- 1/4/2024
0:00 This Personal Aircraft Can Be Yours For Less Than $200k
3:33 Ballerina Misty Copeland: 'You Should Be Impatient' For Change In The Dance World
18:23 The Birkin Bag's Iconic History And Why It's So Expensive
23:04 EbonyLife Media CEO Mo Abudu On Idris Elba Partnership And Taking African Stories Global
39:05 Meet The 11-Year-Old Painter Who Made $1.3 Million At Art Miami
41:10 Meet The Founder Of Peachy Den, Whose Customers Include Bella Hadid And Olivia Rodrigo
51:26 How GUAP Evolved From Creative Dream To Real Business With Sponsors Including Nike, TikTok
3:33 Ballerina Misty Copeland: 'You Should Be Impatient' For Change In The Dance World
18:23 The Birkin Bag's Iconic History And Why It's So Expensive
23:04 EbonyLife Media CEO Mo Abudu On Idris Elba Partnership And Taking African Stories Global
39:05 Meet The 11-Year-Old Painter Who Made $1.3 Million At Art Miami
41:10 Meet The Founder Of Peachy Den, Whose Customers Include Bella Hadid And Olivia Rodrigo
51:26 How GUAP Evolved From Creative Dream To Real Business With Sponsors Including Nike, TikTok
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - So the company has a novel aero architecture.
00:10 We call it tilt aircraft EVTOL.
00:13 So electric vertical takeoff and landing,
00:15 but we don't have rotating wings.
00:17 We don't have rotating motors or motors pushing motors.
00:20 So it's inherently very simple, lower cost,
00:24 higher reliability.
00:25 It's very easy to learn how to fly and it's a joy to fly.
00:29 (upbeat music)
00:32 So FAA has a regulatory carve out if you will.
00:36 It's a section of the FAR called part 103.
00:40 And part 103 defines that which is an ultralight aircraft.
00:45 And ultralight aircraft come with a lot of restrictions.
00:47 You can only operate them in G airspace.
00:50 You can only operate them over non-congested
00:53 or non-settled areas.
00:54 So we're not talking about anything that's be flying
00:57 over a city or near a busy airport.
01:00 So the Blackfly is the third generation
01:03 of a now pre-production vehicle,
01:05 which will always be our developmental heritage.
01:09 About two dozen vehicles built and flown over the years.
01:15 Again, in development for over a decade
01:17 with thousands and thousands of flight test sessions.
01:21 Well, today we announced, you know,
01:23 what the production vehicle,
01:24 the successor to Blackfly looks like.
01:26 It's called the Helix.
01:28 It's painted with a beautiful livery
01:37 and it's substantially different from the Blackfly.
01:40 We kept what we call the outer mold line
01:42 or the fundamental aerodynamics the same.
01:44 The structure is entirely new,
01:48 made from different composite materials.
01:51 We took substantial weight out of the structure
01:55 and we did that to make room for the kind of accessories
01:58 and functionality that someone buying an asset like this
02:01 would come to expect.
02:03 Beacon lights, aviation radios,
02:05 obviously the custom livery on the outside.
02:08 It turns out naked black carbon
02:10 gets a little hot in the summer sun.
02:13 And it also doesn't necessarily weather
02:16 for years and years and years.
02:18 So there's that.
02:19 We've added substantial margin to the propulsion system.
02:24 So owners will be able to fly at higher density altitudes
02:28 and we'll likely be raising the payload limit,
02:31 which today sits at only 200 pounds.
02:35 There's about 35,000 ultralights already in North America.
02:39 So we think there's room for thousands more per year.
02:42 A lot of them are just gonna do it for recreation.
02:45 You know, people buy ATVs and snowmobiles for recreation.
02:49 Polaris is a $4 billion company.
02:54 So recreation and fun is a pretty necessary aspect
02:57 of life, I'd say.
02:59 But more importantly, we'll be building out an install base
03:04 of cloud connected EV tolls,
03:08 where we're able to understand performance of the aircraft,
03:12 operator behavior, energy management,
03:15 part wear, battery wear, so many things.
03:20 We think that's gonna position us really well
03:23 for that next stage, which would be a larger aircraft,
03:27 likely to be certified under the FAA's
03:29 forthcoming Mosaic construct,
03:31 when that actually becomes law.
03:33 - Misty Copeland, thank you so much for speaking with Forbes.
03:36 - Thank you.
03:37 - So we are speaking at an event
03:39 dedicated to mentorship among women,
03:41 and you wrote an entire book dedicated to your mentor,
03:45 Raven.
03:46 For those who have not read it, who is she?
03:48 What do people need to know?
03:49 - Yes, Raven Wilkinson was the first
03:53 and only black woman to dance with this legendary company,
03:56 the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
03:58 It was really one of the most important ballet companies
04:00 of the 20th century.
04:02 She experienced severe racism,
04:07 her life being threatened,
04:09 just so she could get on stage and perform.
04:11 This was whenever the company would tour
04:12 through the South in the 1950s.
04:15 She went on to become a soloist in the company,
04:17 which is such a feat as a dancer, period,
04:20 but as a black woman, even more so.
04:22 Her career was cut short in America
04:24 because of Jim Crow South and segregation in that time,
04:29 so it was just too difficult for her
04:32 to tour with the company in that time,
04:34 so she ended up moving to Europe
04:35 where she finished her career.
04:37 She came into my life at a very critical time in my career
04:43 where I was at a crossroads of figuring out
04:48 if this was something I wanted to stick with
04:50 and do in classical ballet.
04:52 I was the only black woman at American Ballet Theater
04:54 for the first 10 years of my career,
04:57 and to have a mentor come into my life
05:02 and set such a positive example for me
05:05 and constantly come from a place of love
05:08 was a very new experience.
05:12 I've had incredible mentors in my life
05:16 and examples from afar, but it's hard.
05:21 You develop a tough skin when you're the only,
05:23 and when you've come up against this wall
05:27 over and over again, being black and brown
05:30 in an industry that you don't see yourself represented,
05:33 and to meet someone who had such a positive outlook
05:38 on this field of classical ballet
05:42 and what was still possible,
05:45 it gave me a completely different perspective
05:47 on where I wanted my career to go
05:50 and how I was going to approach things,
05:52 that it was about being an example and being a role model
05:56 and being open to this idea of mentorship,
06:00 both being one and having them in my life.
06:04 - How did you find her?
06:06 What was the moment?
06:07 Because I think, for me, mentors have come organically.
06:11 It's been someone who hires me
06:12 and I end up trusting their advice
06:14 or someone who edits a story and I like the edit
06:18 and then I realize I keep going to them for counsel.
06:21 What was the evolution for you?
06:23 - So I saw a documentary with Raven in it
06:28 and it was eye-opening to see someone
06:33 who had experienced so much worse
06:37 than I could ever even imagine
06:39 that I've experienced in my own career,
06:40 but to see that there was still so much that hadn't changed,
06:46 I just felt that I needed someone like her in my life
06:51 to communicate what it was she experienced
06:55 and be a source of community for me
07:00 and at a very important time.
