All About That Money!

In this episode of the Production Prism podcast, Torrance and Jaylin discuss the nuances of navigating client negotiations, emphasizing the importance of relationships alongside business strategy.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hey, what's up, y'all? My name is Toronto, and welcome to the production prism. And today we're going to be talking about negotiations with clients. We're going to highlight things such as the budget, when to ask for the budget, when you should receive the budget, and also just relationships. On today's episode, my guest is Jalen Powell. Jalen, introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Yeah, so my name is Jalen Powell, of course. From Raleigh, North Carolina. I am a whole lot of things. Yeah, I'm a lot of things. I'm not gonna give myself cinematographer a title yet. I'm getting there. I'm a videographer. Um yeah, I that's a personal thing. I'm not there. It's a couple of things I want to get under my belt before I call myself cinematographer. Um, but I edit as well, do a little bit of what else do I do? Yeah, I do it all. I just put it that way. I'm just a creative. That's the best way to explain it. Um, but yeah, I'm happy to be here and I work with Torrance a lot, and um, he's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

So cool, cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

All right, so we're gonna talk about negotiation. So, like I've been on Instagram, YouTube, you know, like I've been seeing stuff where people are like, you know, talking about the clients, the budgets. I mean, even we talk about it, like in passing. Like we be joking about it. Well, we be like, yo, I don't know what to do. You know what I'm saying? Um, but let's talk about like a tough deal, like one of those times where um, you know, you're you're in a negotiation and it almost fell apart. But like, how did you how did you save it?

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Sorry. Oh, still getting over it. I just got lingering cough a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

But um, I think the main thing when like it comes to negotiation, I can't think of like one instance because there's just so many where I feel like you go through this almost every time. It's rare that you come into contact with a client who is just like, oh, this is great. Like, you know. So I mean, he asked a question one more time.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

Yeah, so I mean, like, like what you're saying is like just tell me about a time where you you were in a negotiation, you felt like maybe it was gonna fall apart. Or even like that feeling, like, I don't know if they're gonna rock with this budget, but like how did you save it and end up getting that contract?

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Um, I think I like I said, I can't even think of one instance. It's just it's literally like every day. Yeah. Um, but the main thing when like considering like actually getting a contract signed and getting the deal done is I don't want to say compromising, but making adjustments. Um whether that's the budget, that's the scope of work you're doing, that's how long you're gonna be like it's just all types of things that tie into um, you know, finally getting a deal done. And I think um the relationship you have with whoever that decision maker is, like is super important. Um, even if you're just meeting them for the first time and you know, just kind of starting conversation, it's like, all right, let us let this not just be about money at the end of the day. Like, because yes, like at the end of the day, we're trying to get paid and you're you're doing a service for them, but you know, it doesn't hurt to, you know, do your prior research. Like, does this person have a family? Wish them happy holiday, um, talk about stuff outside of what just this job is that you are hoping to do. Um, that way you have like common ground in a way, where it's just not like I'm trying to get this money. Yeah, like at the end of the day, like it's not just about the money because um there's several people who do what we do, but um, I think that's something that's helped me is my personality and trying not to just lean on like the skill or what because I'm I'm all right at what I do. I'm not I'm not the best. Like there's there's there's several people who, you know, I think do a really good job and could get the job. Um but I think you know what has helped me with clients and getting to where I'm at today is the the relationship that I built um throughout the entire process. Yeah. Um and I would just say, you know, when it comes to negotiating specifically, is like I said, making those adjustments. If let's say you're trying to bid at $4,000 for whatever project it is and their budget's $2,500, okay. Well, maybe we can't do the social media reels for you, or maybe we can't do a pre-light day, or we come in early so we can spend less time on the shoot day. Like maybe that shoot day just gotta be longer. Um, so I mean, those are just examples I would say of adjustments I make when it comes to like negotiating and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 5:00

No, I feel that I feel that move your mic just a little bit closer for me. Yeah, just in case. But like um, I think I think what's really important about what you're saying is the relationship aspect.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

