them have gotten to a place where they feel like that value represents something that they want to compensate. So I've never gone to someone and say, well, pay me this or you won't get this from me, you know. Right. And yet I'm overwhelmed by the blessing of some of these people, the generosity. And I I would even say, I'm not even exactly sure if we did the math, if I'm actually making less than if I had charged. But it doesn't mean that every single person arrives at that conclusion. And I don't care. Because in my heart, I'm like, God, you're gonna decide how to provide for me. Not which of these deals is gonna work, and I'll focus on that one. He just says, Go do your thing, what I call you to do, and I will bring the fish. I will, you can just be a fisher of men and and I'll bring the fish, you know. Yeah, and I'm telling you, it just has played out so far, you know.
SPEAKER_00I just I don't know anybody that operates in that way. It's so unique to you. I would also say that I think one of the greatest strengths that you carry is uh you are a connector. And well, that's your gift too. One of our mutual friends actually said, uh, it's funny you say that back, because one of our mutual friends I was processing some of the things I feel God's put in my heart and that I'm building and doing. And I think I was trying to find a little bit of my lane, a little bit of the language. Yeah. And one of our mutual friends said, Um, I don't know if you said this to me. You might have said this to me as well. Um I think you said this I'll just say this friend said uh you you and Rangy most people that Rangy sort of mentors or pours into or you know is entrusted to you know in their inner circle, uh a lot of them are artists at some level or operators. Yeah. Um you and Ranji are connectors. And uh this analogy came in and I thought it was so profound. He said, uh really I would consider you a switchboard. So an operator is but a switchboard is going, oh, I know where to patch you in. Yes. Oh, great. I you you want to do this, and this is the vision in your heart, and this is what you're trying to go after. I g I I know the four people that you need to talk to. I feel like uh if there's been every one of our conversations, if we're talking strategy on any opportunity or this or that, it it I've never had a conversation with you where you're like, oh Cody, you need to talk to this person and this person and this person. And yeah, I would agree. I think that's it's something that's both on our lives, but I um I I think a switchboard is how I would describe Rangy. Oh, and uh I I mean I I receive that.
SPEAKER_03I I I'll tell you this. Would you agree with that? I I will agree with it, but I want to explain why. Yeah, I'm actually not a great agent, or I'm not a good lawyer, or I'm not a qualified uh uh accountant, right? I don't have those skills. And I actually think God kind of protected me from even believing that I have some of those skills, which kind of stopped me from just saying, Well, I want to represent some the one that would make the most sense is I represent myself as an agent. But what I've learned is that when you're kind of following a holy a Holy Spirit lane, you don't get The privilege of deciding that you're going to advance one thing a certain way. Yeah. Right. Because God's ways aren't our ways. So I can't productize him, formulate him, or do something that allows me to say, now I can leverage this for the value of one particular person for their thing. So I don't get the privilege of getting to pretend that's what I do, right? And so yeah, it's actually kind of a miracle that other people value it enough that they just want to honor that with some level of compensation. It's almost like they feel like they're paying into something that allows it to continue. And maybe not even for themselves, but for someone else. And I I never talk about this stuff, so it's kind of funny to have this moment with you, but but um but yeah, so that's in other words, I feel like the world's economy is so loud and God's economy is so quiet. And so what would happen if you just let yourself have lenses? I keep hitting that, sorry, have lenses for God's economy. And then what what would be possible? Like what could be created?