07:02 And so my manager and I, we were on a mission.
07:05 We were like, we have to find this woman.
07:07 We hope she's still alive and found out
07:09 she lived a block away from me in New York City
07:12 and reached out to her.
07:14 And the first time we met was at a panel discussion
07:19 about two different generations of black dancers.
07:21 It was at the Studio Museum in Harlem
07:23 and from there on, we were inseparable
07:26 and it was just so important for me to, I think,
07:31 understand the importance of mentorship.
07:34 I mean, I've had mentors throughout my career
07:37 and have been so fortunate to have people
07:40 that have come to me and wanted to lend their advice
07:45 and experiences, so I feel like all of that
07:50 prepared me for Raven, to be ready and open
07:54 to accept all the gifts that she was giving.
07:57 - A block away, talk about meant to be.
07:59 What's your advice to someone whose mentor
08:01 is perhaps not waiting for them a block away?
08:03 Do you have one tip for someone who's like,
08:05 I feel like I need a mentor, I just don't know where to look?
08:08 - I mean, I think the first step is acknowledging
08:12 and accepting and being open that mentorship is important.
08:17 I think for a lot of young people,
08:20 they're not even aware that mentors may be right there
08:25 or approaching them because they're not open
08:27 and ready for it or they feel like it's them failing
08:31 or being weak by needing help or guidance or advice.
08:35 And I think that's kind of the first step
08:36 is accepting that having a community is empowering
08:41 and then go out there and look, go out there
08:47 and whether it's reading, just looking in places,
08:52 people that motivate you, people that are inspiring
08:56 and not being afraid to reach out and put in that legwork.
09:01 And that's how I found Raven.
09:04 - I consider you a multi-hyphenate, obviously,
09:07 ballerina, writer, but also advocate and activist.
09:10 The last time we spoke was for the Forbes Women's Summit.
09:12 I think it was the last time, I'll have to fact check this,
09:14 but the Women's Summit, a virtual summit in 2020.
09:17 We were coming off a summer of social justice protests,
09:20 companies and individuals making all these pledges
09:22 to do better.
09:24 Nearly three years later, what's your report card?
09:26 How's the world doing?
09:27 - You know, I have to say that I feel like we're still
09:32 on a positive trajectory in terms of changes
09:36 really happening in the classical ballet world.
09:39 There's still so much that needs to change,
09:43 but even just looking at a lot of top-tiered companies
09:47 around the world who have had new artistic staff come on,
09:52 artistic leadership, so many women have come into power
09:56 in these classical companies that I think we have more women
09:59 in artistic and executive director positions
10:03 than I've ever seen in the classical ballet world
10:06 in our history.
10:08 In terms of race and dealing with those issues,
10:13 I mean, I look at, there was an article that came out
10:16 recently just about the evolution of allowing dancers
10:19 of color to go on stage in tights that are their skin color.
10:22 That's a true representation and acceptance
10:25 of who they are on stage, and not saying that you have
10:29 to be white in order to fit into this classical ballet ideal.
10:34 And so that's a huge step, but I think that it's continuing
10:40 to have the conversations and hold people accountable,
10:45 and that's something that I will forever continue to do.
10:48 - I've seen the appointments kind of behind the scenes.
10:51 I am someone who frequents the theater in New York City,
10:54 and I feel like, I won't name any companies,
10:56 but there was one production where I was looking,
10:58 and I was like, I thought the company
11:00 was more diverse than this.
11:02 So it feels like it's, maybe I'm impatient.
11:05 - You should be, you should be impatient.
11:08 I think that's how you push people and get change,
11:13 but I don't think that we should settle
11:15 in just seeing a handful of dancers of color,
11:18 and then there may be certain performances
11:21 where all of those dancers are off, and that's not okay.
11:25 So there's still so much work to be done,
11:29 and I hope that programs like the Be Bold program
11:33 through the Misty Copeland Foundation
11:35 will create a pipeline of more dancers of color
11:39 to have a larger pool of dancers of color to choose from
11:43 to go into these classical companies.
11:46 - Speaking of Be Bold, I mean, you wrote this in a book,
11:48 but I think it might tie to the mission of Be Bold.
11:51 You'll have to tell me if that's right,
11:52 but you wrote, "To be marginalized from a culture
11:55 "is to be marginalized from citizenship."
11:58 Does that tie to Be Bold?
12:00 - Yeah, absolutely.
12:01 I mean, I think that it's really about showing that ballet,
12:06 it's normalizing this elite art form.
12:10 It's normalizing it, especially in America,
12:12 where going to the ballet or going to the opera,
12:16 that should be like going to see Beyonce in concert.
12:19 That should be like going to a basketball game.
12:22 This should be something for everyone.
12:24 It should be a community that's embracing all communities
12:29 in all cultures.
12:31 And through the Be Bold program,
12:34 which is an after-school ballet program, it's for free.
12:37 It's at community centers.
12:39 Right now we're starting out at the Boys and Girls Clubs.
12:42 But it's introducing children to really understanding
12:47 what classical dance is, what classical music is,
12:51 by meeting them where they are.
12:54 So we're introducing them to live instruments.
12:57 Every class has a live musician in there
12:59 and two teaching artists as well.
13:01 So there's a team of three people that are in the room
13:04 so that they can really focus and nurture
13:07 and be there for these dancers.
13:11 But it's not just about creating the next Misty Copeland.
13:14 It's about creating future patrons.
13:18 It's about opening their eyes to this art form
13:22 and showing them what's possible.
13:23 It's igniting what it is to be a part of a team,
13:27 what it is to have focus and determination and drive
13:30 and to be dedicated to something, to find a passion.
13:35 And I think that this is a beautiful gateway to doing that,
13:40 to creating future leaders.
13:42 - Absolutely.
13:42 I have a theory, and maybe this is because I danced
13:45 as a kid, but ballet infuses you with so many skills
13:48 that you can use.
13:50 I talk to so many founders and leaders,
13:52 and we get to talking and I go,
13:53 yeah, I danced all through college too.
13:56 And it's the discipline.
13:58 We could have a whole separate conversation.
14:00 But talking about how the skills of ballet
14:02 translate to other things, I don't want to use the R word
14:07 because we're here at an event talking about how careers
14:09 are evolutions and have chapters.
14:10 But when your body is your instrument for your job,
14:14 there are certain limitations.
14:15 How do you think about the evolution of your career?
14:19 - You know, this is something that's always been
14:22 a part of my evolution, is thinking about how I can utilize
14:28 all that I've learned by being a classical dancer
14:34 and taking it a step further.
14:36 I've never looked at my career as being on stage,
14:39 being the end all be all, but just another layer
14:45 of what it is to have the responsibility of carrying on
14:50 so many people's legacies and stories as a black woman
14:56 within this field.
