Real Estate Talk Podcast with Jesus Castanon | RETalkPodcast
The Ultimate Real Estate Unveiling! Raw, Real & Revealing insights from industry experts
Dive headfirst into real estate's most electrifying depths with industry legends - Jesus Castanon, Josh Cadillac, and Richard L. Barbara. Why legends? With billion-dollar deals, groundbreaking innovations, and wisdom that's transformed the landscape, they've not just witnessed the game; they've been the game-changers. And if that's not enough, they're joined by a parade of industry-expert guests, spilling secrets and dishing advice that you won't hear anywhere else.
Expect RAW, REAL strategies that shook the market, REVEALING insights, and timely takes on today's market, coupled with actionable advice.
This isn't your typical real estate chitchat. This is RETalkPodcast - where the titans and top minds of the industry unite. Dive in, and prepare to have your real estate perceptions rocked!
Real Estate Talk Podcast with Jesus Castanon | RETalkPodcast
EP 41: Daniel Hazan the NBA's youngest jewish Agent
What if you could turn a childhood dream into a successful career? Join us as we sit down with Daniel Hazan, a New York native who transformed his passion for basketball into a thriving career as an NBA sports agent. From his entrepreneurial spirit that led him to pitch a coffee cup advertising business on Shark Tank, to his relentless dedication in the competitive world of sports management, Daniel shares his journey filled with unexpected turns and invaluable lessons. You'll hear about the crucial role his upbringing and his parents' hard work ethic played in shaping his professional path.
This episode dives deep into the shifting landscape of collegiate and professional basketball. Learn how substantial short-term earnings in college are changing athletes' decisions and how European players are making their mark with a fundamental approach to the game. We also navigate through the complexities of the current conflict in Israel, discussing its impact on innocent civilians, and emphasize the importance of building strategic relationships with youth coaches and AAU programs in nurturing young talent. Daniel's gripping stories, from the challenges of his early career to pivotal moments like his first draft pick, offer a raw and inspiring look at what it takes to succeed in the sports industry.
Finally, we discuss the importance of cultural practices within the Jewish community and how they contribute to financial success. Daniel's personal anecdotes about overcoming early career struggles, seizing opportunities in the NBA Summer League, and maintaining professionalism offer a treasure trove of insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and sports agents. Don't miss out on this compelling conversation that blends personal stories with professional wisdom, providing a unique lens into the world of sports management and entrepreneurship.
Real Estate Talk Podcast with Jesus Castanon - @retalkpodcast: The Ultimate Real Estate Unveiling! Raw, Real & Revealing insights from industry experts
Dive headfirst into real estate's most electrifying depths with industry legends - Jesus Castanon, Josh Cadillac, and Richard L. Barbara. Why legends? With billion-dollar deals, groundbreaking innovations, and wisdom that's transformed the landscape, they've not just witnessed the game; they've been the game-changers. And if that's not enough, they're joined by a parade of industry-expert guests, spilling secrets and dishing advice that you won't hear anywhere else.
Expect RAW, REAL strategies that shook the market, REVEALING insights, and timely takes on today's market, coupled with actionable advice.
This isn't your typical real estate chitchat. This is RETalkPodcast - where the titans and top minds of the industry unite. Dive in, and prepare to have your real estate perceptions rocked!
Meet The Legends:
Jesus Castanon: Visionary CEO of Real Estate EMPIRE Group, transforming property transactions into success stories.
Josh Cadillac: Renowned real estate coach, national speaker, and author; revolutionizing the art of 'closing for life.'
Richard L. Barbara, Esq.: Florida's legal luminary, pioneering change and setting the gold standard in real estate advocacy.
You know you got to help. You got to help him or you?
Speaker 2:That's fucking crazy. We're flipping between the Yankees game the first summer league and the Sixers are playing Right and I put it on and Pierre Jackson tears his Achilles. I'm like, oh my God, yeah, I should reach out. I'm like, should I reach out?
Speaker 1:are you ready to go? Yeah, ready, all right, daniel Hazan, all right, I pronounced the last name correctly. Yes, sir, all right, cool man. So I've heard a lot about you from Ethan. How'd you Were you born in Miami?
Speaker 2:No, I was actually born in New York, okay, but I moved here during COVID.
Speaker 1:Oh really, yes, so you're one of the ones that moved during COVID. That's awesome. You got fed up over there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, just business, you know took me here.
Speaker 1:Right, because Florida, for what you do? Is it a hub, Is it?
Speaker 2:the right place to be. Yeah, like all my training is here. Like clients love being here.
Speaker 1:Right, and you do mostly NBA, only NBA, only NBA. Yeah, okay, how'd you get into it?
Speaker 2:It's a long story. Yeah, it's a very long story, but it starts when I was you played basketball, or you know I played, but you know five foot seven you know, jewish boy you know, the chances were very slim of being a professional basketball player in the NBA, so the closest thing to living out my dream in that way was to represent them Right. But I started when I was 18 years old. In college you studied sports management or something. No, I was in business school at the time at Yeshiva University Right.
Speaker 1:What's the name of the university?
Speaker 2:yeshiva university. Um, right, and what's the name of university? Yeshiva? So it's a jewish jewish. Jewish, yeah, jewish, uh, private school in washington heights, new york. Okay, um, but yeah, you know, I was. I was 18 years old at the time, uh, in business school, and I started my own advertising business out of my dorm room in college and then landed on shark tank oh shit yeah and um, you know, didn't get it, didn't get an investment out of it.
Speaker 2:But uh, what was the product? It was investment. Uh, it was advertisements on coffee cups. So, uh, you know, 2000 cafes around the new york area would get uh coffee cups with ads on it, right, uh, for free and um you know so you would.
Speaker 1:You would hand over the coffee cups to the coffee shops.
Speaker 2:We had contracts with, you know the, the mom and pop, and nobody picked that up. That sounds like a super interesting. Yeah, it's a super interesting idea. But you know, the reason why I wasn't attractive to the sharks on shark tank was, um, you know, because it couldn't, you know, it couldn't, uh, be, uh, copyright protected, um, you know. So it was very easy to replicate that and they felt that, you know, the bigger companies would be able to, you know, do it on a much larger scale than me. But you know, we signed these coffee stores to you know contracts and you know we were providing them with their cups and every month would be different brands on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's funny about advertising. So you you know, obviously, to be in real estate. There is no choice. You have to figure out the marketing part. I mean that's it's everything really, it's what's 90 of the business, almost. So I remember, um, recruiting is a big part of my business. The more agents I have, more money I make you know, basically, right, there's a lot more to it.
Speaker 1:But yeah, um, so, man, I was, I was sending out mail outs to to agents, right? So like, hey, come, come join my company. And you know, I calculated one day, man, by the time I get the the envelope had to do really nice envelope.
Speaker 1:By the time I print everything out, it's a fucking dollar right so I'm like why don't I just do a simple envelope and I just send them an actual crisp dollar and and say just a simple note, this is the first dollar you're going to make with my company. I'm like, man, that's the fucking best idea I ever had in my life. Like for sure it's going to work. I didn't get anybody out of it. So marketing is weird like that, and sometimes the idea you're not really paying too much attention to is the one that takes off. You know what I mean. You're not really paying too much attention to is the one that is the one that takes off. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So, so, so you and business has always been something you know that's promoted by your family. How does that work? Cause I always talk to Ethan about, like I'm fascinated by the Jewish culture, yeah Right, fascinated by, by. You know just the fact that you know education business is is promoted, is promoted from a young age. Right, it starts at what age? So at what age were you presented? All right, well, you know, sell this. Or you know the concepts of business, like, when does that start?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, I mean it's interesting because you know everyone tells me like we don't know, like, where you came from because I'm so different from my parents. You know my tells me like we don't know, like, where you came from because I'm so different from my parents. You know my mom never worked. You know my mom was born in Israel. My dad was born in Morocco. Okay, you know my dad was. You know he had to work three jobs to, you know, to support us. But you know we never felt like, you know, we were ever missing anything. You know I grew up in manhattan my whole life, yeah, but you know we, we went to. You know I'd go to temple. My dad was the cantor of the of the synagogue and you know you go to temple every week and you know we went to the moroccan synagogue and I gotta tell you, you know there's a lot of money in there you know a lot of money, a lot of wealth, a lot of billionaires.
Speaker 2:Right, regular guys, you don't even walk around, walking around, walking around. But with you go to Temple and this guy raises his hand I'll give $30,000. I'll donate $30,000. This guy, I'll donate $50,000. And every week these guys are coming in and they're just giving and giving and giving.
Speaker 2:And I was like, okay, this guy's giving and he's wearing that Hermes belt, okay, I'm trying to be like that one day. You know what I mean. I want to be that guy that's able to give back to the community. So that already sparked my you know my interest. And you know, once I got to high school I just I started, you know, I opened up my own hot dog stand. It was called Hazan's Weenies. I used to sell hot dogs. I used to sell hot dogs during the hockey games and I used to sell tickets to go to the first under-18 clubs. I was selling tickets to Knick games. I was selling memorabilia. I was just trying to always figure out a way to hustle. I was teaching kids Hebrew.
Speaker 1:So that was just always like it was in you.
Speaker 2:But my mom's priority for me was always education and that's why you know like I.
Speaker 1:I pursued, you know, business school and then law school it's funny because, you know, I guess it's very similar in my case too, where, where, um, you know, I just always, you know, I play basketball my whole life, right, um, you know, I, I later on transition, my love is martial arts and, and you know, and you know, and, and MMA, and all that stuff like that.
