Mastering Entrepreneurship: Lessons from Akil on Community, Success, and Overcoming Barriers

Join us for the season finale of Season 7 of The Student Guide as we sit down with the inspiring entrepreneur Akil Benjamin. Discover how he transformed his big university dream into impactful workshops and programmes. Learn from his journey of supporting thousands of businesses through various initiatives, including the Black Business Residency (BBR) and his insights on the power of community-driven success. Akil also shares crucial lessons on overcoming ageism, the importance of clarity in partnerships, and the value of showing up and participating in every opportunity. Don't miss this enriching conversation packed with valuable takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs and students alike. Plus, get a sneak peek of what's coming up in the next season and how Akil's unique approach is shaping the landscape of entrepreneurship.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Bringing Dreams to Life: The Smallest Possible Way
• 0:38 Celebrating 70 Episodes: A Journey of Amazing Conversations
• 1:04 Meet Akil: Entrepreneurial Journey and Personal Insights
• 3:02 The Unexpected Interview Question: A Turning Point
• 5:17 Lessons in Team Building and Complementary Skills
• 9:46 44 Questions with Amanda: Insights and Reflections
• 36:33 Opportunities to Grow Your Business
• 37:20 Maximising Organic Reach
• 38:37 Community and Refinement
• 40:34 Building and Monetising Communities
• 45:04 Challenges for Young Entrepreneurs
• 48:57 The Importance of Tracking Impact
• 54:30 Effective Storytelling in Pitches
• 1:05:07 Building Long-Term Partnerships
• 1:12:52 Independent Evaluation and Long-Term Relationships
• 1:13:20 A Story of Relentless Fundraising
• 1:16:02 The Power of Execution
• 1:17:16 Passing the Mic: Interview Segment
• 1:17:47 Core Skillsets and Future Aspirations
• 1:22:41 Bringing Ideas to Life
• 1:30:06 Community-Driven Vision and Impact
• 1:31:35 Final Thoughts and Season Wrap-Up

Transcript

Akil: [00:00:00] When you're trying to bring something to life, what is the smallest possible way it can exist? Mm-hmm. So remember when I told you like, oh yeah, I had that big university dream and vision. Mm-hmm. When I, and I told you I've been carrying that for like forever. When I asked myself, what's the smallest way that that could live, breathing exist, it was as a workshop.

Akil: Mm-hmm. On top of a cafe, an elephant house. Mm-hmm. And the reason why I took that shape and forum is because I asked myself, ah, what's a university? Really? Mm-hmm. So that's a house where bare lectures happen. Mm-hmm.

Jeffrey: Doing well. I hope you can ask yourselves. Welcome to the final episode of Season seven of the Student Guide. Uh, we can't believe it, but we're here 70 episodes with amazing conversations with amazing people. We have alert from incredible entrepreneurs, music producers, uh, freelancers, creatives, um. Yeah, a lot of people.

Jeffrey: Um, and yeah, we're now celebrating the 70th episode with a special person. Uh, I've known this person [00:01:00] for some time, but you know, I don't like to do introductions. So instead, I'm gonna hand over to our amazing guest today. Uh, Akil. Thank you for coming on. Hi. Um, could we know a bit more about you and what you do?

Jeffrey: Um, 

Akil: no, no, no, no, no. You cannot know nothing about me because number one, like this has to be said. Jeffrey's, absolutely amazing. Thank you. Um, I got to meet Jeffrey in a capacity of like hiring, like I had the privilege to work with Jeffrey over the last two years, and actually his energy's contagious and that's why I'm here.

Akil: Um, actually, uh, I read every impact report that he's ever participated in and everyone says, ah, they love Jeffrey. And when they tell you they love Jeffrey more than they love me, you know what credit wear is due, isn't it? Um, credit wear is due. So, um, seven episodes in, you got a book in you coming, like you could actually make all of that into like one really compelling book.

Jeffrey: Okay. 

Akil: That because you've got all the audio and then you've got all the AI tools now. So like, it's not like it was five years ago. So there's a deep [00:02:00] book in there. 

Jeffrey: Okay. 

Akil: Um, yeah, I think you should do that. 

Jeffrey: Okay. 

Akil: But yeah, who am I? My name's Akil. Um, I am an entrepreneur. I have spent the last year, last 10 years, last year law, um, the last 10 years.

Akil: Um, using my personal brand to build things I believe in. I have worked across design, technology, health futures, business. Um, I've done that with some amazing people and some amazing partners and I've got to impact hundreds of thousands of people and I'm really proud of that. So. Like, hi. Yeah, but really I'm just here for the vibes, to be honest.

Akil: Like, honestly, like if it, if the vibe wasn't right, I could never have done the work. 

Jeffrey: Oh, 

Akil: if the team wasn't right, I could never have done the work. If the people wasn't right, I could never have done the work. And so, yeah. 

Jeffrey: I appreciate it, man. That's 

Akil: the truth. 

Jeffrey: Thank you. Um, I actually should have said this at the start, uh, because when you mentioned, uh, hiring, so, uh, avid [00:03:00] listeners, watches of all our podcasts, but I think I mentioned it in this one specifically.

Jeffrey: Well, no, I talk about a story where I was asked a surprise question in an interview. Uh, IL was the person that asked me that question. You, I ask you, you asked me. Um, that was good. It was good. Um, so it was, you asked me a question of like, why did I apply for this job? Because I didn't have like background in program management necessarily.

Jeffrey: I didn't like, I had entrepreneurship as a part of my master's, but my undergrad was in environmental science. So you were like, I just want to know like why you applied for this job. Um, and yeah, I said when you asked it, I thought the interview went like left. Um, so I was just like, oh, like I'm not gonna get called back.

Jeffrey: First, second, second interview. So when I did, and then even when I got the job, I was surprised. So I've talked about this story, but this is a context told me, this story told me I need to, I wasn't there. Okay. So yeah, so as I mentioned, um, you interview you and, uh, the team manager. Yeah. Were interviewing me and you know, like an interview.

Jeffrey: I thought it was going well. I was like, I'm not gonna jinx it, but I think this is going well. And then you were just like, also, I've just got like a [00:04:00] quick question I wanna ask. Could you explain like why you applied for this job and you're just like, I don't mean this in like a rude way, but I'm just saying like.

Jeffrey: You don't necessarily have like entrepreneurship or like program management in your like career path currently. Yeah. So you were just like, why are you applying for this? And I was like, huh. It wasn't one of the questions I was expecting, but I can answer. Um, and yeah, I spoke about that. Like, I'm a business founder, I'm a black business founder, so I know about like my own journey with like running a business.

Jeffrey: Um, but then I said like, I've gained support or I've learned how to do stuff either on a budget free, have to think creatively about like how you work or like how you can show the impact of your work as well. Mm-hmm. Um. And yeah, I was just like, I just wanna like be in a place where I can offer this advice, um, and like share it with the community that I understand what they're going through.

Jeffrey: And then you're just like, yeah, cool. Thanks for the answer. Um, and I was like, I couldn't gauge if you're happy with it or if you were like, ah, cool, this is, like, we've heard this already like three times. Uh, so when the interview ended I was like, ah, cool. So like, this was a good opportunity [00:05:00] to like, you know, think about what to do for the next one.

Jeffrey: Um, but I like the, I, I like, every time I mentioned it, I said, I like that question. It was unexpected, but it was like, it's a good question to ask. And it was like, got me to think about why I actually, I applied for the job. All right. Well, grateful for you to be here, 

Akil: but I guess. Probably that answer is what got you the job.

Akil: Because we already had a team member who was like program management, right? So what I was looking for in an individual is someone more complimentary to that. I'd rather have people that are complimentary to each other than have two duplicates, 

Jeffrey: right? 

Akil: And so I was really looking for someone to compliment like your team member.

Akil: I'm like, I want to, I want you two TO to stretch each other and push each other and pull each other and like iron sharp as I 

Jeffrey: Mm. And 

Akil: so when I heard your point of view, I was just like, yeah, I need that there every day because that's exactly what I want to instill in that person. And then from you not coming from this space, I was just like, ah, there's a whole world of tools and skills you'll learn from this that you can apply and take.

Akil: And so, yeah, it seems to work out. [00:06:00] 'cause like what is this, two and a half years later? Yeah, A hiatus and a comeback and a contract extension and a like, we're here. So I think that's actually like. It's a testament to team building, isn't it? Yeah. And exceptional teams, exceptional companies are bought from exceptional people.

Akil: So yeah, that's the whole thing. 

Jeffrey: Yeah. I appreciate 

Akil: it. That's such a cool story. Thank you. Because like, I think sometimes you, I know me, I go about the world, so nch and just in my own world, fuck, I, I don't remember. I was just like, oh, sweet. We made a great high art. And every time it turns out to be that again and again and again.

Akil: So like, yeah. We appreciate you. 

Jeffrey: No, thank you. Thank you. And yeah, like I said, like I've like get into more about this later, but like I said, like it's been great working here. It is also been great to learn more about you. Um, actually, I don't even think I'm interested. Maybe I did mention it in the interview, but like I found out about the program through.

Jeffrey: A guest on our gaming podcast. So Andy from Stream Cast, uh, [00:07:00] he, we interviewed him, he spoke about BBR and like his experience and all of that. So when even this job like came up, I was like, oh, this is the program he was talking about. Like, let me like check in and see. Mm-hmm. Um, 'cause yeah, I was like originally, 'cause I was certain I applied for cohort four, but then I was like, I don't remember if I was going to, and then I missed out, but I was like, anyways, the job to work came up.

Jeffrey: Like I can still gain the knowledge and skill. Um, so yeah. So the drop came at the right time. You missed a hundred percent the shots. You don't do a hundred percent like 

Akil: you shoot me shot you go here now. I think that that's the thing. That's because like, I guess a lot of the guests that the reason why I'm here, 'cause I was like, oh, Jeffrey's interviewing all the guests from our program and I was like, I want, I wanna play too.

Akil: Like I'm a big kid at heart, right? So I was like, I wanna play too. But then I guess where I'm trying to land is. Going through all of those people and then seeing all of that impact and seeing all those things and seeing how you've been [00:08:00] a part of all their stories. I was just like, ah, this is sick.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Um, and so when it comes down to, ah, did I apply or not? Ah, you are here now because the same way like everyone else, they shot their shot and they're here. And I think what I really try and focus on is pouring into everyone so they have such a transformative experience, right? Mm-hmm. Because, ah, money comes and goes.

Akil: It really does. But ah, once you have that skill to make it, or once you have that skill to feel confident around it, or once you have that skill to say, ah, you know what, this, and I think this is actually the most important thing, this is the idea out my brain. I'm going to lay out, I'm going to articulate it.

Akil: I'm gonna lay out a plan to realize it. Then I'm gonna recruit people and ex recruit people to join me and execute along the way. And like you get that snowball effect. And next thing you know, you've got this thing. I think it's such a profound experience. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And such a liberating experience because once you can do that, ah, no one can stop you.

Akil: You know? A hundred 

Jeffrey: percent. 

Akil: [00:09:00] And once you've got the confirmation bias of probably doing that 10, 20, 30, a hundred times mm-hmm. Ah, your what the world is actually yours. Mm-hmm. And I think in having everyone around us, like, uh, I genuinely want 'em to leave with that confirmation bias that they can actually do anything.

Akil: Mm-hmm. And I think that's, that's the great thing that we try and do and given, but you have to shoot your shot in it. I understand that. Like, that all doesn't happen if you do not shoot your shot. Mm-hmm. Um, I think, yeah, that's how everyone's here. 

Jeffrey: Appreciate it. 

Akil: Um, should we do these questions? Yeah, yeah, you should do it.

Akil: I get what you said. I was like, oh, these are our favorite minutes. Five questions and next thing you know, you said, oh, it's gonna be two hours. Like it's already that far in Jesus. 

Jeffrey: Um, 

Akil: alright, let's 

Jeffrey: go. Um, so the first section we're starting with is 44 questions brought by the amazing Amanda from 44 words.

Jeffrey: That's a love. Yeah. Honestly, like, even having these questions has been really great. 'cause it's, we, we were just like, okay, how can we make this seventh season [00:10:00] unique? We don't, we usually do like five questions. We are just like, we don't want to just get people to just introduce them. Let's find a creative way to do it.

Jeffrey: Um, but literally, like you said, shoot a shot. I told Amanda, Hey, this is an opportunity to like distribute. Yeah. She's fire. Honestly, man, every time spoken, I say she does amazing work. Um, I tell people to check out the stuff she's doing because Amanda's a publisher, right? 

Akil: Mm. 

