From Dance Shoes to Director's Views

0:00 On this episode, we sat down with Toy Blackman, the definition of a creative spreader. Her journey started as a CNA, but she quickly carved out her own lane through pure hustle and reinvention. From dancing on the poles to modeling, authorship, film production, directing, writing, talk show hosting, and even do -it -yourself credit repair, Toy has done it all. Today, she is the powerhouse moderating and running the Offscript Show. and she joins us to share the raw truth behind her trials, triumphs, pivots, and the mindset that it takes to keep standing as an entrepreneur in multiple industries. Tune in for a real unfiltered look at ambition, reinvention, and resilience.

0:42 I'm your host, Andreas, and I got a... Love her. I'm supposed to go to sleep, but I be all over the place, so I was like... Yeah, that's what we wanted it to be. Following up on social medias right now because... There just wasn't producing a lot at the time. So just hearing about... Google Google and YouTube University is idealistically the best way to learn All right, y 'all, it's another episode brought to y 'all via Zoom. This is Andreas, your host of Bankedoutt Radio Show, and I have Toy Blackman online with us. We're going to get into her journey. She's a fellow podcaster, creator, and does a lot more other things than we're going to let her do that for y 'all. So let's go ahead and jump into it. Toy, thank you for taking the time out of your day, because you didn't have to do this. Yeah, thank you. You're welcome. I know I was kind of like all over the place with you last week, we were supposed to do this last week, but I'd be all over the place. So I was like, you know what?

2:02 I have to stay professional and keep him on point, like letting them know what's going on. So that's how we do it. I get it. You know, I've been doing this since like, you know, 2016. So next year will be 10 years of podcasting, right? Congratulations. Thank you. I appreciate that. And a lot of things have changed over the course of time, as we build things, especially when we take an idea of something, and then we invest into that idea, and we keep it going. It evolves, it evolves, it evolves, and it just turns into a lot of stuff. You get to see how the industry reacts to it, how people react to it, people dropping in, dropping off, people trying to, I guess, become competition.

2:48 not really be in competition, and then those people dropping off and stuff like that. So I wanted to get your perspective as a fellow podcaster. How is podcasting landscape for you versus when you started? And then all the other, I would say, ancillary services and benefits that it offers and that you can offer people to be able to help them with the visions that they're creating as well. So, you know, let everybody know, you know, say a little bit about yourself. You know, from Florida, now residing in, you know, North Carolina. What is that, North Carolina? What did Peter Pavel used to say? North Carolina likey?

3:31 North Carolina likey. But yeah, go ahead. Go ahead and get into, you know, let the folks know. Okay. Hey, I am Toy Blackman. I do a whole lot of things. I'm an author. of The Secret She Kept, The Lies She Told. That book is out on my website. I have merch out. My brand is Are You Successful? And I get into the meaning behind that because he might have questions for that. I'm a filmmaker. I write the scripts. I do the casting call, the executive producer, the director. I do it out.

4:12 I do it out. I do DIY credit repair. Well, I don't do it, but you know where people can do it themselves because I have paid so many people to fix my credit. And it's like I paid money for nothing. Nothing ever happened. I don't see any. So I was like, you know what? I'm going to take the time and do it myself. So it's a lot of things that I have going on. I'm originally from Belgrade, Florida, but now I live in Liberty, North Carolina. So, Belle Glade, Florida? Belle Glade, Florida. Glade, Florida. Where is that in relations to Florida? Is it south, central, or northern? It's 20 minutes out of West Palm Beach, Florida. I've learned where West Palm Beach, Florida is. So, and I've actually, I was down there last, in August. a few months back or whatever. So I got to learn about the West Palm Beach area and stuff like that. I like the state of Florida. I just wouldn't be personally, I don't see myself living there just because of the threat of hurricanes. So, and I get it.

5:25 You know what I'm saying? A lot of people live there, whatever. I think when you live in a place and you're acclimated to it or you grow up in a place, then you're used to the things and the information that's disseminated. outside of not living there, you know what I'm saying? It's like, I'm originally from Tennessee, tornadoes and stuff like that, but I couldn't live out west, I mean, out Midwest, like Texas and Oklahoma, because of Flatlands, because I'm like, you hear the horror stories and stuff, but nobody really gives you like, you know what I'm saying, the real truth truth to how it is living in a place, whatever. But I do like the state as far as like, you know, what it has to offer. Yeah. So we'll always go and you know spend time and stuff like that So tell us you do all these creative things What got you into being you know, i'm saying so creative and what was the first thing that you started with? Oh, that's a good question the crazy part about it Like I really feel like I wasn't put on earth to work for anybody Okay, I love it Every time I had a job the only job that I really was happy in was when I was in the health care. I was a CNA. And when I was doing that, that is the only job that I enjoyed going to work. I enjoyed helping people. But when it came to my businesses, the first thing I ever had was a online boutique. OK. And it was prospering. It did really good until I met

6:57 the wrong person. And when I met them and got them involved in my business, they end up, when the relationship didn't work out, they end up - Basically taking business or sabotaging it? They not even sabotaged it. They kind of like, what you call, hacked all my social media's account and I had people from other states that used to literally buy from me wholesale for they - boutiques and day stores, things like that. And he literally hacked my accounts and was reaching out to them people and scammed them. Let's make that radio show and I have some deals for y 'all.