Speaker 1:But my, my whole childhood was just basketball, basketball. So at that point, a kid from the trailer park, you know, we came into this country on a shrimp boat, you know what I mean and and grew up extremely poor, and you know, at that point it was like, oh well, basketball is going to be the thing, but the second, I mean I just wanted to have more Like, I wanted to have just, you know what I wanted. You know what I mean, I, I and my parents did a really good job of of like, not putting limits on, like, hey, you could. They always told me you could do whatever you want. You know what I mean. But, um, it's, it's, uh, and you know from what I'm, from what I'm gathering, in your case it was like the culture, it was the environment you were in, you were, like man, these, these guys could do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right, like, like, I can do it, you know, so it uh, yeah, it's, it's interesting man. So but as far as in your, in your household business wasn't really promoted, it was, it was just something that that was, that was no, but it was always, but it was always always around me, right so?
Speaker 2:yeah you know that that was. You know that was a priority. I mean, like you know, for my parents, you know, being a first generation american, you know that was a priority. I mean, like you know, for my parents, you know, being a first generation American, you know just coming to America in itself is, you know, is, is is a success. But you know my, my parents weren't really driven in the sense of, like you know, money was, was at all like a priority you know, so for for me, it was just something that you know I was.
Speaker 1:I guess it was innate in me you know, and with the whole basketball and agent thing it was, it was like, well, your love of business and your love of basketball kind of came together.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, I mean, you know like I sold my, my, my advertising business, you know to CEO of Dun Bradstreet and and I was kind of you know I was 19 years old, you know having invested every second you know, the last two years into a business. And then you know, now the business is not in my control anymore and I have nothing to do with it. So what do I do now? You know, I just felt empty, Like do I just go back to being a kid again, Like, and I just wasn't willing to accept that. So I started.
Speaker 2:I was like you know what? I'm going to become an agent, but I didn't finish college yet, so I wasn't able to be certified. So I had to think of a creative way to force the NBA to give me certification and put them in a position where I had to get certification. So I started signing players that I thought were good. They were ultimately really bad. And then I went to the nba and said, listen, I have five, five or seven players that you know are represented by me. I need to become certified.
Speaker 2:so, uh, they said that the way it works, you gotta you have to go to the nba and get certified that no, the rules are different, but at the time, you know, you had to have a college degree and you had to show that you have negotiated so um so, not just some joe schmoe comes from the street, or no yeah.
Speaker 2:So I mean, uh, that makes sense. At the time, jay-z and I were the only agents that uh never finished uh college when they got their their nba license. Um, I just, you know, I sold the league on the fact that you know you got to make sure these players have, you know, you know, legal uh representation and I needed to be certified. And I also sold them on the fact that I was able to sell my business to you know, sure say I'm a businessman yeah, I'm gonna be able to do.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna be able to do a good job for these guys I signed my first plan when I was 20 years old I'm the youngest to ever do it. That's great. And um, youngest agent ever youngest agent ever to ever sign play in the nba. Super cool man, yeah, that yeah.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, but tell me a little bit about, I mean, what side of the road are you on? As far as Nils is concerned, I'm assuming I know the answer, but, like the NIL stuff, like what do you think that's going to do for sports? I mean, where do you fall in line as far as that?
Speaker 2:It's a great question. You'll actually be surprised. I'm happy for the players, but in the long run I don't think it's good for the players why? Because you see a lot of players that are earning a lot of money now and it's forcing them to stay in college and they're only looking at the short-term money that they're receiving now. But at the end of the day, they finished their college career and you were making $100,000, $200,000, $1 million in college and now you have to start your professional career and you might be making $100,000 a year. So you know.
Speaker 1:So they're more valuable in college than professional.
Speaker 2:Correct. Yes, because at the end of the day, you have thousands of athletes that are supported by really wealthy colleges that have a ton of money.
Speaker 1:The donors are overpaying.
Speaker 2:the donors are are overpaying, right they're overpaying right because they're because they're trying to put a monster team together and they're making a ton of money. Right, they're actually profitable.
Speaker 1:So it's a step. The nba in some cases now it'll be a step down. It's not a step you. You said, you said the nba right oh imagine you have 6 000 athletes and only 60 make it to the nba we're talking about all over the world the one percent is good right but everywhere else around the world.
Speaker 2:You know if you're playing in the nba g league, you're making 35 000 a year and then if you're going to these teams in europe or anywhere around the world, these are non-profitable organizations that are run by, you know, wealthy individuals and their budgets are nowhere near a profitable. College got it. So you know kids are staying in longer when they should be coming out and starting the professional career because that in that in the long term, is actually better for them. But they stay because they have the short-term money that's coming in from colleges, and so I'm happy that the athletes are making money.
Speaker 1:But at the end of the day, a lot of kids are making wrong decisions, aren't and are being misled because of the short-term dollar and and in the long run it hurts them yeah, so, yeah, so I've, I've been like I said, I I basketball is my love, you know, growing up and uh and I, you know I transferred my love to to mma, but you know I've been. You know, youtube kind of gets you into things a little bit. It starts getting in your algorithm and you start seeing stuff. One thing I've noticed is that the, the amount of european players now I mean it's drastically higher than it was it was before. Is it's? Is it fair to say the? Uh, the? I mean the europeans are taking over the nba? I mean, is it? Is it? Are we? Are we there yet? Can we say that?
Speaker 2:or well, I mean, uh, you know they're. You know, the last time a us player has won mvp in the nba was in 2017 with james harden. So the last seven mvps in the nba, you know, have been, um, you know, non-american players, um, it just just comes to show the growth of the nba and the nba has done a fantastic job of really making it a global sport and um you know, but is it also the culture here?
Speaker 1:as far as um, maybe europeans are more drilling and less playing? Uh, you know, something like that is there. Is there any? Any of that? Any that's happening, do you think? Or?
Speaker 2:no, I mean just at the end of the day, like there's talent all over the world, right, and it's impossible to think that you know the united states, the only place where there's talent. The only thing is that the sport has grown and, as a as a result of the sport growing, now kids are starting to play the game and are playing at a young age, and now you're starting to see players that are coming out. Obviously you know the european um, you know talent and and the style of play. You know they're very big on playing the game the right way.
Speaker 1:Um, more fundamental, a lot, a lot more fundamentals but don't they spend more time also worrying about the fundamentals Instead of jumping into an AAU league and playing 1,000 games a year? That has to do something with it.
Speaker 2:It's the style more than anything else, right? Because the NBA and AAU and all that stuff, it's all ISO, it's all based off of pure talent, pure capabilities, versus in Europe. There's a system and there's a style and that style overall just brings to a higher level of iq and and, um, you know, overall better success once you know they reach the high levels.
Speaker 1:Interesting um, tell me a little bit about what's your, what's your thoughts on, on what's going on in Israel right now. Is that something you're good with talking about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I'm Israeli-American and you know, just 48 hours ago, you know, there was, you know, 10 drones that hit my, you know, the city where all my family lives. You know, I'll just say this you know it's a really unfortunate situation for both sides. Um, you know, I'll just say this. You know it's a really unfortunate situation for both sides. Um, you know, no one wants to see any innocent people, you know, being in harm's way. Um, you know, I remember in 2006, during the, you know, lebanon israel war, you know I was, you know, hidden under bunkers myself. You know, I spent my whole summer in, in bunkers, the whole time. And I remember, at a young age you know how long was that 2006, so 18 years ago I was, you know about like what, is that 14 years old or whatever it is? Yeah, like you know I'm sorry to say it's not a podcast, but like you know, I I this is a podcast.
Speaker 1:You can say whatever you want, so please, you know I shat my pants from being so nervous.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know you, when literally, literally.
Speaker 1:You know just from from. You know hearing the boom that that whole saying oh I shit my pants. That's like an actual thing, like people piss and shit themselves when they're absolutely when they're when they're extremely scared, that's like a thing I mean.
Speaker 2:So you know, saying that I mean that those are like you know, those are traumatic experience. That was a traumatic experience for me, that, like you know, um, you don't really know what it's like until you're actually in in that kind of situation and right when you're more certain, you're more sure that you're gonna die than you're gonna live.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly right, and you find yourself almost almost there. You know what I mean? I had a similar situation nowhere near in comparison, but I'm a pilot. So, um, dude, I flew into a, a storm, one time and, uh, man, I was positive, I was gonna die, right like it was. Just like I. It was one.
Speaker 1:I literally got off the plane and I kissed the ground because I, when I flew into it, it was open. And then here in florida, these storms kind of close, you know, pretty fast. So all of a sudden, I'm in a donut, I'm in the middle, it's flying, it. You know, nowadays, with these gps's and shit, it's a fucking video game. You know what I mean. So, you're, it's a little plane and it was all the weather around me. I'm in a circle and I had to fly. I had no choice, I had to, had to fly through the, through the storm, and dude, it was. If you know, not everybody has felt it's almost it's weird to say, um, but you feel more alive than you've ever, even though you're think you're gonna die. You feel more alive than you've ever, even though you're think you're gonna die. You feel more alive than you've ever. Like it's like my god, I'm, I'm just happy to be alive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a weird feeling, you know your level of engagement is just so high in those moments, yeah adrenaline's pumping your mind is clear.