Like a lot of people kind of like we all get stuck on the numbers. Because like we're trying to do this, we're trying to pay bills, or we're trying to get gear, yeah, or we just trying to get fun money, whatever your like your money obligation is, at the end of the day, you're still just trying to get money.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Um, but sometimes we do just kind of get stuck in that and we kind of forget about the relationship aspect of the negotiation. Someone's probably a lot a lot more likely to give you money to do something if they know you, if they like who you are. Like you said, in the work. I mean, the work don't follow. Right. I'm the same way. I would never say, like, I'm great at what I do. I'm like, I might.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

I'll let somebody else say that.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Now you like to have it. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'll let somebody else say that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

But um, yeah, and I think, I think the other thing is I think a negotiation trick is is shaping it. And it kind of leads us into like another point. Like, do you prefer your client to give you a budget? Like, client to be like, it was like kind of like the Instagram video, like client would be like, yeah, um, we got $10,000. Like, do you prefer that or do you prefer to give them the budget?

SPEAKER_00 6:17

Uh it's hard to say because when you give somebody the budget, like, or if you tell them how much it costs, sometimes you shoot yourself in the foot. And it's like, okay, you say it's like you said, $10,000. Maybe they had $50. Like, you never know. Like they really might have been like, oh, we have $50,000 for this. No worries. Um, sign a concentrate today. Um, but on the other day, the other end, when you're dealing with clients who may not have as much of a budget, and then they tell you, okay, my budget is only $1,000. It's like from the jump, at least for me personally, I'm like, okay, now how do I fit within this? Because, and that's just my mindset and something that I have to kind of grow out of. It's like, yes, their budget is a thousand dollars, but this costs two, like this costs $4,000. Like at the end of the day, if you're doing this, that, and XYZ, it costs this much. Um, so man, like when it comes to which one is better or which one I prefer, I think I'm more used to just them telling me their budget.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Um, I want to be better, I want to get better at just telling them how much it costs. Um I mean, what's what's stopping you from like I know you're saying you want to be better.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Is it kind of like knowing the cost of things or like is it like a profit margin type thing? Because like you know, you know a day rate. Yeah. Like you have your day rate. Yeah. So like you had two of you on set, you'd be able to say, hey, I know I need two people at this day rate.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

I I think it's like I'm still growing. It's like I'm just kind of getting to the point where I'm like, this is my day rate, you know, where I'm where I'm standing on that. And it's like, look, if we're not getting here, I'm like, I don't know about this, but before I would say, shoot, half a year ago, I was just like, what you got? You know, I'm just trying to work. Um versus like, but now it's like, okay, this is my day rate. This is what I need to make if I'm a, you know, put all this time in. And um also like the knowledge you have plays a huge part. Um because that like when you're first starting, like I said, you just you just trying to get reps in, like, like basketball, you're just trying to get reps in at practice.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Um, versus when you already kind of established your starter, let's put it that way. It's like, all right, I know how many times I'm supposed to be touching ball. I know how this plays ran for me. Um, but in a in the camera world, it's like, you know, I know what value I'm bringing to you now. Like I know that if we're doing this $5,000, like I'm charging $5,000 for this, it might make you $50,000. Like it's the value you bring. Um, so I think that's what I try to try to focus on. I think to do it more, it's and nothing to it just but to do it, you know, is like actually write out those proposals, prepare those, prepare for those calls where um, you know, you have written down, okay, this is my day rate, this is how much it's gonna cost to edit this many reels and this long form content, how many people I'm gonna need. And that comes with learning. Like, before I would just be like, oh, I think it's a cost, I'll be nice, I would be happy if I make $2,000. Versus now it's like, nah, like sorry. Um I need to think about the entire time, like the the entire scope of this project.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Yeah, this the it's the scope.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:00

It's um, you know, and I'm not even playing devil's advocate, but I'm on the other side of it.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

Really?

