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Sophia Chang Talks Mentorship Program Unlock Her Potential, Wu-Tang Clan and Her Memoir
Sep 8, 2023
From screenwriting to managing music icons, to empowering women of color with her mentorship program, Unlock Her Potential, Sophia Chang is a force to be reckoned with. Her expertise extends beyond the music industry, having made waves in the fashion world, digital realm, and even the cannabis industry. Sophia's creative genius continues to captivate audiences, and with an FX series in the works based on her Audible memoir, "The Baddest Bitch in the Room," her star continues to rise.
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Sophia Chang Talks Mentorship Program Unlock Her Potential, Wu-Tang Clan and Her Memoir
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0:00
friend of mine I met decades ago Heather
0:02
B me too Tracy G
0:04
just learning about her story she's a
0:07
fascinating individual she has an
0:10
amazing spirit
0:11
she utilizes her vessel in a way that we
0:13
can all learn if we look at her
0:15
Instagram every single day you're going
0:17
to learn some information you're going
0:18
to learn are you going to become aware
0:20
you're going to learn how to become
0:21
aware of your body as well a powerful
0:24
woman I say she is
0:27
um this woman is a screenwriter
0:30
she's a public speaker she's a life and
0:32
career guy she's an author she's a
0:35
producer she's a networker she's a she's
0:38
a connector
0:39
one of the ways I first met her is
0:42
through risen and these guys over at the
0:44
Wu-Tang Clan and we had the Shaolin monk
0:46
who defected Seafood come on our Show
0:48
recently and the way we met him was
0:51
through this woman right here shout out
0:53
to Seafood too
0:55
the lead away Rhythm at Seafood it was
0:58
through this woman right here I made
0:59
Seafood say it wow that was on purpose
1:03
[Music]
1:05
we all came up together in the 90s
1:07
Sophia was there Seafood was there Rizza
1:10
Bowl King Woodbine
1:12
Wesley Snipes
1:15
yeah the Pink Tea Cup right the Pink Tea
1:19
Cups we used to eat there what that
1:23
sounds like a cute place man listen this
1:25
woman is the baddest [ __ ] in the room
1:27
she said it in her book A couple of
1:29
years ago as the best seller it's a guy
1:32
for women to navigate this white
1:34
supremacist patriarchive rule that we
1:36
live under according to her
1:39
welcome her to the show The One and Only
1:41
Sophia Changs
1:45
[Applause]
1:50
[Music]
1:54
let's talk about it now let's let's do
1:58
this first because this t-shirt you have
2:00
on unlock her
2:03
potential
2:04
is a movement it's an initiative that
2:07
you're behind
2:09
talk about it
2:10
thank you for asking first of all I want
2:12
to say hi everybody
2:14
thank you so much for welcoming me me
2:17
and yes Decades of history with you
2:20
unlockable potential is a program I
2:22
founded back in June of 2020 it provides
2:25
free mentorship for women of color 18
2:27
and older in the United States which of
2:29
course includes Puerto Rico the vast
2:31
majority of our mentors are in the
2:32
sphere of media television film music
2:36
naturally publishing and journalism then
2:40
we have some folks in culinary and stem
2:42
but really the core of it is folks and
2:44
media because naturally that's where I
2:46
reside it's been an unmitigated success
2:48
we're going into our fourth year in 2024
2:51
applications are open right now let's
2:54
get it
2:55
fourth year uh applications are open
2:58
until 11 59 PM Saturday night wow we
3:04
have 143 mentors you know a lot of the
3:07
folks that have been through our house
3:09
Rizza Giza Joey Badass Jim jarmusch
3:13
Michael Mann Pamela Adlon Sarah Harden
3:16
the CEO of hello sunshine is coming back
3:18
for multiple years we have Titans and
3:21
what it really speaks to folks is three
3:23
things number one the urgency of the
