I was not setting out to create the show. And I met this woman who came to learn about how to teach mindfulness, social emotional learning, like kind of kid friendly neuroscience to her kids. And she was like, You should like, maybe make some videos and it's like, oh, yeah, sure. I've never really like I don't really have the funds or the resources to do it in the way that I like my perfectionist in that type of space with my creativity. She's like, well, I've got funds. I really didn't think anything was gonna happen for this girl. This woman excuse me, wrote me a battle check. Yeah, and I was like, Oh, I guess I have to do this now. Welcome back to since 3000. I am Danielle Leslie. And today I'm joined by a true visionary disrupter creator, professional. Hi, my sister. She's the creator behind an amazing new children's show here now she's an event personality worked with so many incredible companies to help them create stand out content so me you are always given main character energy. Yeah. And I'm so glad to have you heard me. Welcome Jasmine wag dog. By the way, how are we color coordinate like we don't we didn't plan this. We this was not planned. She has a lime green shoes. And it's giving more. It's giving. I mean, it's definitely giving animation like I don't know, we're like some animated mermaid right now. But I we always do this girl, and I don't hate it. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Yeah. I'm so excited to bring you today's episode. But before we do, I need to make sure you've heard about member up. So community driven products are the future. But Facebook groups are a thing of the past. And after 10 plus years in the online education space, I've taken all my learnings and I've built this incredible platform member up. It's a customizable easy to use all in one platform where you can build a premium course community or membership site without the tech headache. Gone are the days of having to duct tape together, your content, your community, your payments, all on different platforms. I want you to do me a favor, do yourself a favor and head over right now to member up.com Ford slash Danielle. And you can get started for free today. I promise you. I can't wait for you to see this platform. It's beautiful. Okay, the design is amazing. Your community is going to feel at home here and you are going to take pride in your online business. It is the place to start. Head over to member of.com Ford slash Danielle. Now let's get into the episode. I love how we met. It was this magical summer, magical Summer. Summer. Everybody was outside. Afro punk, who you were in at the time you were with Afro punk. Right? Yes, I was working with Afro punk managing their social media. Oh my gosh. And I just remember this, like magical being coming up. And then we ended up just like spending the rest of the festival with you. And we went to like after party. And since then we've just like remained friends. You moved across the country. But you mentioned that was such a magical summer and there was like a jasmine then. And you're like, oof, and you're like, relishing in that and I'm curious, like what were the moments from that summer that made it that magical summer at the beginning of that summer. I wrote it and I recently went back and read it in my diary I wrote, I'm only going to say yes to what feels true. Because I am a person who I wouldn't necessarily call myself a people pleaser. I'm sure you wouldn't describe me as that either. But I'm someone who cares about a lot of people and for the people that I care about. I really want to like make sure that they're good, but in life in many times that's off often left me in a position of like giving more than I truly have to give and I remember that summer I had I was just depleted. I felt very depleted by a lot of things. And I was coming on like okay, I'm going to be for three months traveling on my own. I was in New York for most of that time and then I did six weeks in Europe and I was just like fully in Europe. I did Spain, France Germany and Italy wow all by myself what felt magical was like realizing the power that my no gave so much more power to my Yes. And I learned how to say no like with authority and with grace that summer. Oh my Okay, so sorry. This is wild. So we have I just spoke with my and grace. Yes. And one of the things she spoke about was her no. And I just love that you just said you learned to that the know, made your guests stronger. And you mentioned with authority and grace. It's like Grace is in the space with us. We know we love grace. I need to meet grace, because I haven't. Like if we're connected through like other people that we both love. And I'm like, already know, like, as soon as I meet grace, it's about oh, it's great that you're watching this girl. Oh, me. We've had these man's period. So I love this. You traveled to Europe for six weeks? You learned this new? Yes. A really? It was like a firm. Yes. It was a really firm. Yes. It was a fuck yes. Like there was no maybes that summer. And because I my moon is in Libra, for the astrology girls out there. And dirty to us. Yeah, as well. So for the Libras. We're all about the balance and like in diplomats, and like weighing out the scales, right? And so I can do that. And I can do that to the point of like inertia. Or I'm like, oh, but this could be good. But then if I do that, and so like, when it comes to saying no, or saying yes to something, if it's because if it's a strong and it was a strong, no, but a lot of things. I've I'm so blessed that in my life, like I'm just often presented with like, decently to pretty good to like excellent opportunities and options, amazing opportunities and options. Yes. So like, it's very rare that it's like a strong, no. So then I'm like, Okay, well, if I just like keep saying yes to the like, oh, but it could be good moments, and I'm depleted. I'm older now. Like, I'm getting older every day, every year and like, I don't have the same, my energy is finite. So like, I really have to be mindful with my yeses. And so, you know, with the Libra Moon thing, it's like, well, if it's a maybe in a maybe, yes, let me just do it and see, you know, let me mess around and find out. And it's like, that has left me obviously with some cool moments and memories, but also just feeling tired. I'm noticing just how tired I am. And it's a good tired, tired from doing incredible things, but tired. And so I remember that summer was like the beginning of my journey of being more intentional. And the it was basically like, if it is not an absolutely, like I will if I don't say yes to this, I will look back and I will regret it, then that's the Yes. If it is anything other than that. It's a no. And just leave in that left me so much space. Like it left me so much space because I you know, obviously like, Okay, I'm gonna do this podcast interview, and then I'm gonna go meet you for lunch. And then we'll do like a little dinner, like a pre dinner thing. And then we'll go to a party, and it's like, girl. And so when I was saying no to things that maybe left me with like, one yes, a day. And so then all this space opened up for me in my life, and that space is the moment that you met me, you know, because I have the space to really pay attention to what's happening right in front of me. Right? If I'm saying yes to all these things, and it's like I'm always looking for I'm always looking to the next thing that I said yes to. And I've missed, I've missed a lot of moments that were standing right in front of me and they don't always have to be these big grandiose moments, right like a moment talking meeting a stranger. And