Speaker 1:You're thinking of every detail. You turn into somebody else. Really, you know the focus is there in the whole situation. So, um, why do you think so? What, what? What is it in the culture, in the, in the, in the jewish culture, that I think what? Last time I checked, 44 of billionaires are jewish. What, what is it? And what do you? What do you think it is?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, I mean I it's a great question and I get it. You know really. You know really often it starts number one with keeping everything within the culture. Yeah, you know, at the end of the day, if I'm getting a haircut, he's going to be jewish, right? You know if I'm if. A lot of times, you know, if you own a company, you're going to hire your employees. If you're going through financial crisis, you're gonna, you're gonna find someone in the community to help you. If, if, if you're going to donate, you're going to donate within the community, right. You know when, when you're successful, you're revered. You know it's just a camaraderie as a unit, because we've gone through so much as as, as as a, as a as a people, for thousands of years, for thousands of years that you know we are just going to keep everything within. And so when the money is within, you know throughout, it's just, it allows for a lot more growth.
Speaker 1:And when you're a lot more frugal, because I also think it comes from that culture comes from thousands of years, because you're saving your money, because you don't know when you're going to have to leave Right and go somewhere else. You don't know when you're going to have to leave right and go somewhere else, and and and, uh, you know it's, it's, uh, you know, I think it definitely the, the whole culture has been from thousands of years of of of just having to go from place to place and being persecuted for this and and and chased for that and and and killed and and and the whole situation. So it's, it's an interesting, I mean it's, it's, it's what Jews are right now Less than 10% of the population, or less than 5% of the population. 0.001.
Speaker 2:No, I was way lower, or 0.002.
Speaker 1:And 44% of the billionaires. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, we're really talking about, you know, 20 million.
Speaker 1:Jews around the world. Around the world. Yeah, I was just thinking United States, right? No, we're talking about the world around the world. Yeah, I was just thinking united states, right? No time about the world. Yeah, yeah, so and and so, yeah, the culture is save money.
Speaker 2:Uh, not really flashy, right, you're, you're, you're, you're probably a little different because you're in a business where you gotta be a little flashy right, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So, but in general you know, driving regular cars dressing, regular flashy flashiness is really look down on uh yeah, you know, depends on the community. But right, you know in general, yeah, it's just not.
Speaker 2:It's just not what we're about. Yeah, no, yeah, you know, because when you start being flashy, that's when you start drawing attention, that's when you, you know, that's when you, when we always had problems right, correct, right as a culture as a culture just under, just stay out under the radar.
Speaker 1:Stay out of the way. Stay out of the way, don't make any noise, and that's just thousands and thousands of years, and I also think it's like thousands of years of um, you know, I don't know country a, country b, you know both, both.
Speaker 1:You know areas, get both you know, areas get attacked for X, y reason. Now this, this particular woman meets this particular man, you know, got away Right Selective, you know, and and they have a kid. So it's the craftier, smarter, you know for thousands and thousands of years. Am I crazy thinking that too, I mean, I mean, I mean that that?
Speaker 2:that's no, I mean, I mean that. That that's what it really. You know, that's what it really was. I mean, you know, for you know the jews in morocco. You know, because I'm, you know, I'm 100 percent, uh, moroccan. All four of my grandparents are from morocco. You know, it's a little different in morocco. Morocco was, um, you know, the the king loved the jews. The closest people to the king were all jewish. All his advisors are jewish, now, even the current king of morocco. Now, um, he put the ghetto, the jewish community attached to his palace, in every, in every, uh, in every city. So the king has a palace in every city and the jewish ghetto was always connected to uh. He always wanted to keep the jews close to him, right? He felt that was really important.
Speaker 1:Um, even the previous king, I kind of do the same thing in areas I move into because I know if the jews are there, I don't got to worry about shit. Things get taken care of. The compound I don't got okay. If that's broken, somebody's gonna complain about that. I don't got to worry about so I've lived in ball harbor. I've lived in pinecrest. I've lived in palmetto bay. Believe it or not, it's a ton of jews there too. So it's interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so um the king always protected the, the, the jews, um, but you know, the jews, you know, at a certain point, like over the last 50 years, felt like, you know, it was not the place for them to be, and right, and now they all moved out. So right, um, you know, that's just how you're talking about the king of morocco in particular specifically, just because you know that's where my family's from, so you know I'm informed on that.
Speaker 1:Right. Well, what's your goals in the business? I mean, is it based on top athletes, the most amount of athletes? How does that work Like? What are the goals?
Speaker 2:You know, I mean you know it's quality over quantity, right. You know, when you start. You know it's interesting how you know when, when you start, when you start, you know it's interesting how you know, over the 12 years that I've been an agent, how you know my goals and and the process of success has changed you start adapting, you know you. You know your pitch starts changing too. You know, at the beginning it was like I'm the young guy, I'm the hungry guy, I'm gonna work the hardest.
Speaker 1:You know we're the same age like let me say it has to have, has to have. I don't care how much, how smart you are. It must have been extremely difficult to sell yourself as a fucking 20 year old.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it was I mean it was because in my business it was. It was extremely difficult and it's nowhere now you're dealing with, you know, tons of money. I was just trying to sell a house, right, you know, at 1920. You know what I mean. So it's, it's has to have been extremely yeah it was extremely difficult.
Speaker 2:I mean it's. You know, you go through those moments where you're ready to throw your hands up and just be like you know what do I have to do? Um, and there's so many players that are in the nba now that knew me when I was 20 years old and I was recruiting them and and you know, it's just, you know it didn't work out, obviously. How old are you now? I'm 32, 32.
Speaker 1:Um so you've been doing this 12 years yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's interesting how everything adapts and you go from just being that guy that's like, hey, I'm hungry, I'll work the hardest, I'll do X, y and Z and you're just trying to accumulate players.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you don't have any clients. Exactly that's why I'm going to work the hardest for you. I want to wake up in the morning. You're my only focus. You haven't done that part first.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you haven't done shit like who are you like you don't get to? You make it. You can't even get like, like I'll never forget it, like I had one person who's the guy who gave you a shot like who's the one that you're? Like dude.
Speaker 1:Thank god this guy gave me elijah milsep.
Speaker 2:Elijah milsep, my first client ever. I don't know why the hell this guy signed with me right. I'll never forget it in my entire life. We brought him uh, we brought him to New York. We flew him to New York. From Atlanta to New York. We flew him with a layover in Charlotte. I'll never forget in my life and I would never do that today in my life. Flew him on a layover. He landed. We didn't have enough money to put him in a hotel, so we put him in an apartment in Larchmont, new York.
Speaker 2:A buddy's apartment, a buddy's apartment with no shower curtain, uh, no bed and no tv. We we bought a tv and we, uh, we put it against the pillow and we forgot to. We forgot about the, the shower curtain right and, uh, we put him in.
Speaker 1:Did he call you and be like hey, dude, there's no shower curtain?
Speaker 2:he never said anything like we just have you ever talked to him after and be like, hey, what happened? What? I know I I should, though, but I'm curious he ended up. He ended up, uh, I'll never forget it. We went, we took him to, uh, we took him. I'll never forget, we took him to one oak that night, um, like it was a really popular club. I don't even know how we got in, but we got in and he wanted a, a table. I never paid for a table in my life.
Speaker 2:I didn't know what a table was yeah, sure, table I got, I got the bill I got the bills a thousand dollars, it was more, more than a thousand dollars and uh, I couldn't pay for it. I didn't have money to pay for it. So, um on that, for I spent like 30 or 40 minutes, uh, at the club on the bank trying to figure out how to pay for the bill and, um, he was so pissed it was literally out of a movie. He was so pissed that like we kind of like embarrassed him in that way that he ended up walking out and he made a left and to the left there was an uh it was pouring outside and there was a basketball court and there was like, uh, a basketball with like that's like barely inflated and he starts shooting in the pouring rain and I was like rebounding for him it was like a fucking movie and he's like dude, sounds like a fucking yeah, and he was like cursing me out and shit whatever and telling you what exactly?
Speaker 1:yeah, like like dude, you're embarrassed.
Speaker 2:He's like bro, like why, why would you like, why would you tell me, I can you know to get a bottle? And you have me standing over here in front of all these people, blah, blah, and what do you tell them? Because the lights came on and everything. I was like nah the lights came.
Speaker 1:The lights came on, bro. It's like the music stopped. Yeah, we still did. Tell me the music stopped, yeah, we didn't?
Speaker 2:You know, it was 5 o'clock in the morning. We still haven't figured out how we're going to pay this bill, but he ended up signing with us. How? Why? Do you have any idea? Why? I have no idea, and you know the guy you mean.
Speaker 1:I'll just give you a no. No, yeah, I want to hear it. Five seconds, give me the five minute one, yeah, I mean the the um.
Speaker 2:One of the one of the Jewish uh, you know synagogue attendees was, uh, mark Lassery and bought the Milwaukee Bucks at the time.
Speaker 1:So you, got to help.
Speaker 2:You got to help from a Jew. It's fucking crazy you got to start the sports agency.
Speaker 1:Here we go, we're going to take him and put him on the team. So that's another guy who gave you a big shot, right? Yeah, so both of those guys I've had a lot of big shots.
Speaker 2:But in order for him to even get to that point, he had to get into NBA Summer League. And I only had one contact with one team. It was the Philadelphia 76ers. It was the only contact I had around the league.