14:57 And so I've been working on what the next steps
15:02 in my journey will be.
15:03 I feel like I've been doing that work
15:05 my whole professional ballet career,
15:07 and I'm never gonna leave this behind.
15:10 I may step down from the stage eventually,
15:13 but I will forever be an advocate
15:15 and bringing ballet into different worlds that I'm in,
15:20 whether it's through the foundation,
15:23 whether it's through my production company,
15:25 where we're giving a different perspective and lens
15:30 to what it is to be an artist, real authentic stories
15:35 by having people behind the scenes telling those stories
15:38 who have lived that experience, women of color,
15:41 telling important stories, but it's all connected
15:44 to my experience of being a ballet dancer.
15:47 And I'm just so fortunate that I've had people
15:50 who have pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone
15:53 and think about what my evolution will look like.
15:57 - I think you're setting the stage beautifully,
16:00 but when you think about the way a body can change,
16:03 we've had women on the 50 over 50.
16:05 Lillian Colon was the first, Latina Rocket,
16:07 she was on, and then she was in West Side Story,
16:10 and then was the oldest person in that cast,
16:13 only the 50 over 50.
16:14 So I know you can dance into your 60s, 70s, and 80s,
16:19 but the way you dance changes.
16:22 And I think that I've experienced that myself
16:24 and it's hard, it's hard.
16:26 - It's hard.
16:27 - How do you?
16:28 How do you?
16:29 - It's hard at 40 right now.
16:30 (laughing)
16:33 It's, you know, of course it's about taking care of yourself
16:36 and, you know, I'm an athlete and, you know,
16:41 taking care of my body in a way that, you know,
16:45 whether it's what I'm feeding it, fueling it,
16:48 the cross training that I'm doing,
16:49 the time for recovery and healing,
16:52 but I think it's also, it's also like a preference,
16:56 you know, I want to be able to use my time in a way
17:01 where I feel like I can have impact in other ways.
17:05 And I feel like I've, you know,
17:07 I've been on the stage for 23 years
17:09 and I feel like I want to give this opportunity now
17:13 to the next generation.
17:14 I think it's about passing the torch
17:16 and being able to put myself in a place
17:19 where I can have a big impact as well.
17:22 And I feel like that's kind of
17:24 where I'm getting to right now.
17:26 - I see that.
17:27 And I think you can pass the torch both ways.
17:28 I just mentioned Lillian Colon.
17:30 We had Joan Myers Brown,
17:32 I thought I'd go on the list.
17:34 I'm putting you on the spot a little bit,
17:35 but who would you nominate from dance or otherwise
17:38 for the next class of 50 over 50?
17:40 - Oh my goodness.
17:42 Virginia Johnson.
17:46 She was one of the first principal ballerinas
17:51 for the Dance Theater of Harlem in the 60s.
17:54 And she took over Dance Theater of Harlem
17:57 as artistic director when it came off of a seven year hiatus
18:02 after Arthur Mitchell stepped down,
18:05 who was the founder of Dance Theater of Harlem
18:07 and the first black principal dancer
18:08 for New York City Ballet.
18:10 She's an incredible woman who has made such an impact,
18:13 not just on the black ballet community,
18:15 but on the ballet world at large.
18:17 - Well, we will consider that nomination
18:19 for the 50 over 50.
18:20 And with that, we will let you go.
18:21 Misty, thank you so much for sitting down with us.
18:23 - Thank you so much for having me.
18:25 (upbeat music)
18:28 The top handbag collectors in the world
18:30 are interested in handbags made by Hermes.
18:33 Hermes is a designer brand today,
18:36 but it was founded in 1837 as a harness workshop.
18:39 In the 1880s, Hermes expanded into saddles.
18:42 And then at the turn of the century,
18:44 when the automobile was invented,
18:45 it was very important for Hermes to diversify their offerings
18:49 in order to maintain relevance in this changing world.
18:52 And one of the pieces that were created by Hermes
18:55 were handbags.
18:56 I am the head of sales here at Suffees
19:00 for handbags and accessories.
19:03 We have both a buy now and an auction platform
19:07 for our handbags and accessories.
19:08 Suffees is the premier destination
19:11 for luxury and artwork.
19:14 For us in handbags and accessories,
19:16 we established ourselves in 2018 with our very first auction
19:20 and then we launched our buy now platform in 2020.
19:25 So one thing that differentiates us from other competitors
19:28 is that we offer both buy now and auction for our clients.
19:33 So the Birkin has been around since 1984
19:35 and it's named after Jane Birkin,
19:39 who is a French celebrity who met actually at the time,
19:44 the creative director for Hermes and family member.
19:47 The Hermes Birkin is one of the most collectible bags
19:50 made by Hermes.
19:50 It was designed in the 1980s.
19:53 It was created when Jane Birkin was seated next to
19:57 an Hermes executive on a flight.
19:59 She had her signature straw tote bag.
20:01 She was shoving it in an overhead compartment
20:03 and it fell out, it tumbled out,
20:04 everything fell to the floor.
20:06 And the gentleman sitting next to her said,
20:08 "Why don't you have a bag with pockets?"
20:10 And she said, "I will when Hermes makes me one."
20:12 She just so happened to be sitting next to the CEO of Hermes
20:16 and the two of them together sketched up the idea
20:18 of the Birkin bag.
20:20 This was in 1984 and three years later,
20:22 this bag was then released to the public.
20:24 It has a cult following.
20:27 It's supposed to be the easiest to use bag,
20:31 the thing that is such a symbol of status for some people.
20:34 My responsibilities at Christie's include advising clients
20:40 around the world on their handbag collections.
20:42 I put together handbag auctions,
20:44 whether it's from one single client or from multiple clients
20:47 put together to create sales during special moments
20:50 at Christie's like luxury week.
20:52 I advise clients on their purchases.
20:54 The one great thing about a Birkin is its silhouette
20:58 will never change, essentially.
21:00 It's classic in every sense of the word.
21:03 But one of the things that they're known for
21:05 is the different sizes and colors.
21:07 So each season they release a new size, a new color,
21:12 and that's kind of what people look for
21:14 when they're trying to find
21:17 one of the Birkins for themselves.
21:18 And the designers that created these handbags
21:21 50 years ago, 100 years ago were ingenious
21:24 and they've created iconic forms that today
21:27 are still resonating with collectors
21:29 and handbag shoppers around the world.
21:31 It's iconic because when you look at it,
21:33 it doesn't scream Hermes, it doesn't scream a brand,
21:36 but you know that it's a Birkin and you know that it's Hermes.
21:39 So, you know, it's hard to obtain
21:42 because there's only so many made each year
21:44 and the want for it kind of outweighs the accessibility.
21:48 These are made in such an exquisite way
21:52 that not only is it the materials
21:54 and the craftsmen that are expert in this method
21:58 and that these forms are essential.
21:59 So the Birkin looks exactly as it did in the 1980s.