just having like a sweet comment in passing, that like shifts your mood for the day and shifts your life potentially shift your life and so that's some I just had so much space I like my there were I remember there were days were like my only goal was to like go to this one bookshop and like get this new book and on the way to this bookshop. I mean the people that I met the just the funny New York moments or like you know European moments that I saw, like just these things that that live in me as such sweet memories and then maybe didn't shift my whole life shifted my perspective for that day and for that moment there were so special in the summer was so full of them because I left the space for it. I like really learned and I learned how to say no without having to then like explain it's like no is a complete sentence oh my gosh and then is that were here now was born Mm hmm was that we're here now is born in some ways Yes. Here now is honestly not it like became a strong yes very recently here now is like actually want to is more of an example of like, when God or the universe or whatever have you want something to be is gonna be and so I was not setting out to create this show and tell us so for everyone watching so I just got to see the real for this the trailer and it was phenomenal. It was at Soho House in New York. Yes, amazing. Incredible. I was so impressed by how you really incorporated science. We learned about the brain I learned About the amygdala, okay, you took concepts like the brain emotions and broke them down for kids created this amazing children's show. And I want you to explain to everyone what the show was about. But what I will say is I loved sitting next to you, as the writer, producer, and star of the show, watching you watch it, and being like, Tam, she's bad. Like, what? How incredible. So let everyone know what is here. Now what what makes it special, so that they can understand this incredible. Thank you so much. So here now is a show that I as Daniel said, rope, President's health and star in. And it is a show for preschool and upper preschool aged children based in mindfulness and social emotional learning, taking the science behind emotions, and making it practical and, and accessible to children and specifically children of color, utilizing music, hip hop dance, and like the cultural references that are important to our community make these things not just accessible, but relatable, and like really center it in our world. And so the show came was birthed out of me being a teacher, I was a teacher in Oakland for three years a year I show. Bay Area. Yes. So I was there for three years teaching, I was contracted by the public school system to create a curriculum and do these push in programs that would come into like, I had seven to 12 classes a day, Oh, wow. From ages, it started out K through six. And then eventually in, in two days, like in one week, I would see K through 12. And there'd be like these 2030 minute classes where like, I'd come in and I'd prepare whole thing. And it kind of became like a little talk show throughout the like, I would ask them questions we do. Like you'd ask the kids question. Absolutely. Yes, I'm like, they'll just come learn from come in there and just like disseminate information on them. Like no, I, that's what the show is about is that the knowledge is inside of you, and just giving you language. And so after three years of teaching, I knew that like the structure of public school wasn't the place where I could, like truly thrive and where this work could truly the work could thrive there. But it was I just I couldn't I couldn't continue to do it. So I wanted to scale this work. And through a series of very fortunate events, I was able to create the show because I met someone who wanted this thing to be created. Right? So if anything like So here now isn't really an example of that. Because when I quit teaching at the time, Lyza wasn't popular yet. And at the time, I was pursuing my music career and I had envisioned myself, I basically envisioned, like what Lizzo is and who she who she is in the world and what she stands for, like that is I like envision myself as but like, body positive self love popstar. Like, this is 2017 2018. So it obviously Lizzo existed shout out to you queen, but she wasn't on the forefront as she is now and definitely as she became like, you know, 2019 2020 So that was actually my, my vision. My next step after I stopped teaching, and I met, I met that and I had been working casually on this like book series. And I met this woman who came to learn about how to teach mindfulness, social emotional learning, like kind of kid friendly neuroscience to her kids. And she was like, You should like maybe make some videos. And it's like, oh, yeah, sure. I've never really like I don't really have the funds or the resources to do it in the way that I like, I'm a perfectionist in that type of space with my creativity. She's like, well, I've got funds. And I was she was like, why don't you just send me a proposal and let's see what happened. And so my mind just went off and I like, wow, conceptualize the show. And it's like, I really didn't think anything was going to happen for this girl. This woman Excuse me. Romea battle check. Yeah, oh, I guess I have to do this now. Wow. So I'm able to you know, I made it so real. And I was shocked because I was like, Girl, like, I just put a pentacle sentences down. I never written a screenplay, or like a screenplay or a script or any of that. So I enrolled in an online screenwriting course at like, Berkeley City College and I love it got like every book rewatched every episode of Mr. Rogers like okay, if we're doing I guess we're doing this now and created the show and even then like, and I was able to, like call in every favor that I could to, like, bring in the right producers and the right talent and the right collaborators. But even after we filmed that, I said It was like, okay, like this will probably like live on a YouTube and like a couple of videos might go viral. But like this will probably be it because writing it was like one of the hardest things I've ever done. I did a good job. But like, how long did that process take you to write months? Whoa, eight months. And that's for like multiple, like a whole season three episodes that you saw, it took me a lot of time, because you were learning in that time. Also, when you became a student? Yeah, I had to learn, like how to take what I like translating what was happening in class, what I was doing in classrooms, into characters into stories into plots, and giving those characters their own life in their own backstories. Like, that's just people pay go to school to do that. And it's not easy. And it's not for the faint of heart. And there was like, just in that process alone, I learned so much. And I was like, Listen, if this is the most the farthest I get with this, honestly, I've just learned so much. And like, I'm grateful. And it's kind of been like that with the show. So we created it. It was amazing. And I was like, Oh my gosh, like this, I wow, we created something incredible. And there was so much momentum, and then we had meetings lined up with Netflix and Amazon and you know, all these folks who were interested in it, and then pandemic happen. And they were no, no my contacts with those places. They were no longer acquired. They weren't. They didn't know when they were going to acquire new projects. Then, you know, a year later, those people don't work in those places anymore. And I lost a lot of steam for the project. And I'm just really grateful. There were a few key people in