Jeffrey: But 

Akil: she's one of the illest copywriters you'll meet.

Akil: Mm. And. One of the most evocative copywriters. I need to actually tell her to probably go like down the copywriter, really? If she hasn't seen it for herself. But like, there's not many people that would be that great copyright. She's got the pedigree now to be the sick. 

Jeffrey: Have that conversation. 

Akil: Alright, so Amanda's sick, but Amanda output, I, I asked great questions.

Akil: Mm. Mm-hmm. These ones are, these ones are very good. They're really good. So let's have this chat. 

Jeffrey: Alright. Um, what's the first one? So, the first question, so the question, uh, Amanda's prepared for you is, what is something you've recently learned about yourself[00:11:00] 

Akil: when you are bored? Don't feel the time. Mm. Like, or don't feel the time with new things. Mm. When you're bored, don't feel the time with new things. Mm. So like, this is a business lesson, but also a personal lesson. Like, I'll go up into court. I had a, I had a sensational quarter one. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Like when I said I had a sensational quarter one, like I had a baby come in.

Akil: Mm-hmm. I had stuff all over the, I had, I had projects to launch and research to do and everything to execute. You know what? The baby came safely. Thank goodness. Home is fine. Kids, other children, daughters are fine. Work came in, executed like a villain, came out, left my money, everything was good. So quarter one was sensational.

Akil: Mm. Right. Quarter two, I went into quarter two thinking, oh yeah, just have to, I've got some space now [00:12:00] I've got some maneuverability. Ah, I know it takes me about six months to make money. 

Jeffrey: Mm. Right. 

Akil: So I'm like, oh, I want money before the end of the year. Let's, let's try a few experiments. Let's try a few things.

Akil: Let's go into these different areas and explore whatever. I just end up over trading. 

Jeffrey: Mm. And 

Akil: so when I describe over trading, it means that I'm spending my days running around doing stuff that's not paying me directly. And it's probably. Three, four, and five steps away from money. Then doing the stuff that, ah, if I actually just do the work, I get invoice today.

Akil: Mm. And my whole thing of the week is any, anytime, any day of the week, what, when I wake up I ask myself, what do I need to do? Mm-hmm. Ah, my answer is money making activities first. Mm-hmm. I'm breaking the fun, I'm making the fundamental rule of my success. Mm-hmm. 

Jeffrey: Like, 

Akil: I'm not doing money making activities first.

Akil: I'm doing this run around shit. I'm doing this, try and pull this together here and this. I was like, ah. And then I'm going into the check-ins with the clients that actually pay me and I'm like, oh, where are my KPI at? Mm. Like, ah, I'm actually like doing the outcomes of what I promised these people are day.

Akil: And I'm like, ah, it started off super sensational. You know, it's who are you dropping? [00:13:00] And it's not, and it's not like it's noticeable to anyone else but me. Mm. Yeah. Until you like maybe look at over six months stretch, but we don't want to get that far. Right. We've got three months in there, chop that, stop that nonsense.

Akil: But it was just like, ah, turnout was dropping. Mm. Quality was still maintaining, but turnout was shopping. I was like, we knew a big part of this job was the marketing job. Mm. But if you're spending all your time marketing everything else, you can't just market this one thing, you're gonna 

Jeffrey: Yeah. 

Akil: And so biggest lesson right now recently of quarter two was stop over trading and when you are bored, double down on what you are doing.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Um, because you are only doing the extra stuff for the excitement, you are only doing it for the thrill. But actually if you can stay disciplined and just run your machine, like ah, everything will come and everything will generate. And probably you'll have even better platform to go win that other work.

Akil: 'cause all the stuff you were doing for the play client in my world can be repurposed to re-leverage. Right. And the way I think about it, I think [00:14:00] about my job these days as, uh, building services and the systems that we mm-hmm. Because I came from a design background, right? So everything in my mind is a service, a program of business, of this or that.

Akil: It's all the service. Like what's the proposition? How do we get out there and how do we put it in someone's hands and take their money mm-hmm. Along the way? What are the little things that we might have to do or little repeatable things that we have to do along the way to get out? It's like, ah, put the car, key recognition, turn it on the car is the service of driving you from A to B.

Akil: But all the little motors in the inside of making that car work are the systems that make that thing happen. Right. So I spend a lot of time doing that and the systems are actually, ah, scalable systems are actually are repeal. Mm-hmm. Systems especially. 'cause I serve majority of the same audience for all the different products and services that I have are, I can amplify myself if I'm here doing too many cyclists, how can I build those things?

Akil: There's only so many time in the day, like, I'm not even technical. I'm using like AI tools to do stuff. So I need to create, I pool space for failure. Yeah. If I'm not doing that, I almost felt quote two. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: [00:15:00] And then the pullback was, oh, I'm canceling everything. Mm. I turned around and said, ah, what's paying me?

Akil: What's not make a list. Mm-hmm. Cancel, cancel, cancel. Repurpose. Mm-hmm. Cancel. And I think of my life like a flywheel. So if there's something I want to do and the stuff I'm doing today is not feeding into it, if I have to start a whole new set of activity, I'm less likely to do it. Mm-hmm. And so I'm just like, all the stuff that I was thinking I was doing, ah, what contributes to the flywheel.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Alright. This contributes to the flywheel over here. It can stay. This contributes to the flywheel over here. It can stay. Now I've already said too many things. When I say too many things, I've only got like three paid projects and they pay, well, why am I talking about 10 side quests? They have to go.

Akil: Yeah. And so that's been my like realization maybe last week or so, um, that I think I was letting people down. Not at all. Did I even give a whiffy, whiffy excuse? Not at all. I said, oh, I overt traded. I'm sorry. Like I wanted to live this with high quality and I can't, let's come back to it. 

Jeffrey: [00:16:00] Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And that level of maturity and that level of confidence and that level of like, oh, happy to, like, just choose sense is something that has taken me so long to learn.

Akil: Because like, I remember like three, four or five years ago, like I remember I was in the exact same, same position over trading One, like the biggest contract of my life persisted to overtrade, failed everything. I was like, ah, I've seen this show before, you know? 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And it's a feeling that I like, oh, like waking up every day with a pit in my throat saying like, ah, there's an insurmountable challenge I have to overcome.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Like for me personally. That doesn't feel like entrepreneurship anymore. That just feels like high stakes for no reason. And like the thrill of it doesn't excite me anymore. Like the going through it of knowing that, uh, I am more likely to lose this game [00:17:00] than win. It doesn't feel nice. Mm. And those high, and I guess it's back to that confirmation bias I had, right?

Akil: Like, oh, I've seen myself do mad stuff and win when the odds are stacked against me. See how mad that is? Like, and then you give yourself into more situations where the odds are stacked against you. Mm-hmm. Sometimes like, oh, play in a large surface area of luck in it. Sometimes play where the game is easy and win.

Akil: Like the money banks the same way. I promise. That's the, that's what you have to tell yourself. That's true. Because like I have this job, I'm probably in it 'cause of the thrill. Mm-hmm. But actually boring is beautiful and boring banks money. Uh, let me stay, let me stay steady. Right. And like, I guess the second lesson I learned being all around this was like, oh, don't throw away your advantage.

Akil: Mm. Quarter one march I was in deep advantage. Mm-hmm. Now it's just like, ah, it caused evenly tied. It could go either way. [00:18:00] What's happening here? Uh, the next quarters of the game I'm not trying to throw away. Mm-hmm. And so like, I think for, maybe I'll finish this question here. Like, for the people who are find success easy, so they feel their plate.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Take some time and think about it actually. What's on this plate? What part is actually nourishing for you? What part is putting money in the bank balance? What part is, um, increasing your skills? What part is increasing your network? 

Jeffrey: Because 

Akil: r business is actually those three things. Everything else is just at up for negotiation.

Akil: Mm-hmm. But unless it's increasing your skills, increasing your money, increasing your network, that's, that's the only things that increase your value. Mm-hmm. So now it is not that, let's be honest about it. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And let's ask ourselves, what's the goal here? If the goal here is to be in business, then those are the three priorities.

Akil: If the [00:19:00] goal is to be in lifestyle, then okay, let's add some side quests. But then even if those side quests, are they feeding you and they don't have to feed your money, but do they feed your spirit? And if they're taken from your spirit, every time you engage with it and you're just seeing failure wide, wide open, ah, don't throw your advantage cut off.

Akil: Don't throw good money after bad. Don't just say, I'll come this far, cut off. And the lesson would be, ah, you've got something this far. You can come back to it at a time where it's like, time is everything so you can come back to it at a time where it's more reasonable, relevant, valuable. You've got a plan for something sick.

Akil: Hold it, stack it. The amount of times I've got plans for stuff in my back pocket that someone said, oh yeah, I'm interested in this. Wow. And I'd be like, ah, money please. That's happened so many times in my life is crazy. Why did I get money to make a, I remember like five years ago. Side Quest story. But that's the answer.

Akil: Don't overtrade firstly. Secondly, um, don't throw your, don't throw away your advantage. [00:20:00] Thirdly, cut it off, but it will come back like shit comes back around one time. So like work, like take the plan, park it in a reasonable way. Don't just lay it evaporate, like document it somewhere and then put it on the shelf.

Jeffrey: Right? 

Akil: And the reason why I say documented somewhere, put it on the shelf 'cause nothing's wasted. You are that great. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Right? It's just that your environment is everything. Mm-hmm. So who you present your idea to will determine this value. I remember like five, six years ago, I had this idea, um, I was doing AI futures work, right?

Akil: Um, and I had this idea where I wanted to communicate, um, the new challenges AI will present to us as a society, as a fable. Mm-hmm. Right? I grew up reading, taught under here and stuff like that. So like I realized that fables, and then when you look at Asimov's like rules and like his challenges that he put out like of like conundrums, basically you realize that ah, the best educational tools for highly technical people are actually fable principled story.

Akil: Right? And that's a fable. Principled story is a fable. And so I was like, ah, I remember wanting to work with [00:21:00] one UK client and do this. And they were like, ah. And it was only for like 10 acts, you know? And they were like, ah, okay, we like you, but no thank you. And I was like, ah, man, that's cold. I put it on the shelf.

Akil: Next thing you know, like we're on the phone with some Americans and they're talking about some stuff, and I'm just like, well. You know, I've got this sting over and this was like six months later. This is what I mean, putting shelf. I was like, you know, I've got this sting over there, right? And they were like, huh, send it to us.

Akil: You let say like 80,000 pounds to write, make a, make, write a script, or pay 80 grand to write a script. Wow. Like, we haven't even made it to a film. It's just IP sitting in the, in the locker. But that's what I mean by, ah, your cyclists aren't a waste of time, but you need to be disciplined with yourself.

Akil: Like park your stuff, your time will come and ah, don't waste your advantage. Because in putting that down at the time and progressing into other stuff, allowed us to like get to the point where we're talking to that particular client then, or potential client at the time, and it will convert around.[00:22:00] 

Jeffrey: Sweet. That's perfect, man. Thank you. Um, we're gonna go into the first question we've got for you. That was not the first question. Nah, no, that was, that was important.

Jeffrey: No, that was, that was Amanda's question for you, but now we've got four questions to ask you about. I told you man, it was 30 minutes. Never. It was never hard. I have, I'm sorry, I'm muted again. You done? But, um, you've done a lot of incredible work. Uh, you've played a central role in both building community and does 

Akil: Yeah.

Jeffrey: Um, what sparked your journey into entrepreneurship, particularly with such a strong community focus? 

Akil: Um, I guess I was always entrepreneurial. So like, I had a job since I was 12 and I used to like work on a market store in south and like the guy used to come pick me up from my house at four 30 in the morning.

Akil: I used to go do a 12 hour shift. Like, so firstly like. I guess my parents gave me the opportunity to learn about money and skills [00:23:00] and stuff. Um, then I was also enabled, I, I want my own money by my parents. I, my parents never buy me video games. Mm-hmm. And so when my parents got buy me video games by giving me freedom, 

Jeffrey: they 

Akil: let me just take a bucket and, uh, spun and some washing liquid up and down the street.

Akil: And they were like, I just ask my neighbors because I wash their car. Mm. And my pitch and my proposition was, this is back in like the early No. Right. Mm. Early to mid nor. And so my proposition was, ah, you have to drive your car to the car wash. I wash your car for the same price as the car wash. It's five 10 pound back then isn't, um, gimme the cash.

Akil: You get a great car. And I got good at it. I used to go out every weekend, every, every Sunday I used to go out. And so I used to be coming home with like a hundred quid. Wow. And so that was between 10 and 15 cars. Take my bucket. Mom made me hire my friend's son, her friend's son, because I was making so much money.