22:02 The Kelly has the same form as it did
22:04 when it was first created in the 1930s.
22:07 And if you purchase one of these pieces,
22:08 not only will the condition stay in exquisite form,
22:13 but also the style will never become outdated.
22:16 You know, the Birkin really has been able
22:18 to stand the test of time
22:20 and it's really due to how classic it is.
22:22 You know, even though trends come and go,
22:25 because it is something that is so beautifully made
22:28 and it is so classic,
22:29 it's been able to really outlive
22:31 some of its other competitors.
22:33 So one of the most expensive bags sold at Sotheby's,
22:37 we have an example of it here is the Himalaya Kelly.
22:40 In our auction that happened this past September,
22:44 we had one hammered for 350,000 roughly.
22:49 You know, and with this sale,
22:50 Sotheby's set a record for a handbag being sold at auction
22:54 within the United States and Europe.
22:56 The thing about handbags are they're such personal objects
22:58 and such a reflection on your own style,
23:01 perhaps your job, where you live,
23:03 that there really is something for everyone.
23:05 - Moe, Abidu, thank you for being here.
23:09 You are on our Power Women list.
23:10 You are on the 50 over 50.
23:12 You are Netflix's biggest partner in Africa right now,
23:16 founder of Ebony Life Media.
23:19 You didn't start there.
23:20 You weren't always an entrepreneur.
23:22 - I wasn't always.
23:23 First of all, thank you so much for having me
23:26 and for having this conversation
23:28 and for this special event today
23:30 and for celebrating all the amazing women
23:32 and bringing us together.
23:34 You know, it's been really inspiring and encouraging
23:37 to just to see so many different women together
23:39 who are all doing different things,
23:41 but the common purpose is that we just want to just add value
23:44 to whatever it is that we're doing.
23:45 - And you are adding value.
23:46 So you spent most of your career working in oil and gas
23:49 and HR. - Yeah, so yeah.
23:50 So I've not always been an entrepreneur,
23:52 but I think deep within me,
23:55 I've always felt like an entrepreneur.
23:57 And they say that the definition of an entrepreneur
23:59 is risk-taking, right?
24:01 So I have this amazing job at ExxonMobil.
24:04 I'd been there for a decade, head of human resources.
24:07 And then I just wake up one fine day, 10 years later,
24:11 and I'm like, I'm ready to go.
24:13 And everybody thought, are you okay?
24:16 I mean, you don't have such a great job
24:19 with career prospects like that,
24:21 and then decide that you're gonna go.
24:23 But I just felt like there was this thing within me
24:25 that just wanted to do more.
24:27 Was it risky?
24:28 Was I afraid?
24:29 Was I scared?
24:30 It was all those things,
24:32 but I just wasn't gonna leave it there.
24:35 I decided to just take the plunge
24:37 and I left my wonderful nine to five paying job.
24:41 And I decided to go out there and make it happen.
24:44 And it wasn't straight into media.
24:46 I set up a consulting firm called Vic Lorenson Associates.
24:49 So what I was doing on the inside,
24:51 I decided to do on the outside.
24:53 So it was basically offering HR services.
24:56 'Cause I realized that there was a gap in the market
24:58 whilst I was at Exxon for what I was doing.
25:01 In terms of recruitment and training
25:02 and development and capacity building,
25:04 there just weren't enough people
25:06 on the other side doing that.
25:07 So was it risky?
25:09 It was still risky,
25:10 but I decided that I was gonna go out there and face it.
25:12 And thankfully it worked until the bigger idea came
25:17 to leave consulting and jump into media.
25:20 So again, everybody's like,
25:22 but Mo, why are you doing this?
25:24 You left Exxon, Vic Lorenson's doing great.
25:26 Now you're gonna leave Vic Lorenson
25:27 and go and get into the world of media.
25:29 And I started with a talk show.
25:31 And coming from the continent,
25:32 talk shows are considered like,
25:35 why are you gonna leave Exxon Mobil?
25:38 Why are you gonna leave your consulting practice
25:41 to go and become a TV presenter is how it was coined.
25:45 And they weren't seeing the bigger picture,
25:47 but this was just basically the anchor project
25:50 for me to even go further and further
25:53 into the world of media.
25:54 Way back in 2000, 2003, 2004,
25:58 local content wasn't a big deal.
26:00 We were still very much involved in
26:02 whatever you Americans gave us, fed us, we took it.
26:06 Not realizing how important it was for us
26:09 to tell our own stories, generate our own content,
26:12 talk about our own superstars, make our own superstars,
26:15 and talk about things that are in our society.
26:18 Now, I often say that, I mean, I love Oprah Winfrey.
26:21 I love her show.
26:23 But really and truly, how relevant is what she,
26:25 whatever she's talking about,
26:27 how relevant is that to the average woman in Nigeria
26:30 or anywhere on the continent?
26:32 They may be able to take some high level advice from her.
26:35 But if you're really dealing with,
26:36 let's say for example, your husband beats you,
26:39 and she has a show in America that says,
26:42 "Call this helpline."
26:43 And Nigeria can't call that helpline.
26:44 She needs a local helpline to call.
26:47 And there are tons and tons of women in Nigeria
26:49 who are doing great work in this area.
26:52 So it was about creating a platform for such things,
26:55 not forgetting about our superstars
26:57 who wanna become models, who wanna become actresses,
26:59 who wanna become whatever it is they wanna become,
27:01 giving them a platform to shine.
27:03 So it was, for me, the talk show was a jump off point
27:06 for whereby we could start to have that conversation
27:09 around things that are important to us as Africans.
27:12 We are a billion people.
27:14 We do need to be able to tell our own stories.
27:17 And if we don't, someone else is gonna tell them for us.
27:19 - You make a compelling argument.
27:20 But I know we talked about how when you started out,
27:23 I mean, you're working with Netflix now.
27:25 But you were having, what was it,
27:27 a lot of great meetings that went nowhere?
27:28 The typical Hollywood experience?
27:29 - Oh yes, oh my God.
27:30 The Hollywood experience is lovely.
27:32 They say there's never a bad meeting in Hollywood.
27:35 Everybody smiles and then you sort of have champagne
27:37 or you have wine and it's smiley, smiley,
27:39 kiss, kiss, kiss here and there.
27:40 We'll be in touch.
27:42 And you collect the business cards
27:43 and you send the emails and nothing happens.
27:46 And it's one story after the other.
27:48 So yes, we went through many years of that.
27:51 And I think it's powerful, of course,
27:53 that you're gonna go through that.
27:54 But the thing is, are you going to give up?
27:56 It's about being at the right place at the right time
27:58 and being able to tell the right story at the right time
28:01 where the world is ready to listen.
28:02 Now, am I saying that all is well today?
28:05 All is not well.
28:07 But is there definitely an improvement on the situation
28:11 from what it was before, 100%?
28:14 Now, are most of the gatekeepers and the commissioners
28:16 still white men, middle-aged white men?