my life who were like, no, like, this is amazing. Keep going, keep going. And to be honest, like for like a year and a half. I just seem to think about it. I really didn't even really I didn't I kind of came to a place of like acceptance of like, I did this amazing thing. I learned a lot about screenwriting. I like brought in my community I got I had this crazy new experience. The person who invested in it, she's really not pressed about she wasn't pressing me like, Hey, what are we? She was just like, yeah, it's, you know, I'm happy. We choose whatever, she didn't care. Yeah, thinking about it. So I wasn't thinking about it. I had so much life happened to me in the pandemic years, that it just wasn't in the forefront of my mind until I found out that I got a fellowship from the Soho House on the merits of this project. No way. Did you apply for fellowships, someone told me about it last summer. And he was like, You should apply? And I was like, oh, yeah, whatever the application took maybe 1520 minutes. If you're creative, and you're watching this, do look it up the so House Fellowship, I filled it out law I applied last August, I heard back in December of 2021. And ever since then, like the project has gotten a second resurgence, they had a screening at Soho, West Hollywood, and the right people were in the room and just opened all these doors. And so that's kind of where we're at now. But like the the project is it wasn't actually like a strong Yes. It's always just been like, okay, I guess I'm doing this okay, I guess I'm doing this. And that's one of the examples of like, where that can actually be magical. And so I'm really grateful for that. Now it is just like such a strong, resounding yes. Where I'm like, this project wants to happen. Oh, yeah, it wants to come through. And I actually I'm blessed that it chose me. So I'm gonna just count my blessings and keep taking the steps forward. It chose you, it chose me, but it continues to test every bit of my creativity. Patients. Now that I'm in the business part of it were like, Okay, I've we've created the proof of concept. We've created this pilot series. We've written the scripts, we've branded it, we've done all these things, we've showed it to people. Now we're in the business aspect of it. And it is like tapping in every single piece of my imposter syndrome. So every single day that this project continues to grow. My practice of showing up for myself and believing in myself and betting on myself gets passed to get stronger. Oh, what is that? I love that you said as this thing is growing. It's like, oh, okay, the imposter syndrome is keeping up. What is that practice that you have that helps you really believe in yourself? I mean, a lot of it is I'm teaching it in the show is like I do meditate, you know, more traditionally, like kind of sitting silent meditation. I do that every day. And I have to. And, you know, my dream world is doing it for like 2030 minutes every day, but like that just so rarely happens. And realistically, like just since I've been in New York for the last two weeks, it's been like, three to seven minutes. That's what I have. That's where my attention span is at right now. But like I have to do it. I have to do it every single day. I think it's speaking it out loud when I'm feeling the impostor syndrome come up if I'm alone, just like saying like woof I am feeling I'm feeling this, this and this right now. And just speaking it and and presencing it I think just like take some of the power away for me. Yes. And I'm so blessed that I have such incredible friends people like you people just I mean, like Sean, just so many incredible folks in my life that if that isn't enough, there are so many homies that I can call up and be like, Girl Like, I am about to walk into this meeting with peacock and I'm just like, What? No, Jasmine, they need you. What? You really there's no one. I'm like, how have you seen yourself like late when you said pop star? I'm like, yes. It's like your announcer pop star. Pop star. I love how there's no one else who could have created the show you created the characters you created. Who's everyone's favorite character? Let us know. Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy AMI is a snake plant. And just to be clear, she's an African American snake plants. Okay. She got ahead, she got a head wrap. She got her leaf locs crown, her crown. She's, she's amazing. And the best. One of the things that I love so much about this project is really to call, I was able to call in so many people that I love and support me. And so mommy AMI an animated character. She was written about my godmother, who are Mikayla Gassen lives in Oakland, and she's an acclaimed jazz vocalist and singer, as well as a representative of the US Embassy in Kazakhstan, where she does like social repair work with children through music. Wow. She's truly incredible. And I She's supported me so much through different chapters of my life that I knew that in the show, I knew I wanted a character like that. And it was like, sort of imagined, let me just write her. Let me just like, pull from my life and experience and write about her. So she actually did the voice over for that character. And that's her boy. That's horrible. credible, oh, my goodness, even better. I feel very strongly that she continues to be, you know, when we get picked up that she will continue to be the voice of his character. She did such an amazing job. And she did it all in one take. No, she's like, she was like reading the script as she went. And I was just like, okay, yeah, I think that's it. That's wrap. Like, you can go thank you so much. So special. I mean, again, so yeah, this here now is not an example of my like, hard. Yes. Hard. No, it's, it's the complete opposite of that. And that's, you know, that is the exception. That's like, that's the kind of stuff that maybe happens, you will be blessed if it happens once in your life. It's a follow the breadcrumb example of like, just maybe the IRS understanding the resounding Yes, in your spirit to like, have to do something. There's so many moments where I'm like, It's okay. It's let the project go. And I like you better come on. Oh, now better come on back and respond to these emails better come on back. And you know, make these pitch decks you better come on back and do these screenings, and like, really let people into this world that you created. So I'm, I'm really grateful here now has now since bringing it calling in amazing partners, we have developed the project to 2.0. And so the piece that feels so important is that it is it is for us, every kid is going to watch it and love it and enjoy it. But it is for is for black and Latino children. That's who centered that's whose story is prioritized. And I wanted to get a little bit further away from the like, being in a suburban house on a Big Comfy Couch setting, which is those things are magical. And they're wonderful, but I wanted to set it in a place that felt more neutral. And that like more naturally invoked the energy of like true authentic, like, diverse representation. So of course, I had to set it in Brooklyn. And because music is such a big piece of the show, putting it in like a record store. Oh my gosh, I love this. And I saw clips of you shooting it yesterday. So tell us more why the record store and now who is melody in this new environment? Yes. So why the record store is like, such an easy answer, which is like music felt the most important. What I love about the show is it's it's helped me bring in every piece of myself that like felt really dissociated from one another. And to bring it all into one