Speaker 1:So that was the only team I could call, so it's not now that you can pick up the phone and call whoever you want.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now I can call everyone but at the time I could only call the assistant GM of the Sixers. So I called him and I said listen, I have this player's name's Elijah Millsap and we want to put him on NBA summer league. He's like, you know, I'm kind of interested. But you know, connect with me. After the draft that year they had a record seven draft picks. This was during their time of rebuild. You know they called it the process. They had seven draft picks. I remember Elijah was with me, we watched the draft. You know we had this expectation. You know I remember Elijah was with me, we watched the draft, we had this expectation and I was convinced I was going to put him on the summer league team. The draft comes, they draft seven players and they call me and they're like I'm sorry, but we don't have any, we don't have any space.
Speaker 1:Seven players.
Speaker 2:Summer league roster is going to be tough, so I'm really down on myself. He's in Atlanta, I'm doing my thing. You're thinking it's not going to be tough, blah, blah, blah. So I'm really down on myself, you know he's in Atlanta.
Speaker 1:I'm doing my thing. You're thinking it's not going to happen at this point. It's done, it's done. They said no, no, it's not.
Speaker 2:But there was two summer leagues at the time the one in Las Vegas which was like the really populares game, and the first summer league. And the Sixers are playing and I put it on and Pierre Jackson tears his Achilles as I'm watching and he tears his Achilles, which is the same position as Elijah, different position but he tears his Achilles in the game. So I'm like, oh my God, maybe I should reach out. So I'm thinking I'm like damn, I'm like should I reach out? And you know I'd be like, you know I'm so sorry your, your, your grandmother passed away.
Speaker 1:But is she selling the house? You know Selling her funeral for us.
Speaker 2:So I reach out, I'm like listen, I'm so sorry to hear about Pierre Jackson, so he's like you know, I don't know the response. Back he says I'm not sure, but I'll let you know. And then the next day they they called me, he joined the team, but that's the thing like if you don't make that call, you're not in.
Speaker 1:If I don't make that call, then you're not in his brain.
Speaker 2:The next day in the morning he's still thinking if I never, if I never make that call, if I never?
Speaker 1:there's no such thing as luck and success guys, you gotta have the balls to make that call. That's not an easy call to make, especially when you're just starting. You don't really know, but you know what I mean. Like there's no such thing as as luck man, I'm telling you right now.
Speaker 2:If I don't make that call, I'm not in this, I'm not here, right you're not here right now.
Speaker 1:No shine period. I'm not here. It's over, right, it's over, yeah and um and he goes.
Speaker 2:And then you know the player that was playing ahead of him spray I'll never forget. Jordan mccray sprains his ankle. Eliza comes in, he sets a summer league record seven steals in a game and boom, boom.
Speaker 1:We're off and running. What's the joy when you're watching that game and he's getting the steals? You're like dude, this is my fucking guy, so you know I cannot like what is there.
Speaker 2:So imagine I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm I'm 20 years old.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, it's happening I'm 20 years old.
Speaker 2:I'm sitting directly. God, it's happening. I'm 20 years old. I'm sitting directly behind the bench.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And you have to look at the highlights.
Speaker 1:I'm literally shooting up and I'm screaming Emotion like you've never felt before.
Speaker 2:Just crazy emotions, you know. And my partner is pulling my arm down like dude, don't forget, you're an agent now. Like you can't be. You know, today, when I see my players are dropping 25 and I'm you gotta be long. Yeah, you know, I'm, I'm. Uh, you know, full common collective um, you know I was acting a fool. I mean, yeah, but I was. I was living out my dream at the highest level at that moment yeah, what's?
Speaker 1:what's a time where, like it seems like it was kind of related to that story there, but it was there a time you went to sleep and you're like, fuck dude, I, you know, I hit it out of the park with this marketing shit. You know what I mean. And now I'm here like dude, this is for me like like it's, it's, it's. It was there a time that you were like woke up about to quit I mean went to sleep about to quit and maybe woke up, not quit. You know what I mean. Is there anything?
Speaker 2:yeah, there's probably about like three people who have, like, known me at the lowest level, and I'll save that for when I write my book one day. Okay, because you know I still got to maintain a certain image that I've carried through and through.
Speaker 1:Was there crying?
Speaker 2:involved no, not crying involved. But there's been some very, very low moments in my life and it's been for a very short period of time. But you know, I was able to um, you know, battle through adversity, um, and and and get through that, but I never, I never gave up on, on what I was going to do. I was going to do this to the end, and the reason why is because I and I truly say this like what I do is not for the money, I do because I love it so much yeah, the money is a byproduct of what you do.
Speaker 2:I would do this, no matter what you know, and and if I had to do this and and, um, you know, deliver groceries at the same time in order to live out my dream, like I would do it, um, and so you know, that's that's why I think, uh, you know, I've just always stayed, you know, focused on, on that and it's funny because you know I got, I started my business you pretty much around around the same age where you were involved in this and, um, it's, it's.
Speaker 1:I remember people telling me so when I started my real estate company, I started a mortgage company but I had never done a fucking loan in my life Like you know. And I remember people telling me dude, you can't do that. Like, if you've never done like you don't? You gotta learn? You got to learn, you got to be years in the business before you start a fucking mortgage company you know, and I'm like oh, those negative motherfuckers you know Like dude, they just want me to fail.
Speaker 1:And I'm like dude, I'm doing it and I did. I started a real estate company, started a mortgage company. But I look back now and I'm like dude, those people were not giving me bad advice, they were not being negative, they don't do that, yeah it's crazy, but you got that.
Speaker 2:You got that from people. Imagine I was getting that from my parents. You know, first generation american. You know it's very simple is you go to school, yeah, you go to law school. You come out and you start working for a company. You know, and this was the dream and this is how it was going to be. So, you know, for me to break off and say I'm not doing that, I'm going to do my own thing was very difficult pill for my mom specifically to like to swallow. You know, um, and was that bad advice on her end? No, but you know, I dream big, you know, and I had big aspirations for myself and I wanted to control my destiny and I believe I could do what I could do.
Speaker 1:So right, but there there was, you know now. So, on the other token, I didn't get much of an answer for you on the on the lowest point. So when was the time when you were like, and and I know you know, listen, as, as an entrepreneur and with high goals, I know you never really make it, you know, and that's yeah, I tell people all the time like this ambition, shit, yeah, it's, it's um, it's a beautiful thing and and I'm glad I was born with it in the whole situation, but it's also a fucking curse because you're never, really, never satisfied, never satisfied. Like, oh, I just, oh, I just hit this goal, like why don't I go to? You know, I'm like man, like, why can't I just stop and smell the roses a little bit, like, if I?
Speaker 1:You know, it just dawned on me the other day where the area where, so, as a kid, the area where I'm like, wow, I hope I live there one day, right now, I probably wouldn't want to live there now at all Right, like that was like, oh, if I have this house with this, you know, so you, your, your goals, continue to go up, and continue to go up and continue to go up. You're like where I'm like all right, you know, I don't know if I made it, but man like, wow, this is cool. You know what I mean? Is there a point where you're like, damn dude, like this is real.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:There's no going back right now. I'm here, I've arrived. To a certain extent, I'm not where I want to be, but I've arrived.
Speaker 2:I mean, you know every. There's many milestones where you have that moment where you sit back and you I guess the guy you signed maybe you know, like I hit my partner on the arm and I'm like, you know, or I give him a big hug and I'm like, wow, yeah. So, like you know, my first ever draft pick, you know, quindary Weatherspoon. He was drafted 49th overall and I'll never forget that moment. I mean there's clips of it all over YouTube, you know just like the emotions, the hug, the excitement.
Speaker 2:You know, even this past year you know I had Malik Beasley, nba All-Star Weekend three-point contest and you know you're just in the back with everybody and you're just like, or, you know, or even on a regular game, you know, you, after the game, you just you're just chilling with lebron. He's walking out in the, you know in the area, you know in the locker room area and you're just like, bro, like how is little?
Speaker 1:the hell am I? There's the. It's called an imposter. How is? How is?
Speaker 2:little daniel azan like, yeah, you know, here when lebron broke the record uh, for most points, nba is three it was against one of my clients, train man, and like I was there for shoot around and I saw whatever. And you know, I even have a frame in my house like with, uh, with, like you know, the shirt that they gave after the game with my credential, with my name on it. I'm just like how is little daniel zahn that used to like chase these players down the block like how is he?
Speaker 1:like like here I'm here I'm like, I'm a peer, I'm not, you know, I'm one of them. You know what I mean. Um, so it has an agent. Um, so what makes a good agent? Right, um, you know, there's. There's a saying my buddy, my buddy mark, always says the the uh, a good, uh, a good attorney knows the law, a great attorney knows the judge. You know what I mean. But, um, like, what makes a what? What separates a average or good or good agent from from the great? Is it picking out talent? Like, can you see a kid you know in high school and be like that's, that's the guy? Yeah, right, like that for sure. Right, like there's, there's, so you're almost a very high paid scout almost right.
Speaker 2:I mean, well, yeah, I mean, I mean, like you know, my job isn't to pick the player right. So let's just start with the fact that I picked the player right. So you know you pick the player and you know, normally, you know the basic agent, your job is to negotiate the deal. You know and, um, you know, people always tell me but, daniel, you do too much and you're so involved and you're you're too ingrained and, in my opinion, what makes a great agent is really, from the moment you have him to be able to get him to that contract right, the process, and that process includes skill and development.