SPEAKER_02 10:06

I like to provide the client with the budget of what it is, much of like what you're saying because it's the scope. Yeah, it's the um, it's the team I want to have. It's like the things I need to do with.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 10:18

And kind of like what you were saying earlier, like the cost is the cost. Like, homie, you can't go into Walmart and be like, I want to pay $2 for milk today.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Then we're like, nah, bruh, like, bruh, you gotta put that back or you stealing. You know what I'm saying? Right. Um, and like we we do kind of gotta get get to that point.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

But then I do always take into fact the relationship. Yeah. So because there are certain clients where like, might work with them. I ain't gonna hold you. I'll work with them. Yeah. I'll be like, man, you know, you know the last thing we did was was way more than this.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

You know, we did a $10,000 project together. Now you want one for two. You know, sure, I'll show up by myself, throw a camera down and be like, I got you. But you know, next time, you know what this is.

SPEAKER_01 10:59

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Um, and that might be a little extreme example, but um, in all fairness, it really is about like what you said, it's about your skills. So I love the analogy with basketball. Because you gotta think about the franchise player.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

The franchise player gets the paper because of what?

SPEAKER_00 11:14

The value they provide, the fans they bring in, the points they score, all that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 11:19

You know, if you give Steph Curry the rock, he's gonna drop that three.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

That's period. And that's the same thing in our industry. It's like the you gotta get it to the point where clients understand they're hiring you because when you're on site, you're gonna get the job done the first time, the correct way.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

Period. And that's that's the value.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Right. You know.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

Now, when it comes to everything else, whether it's how project, you know, is it, is it spectacular, is it flashes, is this, that, and the other. Yeah, that's that's the sprinkles. But the core of it is when you're on location, you're capturing and you're getting the job done.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

Yeah. So I I really enjoy that.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Yeah, I wanna, I wanna piggyback on something you said. Um, where you talked about the team you went around. Um I'm this is something I'm actually going through right now. And I, you know, I gave the client a budget, scope of work, all this stuff, and how much it would cost for an assistant. And they they told me their budget. Um, and I'm like, okay, cool. I'm gonna tell you how much it's gonna cost. Yeah. And then we'll reconvene. And they were like, you know, we're trying to get within this budget. Can we look at getting rid of, you know, or adjusting like the assistant rate or just taking away the assistant overall? And I'm like, I understand, I 100% understand, like from their point of view, why they want to take away the assistant.

SPEAKER_01 12:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

But one of the things this client said was, I can come in and help where it's needed. Yeah, I'm gonna tell you. You you're only gonna slow me down now. Like, because you don't know, you don't know where things go. Like, you know, we you just set this whole thing up. Yeah. I asked no questions because you know where everything is. Like, even though we work together, of course, I could probably help.

SPEAKER_02 13:09

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

It's a lot easier if I'm just working with somebody who's done this before, who's in this industry, who knows where my small rig tool is. Like, who knows what that is. Exactly. Exactly. It's like, how are you, how do you expect to help me? And it's like, I'm trying to understand from their point of view.

SPEAKER_02 13:29

Like, do you think you just what do you think you're gonna do? They think help is, and it is it's slight help. They think help is I'm gonna help you unload the car.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:37

Right? I'm gonna help bring some upstairs, I'm gonna, you know, little light work.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:43

But like, I'm I'm like you. I I think I told you this before. I don't, I don't shoot stuff solo no more. I it's very like if if a contract requires me to shoot something solo, like it's a clearance or something that I can't have someone with me, then yeah, I'll shoot that solo.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:01

But I always prefer to have an assistant. And it's not, it, it ain't, it ain't because I'm lazy. It ain't because like I can't do something by myself. It's just the it to me, it's the power of two.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Like we're both on, like every time we shoot together, we're both on a mission.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:19

Like, I'm setting something, you're setting something. If I was by myself, I'll have to set this one camera, then I have to go set audio, then I have to go set the lights, then I have to check everything. So it's like, yeah, but clients don't understand that. They think they can do that. It's like, no, you can't, you know, and you might say, hey, I took a production class here that bro, if you ain't doing this every day, I don't want you nowhere near me.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

Like, that's exactly what I'm going through. Like, bruh. Because I'm not, I'm trying my best not to say no names, no genders, no nothing. But like, they said that they worked in uh advertising, like with the advertising team or something like that previous role. I'm like, okay, you know what it's like maybe to be on say, but if I say, can you set up this tripod and put my camera advertisement? Yeah, like, or I'm I'm just I can't even think if it was advertising.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

But regardless, like But they they're saying something that isn't like, hey, I either do this or I've done this for a period of time.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

And even with the people that say I've done this, I be, I be rary, like, mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

You haven't done it with my camera?