project, right because I I was an educator, but that felt very different than my like life as a musician at the time and I quit education and pursue music. And like I'm a badass event and just like producer, I'm a badass producer. I bring together the magic to make the thing happen. And you know, and I'm a creative And I'm and I'm a visionary in that way. And the show gave me the opportunity to bring all those in. And so music because that was like what I was so focused on when I was creating the show, which is maybe why it took so long is because I was like, what I was supposed to be writing a new album, I'm supposed to be writing new music. Oh, yes. So that is while it's wild. Okay, so music just feels like the most important one of the most important pieces of this show, because it's how we get the message across. Otherwise, it's just, yeah, me telling kids about their amygdala, their prefrontal cortex, which is like not there's nothing wrong with that, but like, how do we ground it in something that's like that they actually want to engage with? Yeah, so setting it in a record store felt one like an ode to like music history. And just honoring like, the ways in which we engage with music. And for me, I think, a longing for the ways that people had to engage with music when we were, like, forced to just do vinyl. And granted, I wasn't alive during those times. But I was raised by a woman who like that's how she raised me to consume or engage with music growing up. So there was that there was like this nostalgic piece, there's like, you know, like a real marketing piece around like vinyls or make finals, a tracks like that are making a real comeback. So it felt like a moment, like a thing that could connect the youth of this time to their parents saying care about her, Oh, I know, I got my vinyl waiting for me. I can't wait. So there's that piece. And then also this concept of like, thinking about a type of store, like a type of neighborhood where like, music is really such an important piece of it, and a part of a piece of the history. So like thinking of the record store as a place that's like a central meeting place for the neighborhood that's neutral. But also it's like a place that feels comforting. That like music is the thing that no matter what language you speak, race, age, like it's one of the things that most people can connect on. And because you just connected on vibes, you know, you surround waves and vibe in your body. And so you walk into a record store, and it's like, okay, like, I'm here, I feel at home here. And that's what I wanted the show to feel like and which is why I chose a record store. And then melody in the original conception of the show, I played her, but as because I ran out of money. She's leaning on that, and one of them I ran out of money. She said I have funds, but not all the phones and or because you were supposed to point out well, because I Yes, right. Yes. And I ran out of money. And I was supposed to play her but the character was written as like more of like a childlike character, which is for me, actually, what had I built a lot of resistance around being in the show. And so every time I showed it to people, they're like, Oh, you clearly have to be in the show notes. Like, want to be in the show. Like sometimes I want to shake my ass on the internet. Like if I'm playing this like little girl on this kid show. Like, you know, that's maybe what led Steve to having a go to college. Not seen did not go to college. Okay, she went to rehab and shout out to him, but but I just didn't want that for myself. I really didn't want to build it. So the original character wasn't I didn't write it for me. And I played it because I just that it's what needed to be done to get the thing done. But in this new universe, where here now has evolved into melody records, Melody muse, the lead character and host play by myself she is the owner of this record store. Yes, she is. She's like the neighborhood, the that the the the like the kids in the neighborhood. It's, there's a little stage in there. So it's a way for musicians and guest artists naturally come in, right. So they're coming in to exchange their records, maybe they vibe out play a little song for the kids who just had a hard time they got into a fight on the playground, you know, just it felt like this, a setting and the space and facilities character to just like naturally create this vibe that I wanted, which is like a home away from home for everyone in the neighborhood. And to connect on a thing that can connect us all which is music. Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see the new version. I can't wait to see it either. Original. I mean, the one right now is incredible. And I love this new vision. Hey, this is Danielle Leslie and I have a question for you. If you are a creative entrepreneur, and your business is unique, why are you working with a generic accountant? One of the best decisions I made was who I would partner with on my taxes and my accounting. So if you're creative entrepreneur, you are growing your business you're scaling your business I want to introduce you to rebel. Rebel is a firm that can help you whether you're looking to prepare your taxes or you're looking for that year round support. They will tell you what's happening in your business and why. So if you're tired of being ignored, talk down to or feeling like you are chasing around your accountant and meeting to drive the relationship yourself. It's time for a change, head over to revel cpa.com Our EVL cpa.com Head on over fill out their interest form and make sure you look into working with them. Again, that is revel cpa.com r e ve l cpa.com. We all deserve the right firm to partner with. It's been proven that procrastination can be one of our biggest enemies to success. Now contrary to belief, procrastination is not based on a lack of time management or organizational skills. Procrastination is directly linked to to our emotions. Now, the reason I know this is because of Patti Johnston. Patti Johnston is incredible. She's of course from scratch member. But even more importantly, she's built multiple multimillion dollar businesses once she learned how to overcome procrastination. So she's created a program where she shares her system on how to overcome procrastination. And it's based on emotional intelligence, neuroscience and accountability, she's going to show you step by step how to overcome negative feelings. So you can start taking action and start seeing a difference from day one. So text this number right now to schedule an appointment with Patti and her team to see if this is right for you, and what steps for you to take to overcome your procrastination 813-789-1097. And again, the number to text right now is 813-789-1097. Let's all overcome procrastination together. Now let's get back to the episode. What I'm curious about because you distinctly chose to teach about emotional awareness, mental health, even you know, giving kids language and vocabulary around that. What inspired that to teach that specific thing what from your life made you say, I'm going to incorporate and teach this, I think it was that that's those are the things that I've struggled with the most in my life as a child and as an adult. And I'm so grateful that you know, I have therapy, and I was living in the Bay. So you know, had access to all of to any and all of the healing modalities that you could even ever imagine. But that came so much later in life. And I remember when I was creating that curriculum for the schools, and I was really like just starting to teach it. And I was seeing overtime, right, like 678 