Akil: So I went into gardening after that as well. I was just like, I started balling up. I, like, I started make, if you could make 400 [00:24:00] pound a month as like a, what? 11-year-old? What I, and this is mid nineties, as I said. So like if we did adjusting for inflation, I probably come a grand, some nonsense, right? So like, ah, too excessive.

Akil: Maybe seven 50. But like, 

Jeffrey: it's really good. 

Akil: That's how I've always been allowed, supported, cared for. Mm-hmm. Right. And then I got the opportunity to try these things. I've been given the opportunity to try so much stuff. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Now on top of that, I've learned how to practice. Mm. And the reason why this, this part, this story is important.

Akil: 'cause like I had a choice maybe at 17 to either go be a professional musician or a scientist. Mm-hmm. And I chose to be a scientist instead of professional musician. Now, I guess the reason why it's called a wimp and I identified the risk in being a musician. I was just like, oh, I don't think I'm great enough to take the risk.

Akil: Mm-hmm. But yeah, still, like I was, I grew up in the same year like where you see like Femi co doing music, we went [00:25:00] to the same music school where you see like the music or Marco Veer and you're like, actually these people have gone on to be great musicians, so if you practice, but like for me, like it just wasn't as natural to me as it was to them.

Akil: So big up them, them are amazing. 

Jeffrey: Um, 

Akil: or Sheila Marie Spray, like absolutely amazing shared space with 'em. But we were all really young and they took to it and I took, I took to the practice of it, but not to it. And so I was like, okay, I'm not gonna pursue this music thing, but I'm gonna take the practice of this music thing.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Because I was a semi, what was it? I was a semi professional, classical lead train musician. So about grade seven, grade eight. Complaining notes do the things I suppose was great at it. So I chose to be a scientist because of the risk. I chose that 'cause I was like, also I believe that a doctor could make more money than the musician.

Akil: And I wanted the stability or I want the money. I wanted the money. I wanted the money. Um, and so I pursued that path and I didn't, I didn't take the music. Mm. I get to about 17, 18. I [00:26:00] don't get into med school, so I chose to be the scientist, but I don't get to med school. So I'm like, ah, I'm doing biomedical sciences, so I'm going long way round.

Akil: Mm. I'm impatient. So going this long way round, like life is just dragging. And I'm starting to like while out 'cause I'm bored. Um, I've also got this deep fear. I want this deep fear on. I don't like mornings. Mm-hmm. So if you've never seen me operate, like I don't operate before 10 o'clock, and even then I'm like, oh, you probably need me like half midday or something, then like, something will happen afterwards.

Akil: But I don't like mornings and so. I thought that the workplace was never gonna be for me because like, this is still what, 20 13, 20 14. So we're still actually like on the latest stages of the old world. Mm. And I was simply afraid I'd be fired before I, I'd be able to demonstrate how great I was. Mm. Just fired for me late.

Akil: Mm. 

Jeffrey: Because 

Akil: if you told me to get the work at 9:00 AM I'm not getting there. I'm not getting there. So like knowing just my natural self, I was always just petrified of the workplace because I was like, are my isms and isms and like would not be [00:27:00] acceptable. Mm. I came to learn later on in life that I'm autistic 'cause I've got a DHD.

Akil: So I had some neurodiversity challenges that I felt, but I didn't know how to address or articulate or ask for support with. But I think all of that led me to a space where I was really open to not being in a traditional environment. And then along came Alex and Richard like, and how I met them was back to music.

Akil: Um. Alex and Richard had a recording studio in their friend's house. And um, um, I was interested, I was writing poetry. I was interested in just experiment and stuff. 17, 18, just do what you want, like make stuff, isn't it? And that's how it started. Like we recognized, we all had really complimentary skills to each other, and that was the first day music and music was a music business as the first thing.

Akil: And as a music business, we were trying to do like what Spotify did. Mm-hmm. Um, and give like a digital fan experience. 

Jeffrey: Okay. 

Akil: Um, [00:28:00] but that takes community. Mm-hmm. It takes business because that's a B two, B2C model essentially, right? Mm-hmm. And that's, you've, anything you ever see me do is probably a B two, B2C model.

Akil: I'm too lazy to get the consumer one, one by one, but I know that if I partner with a distributor that we will work out and I'll get the reach, right? That's my whole life. So even though you see me do sponsorship, you're like B2B to reach the consumer. I'll see you without me being lazy. Right. Or with me being lazy.

Akil: Um, um. That's where the community bug came in. Mm. And so after you pivot out of music, we turn around and pivot out into small business tools. Mm. Um, and then that's where I'm in learning about business more so than just like from product. I'm learning about business because I'm trying to do customer success.

Akil: Mm-hmm. If you're trying to do customer success, how can you make a customer successful? Mm. Like that's a lesson in itself. Then you pivot out of that, um, into healthcare tools. And so now I bring my scientist brain back in 'cause I did, I did finish that biology degree. And then I'm doing like health tech.

Akil: [00:29:00] And health tech is based on this question of our health tech platforms or based on these questions of, ah, we are doing telemedicine in 2013. We're doing like, speak to your doctor through online GP on your phone in 2013 using like unstable web RTC technology that you can use on your browser. But it's still a bit buggy.

Akil: 'cause this is like the second generation of this tech. 

Jeffrey: Right. 

Akil: It's not like it is now. And so. We are there and we're, again, building communities. 'cause we're asking the question, why doesn't the, my grandma was sick. My grandma was sick, Alex's grandma was, granddad was sick. Mm-hmm. And some of those questions were back then, those appointments used to be big logistical nightmares, the families, right?

Akil: Mm-hmm. The fam the fan, the, the, the sandwich generation parent had to your parent in the s generation, having the parents to look after and their kids had to take the day off work, but they had to take you out school, then probably they had to go that crack of dawn or whatever, awkward time of day, take the day, the person doesn't touch them, ask some questions and maybe just fuck off.

Akil: And then like, sends you home with, with no [00:30:00] more new information. Mm-hmm. Ah, if you're gonna send me home with no more new information, let me stay at home. And, and so that's why we started building out those tools. But in doing that, um, again, B two, B2C model, sell technology to healthcare provider for them to reach other people.

Akil: But then you've seen us go through different iterations and cycle like community was everything. Um, and learning how to engage with community was everything. Mm-hmm. So we started building out those skills. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: After that, we realized we're broke. Mm-hmm. We tried all this stuff. We're able to get that far to prototype or first version stage through just sheer skill and grit.

Akil: But if you're going to make it to like version 30, you need some money. No one's giving black boys themself a stack of cash to do stuff. They're not, not not equity based, not investment based, but they'll give us stuff to build it. They'll give us money to build stuff for them. They'll let us be a service provider, but they won't us be a product market.

Akil: [00:31:00] What conditions allowed us to be service providers, not product business. And so we bought an agency and so all this building, building, building of different things was like, oh, at the first stage of our portfolio, can we build for you now? And so we start building out those skills and I take all that lesson I love from customer success, I start bringing into like, uh, user research.

Akil: And so I'm not engaging with the end customers all the time to learn about what they might want to need in a new service. 

Jeffrey: Mm. 

Akil: Gold isn't it? 'cause now I get to what I don't know, business Coach Act or whatever version of myself. This isn't my 20th version of life. I, I'm the 20 lives at least. Um, and it all stacks on each other.

Akil: Mm-hmm. All the experiences stack on each other for me to be this level, inside this depth or this perspective. Mm-hmm. That's how community played the huge role. 'cause they were in every product and service and ideal thing that I've ever made. Mm-hmm. 

Jeffrey: That's perfect man. Um, I think the only thing I'd say to that is, um, like, I'll talk [00:32:00] more about it later, but it's been, I think from working with you, it's great to see how you show up for community as well, because I've spoken around before, but like sometimes with people, I would say at your level it's is sometimes as.

Jeffrey: Other entrepreneurs, whether up and coming or established or whatever. Mm-hmm. Sometimes there's not. It's always like competition and it's not like, oh, like you wanna help someone? I wanna help someone. Let's grow, or let's figure out how to grow. Ah, maybe there's,

Akil: I am like that though. Okay. But my perspective and my philosophy to be about that is really different. Mm-hmm. Um, I'm choosing where to start. Mm-hmm. So building on this community story. Mm-hmm. Um, but by the time I get to an agency, by the time I get to this agency stage, I've started to learn how to productize all of those chance encounters [00:33:00] and processes into making systems to be able to make that stuff repeatable.

Akil: Mm-hmm. So now I can recruit. Any I've learned through agency, 'cause agency products, different projects need different people. Right. And I'm the head researcher, so I've now learned how to recruit different sets of people for different projects. Mm-hmm. And again, if you really think about it, are the same people that buy shoes are the same people that use healthcare?

Akil: The same people that wash their teeth are the same people that, so I've learned how to recruit full stop. Sensational. So instead of recruiting 10 people, can I recruit 20? Can I recruit that? Can I recruit a hundred? Actually I'm recruiting every day. Can I create a database? I've created, I've created a database.

Akil: Uh, how many different ways versions of this recruitment database be repurposed for? What if I just stop being extracted and just asking 'em to participate in research projects, but I created a forum space instead. 

Jeffrey: Yeah. 

Akil: Principled by server. Like create systems, repurpose and reapply system iterated on them.

Akil: So like, [00:34:00] I've got this, I this community tech stack in my head almost of how to like reach them and activate them. Then I believe that. Love and power are two things under which they're shared, they grow, they're not halved or diminished. So now if I'm sharing with you like deep love and care for whatever you're trying to do, and if I'm sharing you power through giving you the knowledge to do whatever you want to do, I'm not diminished.

Akil: I might be a little bit tired emotionally, but on the grand scheme of things, I'm not diminished. Mm. But you are empowered and you love me now. Mm. And now you gimme access to everything that you have. If I ask you for it, Jeffrey, I'll ask you for something today. Oh Jeffrey, I wanna reach all your subscribers.

Akil: Can you send out this email? 

Jeffrey: Pick up 

Akil: the map? 

Jeffrey: Yeah, I do. 

Akil: I know like hundreds of gender. 'cause the person, I realized that my thing is B two, B2C mm. Who are the community organizer? The one to surround myself with, to have an extended reach. Mm. 

Jeffrey: Great. [00:35:00] 

Akil: And so now I've got really large reach if I learn how to activate it.

Akil: And so the new things I'm learning to build are digital tools to activate literally the natural networks that I have. That's incredible because that's the value, and by taking all these steps of our, identifying how I build community building process to like productize that and scale that, taking natural behaviors that I have and identifying where's the real value on it, and then building on it, and then now identifying stuff that I can naturally do and saying, okay, how do we create, how do you take this from a one off to a one to many or one to thousands?

Akil: I used to tell everyone to text me. Mm-hmm. My whole thing was I don't read emails because I call everyone by them. So I was just like, actually, if you'll stop reading emails, maybe sometimes once a week, twice a week, 

Jeffrey: I 

Akil: text me. [00:36:00] I started telling everyone to text me. I was like, ah, like let just make a group shot.

Akil: Taken a natural behavior, and I've scaled it. I've got thousands of people in WhatsApp now. If I wanna push a message today, I can reach like mm-hmm. I could probably reach 10 people. I wanna push a message today. That's me taking a natural behavior that I've had, looking at myself, observing it, productizing and scaling it and recognizing that, ah, if I'm gonna build WhatsApp groups that today, actually WhatsApp groups only need like a really short, really clear hook to keep them there.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Because you're already in the place that their mom, their grand and their husband, their love of their children are in. Right. So now it's like, ah, daily opportunities to grow your business. Um, couple thousand people. Um, how many healthy food, um, because, ah, outside is killing you, or what is it actually?

Akil: No, that's more specific. Local, local community, grocery and restaurant offers at a discount. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Got a couple hundred people goes on and on and [00:37:00] on, because it's like you realize short hook, WhatsApp group scale. Mm-hmm. Create something. Sure. Mm-hmm. And be a source of something. Yeah. Right. And I can go on for days about how I think about this stuff because then I've got crazy reach now.

Akil: Mm-hmm. And it's repeatable. Mm-hmm. Now the thing I heard yesterday, I at a conference yesterday and someone said like, oh, with stretch goals you can't take organic means. And that's really interesting to me. 'cause like I think I've maxed out my organic reach now, and so I'm like, oh, how do I reach 25,000 people?