28:21 Very much so.
28:23 Are they beginning to listen?
28:24 Some of them.
28:25 Are we getting more and more black commissioners
28:27 or commissioners of color?
28:29 It's beginning to change.
28:30 So that's the work in progress.
28:32 So for me, I mean, I've been going to a market
28:34 called MIP TV and MIPCOM in Cannes for the last 10 years.
28:37 The conversation has changed.
28:39 People are beginning to listen
28:41 because commercial forces are making them listen.
28:44 I'm not making a case here for an agenda or a charity case
28:49 or an NGO-based case.
28:51 No, I'm making a commercial case for the fact
28:53 that storytelling for everyone around the world,
28:57 no matter where they're from, is important
28:59 because there are markets around the world
29:01 for you to buy into.
29:03 And Netflix, to go back, were the first ones
29:05 to realize that there's a market, there's a Africa market.
29:10 So I'd been knocking on Netflix's door
29:11 before they came to Africa,
29:13 and they weren't listening when they weren't ready.
29:15 But the minute that they were ready,
29:17 because I'd been knocking and knocking and knocking,
29:19 obviously, we were able to sort of continue
29:22 those conversations whereby it became,
29:24 okay, well, let's do a slate deal.
29:26 So we're happy to say that we are the first
29:31 company to have a multi-slate deal
29:33 with Netflix across the continent.
29:35 And I think they're happy with the progress we're making,
29:38 and we'll continue to just give them
29:40 as many blockbusters as we can
29:42 because it's all about the numbers.
29:44 It's about them coming into the continent
29:46 and building their subscriber base.
29:48 And we're there to help them do that.
29:50 You can only do that by creating great stories
29:52 that the world wants to see.
29:53 Now, for Netflix, of course, primarily,
29:55 the audience says we want a Nigerian market,
29:57 we want an African market.
29:59 But I want to play in a global space.
30:01 And that's why we now have grown out
30:03 of not just having Netflix as a partner,
30:05 but reaching out to other co-production partners
30:07 that we have to include Sony Pictures Television,
30:10 Starz, Lionsgate, Will Packer, Westbrook, the BBC.
30:15 It's taken everything.
30:18 Maggie, it's taken everything
30:21 'cause you're sometimes just knocking.
30:22 And the worst thing is when someone just says,
30:25 we're going to respectfully pass.
30:27 It's the worst email you're ever gonna get
30:29 'cause you believe in this project.
30:31 You can see it, but they can't always see it.
30:34 So it can take some convincing and some persuasion
30:37 for them to see that there's a story there.
30:40 But we keep knocking.
30:40 And the more we do, the easier it becomes.
30:44 - How do you keep convincing them?
30:45 Is there a secret to what you say
30:47 or is it just the persistence?
30:49 - I think it's how you package.
30:51 It's how you present.
30:54 It's how you pitch.
30:57 It's trying to give them stories that are unusual.
31:00 It's hoping that you've got someone at the other end
31:02 that has a listening ear,
31:03 that got out of bed the right side that particular day.
31:06 It's all those things.
31:09 It's really emotional intelligence.
31:12 Are they ready to take a chance on you
31:15 on a different type of story?
31:17 So there's so many boxes to tick.
31:19 But I think that once success has been identified,
31:22 and we've seen that with Wakanda Forever
31:24 and that black stories do matter
31:28 and that foreign stories do matter with Squid Games
31:30 and other stories that are not even in English language
31:34 but are doing really well.
31:36 So it's getting them to buy into that
31:39 and using those as examples to say,
31:41 "Listen, there is this case study.
31:43 "There is that case study.
31:45 "Come on, guys, take a risk."
31:46 And we're not saying,
31:48 "Give us the budgets you're giving them in America
31:50 "or in the UK."
31:51 Yes, we want bigger budgets.
31:52 Don't get me wrong.
31:54 Because you can't give me $2
31:55 and give the other person $100
31:57 and then compare my $2 show to their $100 million show.
32:00 So it is about, "Give us a decent budget
32:04 "so we can produce a decent show
32:06 "that the world is going to appreciate."
32:08 So they're beginning to listen.
32:10 - Listening is good.
32:11 There's always be more.
32:13 Talk about partnerships.
32:14 I know you have some news about a new partnership.
32:17 We're breaking some news right now.
32:18 Tell us what is happening.
32:20 - We are breaking some news.
32:22 And I'm excited to say that in partnership
32:25 with Idris Elba and his company, Green Door Pictures,
32:28 we are going to be working on two major areas.
32:32 Area one, or category one, or project one,
32:35 is going to be taking the Ebony Life Creative Academy model
32:39 that's been in existence for the last three years
32:43 and taking that out across the continent.
32:45 One thing we do need to do is to empower
32:47 and to upskill filmmakers across the continent.
32:50 If we don't do that,
32:51 they're never gonna be able to compete globally.
32:54 So it's important to go in there
32:55 and give them the necessary skills.
32:57 So we're gonna be offering courses in production,
32:59 producing, script writing, directing,
33:02 cinematography, sound.
33:06 You know, these are acting.
33:07 So we have eight courses we're gonna be rolling out.
33:10 So the Ebony Life Creative Academy
33:11 currently rolls this out now.
33:13 So it's taking that model
33:14 and replicating it across the continent.
33:17 So that's what Idris Elba and I and his company
33:19 are going to be doing.
33:20 We're excited about it.
33:22 I think our focus is going to be more sub-Saharan Africa,
33:24 'cause that's really where we're from.
33:27 And you can't do everything
33:28 and you can't be there for everyone.
33:29 So it's really about sort of taking that part of Africa
33:33 and rolling out there.
33:34 We're gonna be reaching out to private sector.
33:37 We're gonna be reaching out to multilateral agencies.
33:39 We're gonna be reaching out to governments to say,
33:40 "Listen, you all have a responsibility to empower the youth
33:43 "and to empower this particular sector.
33:45 "Let's find ways of working together to make that happen."
33:49 The current model that we have is Ebony Life
33:52 working with the Lagos state government
33:53 without their support,
33:54 wouldn't be able to be running these programs
33:57 because all our students come, it's free of charge.
34:01 If you put the barrier there
34:02 that they must pay for these courses,
34:05 I don't think the uptake is going to be there
34:06 because they can't afford it.
34:08 We're trying to say, "Let's empower these filmmakers."
34:10 So they need to be able to come on those courses
34:12 at no charge.
34:13 So that's why we're gonna be reaching out to
34:16 various people and organizations to say,
34:18 "Please, let's do this together."
34:21 So that's project one.
34:23 Project two is--
34:24 - Wow, hold on.
34:25 (Nagy laughs)
34:27 - So that's project one.
34:28 - Okay, that was project one.
34:29 That was a lot.
34:30 - That's a lot.
34:31 - Okay, and then there's a second part.
34:32 - The second project is global productions.
34:35 Black storytelling about taking our local stories
34:39 from Africa and making them global.