weeks, maybe a whole school year seeing how it really impacted kids when they were learning it the same time that they were when they were learning about one how to how to name an emotion, how to recognize it in their body, and then how to express it at the same time that they're learning how to read, how to write, you know how to count and stuff that it's like, it was integrated at such a like a pivotal moment of like, where their brain is just everything is new. So it's just like, okay, everything is new, and therefore everything is normal. Seeing what that did over the course of one school year, maybe two school years with these kids. I was just like, who I mean, I'm gonna just, I'm like, I'm gonna let my petty out for a moment. I was jealous. I was like, how? I mean, I think I'm pretty dope. I think I'm pretty emotionally intelligent. I have you know, I want to continue to grow and move towards the in this life. Yeah, but I did I remember I don't feel this way anymore. I just feel grateful now, but I remember feeling like damn, like, how dope how much easier? How much less stress? How much less trauma? Would I have? Integrated? Like could I have integrated or not integrated into my life if I had had access to these tools if they were given to me at a young age and I thought about my parents like know how different my mom's life had been? had she known that it was okay to cry like no, my I came from I come from a family that has deep history, generational history of mental health, on both sides, like of mental health crises, you know, schizophrenia, addiction, bipolar disorder, manic depression, just like these real things that like really colored my experience. As a child. It's the reason I became a creative is because I wanted I used to love to write and to put loud music on so I couldn't hear my parents fighting, or, you know, read fantasy books because I just wanted to imagine anything other than what my reality was as a child. And that was such a blessing but I can't imagine how different my life would have been had my mom had access, you know, had my grandma had access had her grandmother her mother had access to just knowing how to to feel your anger, your righteous anger without letting it control you to hold to embody your sadness, without having to like pass it on to everyone around you right to truly feel your joy to feel okay and not guilty about feeling joy and moving towards joy. It's such a gift to have one I feel so privileged that granted, I feel like I kind of learned them late in comparison to my former students. But I'm grateful that I have access to those things in a relatively young age. And so I knew that if there was any, there's so much that needs healing and work in this world. And I can't, I can't attend to it all. But I really feel like the lane that brings me the most joy that feels rejuvenating to me is to share as much as I know about that. And just even if it's like not sharing the knowledge itself, we're just creating the space and opportunity for young people specifically, because it's this next generation they've got between climate change girl ever session, they might even have water to drink, okay, they got tic tac though they'd but they got to talk, there's just so much that they're having they're being inundated with, like, if they could just have these tools, if nothing else, like, I think that there'll be okay. I felt really strongly about wanting to give those tools as early as possible. Just like, frankly, because I wish that I had them. This is huge, because we talk a lot about embodying your past, present and future self, which a lot of times since we fail, Oh, wait 3000 3005 jingles by the end of this. Album? Period. You're gonna give me a feature girl? Can I be on one of the trial? No, this is you Khaleesi girl. You were saying? Oh, my God, I love you. Um, yes. So something I realized. And it was in creating course from scratch and seeing what people how they were taking their stories, telling their stories, creating frameworks, and teaching others who look like them were attracted to them because they saw themselves in them. And one day, it hit me that there is a lot of like generational growth that is happening. And it is growth, and which also means the healing. Kids go learning girl. And it was wild to me because I'm like, you know, we do have the opportunity to have that level of self awareness. tell our stories, learn the things. And in my mind, because past, present, future are all eternal. It's all the eternal present. They're all existing at the same time. I'm like, Oh, the work and healing we're doing right here is actually impacting our ancestors. I was talking to Robert, and you got a chance to meet him. And I mentioned to him a quote from blackest King that says history is your future. And it's about finding your way, which is why you know, people, the people who are wanting that are fighting tooth and nail to make sure that history isn't taught in its entirety. Why? It's not about all the kids this and that's like no, because we are all empowered by learning our history, all of it, all of it. And nobody's saying that any bit like nobody, nothing is nobody's fault today. Okay, now, but it's about knowing so that we don't repeat it because otherwise Yeah, we'll continue. It's all history, the present the future, it is all happening at the same time, and we will just reap, recreate it, rebrand it, you know, until we learn collectively the lessons Right? Or until we collectively do the healing. And yeah, so it's it's so important that like, I think about my ancestors. I mean, all the time. I mean, like, literally, they were Hey, y'all. Hey, y'all. Hey, grandma. I do I think about and I just want to say that today is actually the two year anniversary of my grandma transitioning into the best ancestor that I've ever had my very special days. And I felt her spirit when we had this spontaneous dance moment, right before we started recording. I felt her spirit and I and I felt it in this way of like, it's not like, Oh, this is just what she would want me to do is that this is the these are the type of moments that she just did not get to have in her in her body. But she's having them through me because she is in me. I am her DNA. I'm her spirit, the best parts of truly I think, you know, I can't take all the credit. But I think the best parts of me, I got from her. Oh, wow. And so when I'm dancing, I'm having those spontaneous moments of joy in the midst of just like this crazy world in this crazy time. I am healing not only for me, and for my moment and the things that I'm going through this woman I know that I'm healing for her. And I never met her mother but I know that I'm healing for her and so it's so important and of course from scratch. I did it and I got me a couple little bags from my course I did but one of the best He says that was like, having to, like, I meant having to tell my story. And going through the drafts of like, you know, the first draft of my, my first, you know, minimally viable course was like, what I thought it should be. And then I showed it to a friend, she was like, yeah, that's not it jazz. Like, it's good. It's totally good, but you're not going with that version of your story. It's not. It's the truth. It's technically the truth. But it's a hyper edited version of your story in you, the magic of you does not come through to that. And so the type of people you're gonna call him through that, what you described was going to be the type of you will call on people just because you knew that you walked into play pay period, you will call in the funds, you will call them opportunities, but