Akil: I reach a hundred thousand people 

Jeffrey: and this 

Akil: is even like the way I have to do it. And so like after hearing that, like I'm not thinking about, okay, what are the tools and systems to go there? Mm-hmm. And like, oh, how can I take everything I've done so far and amplify it? Or how can I now learn ads or how can I now.

Akil: Build a system where everyone can amplify each other's worst, not just amplify. Kill's worst. Mm. Because if you feed [00:38:00] the community, you never go hungry. Mm. No water. Do you see a baker hungry? Mm. No. War zone. Do you see a baker hungry? Mm. No wasn. Do you see a baker's kids hungry? Mm. And you could be the baker everywhere.

Akil: Mm. And that's how I think about it. Um, you can with further, but like this community, like stacking my head is really like, yeah, it's really good, man. 

Jeffrey: It's an interesting way to see it. I like it. Yeah. Oh, we can go to another one if you want. I mean, it's, it's, it's, uh, lemme

Akil: uh, you know, lemme give this, this is the last one. Um, the deepest insight I got this year about community was that all communities are like, someone edu like someone like clap back at me in it because it's not even clap back. Discuss with me. Um, all communities are about refinement. Mm. Yeah. Every community that ever existence about refinement, like, [00:39:00] refine the way you live, they refine the way you do family, refine the way you thrive, refine the way you learn, refine the way you refine your interest, refine the information you know about your interests.

Akil: Like all community is about refinement, right? And then what's the source? Who's the source of that knowledge and information. You know what, can you be the source of that knowledge and information? What, how do you have in your asking to play a role in that community is about refinement. Mm-hmm. What environment do you wanna play in?

Akil: Mm-hmm. Like what channel? I chose WhatsApp. Mm-hmm. What is your most natural channel in LinkedIn? Is it Facebook? Is it, I know Instagram, TikTok. Where's your environment that those people also live that want to be refined? Mm-hmm. Yeah. And then how do you distribute that? 

Jeffrey: Yeah, 

Akil: that's it. Like, and after you asked about distribution, it's like, ah, how do you experiment with different ways of distributing that maximally?

Akil: Mm. All right, cool. But how do you build your capacity to then take this seedling of an idea that you recognize can generate [00:40:00] some results or some return? You've become the source of this refinement. You've chosen the platform where all these people are. Mm-hmm. You are distributing it well. 'cause the system is working and it's growing.

Jeffrey: Are 

Akil: you experimenting with new methods to get more reach and so on and so forth? How do you build the capacity on that? Mm-hmm. And those are like the six steps I think about are scaling communities now. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Um, that's been the most profound lesson of the year. 

Jeffrey: Oh, that's 

Akil: incredible. Like, that's incredible.

Akil: But yeah, I've been geeking on this for a piece. No, that's really cool. Um, and I think the fun I've been trying to take is in actioning it because like I've been writing about a lot of what I think about now, like me and my friend Mike Harris have made a substack called Make Community because we were like, ah, we really want to cover new and classic case studies, how to build communities and monetize audiences, because I think people speak about building communities so much, but they don't talk about monetized audiences.

Akil: And so like, [00:41:00] I'm keen to get people into that space. Um, but yeah, I've been, it's like live and direct. Do something, try something. Document your experience, keep going. 

Jeffrey: I appreciate it, man. Um, and even with the substack, I've been reading it, um, to my interns to think about how we can use it and like, yeah, it's been really great to see, like you said, like definitely the building community part can sometimes be easier, but then like you said, like how do you monetize that?

Jeffrey: How do you grow from that? Um, yeah. And it's 

Akil: a journey I want, it's a journey I'm on too. Like I think, I think what people might not recognize is that I'm out doing this stuff. Mm-hmm. I'm out maybe doing really cool, crazy complex, whatever. Mm-hmm. I'm learning on the job, I'm learning in public. I'm probably like asking this great person who's an expert to hold my hand, but I'm actually learning in public.

Akil: That's actually it. So this whole I started this substack with my is because [00:42:00] I know how to build communities, I want to monetize audiences. This whole thing about scale up with sales is, ah, I recognize that I've raised investment before, but ah, investment is not the sweetest. I'd rather make a sale and never owe you nothing ever again.

Akil: Like that's a better way for me to live. Mm. How do I ma how do I master these sales? Mm-hmm. How do I make a seven figure sale? Let me learn that one. Like that's where I'm at, right? Because I'd have to make a six figure sale. So how do I make a seven figure sale? Mm. That's why I'm doing this scale up.

Akil: That's why I do scale up. When I run BBR, it's like, oh, I love care and supported. How do I share that with, how do I share the experience that I had in my career with others when I recognize it's not equal opportunity? 

Jeffrey: Like 

Akil: there's always these things 

Jeffrey: where I'm just in my life. Mental health is really important to us at Pick Up the Mic, and we love to share resources that can support your mental health and that's why we are so glad to have today's sponsor.

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Jeffrey: Today 

Akil: I'm trying to create things, do things be things to

Akil: just navigate, just navigate a challenge. Yeah. Um, 

Jeffrey: it's perfect. Thank you. Um, we're gonna go onto the next question, which funnily enough, you mentioned BBR, uh, but BBR is one of the programs that you support. So the Black Business Residency, uh, for those who don't know, we've mentioned it before, but it supports black owned businesses with, uh, mentoring, coaching masterclass, free access to a co-working space for a year, uh, and is a transformative program.

Jeffrey: Um, but as I mentioned, it's one of the programs that you've, you've delivered, you've created, you've supported, and through that and all the other programs, you've supported thousands of businesses. So I would like you to say this is specifically [00:45:00] for young people, but I'm happy to expand this to other barriers.

Jeffrey: Yeah. Okay. Um, but what were the most common barriers you've seen with young pe? What are the most common barriers you've seen young people face when starting out? And how do you help them overcome them? But I'm also happy to make this more generalized to 

Akil: No, you know, I will answer this for young people 'cause I don't address them at all.

Akil: Mm. Um, yeah. Okay. There's so much stuff in the world for young people in this country specifically. Right. I'm just like, if everyone is already over there, that's not where I need to be because that's not what the change is. That like, my change is always like the zig the zag to someone zig or whatever.

Akil: Like, so I'm just like, ah, lemme go help your parents. 

Jeffrey: Mm. 

Akil: Because my belief is like helping the middle-aged people is actually the most efficient way to help an economy. Mm. 

Jeffrey: Because that means 

Akil: you, if you upskill someone's parent, that means they can improve their life for their kid. They can improve the life for themself.

Akil: They can probably improve the life for their parents that they're really looking after. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Right. Versus [00:46:00] when you work on a young person, like it's a, it's a longer term investment where the realization's probably gonna happen like 15 years later. I'm not saying it's not coming. It does come. I've been the product of.

Akil: Those young youth initiatives and programs, and I reflect regularly on how my life today would not be the same without them, but actually there's more work to do in society and transforming things for the kids that one things for the parents. Mm-hmm. Now back to the question for young people. Mm-hmm. Um, I think young people experience a lot of age discrimination.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Like, um, especially if they're trying to build a business or do something like that's a little bit more highbrow. Like if you tell, you say the young person say, oh, I run a car business or a small product business, or I felt like makeup or tip that to, or whatever. Like, or Amazon accessories people.

Akil: Oh, okay, great. Oh, you one in numbers don't even care. Mm. If you are running numbers, congratulations. Put that in your, put that in your pocket. But I think when people start doing a little bit more thing, a little bit more things, when people start doing [00:47:00] things on a higher order of complexity, 

Jeffrey: there's 

Akil: a lot less trust.

Akil: Mm. 

Jeffrey: I 

Akil: say that, but yet still Warwick share has. The war. She council's leader in charge of 1.5 million pounds, is actually an 18-year-old. Um, big up. I can't even say big up that party. I can't, but like, um, yeah, that's real. So ageism maybe is changing in society, but yeah. So there's a newspaper headline screaming.

Akil: Now, what the hell is he doing? Um, and I think it's called lack of trust. And there's lack of trust. 'cause there's not an opportunity to see any track record or experience. Um, and so to the advice of young people doing things who experience in ageism doing complex things, doing high level things, who are experiencing in ageism, firstly you, to anyone that challenges you, say Thank you.

Jeffrey: Mm. 

Akil: And ask them a question. Mm. Right. Uh, thanks for sharing your opinion about this, this, this actually, what, what do you actually think about it? Go deeper. Ask them why. 

Jeffrey: And 

Akil: the [00:48:00] reason why I'm gonna say ask them why is because that after you ask someone why five times, they feel that real deep truth, right?

Akil: It's called the five whys. It's like a research thing, right? But if you ask someone why five times? Ah, you know, especially when the kids say, I don't know what so and so, why? Why don't you know, oh, I don't know 'cause of this. Oh, why don't you know 'cause of that? Oh, I don't know. 'cause of this or that. Oh, and then you start, you see the threads start teasing out, right?

Akil: So ask them why. The second thing is make more stuff. Demonstrate your track record, demonstrate your effectiveness, track your impact. And because you'll probably be able to do stuff that they don't even know they exist yet, but they need to feel safe. Like buying and engaging is like a psychological safety thing.

Akil: And so when you're too young, they just don't feel safe because they identify you as a child. And so that demonstration of track record that asking them why to surface their fear. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Um, and then that demonstration of track record will get you through. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Even like to, to add to that, [00:49:00] um, like I did, I didn't tell you, I did a pitch for a new initiative we're doing with pick up the mic.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. Um, and yeah, a large part of that pitch, uh, came about from not only like conversations with you, but also seeing how you emphasize to people that you can have a great idea, you can have a great service that you provide or whatever, but it's like, what do you have to show that impact? And I know earlier this year, um, which I have done now, which is good.

Jeffrey: Yeah. Um, but like you asked me like, okay, so since you guys have started, how many views have you got? And I was like, I don't know. You're just like, maybe that's something you can start collating and not putting into stuff. Um, how many views have you got? We've got 21 across all four channels. We've got 21,000.

Jeffrey: No. Yeah. 21,000. No, sorry. 210,000 views across all pieces of content. Um, and we have over 4,000 subscribers on all platforms and social media. Um, but that was something [00:50:00] I couldn't have said before. Feel saying that out loud. If it was wild man. Like even one outta four, when I saw the number, I was like, wow, this is, 

Akil: this 

Jeffrey: got nice, it's got nice.

Jeffrey: 4 

Akil: million people 

Jeffrey: seen your shit. 

Akil: Yeah, man, I episode like, and I think the reason why I get people to do that is because like you don't know who you know. Mm. Like and certain people, I know me, you be deep in the trench. Mm-hmm. Deep in the trench, sweating it out. Like you could be deep in the trench, sweating it out, putting this thing out into the world.

Akil: And after a while, yeah, after the first novelty wears often, sometimes it might go quiet and you might be thinking, why the hell am I still screaming into the void? People are listening. Mm-hmm. And I think that people, that idea that people are listening can be so empowering. Mm-hmm. Um, it can be so empowering.

Akil: Mm-hmm. [00:51:00] And the challenge of the challenge without tracking it, is that 99% of people, 90% of people are silent. Mm-hmm. So for any community, any audience, right. There's this thing that I've learned called the 99 1 rule. Mm-hmm. 90% of people in the audience will never say a thing. Mm-hmm. 90%. So out of that 210,000 people, like 180,000 of 'em.

Akil: So we never say anything. 9% will engage. Sometimes there's likes, comments, clicks, yada, yada, yada, yada. Probably would demonstrate a proportion of 9% of your audience. And then 1% of your audience are super users. Mm-hmm. The people that will engage every time, time and again, like comments, share teeth, throw this, that, so.

Akil: When you know that's true and you're screaming into the word. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: It's not that the word ain't listening, it's just that the word ain't responding. Mm. It's different. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: It's not, they're not listening, it's, it's not responding. 

Jeffrey: Mm. 

Akil: And now you know that, and you've got some sensibility of like this 99 1 where you can like, give yourself some, it's okay.

Akil: It's [00:52:00] normal. It's normal. It's like, oh. When you realize that internet conversion is like two to 3%, you have to put that thing out a hundred times to get three sales. Ah, damnit. Like, but at these, these are, these, these rules of thumb or internet math or laws or whatever, like allow you to act appropriately and adapt appropriately.

Akil: And so now 210,000 people and 90, you know, the 99 1 rule, 

Jeffrey: how 

Akil: are you gonna leverage those 2,100 people that love you? Mm-hmm.

Jeffrey: Question is, is this something you want me to talk? No. Oh, okay. Of course.

Jeffrey: Because I was like, oh, um, Bernard, it's so true. And I feel like even. Uh, based off something you shared with me and through another group that I've worked with, uh, called GTM Academy. Like, they were just like, you, you've downloaded podcast episodes or even like with our photography videography service, they were just like, do you have any quotes of like, what people have said?