7:41 There are some companies that I've been going, researching, looking at the different products and services that I want to turn you on to. So go to my deals page, check them out. Any one of them that you want to interact with, want to do some business with. you'll get a promo discount as well when you try their product. Banked out, B -A -N -K -E -D -O -U -T -T. Slide over to that page, check out what I have to offer and let me know. So one of my customers, she was about to sue me. I had to go to the courts. The courts told me they can't do anything about it and all this stuff. So yeah. I'm like that was self -attached though. He self -attached the success of your business based off of the personal relationship that you had, which is shitty by the way. Know what I'm saying? It sucked that you had to go through something like that because I know what it is to build a business.

8:33 I've been a full -time entrepreneur since 2013 and entrepreneur since 2005. So you're talking about 20 years worth of experience of doing different things that know how to make money because you said successful. You know how to make money. There's a lot of people out there who don't know how to make money when it comes to being a business owner. I'm sure you see it all the time and you see all the stuff that they do wrong and then you try to give them like some little nuggets and stuff like that. I think they all fall in different categories as far as like this. You'll have the entrepreneurs that you talk to, right? They're part -time or they're wanting to be the entrepreneur that you are. So some of them, they'll listen to your information and they'll run with it. The other ones will listen to your information, but like be salty about it and thinking that, you know what I'm saying? You're downing them when you're just trying to get them to lessen the learning curve or what we like to say in business, the J curve is when you invest into a business and it's going down, down, down until it hits the pinnacle of the curbership and it shoots straight up. because now you have all the information, you have all the experience, you have the resources you dumped into it, and you're able to tweak each day until you hit to where, you know, it starts the synergy process.

9:58 And they want that, but they don't know how to receive that information. Am I hitting the nail on the head? Yeah, and it's like, too, you could tell them, get them gems all day and they still won't use it. They still because they saw accustomed to what they do. So they don't because they feel like that's what's working for them when you're just trying to help elevate them. Exactly. But the thing that I tell people about time, if it was working for you, then you wouldn't need nobody help. Yeah, that's the thing. And I'm like, we don't know everything. But as we become successful and hit tiers of success, because, you know, success is in a lot of different tiers, then if someone is ahead of you, you should want to listen to them. Right. But you know, hey, that's my little soapbox for that or whatever, because, you know, I could talk about this, this and wow, you know, is there all day with that. But so you do the boutique. There's a creative space.

10:55 What was the next phase into your life after the boutique then? After that, when that happened, I kind of gave up on it and I went to. I did my own cosmetic line. So I used to have lip gloss and lipsticks and shirts. So the shirts used to... I can't remember what the shirts used to say, but I'd just seen a thing of it the other day. I was like, oh, these shirts was cute. And it'd have a lip on the shirt also with the words and whatever color lipstick, because that's when... You remember Kisha Kior? Remember when she had the colorful lipsticks? I was out around the same time. So I also had the colorful lipstick.

11:42 So whatever lips that was on the shirt that matched it matched the lipstick. So they're either get the lipstick and the shirt for. $30 or they could just get the lipstick. I'll just get the shirt. So that was my next one. Um, that was really good for me too. Um, I was a dancer at the time, so majority of my customers was dancers. Um, makeup artists, I used to give them, um, every color lipstick so they can have it in they, um, thing to use it. So I got promo from the makeup artists. I had, a shop that I used to go to. It was a hair shop. And I used to go there on the weekends. I used to live in West Palm. So I used to go to Fort Lauderdale and sell my lipsticks on the weekends inside of the hair salon. So that's how I used to, man, it's so crazy. Like I remember me and my boys, because I got three boys, like literally used to walk around the neighborhood and pass out flyers. I put them on a mailbox. Yes. Yeah. That's our old school work. Like that in itself gave you real time data when you interact with people that people are missing nowadays. Yeah, the reshaped about thing that should go back to doing stuff like that. So you mentioned dancing and stuff like that. I imagine you was doing it because I'm saying it's a necessity. You know, I'm saying to keep a livelihood going and stuff like that.

13:11 How did that like, you know, as far as like, you know, you doing that because now you're being branded at that particular time, you know what I'm saying, as a dancer and stuff and you putting yourself out there. Was there any like negative connotation or feedback that came that way or you just took it in stride? No, it was not to be honest because I was the type of person I always brand myself. So if you see anything that's connected to me, you see the name of it is successful. It has the name successful in it because that was my dance name. I used to be successful the model when I was modeling. And what happened with that situation, I end up being noticed by a company. out in New York and I flew to New York and got signed but I gave them things that I wouldn't do because I had kids and things I told them I wouldn't do. The first thing they had me to do was something I said I wouldn't do. I know by me being a dancer and all that a dancer would have loved that but me not knowing what kind of magazine it was They lied to me and say, oh, it was just a magazine up here in New York that they put out in the stores and things like that for entertainment. So, and when I was there, I seen like majority of the girls that was there was dancers. So when I got back home, a customer in the strip club seen me, he congratulated me and he was like, but do you know what type of a magazine you just like got