3:25
mission
3:26
Mentor women of color and I'm very
3:29
specific about that that it's not
3:31
mentorship for everybody and I'm not
3:33
saying that everybody doesn't deserve a
3:35
mentor yeah I am a woman of color who
3:37
has been mentored for 36 years by
3:39
Michael Austin shout out to Michael
3:41
Austin you probably met Michael along
3:42
the way and so this is where I put my
3:44
drive in my energy anything that I work
3:46
on whether it's a television show or a
3:48
book or a podcast I'm always going to
3:50
Center women of color because this is
3:52
where my passion resides and there's
3:53
only so much Sophia Chang and this is
3:55
the fuel this is the the this is the
3:57
fuel that drives the engine right so
3:59
number one it spoke to the urgency of it
4:01
when I called folks I secured over 100
4:03
mentors in less than 72 hours they were
4:05
like yeah so sign me up so number one
4:06
people were clear women of color deserve
4:09
to be mentored number two it spoke to
4:13
the Goodwill that exists out there for
4:15
me you know sway I've known folks for 20
4:18
30 35 years and I never asked them for
4:21
anything yeah that's true you know and I
4:24
nurtured those friendships and those
4:27
relationships and the first time I
4:28
called them was I said
4:30
would you Mentor a woman of color what
4:32
does a program provide it's an hour a
4:34
month for a year it's 12 hours of
4:36
mentorship and I will be completely
4:37
candid with you I probably won't have 12
4:40
hours with Jim jarmish do you know what
4:42
I'm saying but this is what we do
4:45
we collect our Jewels along the way we
4:48
Forge our friendships along the way and
4:50
then we use them for other people and so
4:53
I all of this good will all of the karma
4:56
that I have in my social bank I give
4:59
back to women of color because I know
5:02
that there is such a dearth of
5:04
mentorship for them out there and the
5:06
third thing that it speaks to is
5:08
you know this way oh well if Sophia
5:11
Chang is doing it it'll get done yeah
5:13
yeah right like right okay it's like Jim
5:16
drummers once said Sophie use the glue
5:18
and you know that sounds banol and in a
5:22
way it is banal but you actually have to
5:24
execute I don't care how much talent you
5:26
have I don't care how extraordinary your
5:29
idea is if you can't execute who [ __ ]
5:31
cares true do you know what I'm saying
5:33
because then it just exists in this
5:34
vacuum so you could be the most
5:36
Exquisite singer songwriter but if
5:39
you're not actually doing anything with
5:41
it because God gave you that gift to
5:44
share with other people and if you're
5:45
not sharing it then I think it's an
5:47
affronto I think it's an affront to God
5:48
so that's a program unlock
5:50
herpotential.com unlock herpotential.com
5:53
it is transformative
5:56
most women of color who are
5:58
extraordinarily accomplished probably
6:00
have not been mentored have you were you
6:03
no you would know no were you mentored I
6:07
mean that that doesn't mean Heather that
6:09
some people didn't do it right awesome
6:11
sort of influence right but not but
6:13
someone that really said
6:15
I'm going to let's talk every time
6:18
there's either a big or small decision
6:20
to make Heather right and they guide you
6:23
through these inflection points and
6:26
again some could be very small some
6:27
could be big my mentor Michael Austin I
6:30
just talked to him I still talk to him
6:32
at all of these junctures and so these
6:36
relationships in the case of unlock a
6:38
potential last year but maybe they last
6:39
a lifetime but just knowing every month
6:42
I'm going to talk to somebody and I'm
6:45
going to come to them with my list of
6:47
questions and say these are the things
6:48
that I'm facing sway by the way
6:50
everybody sway is going to be a mentor
6:51
in 2025. this is true this is true 2025
6:55
Mighty big 24.
