Creative Storytelling Strategies for Building an Authentic Brand

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Welcome, welcome to another great episode of the Beyond Normal podcast.
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I can't believe it.
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We have made it so far, in our podcast journey.
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We're in the midst of this new incredible season.
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We've got some incredible individuals lined up for you all.
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For this season, I'm really going...
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I'm reaching into my network and really looking for the people that I follow, whether they're, creators on, social media, they're folks that I follow their newsletters.
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I'm really trying to bring some new perspectives to our listeners who are mostly business owners or those who are thinking about taking gambles on themselves.
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So I'm happy to have our guest, today, who is Sunny, Faircloth.
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She is the creative director and really founder of Sunny Aesthetics.
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Creative direction is, something me, myself, I come from the, the corporate mindset where you, you go to work and things should be a certain way.
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And so I tend to think within the lines, right?
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and I, I, and I'm always excited to connect with creative individuals such as Sunny because it allows me to think and feel comfortable with coloring outside of the lines a little bit.
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So without further ado, let's bring Sunny to the stage.
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How's it going, Sunny?
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Hi.
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happy to be here.
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Thank you for having me on
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Yes, yes, yes.
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we connected, I believe earlier this year for the first time, maybe the end of last year, and I was just drawn to, your website, the way that you lay things out, the way that you tell your stories.
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storytelling is a big part of the platform we're, we're building here at Beyond Normal Media.
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So excited to have you on and tell a little bit about, your journey to being a creative director of your own company, and then, you know, we're gonna definitely dive into, some of the elements of, what makes, your mind, tick, right?
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If I can, can lay it out that, that, that way.
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So first question, before starting, Sunny Aesthetics, let the folks know like what was, what was your life like?
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Like what were you passionate about?
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What was driving you, before you decided to take this gamble and start your own business?
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Wow, that's a good question.
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so I guess before Sunny Aesthetics, I was freelancing.
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I was working in the film production So during the time in Atlanta, there were a lot of productions going on.
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Marvel, they were shooting a lot of their films here.
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Tyler Perry Studios was expanding.
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So during the 2010s, to say that now that we're in the 2020s, but during that time, the film industry was booming, and I just started doing extra work.
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I saw how it was to work on set, seeing all the different different departments together, and it was just an amazing experience.
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I met so many people out of it.
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many seeing celebrities behind the scenes, they're just like normal people like us, just, behind the have their talents and like normal people like us, just, you know, they have their talents and whatnot.
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And And I guess from there, looking more into So which department I wanted to go into.
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So looked I looked into the art department.
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they had they had graphic designers there, so I I kinda just learned more about that, and I went to school for a little bit.
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up Ended up flunking because I was working full-time, and I wanted to just shave my hair, dye it pink,'cause my mind during that time.
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I was just, like, losing my mind during that time.
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then COVID happened, and during quarantine, I had a lot of downtime.
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We all did.
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and I just started painting.
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I I also sketch and draw too as I well, so doing I just started doing that.
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And, a lot of a lot of my family and friends, they pushed me to do design'cause they they just saw how talented I it.
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So, was at it.
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So, I just just taught myself, and then I I started Sunny Aesthetics, and and then I started my LLC in 2024, and now I'm just growing and and expanding and networking and meeting other, other partners.
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That's dope.
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That's dope.
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So you said something in there, I appreciate you breaking down, your journey.
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you being in the, I think the, the, the ATL, like in that market, right?
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That's like a, that's like a epicenter for many things culture, specifically Black culture, right?
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and so you...
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It sounded like just all that you told us, like you really got the full experience, right?
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And, and you mentioned something in there about being a freelancer, and I'm curious, when you were freelancing, did you ever...
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Did you consider yourself like a business owner?
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Like did you have some of that mindset being a freelancer, or were you thinking,"Hey, I'm a freelancer.
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I'm coming into somebody else's organization and I'm a part of what they're building"?
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I'm curious
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Hmm.
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so I guess in film we have...
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they have unions, and I guess for you to join a union, you have to be a production assistant.
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So just think like"The Devil Wears Prada," if you watch that movie.
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Oh, the sequel's coming out in a couple weeks.
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I'm a fan.
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so just think of, like, Anne Hathaway in the movie, you know, she's doing, the assistant work and everything.
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That's what PAs kinda do on set.
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set.
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So I I had to do that for a couple years, and and have, amount certain amount of credits.
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And when you get to know the people in the crew, if they if they really like you or if they, wanna work work with you, they'll bring you onto the next project.