14:44 published in? So I was like, Yeah, it's the magazine that they sell up in New York in the stores or whatever. He was like, no, that magazine is the number one magazine in prisons. Oh, nobody's going to be jacking off for you. Oh, my God. I called my manager and I was off and I was like, my contract, which I already know they wasn't going to tear it up. So I just stepped back from modeling because the contract for three years. So I stopped doing it. And I was like, I just stopped into my contract as well. Once my contract was over, I just never got back into it. I'm glad that, you know what I'm saying? You learned a lesson. Yeah. Not to jump on the first thing that someone offers. Yeah, because you see how the industry with creative spaces, entertainment, it's always predicated. Now, I hate the fact that the industry has been doing that for decades now. But that's also predatory old things in other industries as well. It's just not as, I guess, bad because creative spaces do not have as much regulations as other industries do. So you're bouncing back from there. What was your next move to be able to like, you know, shift and keep it going? Because like you said, you don't work for nobody else. You work for yourself.

16:02 So what was your next adventure? Being a dancer, I was a dancer for a long time on and off, but I also still had a nine to five dance when I was in the health field. I'll work, go to the strip clubs on my days off. Like say for instance, I work today, but I have tomorrow also tonight. I'm gonna go work at the club. So that's kind of too with the healthcare money and me being a dancer with the extra money. That's how literally I was getting a flow and I was investing in my businesses, investing in me, you know? So that's how that worked for me. And I'm so glad like, I was a dancer that literally had respect for myself that the guys really respected me, too.

16:46 I really didn't get a lot of disrespect. Guys used to literally talk to me like, oh, you don't even seem like you should be doing this. Why are you doing it? And I'd be like, it's not a reason. Like, I'm not going to sit here and say, oh, because I'm trying to pay for school. And I'm trying to do this. I'm trying to do this. Like, the money was good. I love fast money. That's when I noticed. I'm supposed to be wrecking for nobody. I love you. And they was telling me like, don't never get your body done because if you get your body done, that means you look at dancing as a career. So I got my butt done and my breasts done, but I didn't do it for, to make more money. I did it for me because that will. was my insecurity within myself, you know what I'm saying? So I got it to make me feel good, not to make one money in a club or look good for a man, right? And it's so crazy. You would not believe this. I'm the type of girl like I really don't even like showing off my body, to be honest. So like you said, it's just something that, you know, you wake up every day, you look in the mirror, you know, you like, I want these changes and stuff like that. And like I said, it's for you. So what's the next thing that you started like really? Did you? Is that when you like started the podcasting or was it something prior to that? It was so crazy I used to get opportunities back in the days to where um, I think it was the year I want to say 2014 is when every everything started popping up for

18:17 me. I got an opportunity to have my own talk show on um on this on w wod tv station So I did that I don't never know what happened to that, like why we stopped doing it because it was a good thing. Don't know what happened with that. And then I was on a radio station, the great AFM, it was an underground station. Me and I had a partner at the time. We only used to focus on indie artists. So we used to interview them, only play indie artists music. And then we had a show that we used to do for them, an open mic thing that we used to do for them. So after the show, we'll go to the club and do our open mics with the artists that shows up and things like that. So literally I've been in, I ain't gonna say podcasting because back then they wasn't calling podcasting, but I had talk shows and radio shows. from back then, then I stopped because I realized I was the only one that was putting in money when it came to all this stuff. And I'm like, I'm putting in my money, but when it comes for payout, I have a partner that was reaping the benefits. Oh yeah, that's horrible setup.

19:41 Yeah. So I stopped that, fell back from that. Oh, I was a fell back. Can I press on here? whatever you feel like you want to say. I was a fell -back motherfucker. At least I noticed that this ain't making no sense to me. I stepped away from it, you know what I'm saying? And I feel like if I would have kept going in the space that I was because everything I used to do back then used to pop, I really feel like I would be bigger than what I am now. But I was a fallbacker. I'll stop something, go to the next thing. Stop something, go to the next thing. So then I have this question then, because I've done situations like that before too, right? Invest my money and brought other people. And I'll tell you, like, you know what I'm saying, the synopsis of even with this particular platform, what I've done in the past in a little bit. So as, you know what I'm saying?

20:32 You're doing business. I know how it is being a single funding business and the creative. you're wanting the idea of what you see in the vision to be executed to its fullest potential so you're allowing people to come into spaces where they're going to reap benefits right like you said um and did you just approach that with like okay i'm just going to trust that this person is going to be as committed as me knowing that you know as soon as you put up bread they don't put up bread that's the first flag right there How are you, how are you navigating that? And you know, cause I can only imagine you was feeling torn at some times. Yeah. Yes. Because it was, it was like, now I'm to the point where I have to understand your vision is not everybody else's vision. So they could say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. I'm on the, I do the same thing.

21:34 And with the radio station now, when it came to promoting, because I don't know if you follow me on any social media, like I promote my ass off. And he was a big promoter like that too. Like he promoted his ass off on social media. But when it just came to funding part, I tried to be understanding that he had little babies and a wife and all that. I try to be. You got three boys. Exactly. You're in the same position. Exactly. But I still was trying to be understanding, you know, so. it just comes to a point where you get tired. You can have that talk all you want, like, okay, bro, like I'm putting in this and then you ain't putting in nothing. And it's like, okay, now I'm tired. So when you get tired of that up, you step away. But I had tried the come back with the podcast and had a collaboration with someone. And it was just like, I just felt like I was bigger than what they wanted to do.