6:58
[Laughter]
7:02
yeah well I'm two years from now I'm in
7:05
reserve
7:06
sways in reserve
7:08
Soul so the deadline is Saturday night
7:13
for people to be mentored or to be
7:15
mentors apply to apply to apply to be to
7:19
apply to be mentees and in terms of
7:22
being mentors sway if you want to be a
7:24
mentor for 2024 we can get you on the
7:26
site today we could get you we could
7:28
literally get you on the site today this
7:30
is what I knew when I created unlock
7:32
potential I was creating the most
7:34
exclusive club in the world and what do
7:37
I mean by that I don't mean one of these
7:38
[ __ ] you know Velvet Rope sit in the
7:42
VIP no bottle service bottles of course
7:45
he knows the bottle service with those
7:47
[ __ ] sparklers and everything no I
7:48
was creating a club that was about oh
7:51
okay everybody in there is serious
7:56
everybody in there is real they're not
7:58
famous it's not about famous people's
7:59
way right it's about people who are
8:01
incredibly accomplished who have decades
8:05
Decades of experience behind behind them
8:08
because you have institutional knowledge
8:11
you're not even aware of sway has been
8:14
doing this everybody for over three
8:17
decades the fact that sway still has
8:19
passion passion about the music and the
8:23
culture that he is so curious the fact
8:26
that you are listening to new
8:28
up-and-coming artists and you could be
8:30
skating darling you could be skating
8:31
you're not [ __ ] skating you're still
8:33
swimming Upstream because not for you
8:36
but you do it for the community and you
8:38
do it for the culture and that is
8:40
extraordinary you are not a passive
8:42
listener you are not a passive Observer
8:45
of the culture you are somebody that
8:47
clearly has been all this time
8:48
incredibly engaged been a part of it
8:51
been part of creating what it is and to
8:54
me the fact that you take the time to go
8:56
okay there's this new artist over here
8:58
and they're not the biggest artist in
9:00
the world no you still see as part of
9:02
your mission bringing these people to
9:04
the rest of us and that's a [ __ ] gift
9:07
that is such a gift and to sustain that
9:10
over 30 plus years sway can we get the
9:14
Applause please
9:20
[Applause]
9:28
every day
9:29
get up and you do this God bless you
9:31
sway because you you say and you got to
9:34
see Sophia's face she's saying it like I
9:36
would never do this [ __ ]
9:37
she said it like she'll fight on behalf
9:40
of you but you know what's so beautiful
9:42
about passion what Sophia is saying if
9:45
you are passionate about something you
9:47
do get up and do it every day you could
9:49
just be in different mediums you know
9:51
what I mean like you do get up every day
9:53
and do something
9:54
um it's just where you land in it you
9:56
know you you've been doing this for a a
9:59
time where we sit here sometimes and
10:01
Marvel at the guests that have sat in
10:03
the seat Sophia's sitting in kind of
10:06
unknown you know maybe locally and then
10:09
a year and a half later
10:12
Grammys you know eight stages big stages
10:16
and that's not luck I'm sorry and that's
10:19
not luck right because I'm a storyteller
10:23
and what makes me a great Storyteller
10:24
because I manage some of the greatest
10:26
storytellers in the world ODB God Rest
10:28
his soul Old Dirty Bastard Rizza Giza
10:30
Q-tip A Tribe Called Quest Raphael Sadiq
10:33
D'Angelo they are some of the these are
10:35
all people you managed all of them
10:38
they're some of the greatest
10:40
storytellers in our generation you are a
10:43
Storyteller how do you tell your story
10:45
you tell your story by doing this but
10:47
you also facilitate storytelling right
10:50
and that's a really big deal and yes me
10:53
I'm almost 60 I'm not on rap caviar you
10:55
know what I'm doing I'm checking my
10:57
Social Security
10:58
website going how much am I gonna count
11:02
I don't have I don't have my finger I
11:05
don't have my finger on the pulse like
11:07
that anymore and I am so grateful that
11:10
there are folks like you that do because
11:12
I look at it and I go for me personally
11:15
I grew out of hip-hop sway I did
11:19
hip-hop to me is the genre of music that
11:22
is the most youth oriented what do I
11:24
mean by that it is by the Young
11:27
for the young about the young so when
11:30
people ask me you know what do you think
11:31
of hip-hop these days I don't really
11:32
have an opinion when I listen to it does
11:34
it resonate with me no but it's not
11:36
supposed to you know what I'm saying
11:38
like people aren't in there going I'm
11:40
going to make a record for a 60 year old
11:42
single mother of two Korean Canadian
11:45