they will not be the things that you want that will align with you. And I was like, damn, okay, so I went back. And I did a b two. And she's like, Yeah, this is like getting there. But it's not it, you're. And I realized in that process that I was scared, I was scared to tell my story to other people. Because I haven't told my story to myself, I haven't read my story myself. Because some of the stuff is painful. It's some of the stuff we hold shame, we hold the guilt. If we don't say it, then it's like, you know, there's I think there's a societal like, unspoken rule of like, well, we just don't talk about it. We don't look about it's just not there. It's just not true. And, you know, we've postured in this way that no one sees it. But with the work that I wanted to do with my course, and I created it several years ago, was I knew I wanted to call in the me's similar with like the kid show, I wanted to call in people who had a similar story and who were working through things so that we could, I could share some of the tools that I've learned, but we could learn together. And it took me several versions, several drafts of working through that course, of telling my story until I got to, and and telling your story doesn't have mean you need to like trauma dump on everyone, right? Like no one. People don't have, like, that's not what it needs to connect, but it has to be real, it has to be real, it has to come from a place of like, at least for me humility. And to me, when I think about humility, I think of like true power. Like, yes, this is truly this is this is the area where I shine. This is these are the things that I've had challenges with, this is how I've risen to the challenges. This is where I've fallen short. And this is what I have to offer in this moment. And it took me like maybe nine months of like, back and forth with that course with, you know, your pre recorded guidance, which are pretty rare. But girl, your hair changed so many times. Your hair changed so many times. It was amazing. Like, okay, we're this or that and it's your house changed. You don't moved across the country. It was amazing. But it took me a while to get my story to a place that was like both the truth but also like distilled, and I wasn't because I was also like, at first I was like, Okay, here's what I was saying when I was four years old, and my and I couldn't ride the bike. And I was dyslexic, and it's like, okay, like everything. Oh, that sounds interesting. It was interesting. But yes, you know, so I'm just so grateful. I think there's a lot of power in that. And I think that, you know, bringing it back to melody records, this children's show, like, I think that like learning about the way that your emotions live in your body and truly from like a from both the like, kind of spiritual standpoint, but also the emotional and the scientific. Like I think it empowers us to get to be more curious about ourselves and what's happening by paying closer attention to ourselves. And the more that we can normalize that I think the easier it is for us to be writing, reading and writing our own story in real time. So you know, it's all connected. That is good. So one of my favorite things I watched recently was Brene Brown's special. My roommate, my girl, my girl. Okay, you don't want to come to everything. I would like Brene Brown, some potato salad. You shouldn't trust her. She can bring Yes, she can come when she talked about you know, emotional granularity. That's essentially what you're helping kids understand? How do we put vocabulary around our feelings beyond, I feel sad, I feel depressed, I feel stressed. I feel anxiety. And in watching that, I realized how limited my vocabulary is around my feelings and how that can be. I'm like, Cool. Phase one was being able to name it. That was the self awareness was okay, I'm feeling it. And then it was okay, I can name it. And then the next level was okay, now can we expand our vocabulary? Because if we're naming it these same four things, for me, my most favorite ones are stress and anxiety. You feel me? Sure, like, I know, like when you're stepping or stair stepping down where they're like, having shorter shorter times with me. And but I think like realizing, Oh, I have like two reoccurring ones. But I wonder how much you How I can address them. If I expand my vocabulary to maybe it's not quite stress, maybe it is excitement. Like maybe it is the overwhelm maybe it like but at least expanding it because then I can have an actual conversation with what it truly is. So it really just watching that opened my eyes to be like, next time I call it and name it something when we asked myself, is that what it is? Or is it this other thing? And like trying a few other words on? Absolutely. And I think specifically with like, how do I how do I take that thing, right? Cuz she taught that in like, a college level course it's called, oh my gosh, it's a read book, I have the book now I can't think of the name Atlas a bar that was at the heart thinking, How do I take something that's Atlas of the heart that is truly like academic like, you know, this is grad school level writing and reading and understanding to some degree? How do I take that and distill that for a five year old, a five year old who's maybe at a title one underfunded public school? You know, like, how do I how to write this for them. And it's like putting it in the body. Right? So I think a lot of ways it's like step one of being able to just have an expanded vocabulary. But then I think also grounding it because I know for me, I can get so heavy because I know so much. Okay, I'll be reading okay, I was dyslexic, but now you know, but now I Paraiba. Now I can read your faith and LeVar Burton. So I'll be reading, I got a very expanded brain and during the rainbow, okay, over the rainbow and I have a very expanded vocabulary. And so I know a lot of words, and sometimes I can be too smart for my own good because I can just like, ruminate on the like the maybe it's just like, get really heady about it. And that's a really slippery slope, I think for people who are emotionally intelligent, but then like, the emotional avoidance will sometimes be real slick with it, and come in that way. It's like, oh, well, if I just think about it, and I'm trying to, like, pull these words and these names to it, I don't actually have to feel it. Ultimately, emotions do live, they like birth and and like exit through the body. And if we stay in the cerebral, we're never going to get the true lessons. And the gifts and or like truly expel them from our body. My approach to it with kids is like, always first awareness and like acknowledgement. So like, what is it that I remember, it was called Breathe, acknowledge, accept and move. And that move piece is very important. Because once you're able to do those pieces that are like very cerebral, you're able to then like, let's go down, let's go down the stairs. Let's now like where's it in my body because for me, like the difference between anxiety, or like excitement and anxiety, they actually feel very, very similar in my body. And I think that I miss categorize them a lot. And the only way I'm able to really know which one it is, and therefore, like, what needs to like what my response with the best response that I have is, is to like go into my body because for me when I'm anxious, that actually I feel it actually like a lot more up here. Because it's more of a like, for me it shows up in my body is just like sometimes it'll even show up in like pressure in my head or like in the back of my neck around here like in my jaws clenching. When I'm feeling excited about