Jeffrey: And they're like, we've got a few. And they're just like, but have you had anything one say like, I'll pick up the mic from really great, or this. So that's why I also mentioned it. 'cause for the [00:53:00] pitch last week, I was like, one of the questions you had to answer was like, why us? And I was like, oh, I could like use the stats, which I did.

Jeffrey: I used the stats. I said like, we worked with this many organizations, this much growth. Um, but then I was like, oh, how can I change it? Um, so I don't think I've got the full pitch. If I do, I'll put the full video on YouTube, but if not, I'll put parts of it. Do you make real? No, I, I haven't, but I will.

Akil: Because you can, you've got enough content. Yeah, 

Jeffrey: we've got enough. So like, 

Akil: yeah. Sizzle re 200, 10,000, 200, 10,000 hours of views or whatever, like, uh, 4,000 subscribers across all platform, um, engage with this many organizations and like can show some film like advertising agencies do actually all the time.

Jeffrey: They 

Akil: just make a sizzle reel. And the reason why they make a sizzle reel is 'cause it's like, oh, I still, the 10 slides that you really put on the deck, but it's just with some live music and some b images that people would be like, wow, actually know people are like, buy now, buy now, buy now. Like, that's what you need.

Akil: Yeah. Like, yeah. Yeah. I will get on that. Yeah, 

Jeffrey: I'll go on that. Um, but actually, yeah, it was to say that we had, so I put quotes, [00:54:00] uh, from like our celebration events of people who were interviewed and said like, why they like, pick up the mic. And it was good. 'cause like sometimes, like you said, you don't always see the impact, but it was nice to see, so like one person said like, pick up the mic as a place that a lot of entrepreneurs need, or entrepreneurs need but don't have.

Jeffrey: And I was like, damn. Like I never saw it like that. Not right. Um, and then. What with the pitch. So I was like, one of my friends who with this like initiative we're working together, she was, I was like, are you free? And she was like, yeah, I can come down. Um, and basically as a part of the pitch, I did storytelling.

Jeffrey: So I was like, oh, I'm gonna tell a story about this person. She's got this idea, she wants to develop it. This is basically a wider context story. Put some stats, all of this stuff. And when it came to the end, I was like, oh. So you're probably wondering like. Why did I even mention the story? Like, is it relevant?

Jeffrey: Like, what is this? I was like, oh, this person, she's actually here today. She's in the audience. So like I could tell you about like why you should back us or like why we're important, all of this stuff. But I was like, why don't you just have a conversation with her? Like, she's doing amazing work. She [00:55:00] knows the work that we're doing.

Jeffrey: Um, and yeah, like she, I told her, I've told a bit of context 'cause I was like, I don't wanna throw this on you. And you're like, why is he mentioning me? Um, but yeah, like everyone in the audience was just like, this is really great. And even though we didn't win the pitch mm-hmm. Like one of the big things we were told was that was like a really great storytelling moment.

Jeffrey: 'cause it was like, oh, we can learn about the impact that you are having from you. We can ask you questions or we can actually hear from someone who's here, who's like here to support you and is happy to discuss like why she's supporting you. 

Akil: There is, that's a beautiful way to sell. Mm-hmm. When we were at community, um, I still do this today actually.

Akil: Like, when we used to send the pitch, we used to immediately ask for an opportunity to present the pitch because we recognize people buy vibes. Mm. When it came down to us, like we were a design studio, there's like a design studios or a Diamond Dozen. [00:56:00] Um, the difference between a good design studio and a regular design studio or a great design studio in a regular design studio is packaging and vibes like packaging and vibes.

Akil: And so when we used to pitch, we used to ask, always ask to present, 

Jeffrey: and 

Akil: that presentation always gave us an opportunity to communicate, not what was on the slides and how we do it, but the passion and the thinking behind it. Mm-hmm. Right. Because the passion is what's gonna get you from, from the beginning to the end when it gets difficult in the middle.

Akil: Mm-hmm. And the thinking and the approach is what's gonna be able to. Bring the client along the way with you when sometimes you're doing, you are going left when they think you should go right? And they're calling you crazy, but ah, this is your process, not theirs. You are guiding them. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And so when you tell me that, ah, you are now factoring in these moments into how you deliver your work and how you do it, firstly, sensational.

Akil: Um, secondly, who you selling to? Let's not [00:57:00] just do that just because we just wanna capture it. Like maybe we just wanna capture it, but also like who you selling to? And so like an example like, ah, sometimes a year when I'm selling a new program to someone else, I'll get that person to come to a program event that's existing so that they can see how great we're really talking.

Akil: Like you think I'm joking. Like, so I remember a couple years ago before I ran Pinterest accelerator, I made up come to like a cohort too. 

Jeffrey: Wow. 

Akil: And so she saw a quote or like an event I was doing like at the time and she saw that and she was like, alright, cool. I think you got enough chops and you can execute.

Akil: There's a different story behind that. Like that happened for Scale Up, right Before Scale Up got signed off, their COO came to an event that had at Apple. Wow. And it's the same thing, right? People want to see and feel how excellent you are, not just what you wrote on paper. Mm-hmm. Like they want to feel it.

Akil: And so your version of feeling it was getting that person to stand up and say, ah, here out the horse's mouth, uh, [00:58:00] or hear it from the originator. Like for me, I was just like, ah, come in, experience it yourself. Mm-hmm. Come and let me know if I'm trying shit. Mm-hmm. Like made cells every time. Mm. So my question now, oh sorry Jeffrey.

Akil: Is this your interview time? Are you selling to you? Because if you're doing those moments and you're making them real, number one, those formats are gold. Embed them in everything. Mm. You'd be surprised how like transformative those formats are, even though they're so simple. Mm. Embed them in everything because that's literally the difference between like a 10% conversion rate and like a 50% conversion rate.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Stupid. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: What little thing? Um, and to be honest, it's a stack of those little things mm-hmm. That make you edge towards improvement. Mm-hmm. By a significant chunk. Mm-hmm. Um, and then like, identify your client and go sell, bro. You are creating these moments, you're producing these moments.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: He are sports moments like that. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Go sell that to them.[00:59:00] 

Jeffrey: Thank you very much. Thank you. Um, I will, like, I, I, this is context of me. I'm just gonna rewatch this episode. I've got a lot of notes. Got a lot of notes to be taken down, but Oh, don't worry. I promise. Um, but we're gonna start this next question with our mic check, which is a facts figure of story related to this, uh, episode.

Jeffrey: And this is, uh, from the Youth Business International. They did a survey in the UK and 83% of young people age 18 to 30, uh, in UK believe that entrepreneurship can be of forceful good in society, but 41% say that they lack access to mentors or networks to help get them started. Mm-hmm. And this question is all around that.

Jeffrey: Like, as we've mentioned, a lot of stu, well, students, young people, uh, even a lot of people in general, they are unsure about how to turn. A good idea or a good project into a viable business or social enterprise. Mm-hmm. So what would be the first steps that you'd recommend that they take, especially when access to resources feel limited and with the limited section, uh, I don't actually remember [01:00:00] where I remember the stat.

Jeffrey: I don't remember who it's from, but even with the stats thing, the thing that I learned from you was the stat about, uh, black founders with venture capital. So if you could say that stat. Um, but then, 

Akil: ah, about, so yeah, there's a stat that says about 2% of women catch venture capital, and there's a stat that says about 0.02% of black business catches venture capital.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Right? But before we even get to the pool of venture capital, the percentage of businesses that get it are, there's a, there's a wider context. 99% of businesses never raise money. Mm-hmm. So, before you talk about this venture capital thing, the venture capital thing is only talking about the 1% businesses that actually try to raise in the first place.

Akil: Mm-hmm. There's 5 million businesses in the uk. Mm-hmm. 99% of them never raise money. Mm-hmm. Start there. Mm-hmm. So, uh, actually this raise money game is only for the 1%. Mm-hmm. The [01:01:00] 1%. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Remember that 1%. So now when we start talking about black founders and the 0.02% of black founders raising mm-hmm. It's 0.2%, 0.02% at 1%.

Akil: So it's smaller than you get where I'm going. It's easier for you to climb Everest than catch bench money. As a black business, it's easier for you to climb Everest than to catch bench money. As a black business, according to the stats, doesn't mean it's not possible, but people are out there that exist.

Akil: They are the unicorns, they are the founders that have been mega successful. As a trajectory point starting off, unless you are just addicted to hard. Ooh. Like, ah, my own is that raising. Money's not like that. I've also raised money, so I am also addicted to hard, but my experience would be to tell you to sell something.

Akil: Yes. I'm looking at you, you, me, you sell something. Um, please sell something. And so actually for the founders starting out to give you this quick answer, [01:02:00] it's the, i, I hate to be the old foie that as he says this, times are different now. Mm-hmm. Information access is even more dynamic than it used to be.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Right? 'cause beforehand, like in my day, I would open Google search and search up. I open like the first 10 pages and read everything on the first 10 pages. And now I'm expert overnight. 

Jeffrey: Now 

Akil: A GPT will do the summarizing and writing for you. So step number one, invest 20 pound a month into it. GPT, you now have a assistant and ever whatever.

Akil: And like, I'm prob like a lot of these things might not give you. Like a hundred percent accuracy on advice. Mm-hmm. But then, which human is a hundred percent accurate anyway? Mm-hmm. Not any that I know. Mm-hmm. Which human percent is 70% accurate anyway? Not any that I know. And so actually this thing channeling out decent mm-hmm.

Akil: Information. And what you now need to train yourself to do is be critical and ask even more questions, be critical, and ask their questions of everything in life. Spend 20 [01:03:00] pound a month on the GPT. You now have, you now have a workforce, especially if you're information service business like you now have a workforce.

Akil: And even if you're not, you now have a workforce, um, still with the output of one, but you can produce a lot more now. Um, and you've got curiosity, step one and two. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Step three, try a package. Whatever you do really want, try to sell it immediately. 

Jeffrey: Don't 

Akil: wait, don't wait to be perfect. Don't wait to be like sensational.

Akil: Don't. Sell it immediately. Mm. And the reason why I'm telling you sell it immediately is because the sooner the rubber meets the road the better. Mm. There are not many industries where, like you selling a bad product will tarnish your name forever. Mm. Like no one cares that much. Mm. It don't. 

Jeffrey: Mm. Unless 

Akil: you're selling like a healthcare product or a childcare product or like something highly regulated, uh, no one cares.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Um, and so if you, if the first sale is bad, the first sale is bad, but take your go home, take your notes and try and [01:04:00] prove it. Your second sale. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Those are my three. Like, because after that you're curious to ask some questions. You've got something that can answer said questions. Mm-hmm. Um, and you are going outside, meeting people to sell stuff.

Akil: Ah, the, the universe loves that shit. They, that like all the ting leads are gonna spot for the universe to start driving you to wherever you need to go. And that's because you are asking the right questions. Learn the right things and meet enough people that are gonna get you there. That's it. Perfect. 

Jeffrey: Um, yeah, I've got nothing else to add.

Jeffrey: I like it. Um, now we've gone to the final question. Uh, to be honest, I wouldn't even say this is, I'd say this is one that I'm very interested in, but I think this is probably out of all of them could be potentially the easiest question to answer. So, geez, asking for questions as well. I dunno why I, you, you've worked with a lot of [01:05:00] major names, uh, including the likes of Morgan Stanley.

Jeffrey: You've worked with Google, you've worked summer to house, you mentioned Pinterest as well. Um, what lessons have you learned in building partnerships that students and early stage entrepreneurs should keep in mind when they go into the trying to build partnerships? 

Akil: Hmm. Take people, go for a number. Mm-hmm.

Akil: Yeah. Yeah. Not beats of text message. Mm. Like text is the most pervasive commerce platform ever. Mm. So like, take everyone's phone number so you can firstly reach them. Especially like after you send them mail, just send inbox. Mm. Like I love doing that to people. I love sending the email. Just send inbox.

Akil: 'cause like it just gives, spares them to engage with you in particular. You don't tell them what's in new email, just send a box or Hey, just send your message, check in box. Um, take everyone's phone number. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Um, have clarity. You know what, for [01:06:00] sponsorship relationships, right. Because I have to talk about this in a real clear way for like B2B, you've made a sale.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And you've made a sale to serve and solve something that they needed, they requested. And you are just like delivering in like your process to do. So 

Jeffrey: passion 

Akil: is your thing. Mm-hmm. Right? Passion, passionate expertise. Is the great start. Um, and then like they already needed that thing. So they're already invested in getting to the end.