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So So you always had to go and find work, which was really hard, was which is actually one of the reasons why I kinda gravitated more into graphic design, because the consistency was just not there all the time.
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And you And you might just work on a show, and then they might close it down because of, I don't know, I don't know, I guess because of, like, if on not on budget or something, they would have to shut it down.
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So it, it was a gamble, and I I learned a lot that experience of working on set
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Hmm.
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I think tha- thanks for that breakdown because I'm not the most familiar.
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Like you said, it sounded like there was a union, aspect there, and so you had to like kinda...
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It sounded like you had to pay your dues.
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But it was interesting that you said, well, you could do the work, but if they like you, they'll bring you back.
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And so that for me, I come from corporate, right, where typically there's like, there's this, veil of like meritocracy.
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Like if you're putting in the work, then the work kinda speaks for itself.
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It doesn't sound like that is the case in the freelance space that you were in because you mentioned like they may have to like you or they may have to wanna work with you as well.
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Is that, is that accurate?
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Yes, it is.
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and it's like if you know the right people too, you're always gonna have a job, for instance.
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And that's what made it hard.
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It's like I had to network and really put myself out there.
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I had to...
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they have this thing called Film Bar Mondays on Facebook, where a lot of the people who were on crews, they would just hang out at the bar, and you're able to just talk with them.
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And if you have that genuine connection with them, they would say,"Hey, like, I'm working on I'm working on this project.
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we're we're looking PAs." Like, Send me your for an art director," or,"We're looking for PAs." Like,"Send me your resume.
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you you know, I'll send it to know, send it to so and so." And then from there And then from there it's like you would get an interview, and then they would pick you on for that.
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So, again, just like like having that connection and really putting yourself out there.
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And, nos and it's okay.
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I kind of see as rejection as a Using this rejection as, a way to...
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I guess it's I guess it's like redirection in a way.
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Mm-hmm.
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It's didn't get Oh, I didn't get this.
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get I didn't get this I didn't get this project." I was supposed to work on Blade, and we all know how that worked, worked out.
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So in a
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I was supposed to work
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on Blade and we all know how that- Yeah, it didn't pan out.
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Okay.
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Yeah like, you know, I, I see like I got rejected, but there's a reason why, and I kind of just see it like that, like things happen for a reason.
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So, know, it's an, it's an experience that I loved and was just, it was fun working on set and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
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it's just I really dedicated about going on set, and sometimes you're at work for 12 you're at work for plus hours, so so you're you're there literally all day.
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by the time by the time you get home, you just wanna go straight
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to your bed'cause you're just exhausted Hmm.
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Interesting.
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Okay.
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Mm-hmm.
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It sounds like, there is a certain, there is a certain individual that would enjoy that.
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Like you said, being on set for 12 hours and then just coming home and, like, crashing.
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12-plus hours, actually.
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Let me, let me correct myself'cause I heard that in there.
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And then just coming home, crashing, and then, like, rinsing and repeating.
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Mm-hmm.
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I'm curious, do you feel like there are elements of that, doing that, that have prepared you for starting your own business now?
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Like, like how do you feel...
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yeah how do you feel like that experience translates to now?
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Are you still excited to put in those 12-plus hour days?
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Because I know as a founder and the creative director, you're having some of those days still where you gotta put in that time
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Definitely.
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I think it's the passion.
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Like, if you're really passionate about what you do, it's like, yeah, I'll put in the work'cause you enjoy what you do what you love and, I still have that passion for film.
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I'm just older now, so I'm like,"Mm, I don't know if I can go on set for like 16 hours."
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Mm-hmm.
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Yeah, I understood
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to be like a, a film or it would have to be the script would have to be like really, really good to like pull me in and be like,"Okay, like I'm gonna dedicate months, maybe years of my life for creating this, this show." And it's all about the experience.
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and there's just so much detail into everything.
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Like working on working on set decoration, you you actually like create the whole set.
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You create the character's room, you you create like what makes them.
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them So, it's just it's just a lot of little that that people don't really, things I guess, recognize, but working like that that people don't really, I guess, recognize, but working behind the scenes, it's just fun to fun to actually learn and and how see how they
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put everything together That's dope.
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Storytelling 101, you're giving it to us, Sunny.
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I appreciate it
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Yeah, for sure.
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So Sunny, I appreciate you really, breaking down some of those fundamental elements s- to, to storytelling that you just mentioned.