SPEAKER_00Wow, you know, and so you're uh so wise, Rangy. I wanna I want to maybe as we wrap this up, I want to speak to that early 20s entrepreneur that got something in their heart they're trying to build, a gift on their life that's that's seen. You have a um a flywheel analogy that is so beautiful and impactful, um, and I think it applies to everyone's life. Um could you kind of unpack do you know what I'm talking about?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I I I think I do. Let me let's see if it's what you would what you would remember. Well, yes. Hello, Mr. 23-year-old or Miss 23-year-old. Um, you're living in the most exciting time ever. Yeah. The things that you have at your fingertips, I I literally think to myself, if I could have had that at 23, you know, what whether it's the things with AI, which I know not everyone's a fan of, and all those things, there's just so much going for you right now. If you apply a Holy Spirit filter to know what to choose, that's where the incredible abundance comes from. Because there's now there was a premise that I forgot. It was a, I don't know, I think it was Harvard, it was a university that coined a term that we have a generation of people who are perplexed by all the options. It was kind of called the Googalization of Philosophy. There's a way you can Chat GPT or Google any philosophy and get its answer to your question. And because of that, it's made it almost impossible for someone in their young 20s to imagine that there could ever be a truth. There's just many truths, and it's the one you choose, and we'll see what happens. And I, you know, I respect it intellectually. I feel like we would be um uh overbearing if we just didn't accept that that's actually a fairly reasonable conclusion, right? But what happens if you actually engage with the living God and find out that it's not what you thought? It's actually something where God will and can guide you through many vehicles. You know, scripture would list Scripture itself, can guide you. A multitude of counselors can guide you, the Holy Spirit speaking right into your ear can guide you, right? Miracles can guide you. There's just, I mean, I I've got this whole list of what how I look for the voices of God. God never speaks in just one. It's not all, it's not there's probably seven as what I've identified as I work through scripture. Wow. But but it's never just one voice, it's always multiple, right? And what they do is they they have a trend in how they speak. So speaking to that young professional or that young person, um, I would say, please don't underestimate um what God is gonna do in your life. There's a famous saying, not mine, um, but the I'm gonna get to your flywheel question in two seconds here. Um there's a saying that we always overestimate what we achieve in a year and way underestimate what we do in a decade. I mean, to a person, all those music artists that you talk about or other people, if there's one theme I'm constantly reminding them of, because they're able to produce like a voluminous amount of results in a short period of time, they actually are the most discouraged when they don't feel like they fulfilled everything they wanted in the one year. So if there's an Uncle Rangy phrase, it's like, hey, let's play for the decade, let's not play for the single. And and boy, has that been an encouragement. I wish I could name to you the people that that transformed just their whole approach to what is happening right now. Not my words. Wow. In fact, none of those were my words. Those are just words being shared. Back to the flywheel. Not my idea either, by the way. Jim Collins wrote a book years ago called Good to Great, where he prem he he presents this premise that a flywheel is something where you're always looking for what's the biggest thing of the of the of your desire, the things you want to do, what's the biggest moving momentum force, and how do we focus on that? And then it naturally brings a momentum that comes. And if you could come up with the four or five things that make that wheel turn eventually on its own power, no longer with Cody, like you know, shirt off, kind of sweating it out, trying to turn the dial, but actually it's starting to fly faster than you could keep your hand connected to it. Um, it's my passion to walk into people's lives and help them discover their personal flywheel. What is going to just absolutely be that inner strength, that thing that God gave you, that you're particularly better than most people you'll ever meet. Everyone thinks they don't have it. I'm telling you, I've never met anyone yet that we couldn't figure it out. And then it's the next step and the next step and the next step. And there's maybe four or five. It's not 20, it's never been 20 in my life, it's only been a few. But of those few things, when you get them in alignment, it's like the world just comes to you. Wow, you know. So wow, that's the idea.
SPEAKER_00Wow. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why I love Ranji. Uncle Ranji. I'm gonna still that too now. I'm gonna totally change your phone, put it in Uncle Ranji. Ranji, I love you so much. I'm so grateful for your life. I'm grateful for the the selfless, um, Holy Spirit-led decisions you've just made of how to live your life and what you model for all of us. Um I genuinely feel like, man, if I'm in a rut, if I'm stuck on a big decision, I cannot tell you. You and I could go months without talking because we both just live busy lives. Yeah, but I always know like I can call Uncle Ranji and he's he's he's it's it's it's something that I aspire to be to other people. Well, you are your life is something that I I I want to model some of those same principles because um I think we're called to live a life of impact and fruit and purpose uh in service of others. And uh you do that so well. So thank you so much for being with us today and sharing your wisdom.
SPEAKER_03Remember that I have my eye on your daughter. I think she's an anointed young woman, and I want the world to come find her because I think uh I'm already thinking next generation of the Williams, right? Which you'll find that's just how my brain works, you know. Oh, I love that about you. She's an anointed young woman, and we're waiting to see what God has. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for being such an encouragement to my life.
SPEAKER_03I love it. Love you, love you.