34:41 Finding really interesting stories of the world
34:44 that you, Nagy, wants to watch,
34:46 that Tracy in Essex wants to watch,
34:48 but she's interested in hearing that story
34:50 from the continent that's speaking to us,
34:53 but also speaking to her or speaking to him.
34:56 So it's gonna be the academy on the one side
34:59 and global storytelling on the other side.
35:01 And we're gonna be hopefully partnering with streamers
35:04 and broadcasters around the world
35:06 to take some of those stories on.
35:08 - That's incredible.
35:09 How did this start?
35:10 Did you meet at an industry event?
35:12 - No, we did not meet at an industry event.
35:14 Idris was interested in the academy, the creative academy.
35:18 And our creative academy had reached out to him
35:21 to say would he come and speak?
35:24 Because what we also do is we invite in faculty,
35:26 external faculty or guest speakers, to address our students.
35:30 So it could be the acting class,
35:32 it could be the producing class,
35:33 it could be any of the classes, the directing class.
35:35 Of course, Idris is an actor.
35:37 So we said, would you please?
35:38 So someone at the school called Michael.
35:40 Michael, hi.
35:41 I'm not forgetting you.
35:42 Michael reached out to Idris to say,
35:44 Idris, would you please come and speak to our students?
35:47 So Idris said he had heard about the great work
35:50 that we were doing at the school and he would love to,
35:52 but can I also, I would like to meet Mo.
35:55 So I get a call from Michael saying,
35:57 Michael, Idris Elba would like to meet you.
36:00 Can I give him your number?
36:02 Can you give him my number?
36:03 Hello?
36:04 Yes, you can give him my number.
36:06 So he sent me a message saying,
36:09 Mo, good afternoon, very polite.
36:12 Can we speak at 5 p.m. on that day?
36:15 And I was like, yes, of course.
36:17 If I, whatever I was doing,
36:19 I would have happily said--
36:20 You dropped it.
36:20 I dropped it.
36:21 I said, yes, of course we can speak.
36:23 And we've been speaking and speaking.
36:24 This was a few months ago.
36:25 We've been speaking and speaking.
36:27 And until we signed the deal on working on these two,
36:31 you know, incredible projects together.
36:34 Idris did say to me that, Mo,
36:36 why didn't you reach out to me?
36:37 And I was like, well, I don't know you.
36:39 And you know, you're a big actor.
36:41 I mean, I didn't know if you were,
36:42 how, I didn't have your contact details.
36:44 I mean, not that I'm not bold enough to reach out to anyone,
36:47 but sometimes you just know that at the right time,
36:49 it will come.
36:50 And he's someone that I admire greatly.
36:54 I have a huge amount of respect
36:55 for what he's done around the world
36:57 and a huge amount of respect
36:59 for what he wants to do in Africa.
37:01 Now, a lot of, he's not the only African in the diaspora,
37:05 but for me, he is the one that I have seen
37:09 that has shown the most love
37:11 for wanting to come back and work in Africa.
37:14 A lot of the African actors and producers and directors,
37:19 they kind of just want to move into the American space
37:23 or the British space, forgetting about the continent,
37:26 not realizing sometimes
37:28 that they actually have a responsibility
37:30 to help grow the local economy,
37:32 creative economy and film stars.
37:34 You know, I think maybe some of them
37:36 have had such a hard time breaking through,
37:39 they would rather, now that they've broken through,
37:41 they would rather just stay on that side,
37:43 not understanding that it's really time for Africa now
37:46 and they should look at,
37:48 if you've had some success in the diaspora,
37:51 it's time for you to come back
37:52 and give some of that back, you know?
37:55 So Idris is special in that regard,
37:57 in that he's so successful globally,
38:00 he doesn't feel any sense of risk,
38:05 adverse to coming back to working with Africa
38:09 and seeing how we can take global black projects
38:14 to the world.
38:14 And to say that, for those that haven't seen that opportunity
38:19 now, Will Packer has seen that opportunity, you know?
38:23 Will Smith has seen that opportunity,
38:24 the BBC has seen that opportunity.
38:26 So I really want to say to African directors
38:30 and producers and in the diaspora that really, guys,
38:34 we need to find a way of being more inclusive.
38:36 And we can't keep saying we want to be included
38:39 in what's going on in the rest of the world
38:41 if they're also not wanting to participate
38:45 in what's going on in the continent as well.
38:47 So Idris, thank you.
38:49 I am so, so excited about us working together
38:52 on these creative academies
38:54 and finding global production deals to do
38:57 with streamers and broadcasters
38:59 and taking our black stories and African stories
39:02 to the world.
39:03 I just can't wait.
39:04 I can't wait.
39:05 - We can't wait to see it.
39:06 Maud, thank you so much.
39:07 - Thank you.
39:08 - Andres Valencia is a contemporary artist from California
39:11 whose work goes for as much as $250,000.
39:15 The only catch, he's just 11 years old.
39:19 The child prodigy has been painting
39:21 since he was five years old
39:22 and his work is inspired by art world icons
39:25 like Jean-Michel Basquiat, George Kondo, and Picasso,
39:29 as well as kid world icons
39:30 like Click and Play, Army Action Figures,
39:32 and of course, Pokemon.
39:35 In 2021, Valencia became the youngest artist in the industry
39:38 to have his own booth at Art Miami.
39:41 This year, he returned to the fair and sold 11 pieces,
39:44 fetching a total of $1.3 million.
39:47 - I've been painting a lot of my life.
39:52 I started painting when I was five or six
39:55 and I just always liked art
39:57 and I just always enjoyed painting and drawing.
40:02 I like that people enjoy my art
40:04 and it's fun going to different art shows.
40:09 - Celebrities like Brooke Shields, Sofia Vergara,
40:13 and even Kim Tae-young, aka V from BTS,
40:16 have purchased his work.
40:18 - I have a lot of favorites,
40:20 so I don't think I have one in particular.
40:23 I'd have to say Arnold.
40:25 That one, I added a little something different to it.
40:29 I got inspired by Mudi Ghaliani
40:31 to do the long and thin neck.
40:33 - Can you tell me what you first heard about the war?
40:37 - Well, it was a little shocking that it actually happened
40:41 and I felt like I needed to help,
40:45 so I did that painting.
40:47 It's basically of what's going on
40:50 and there is a soldier attacking the innocent people
40:54 and a hand, like an empowerment hand,
40:57 saying that Ukraine is not gonna give up.
40:59 My dream is to have my art hanging in the walls in Paris.
41:10 - Growth and hitting targets
41:15 isn't the most important measurement of success.
41:19 I truly believe that building your community
41:22 and focusing on brand building is far more superior
41:26 and in the long run is far more successful.
41:29 I'm Isabella Weatherby, I'm 28,
41:31 and I'm the founder and creative director of Peachy Den.
41:34 Peachy Den is a contemporary women's wear brand from London.