SPEAKER_02 15:30

You ain't done it with my camera, my gear. Just let me bring the person that I trust to be on set with me. Because it's it's an efficiency thing.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

I mean, we've we've had shoots together where, I mean, we set up, we set up and broke down like three times. Ain't no random I can trust to do that.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Right. You know, we talk about two locations or four. Like, we're talking about multiple breakdowns, multiple, multiple setups, loading a car, unloading a car.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Car, like memory, like it's just so much.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

Keeping track of things. It's like, oh, we got that. Did you do this? Frame rates, like.

SPEAKER_00 16:07

Even in my case, because I'm not only shooting with cinema cameras. Yeah. So in this case, like, I got my R my uh C80, which is cool. I keep my eye on it. I had a project last week, I think, or a week before, and I had my R6 as a B cam. Great camera, does the job. It does, it's B cam. It does what I needed to do. But I can't, from the angle that my producer wanted it, I couldn't monitor it. Yeah. So that's tough. Thank God the interview ended right at 30 minutes because that's the time. Like I couldn't see and I couldn't see it. Um, so it's just the small, it's the smallest things. It's like, I'd rather just have somebody who I'm comfortable with, who I can trust. And I know that, you know, I can count them, count on them for pretty much, it's like having to second me, you know, rather than somebody gotta teach the whole process.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

Would that be like, you know, you're inclined negotiations? Would that be a point where where you back out? You know, the money's not there, and they don't, they don't necessarily want to get you, you know, the proper assistance that you would like to have on location. Is that a moment where you're like, hey, I'm man, I don't want to do this?

SPEAKER_00 17:18

No, I'm not gonna say that for me. Um, because I am more of a run and gun shooter and I do do a lot of projects alone. I know I can do the project alone, but do I want to?

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Like, especially it's it's it's not like a super entertainment, it's corporate medical stuff. Like, it's nice just to have somebody there to talk to, to be honest. Um, but as far as your question about like backing out, I wouldn't say that's the first thing that comes to mind. The first thing that comes to mind is like, what else can I, you know, to help them out, you know, because budget is budget. I understand, like, if you got this much money, you got this much money. Like, I'm not gonna expect you to money don't grow on trees. You have to have the money to pay for things. Um, but my first thought is not taken away from what I need. It's quite honestly, it's taken away from what you you're asking for. All right, if you want, like you said, five reels, the 92nd, this, you know, maybe we're gonna drop it down to two. Or maybe we cut down somewhere else on like what the deliverables are for you. So that's my first thought. And I'm not one to really back out of a project because I like money at the end of the day. Um, and I don't want to ruin a, I'm not saying that ruins a relationship, but it's like if this is the first time that I'm trying to get you as a client, yeah, I want to try to get you as a client.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

Same, you know, so because I rather, you know, I rather work with that client. Let me see how they act. Like this might, this might be a one-off. This client, this might be a one-off type budget project for them. And then, you know, next time around, hey, they might have a bigger budget. Right. Or if this is a behavior and I don't want to deal with it, then I decide not to deal with it.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

Yeah, you find that out.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

Yeah, yeah. So I mean, when's the last time you said no to a client over project?

SPEAKER_00 19:27

Recently. Yeah. Uh it's funny. I don't feel like I really say no. It's just like they get the gist from what I say back in the message. Yeah. Or it's like it's more so these days. The way I say no is more like, oh, I don't really do this anymore.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Um, it's just not in the like type of work I do. Yeah. Like for some reason, um leading up to like Christmas, I got a lot of inquiries for music videos.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

Like, everybody wanna do a lot of videos.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

There's not one music video on my page anywhere. Yes. And I'm like, I appreciate you reaching out and all, but unless it's like creatively something that I really want to do, and I like the artist, I like the music, and the budget's there. That's when I'm gonna say now. It's like, uh, I just don't want to. Um and sometimes I shoot myself in the foot. I don't even ask the budget. Like, I'm just like, what in all do you want? And then I think I don't want to do that. Or I don't even want to ask somebody to help me with this. I rather just hand it off to somebody who does it.