something and actually lives more like kind of like butterflies. Oh, and though they can have they can be very similar and like it's granular like the difference. But once I like really go into my bodies, how I'm able to be like, Okay, no, no, actually, I'm just really excited for this interview with Danielle. I'm actually really excited to talk to peacock about this show are excited to talk to these potential buyers about the show. Like, I'm not Yeah, there may be sure there's maybe a little bit of it, but like truly it's excitement, and maybe with like a 10 and maybe fears like coming in there a little bit. And I feel that in my chest to like really getting into that relationship with myself in my body and like normalizing that for young people. But yeah, Brene Brown, she is really, she has her work has like influenced me so deeply in my life. And so shout out to Brene Brene if you are watching this girl call me. Oh me, Brian a DM shoot, I've been trying to talk to you. We had a great conversation. So you came over the night that Renaissance dropped and you were like, can we have a listening party? And I was like absolutely we're doing a lot a lot at my house you're coming over and we ended up having a conversation around like the different platforms which was so unexpected any you were able to articulate what you see with like, the culture tick tock is creating and then the culture that exists on Facebook and then the culture that is on Instagram. And you have such a cool vantage point because, you know, you have worked at these different companies like Afro punk doing social media, and then I'm Skillshare content producing like you've worked on both sides with the Creator branding with the organization in my day with campaigns and I've been the person who's the creator who's trying to put out a campaign of my own. Yeah, so I want to get your thoughts on what are the differences between like an Instagram a tick tock, what are you saying? Because you study this, I study this and I and I live this there was a point in my life where I was like, such a hippie and I was like, no technology, like get the 5g away from Me. No Wi Fi in my house, through working with kids and realizing like okay, how much was the connected them is like, I need to know what they care about, especially once I like moved from elementary school into working with high schoolers for a very short period of time. Cuz girl, they were like, my antics were not cutting it. Really? No, they weren't. They thought I was so corny. Oh, they really did. Girl, no one will tell you about no one will read you faster and more accurately than a 10th grade girl. If you are watching, I'm still processing that in therapy. My like, shift from like, this is all just evil technology to like, let me see what they talking about. started when I was teaching and at the time a snap was really big. And there was an interesting moment when snap it was so big everyone was using because this feature of like, it doesn't have to be polished it lives for 24 hours, which is it was people loved it. That was new back then it wasn't about permanence. the impermanence of it like allowed people I think to feel a level of like levity with the creation Facebook being the like, you know, mega monopoly that is no shade to y'all, you know, they snatch that feature turns it into stories, and I just started to pay attention like what what's happening here, and specifically in 2019, I got onto Tik Tok. Because of the children. I had a couple of friends who have like preteen kids who are there now teenagers, and they were all like, musically, it's turned into tick tock and they're all doing his dance all doing things like let me see what's up with this. It's I got on tick tock, start paying attention. I'm looking at it and then pandemic happen. Everybody's all the people my age are moving on to tick tock. And I started to really because I got to see the platform in its full expression, I was able to see the ways in which a platform like Tic tock and apart from like, Instagram are such different places. I think that Instagram for me serves as like a more personal creative portfolio. As a creative I know, it's probably different for people who are just like, Listen, I'm just like, Joe Schmo from down the road. And like, this is like the the, you know, steak that I made on my grill. And like, I think there's a place for that too. But I think for the creative person, like Instagram really lives to me is like a pretty LinkedIn, if you will, because of the culture around like Instagram being highly curated, I just am a little more precious about what goes on my feed. Now shout out to them for bringing on that stories feature because it gives a little bit more of that. Real raw, like, this is me, this is the moment and then like you can kind of detach from it like, Alright, 24 hours, it's gonna be gone. It's great that they have that feature allows it to feel like some balance. But there's still just a level of pressure, I think as it relates to Instagram, because it just feels like because there's so much there's so many people on it, and different types of people. I mean, I think that a lot of employers will sometimes ask on job application, what's your handle, you know, and if they don't ask a lot of them will still I have friends who have recruiters and they'd be like, yeah, we'd be looking. And so there's just a level of like preciousness to have around that which I actually don't think is inherently a bad thing. I don't think that it is. But either way, it's just a more curated experience. As a creator, you know, as a person who is posting things and sharing things. They're now tick tock, this is a whole different world. Tick tock is like, Listen, I'm doing my hair, do my makeup, I'm making my tea, you're just here with me. This is what I have to say. Bam. And I might post 340s today. And they're in because of the way that the algorithm works is like I'm actually not, I'm not following anyone. I'm just the machine is learning what I like to see what I'm integrated, like what I'm interacting with. And so what you're showing me the type of stuff that I want from people who I you know, a creator maybe who has like 300 followers in Paris, but they got some good stuff to say about this new renaissance album. So I'm gonna listen. And there's just a way in which I think it allows people to be more real, to be more honest, I think it because the cadence of posting on Tik Tok is like you do 234 Or five a day that like there just takes a level of pressure off which I think allows people if you're creating on tick tock to just be a little bit more themselves and I think people feel really liberated by that in this Moment, especially in the last couple of years where it feels hard to placate and make something like this curated like this is how these are all my wins. It's like a, so few of us have been winning. And shout out to you if you have but like, you know, I'm just in my house and I'm like, I'm not winning, everything is going right. So like, I want to go in and share about it on tick tock, not Instagram. So I think that that's just like, and another piece like more generally is that insert or tick tock feels like an inside joke. There's culture there's, there's, there's references that are created being created on the app and that live within the app that even if you take it, shave it, save it to your phone and repost it to Instagram. It's just not it doesn't have the same context. Right? Like when you change the context, you change the experience. And so you experience content, I go to them for different things. I go to Instagram to like, hopefully