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Like, there are certain things that a business owner or maybe someone who's just going to watch a movie, watch a play, like there's certain things that we don't necessarily think, think about, but they definitely add to the context and the overall final product.
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Mm-hmm.
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so now that you're a creative director, right, and you're doing...
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You're looking for, you know, work, like you said, the work is consistent from a graphic design perspective, creative director's perspective.
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Now that you're going into situations and you're working with different brands and different companies, I'm curious, is there, is there one element in ter- as far as storytelling that you feel like is often or is often overlooked or people don't consider as much when it comes to all those other different elements, like you said, that, that, that goes into making a great story?
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Hmm.
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I love that question.
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I think it's just the story behind the brand is very important.
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trying to think of a good example.
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all right, I hate to say it, but McDonald's.
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You know, You know, like, in the in the'90s you had, like, the Hamburglar and, and, who was the purple who was the purple guy
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Gr- Grimace?
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Yeah,
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Grimace.
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Yeah, Grimace.
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Yeah, Grimace.
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you had, like, that whole McDonald's crew.
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So I just remember, you know, ordering a Happy Meal, and I would get, like, a toy or something from, from that.
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So it's just adding those story elements and, kids love stories, so I, I feel like that's, like, a good way to actually get people to the brand.
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You see the arches, the colors, it's just so many things and psychology psychology as well.
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Color psychology is a thing, so certain colors make you feel certain things.
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fun fact if you didn't
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Yeah, that's, uh...
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I tried to dive into that too, a little bit when I was going through the Beyond Normal, kind of brand creation,
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Mm-hmm.
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and I quickly learned that me personally, I don't care what shade of blue it is, but I did know that certain tones are gonna, like, elicit certain feelings.
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So what I did was I went out and hired a creative director graphic designer, right, to go ahead and do those things for me and at least put them in a format where I could, like, take it and, like, just run with it, right?
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And I appreciated them coming in and making, like, making sense of the madness because for me it was just, like, looking at, like, sheets of...
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I think I went to, I don't wanna plug too many companies, but Coolors I think was the, the, the website I went to where it's just like you can, like, piece together different palettes and stuff like that.
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And I understood some of it, but I was like,"This is..." I don't care, again, what shade color blue it is or the blue and the brown and the dark and the, the, the light colors and things like that.
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But I appreciated being able to go out into-- And that was a local, that was actually a local creative director here in the Carolinas.
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Being a- being able to tap into my network and somebody who really uns- understands that, that part of the storytelling, they could fill in the pieces for me.
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And so as you were just saying that, I was like, you're absolutely right.
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When it comes to food or any of the things that we as consumers, we partake in, like that story is such a big part of it.
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And then premi I'm thinking about brands that have, you know they can charge us a premium.
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They can really charge us, quote unquote,"whatever they want." Like that story is usually like a integral part to them being able to charge us what they charge us now, you know?
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Mm-hmm.
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Definitely.
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Yeah
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even with like streaming services too, with,"Stranger Things" coming out.
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I know a lot of people didn't wanna get Netflix, but because of the last season, they're like,"Okay.
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Mm-hmm
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Hmm, I'll buy that.
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I'll get it for a month just for'Stranger Things.'" So it's just pretty It's just pretty interesting just to see how, things things are now, I guess, from back back then, how marketing and like storytelling is coming coming to make like the Wizard the experience.
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like"The Wizard of Oz," they they have...
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I think in Vegas they have called The Sphere, and they have like a whole and- Mm-hmm of Oz," type of theme, and it's like a 4D experience.
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like a 4D experience watching"The Wizard of Oz," apples fall, and I think, I think, for one of for one of the scenes when, Dorothy was like, with tornado coming coming to like Kansas and stuff, there was like wind and stuff, so made the maybe they experienced like the actual
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thing.
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Yeah, that 4D, that 4D experience.
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I think I've rode a rollercoaster at a couple places too, and it was along those lines where if you're like going down a waterfall, you may have like water splash in your face.
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Like it's the full, it's the other senses, right?
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Obviously when it comes to content, the senses that we use the most right now is probably our eyes, right?
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But it's like all the other things that could come along with, you may be looking at a movie, right?
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And you may see like a food or like, they may be somewhere that you've been before and then those smells start to come back.
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You start to like get into all the other senses, like start to trigger.
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You can maybe even hear some of the things that you may have heard if you were to visit some of these places or taste some, again, taste some of this food.
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Mm-hmm.
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that's super powerful.