Speaker 1:So you know so you are hold on. So let me make sure I understand this. So you might get a college player and be like, hey man, that guy, if I could just get his shot right better, exactly. I mean, are you getting as detailed as his elbows a little bit out on his shot? I mean, you're getting that detailed like literally, literally, yeah, right.
Speaker 2:So we're gonna work on his, you know, okay. So this guy, he's got to gain a certain amount of muscle, muscle mass, this guy, okay, well, you know this is an injury prone guy his knees. We have an issue over here with cartilage, etc. What are we going to do to address it?
Speaker 1:so you're also a doctor, right?
Speaker 2:so, yeah, so we're going to work, we're going to work on on his body, we're going to work on his mechanics, right, um, but but I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm gonna interrupt, but I'm like so you have to. Um, I don't have to right no right. Right right to is to negotiate the deal got it.
Speaker 2:Okay, you're giving me the difference between good and great if I want to be great and this is what I do, so I'm going to do that right. Make sure I make him the best basketball player he could be. That's why he's in Miami, that's why, after this podcast, I have six players that are going to be training and we're working on shit with every single one of them. So that's, that's step number one. Then step number two is how am I going to organize his finances to a point where he's going to be able to turn this into generational wealth so that he could come out of this basketball shit with something Correct, right, unlike what's the stat now? 95% go broke after five years. Okay, so how do we avoid? How do we get him to not be that 95 and put him in that five percent?
Speaker 1:but do you explain the jewish culture? And you got to have a smaller car and you got. How far do you go into this?
Speaker 2:I've had, I've had, I've had a lot of players who have signed me because I'm jewish, right, so I mean right, I'll say that. So then, once, once, once, uh, once, we, you know I sell that ferrari and get a ford f-150 once we work on that, you know now it's like, okay, how can we keep the player's nose clean?
Speaker 2:you know through and through and that, uh, until we get to this contractor throughout his career, right, like you know, avoiding any, any sort of trouble. So that means cleaning out your crew, cleaning out the people you're hanging out with right you know so and making sure you understand.
Speaker 2:Hey, if you're going out at night, you know you're not driving the car on the way back, and if you are driving the car and you're getting pulled over, your friend is take is jumping in and take right, because you are the breadwinner, you're the one that's supporting the fit. You know everyone over here. So, yeah, you know you're the most important commodity in the group.
Speaker 1:But I'm sorry to rewind a little bit, because what I'm I'm definitely want to go back to that because I'm fascinated by that right. But what I'm really fascinated by is the fact that you played a little bit of basketball, right. I mean, you know very little very little.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's rec ball, yeah, right, and you can see a kid, right. So, uh, something I don't, none of these guys know, even I was carlos boozer's shooting coach, shooting coach. So I was a shooting coach for carlos boozer shooting coach as growing up. So I understand the mechanics of a perfect shot, yeah, almost as much as I understand real estate. I just got it as a kid. I was a shooting guard, you know. I just was nowhere near as similar. It wasn't nowhere near as athletic, but my I was, you know, as far as shooting mechanics.
Speaker 1:So the fact that you're able to, you know, as an agent, you know, pick a kid and be like man. If, if I can get that kid is good right now, if I get them with the right shooting coach, or if I get them with the right shooting coach, or if I get him with the right strength and conditioning coach, right, like, I can make him great. He could be from a 59 draft to a to a 10. Right, right. So that's that's. How does how does that happen? Like, where do you? I mean, do you just obsessed with basketball and you're watching? Are you watching mechanics?
Speaker 2:videos. I mean it. It first of all, it comes with a lot of experience and a lot of time. The more you spend, you know, in the gym working, watching trainers, watching, you know your off-court trainers, like you know, I can assess a guy's body and know what. Where we're at, I can know what an injury. I could look here, an injury, a player describe an injury and know what it is. It's not because I'm a doctor and I've studied it. I've just been around part of your I'm around it every single day.
Speaker 2:I have my my trainers at DBC, elise and others. You have your crew, I have my crew that have taught me so much that right now I can assess it.
Speaker 1:And then, from the basketball side, so you got a ball handling guy, you got a shooting guy. What does your team look like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean. So we have our trainers, our on-court trainers, who are great, and then our off-court trainers, you know, who do the rehab, who work on the body, who work on biomechanics. You know we have our doctors. Sports psychology Sports psychology is like a huge one, especially in today's climate.
Speaker 1:What do you mean by especially today's climate?
Speaker 2:You know like life life has been, you know, has brought a lot of challenges to a lot of people. You know, and we talk about COVID, we talk about, talk about, you know, the climate around the world and and and the unrest around the world, you know, has, you know, challenged a lot of people mentally and so, you know, it's uh, you know, for the, for the regular guys like us.
Speaker 2:There's psychology and there's sports psychology exactly right, the regular guys like us. There's difficulty and then and then the the mental side of it, and I actually want to tell you a great story about this. Yesterday, uh, two days ago, I was in new york and I played the first organized basketball I played since I was in high school. How'd you do? And?
Speaker 1:so I'll tell you great tell you a great story.
Speaker 2:So there were seven players. I was invited an hour before to come join and play in a basketball game and you know, obviously I'm I'm this. I'm the second the worst player on the team.
Speaker 1:You know everyone is, there was somebody worse than you there was one worse than me?
Speaker 2:who's? That guy he was completely out of shape, and then it was me, and then it was all like 68 he was in a wheelchair former former basketball players.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly uh. Former basketball players, college players, whatever. And let me basketball players, college players, whatever. And let me tell you something I sat on the bench for the first 10 minutes and it was the most miserable 10 minutes of my entire life. I sat on the bench and I was pissed and my mood was low and my attitude was bad and in that moment I started thinking about all my players when they complain about not playing. You were pissed because you weren't in the game. I wasn't in the game.
Speaker 1:I'm pissed, I'm not in the game.
Speaker 2:I'm pissed, I'm not in the game and I'm so upset that I'm not in the game and I'm so down and I'm thinking about all my clients when they always complain to me about them not playing and how difficult it was and the mental challenge of sitting through a game and believing that you're good enough to play and help the team but the coach is not giving you that opportunity. And I'm sitting and experiencing that for 10 minutes in a wreck league game when I am the worst.
Speaker 2:those players those players wish I was their agent, right, right, those players. I had a player come up to me. He's like are you? He's like, do you work for hazan sports?
Speaker 1:and I'm so pissed, I'm like I'm him, I am, I'm him, I am hazan sports okay, and um, and, and.
Speaker 2:In that moment it was just like, wow, the mental fortitude that these, my players, go through on a day-to-day basis you know of the uncertainty that they have is something very commendable so so I have two athlete kids right.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, I got my son's a wrestler ranked number one in the country right now. My daughter is a tennis player. Uh, we, we, you know she's on her way up. I the the man. You know, if people only understood what it takes to be an athlete, it should be the most respected. I mean the hours and hours and hours of practice and and sacrifice. You know, as a kid, you know you're not going to birthday parties. You're not. You're not. You're where. You know kids are going to summer camp. I mean, you know my son leaves tomorrow to pennsylvania for fucking 10 days of grueling, six, seven, eight hour practices. My daughter's at practice right now and the fucking son. You know what I mean. But all of that, the reason why I'm bringing that up, is because none of that matter, the hard work doesn't matter for shit if your head's not your head's not screwed on tight. And I'm sure you have those guys like look how talented.
Speaker 1:This guy is mental 20 talent dude like the guy. You're like, look how talented the guy, but he can't get out of his own way. He doesn't believe in himself. Right, he doesn't understand the just the, the breathing exercises, the positive affirmation you know, for me, I came from from right, the jewish culture.
Speaker 2:You know manhattan boy, this and the third right, so I'm sure you can imagine how difficult for me it was to understand these players. You're getting in trouble, you're, you know, because of marijuana or because of whatever you know stupidity that you're getting yourself caught into. And I'm sitting there as an agent. I'm like I cannot understand why you're in this situation, don't? You're at the highest level, you know you're playing in the nba and you get cut because of stupidity from the nba roster, from a team that just won an nba championship holding a gun right or for right.
Speaker 2:So you know. So there was this disconnect between myself and the players for a very long time I couldn't get fathom. What the hell are you doing. The moment I got it was when I went to where these players grew up and I understood everything. They don't know any better. This is how they grew up. Yeah, what's normalcy for us? What they're doing was normalcy for them, and the moment, as an agent, you're able to understand that this is all they know yeah then you have a better understanding of how to approach well, it's a cultural changing.
Speaker 1:It's a cultural thing. It's a cultural thing. You know, I was watching, I was getting a haircut yesterday and uh, yeah, yes, sir, I was with my son getting a haircut yesterday and uh, and I'm watching, uh, you know, a rap video and uh, there's fucking kids in a van, kids in a van with machine guns, right, and like that's what we're feeding this youth. Yeah, right, a, you're not a drug dealer, you're not an athlete, you're not. This you're not gonna make. And then you're holding a gun is cool, yeah, wearing your entire net worth on your neck, yeah, or in your car, right, and it happens with the cubans too. I mean, the cubans are fucking.
Speaker 1:I mean you, it came out on a on only, uh, on in the day the other day, like a fucking maserati or some some really expensive car in front of like a, you know, like a, like a, like a duplex or a mall park or something like that. And it happens and it's a cultural thing, and we deal with it in the hispanic community too. It's like you know, um, I read a book, uh, the millionaire next door. You read that book before. No, so they, it's all about the study and the psychology of you know millionaires, billionaires and everything like that, and you know what makes them tick and and you know one thing that man, it just totally changed and I read that early, right out of high school.