22:39 They wanted to just focus on the LGBT community, and I'm bigger than the LGBT community. I haven't been gay all my life. I don't been with men. I don't care about speaking on it. But them, they have this image to where, and they got kids too, but they have this image in a gay. world to where they don't talk about men or they still sneak around with men but people don't know it you feel me so it was like i'm telling my business because like i told you i'm an open book i talk about anything but i'm telling my business on the show but yet you're sitting back not so it was just like yeah that's not for me either so that's when I started Successful Toy Podcast by myself. So I can run it how I want to run it. I don't have to run it by nobody or none of that. And that I was very I was very successful.

23:35 I always had... Talk about that then. Talk about, you know, talk your talk. Tell us how successful was, you know, a successful toy podcast. I imagine, you know what I'm saying, it's a solo type episodes and stuff, right? And you just probably bring on and interview guests and things of that nature. So tell us, let us know. So with successful toy podcast, I built different shows to do. on my podcast, even if I don't have a guest, I could still be on there talking by myself. So I had 21 questions. That was the first thing, the first show I ever did. And it was all about myself. And then I ain't gonna lie. At first I was used to be like, I don't want to do no guest. I just want my show and I can pop my shit and you know, they like it, they like it, they don't, they don't. So. From there, people started reaching out. First, it was my friends. They was like, oh, I want to be on your podcast. I was like, this is not a podcast. And I was like, damn, I should have named it This Is Not a Podcast, because I keep telling people this is not a podcast.

24:36 Like, you could come on in and talk shit with me, but this is not a podcast. So I end up turning it into a podcast because I had doctors, entrepreneurs, actors, singers, artists, like reaching out. And I'm like, And then I also have people referring them. So it was like, girl, you better turn this mother fucker into a podcast. So that's when I turned into a podcast. But still, I was like, I still want my show to be authentic. I don't want you to be someone I'm not. So it's like, listen, if you come on my show, I don't talk about politics. I don't talk about religion. And I do cuss. I cuss my ass off. And they're like, oh, I love that. And it's crazy because.

25:21 I had some amazing guests on my show. I had, I can't remember her name, but she was on Housewives of, what's the one, start with a P, Jesus, I can't remember. Maybe, I don't know. I was about to say Philadelphia or something. I'm not familiar with all the Housewives of P or P. The only one I remember is Housewives of Atlanta, and I didn't really get into it. Yeah, it was like would you say it though? Yeah, it was one of the housewives that but with the Caucasian one is on there. I have one of them on here I had What is his name Oh my Jesus why can't think of these are like I'm having a brain fart, but he was from Family business. Mm -hmm. He came on my show Ms. Toy was on my show, the one who's saying, you can do it, put your back into it. I actually did a collab with her, and I'm not even a rapper, but she put me on one of her songs as a feature, and I had a rapping part. Yeah, so it just turned into a big thing, and my number one downloads used to be in Sydney, and it was like, oh shit, I'm international. Australia. Yes, I was like Listen, I told my girl I was like I need to go over there because I need to meet these people

26:52 because They are my number one downloaders. So with that it was just It was amazing. So how did it? Okay You had this success and stuff. So why did they start to taper off for you? And then why did you reform it? because I Was slacking I got lazy Uh -huh, I get that. Yeah, I understand that. I got lazy and then it was like My the episode I had was like I was telling I had three different not three But like four or five different categories on my show. I had the 21 question interviewing people This one I used to call conversation where we only talk about mental health have mental health questions for the guests that come on.

27:43 I had 21 questions with a twist where we played. I made up a game focusing on my podcast that was fun and to get to know people better. And I had kiss or kill. That was the game. So I had these different things. Oh, and I had the panel, but the panel did better than everything else. So I'm this type of girl when god speaks to me I move I don't be disobedient So by me was getting lazy with successful toy podcast. He put in my heart like okay Just do it because I was doing it. I was doing two shows a day monday through friday Oh, wow, you're doing 10 shows a week.

28:30 Yes So I feel like that's why I was getting overwhelmed and god was telling me he was like listen do the panel where you have six people on there you including that's the six and you do it once a week yeah and it works for me yes and it opened up a lot of space for me to focus on other things instead of me trying to because i used to do one pm and five pm you didn't have a that ma 'am we had nobody like in your quarter tell hey no first of all from a programming standpoint that's a lie You ain't even got news anchors who could do that. Nobody told me shit. Nobody told me shit, not even my mate. She was down with my bullshit. Well, you know, a lot of people don't have the experience of anything, but you was doing a lot. So I commend you, one, to be able to do that and to be able to keep it and get it to that level with her. But I'm glad that you was able to listen to intuition and, you know, listen to God and be able to, you know, step back because now you're doing more with less. Yes. And I had to learn stuff like that, too. I started out doing three shows a week, interviewing artists and stuff and talking about various topics. And then it was just so much because you got to keep coming and you're building your audience. And that's the thing I want to talk to a fellow creative podcaster about. How do you look at the landscape now versus all the people? Because the entry barrier is still, I think it's way more accessible now. We have all these different tools that we use as far as distribution.

