Better With Paul

Better With Paul had the pleasure of sitting down with a true trap connoisseur, a Black History preservationist who’s left me ridiculously impressed with what he’s done. Trapital is an online archive that chronicles the money moves of some of the most accomplished names in the culture.

One day, a quick look into the work of the infamous actor, writer, director, producer, comedian, and all-around entrepreneur by the name of Tyler Perry landed me on this incredible resource that detailed some of the most thought-provoking entertainment white papers I’ve ever come across. Episode 11 highlights the genius of the great Dan Runcie, the founder of the media company responsible for delivering the best business updates on your favorite entertainment moguls like Dame Dash, Jay Z, and Master P. We take the classic independent artist discussion to the next level by highlighting the critical business moves our favorite names made on their way to the top. We talk about the importance of ownership and understanding the power in independent growth while being raw and honest about the various challenges people face while trying to mitigate the perfect balance between natural skill and business sense.

It all boils down to a mixture of art and science. Some people followed many of the same steps that people like Tyler Perry took, and they haven’t seen a fraction of his billion-dollar sales - so what makes the people featured on Trapital so different?

Dan explains the way Trapital has become a resource over the years. It is the voice for Black culture to speak about the business matters and entrepreneurial concerns that impact our businesses more than others - and it’s a safe space for you to learn and apply various business models designed by people who face the same daily battles people like you and I tend to face. Tyler Perry wasn’t lucky. Dame didn’t decide on 100% ownership by accident. Jay Z highlights the importance of Black ownership, but he still signed a deal that made sense for him.

There is no right or wrong in entrepreneurship, and I think that’s one of the essential aspects Dan highlighted on this week’s show. You have to know your product, your audience, and the model you’ll rely on to bring your vision to life. Even in the entertainment industry, you need to understand things like demand and distribution. Tyler’s model today may not exist ten years from now, at least not in the same way. As more of the world becomes ‘woke’ to injustice, and more Black businesses are created, there will come a time where our faces will become much more common on the big screen. I’m sure Tyler knows this, and I’m confident his business is prepared to get restructured as necessary. The question is - have you been evaluating your business in the same way?

If you haven’t, you need to listen in on the talk Dan, and I just had because you’ll start to see yourself, your business, and your worth so much differently after you hear what he has to say.

To learn more about Trapital: https://trapital.co/

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Join me as I unpack and explore business, relationship and health lessons from the journeys of innovators, entrepreneurs and creators from the U.S., UK, Caribbean and Africa. My commitment is that every episode will leave you better. However, this podcast isn't for everyone. Listen to this episode to hear if Better With Paul is a good fit for you. Subscribe now for updates.

Every time I see a red lollipop, I am instantly reminded of the full-bodied, free spirited, unapologetic greatness that is Luvvie. No sooner than I’d decided that it was finally time to get this podcast off the ground, Luvvie came to mind. Three minutes later, I was in her DMs. I couldn’t think of a better person to launch the first episode of Better With Paul.

When I asked this Nigerian-born powerhouse to explain exactly what her job description is, she politely corrected me – in classic Luvvie fashion – and, after this interview, I can better appreciate the unbridled greatness that flows through her veins. She doesn’t wear a single hat, in fact, I couldn’t imagine Luvvie summarizing her passion and talent into a single elevator pitch. She’s touched the world as a writer, marketer, digital analyst, and professional speaker, but she’s still just getting started.

The world loves to attempt to mold us to fit into a bite-sized, easily managed existence. From our resumes to our personal lives, people like Luvvie stand as an example of what we can accomplish when we rise against adversity and demand our due from the universe.

Join me as I ask one of the few people I trust to maintain balance in the world more about what helped her keep going. I just had to know what inspired this 12 year old girl who touched foot on American soil in a world that wasn’t quite ready for what she had to offer. We dive deep into clashing cultural identity, fighting through personal fears, and answering the call of entrepreneurship. Her selflessness has since paved the way for black women around the world. Her message has confronted the fragility of white supremacy and the result helped her not only clear the path, but hold open the door for the next generation of great leaders like her. Listen in and get inspired.

To learn more about Luvvie: https://luvvie.org/

Be sure to join the Better With Paul newsletter for my biggest takeaways from each episode and special announcements: https://www.paulcbrunson.com/better/

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In this weeks episode, I talk with Michael Street & Goldie Chan. In this conversation we discuss the elements of content creation and how Will Smith has perfected and mastered this technique.

This episode is full of fun and insight!

Be sure to join the Better With Paul community: https://shor.by/BWPConnect

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Darkness is the best time for light. That’s how Karl Lokko describes the consuming change that propelled him into a position of status and influence some could only dream about. In this episode of Better With Paul, we sit down with the Most Influential Man In Britain for a first take look into the mind of a mastermind.

The perfect blend of street smarts, book smarts, and innate heuristic skills all went into the maturation of a man I admire for many reasons. Born and raised in a community with a tenured history of violence, poverty, and a relentless desire to survive, Karl Lokko’s options may have been cut short long before he ever even realized he had them. By his 13th birthday, Brixton had already branded Karl in ways most people never experience. The son of council estates shares the challenges posed by managing childhood genius and the life-altering side effects that come from living in a community that was 70% prepared to be a prison before it was cleared to become housing for the poor. But it wasn’t the literal bars he needed to escape from, the bars on his mind were far more restrictive.

In Episode 2 of Better With Paul, Karl Lokko walks us through the process of going from victim to victimizer to international success. A small seed planted by a woman concerned with where his life was headed eventually grew into a pathway that changed his family’s future and inspired a legacy. That rise didn’t come on accident. We talk about how the pressures of powerlessness became a theme that burst into a lust for violence; the only antidote he thought he had. Growing up in gang culture forces your hand, either you assimilate or you become a target. Despite life’s brutal introduction, Karl’s circumstances also positioned him to develop a few transferrable skills that eventually led to his personal revolution.

Born the child of illegal African immigrants, dreams of mattering, of making a difference, and creating an empire his children can inherit were Karl Lokko’s inspiration to change. Shedding the title of being a notorious 18-year-old gang leader whose name was known around the UK wasn’t an easy job. If you ask Karl, he’ll tell you that he never even wanted to change, he was fine with the reality he’d created for himself. When he looked around, he didn’t see chaos, he saw a palatable solution to things that once kept his family terrorized by fear. He didn’t see the lifestyle as problematic, he felt the things his gang contributed to the community, resources, protection, and support, made the darker side of the lifestyle a small tradeoff. But when his life made a 360-degree turnaround, Karl Lokko immediately recognized God’s grace in action.

“In order to have more, you have to become more.” It was that realization that led Karl Lokko to read a book a week on a personal quest to become the man he felt he needed to be, to live the life he deserved. Now, he’s a billionaire by association and close friends with the royal family. Mindset was the secret ingredient to turning his life around. Karl never shunned ‘the streets’, he saw how he could do more for them, and himself, by raising the stakes and grooming himself to sit at tables nobody from council estates, almost no other person with black skin, has ever been invited to sit. In this episode, we explore the power that comes from using your differences to your advantage. Karl Lokko’s story is an inspiration to us all. Tune in as we listen to the Most Influential Man In Britain talk about what he’s done that will set him up to soon become one of the most influential people in the world.

To learn more about Karl: https://www.instagram.com/karl_lokko/

Be sure to join the Better With Paul newsletter for my biggest takeaways from each episode and special announcements: https://www.paulcbrunson.com/better/

Also, if you want to connect with the Better With Paul community, please join our private:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterwithpaul
LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8941481/

Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review.