Speaker 1:I read it um and uh, the most popular car for millionaires and this is this is them studying irs returns and the whole situation is a ford f-150, right, um, not a fucking ferrari. And I remember the impact that that had. I mean, like why isn't? Why is it not a fucking ferrari? Right, it's not a ferrari. Because this money you save from fucking buying an f-150 to a ferr if you put it in there at a 5% compounded monthly 4% is fine too.
Speaker 1:4% is fine too 4% compounded monthly for the next whatever that turns into millions of dollars, that's 15 Ferraris. So it's not about don't get a Ferrari, it's like don't get it now, save that money. So how do you deal? And again, I deal with it. Look at Miami, the fucking South Americans. I'm telling you, they and I went through this, I went through this crusade of trying to change this, and I'm Cuban, so I don't not really South America. My wife's Venezuelan, she's south american.
Speaker 1:But, um, the culture is not come here and buy an apartment building or buy an income producing asset is come and buy a five million dollar fucking condo in brickell with a ten thousand dollar a month association, where you're nothing you're going to do, is going to get you to make money on that. There's never going to be a fucking return on that, right, but it's the culture. And I remember like, years of like no, let's have seminars. No, and let me explain. No, look, let me show you what these $5 million are going to do, right, here's, here's what this is going to do in this. No, right, I want to go back to Venezuela and I want to tell all my fucking friends that I have a fucking five million dollar condo in brickell.
Speaker 1:So similar situation in your case right and and and again. It's almost like you're. You know, listen, I, I, I'm aware your. Your job is to get the contract right. All the other stuff you do is what makes you from good to great. Right, but how do you fight that 95 failure rate? How do you explain the culture? Like no, no, no, no, no, that's not like what I mean. What's that battle?
Speaker 2:like it has to be crazy well, first of all, I have to, I have to say that I've succumbed to that culture because now, you know, to a certain degree, you know, I'm I'm now ingrained into how they are right. You know, you start talking like that, like the players, you start wanting to dress like the players. So I'm going through that challenge every day. But what's really? You know, I've had a very strong personality and starting at, you know, 20 years old, I, you know, I stopped drinking. I don't drink any alcohol, no wine, beer, jesus or anything like that, and sorry to hear that and I'm sure, but for me I had to be able to show that I was mature I haven't drank in 24 hours, but okay, because I have to be able to show, I have to show discipline, I have to show players that that I'm I'm different than them in that way.
Speaker 2:That's why you know I'm dressed in suits and not in in Jordans, because you know you have to show that there is a a line and a difference.
Speaker 1:I've succumbed to it to a certain degree, but and that's part, you're not wearing a duvet and you know I've succumbed to it in the sense where it's like In my business.
Speaker 2:You know what attracts the athletes Is seeing the car, is taking them out to the nice dinner and doing the yeah, it's weird right. So for me, in order for me to get my players, it's a business expense. Now, sure, when we for me to get my players, it's a business expense.
Speaker 2:Now, sure, when we, when now, that now we sit down and we're talking like buddy, this is a costume I'm wearing, all right, that's not who I am the reason why I don't drive the ferrari is because that ferrari money has been sitting in a cd and I have about 45 cds right now that are working, aside from the 15 other ventures that we're doing and the treasury bonds and the basic things. Sure, the money that you have right now that's sitting in a savings account that's making $3 a year is making me about $80,000 a year. So you know, once we start educating them on that, they understand.
Speaker 1:But it has to be an enormous battle. It is.
Speaker 2:It's an enormous battle. We're talking about players that are getting checks of $500,000 a month, biweekly checks of $250,000, biweekly checks of $125,000, biweekly checks of $65,000. And we're fighting the battle of how do we get this player to not spend 65K in two weeks.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's all the time.
Speaker 1:And it ticks me off, and no matter how many Excel sheets you put them in front of and explain Excel sheets.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter. Excel sheets, it's Excel sheets. You're controlling his money and it's not in his name, and you still can't do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and how do you stop them from buying, from, from getting the you know the buddy from his neighborhood that wants him to open this fucking business that you absolutely know is not going to make any money? I mean, like it's part of the cleaning up process that you mentioned Cleaning up process, but you got to expect some certain level of loyalty to their friends and their people that grew up with them and that type of stuff. So how do you? That's that has to be another.
Speaker 2:It's not because, at the end of the day, it's very simple Not every person is meant to be in your entire journey. Some people are just chapters in your journey.
Speaker 1:That's a very good way to explain it.
Speaker 2:And so you know, there are times, you know that player makes it to NBA and he's like hey, you remember the day I drove you to the gym? Oh, you remember the day that I lent you twenty dollars. Yeah, those aren't people that need to be in your next chapter.
Speaker 2:Hook them up take them out to dinner take them out to dinner, you show your respect, you do this and that and you move on. You now you have outgrown them, and so you know, I, I believe it's it's that way in relationships, uh, I believe it's that way in business, um, and in life, where you know not everyone is meant to be with you, um, in every step of the way and and yeah, but then because then you're not, oh, you're not real, because you're not hanging out with your buddies from from this and that.
Speaker 1:Well, if my buddy from high school or my buddy from whatever is still you know, and and and in my case it was, it's the potheads, right, like the guys that you know. I grew up in the trailer park and they, fucking you know, they started doing drugs and and, and listen, I'm a little fucking angel. I've done every drug you can possibly imagine and everything but, dude, I, I always knew what I wanted to do and I always knew my business was, was, was, was. What's gonna get me there? Right, it's.
Speaker 1:And uh, and no, you, you can't be smoking, but you can't smoke pot every fucking day if you want to be successful, right, you just can't. Why? Because you get lazy. Why because it fucks with your ambition. Why because it gets you fucking parrot and why because it gets you reclusive, it turns you into an intro, I mean. So that's it, you know. So. So, if, if, yeah, the, the friends that you know that I have right now, are, are, are, are, you know, usually people that I met in business and we've grown together and my, my friends right now are all either my clients or my, my business associates, all my friends that I had growing up.
Speaker 2:They're all great people, but we just weren't on the same level, you know yeah you know, uh, my, you know they were focused on partying and and drinking. Whatever my my focus was, you know, building my business and being successful, so that, when they're trying to figure their shit out, I'm partying with Jay-Z, I'm at the club with Drake, I'm at his birthday.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So you know it's just I've actually partied. I've actually partied with Jay-Z A funny story with that so I did a lot of business with, with, with A-Rod, and and his group. You know a lot of real estate deals and stuff like that with with A-Rod and and and and his group. You know a lot of real estate deals and stuff like that. Um and uh, his, one of his best friends, a manager, and, and uh is is my childhood friend. He's like my big brother really growing up.
Speaker 1:So I get to the airport one day and I'm like uh and I, whatever show up, show up to the gate and and I'm like I see my buddy Pepe there and I'm like the fuck you're doing? It's a flight to london. And I'm like like what are you doing? And I'm like what the fuck are you doing here? I'm like I'm going to a real estate convention. He's like, well, I'm going to a jay-z concert. You want to come? I'm like, absolutely so, uh, so I knew it was going to be vip, vip, but you don't really like you know it's, it's an interesting because so we're in a huge, you know you're, you're in the middle of the uh of the concert and there's a you know huge kind of stage situation there and then, um, you know, that stage is vip, right, you got to be able to get in there, but that has another vip and that vip on top has another vip in the front where it's just really myself, peppy, uh, jay-z's, you know, best friend, and uh, you would think it's like super luxurious, but it's just a cooler with bottles in there and it's just, they're just for us, right, and you're like looking at, you know, you're looking at the concert and then after that we're, we're going to the backstage and smoking everybody's smoking weed and it's a, it's an, it's an interesting. Uh, it was a, it was a fun, definitely a fun trip to to london.
Speaker 1:But, um, so, you know, back back to, you know, uh, just wrapping up, I know you got to get out of here, so, um, back to building that staff, right, and and you understanding the game, because, again, I don't know, for whatever reason, I'm super, I'm super fascinated by that, right, like, um, so how do you pick these, how do you pick these coaches? Right, again, because you have to have a certain level. Oh, no, actually do you? Do you purposely go and become better at watch videos on mechanics of basketball? Like, literally you sit down and watch shooting videos like pistol peach or something like that for me.
Speaker 2:For me, it's, uh, for me it's it's a little different. I'm, you know, I'm trying to figure out. So I have a player, for example, that's 6'9", he's struggling shooting the ball. We have athleticism over here, great IQ, his ability to read the game. So now, what kind of style coaching, style, play calling, is suitable for him? So what coach should I put him with? So I'm thinking, okay, uh, you know, okay, the lakers they love running horns, chest, horn, chest, boom, boom, boom. You hit the guy at, uh, at the elbow, this guy sets the screen. So now I'm starting to learn, okay, what's pistol action? I'm learning actions, I'm learning styles. You know you, right back when phil jackson triangle offense and trying to see, okay, so yeah, but is that?
Speaker 1:is that just watching games or watching instructionals, like are you literally reading books?
Speaker 2:Like I'm watching the game on a different level, right? So, like you know, you're going to a game right now and you're watching the ball go in the hole and I'm trying to figure out, okay, what kind of players fit the Warriors system. What are they looking for?