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I'm, I'm curious with, with the, the lens that you have now, where you're working with different brands and you have some experience working with really, really big brands and big studios, like are there, are there things that small business owners such as myself can do really from day one with our business that may put us on somewhat of an even playing field with the biggest brands in the world?
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Like what could I do to have that McDonald's experience for my audience?
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I'm curious to y- to, to get your thoughts on that.
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Are there.
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things that money doesn't re- necessarily stop you from doing and, you know, from, from, from that perspective?
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I would say being authentic.
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and I feel like nowadays it's so hard to find that,'cause I feel like people, you know, kind of just copy each other.
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They do what, the Joneses is doing next door, as they say, for a metaphor.
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but just being yourself, that's why I that's why I really like going on sometimes because even with like all the doom TikTok sometimes because even with like all the doom scrolling and stuff, yes, it's depressing, but it's like but it's like we we all kinda feel the the same way.
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"Hey, Hey, I'm struggling," you know, Things things suck." And it's like,"Hey, we're not alone Like, we could all come together and at least try to do something about it.
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And, So, I, I do see that I, I do see that with some brands, like they, they do see how it is for
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Mm-hmm.
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working class and,
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Mm-hmm
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that, you know?
00:19:22.721 --> 00:19:25.020
Like a full circle moment
00:19:26.122 --> 00:19:26.592
Got it.
00:19:26.592 --> 00:19:27.061
Got it.
00:19:27.211 --> 00:19:32.521
Yeah, I, I appreciate you touching on that authenticity.
00:19:33.005 --> 00:19:33.375
Mm-hmm.
00:19:33.612 --> 00:20:07.711
And, you know, there is-- there's, there's, there's biases that we naturally are putting on ourselves in some of these environments, you know, some of the professional social platforms like a LinkedIn and stuff like that, and there's, like, always this question spec-specifically for me, like, how authentic can I be is the question that I'm asking myself, and I'm, I'm curious, like, if you ever come across customers of yours or clients of yours where they're asking...
00:20:08.511 --> 00:20:12.392
Maybe they wanna be authentic, but they're like,"Well, how far should I go?"
00:20:12.721 --> 00:20:13.451
Hmm.
00:20:13.511 --> 00:20:25.142
like, does that come up in the situations you're having, and do you have ways that you can kinda, like, kinda pull some of that out of people so that they understand, like, you can be authentic in your own way?
00:20:25.142 --> 00:20:25.412
I'm curious.
00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:31.404
it's hard, especially when you're working with brands because they have their own characteristics.
00:20:31.825 --> 00:20:40.315
So it's really just trying to find, the middle ground of like what can out.
00:20:40.454 --> 00:20:46.325
I guess finding the problem and the solution to it,'cause I mean, that's how it is being a designer too as well.
00:20:46.744 --> 00:20:48.515
It's more about problem-solving.
00:20:48.525 --> 00:21:01.837
Like, oh, if I'm making a, a logo or if I'm making a website for something, how can I, have those those characteristics of that brand make it make it its own thing and keep it authentic?
00:21:02.755 --> 00:21:16.025
So it's like we it's like we gotta go back to to storytelling, find out why the storytelling, find out why founder started this, what really really drove them to, to do that and, and And also working with creatives, so is so important.
00:21:16.055 --> 00:21:27.249
my my dad loved to say, No No man is an island," so you so you gotta have that team, and just just finding the right that you people that you work with, makes a a huge
00:21:27.257 --> 00:21:28.864
difference Mm-hmm.
00:21:29.334 --> 00:21:30.344
Yeah, that tribe.
00:21:30.693 --> 00:21:49.034
finding your tribe is like, it sounds cliché now, but it's like once you find your tribe of people who, like you're around them and then stuff like the creativity or whatever it is that you wanna focus on, like just starts pouring out of you being around that, that, that right audience.
00:21:49.034 --> 00:21:50.513
And so shout out to your pops.
00:21:51.243 --> 00:21:52.693
that is definitely a good saying.
00:21:52.703 --> 00:21:55.084
And, and you just made me think about something.
00:21:55.423 --> 00:22:03.844
I know you touched on your background and like how you started your, career and your journey to where you are now with, Sunny Aesthetics.
00:22:04.394 --> 00:22:09.054
I'm curious, like what, like what was your...
00:22:09.074 --> 00:22:22.624
Was there anything in your upbringing that, that led you to the point where you are now in terms of y- like maybe you knew that you were gonna be a creative director, you were gonna be doing this at a young age.