30:01 But at the end of the day, I don't think that people think, oh, well, I want to do a podcast because they see it as a... Money. You say what? Money. People really, like the people that's coming in the podcast world now, they really doing it for money. Because you see, you even got the celebrities, like, I don't heard some say... I got into podcasts because I used to be seeing all the money that these people making. So why not? But it's like, you already got money. You already got money. So now I just feel like the podcast rush is oversaturated. I don't feel like it's oversaturated. I just feel like, you know, people are, like you said, the lure of money and then the thing, the ease that there's no barrier entry. So it's easy to get. But what they're missing is that you still have to build an audience and build value. and that's where all the opportunities come in at, by building value. Because when I was building mine, I started with audio first, and then I transitioned into video. Then I got lazy, because video was easier, and I stopped with the audio. So I lost a huge audience that I'm building back now, because I had people where I had it to where I did blog talk. was one of the first distribution platforms where people can call in with a number and stuff like that and playing the music and doing the interviews in between. It was set up like, that's why it's called Big That Radio Show. It was set up like a radio show. I just kept the name. But then once video came aboard and then I was doing

31:31 Facebook Lives and stuff like that with Industry Thursdays and did that for like a year and a half and was doing like phenomenal numbers, people recognizing I'm doing, selling my own ads, all sorts of stuff. You know, you get lazy or, you know, you start to want to do other things and, you know, you don't stick to. But what I've been seeing over the last few years, like you said, celebrities are jumping into it. I think some of them jump into it too because they don't even have a business model for their celebrity talent. They have to, you know, depend on talent to get hired. But now if they have a brand that's already been, they have a brand recognition because they've been poured into millions of marketing dollars through various projects. they can capitalize off of that. But I still think that they forget that podcasting and building the platforms is about the audience, and that should always be the focus. Come on, just jump out there with crazy concepts or whatever, thinking that, you know, they're going to go and get the bag from a Spotify store and it doesn't work like that or whatever. You have to build and cultivate an audience because at the end of the day, the people want to tune into it because it has value to them. It's changing their life. and being meaningful in some type of way. Right. So I don't feel like it's always that way because the numbers don't even show it. I mean you got five million podcasts on Apple alone with only 500 ,000 are actually active. Right. That's across every genre.

32:54 You see what I'm saying? It'd be different if you got five million podcasts on Apple and three million of them are active. Right. You got some people that their stuff is just they ain't put out an episode in years so it's not active anymore so they no longer have an audience. And I learned that when I stopped releasing my audio episodes and I was just doing video I lost my audio audience And I'm building it big Just gonna piggyback off of that too when you said that because when I first started I was video I was video had a big audience I'm talking about when I used to because the platform that I stream from I can go live on YouTube Instagram and all that at the same time And on Facebook, my life, it used to get hundreds of views, but when I go look at my insights, I'd be having like 102K views and things like that, you know what I'm saying?

33:56 And then when I switch from video to audio, and when the pod being trying to run it like a radio station, I lost. Yeah. Now that I'm back videoing and trying to build back up that momentum over there on my Facebook, it's like, it's slow. It's slow. Yeah, it is. You know, had I known what I know now, I would have been able to like, you know, go back in time and tell myself this is the strategy that you got to use or whatever to rebuild. But the fact that you're able to build something, the fact that I was able to build something to the numbers that we did is amazing in itself. So now we know how to build, at least we have the experience of knowing how to build. I like, you know what I'm saying, the new people who are jumping into it, they have no earthly idea what they're doing whatsoever.

34:46 And then like you said, there's situations where people create stuff, because I saw this other person I want to talk to, she spent 10 grand on video podcasts, but when I go to her YouTube page, it's four years old, and on her first season, and she had posted on threads. And I thought it was fascinating because people were talking about, oh my God, you're spending $10 ,000. I'm like, y 'all understand everything you have to do. All this stuff isn't for free. You can't expect people to execute your vision for free, especially if you don't have the skill set. And even if you have the skill set to do everything, it's going to take way longer. So why waste time when you can outsource some of the jobs, not all, but some? But you can tell when it's a situation like you had, where If she's fine, she's financing everything and she alcohols and stuff like that, but they're benefiting from the brand recognition.

35:38 They're benefiting when people book them for opportunities. They're not putting money back into her pocket. They're keeping that money for themselves. But you have a great concept that can do numbers. It has the potential to do millions, but it will never get there because of the way that, you know what I'm saying? Everybody, like you said, everyone is not into your vision. Everyone doesn't, you know what I'm saying? see it. They say they do, but I tell people, you ain't got no skin in the game. You ain't gonna do nothing for me. You ain't gonna do nothing for me. You gotta have skin in the game. You gotta have some type of skin in the game to where if you don't put up, it's going to hurt you like it will hurt me. Yeah. So I guess all that combination and experience and stuff like that, is that what led you to start writing this stuff and then start working on, you know what I'm saying, being an author? No, it was crazy because I wasn't even thinking about being an author. My best friend was like, I was going through something and she was like, successful girl, you need to write a book. So I was like, girl, I hate writing, because in school, I hate writing essays. So she was like, I was like, girl, I hate writing.