Speaker 2:Okay, so how do I make another Draymond? Okay? How do I make another Draymond? Okay, this guy, can he be a Draymond green? Can I make him a Draymond green? So, if I can make him a Draymond green, okay, then this is a player that is good and this is what's going to be attractive to the Warriors. Like, based on you know, you watch a player in a college setting or in a regular gym setting and you try and figure out what kind of concepts he could fit in and where he could be suitable, be suitable, and based off of that, let's try and mold him into that so he could fit into this system. So I know, like when I see a player, I could say, okay, this is a miami heat. When we talk about heat culture, this is a miami player. Right, like everyone knows, jimmy butler is a miami player. Like we all know that there are certain players that are miami players. I could tell you right now terry rogier, who's on the Miami Heat, he's not a Miami player, he doesn't belong there.
Speaker 1:He doesn't belong. We do a lot better where?
Speaker 2:Anywhere, right. Anywhere else, essentially, but the Heat culture, right. So that's what I'm doing. I'm looking at players. I'm saying, okay, where does he fit? Where is he suitable? What is he missing?
Speaker 2:Big man that can't shoot the ball. He's not good anywhere in the NBA. If you can't pick and pop in today's game, right. You look at guys like Jokic Bam Adebayo. If you can't hit a 16-footer, a 25-footer, you can't fit anywhere. So that's how you start filtering out players, right. Unless you feel like you could change his mechanics and make him a shooter or adapt him into a shooter. A lot of colleges have players that can shoot, but they don't show it within the system. So now it's your job to be able to gather more information on the player. Maybe the team doesn't show his ability to shoot, but he actually can shoot, which is what we have. We have a player that was in Kentucky last year that could shoot the piss out the ball but wasn't able to show it in college. So you know, there's constant studying, gathering a video how far down do you go picking talent?
Speaker 1:I mean, are you looking at middle school? I know you're not okay, what are you allowed to do? Let's put it.
Speaker 2:No, I'm allowed to. I, at this point, we're allowed to um you're allowed to what?
Speaker 1:talk to middle school, yeah I.
Speaker 2:I have relationships with 15 year olds for 16 year olds right now. Right, um, yeah, I don't like investing a lot of that because I don't have patience anymore. I don't want to sit here and build an eight-year relationship and hope he pans out. There's a lot that could happen in eight years, you rather just come in a year seven I'd rather come in in the ninth inning yeah junior year and height but you're keeping an eye on them, though, keeping an eye, definitely always keeping a temperature right you know, you know keeping a pulse on those guys, but over here I'm doing my cooking with the college kids and what's the best state right now for for basketball talent oof?
Speaker 1:wow, that's a great, great question if they tell you dude, you know what, like, we're gonna separate this agent shit into states, we're gonna have a draft. We're gonna have a draft, everybody gets to pick a state. What's the first round pick?
Speaker 2:wow, that's great.
Speaker 1:Give me like five seconds I can tell you, I mean it's, it's really simple the reason why that that means a lot to me because because, um, so my son has to travel a lot to pennsylvania, to iowa, to everything I have for the wrestling stuff. Right, when my daughter, she could stay here locally and the brackets are international brackets, she'll go to a fucking tournament in Broward and there's kids from Mexico, from Canada, from Europe, everything. It's crazy. It is the you know?
Speaker 2:Yeah, if I had to pick, I'd probably go with Dallas Texas.
Speaker 1:What I would have never guessed. I was thinking you were going to say New York. I thought you were going to say the Northeast somewhere there's no talent coming out of New York. Dallas, texas, all the guys that come out of New York are all hyped up. Dallas, Texas. Why Is there like a coach there that's producing them?
Speaker 2:No, just think right, try, and think.
Speaker 1:We're talking about high school. I'm talking about high school producing.
Speaker 2:D1 guys, yeah, and D1. Right, think like this.
Speaker 1:Obviously, like you know, the obviously great schools like texas tech, texas tcu, but they're not producing. I'm talking about, like aau teams and like that.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, I mean but but think about how big texas is yeah so you, you know you have bigger population. Think about, I didn't even know they were like the population. What kind of people?
Speaker 1:when I was growing up it was straight up new york. I mean, it was new york, new york, new york in your, your dreams.
Speaker 2:New York right now is awful there's nothing coming out of New York. Right, there's nothing coming out of New York, new Jersey, I mean. The last thing that ever came out of New York was Stefan Marbury and Sebastian Telford.
Speaker 1:Those are like my years kind of, you know. So those days are so Dallas, texas, now, because again, so I'm just kind of translating my world so there's absolutely pockets in the country where they're badass youth coaches. Youth coaches Breeding Genius youth coaches Florida.
Speaker 2:Right now, florida is breeding them.
Speaker 1:What coaches are producing them In Orlando right now, orlando.
Speaker 2:Each one teach. One in Orlando is Each one teach, one Is breeding.
Speaker 1:How about Miami? Anybody who's running it?
Speaker 2:You're not really seeing much coming out of Miami, but Orlando is breeding. But don't forget the big ones in Orlando. They're pulling everyone from Miami. They're pulling them from Miami. They're pulling them from everywhere.
Speaker 1:So they're just recruiting them into their program? Yeah, because you're a Nike, that's a high school program.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're a Nike know, you're the hottest team, you're on the circuit, you have the most attention, so everyone is coming there. You have them. You have uh.
Speaker 1:Atlanta is doing a great job my buddy benny, uh, for hella, he's uh. His kids, uh, they're his older sons with night, with columbia, night riders, or, and uh, and they just moved over to belen now. So, um, but, uh, but. But what I'm saying is there, like youth coaches, it doesn't make sense for you to go all the way back and be like, hey, this youth coach has produced to like dude X, this guy, this guy, this guy like and those are the relationships. So what you're better to make a relationship with those guys.
Speaker 2:So what you're thinking about now the top agencies have been doing 15 years, before I even became an agent, right? So you know that you have that challenge of how do I get into a pocket that's been, you know that that has had an emperor in it for for 15 years. So you know, yes, we do to a certain extent.
Speaker 1:So there's coaches out there. You could pick three, three youth coaching, NBA coaching, college and coaching.
Speaker 2:Those three youth coaches can already be in bed with another agency. Correct, and I'm already cooked. Correct, that's what. I'm saying how much does that matter? For you, it matters. But you see, to be a successful agent and to make it to the top right, like you know, I've had a player in the NBA every year and you know there's only about 75 agents that have a player in the NBA.
Speaker 1:We're very small. There's only 75 agents that have a player In the world that have one player in the NBA.
Speaker 2:Yes, I know how many do you? Have. Last year I had nine Jesus. I was ranked top 30 last year as far as agencies. But just because we're all going for the same fish, there's different avenues to be able to get there. So you know, the avenue you're talking about is going through the AAU program. Aau program is like I have a different avenue of how I get there.
Speaker 1:I'm talking more like a skill set guy, right? So in my son's sport I can name five guys that have produced the most ncaa champs, right? I mean because, again, that guy probably can't coach. You know, in your world the the nba right, just like the nba guy does not have a fucking patience to sit down with a kid and teach them the absolute, the fundamentals. So so, like is there is, does it make sense to make those relationships that early on with those guys that are producing those talents? How do you I mean you got what? Do you take care of them like?
Speaker 2:no, yes, is it legal? Yes, without a yes, without a doubt. But again, I'm telling you that those, those, there are agents that are already controlling those people. Yeah, so you now need to figure out a different, you got to create your own au program.
Speaker 2:Right, you have to. You have to come in at different points. You have to have a different approach. Instead of going after the coaches, you're going after the parents. Right, you're going after other people. So you know, or you, or. But now, once these kids get passed on to college, now you build a relationship with the college coach.
Speaker 1:So I know I know you said not that you're not a fan of nil. You get the good and the bad right, but if you were leaning towards anything, you were leaning towards it. It does more more harm than good. 51, 49-49, let's call it.
Speaker 2:For the players that are actually good, that are going to have a professional career. It's bad For the kids that are coming in for the joyride, that are going to work in finance afterwards. It's fantastic, it's fantastic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right, man, it's been great. I don't know anything else you want to bring up or you want to. You want to promote uh, yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:The only thing I'd probably want to say is just um, you know, hopefully this, this is uh motivational enough for for people and for for young uh entrepreneurs around the world to know that they can accomplish their dream yeah, it's, and you know.
Speaker 1:And there's one thing that let's we, we do you know stuff about, about everything, real estate and whatever. But but in reality, what I'm, what I'm most fascinated about is that people don't understand, like they see 32 year old, you know Azan, and like, oh, he's either lucky or he has you know a rich uncle, or he got you know the answers to the test in some type of way. They don't know the sacrifice that you know that call, that one call that you probably sat down there with a phone and was like dude, do I call this guy right after the fucking guy got injured. Like, is that going to put me on his shit list? Is he going to hang up on me? Like dude, what are you calling me now for? You're crazy, like all of that and making that call right, like those things right.
Speaker 1:And then you know that you didn't go too much into detail. Maybe one day you'll tell me, but you know that there has to be a dark. Every entrepreneur has that dark day. You're like, bro, fuck this man, this is just crazy. Like like this is, maybe it's not for me, maybe you know, you know, maybe I'm a marketing guy, I'm not an agent. You know. So, those dark days, and everybody has to understand it. Like you know, every, every person that's trying to succeed has to understand that there's nobody that hasn't gone through those dark times, there's nobody who hasn't had those failures. And I don't want to sound cliche, but it's not about the failures, it's about know how you handle those failures right. And there's a and again, my, you know, my, my, my passion is, you know, the mma thing and everything. There's a, there's a, there's a fighter named holloway you don't know ufc anything at all. Right, that's zero, right.