00:22:22.624 --> 00:22:27.523
Were there like any, any, experiences with your family?
00:22:27.824 --> 00:22:37.044
You mentioned your dad, like others in your, in your life where it was like once you got to this point in your creative director, you're like,"Yeah, this is probably what I should've been doing anyways"?
00:22:38.682 --> 00:22:39.952
oh, I love this question, nostalgia.
00:22:39.952 --> 00:22:48.048
so, my-- I'm, I guess with my family, I'm the only American-born person here.
00:22:48.469 --> 00:22:56.298
My family's from the Caribbean, they're Jamaican, so all the, the foreign mentality, the foreign parenting, I, I get it all.
00:22:56.298 --> 00:23:01.038
And, growing up, my parents were very strict, so I...
00:23:01.138 --> 00:23:06.278
Well, me and my siblings, we were not allowed to watch TV during the weekdays, just educational stuff.
00:23:07.148 --> 00:23:12.078
So we were forced to use our imaginations, like, for five days of the week.
00:23:12.179 --> 00:23:15.229
And, I mean, that really did help with creativity.
00:23:16.098 --> 00:23:18.679
we created our own games, writing.
00:23:19.459 --> 00:23:23.980
my sister my sister and I, we created our own radio show, which was, like, really to to do.
00:23:24.109 --> 00:23:34.128
And I'm kinda I'm kinda glad my parents did that because I kind I kinda believe, like, TV is form a form of brainwashing, And And of course with, like, and stuff, it's worse now.
00:23:34.449 --> 00:23:44.189
But it is important to have kids to, to use their imagination, to have them go outside, you know, touch some grass, create games.
00:23:44.229 --> 00:23:51.209
And to use those characteristics, it, it can develop into, into more creativity.
00:23:51.269 --> 00:24:05.709
And I knew from, when I was a child, I wanted to be a creative and had just had so many people just saying,"Oh, you're gonna be broke," and, you know,"You might wanna find something else to do." But I, you know, I didn't let that get in my way.
00:24:05.719 --> 00:24:12.189
I just pushed on through and used that resilience to create a message
00:24:13.339 --> 00:24:13.740
YouTube and stuff, it's worse now.
00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:13.988
But it is important to have kids to, to use their imagination, to have them go outside, you know, touch some grass, create games.
00:24:13.988 --> 00:24:14.109
And to use those characteristics, it, it can develop into, into more
00:24:14.109 --> 00:24:14.121
creativity.
00:24:14.121 --> 00:24:14.220
And I knew from, when I was a child,
00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:14.650
I wanted to be creative and I had just had so many people just saying,"Oh, you're gonna be broke," and, you know,"You might wanna find something else to do." But I, you know, I didn't let that get in my way.
00:24:14.650 --> 00:24:14.799
I just pushed on through and used that resilience to create a message That's dope.
00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:26.460
And shout out to your parents for no TV during the week, and I will say them doing that, they left the best day of the week for watching cartoons, which was Saturday cartoons was.
00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:26.990
a thing.
00:24:27.099 --> 00:24:28.380
It's not a thing for the...
00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:30.329
I don't know the generations.
00:24:30.329 --> 00:24:37.920
I'm a millennial, I don't know the, the, the right terms for after millennials, but I don't think the, the generations after us has Saturday cartoons.
00:24:38.339 --> 00:24:43.559
But for me, Saturday cartoons was like the world, and you could just wait.
00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:49.930
Like you'd only get to watch like a handful of shows, but that would hold you over for an entire week.
00:24:49.940 --> 00:24:49.960
Yeah.
00:24:50.017 --> 00:24:50.836
Yes.
00:24:50.876 --> 00:24:51.326
It really was.
00:24:52.150 --> 00:24:52.406
Yeah
00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:53.059
you over.
00:24:53.059 --> 00:25:16.920
You could go outside and like play and talk with- about tell the, about the episode, what happened with your friends, and you'd be like,"I can't wait for the next episode." And to your point, now It's like, you know, everything is just like every day you're just like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, you can just fill your calendar and be like,"Hey, I wanna watch this this day and Tuesday." And so some of that, like you, mentioned earlier, like the nostalgia of it,
00:25:17.297 --> 00:25:17.586
Mm-hmm.
00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.579
not the same.
00:25:18.589 --> 00:25:26.089
But Saturday cartoons, I feel like your parents still did right by you by allowing you to watch cartoons on Saturday,
00:25:26.209 --> 00:25:26.798
Yeah.