36:54 She was like, I said, and I wouldn't even know where to start. a book I'm thinking like when you write a book I'm like thinking on a big scale I'm not thinking like independent you know I'm saying so she was like girl just either get your laptop I get you a folder notebook folder and just start writing just start writing she was like you have been through some shit girl so just writing about your life so I took her advice and I literally like I wrote down everything that I can remember from the age five years old, because I was 40 at the time. So I wrote from the age five years old up until I was 40 years old. So with that, I was just writing, writing, writing, telling my side of the stories because I don't have friends that I end up like backstabbing them with sleeping with their boyfriend or something.

37:50 But when they told their story, I'm the type of person like Whoever tell their story first, that's who they gonna believe. So it don't make sense for me to even try to come out and tell my story on why I did it. So when I finally wrote my book, I literally put all that in my book. I finally told my side of the story and things like that. So now when people read it, they be like, I can tell this was a venting session for you. And I was like, yeah, I just put everything that I was holding in and I put it out there in the book. How did that book do for you as far as like, you know, did you have any expectations or no cuz I ain't gonna lie like in in Florida in West Palm Beach like Motherfuckers don't like me. Okay. I Love it They don't like me because the bitches that I used to be friends with like it was they kind of like had had a name So it's like they only know me because I was hanging with them So whatever like I said, whatever story they told like that's who they gravitated to or whatever So this is don't like me or I used to fuck they mean because I'm gonna like I used to be a hoe I was supposed to innocent so bitch I didn't give a fuck about none of them bitches, but um When I wrote it, I was like, I don't even know how to put this out there. So I sold the unedited version of it. I sold over 100 copies of me just on social media stating I finished

39:24 my book and I'm selling it for $2 .99, but it's just the PDF. It's just the manuscript, unedited, wrong. So when I put that out there, like people was buying it like crazy and I was selling it for $2 .99 and I sold over 100 copies with just that long. So then I seen Miami Tip when she published her first book, I inboxed her. I said, hey, how did you... get your book on amazon and she's the one that told me what to do so i found somebody that edited for me to make it you know more polished yeah and once they did that i uploaded it to amazon and i had it on amazon i just took it off amazon this year because i was collaborating with someone that was I'm gonna rewrite it because like I said, they was like this sound like just a bit of Vincent section so they're gonna Rewrite it for me to make it more polished and then I'm gonna relaunch it. But for now, yes, I still have a couple um, I Have a couple copies on hand.

40:42 So this is how it look Okay secret she kept in the last she told so that's what's up. Yeah I like the fact that you've been doing all these different projects though. Like, you know, I don't know if you've looked at like the statistics, I've interviewed authors, I've interviewed book dealers or brokers, agencies, publishing agencies, and they tell me that only 1 % of authors who actually write actually publish. The 99 other percent do not even, they're right, but they won't ever publish. So when you was able to... get that hurdle, right? Yeah. The other hurdle is that in an author's lifetime, this is, I got the interview, I have to go back and find it so I can send it to you or I'll even clip it into this somehow. He told me book statistics when it comes to the publishing side of it, only, what is it? Oh, most authors, like majority, 90 something percent is a high number, high staggering number. Do not sell More than 100 copies of their book in their lifetime. Oh Wow So you did something you you're in the top echelon of selling? Yeah, because that in The hundred plus was me just putting selling the manuscript to the random people and they read in my script where I'm talking about where all the incorrect spelling and everything.

42:12 And then when I put it on Amazon, I really can't keep up what I was. I was getting some dividend checks, some royalties from it. So, yeah. Yeah. So you've been able to accomplish a lot of stuff, ma 'am. So if no one's ever told you how successful you've been compared to the statistics out there, you've done a lot and congratulations on being able to just to execute and to do stuff like that. Thank you. You're welcome. So you've been doing all this stuff right and now you got the panel with the podcast. How's that been going? Do you think that will be in the plans for like you know a longer run and then also what do you plan on doing going forward? Okay, so I really feel like the script show because I'm really with genuine people and That's who God told me to choose to do it with And they are people that either on my production team or they actors in my movies So we all have a bond and all us don't bite our tongue. We say what's real We don't beat around the bush to each other. So that's why I felt like this would be perfect. So that's why we named it the Offscript Show because, baby, we be all over the place. We don't stick to, we don't have topics. Everybody come on there with their own questions or they see a story

43:43 that they want to talk about. Like we don't have a topic that we be talking about. So I feel like that is going to grow. It's going to do really good. Now, my focus is I rebrand my hair growth oil. So that is out right now. It's doing good. I'm looking for ambassadors and all that stuff. I have a distribution already won. She does dreads, so she's going to be selling my hair growth oil. in her shop. So once I come down to Florida, I will be dropping off to have a thought down there. What else? Oh, my films. So the story about my life, The Secret She Kept Lies Toe, I filmed the movie for it, but I didn't release it. I had to scrap it because the acting in it was not what you wanted. Yeah. So. I'm gonna reshoot it next year July. So right now the next film that I'm shooting is called Granny's Block.