Speaker 1:So one of the one of the best ever to do it, um, but super fascinating is, um, he, he gets interviewed at like 16 years old, right, and he's like he, he, he's just dumbfounded by the fact that he's like I don't. He's like I don't understand. Like, if you fail but you continue to try, then you're good, you're happy with yourself, you're not a loser. He says it with a, with a, with a, with a Hawaiian accent. He with yourself, you're not a loser, he says it with a Hawaiian accent. He's like you're not a loser, you know, you just try. And he couldn't fucking understand why people would quit when all you have to do is just continue to try, and then you're not a loser in your mind. Then you're happy with yourself Fucking fascinating how he got it at such a young age. You know what I mean, a hundred percent. Then you're happy with yourself Fucking fascinating how he got it at such a young age.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. Yeah, 100%. I mean I just feel like you know the culture is set up where, you know, people are just comfortable working a 9-to-5 job. You know, paycheck to paycheck, and the things that they look forward to is a happy hour, you know.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So, you know, not everyone is built for for it. But if it's something that you want to do, you know you don't have to be a professional athlete to be an agent you don't have to.
Speaker 1:You're all what you do, you just got to give it everything you got.
Speaker 2:And if you're, you know, and don't spread yourself out too thin. You know I feel like too many times. People want to be. You know, they want to do real estate and they want to work a regular 9-5 job and they want to do five other things at the same time. Like you know, people ask me like why, why don't you do other sports? I want to be the best at being a basketball agent and the moment you start spreading yourself out too thin, you just become average at everything. So you know, invest your time and energy into one thing, be the best you could possibly be at it, and things will work out last question, um, on the nil thing right which, which, which is super interesting on what's happening right now.
Speaker 1:Are you involved that far into it? Oh, yeah, yeah, like you're getting them NIL deals out of high school.
Speaker 2:I have multiple players that I've made over a million, that I've done over a million in NIL for them in one year High school, college, college. Is it creeping into high school? It is because these players are now going to go from high school to colleges?
Speaker 1:Right, but do people start reaching out, throwing that type of money for high school players nowadays? Yeah, millions of dollars.
Speaker 2:Not millions, but a lot of money.
Speaker 1:Who was the first one? Who was the first high?
Speaker 2:schooler to start making that. I mean, nl's only been around for two years, right, so you really see a lot of the money going to football. Football is like where, more than nba well, uh, football as far as college, I mean those college quarterbacks I imagine you go to, you know, alabama, where there's no professional basketball team university alabama's football team is literally like the lakers you understand. So the marketing dollars are just through the roof and you're and you're, uh, sorry.
Speaker 1:One more question the, the. Uh, it's funny that, um, how you started in marketing, right, like what, how much does that help you? Like? Because at the end of the day, you're a, you're marketing yourself. But I mean, are you helping these guys with their marketing and their brand and understanding that?
Speaker 2:stuff. The more, the more they valuable they are.
Speaker 2:That's why I really like, like made a name for myself, you know, because, uh, when I first started, I was uh, managing jr smith um, who won the championship with the calves and all that, so I was doing all his marketing. He was a really marketable player, you know, um, and so we were very creative with, with our approach. So, you know, we did like backpacks with his tattoos. Oh shit, when he won the championship, you know he wasn't wearing a shirt. We came out with T-shirts of him, shirtless. You know, we put it in 2K. We did over $3 million in T-shirt sales. You know, we had, when they won, the MLB All-Star Game was in Cleveland. We had him throw out the first pitch and the catcher was wearing his shirt. So we were being very creative with him, with his tattoos and with his personality, to really build that Swish brand, et cetera. He was coming in to the finals on a hoverboard. We were doing all types of silly stuff. So creativity is everything when it comes to marketing.
Speaker 1:So an athlete, right. So um number one player player wise, skill wise, but doesn't play the game, doesn't want to get, you know, doesn't really want play the marketing game, doesn't, you know, play with social media.
Speaker 2:Well, let's start with, first and first, your position. If you're a center, you're not marketable, really, period, right. So let's look at, let's look at, let's look at the, the signature shoes kairi irving, uh edwards um lebron james, um luca donchish. Do you see any big men have I named? Have I named any any big men in there? Right, yokich and b shack back in the days, yeah, but that's the most marketable now big men are not sexy as far as what you want.
Speaker 2:When it comes to sneakers, marketability is with guards, point guards, guards, those other guys. So you know from the get-go your position can determine your marketability. From jump street like, you might not have a marketing career at all right now. Once the position is figured out, now it's your market, right? Shea gildress, alexander, mvp caliber player, doesn't have his own shoe because he plays for the oklahoma city thunder. Your market now separates you even further, right, if you play for the lakers. You know malik beasley, who's my client. He has his own shoe and he, he, we, we. You know the deal was done when he was on the lakers, why? Because he's on the lakers, lebron james. So they gave him a signature shoe for, uh, his brand called, except gave him a signature shoe. So there's so many facets that you have. You have to get filtered out to even be able to become marketable right, but now the what.
Speaker 1:What I'm what I'm really curious about is is, if there's a player right now really good player, right In high school, ok, does how much does it matter that he starts playing the game, the marketable game, right, does he it? Does it get him a better? Would a college pick a, you know, instead of the best player that doesn't play the marketing game at all and is you know, he doesn't talk. He doesn't talk the talk, he doesn't have the personality. Will they pick the fifth player because he has a social media following right, and he could get in front of a microphone and so selling jerseys mean more than scoring points? I guess that's the the way to, to put it bluntly.
Speaker 2:In many terms yes and and in some instances, no. It depends on the culture, it depends on the marketing depends on the team. It depends on management and their, their vision and the things that are important to them. So you know, it's always. It's always a case-by-case basis. You know, some teams will look at a 16 year old that's marketing himself and posting pictures 24 7 on instagram as a guy who's way above his head and you know, and and it's not focused on basketball right versus others that will see the value in that.
Speaker 1:So and and and. Is there? Is there teams saying, uh, what, what should a young? We have a young athlete right now that is trying to make it. What do you not post right like what do you stay away from to make sure that you're not looked at negatively?
Speaker 2:and they kind of I have, I have a. This is my personal opinion. Yeah, right, so it's just my personal opinion. You know, I my mentality with the way I operate. I'm never on vacation and I'm never. I never have a day off and I'm always working. I want my clients to always think that I'm 24 seven working. So if that means that I'm at the satay on the beach, no one's going to know I'm at the satay. I'm not posting it, I'm not showing it to anyone. If I go on a vacation, no one's going to know I was there. I'm working 24-7. This is my personal opinion because, you know, as a young entrepreneur, I had to be able to, I wanted and I had to show everyone that I was mature, that I was different and I was locked in and I want my clients to think that 24-7 I am dedicated to them.
Speaker 1:But to translate to them is always doing drills, like posting stuff of them working hard.
Speaker 2:Focusing on your content, like focusing on on your craft right, like just always showing that you're grinding, that you're working, that you're always in the gym. You know, I always tell my clients when you go to the gym at night to work out at the facility they know when you clock in, when they clock out, they have cameras, they see all that stuff. So it's important where you know you don't just go to practice, you stay, you come to actually. Development creates that persona that you want to show and then when you're successful and you want to, you know, showcase what you know living the lavish life and doing all those things Cool, you can have that moment.
Speaker 1:So if you're a high school player, college player right now, man focus. If you're going to start posting anything, just post to you working hard and staying focused. There's nothing about partying, definitely nothing about drinking. Supposed to be working hard and staying focused there's nothing about partying, definitely nothing about drinking none of that stuff, just stay focused on your craft.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when I when, uh when I was in college with my partner, he posted a picture, uh, of himself uh holding a beer, and I remember fighting with him about I'm like how can you, how can you post yourself with girls at a frat party with a beer? Like we need people to think that we're serious, we're professional and we're more.
Speaker 1:That was at what age you told your partner.
Speaker 2:This was when we were in college.
Speaker 1:We were just getting started. You know you could loosen up a little bit, I guess, but I guess you're right. Yeah, you know, uh, last story, uh, for real now. Uh, yeah, I was. I was in a real estate talking about uh, drinking and and the jewish thing, um, what's, what's this called? Uh. So I was in a meeting one time and we were in a long conference room and all of a sudden they stopped the meeting. They brought in a bottle of vodka, okay, and a fucking horn, a sheep's horn, okay, yeah. And we all blew the fucking horn Show part Right and drank a shot of vodka.
Speaker 2:What is that? The vodka part is not part of the whole thing.
Speaker 1:You sure? Yeah, for sure. They said like uh, they said something when we drank it. I mean they probably just said a blessing on the on the vodka okay, so the vodka is not part of the vodka, it's not tied to the horn. Got nothing to do with the horn. So what's the horn?
Speaker 2:the horn is is, uh, we blow the horn, uh, 30 days leading up to the new year, okay, um, and it's really why they stopped the meeting, for it was like a timing situation.
Speaker 2:I don't know about the, about why they stopped the meeting, but we were. It's important to blow the horn every day leading up to the new year just to be able to wake. Essentially, the idea is to wake up the soul and to start having yourself reflect on the year that you've had and the things that you want you know, your ambitions for the future and what you could do to you know to have for a new and better year. The vodka part is just for you to feel good and that's about it, cool brother.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much, man. It was awesome. Thank you, it was great.