women they're not making records for me
11:46
so I don't have an opinion and I'm not
11:48
one of those folks that's like oh the
11:50
music these days is trash it's just not
11:52
what I listen to anymore but you know
11:54
hip-hop isn't just rap of course you
11:56
know this so you know yeah this is a
11:59
broader culture than that and then we're
12:01
starting to see rappers who are in their
12:03
50s charting
12:05
you know you still you know artists like
12:08
Eminem artists like Nas artists like
12:10
Rizza yeah who is now having a
12:12
Resurgence so uh to your point I think
12:15
Hip-hop
12:16
was always considered a Young Person's
12:19
culture because it itself was young
12:21
exactly so now it's starting to mature
12:23
we getting older rich is still making
12:24
music Jay-Z still making music Nas wants
12:28
to make music you know still making
12:29
music Queen Latifah performing
12:31
everywhere
12:32
um
12:39
so it's this it's no longer just but you
12:44
don't think the music music is very
12:45
specifically youth oriented the the
12:47
current music that's chart topping is
12:49
very chart topping music yes
12:51
um and there's nothing wrong with that
12:53
not the wrong with it at all I I just
12:56
dare say that there's a lot of music
12:57
that's more music off the charts than
13:00
there is there's only 40 songs on the
13:01
chart okay yeah yeah and it's four
13:03
million out there so and in those four
13:06
million just like when we were coming up
13:07
in the 90s not everybody was in uh
13:10
people act like the 90s was this Golden
13:12
Era which it was for creativity and
13:14
advancement and we were still young in
13:15
the game but there were as there were
13:17
more wack people in the 90s than there
13:20
were dope so so we go through these yeah
13:23
Cycles these cycles and so today
13:26
I'd I bet if I gave you a playlist of
13:29
artists yeah there would be artists you
13:32
would enjoy oh there's no question
13:33
there's no question I'm just [ __ ]
13:35
lazy you know what I'm saying like for
13:37
me it is for me to sit through to find
13:39
somebody if somebody sent me if somebody
13:41
sent me music absolutely if you said
13:43
here are 20 songs so I would absolutely
13:45
pick up on some I am still very attuned
13:47
to flow right yeah Cadence breath
13:51
control delivery lyrical dexterity
13:54
metaphors all of those things make for
13:58
me make an MC and yeah like I when I
14:03
hear somebody like J Cole I love J Cole
14:05
when I hear somebody like Meg the
14:07
stallion I love Meg the stallion when I
14:09
see videos of um Nicki Minaj back in the
14:12
day freestyling I'm like oh I love them
14:15
but just in terms of being keyed in
14:17
keyed in like that I don't do it anymore
14:18
and I want to say very clearly I am no
14:22
longer in music I am reform manager
14:24
please do not send me your demos do not
14:26
sell yourself
14:30
I have been for years and years and
14:33
years and yeah we're still send me send
14:35
it so so let me ask you this because I
14:37
send it to our Mentor
14:39
so we we've been
14:41
watching hip-hop 50 this 50th
14:44
anniversary celebration by the way the
14:46
baddest [ __ ] in the room this hat she's
14:47
wearing as merch from her book that she
14:50
put out the baddest [ __ ] in the room
14:51
we'll talk about that momentarily
14:56
what are your thoughts on how you know
14:59
hip-hop 50 has been honored good or bad
15:02
or high or low oh
15:07
let me broaden let me macro the
15:10
conversation a little bit I don't know
15:12
if you ever got this way back in the
15:13
late 80s and the early 90s but people
15:15
said to me
15:16
are you sure you want to go into hip-hop
15:18
you know we kind of think it's a fad and
15:21
it's going to be like disco and you know
15:23
it's just gonna fade now for folks like
15:25
you and I that was never a calculation I
15:28
wasn't going so hey what do you think
15:30
you know we're going to take this
15:31
calculated risk we didn't even think
15:32
about it because we were so ensconced by
15:35
an enamored it's constantly enamored by
15:37
the culture that we didn't think about
15:38
it and now what we've seen was is that
15:42
hip-hop in my estimation is the greatest
15:47
Global cultural force of Our Generation
15:49
what do I mean by that I mean that
15:51
hip-hop has changed the way that we walk
15:53
the way we talk
15:55
the way we dress The Way We Dance the
15:59
way we move the way we love the way we
16:02
[ __ ] the way we commune no other genre
16:06
has ever ever done that so when you see
16:09
television commercials and you hear them
16:12
using the vernacular that was created by
16:14
the culture and the artists hip-hop is
16:16
huge like that so if we if that is the
16:19