44:53 It's an urban comedy where four grannies is gonna be taking over the block. Instead of having the YNs or the OGs taking over the block, we gonna have the granny OGs taking over the block. That should be very interesting. And that would be filmed, we start filming that in January and it will be filming in Atlanta. Really? When you do that, because I'm not that far from Atlanta. Okay. The dates are January the 22nd through the 25th. Matter of fact, grab me access to get like, you know what I'm saying, behind the scenes and stuff like that. Thank you. Yes, come on. Bring your podcast stuff and you can tap into the actors and everything. Yes. So yeah, I'm going to shoot you my number so we stay in contact every day. Because I definitely want to do like more content, stuff like that. Some stuff like, you know, because, you know, as I know, as we get into podcasting and production and all that stuff, we started doing all these other ventures and things. And what had initially started off as a radio show for me has turned into almost a full -fledged production company now, to where I just got through shooting a reality show. And it's dropping next month. It's a positive reality show. It's kind of bouncing around the A. and it's about an inflatable business company and it's family oriented. I'm gonna shoot you the Instagram problem and she just released it today.

46:21 I'm so happy because I had to be, I had to sit on, you know, you got some days and other stuff. And I had to sit on, I worked all this summer, all this footage, editing and stuff like that, coming up with different shots. And you know, it was a one man camera operation, me. But. It is come together and it's been the biggest project I have taken on stressful but very rewarding I have a question uh -huh when you came up with the idea of a positive reality show and I'm asking this because I'm gonna tell you what happened with me so when you came up with that concept you get anyone that was downing and like, uh, right now people like drama. So I'll tell you this, I didn't come up with the actual idea of the show. I helped her execute it. So there was a, she's an actual artist and she has her inflatable business. But I saw, I know what you're saying though, because the people who I did let know that I was working on something like that. I couldn't tell them exactly what it was, but that I told them the concept of it. And yes, people will say, well, you know, people want drama, drama, drama. And I'm like, yes, I understand that. But that's not the only like I'm a business person at the end of day because of the reason business with a concentration of marketing. So I look at data. I don't listen to what people say. Right. I look at data. Data will tell you

47:51 all the time. And data tells you that there is a space for everyone to pull off everything. You just have to find your people. Exactly. And people don't always want to look at, I don't like, I had to learn how to shoot reality show and stuff like that based off of watching them and talking with various people who's done it. But I don't absorb reality TV show because I don't want that in my system. So I'll go watch positive stuff. And you know, there's nothing wrong with positive things. Like even when I built Bank That Radio Show, I made it a couple of things were intentional. I never wanted to do interviews and always harp on the negative of stuff or try to be like Wendy Williams or Charlamagne and Gollard and things like that because when you put yourself out there like that, you're branded as that. I want people to come back and they absorb. And people, they sit there and watch these interviews that I have years later. Like I still have comments on stuff because everything is still posted on Facebook.

49:02 Everything is still posted on Instagram and YouTube as my platforms are where I'm pushing the material. And it is amazing to see me doing an interview five years about someone who sells pies. People comment on it. And that's how I wanted to always build the platform. Now, will I talk about some stuff? Yes, but it's not in the... It's not in the same light. And I don't believe in that whole negative stuff. I really don't. I just don't. I don't want to be known for that. And it's crazy because when I built Successful Toy Podcast, that was my vision. I was like, I do not want to focus on nothing negative. I don't care who come on my platform. Beef they got or what's gonna bring in numbers? I don't care. I want to focus on what's what they got going on positive in a life I don't care about none of that stuff and That that was that's me like with my the off script show I have somebody on there that He tried to bring up something that I had That I went through Had to tell him I said this platform is not for that. We're not here to bash anybody I don't left it alone. So I want you to leave it alone. I'm not highlighting or giving nobody that exposure of Talking negative about them.

50:31 I already handled it. I did what I did and As that so when it comes over here if we're not talking about our own business We're not going to talk about nobody else business like I just don't want to. And then I also had joined forces with this lady. She started a podcast to where we was talking about reality shows doing like our reviews on it. But it was training to me because it's like, I used to be a baddie's fan. But now they fight so much on there to it's like it's training. It was my energy. So I was like, Yeah, I can't watch this too much long. And then it's like, when I do come across it, if I ain't got nothing to do and I just watch it, like, I don't want to have to wait a whole week to talk about it. Like, the show come out on a Sunday, but then our next show into Friday. So now I got to, like, it was just too much. So I was like, if I'm gonna watch something like that, I just want to watch it and forget about it.

51:35 I don't want to elaborate about it. So. Yeah, is that setting up a fee with it? Like, you know, like I said, I don't mind talking about like, you know what I'm saying, some things, because I've even like, you know, I've gotten some situations where, you know, I want to talk about things that have happened with people and even with myself, but the light isn't spun to where, you know what I'm saying, that's what it's all about. It's about showing, because it's like with any great storytelling, you know what I'm saying, there's always going to be ups and downs. Right. But at the end of the day, you want to show the positivity in like the outcome of how they are able to overcome the endowment. overcome, you know what I'm saying, the trap or whatever the case may be, overcome the beef. That's what your, you know what I'm saying, focus, that's what the in focus goal should be, not, oh, what you beefing and blah, blah, blah, and it just gets out of hand. I'm like, come on, nobody wants to consume all that. I'm like, I think as you get older, you're supposed to mature and become wiser, but you know, some people, it's the mentality.