41:42 I founded the company in 2019.
41:45 We directly addressed the Gen Z market.
41:49 We built our story around capsule drops.
41:52 Each of these drops is limited,
41:54 meaning that we don't overproduce and create waste,
41:58 and then within each of these drops,
42:00 we find our star products
42:02 that we then restock throughout the year
42:04 and they become our core offering.
42:06 Our revenue in 2022 was 3.9 million pounds
42:11 and we have 50,000 customers across 60 countries.
42:17 (gentle music)
42:19 Since day one of Peachy,
42:20 I've been so passionate about making sure
42:23 that we reflect our essence
42:25 as a true London born and bred brand.
42:28 And we are so proud that we produce
42:31 over 40% of our production in the UK.
42:34 We work with local and family-run ethical factories
42:39 across the UK and across Europe.
42:42 You can have much better control
42:44 over the production process and minimize waste.
42:49 I had quite an unconventional start in fashion.
42:54 I actually studied politics
42:56 and international relations at university.
42:59 And then post-uni, I jumped into numerous roles
43:02 that didn't really make me happy.
43:05 So Peachy Den actually started as a side hustle.
43:08 I've kind of always been inspired
43:10 by what I felt like was missing from my own wardrobe
43:13 and it was just such a simple concept.
43:16 It was genuinely just making clothes
43:18 that my friends and I wanted to wear.
43:20 In 2021, I raised 600,000 pounds
43:27 and I was looking for someone who was strategic
43:30 and someone who was more going to be a mentor
43:32 rather than just about the funds.
43:33 I think with my unconventional background
43:36 and potential lack of experience,
43:38 I wanted someone that I could really look up to
43:40 and learn from.
43:41 So I have a very close relationship with this person
43:45 and we speak weekly and they've been very strategic
43:48 in terms of the growth of Peachy Den.
43:51 With the investment, we were able to invest
43:55 in pop-up spaces across London and also across Paris.
44:00 This has been an amazing opportunity
44:03 for us to learn from our customer.
44:05 In 2021, our product offering was still very tiny.
44:10 It was about five products.
44:12 And I think in order to grow,
44:14 you have to diversify your product offering
44:16 and really delve into and understand more
44:19 about what your customer wants.
44:21 So just investing in stock and investing in relationships.
44:25 What was amazing from having that investment
44:28 was being able to grow and build the team,
44:31 bringing in people that complement my skillset.
44:35 Our team is 12 employees.
44:37 It's 12 women and we're an incredibly tight knit team
44:42 who inspire and challenge me on a daily basis.
44:45 Celebrating female form and prioritizing versatility
44:52 is at the forefront of the process.
44:54 We actually have a number of questions up on our board
44:57 when we're designing into a new capsule.
44:59 Can this item be worn on a size six and a size 18?
45:03 Can this item be worn to the office and out and about?
45:06 We really want to create products
45:08 that after that initial buzz is worn off,
45:10 that once you get it through the door,
45:11 it still hits the spot
45:14 and it really takes you from day to night, season to season.
45:18 If I'm totally honest,
45:23 I very much think six months to one year ahead.
45:27 I don't really focus on five to 10 years.
45:30 I'm so happy with how the company is building.
45:34 And I honestly believe that this is just the beginning.
45:37 It's such a journey for me and I'm learning as I go.
45:40 And I feel like there is so much more to learn.
45:42 There is so much more to build on.
45:45 I want my legacy to be defining the style of a generation.
45:49 - What you're looking at today is Codex Sassoon,
46:01 one of the world's greatest treasures.
46:04 (gentle music)
46:06 The Codex Sassoon is the earliest,
46:11 most complete Hebrew Bible ever discovered.
46:14 In May, 2023, it will go up for sale at Sotheby's
46:18 and it could become the most expensive book
46:20 or manuscript ever sold at auction.
46:23 - The estimate for Codex Sassoon is 30 to $50 million.
46:29 This is the highest price that we've ever placed
46:33 on a book or manuscript,
46:34 but we believe that this estimate correctly reflects
46:38 the signal importance of this great treasure.
46:41 With all great treasures,
46:43 it takes considerable thought to arrive
46:45 at the exact estimate.
46:47 We thought about other comparable books and manuscripts
46:50 that have sold in the past.
46:53 For example, Codex Leicester,
46:55 which is the Da Vinci Codex manuscript,
46:58 which is now owned by Bill Gates and sold for $30 million.
47:02 We thought about the Constitution,
47:04 which Sotheby's sold in 2021,
47:07 of which there were 15 copies, sold for $43 million.
47:11 Here we have a manuscript which has no equal.
47:15 It has no parallels.
47:17 There aren't any other early witnesses
47:20 which contain this entire text.
47:23 What we have here is a remarkable witness
47:26 to the transmission of the most exact, accurate text
47:30 of the Hebrew Bible, the divine word of God.
47:33 It is more complete than any other manuscript
47:36 of this period.
47:37 If Codex Sassoon sells for more than $43 million,
47:41 it will become the single most expensive book
47:44 or manuscript ever sold.
47:46 The Codex was written in the late ninth
47:48 or early 10th century,
47:50 and likely commissioned by a wealthy patron
47:52 who hired a single scribe to work on it
47:55 for more than a year.
47:56 Over the following centuries,
47:58 a handful of the Bible's owners added records of sale
48:01 to its pages, which allowed experts to trace its provenance.
48:05 - This book has been owned privately by individuals
48:09 as witnessed by the deed of gift from around the year 1000.
48:13 Also, it was purchased by David Solomon Sassoon in 1929,
48:17 and it's also been owned by institutions
48:20 such as the synagogue in Maki Sin
48:22 around the 13th and 14th century.
48:25 And what's exciting to me is we've seen both institutions
48:30 and private individuals approach us
48:33 and express their interest from across the world.
48:36 What makes this manuscript so important
48:39 is that this is the earliest extant example
48:42 where we have every book of the Bible
48:45 in its stable and standardized form.
48:48 The Dead Sea Scrolls contain portions,
48:50 sometimes only fragments of biblical texts.
48:54 There's actually only one book of the entire Hebrew Bible,
48:58 which is complete, and that is the Great Scroll of Isaiah.
49:02 These scrolls, however, do not contain any vowel points
49:06 or any cantillation marks.
49:09 When these Bibles emerged,
49:10 they included all the cantillation marks,
49:13 which explained how one is to chant the text,
49:16 and often how you chant it.
49:18 It's not just about the singing,
49:20 but it's also about where you stop
49:21 and where you start in a sentence,
49:23 which can make all the difference in the interpretation,
49:25 perhaps most significantly.
49:27 It contains the vowel points.
49:29 Above and below each word on the page
49:32 are all the different Hebrew vowels
49:35 that allow us to understand exactly what word is meant
49:40 in every single book of the Hebrew Bible,
49:43 every verse, every book of the Hebrew Bible.