to see my friends and stuff which you know, these days, you know, at Ozeri I'm looking at you I want to see my cousin, she just had a baby. I'm going to Instagram for that. And to post my beautifully highly curated photos I still be snapping off in the girlies Yeah, and to check my DMs you know, but I really want to connect in a very specific way be snapping on the girlies okay, because I do I do I want somewhere to post that and I'm not gonna put that on Tik Tok or Twitter or anywhere else. I wanted to I want to put it there. God forbid I put it on Facebook. But you know, when I go to Tik Tok, I'm looking for entertainment. I'm looking for like affirmation. Even my tick tock right now is just like literally like just all Beyonce, just all Beyonce. It's like people talking about Beyonce people trying to analyze people trying to choreograph people just like, Oh my God, what do you think she meant when she said this in cuff? It's like, yeah, I don't know. I thought I was the only weird person thinking about that on a Tuesday afternoon. There are different platforms that serve different purposes. And I really hope that there is a world where they both can exist in their own. Okay, that was my thank you for attending my TED talk on my hot takes on social media, everybody. Yeah. So on since 3000, we like to time travel. Are you ready to travel with me? I'm literally like, let's go. Come pick me up. So we're going 10 years, 20 years into the future. Okay. Okay. Maybe 30? All right. Yeah. Okay, we 6105. So 51 or 61. Jasmine? What is she doing? When she wakes up? Who is she being? Who is she wet? Who was she looking at? Where she going? What's her life like? Wow, I got like such a clear like she is one of our 51 year old baddies. She wakes up very early, and like spends a lot of the morning literally just doing just drinking tea on the porch and doing nothing. And just like sitting and looking out on a beautiful courtyard with like, birds and trees. And like is has time to herself. Reads if she wants to chills, stares out into the distance just like has space. Like doesn't have like a billion goals that she's trying to meet that day. Like she's done all the anything that you can imagine and more with her creativity and her the most creative thing that she can do is like watch the sunrise. That's where I continue to walk towards. Now not to do all the things before that one. Yeah, but to do all the things before that. But that's how that's how me 30 years from now wakes up and spends my morning and, you know, she maybe has smoked gram babies. Oh, okay. Does she Wow. Okay, why just said it. Okay, so I guess she does. We don't know how she got them. Okay, she's she's, oh, and what is? What were her highlights in her last like 20 years? What happened? I think that really creating, creating a show that raised, if you will, like raise a generation of kids was probably the most momentous thing that she did. And, you know, on after that, maybe she created a pot. Like she really loved the podcast moment. She got to like, do some red carpets. She got to buy a couple of properties in different countries. Start a couple of business ventures, but truly like the most impactful thing, but those were all like for fun to like just to see. Like what's it like? Okay, cool. This is great. Wait, give me a look back here give me a little back there. But I think the work that was the most meaningful to her and to her community and the world was was creating, creating a show that went to live on well past her being able to be in it. Thank you for sharing. Cheers to her sober fight. That's right. Okay. Oh, salute girl. We did that. And now it's time for you to tell the truth circle. What is the truth that is just in your heart right now top of mind, and maybe it's something you haven't yet shared with anyone. Maybe you've been out yourself. Girl, don't none of this matter. Oh, none of this matter. It's all are all of the other things that you're working towards. And the goals and this and that like, this is I'm always gonna be okay. In life, you're always going to be okay in life. Like, it's actually not the things. It's, it's the people it's the moments, the small moments and like, the whatever it is right now probably seems really daunting and hard and scary. But like, I promise you, when you're like that 61 year old Jasmine that you could like, you're not going to remember the like struggle of like not getting this opportunity or like, you know, not being able to rent the apartment of your dreams or have the this or the or the person who like rejected you like it's just like not gonna matter. And so to ground into the moments that bring you joy, you know, giving your homegirl a call and just checking on her. You know, go like taking a slow walk being sleep in if you need to some days, right? Just like don't go so hard on yourself because it's a promise you you're not going to remember it. So try to be present for those special smaller moments because those are the things that those are the things that you will actually remember. And if you don't remember in your head, you're going to remember in your body and your spirit. Nigeria I guess that's what I needed to hear today because I've been tripping. You also what I'm hearing is do it for the plot. Do it for the summer do it but apply lot girls summer and a tick tock inside jokes. Isn't that a tick tock? It is it's a plot girls summer. Okay. We're not here for the ending. We're not here for this. Let's let's create this plot. The best stories ever the best material for our stand up routines. Girl. Thank you. Such a good question. Yeah, thank you for answering. Thank you so much for joining me. This was so fun. Thank you for joining me on the Sophos is 3000 When people watch this episode, they're gonna want to stay updated with what's going on and follow you and be inspired by all this magic to get the vibes. So where is the best place to find you and follow you on Instagram? I mean, yes, Instagram first for the like for the real updates on all the things. So at Jasmine Fago, J, s, m and n EFUEGO? Because we know how because I've read a rainbow period. Thanks for reading. Right? Well, thank you levar call me. And I'm jazz if we go on everything jazz and fico.com Jazz if we go on tick tock tick tock is very different content. So you can go there to just just you know, don't be expecting you right on Instagram ready. And if you want to continue to follow show the show. It's at melody records. I love. Thank you. So I love to listen, sometimes life be life in and we do not know what's coming down that road next. Well, that's what happened to me in 2016 when I was unexpectedly laid off from my job. And I was six figures in student loan debt. I had no savings. And I didn't know what was going to happen next. Now luckily, I had this little voice inside of me at that time that I couldn't ignore. And it was telling me to take the leap. It was saying use this as your opportunity to build your business. Use this as your opportunity to create your dream life. And so I believe that life happens for us, not to us. And that nudge in my spirit, I should listen to it. Luckily I did. Fast forward to today I have a business that's made over $20 million. And I've helped over 10,000 people create their online businesses and their dream lives. So do you want to learn how to turn your story into an online product and launch in 30 days, head on over to course from scratch.com forward slash since 3000. I want you to join us on this journey so you can listen to that little voice inside of you too. So go now Do yourself a favor course from scratch.com forward slash since 3000.