Akil: I think sponsorship's a little bit different for some reason because like you are now doing a thing and asking for their resource to continue doing this thing. And so mission, vision and values always have to align. Like when you're serving someone who already knows they've got a problem, but with sponsorship, sometimes that's not always clear.

Akil: So mission driven, mission, vision, and values need to align. And so like I land on clarity. First, [01:07:00] have clarity. Second, pick their phone number. Third, write down your clarity and email it. Go. And I think that Clarity affords people to know what you're about. 

Jeffrey: That 

Akil: clarity afford people to know what they're paying for.

Akil: Oh, can you come sponsor me to do this thing? What are you doing? Oh, well I think I'm gonna reach this little people there, some community over here like this. I don't care. Why, uh, are your customers my customers? If not, it's not working. Mm-hmm. You sound vague. Do you even have a plan? Ah, you are asking me to give you money.

Akil: Do you not have a plan? Ah, not working. Um, how long are you gonna execute for? What does success look like for us? 

Jeffrey: You 

Akil: don't have, how are you gonna measure it? Don't have that not working. So I guess now, I guess like that feedback loop, isn't it? 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Clarity. Take their phone number message and email them feedback.

Akil: How you gonna collect it? [01:08:00] Like from that, I think you can build out a decent enough relationship. 'cause now you're, you are dialoging, you're communicating mm-hmm. And deliver. And, and I think this is the last part, which is distinguished. Because I deep to it, like I had an opportunity to, how can I, am I allowed to say this?

Akil: Yeah, I probably can. Um, I'll just signed my seventh view. MSCs actually 

Jeffrey: credible, 

Akil: my seventh sponsorship view. Mm. That shouldn't be true. Mm-hmm. You should not be like, thank goodness. 'cause they're really amazing people. But you shouldn't, the likelihood of you signed a seven year sponsorship agreement is unreal.

Akil: Right. And we signed them year on year or one year? Two year. Two year. Two year. One year. Like we, we've been broken down. It hasn't all just been like our seven year pun, no one can see that far. Um, but I've just signed my seventh year and I'm just like, that's [01:09:00] insane to me. But the reason, the only reason why that seventh year is even allowed to run was because that dialogue and then a delivery of results.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Because based on that clarity, based on that feedback loop, based on that passion, I really went outside and did it. We really went outside and did it 'cause ah, they gave us the money. Now it's not just me. A couple years ago, so a couple years ago, I used to run like loads of different programs at once and then I think I went through a consolidation effort.

Akil: 'cause I was just like, ah, being a keel in a million places is tiresome and I really think I wanna focus on my goal. Right? So with the BBR, my whole goal is to take it on this journey where we create a business school. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: For black and minority communities. Right? And the reason why I wanted a business school for black and minority communities is because I believe that degree level [01:10:00] education plus enterprise generated wealth.

Akil: And if you look at wealth generators. Those are the only self-determining factors. Mm. The rest is just basically inheritance or someone gave you a chunk of cash. Mm-hmm. Right. So in order to help black and minority communities build wealth, that was it. And so when I said, how did I start, I started a workshop years ago.

Akil: Mm-hmm. And then we did Mentor Black business, which was the, which was the lectures. Right. Then we did Mentor Black business, which was a version of the tutoring, uh, which was version of tutoring. Then when we came here, ran like the BBI and our BBR. It was just like, okay, the accelerator program is gonna be the next version of a master's course.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Right? And then, well, I need a prestigious build. Every university has a prestigious building, so I need a prestigious building to deliver it. I'm already at Somerset House, or how do we get that to run? And then like, oh, we've run that at someone house a few years, and we proved out that enterprise.

Akil: Alone teaching someone how to run a business alone will yield some great results, right? Mm-hmm. Because our founders earn double the national [01:11:00] average, right? And so you've proven that. And then this year we finally get to adding Goldsmiths into the mix where we get to add degree level education into it now.

Akil: So this year, honestly, I'm expecting us to get three, four x outta this instead of two x, right? And after you prove that, then I can go to like every impact investor and say, yo, after the last eight, nine years, fuck it all. I even realized I started that run. But like it's crazy. Um, and we'll talk about another, we'll talk about Netherlands of sponsorship, about proving it as well.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Because I think that's an important story, but like eight, nine years now. 'cause that by the time my plan I get there, what it'll be 27. Mm-hmm. And then we'll probably be launching like the culture innovators program instead. 

Jeffrey: Like, 

Akil: so by the time we get to end of cohort six, maybe the end of cohort seven, 'cause I might need two years.

Akil: I might want two years of data. 

Jeffrey: Mm. 

Akil: Um, but yeah, eight, nine years in and I would approve on the whole model. All I need is a university number. I can go raise money for that now. [01:12:00] I a fucking track record. I've got pedigree I raised by the time we get there, we probably been like one, one part one and a half, 2 million pound of funding.

Akil: Like you would've done all of it to get to the stage of saying that we really delivered. But because that's the goal, and I've always had this, that really big goal of delivering on that, 

Jeffrey: all 

Akil: this stuff is chicken change until I get there. This is just quote unquote the journey. It just happens to be really extraordinary.

Akil: But that doesn't, you don't get to seven years NC statue about delivery all the way through. And that clarity or vision I had, that vision when I very first started in 2019. Mm-hmm. Hasn't changed. Yeah. I've pivoted or chopped have changed. I've twisted, but the vision hasn't changed. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: I say that story to every funder that comes in the room, like, and if I hide it, I still don't tell.

Akil: I will definitely tell about the wealth creation. Mm-hmm. That's. Clarity that I took the number, then I emailed them, then I collected the feedback. 

Jeffrey: We 

Akil: worked on the KPIs to prove measure out. We had an independent evaluation last year. Right. And that independent evaluation proved that what I [01:13:00] already knew six months ahead, I just had to keep quiet because they had to prove it, not me.

Akil: Um, and that's, and that is why you get those long term relationships. Mm-hmm. 'cause we really delivered. Mm-hmm. You really delivered t like, and the rest of the team really delivered. But that's how you get there. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Now, another story, like along that journey, how we couldn't have got here. Mm. I will keep the names on none of us.

Akil: So you can publish this story. Thank you. Um,

Akil: I had a program where we got 50 K for our initial year. Mm. 

Jeffrey: It 

Akil: wasn't enough, but, okay. So I gave us 50 x Why? It's trafficking and we rolled it out the program and we were stretched and this and that and the other. And we knew from the very beginning that it wasn't enough. Mm-hmm. And so like we got to about a third of the way through and we were like, funder, ah, please, ah, you are billionaire [01:14:00] multiple times.

Akil: They gotta bless us. Um, and they were like, nah, take what you got. Take what you gotta work with it. Um, they were a bit, little bit like tense about it. Right. And I was just like, ah, slow down. Thank you. Um, and I went about my business, but then I think that same year I be glad about my business. I was relentless with it.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Um, sometimes I can get into like a little bit of a, so I was, I was relentless with my fundraising. Um, and then I came and put my own 80 bags on the table. Mm-hmm. I said, fund that. Ah, I know you gave me 50, but for the next year, I'm putting my own lady bags on the table. They looked at me and was like, who the fuck are you?

Akil: Because who am I? Multi-billion dollar organization looking at me? I'm asking them for money. Then look at me and I put my own lady on the table, not, not the, not the institutional partner, [01:15:00] AQ on paper, um, out my bank account. I was like, firstly, I was proud that I even found the money to do it. But secondly, when they looked at me, they were like, holy shit.

Akil: Mm-hmm. They said like, within six months they signed a two year deal worth double the money. Wow. And so I was sitting in like 20, 21 with a contract for a program that fell out of my head. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: Three years. Mm. I'm sitting in the height of the pandemic, just bought a house with my ex-wife or whatever.

Akil: All I, yeah. And I know that money's going to live till 2024. 

Jeffrey: Hmm. 

Akil: By the time I got divorced in 20, when I started separated from my ex-wife in 2023 and got divorced over that maybe span over a year, nine months to a year, my head was so mash up, I [01:16:00] couldn't really make no money. Mm-hmm. But should I tell you what?

Akil: Pay my bills and pay it for my kids that contract? Mm-hmm. And so I tell that story because like that tells you about how powerful execution can be to providing for you and yours for a long term period in the future. Like the work you do today is not just the work for today, it is the work for tomorrow and next year and forever like.

Akil: And in being able to show up so hard in 2021 and then ask that, who the heck are you question and put my own on the table and really leverage that to get a commitment. I afforded me my own, my family, my, the likelihood that I would fail. Like, 'cause there's a lot of this story that there's a lot of failures that we haven't covered.

Akil: Mm. Right. There's bare failures that we haven't covered. Um, why health balance hedge against that. Mm-hmm. Uh, if you ever want have a multi, if you ever want to have deep, long-term relationships with multinational organizations, [01:17:00] uh, take their number hub with clarity. Email them and text them. Have some method of how you're gonna deliver that thing effectively and collect some feedback.

Akil: Deliver. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. You're gonna be alright. That's perfect. Thank you. Um, we're gonna go into passing the mic where we will swap roles. So Il this is your time to ask me questions or question that you have prepared. Yeah. Uh, yeah, let me know, let me know what the questions are. All right. How old are you today?

Jeffrey: I'm gonna be 26 next week. 

Akil: Happy birthday. Thank you very much. Bye. Thank you. Happy birthday. Thank you. It's a good time to be asking you these questions. All right. So when I ask these questions, you can throw yourself into whatever future you would like. They have to be your future. Okay. Who do you wanna be when you 

Jeffrey: grow up?

Jeffrey: Okay. Um, this has been something I've been trying to figure out recently. Um, I think I did, uh, a LinkedIn learning course that was really interesting. And it was talking about like, [01:18:00] essentially everyone's got a core skillset. So they said they've got 10 core, they recommend like there's 10. And they were just like, rather than it being like your, I don't know, like an innovate, well, I think innovation to be fair is one of them, but it was like words rather than like job titles.

Jeffrey: So it was like. Words is one of them. So you are really good with your words. So you might be like a personal motivational speaker, you might be a host, a podcast or whatever. Then there's innovation. So you might be a creative or an entrepreneur, you like creating things, et cetera, et cetera. And then she was saying, it's interesting 'cause these things will overlap.

Jeffrey: So you might have someone who's good with movement, which is one of them. So they might do a lot of fitness stuff, but they might really good with their words. So they're gonna be like a fitness influencer talking about their journey, motivating other people, their health. Um, and this has been really interesting for me because for me I've found it useful to get into the mindset of like, what are the, what are the, what are my core skill sets?

Jeffrey: But then also she mentions like, if you're in a role or like a job or project that isn't harnessing it, those core skill sets will get [01:19:00] dull and you'll lose out on this. So for me, uh, where do I see myself in the future? Or what do I wanna be when I grow up? Uh, I want to. Be delivering, pick up the mic. I want to be delivering, uh, one of our new initiative, the Fund and Flourish Lab, uh, which is gonna support, uh, people to essentially achieve their dreams.

Jeffrey: Um, I want to be at a stage where kind of like, I don't know, like me, uh, a bit of background is, uh, my mom, my sisters, and I really love Undercover Boss. And I like the idea of like, I don't know, like just meeting someone and like I've met a lot of cool people through Pick Up the Mic, and I like, I've recommended them for opportunities.

Jeffrey: I put work their way, but I was just like, sometimes I just like, like to me the ideal version would be, oh, I meet someone at an event. They're like, yeah, I've got this idea, I've got this thing. And I'm like, oh yeah, cool. He is like, how much do you need for it? Yeah, this is the money, like. So you want the Simon squid?

Jeffrey: Yeah. Basically. Yeah. All the time. Because [01:20:00] I'm like, it is, yeah. Like I feel like I meet a lot of cool people and I'm not even saying like community partners that we've got or like people that we work with that, but I'm just like, sometimes I'm like, this person got a really cool project I did. Maybe they're great event hosting.

Jeffrey: And I'm like, yeah, I should be able to just turn around and be like, look, I love what you're doing. Um, I'm gonna give you this much. Like it's, I'm just like, I don't need a retirement investment. If you want to shout me out, great. But like, I want to be like undercover. So like my ideal situation is I've got loads of money, but then I'm the same guy that can still like rock up to like an anime event or like a gaming event and no one knows who I'm alright.

Jeffrey: And 

Akil: yeah. So that's, that's what I wanna be when I grow up. Alright. And my last question, uh, no, no, no, no. That's the first question. That was first question. I've got three. I've got three in the, I've got three in the recommendation now, but I'm, I'm listening to you. Okay. Um, second question. Um, how much do you think that will cost?