52:29 It's not the age. Maturity is in... the mentality, not age. That's how I believe because you got people that's 60 years old, 50 years old who still go through life and you know they're coming from a space of it's always negative and rah rah rah rah rah as opposed to what are you building? What legacy are you going to leave behind? You know what I'm saying? How are you going to be known because you've been on this earth for so long anyway? Right. So how are you going to be impactful to others? I had asked that question because I came up with a concept for a reality show and I wanted to focus on entrepreneurs.

53:14 And the person told me, you have to think nobody's gonna watch anything that's positive. Because I was like, I wanna focus on the positive side of the entrepreneurs, not bring them on a show and basically making them this great. this grade they self and then degrade they self and then they don't, people really don't even know what they do because those baddies literally be having some positive stuff going on in their life. If you don't follow them, you won't even know that you have a business or something. It's like what? So I wanted to create something like this. I'll tell you what I've done in my experience, right? I have interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs, one because I'm an entrepreneur myself. My platform has actually benefited from interviewing entrepreneurs and talking about their journey in entrepreneurship.

54:04 People do watch that because entrepreneurship isn't cookie cutter. And what you learn from one piece, from a person, you might learn something else from another. And I've interviewed and shown that we as people, just our community, we're not monolithic. We're diverse in all sorts of entrepreneurial ways as far as the industries. right and I'm always looking for you know I'm saying someone who's doing something that's different because you know we have the barbershops and then the music and the entertainment we also have the tech and you know I'm saying the rocket ships and mathematic uh you know companies that people are creating and you know whatever else we all have uh shared experiences to a certain degree and then we have other interests and stuff like this so people tune into the information I'm like if that was the case it wouldn't be plastered everywhere. Every time my new feed pulls up, it's something new with entrepreneurs and businesses and things of that nature. And then also, I did a show called The Ugly Side of Entrepreneurship, where I talk about their pain points in more specific detail. But towards the end of the show, it's to show what entrepreneurs have to go through to get to the point where they support themselves. But also, How did you come over that hump and that hurdle? And what are you doing now? You know what I'm saying?

55:29 And the highlights, you know what I'm saying? At the end, what they're doing, how they was able to overcome it and, you know, really become successful. So, yeah, we might talk about, you know what I'm saying, the journey. But along the way, the journey, you know what I'm saying? There's a turning point. You create whatever your heart tells you to create because it's there for a reason. Right. and listen out and they say, I tell people all the time, one rule of thumb, when people bring ideas to me and they say, I think I wanna do this, I do that. The first thing I tell them, do it. Because you don't know what's going to happen. It's not proven in the market yet. Now once you put it out there and if it hits the goals that you wanted to hit, cool, you were very lucky. Because far few in between does a person or able to achieve something that they initially set out to do on the first try. It doesn't happen like that. Those are like one in a gajillion chances. Everyone else, you apply things to it, the strategy and stuff. So you put stuff out there into the public. You see how their public responds. And if you want to continue that, you make adjustments. But to tell people not to try at all, that is the definition of failure. in my eyes. Failing is not trying.

56:54 Failing is not doing at all because it's easy to fail. Right. Just like it's easy to quit. Some of the easiest things ever. Quit and fail. You fail by not trying. But if you're out there chasing stuff, no, you're successful because you're pursuing something and it doesn't have to hit all the markers that you want for it. Because you have no experience. You see what I'm saying? In that particular thing that you're doing. So there shouldn't be people's perception of, oh, well, that's not going to be successful. What is success? Right. You see what I'm saying?

57:37 Success is waking up every day. You get to go to a podcast that you love to do. You get to write books. You get to film. You are successful right now. Yeah. I mean, people got to wake up and go to a job that they hate. I swear. You know how many people that have degrees that they don't even work in that area of expertise where they studied? Yeah. But 97 % of people in general. So yeah, I don't listen to all that stuff. I'll put that, I'll squash that real quick. And if I have people around me that's saying stuff like that, I just get rid of them. Yeah. When I tell you, the person that said that God made something happen to where them people ain't even around me anyway. So it was just like, nigga, why every time I bring something to you, you turn it down?

58:24 And then it's like, are you really trying to help me for real? You claiming you want to be on my team and help me and all that, like, nah. Exactly, they're not really for you. But ma 'am, this has been a lovely conversation. Thank you. You're welcome. Thanks for having me. Oh, you're welcome. know plug your stuff let everybody know you know say how can they get in contact because you do so much stuff now i've gotten to know you just in the sense of this hour and you offer way more than i initially thought so go ahead plug yourself so you guys can follow me and get to know me a little better on facebook at toy blackman follow my show the all script show on facebook and instagram You can follow my production company on Instagram success with toy production follow my hair growth or a variety of the Laura crown on Instagram and You can shop with me to get your merch. Are you successful and the meaning behind? Are you successful is are you successful?

59:25 Are you successful? Meaning are you just success successful? Are you full of success? The ones that's successful, like you're doing anything for success, so you're chasing that success to get me successful. So me, I am full of success, as y 'all can see from this interview. So you can get your merch at www .successfultoyproduction .com. All my business is under one umbrella, so yes. That's what's up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Y 'all go out there and y 'all support. of course you know you'll see all the stuff flash upon the screen keep supporting the platform make that radio show across all social media and this has been a very very very lovely i've enjoyed this interview so y 'all make sure y 'all keep on tuning in