SPEAKER_01 20:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Um, because you build relationships like that too a lot, um, which is what I'm realizing, especially like in our community, you know, North Carolina. Yeah, it's small, you know. You got um a small pool of creators and people who do certain things, and it's like, if I can hand this off to you, and I'm not always trying to look at it this way, but I'm like, I'm hoping that you hand something to me that doesn't fit your criteria. Yep. You know, so I think that's where I'm at right now.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

Yeah, I I I I feel like that's the most times that I say no as well. It's just straight up work I don't do.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:14

You want me to do a wedding, I'm not your guy. When we do a music video, I'm not your guy.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

You know what I'm saying? Like, it's it's certain things in the industry I'm just not touching.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

It's not because I can't do it, it's just that I I've done it before and I don't want to do it anymore. It's just not what I'm passionate about. I'm gonna show up, it's really gonna be about the money.

SPEAKER_00 21:34

Right. And I'm gonna be miserable.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

And I'm gonna be miserable the whole time.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

Especially if it's not going the right way.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

I'm not gonna be good company. Exactly. Like at all. Um but yeah, I think, and I think the only other times that I I've been saying no a lot to clients is I mean, obviously if someone completely lowballs you, yeah. You know, somebody with a silly offer um for a project, and it's just ridiculous. It's like, yeah, I can't. Can't do that.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Right.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

Um, but really just been like if if I can't do it or or if my team can't do it. You know, like, hey, we I think it was like before Thanksgiving. Like that that time in November, folks was just going crazy with stuff like the week prior or the week of. I was like, yeah, I still don't have nobody that can do it. You know, so and at that point, you know, they they gotta go find somebody else. Right. Um But yeah, I think I think I want to kind of end this on uh just us stressing kind of how we started with us stressing that that human factor of the relationship. Um I will say that from the people that I've known, like word of mouth, people referring me, um, but also once I meet those people, like you said, being a good person, I think that has has brought me more um business business than than anything in the relationship factor. I think even like when I'm on location and my team and I, if we make a mistake or something falls through, we had a client where there was a deliverable missing or accident. It's like a photo, they needed something. And the strength of the relationship kept us working with that client.

unknown 23:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

So I do kind of want to like emphasize, you know, that to people that like, yeah, it's about the money. It's about, you know, you being a great uh videographer, editor, cinematographer, whatever you want to call yourself, it's about that too. But really, I think the base of it is the relationships. That's the real part because those relationships, those people are gonna reach out to you. Um, they may reach out to you earlier before the RFP hits hits everybody else.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

They may tell you certain inside things because they have a relationship with you. And then they're most likely to come back to you because they know who you are, they know your work, they know what you're gonna bring to the table. So I think that's kind of I like that we started with it, but I think that's kind of like a nice little bowl to put at the end is like the relationships really matter when it comes to negotiations.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:11

100%. Um, I mean, kind of similar to what you said in the beginning of that, is like for me personally, I can't really recall a time that I've done like self-marketing. Yeah. You know, other than posting on Instagram or like, I don't even call that really marketing. That's just posting your work. You know, that's just the day and age where we are, we're at. Um but as far as like your your relationships and um the people you come in contact with and their job that you do when you're on set, and then the word of mouth aspect is everything, um, in my opinion. Um and it's funny, like, if I just think back to my basketball days. I'm an old basketball player, by the way, guys. So I'll I re I will refer back to basketball a lot because it just makes sense in my head. Um, I wasn't the most like focused on the relationships I had with my coaches, my teammates. I was all about basketball. Yeah. Which in the camera, I'm all about the money. But you cannot, that's not gonna excel you to where you want to go. No, because at the end of the day, people just want to work with people who do a good job, of course, but like they want to be around. Um, you know, and just as even like society, I've been on a deep dive, like you know, we're going into 26, 2026. I'm thinking about like my friendships, relationships, you know, things that I want to continue in 2026 and get rid of. It's like, all right, um, I don't want to take any baggage with me. Yeah, um, I don't want to take anything that's really holding me back. I want to clear out space. Like I'm in that mindset. Like I'm I'm thinking about spring cleaning right now.