Akil: Mm. Like, even if it's like a, sometimes it's hard to say like per year, right? So even if you thought about it on a monthly, how much would, [01:21:00] how much would you being who you want to be when you grow up cost and capture your whole life? Either you can be talking about your business burn rate, or you can be talking about like your personal salary, because I don't know how you wanna be this under color bus.

Jeffrey: I don't know. No, it's true. Um, yeah. How much does it cost numbers wise? I wouldn't say I have an exact number. I would say definitely that's triple digits. Triple digits per month would be a bit too small, 

Akil: triple digits per month. 

Jeffrey: I mean, if I could get like, like. Uh, 4, 4, 4 digits per month would be, 

Akil: would be nice, bro.

Akil: Like we're talking about you got feed in your family, you're paying your fee, you're delivering on this, whatever dream it is. Like what? What's six, six figures a year? Minimum. All right. That's a year. How so? Are you talking about your business or your personal? This is both have, have you decided this is both 

Jeffrey: like, I'm mean business, six figures for the year or the month?

Jeffrey: Year. Oh, I mean, I forgot. In [01:22:00] the month. 

Akil: This is your dream month. Stop trying to negotiate me on your dream. 

Jeffrey: Alright. Six figures per month. 

Akil: A hundred or 200 or 500? 

Jeffrey: 500, 

Akil: okay. 

Jeffrey: Yeah. 

Akil: Okay. That's a big business. That's a big business. That's a big business. That's a big business. My luck. Thank you. All right. Five 12 is six.

Akil: That's a six more business. My luck. Alright, shit. Next. Yeah. Um, um, so that's how much it's gonna cost you? Yeah. Half a mile month. 

Jeffrey: Yeah. 

Akil: All right. Shit. So you wanna be Simons script energy? Yep. You be better than half a mile month. Yep. Hopefully you make it like triple that. Hey, what's your first 

Jeffrey: step? I think it's like what we, we discussed this before and I brought it up with someone in the space today.

Jeffrey: I think it's like we said, I, I think sometimes, like we mentioned, a lot of people get into the mindset of like, they need funding to develop their ideas. They need funding to get to that position. But I think from both working with you and just being in this space with you, and sometimes in these rooms when you're talking [01:23:00] to people about like your projects and your work, it's just like, you just gotta like, get out there and like Cool.

Jeffrey: Cool. Um, and like just message book, like you said, like book a chat. Present, like follow up the conversations. And I think through even like this new initiative, the, the Fund and flourish lab, like, that's literally what I've been doing. So, um, yeah. I won't mention the names here. I'll tell you afterwards, but like, we met like two organizations I reached out to and like the conversations are good.

Jeffrey: I have to, I do have to follow up. I did not get phone numbers, so that will be my next step. That's 

Akil: okay. 

Jeffrey: Um, but literally like what you said, like I know that like this project is good. I just need to like get out there to people. 

Akil: I always think so there's a, like my friend, I need take some time. Mm-hmm. To catch the 10 thoughts that will just try.

Akil: Alright. Okay. I have to, 'cause otherwise I'll be talking like this and like, there's no [01:24:00] coherence to it. So like, the lesson I always gave myself was, ah, just take a beat. Like mm-hmm. This, the camera won't even know. People won't even know. Like, why have you stop for like a couple seconds? This is just what happens.

Akil: So sometimes I have to stop, uh, but I'll start here. Okay. Um, my friend Joe, they are like, in my mind, my eyes, the king of industrial design. Mm-hmm. 

Jeffrey: Like 

Akil: to me, no better industrial design in the world. Mm-hmm. Joe Barnard, is it? They are them? Mm-hmm. Like step one. And what, what she said was like,

Akil: what she turned around and told us was this idea that. Number one, when you're trying to bring something to life, what is the smallest possible way it can exist? Mm-hmm. So remember when I told you like, oh yeah, I had that big university dream and vision. Mm-hmm. When I, and I told you I've been carrying that for like forever.

Akil: When I asked myself, what's the smallest [01:25:00] way that that could live, breathe, and exist, it was as a workshop on top of a cafe, 

Jeffrey: an 

Akil: elephant castle. Mm-hmm. 

Jeffrey: And 

Akil: the reason why it took that shape and form is because I asked myself, ah, what's a university? Really? Mm-hmm. That's a house where bare lectures happened.

Akil: Mm-hmm. And they hand out certificates. Right. And so I was like, oh, well, might not had that certificates that day, but let's find a place to do some lectures. Mm. Right. And that's how it started. And then I started evolving the idea, but that was the seed. So after, and that's why I got good at events, right.

Akil: Because in my mind, oh, least just lectures. Mm. Right. And then like the mentorship was the cheering. And so I then next elevated, and then we got to some workspace and then fancy building. Not telling that story twice. Smallest way you can bring things to life. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: So you now this like funding flourishing fund What?

Akil: Fund and Flourish lab. Fund and Flourish lab. Yeah. Are you working with Priscilla on it? Yeah, she's, that sounds about right. No, I just need Sounds business, isn't it? [01:26:00] It's cool. You are cool. Um, but like, this whole idea now is like, what's the smallest way you can bring this to life? Mm. Literally. And you ask yourself what's the most out, all the bells and whistles?

Akil: What's the most critical thing that ah, if this isn't here, it's not it. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And then ask, bring that to life. Right. And so I know from my experience, I've spent years receiving sponsorship, but they're also starting to give it Mm. Right. Because I realized B two, B2C the easiest way to reach people, so I'll either B two, B2C making money or B two B2C doing community reach.

Akil: And so after a while I realized I had a USP. Uh, where I had great access to venues across the city for free, whilst everyone else would've had to pay top dollar. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: So my arbitrage was like, arbitrage where you can get something significantly cheaper than what you could sell it for or move it for a game price for.

Jeffrey: And 

Akil: so my arbitrage was in venue space, had all of it up until maybe [01:27:00] 23. It's completely, the landscape's changed now. And with that, what I've done and what I did was I just sponsored bare people. Mm-hmm. By giving them space. Mm-hmm. 'cause that was a thing that everyone needed, but no one had mm-hmm. Did that bad people.

Akil: So like, sometimes when I would write in my impact report, like I've reached thousands of businesses a year, it's because I did firstly. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: But it was all through leverage. Mm-hmm. Like our other businesses, if I worked with 2000 businesses a year. I would only have to reach 500 from me and then like 1500 through other people just leveraging the spaces I had.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: And I would still shop in the room, probably set the back, similar to you had described. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: People would also call me to the front to say, oh, thank you for giving me space. But uh, you can say, don't do that and you can go be your fly wall. Mm-hmm. I was so like, actually a lot of this stuff is more accessible.

Akil: 'cause also if you did the commercial value in the space, 

Jeffrey: like 

Akil: if we talk about upstairs, we get, I [01:28:00] can get upstairs on a subsidized rate compared to everyone else. Ah, minimum price for upstairs starts at two and a half racks. Ah, they'll give it to me for what? 20% of the price. Mm-hmm. After you add the bells and whistles, it starts to stack right back up to the two and a half round.

Akil: But that means that, oh, my access and your access are not the same. And I get to leverage that. And if I have to do a economic impact assessment mm-hmm. Of my work. You try, you write down the rrp. Mm-hmm. I, if you do 10 events a year, you've given away 15. If you've given 10 events a year at two and a half grand mm-hmm.

Akil: Uh, pick up the mic gave 25 racks. Actually you only cost them maybe five. Mm-hmm. But they did it at 25 racks of that social impact. Mm-hmm. Crazy work. Mm-hmm. And now if you can get a partner to cover the five, whilst you release 25 grand of social impact, ah, you're a magician. No. Mm-hmm. One pound, you gave one pound to equal five to start with before you even did anything.

Akil: And then there were social impacts on top [01:29:00] of that. 

Jeffrey: Yeah. 

Akil: Ah, sorry. Geez. Um, but like, that's how I would think about it. 

Jeffrey: Okay. 

Akil: But yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Um, yeah, that's, I think I'll be done. I mean, unless you got another question. No, that was really it. Like I just, yeah. Do you wanna be, how much did it cost and what's your first step?

Akil: 'cause I'm really like, I think. It's been such a joy and a blessing working with you. Mm-hmm. I think you're maturing out this. Thank you. And I don't see that as a bad thing at all. Mm-hmm. But now go out and do the thing, man. Mm-hmm. I want you to be able to. Do that as prepared and as supported as possible.

Akil: Mm. Because usually it takes a lot longer than you think for the money to hit your account. Yeah.

Akil: Uh, 

Jeffrey: yeah. I appreciate it, man. Thank you. No, thank you. Um, that's it. [01:30:00] Yeah. This is it. Thank you. Um, we're gonna go into empty of the month organizational individual that, uh, does incredible work. Uh, and, uh, you didn't know this, but, uh, empty of the month is, does, uh, so you know, you guys are essentially a powerhouse social enterprise, transforming the landscape of entrepreneurship for underrepresented communities.

Jeffrey: Uh, you have spoken about it, but as you mentioned, uh, I have coated different stats actually about your business. Jesus. So you have supported over, uh, well. I've got 85,000, oh, sorry, not 85. Uh, you know, maybe, uh, but eight. Yeah, it's coming. It's coming. 

Akil: We got 13,000 right now down. Okay. Yeah. And so that's another thing of leverage, right?

Akil: Like in the last two years I've actually run really tight programs. Like my focus has been actually the accelerator side, but then you're partner of this people like super team in the Salona Foundation, and they're bringing like a thousand people a year. Mm-hmm. That's still, if you look at where the money goes, how I'm right in the middle don't exist.

Akil: It doesn't happen. Yeah. [01:31:00] Yeah. 

Jeffrey: That's cool 

Akil: man. But yeah. 13,000 people. Yeah. 

Jeffrey: And I've said, uh, like we've got it here, but you've spoken about all the incredible work that you're doing, but you are, you're breaking barriers. You're building bridges for the next, uh, generation of change makers and innovators.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. Uh, but you are also leading it with a community driven, um. Like in not incentive a community driven vision. Um, and whether that's through the programs that you're supporting or even like the businesses that you're supporting through these programs, you are encouraging a community driven approach.

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. Which is really great. Thank you. Um, this is now the last section before we wrap up. Okay. Um, it's the takeaway section. I have, I keep joking. I'm actually working on it. And based on this conversation, I will have a few calls to do, but we will get this sponsored by someone. But, um, we're not, we, we're not delivering food just yet.

Jeffrey: We're delivering messages for you to go home with. And, uh, yeah. As the final guest of, I guess season seven, um, we've had a lot of great messages, but also [01:32:00] we've had a lot of entrepreneurs, uh, on this podcast in this season. Um, funnily enough, two episodes before we had Giovanni. Mm-hmm. Um, so yeah, I would, I would say.

Jeffrey: We've, we've spoken about a lot, but a lot of the topics we've talked about have been relevant to this whole season. So both a message for people to take a home to, a message for people to take home from this episode. But based on like, I guess all the whole conversations theme, a message that you would say is a great way to summarize, like this whole season, 

Akil: uh, this whole season.

Akil: Mm. I wanna make a prediction that in five years time, Jeffrey's like dominating something and dominating it. Like, excuse me. So unsuspecting, and we saw it first. I think that's, oh, 

Jeffrey: wow. 

Akil: What I want to say on record. Okay. We saw it first. Um, so what we talking about 20, 30? Really? I can believe that's, I can really believe that.[01:33:00] 

Akil: Um, and that's, I can make that bet on the person. 

Jeffrey: Mm. 

Akil: Like not pick up the mic. I can actually just make that on. Wow. Um, the second for the com for the audience is like. If you feed the community, you will never go hungry. It's been the deepest insight of my life.

Akil: Take that, like build out your own interpretation for it. Mm. Whatever you need to do. Mm. But it's been so resolute. True for everything. Mm-hmm. And that's why I guess I've also learned how to build communities because I was like, ah, well if, if you look after a community, you never go hungry. Then if I look after loads of communities, I'm gonna be rich.

Akil: Mm-hmm. Um, and because I believe when power and love are shared, they are not diminished. Ah, well I'm, I'm at zero loss for even engaging in this thing. It's bare upside. Mm-hmm. And if I can just be a decent human [01:34:00] being and follow through on everything I said I was, that's the only reason why like your problems in your life are created by you in it.

Akil: Mm. Like, I think that's one thing that I've really had to learn over the last year and a half fight. The problems in life are created by you one way, shape, or form. Mm-hmm. Like you made a mistake or you didn't, or you did something, whatever, like created by you, um, unemotional about it. And so when you follow through and do everything you say you're gonna do.