00:25:26.939 --> 00:25:27.680
It's like a It's like a reward.
00:25:27.989 --> 00:25:28.578
It's like, you
00:25:28.579 --> 00:25:29.039
Yeah
00:25:29.288 --> 00:25:32.568
you did everything correctly, you know, here is TV.
00:25:32.568 --> 00:25:43.269
And then it's like, in a way I kinda I guess what I'm trying to say is that I appreciated it more because I waited for it.
00:25:43.398 --> 00:25:44.239
I had that patience.
00:25:45.189 --> 00:25:51.749
And I feel like now, especially with like Gen Alpha, everything is just kinda just streamlined.
00:25:51.749 --> 00:25:53.159
You don't have to wait anymore.
00:25:53.219 --> 00:25:57.348
So when you're actually waiting for something, it, it sucks'cause you're not used to it.
00:25:57.378 --> 00:26:01.169
So it's just an interesting thing with us'90s kids
00:26:02.819 --> 00:26:03.910
Nah, yeah, for sure.
00:26:03.940 --> 00:26:09.119
I'm a'80s baby, so I, I, I always date myself on these episodes.
00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:09.900
It doesn't matter.
00:26:10.430 --> 00:26:20.170
But, yeah, like, there's just certain parts of it, and then it's weird, like, I was born late'80s, but I'll say, like, the'90s is when the most stuff was happening,
00:26:20.522 --> 00:26:21.232
Hmm.
00:26:21.369 --> 00:26:27.349
anybody, like, born in the late'80s and'90s, like, we have a similar experience, right?
00:26:27.769 --> 00:26:34.130
Like, it's, it's being outside, like you said, and, like, being creative and touching grass.
00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:36.410
Parks were just, like...
00:26:36.609 --> 00:26:37.460
Parks were it.
00:26:37.539 --> 00:26:40.170
Like, you could go to the park for the whole day.
00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:41.759
Summer camps.
00:26:42.234 --> 00:26:42.345
I'm gonna go outside
00:26:42.345 --> 00:26:42.365
and play.
00:26:42.365 --> 00:26:42.555
I'm gonna
00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:42.740
Yeah
00:26:43.625 --> 00:26:43.654
around.
00:26:43.654 --> 00:26:45.714
I'm gonna go to the block, you know, and
00:26:45.935 --> 00:26:46.276
Yeah,
00:26:46.325 --> 00:26:48.884
just
00:26:49.605 --> 00:26:55.526
you know, we wanna, we wanna watch the little ones and, like, make sure they're secure.
00:26:55.826 --> 00:27:03.056
we probably weren't being the most secure at times, I'll be honest, in terms of just being, like, out in the world and catching buses.
00:27:03.056 --> 00:27:09.596
I grew up in the tri-state, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and so there was a chance, like, we would've caught a bus
00:27:10.090 --> 00:27:10.601
Hmm
00:27:10.635 --> 00:27:14.306
age, and we would've been somewhere in, like, a different city, I'll be honest.
00:27:14.306 --> 00:27:16.546
So I don't recommend the kids do that now.
00:27:17.115 --> 00:27:20.625
just thought- I'm just saying that was my lived experience.
00:27:21.066 --> 00:27:27.695
Guys, I'm just up here sharing my experience on this platform'cause Sunny is, is giving me the space to do so.
00:27:28.715 --> 00:27:30.806
I wanna talk, touch a little bit on...
00:27:31.726 --> 00:27:37.145
'cause I reviewed your website, and you had a specific call-out and section around case studies.
00:27:37.756 --> 00:27:55.776
And I'm curious to know, like, how you go about selecting partners for case studies and, like, what about these case studies allows you to, to, to get more business and get more clients and, and, and do some of those things that, that align with growing your business?
00:27:58.143 --> 00:27:58.532
Mm-hmm.
00:27:58.542 --> 00:28:04.375
Yeah, I would say like, just showing the idea and the concepts.
00:28:04.444 --> 00:28:13.335
So for one of my case studies, it's called Universal Art, so it's kinda like TikTok, but more art style niched.
00:28:13.365 --> 00:28:20.865
So a lot of artists, they're able to just go on there, and they're able to bid their art.
00:28:21.765 --> 00:28:27.324
figured it was a it was a really good idea, and other and other people can create that community.
00:28:27.324 --> 00:28:32.153
They're able to actually do their art online and, like, ask questions.