49:46 While this book is missing 15 out of the 929 chapters
49:51 that make up the Hebrew Bible, it is essentially complete.
49:55 Every single book of the Hebrew Bible
49:58 is found within the 729 pages of Codex Sassoon.
50:03 Despite being more than 1,000 years old,
50:06 the Codex Sassoon is in remarkably good condition,
50:09 and it should stay that way.
50:11 Its parchment pages,
50:13 which were made with an estimated 200 sheepskins,
50:16 can last forever if they're kept at moderate humidity,
50:19 and you don't even need to wear gloves to touch it.
50:22 One of the questions I'm asked is
50:24 how you can turn the pages of this manuscript
50:26 without gloves.
50:27 Conservators around the world believe
50:30 that when you put gloves on, you lose the tactility.
50:33 It's much harder to turn the pages,
50:35 and you might end up ripping something
50:38 or bending one of the leaves
50:39 in an effort to turn the pages.
50:41 So current conservational thinking
50:43 is that it's much better to actually turn the pages
50:47 with perfectly clean hands.
50:50 (gentle music)
50:53 This book really resonates.
50:56 It's deeply powerful.
50:59 People of many religions and faiths look at it
51:04 and feel a deep connection when they open up
51:08 and look at the pages and can see a millennia
51:12 of the text of the Hebrew Bible sitting in front of them.
51:16 It's in remarkably good condition,
51:18 and we think that it could be bought
51:19 either institutionally or privately,
51:23 or there could be private donors
51:24 who wish to purchase it for an institution.
51:26 I think everything is possible at this point.
51:30 I think in our industry, we focus too much
51:32 on the money that you can make
51:33 and the opportunities that you can get for yourself,
51:36 but what about opportunities
51:37 that you're creating for other people?
51:38 What about the money that you're putting
51:40 in other people's pockets?
51:41 So I just wanna change that mentality within business.
51:43 My name is Jide Adetunji.
51:45 I am the co-founder and chief marketing officer at Guwop.
51:48 My name Ibrahim Kamara,
51:50 and I'm the co-founder and CEO of Guwop.
51:52 We run Guwop, which is a youth-led digital media platform
51:57 dedicated to discovering, nurturing,
51:59 and showcasing emerging creative talent.
52:02 We started as a magazine and wanted to tell the stories
52:05 of emerging creative talent from backgrounds
52:07 that were similar to ours.
52:08 So I used to shoot all the videos on my camera,
52:11 and Jide used to do all the interviews,
52:13 and we literally would go around London
52:15 interviewing different creatives,
52:17 because when we was coming up,
52:19 everyone wanted to be like footballers or rappers,
52:21 or you'd be doctors or accountants,
52:24 but there was no platform that was profiling
52:27 all the different types of creativity you can be.
52:30 So we said we made it our mission to do that,
52:33 and actually, yeah, just document creative stories.
52:35 2018 was the year that we launched our marketing agency,
52:40 'cause we realized that we had cultivated
52:42 this really cool and niche audience,
52:44 and brands were really trying to tap into that at the time.
52:47 So we started getting approached
52:48 by loads of different agencies,
52:50 loads of different fashion brands,
52:52 or whatever it might be, tech companies,
52:54 and they wanted to tap into our audience.
52:56 I guess that's how we started making money,
52:57 'cause before that, it was really tough.
52:59 It was really tough.
53:00 We went to the University of Kent.
53:05 I was doing software engineering.
53:06 - I was doing cloud and finance.
53:08 - Yeah, and I had to basically do a placement year
53:11 for my third year at university,
53:12 where I go and work in the city.
53:14 I ended up doing software engineering,
53:15 and yeah, I hated it.
53:17 It was awful.
53:18 I think I realized after one week that this wasn't for me,
53:21 and I just thought back to my youth.
53:23 I was like, okay, I really love creative things.
53:26 I love drawing, I love music, I love fashion,
53:28 but I also love being an entrepreneur.
53:30 I was that kid in school that would buy drinks from the shop
53:32 and then go and sell it on the playground.
53:35 So I thought, okay, maybe we can merge the two,
53:37 and we just thought of different creative ideas
53:40 as to how we can launch some sort of business
53:42 that showcases creativity and is community-based.
53:45 A lot of media companies tend to work with talent
53:47 who are already quite established
53:48 and obviously understandably,
53:50 but we felt like there was a massive gap in the market
53:52 where it's like, if you're an emerging talent,
53:54 there's nowhere that you can really go to to get support.
53:57 If you are a young stylist or you're a young MUA
53:59 or a young artist, we'll support you.
54:02 We'll do an editorial feature on you.
54:05 We might book you to come and do something
54:07 at one of our events,
54:08 and then we might bring you in
54:09 to get your first client opportunity.
54:11 So it's like a whole ecosystem
54:14 where we're able to take a creative
54:16 from working with them or putting them on an article
54:19 on our website all the way through to making them work
54:23 on a big brand campaign.
54:24 I think building a team has been really hard as well.
54:29 So we employed our first staff,
54:32 I think during the pandemic, actually,
54:33 so around like 2020, 2019.
54:36 Now we've grown, we've got about 12 or so employees.
54:39 And then I guess just managing the different personalities
54:42 and keeping everybody on the same page and motivated,
54:45 you know, it's really tough,
54:47 but yeah, we'll learn as we go along.
54:49 We have kind of like been in the VC world,
54:55 we kind of just dipped our toe in
54:57 and like from what I've seen,
54:58 I don't particularly like it just because I think
55:01 the pressure that comes with, I guess, making money,
55:04 we don't want to make it at any cost.
55:06 You know, it's really important for us to integrate.
55:09 Yeah, the integrity is one of our key values as a company.
55:12 So yeah, we don't want to just make profit
55:14 and just leave our community behind.
55:16 We want to bring our community with us
55:18 and make sure that creatives in 10, 20 years
55:21 still have a space where they can come to
55:23 and be like a nobody and become a somebody,
55:26 you know, and be recognized for their talent.
55:28 One of the main things I want people to remember
55:33 both of us for is being able to come from
55:36 the places we come from
55:38 and being able to get to the peak of commercial success
55:43 and still remaining who you are.
55:45 'Cause I think when we first started,
55:47 being an entrepreneur was men in suits.
55:49 Yeah, yeah.
55:50 You had to be so trim and proper,
55:52 where now we feel like even opportunities like this
55:55 is going to like show young people
55:57 from the areas like where we're from,
55:59 that yeah, you can come here, speak how you speak,
56:02 dress how you dress.
56:03 And still do amazing things.
56:05 Yeah, basically I want to create a way of life
56:07 in which entrepreneurs and creators
56:09 have a bit more of a selfless approach
56:10 to the way they do business.
56:12 And think about what value you can bring
56:15 and what value you can give to people
56:16 as opposed to just taking.
56:18 So yeah, hopefully through what we're doing,
56:20 what we can do that.
56:21 And make purposeful profit.
56:23 Yeah.
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