Akil: Mm. And you are feeding the community. Mm-hmm. That shit's eternal. Mm-hmm. Mm. Absolutely. Yeah. And so, yeah, no baker in war ends. Kids are hungry. It's true. And there's bad wars outside. 

Jeffrey: That is definitely true as well. Um, thank you man. That's it. Uh, we're wrapping up season seven. Thank you to all of you wonderful people.

Jeffrey: Uh, before we let our guests go and we do the outro, um, this is your opportunity. That's alright. This is your opportunity. Anything you've got coming up, anything you wanna shout out? Is this coming up this. If, if this [01:35:00] is what I think you're thinking about, it should be out. When will it be out? Uh, week. That, potentially the end of July.

Jeffrey: So what I think end of end of July. 

Akil: Okay. No. Oh, they best start to tell people, but end of July might be, I mean, I can, no, so. There's bad stuff. Jeffrey says, I run programs, which you shoot, I run programs, so I don't know when this is gonna be. So we're gonna try, um, entrepreneurs Therapy Club coming soon. Um, apple Co Garden, September, 2025.

Akil: Nice. Um, scale Up is a program I'm running with Alica Bank and our mission is to support a thousand ambitious businesses from across the UK to grow, come and join us like it's me on a sales mission. Learning how to make sales because as we described, right, ah, it's easier for you to climb Everest that raise venture money.

Akil: So let's do it the easy way. Let's [01:36:00] sell something. Um, BR six is launching. My baby is six. Insane. What is BBR is old as Mars. Hmm. Um, Mars is four. Wow. Um, 'cause yeah, Mars came when BBR started Sausage. Wow. Um, yeah. That's insane. Um, but yeah, DVR six is coming, um, applications are in July, open from July. So I'm assuming by this time this release is.

Akil: There'll still be time to apply, so please apply. Mm. You missed a hundred percent of the shots you do not take. Mm-hmm. Um, and I'll see you soon. Yeah. Alright. I'm accessible. You can text me like I'm being serious. Jeffrey, please put my number there. You can make up there. Um, all 

Jeffrey: I. Thanks man. [01:37:00] Um, thank you to your wonderful audience for joining us not only for this incredible episode, but for 10 episodes of this season.

Jeffrey: Uh, if you like this episode, like comment subscribers, always appreciated. If you wanna make sure you don't miss other episodes on the pickup on my YouTube channel, then make sure you click the notification ballot at bottom of the video. If you're watching on Spotify, apple Podcast, other listening platforms, give us that five star rating.

Jeffrey: 'cause uh, you know, we appreciate it. Um, if you want receive some merch or support the work that we're doing, you can check out either our Patreon page or our YouTube. I want merch. You want merch? I want merch. We got, I know this me got merch. Yeah, we got, we got, um, I was gonna work today, but it's a bit to you.

Jeffrey: We got pick up the mic t-shirt. Yeah. Um, which the front has it's time to pick up the mic with our four different main logos. Yeah. And then on the back it's got a Latin quote that is very important to me individually, but also I would say represents what we do. Um, it's called sig harvest Mag. It means greatness from small beginnings.

Jeffrey: Um, yeah, I believe in that. I found way that on Sundays. Oh, I can get, can get your, um, but if you wanna receive that, we also have a notepad which has it's time to pick [01:38:00] up the mic on it as well so people can sort of like write. Um, so if you wanna receive those two, uh, please check out, uh, please. Well, you get a discount if you are Patreon member, but, um, I can include the links to all of that below.

Jeffrey: Um. Then yeah. Next is if you want to keep an eye on our other content, on our other channels, our gaming channel, our sci-fi channel, or our uh, anime channel, uh, then please do check out our under the for you page, if you had to pick on the mic, the main YouTube channel, and then just scroll down and see all of them.

Jeffrey: Link there. You can subscribe. Click the notification bell and not miss any of their videos. And then, yeah, uh, we'll have something fun planned for the first episode of season eight. As you know, we add something new every season. It might be a new title card, it might be a new segment. It might be, uh, giving you, whether it's our patron members, uh, they'll most likely take priority, uh, but maybe one of you in the community on opportunity to ask a guest a question or even to maybe come onto the finale of season eight.

Jeffrey: Uh, but yeah, we're not stopping. Season eight is coming. Uh, it will come soon. So keep an eye on the space. Um, [01:39:00] but yeah, before we wrap up, uh, 'cause this episode, even though I know we recently scheduled it, uh, as soon as I started working with you, was something I was very much interested in doing. Um, and I, I wanted to give you, uh, give you your flowers before we wrap up.

Jeffrey: Oh, you as well. 'cause we did get to do this at the event. Oh man. So, uh, for any attendees of the Big four, uh, earlier this year, you would know that, uh, we awarded people in our community for the incredible work that they did, um, or doing. Um, and yeah, HIL was one of them. I'm, I'm, I'm going look like, I don't remember which one I gave you.

Jeffrey: I apologize. I don't know 

Akil: either. They come my desk, I keep it in the office because I'm like so proud of that. I was like, oh, I wonder what you see about chatting. 

Jeffrey: Yeah, 

Akil: go. I 

Jeffrey: was so like, happy 

Akil: with receiving it. Thank 

Jeffrey: you. But no, honestly, man, I, I, I think, like you said, um, the last like almost two years of working here has been an incredible experience.

Jeffrey: But I would say definitely a part of that working with you has been really great. Okay. Um, I've learned a lot about entrepreneurship. I've learned a lot about [01:40:00] like. Like you said, like the, not intensity, but like sometimes just being like, yeah, I'm just gonna do this. Like I'm, I'm gonna deliver and it's gonna work and I have to find a way to make it work.

Jeffrey: Um, and I feel like there's, yeah, like I said, like, and that's why I always bring up the story about the interview because to me it's like, if I didn't apply for this job, or even arguably, I would say, I'm not saying like if you're a BBR member, you don't get the great experience. You don't get to know yourself.

Jeffrey: But I would say if I hadn't applied for this job and even if I was just a member join the coworking space, I don't think pick up the mic and myself would be where I am today without the lessons that I've learned through the wider team, through having conversations with you. And yeah, man, it's just been like incredible to be a part of this space.

Jeffrey: You are welcome. Yeah. Um, 

Akil: I think that's even insight for me 'cause I think, you know, it's just about time. Mm. You've got to spend a longer period of time with me and. Because [01:41:00] so many people poured into my life, there's so much emotional death. I really try and do that with other people. And those relationships are now spreading like five, 10 years, right?

Akil: Mm. And so, and they've been transformative to how I be or how I have been. And so like being able to spend such a prolong period of time with you is really interesting, right? Mm-hmm. So another example of someone who's got a sub similar experience is Jamali. Mm-hmm. Right? Jamali joined me in maybe 22, um, and spent a year with him.

Akil: He spent all of 22, maybe 23 working with me. Mm-hmm. And then we transitioned over to 20. Then he, that's started doing his own thing, transitioned over to 24, like. Really successful now. Like, and he like pick up him, but he, and he teaches me so much, but he also talks about our how transformative that kind of experience might have been.

Akil: And I recognize it's just time and time with people that can push you and stretch you and encourage you can be so transformative. And I had that with my co-founders when we were starting a business. I was not this person. [01:42:00] I'm a manufactured product of love, care, and support Right. Over the sustained period of time.

Akil: And so I really try and give that to other people and say, I guess you benefit from time. 

Jeffrey: Yeah. I appreciate it. Um, and I think one, one final thing I'll say before, uh, we head out is, um, yeah man, I think it's just been like, I think one, I think if I was to say one thing that you've, you've taught me. Across knowing each other is, um, is one show.

Jeffrey: Uh, yeah, I'll do it. And three, one show up. Um, two is, like you said about community, like so in love getting involved and even I think, like you said, um, like I've told you about some like personal stuff a friend was going with and you were just like, just be there. Like, sometimes you've just gotta be there for someone and you don't need to say anything.

Jeffrey: You don't need to do anything. Just like be an option for them. Um, 

Akil: I wish I remembered these moments. 

Jeffrey: I'll, I'll tell you off camera, but yeah, no. Um, and literally like I met with that person like earlier this week and like [01:43:00] they said the exact same thing, like they really enjoyed just catching up and not necessarily me doing anything what they're like big, but just catching up.

Jeffrey: Um, but yeah, the final one, which. Of all three. I would say it's probably the most important lesson I've learned is you showed me that like I guess when I started working here, or even like with any job, I've always gone in the mindset of I do pick up the mic and then employee Jeffrey are two separate people and you, and there might be sometimes overlaps where like certain things happen, but for the most part they're two separate people.

Jeffrey: But I think again, this is another moment. So if you, I think earlier this year, like we were talking and you were just like, oh, like it's interesting to see like the way you light up and like you're different. When I'm coming in and I'm doing pick up the mic stuff, then when I'm coming in it's like employee Jeffrey.

Jeffrey: And that's not to say like, I don't like my job or whatever, but you are just like the creativeness between the two. Is so different and it's [01:44:00] encouraged me to embed that creativity a bit more into my work and like how I do things. But it's also encouraged me to like see that like, I guess link into like transferable skills.

Jeffrey: Like there's lessons I've learned from like entrepreneur Jeffrey that are so important to like employee Jeffrey and like you said with the job, like that's why I said like I love the idea. Like I, when this job came up, the reason why I applied was because like not only am I learning about how to develop as an entrepreneur and working with organizations and all of this stuff, but I'm also learning like how can I.

Jeffrey: Like support people better. How can I be like a better like pro, um, you know, community leader or community like driven person. Um, and yeah, man, like I said, it's hard to think that I've been there for almost, this is even last yeah. Christmas when I realized like, this is the longest that I've ever been in a job.

Jeffrey: And like, I was like, I've only been in this long because it's been like a good experience and I've actually matured and learned stuff. 

Akil: Um, so yeah. [01:45:00] So people won't usually leave their jobs, they leave their managers. Mm-hmm. So that means like the team is good. Mm-hmm. Thank goodness I keep praying about that.

Akil: Um, like, oh, bad teams can really like flush a lot of money down the toilet. So I'm really passionate about that, so thank you. Um, this whole idea of integrate your whole self mm-hmm. Is because bad people can do a job. Mm-hmm. What makes it distinctive is actually the, the person doing it. Mm-hmm. 

Jeffrey: And 

Akil: like when you can bring all your skills to the table and they integrate and you be able to switch routine program to entrepreneur, to videographer, to sound guide to this, to that.

Akil: I think like the breadth of experience, you can give something changes drastically when you start factoring in those, all those different things because it's not even just a connection between one to two, it's the connection between one to two and two to three. And like all those different things create like such a mesh of opportunity and that opportunity and those options [01:46:00] give you, it's almost like you're Swiss army life skills that.

Akil: You can bring to a problem that other people can't. 

Jeffrey: Mm-hmm. 

Akil: That idea of show up and when you show up participate, that's actually how you get like a forever long consistency out something, you know? Mm-hmm. Because I don't usually have to like being here. Mm-hmm. I do because like, oh, thank goodness, this is the top life I chose.

Akil: Mm-hmm. But like, actually, if you just drag yourself there. Mm-hmm. And when you get there, try a little bit. Mm. And after you try a little bit, just a little bit more. Mm. And pay attention to how you feel in the process. Mm. Like, ah, you outpace like 99% your competitors. Because like there's the 1% of people that can like have their life so much in order, yet they can move at lightning speed for a really long time.

Akil: But the truth of the matter is people have got too much stuff going [01:47:00] on in their lives and they're too like loathe to clear it, to actually like be that person. So you see see's fastest growing list of companies. There are them people, there have teams that are doing life, sweat, blood, sweat and tears and that, and they're really dedicated to the course.

Akil: But actually, if you want, and that's the a hundred, that's the 10 to a hundred X style organizations. That pace is sickening for me. But I can three to five x and, and a three to five x environment. Actually, you know what, they show up every day. Rain all shine. They participate and deliver. Mm-hmm. And they're self-aware whilst they're doing so, so that they know how to feel and they can improve.

Akil: Uh, as a combination you can't fight. Mm-hmm. And so if you've learned that mm-hmm. Uh, my prediction is gonna be fine,

Akil: um, I think that's a beautiful place then. Thank you man. 

Jeffrey: Um, so we're gonna wrap up there. Thank you everyone for coming [01:48:00] and we will see you in season eight of the Student Guide. That's Bye from us and have a wonderful day. Bye. Cool.