00:28:32.404 --> 00:28:36.703
So I I guess it's just like finding a developer for that.
00:28:37.173 --> 00:28:44.564
finding finding more like, a of, research team would, be would be amazing for that putting it putting it on, like, the App Store.
00:28:44.674 --> 00:28:49.364
just so There's just so many things that go into it, cause people don't people don't really think about...
00:28:49.523 --> 00:28:51.884
Again, it's like working working on set.
00:28:51.884 --> 00:28:58.474
You don't really see the layers of what, what, like, the actual product is and how much work it is to put on there.
00:28:58.484 --> 00:28:58.964
So
00:28:58.988 --> 00:28:59.627
Mm-hmm
00:28:59.775 --> 00:29:02.714
putting it on the App Store and getting, like, the servers for it.
00:29:03.515 --> 00:29:08.443
for TikTok, there's There's so many servers cause there's just cause there's just so many people using it.
00:29:08.444 --> 00:29:09.723
It's, it's a it's a lot.
00:29:10.673 --> 00:29:13.744
but I really enjoyed doing that, Universal Art.
00:29:13.755 --> 00:29:19.455
It's something that I, I'm still still working I on that I wanna, have have out in the world one day.
00:29:19.474 --> 00:29:21.066
Hopefully, Hopefully, nobody takes my idea.
00:29:21.145 --> 00:29:21.355
No,
00:29:21.355 --> 00:29:24.865
I'm
00:29:24.865 --> 00:29:24.875
joking.
00:29:24.875 --> 00:29:38.525
So, Even it- fun to work on it, and to, to have that vision in mind because art is a beautiful way to express yourself and, yeah, we all gotta do that'cause we're human
00:29:39.349 --> 00:29:39.869
Mm-hmm.
00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:54.400
You just, you just saying that just now, there's always this question around how creatives should, quantify or monetize their creativity.
00:29:55.140 --> 00:30:07.359
I, I guess, what are your thoughts on you being a creative, you're a creative director now, like how do you go about putting a price tag on what you do, for your clients?
00:30:09.032 --> 00:30:11.826
knowing your worth is very important.
00:30:12.846 --> 00:30:23.747
and there were times where I wanna work with other people and I would undervalue myself, but had to learn that I can't do that because I have to respect myself first.
00:30:23.757 --> 00:30:32.936
You know, as RuPaul says,"You-- if you can't love yourself, how in the hell can you love anyone else?" So I was just talking about that with someone and they just brought that up.
00:30:34.086 --> 00:30:52.448
but but now it's like I have to I have to, To, I can't I can't undervalue myself anymore'cause like I have bills other other things, and I have, you as you said, a beautiful creative mind and so many ideas.
00:30:52.448 --> 00:30:55.449
Like that's, that's where So don't undervalue yourself, kids.
00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:55.979
Don't do it.
00:30:56.920 --> 00:30:58.769
Yeah, I appreciate you saying that.
00:30:58.849 --> 00:31:08.099
i- it's, it's definitely, definitely not easy and to value yourself accordingly.
00:31:08.630 --> 00:31:30.920
I don't know what it is about it, but there's just something about the idea once we say the price to somebody and then they, like, take a step back or they like,"Hmm." Like, hearing that silence and it's a little awkward, it's just like a natural indi- in- inclination for folks to be like,"Hey, oh, oh, I just told you that price, but I can discount it," right?
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:38.940
And there's always that, that need to, like, make sure, like, we close the deal versus, like, closing the deal at the price you set.
00:31:39.859 --> 00:31:42.279
It just does wonders for your psyche.
00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:49.420
Like you said, like, signing up to work with somebody and not necessarily valuing your time and energy the right way, it can cause
00:31:51.297 --> 00:31:51.307
Mm-hmm.
00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:52.240
some stress.
00:31:52.250 --> 00:31:59.039
like some things that you kinda induce, we d- we induce on ourselves as founders, business owners, creative directors, things like that.
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:07.420
And so it definitely is important to have your price and state it and let people, like, sit with that and let it marinate.
00:32:07.609 --> 00:32:19.980
and they may not give you a quick answer and may still say no, but you know, you, you at least go in, go into a situation knowing that you, you value their work accordingly, and then, like what you just said, you value yourself.
00:32:20.285 --> 00:32:20.795
Mm-hmm.
00:32:21.099 --> 00:32:22.029
that's so important.
00:32:22.444 --> 00:32:22.954
Yeah.