foundational belief and I'm pretty sure
16:21
that all of us in this room believe that
16:22
if that is the foundational belief that
16:24
you have this seismic
16:27
culture
16:29
do I think it's been honored to the
16:31
degree that it should
16:32
absolutely not
16:34
absolutely not and I will say that if
16:38
this was a white movement if it was a
16:41
white male movement obviously I Rage
16:43
Against the Machine of white patriarchy
16:45
every day it would be very very
16:47
different every single Network would
16:50
have an hour-long special if not hours
16:52
long special focusing on this right and
16:55
they would talk about how this movement
16:57
was it created a Renaissance it was
17:01
revolutionary it was Radical and I was
17:04
fortunate enough I was privileged enough
17:06
to be welcomed into it and play whatever
17:08
small part that I did
17:10
and so I think that everybody feels
17:12
compelled to do it because it's a number
17:14
because we can locate it to one corner
17:16
yeah in the South Bronx and we can name
17:18
the day so there is a day okay it's like
17:20
our 50th birthday
17:22
we should be saying all of the things
17:25
about it I feel like some of the stuff
17:28
that's done about it and this is not an
17:30
indictment of the folks that are doing
17:31
ah different things but broadly speaking
17:34
I think in terms of messaging and again
17:36
I'm a storyteller
17:38
I would like it to feel less reductive
17:42
you know I would like it to be framed in
17:45
the way that I just framed it it's
17:47
everything it's everything there is
17:50
nobody on the planet that hasn't been
17:54
touched by hip-hop I mean Rizza and any
17:56
member of Wu-Tang will tell you this and
17:57
this has been going on for years in a
17:59
decade's way they you go to anywhere in
18:01
the world literally anywhere in the
18:03
world and there is someone with the
18:04
Wu-Tang tattoo there is someone with the
18:07
Wu-Tang t-shirt that was somewhere with
18:09
the Wu-Tang logo in fact every in the
18:11
tiniest little hamlets in the littlest
18:13
villages in the most remote areas of
18:16
every country and continent and that to
18:19
me is how powerful and how potent
18:21
hip-hop is and when you hear these kids
18:23
tell the stories of how hip-hop changed
18:26
them like I can tell you when I was um
18:28
doing interviews for my Memoir there's a
18:31
very smart very very funny comedian and
18:33
director filmmaker named Harry kandabolu
18:35
he's South Asian he's Indian and he was
18:38
interviewing me for my Memoir and he's a
18:40
queen's boy all right and he said you
18:41
know Sophia had I known that at 13 years
18:45
old a brown kid growing up in queens
18:48
that at the center of the music that was
18:51
shaping my adolescence was an Asian
18:54
woman my life might have been different
18:57
I wish I'd known but you know me sway I
18:59
was always in the cut always never ever
19:03
ever wanted to be known I used to scrub
19:05
myself off of the internet because I
19:07
didn't want to be known like don't pay
19:09
attention to me pay attention to the
19:10
stars because it's not about me yeah but
19:12
when did I change my mind because that's
19:14
the next question that's going to come
19:15
out of your mouth changed my mind
19:17
because people and I'm sure you probably
19:19
said this to me also if you've got to
19:20
write a book because you've got so many
19:21
crazy stories yeah I have crazy stories
19:23
but what what am I going to write about
19:25
it just felt like an exercise narcissism
19:27
hey I'm Sophia Chang look at my cool
19:29
life because I hung out with famous
19:30
people that's not interesting and that's
19:32
not the book you would have asked me to
19:33
write
19:34
when I
19:36
took on mentees I worked at a major
19:39
label I took on mentees and then
19:42
lean in came out and I realized at the
19:44
point that I work at a major label I'm
19:46
50 I'm a single mother of two all right
19:48
and I realized oh Sophia Chang
19:52
your story can actually help people so
19:57
sway when I discovered that telling my
20:00
story could be of service then I do it
20:02
you understand because if it was just
20:04
about being self-congratulatory and like
20:06
hey you know and self you know rewarding
20:09
and that's that's not interesting to me
20:11
but when I said Okay Sophia Chang share
20:14
your story and you will help edify
20:17
you will help educate you will help
20:20
Empower you will help inspire people
20:23
women most importantly women of color
20:26
then I decided to do it I never
20:29
considered it gaining Fame I considered
20:31
it abdicating my anonymity because
20:33
anonymity is to be cherished and I know
20:36
that is something that is so difficult