SPEAKER_02 26:06

Yep. Um I feel you.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

But in terms of relationships, it's like I don't want to have clients who it hasn't been a good time, like you know, working with you. You know, because you could be paying my bills essentially, but if I'm not enjoying it or it's not serving me in any other way other than money, this ain't really a value to me. You know what I'm saying? Like I could I could focus in time on doing actual marketing, like marketing myself to different clients who I think I would have a good relationship with.

SPEAKER_01 26:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Um, so that's been a lot of what's been on my mind lately as far as you know, going into 2026 is like, all right, who do I want to work with? And not just for the money, but for the experience, you know.

SPEAKER_02 27:05

So yeah. Um I I mean to piggyback off of that, it's it's the same vibe. It's like I'm trying to find the clients that I enjoy working with. It's been an enjoyable experience. Um I mean, even even even creators, yeah. You know, like we work, like me and you we work really good together. But you know, in the past I've I've worked with folks that they do great work, but we just can't find a common ground when it comes outside of that.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Right.

SPEAKER_02 27:38

Um so for me, it's like I'm thinking of I don't want to sound arrogant and be like like Kanye, like my presence is a present. But like, but it is. And like if you want to be around client, you know, this friendships, everything. Like, you for me, you have to earn that to be in my space. And for me, that's just like what I give folks. It's gonna be respect, it's gonna be professionalism, it's gonna be all the things that you can possibly think of that's that's on the positive side of it, good energy. So I feel you on that because that's I'm not doing this to be like miserable as if I was clocking in to a nine or five. Yeah. I want to enjoy it.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

Exactly. Man, I gotta go back to what you just said about like not being arrogant and saying, like, or if Kanye said your presence present your presence is a present, but it really is like, and this is going back on me just like deep diving into how like I want to move in 2026 and things I want to carry with me, yeah, is you know, going way off kind of topic where we're at. But in the world that we're in, we're so materialistic in a way. We're so about, you know, what we're wearing, what status symbols in my mind. And it's like, okay, I think this is just me getting older, frontal lobe is developing. Um, what really matters to you, like what really for me, like what really matters to me? And I'm like, all right, I really care about my family, I care about my relationship with God, and I care about like the people I'm with. That's right. You know, the people, the company that I keep. And it's like, I don't want to waste time with people I don't enjoy being around because that's all you're gonna remember. Oh, I don't know what happens after, you know, this life, or even just with when you, you know, lose people, it's like their things don't matter. It's like you miss that person. Um, so you know, who you work with and who you surround yourself with and like the vibe they bring, and the you know, the presence that they bring is truly the most important. Um I think everybody should think about that. Do a deep dive into the people you keep around you um because life is short. I've lost a lot of people recently, um, which is why I'm like heavy on this topic.

SPEAKER_02 30:11

But, you know, it's real though.

SPEAKER_00 30:14

You just gotta, it's about the company you keep at the end of the day. That's all I gotta say.

SPEAKER_02 30:19

And I mean, that's that's part of like what this show is. I know I feel like we're kind of going off. I mean, we're going off topic a little bit. We're still in relationships.

SPEAKER_00 30:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:26

But that's what this is. Yeah. It's like, how do you how do you navigate this world of being this creative entrepreneur?

SPEAKER_00 30:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Both on the creative side, the business side, but even on the personal side. Like that's real.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

Like you, this not, you're not doing this to be miserable.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

Right. And I think businesses and personal lives are so intertwined now too. Like, if you think about a lot of the creators that you see, it's not, you don't only see their business side a lot of times. Like, people are influencers that show what their home life is like, they show what their family life is like. So it's like, if I'm letting you into all that, then okay, I should be selfish with the type of people I want to let into that.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

So yeah. Yeah, yeah. Cool. I appreciate everybody tuning in uh to the production prism. Uh, if you like what we talked about today, like, comment, subscribe, and we'll see you on the next one.

SPEAKER_00 31:28

Peace.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

Peace.