20:37
for people to foul them especially in
20:39
this day and age of social media because
20:41
we are so so pray at the altar of
20:45
celebrity it's not all that it's cut out
20:48
to be and I'm not famous by any stretch
20:52
but I am now public and there are things
20:54
about being public that are not fun I
20:57
have two children
20:58
my kids don't like no they never talk
21:01
about their mother they never talk about
21:03
their Godfather who's the Riser the Risa
21:05
they don't talk about their father who's
21:07
a 34th generation Shaolin Hmong because
21:09
they're not those kids that's not their
21:10
stees right so coming out here and
21:13
saying okay time for me to step in the
21:15
arena
21:16
time for me to be under the bright
21:18
lights time for me to grab the [ __ ]
21:20
mic why do I do it I do it to be a
21:22
service I do it to speak for all of
21:25
those folks that don't necessarily feel
21:27
they can speak for themselves and that's
21:29
okay if you knew how many women of color
21:32
came up to me and said thank you for
21:34
saying that on Instagram Soph Chang NYC
21:38
because I could never say it
21:42
why because
21:44
I fear reprisal I fear humiliation
21:48
I feel embarrassment feel fear
21:50
embarrassment I fear shame I am beholden
21:53
to a corporation I am beholden to an
21:56
institution I'm beholden to the academy
21:58
or a community and if I come out of my
22:00
mouth and I see the things that you say
22:02
Sophia Chang maybe I'm ostracized maybe
22:04
I'm yeah right maybe I'm excommunicated
22:07
and so in a much smaller way I do what
22:11
you do which is you harness all of this
22:14
energy and you're not saying it for sway
22:17
you're saying it for a community so if
22:19
people if that's the most beautiful
22:21
thing I can hear is when a woman of
22:23
color comes up to me and says you
22:25
inspire me I don't give a [ __ ] I don't
22:27
need someone to say you're beautiful
22:28
you're sexy I love your style I love you
22:32
this I love your that I don't give a
22:33
[ __ ] about that
22:34
I want to hear you inspire me you make
22:38
me feel braver your fearlessness makes
22:43
me feel more courageous that is a gift
22:48
to me and it makes me know that I'm
22:50
doing the right thing because it's not a
22:51
[ __ ] popularity contest
22:56
I think on that note
23:00
this is so
23:02
chained NYC because after she wrote that
23:06
book she went on that Instagram and bear
23:09
it all citizens
23:11
and let me tell you people like sway who
23:14
have known me for 30 years I was like oh
23:17
God I hope so he doesn't get on my
23:18
Instagram
23:20
every day I was like oh my God and you
23:24
know all of all of my boys are like
23:26
I've seen your Instagram so and they're
23:28
not saying it like Yay they're saying it
23:30
like because they're my big brothers
23:32
we're all your brothers but what you do
23:34
is Sophia Chang is so Unapologetic on
23:39
that Instagram it's amazing and they've
23:41
been speaking to women who are uh of age
23:44
people were starting uh who've been on
23:45
the planet a few revolutions you know
23:48
and it's powerful to see her
23:50
um do her exercises in her martial arts
23:53
and shave her head
23:55
on Instagram and liberating liberating
23:58
and basically and as new as you can get
24:01
on Instagram and being proud of it and
24:03
showing it off Sophia Chang go to South
24:06
Chang NYC and see her Flex her buttocks
24:10
muscles in front of your face
24:15
but I do want to say thank you for
24:17
bringing that up because unlock a
24:19
potential I said it's for 18 and older
24:21
it's for 18 and older meaning there's no
24:23
maximum age because at this point in my
24:25
life I'm not only battling racism and
24:28
sexism I know battling age so what are
24:31
all the ways that we are erased daily
24:34
but daily we're people don't want to
24:37
hire women over 50 [ __ ] they don't want
24:40
to hire women over 40 right well you're
24:42
not really relevant you're not that
24:44
interesting what of institutional
24:45
knowledge they sure as hell don't want
24:47
to date women over 40. they don't want
24:49
to [ __ ] they don't want to date women
24:50
over 25 because men are so basic oh my
24:53
God they're so swag
25:03
mentorship not just for women of color
25:05
but we also recognize that we have many
25:09
comings of age in our lives how many
25:12
women do you know who woke up at 40 and
25:14
said
25:15
Heather I spent the last decade of my
25:18
life raising my kids taking care of my
25:20
husband and now I don't have to do that
25:22
anymore I'm not sure who I am now right
25:24
right I Define there's nothing wrong
25:26
with this we all did it I spent that
25:28
decade of my life dedicated to and
25:30
defining Myself by being a mother and
25:32
being a wife and there's nothing wrong I
25:34
did the same thing and now I wake up and
25:36
maybe I have a little time to be who I
25:39
want to be and pursue what I want to do
25:40
that's not easy we know I know countless
25:43
women like that unlock her potential
25:45
right so that you get a mentor who can
25:48
say okay maybe you want to Pivot into
25:50
something maybe you want to do something
25:52
you've never done before we are here for
25:55
you we are here for you it doesn't mean
25:58
that we're going to guarantee that you
25:59
get the dream job no it means that we're
26:01
going to help you feel seen and valued
26:04
and heard and respected and considered
26:07
and give you the confidence to even
26:09
enter the rooms and start having the
26:10
conversations that so many of us didn't
26:13
know how to have at those critical
26:15
points of inflection and of pivoting
26:18
pivot pivot pivot we all have done it
26:20
and we're all going to continue to do it
26:22
pivot Sophia change
26:25
I love you too so
26:28
s-o-p-h Chain
26:31
c-h-a-n-g-n-y-c South Chang NYC listen
26:34
you could be a mentor we have a lot of
26:36
people who call here business owners
26:38
Tisha called here today she's had a
26:41
business for seven years she could be a
26:43
mentor
26:45
um who else we had called today that
26:47
that waited uh really Nicole called here
26:50
today
26:50
[Applause]
26:51
um I'm trying to remember my brother
26:52
tone called here today the artist tone
26:55
the artist from Jersey you could be a
26:57
mentor like a lot of our listeners who
27:00
started their own businesses so they're
27:01
working some uh in some field whether
27:03
it's Plumbing big Terry from L.A could
27:06
be a mentor whether you work for power
27:07
industries whatever you work in
27:09
administration you work in education you
27:12
can be a mentor you don't have to be
27:14
famous just be knowledgeable
27:17
care that's it be knowledgeable and Care
27:19
look if you if you are a person who has
27:22
knowledge
27:24
experience and wisdom to share and you
27:27
don't Mentor never mind unlock a
27:28
potential and you don't mentor
27:31
I think you're kind of a [ __ ] [ __ ]
27:33
because you didn't get there on your own
27:35
I don't give a [ __ ] how as accomplished
27:39
you are yeah you could be accomplished
27:41
you could be smart you could be genius
27:43
you could be creative you could be
27:44
entrepreneurial you could be all those
27:46
things you did not get there on your own
27:50
so go out there and Mentor people Mentor
27:52
Mentor mentor and if I had my brothers
27:54
You're Going to Mentor a woman of color
27:56
because we are the least resourced we
27:58
are the least respecter we are the least
28:00
seen and why should you Mentor a woman
28:01
of color not for your [ __ ] woke ass
28:03
bonafides but you should do it because
28:04
it's the right thing to do because we
28:06
are smart we are brilliant we are
28:08
creative we are resourceful we are
28:10
industrious we are great team players
28:12
we're even better team leaders we can
28:14
lead give us the [ __ ] chance and we
28:16
can lead let us into your room and we
28:18
can lead and here's the other thing
28:20
about folks like us Heather
28:21
I didn't kick I'm going to use
28:23
Marshall's term Marshall terms because
28:24
I'm a martial artist I didn't punch and
28:26
kick my way into doors to let that [ __ ]
28:28
close behind me no
28:30
mob deep once again or I'm gonna put on
28:32
all my people right you come through
28:35
that door and you wedge that [ __ ] open
28:37
and you bring everybody in with you you
28:40
don't let it close behind you you create
28:42
that ladder you don't pull it up after
28:43
you you create that ladder and you keep
28:45
it there so that other and you bring
28:47
other people up with you because that's
28:50
what we do God put us here to be of
28:51
service God put us here to be of service
28:55
if they're a separate line entry back
28:58
door to apply to be your mentee
29:03
is like I either [ __ ] what you are
29:05
though
29:07
you want to be a mentor one more time
29:10
how can they sign up
29:12
mint tea a mint tea this is how you sign
29:15
up unlock
29:17
herpotential.com unlock herpotential.com
29:20
you have until Saturday night at 11 59
29:24
pm and it's a beautiful program and it's
29:26
a beautiful Community the three courses
29:28
of unlocker potential we are building
29:30
Community Coalition and citizenry again
29:33
Community Coalition and citizenry we
29:35
cannot dismantle systems and
29:37
institutions on our own we need to do it
29:41
together we are stronger together I love
29:43
all of you amen thank you
#Arts & Entertainment