00:32:23.355 --> 00:32:24.355
It's a learning lesson.
00:32:24.375 --> 00:32:33.244
I'm still learning till this day about valuing myself, and I think it's just putting yourself in the right room, finding the right people.
00:32:33.704 --> 00:32:47.875
Like, before I would work with people who were just starting their businesses, but now I wanna gravitate towards people who have enough time because, you know, they're all over the place with their business and they've been established for years.
00:32:48.285 --> 00:32:55.035
So people who need more of that support, especially when it comes to like design services or email marketing.
00:32:56.055 --> 00:33:09.414
like my dad said, to the quote,"No man's an island." So just finding, owners who need that support and help because they're burnt out from all the work.
00:33:09.585 --> 00:33:12.154
So you gotta have that collaboration
00:33:13.167 --> 00:33:14.557
Yeah, collaboration's key.
00:33:15.258 --> 00:33:16.667
I wanna touch on the...
00:33:16.877 --> 00:33:24.127
I think this was the first piece of content I found from you, which was your podcast, The 4% Amplify.
00:33:24.127 --> 00:33:29.577
So you wanna talk a little bit about, I always have to highlight fellow podcasters.
00:33:30.708 --> 00:33:45.587
I, I definitely wanna, to have you kinda tell, like, what was your thought process around having the podcast and then, like, you know, like moving forward, like what, what that, what the podcast will mean in terms of your business.
00:33:45.597 --> 00:33:59.397
So, like, just let folks know, like, why you decided to start The 4% Amplify, because that is, and now that I'm, recalling, that is the first, piece of content I believe that I found from you.
00:33:59.928 --> 00:34:14.128
And I could tell your creative mind was piecing things together, definitely a little bit differently than, you know, somebody who just stumbles on, on the podcast and they don't necessarily have some of the assets and things that you had in place.
00:34:14.137 --> 00:34:16.748
So, so let folks know a little bit about your podcast
00:34:18.074 --> 00:34:18.315
For sure.
00:34:18.445 --> 00:34:21.474
I guess I'll start with, how I started it.
00:34:21.934 --> 00:34:28.644
So I was working with a small business, and they weren't paying me right.
00:34:28.655 --> 00:34:31.195
You know, remember our conversation about being undervalued?
00:34:31.505 --> 00:34:34.644
That was one of, one of my lessons of learning that.
00:34:34.664 --> 00:34:37.364
So it caused me to get evicted.
00:34:37.844 --> 00:34:41.264
I ended up moving back in, with my boyfriend.
00:34:42.514 --> 00:34:43.105
and it was...
00:34:43.125 --> 00:34:51.724
I was just devastated, and I really just wanted to just sell everything in my U-Haul truck and just get a one-way ticket and just start over.
00:34:51.775 --> 00:35:10.333
But, instead of getting mad about it, I just channeled all of that into my idea for the for the"4% and I noticed that only 4% 4% of Black designers only make only make a, make a make a bat in the which is, which is, like, super small.
00:35:10.474 --> 00:35:25.755
So So I just decided to use that, to to awareness, and I interview design experts, creative directors, and I'm getting ready for season two, which is gonna be a lot of fun.
00:35:27.574 --> 00:35:35.054
I'm excited, and I've just met so many people, many guest speakers that I still I will talk to till this day on just getting closer with them and collaborating, this day.
00:35:35.054 --> 00:35:40.675
I'm just getting closer with them and collaborating, other other ideas.
00:35:40.996 --> 00:35:49.056
So if I didn't push myself to do that or if those bad things didn't know, you happen, I probably wouldn't be speaking with you maybe, Mm-hmm.
00:35:49.175 --> 00:35:49.505
found the podcast.
00:35:49.505 --> 00:36:00.159
So I'm really glad I did it, and, I just can't wait for more people to get more into it, to be part of the, the community, to be part of the part of the 4%.
00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:03.605
And it, I g- I don't I don't think it's anymore, so
00:36:04.250 --> 00:36:04.369
a 4% anymore, so
00:36:04.394 --> 00:36:05.764
think So
00:36:05.769 --> 00:36:06.099
So.
00:36:06.329 --> 00:36:06.599
Yeah.
00:36:06.715 --> 00:36:06.735
about it.
00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:08.989
Yeah, that is dope.
00:36:09.610 --> 00:36:29.960
I think, you touching on just the i- that to me, like the first time you told me the 4%, stat, it didn't even really make sense because this seems like such a creative job, role, function, and our population, m- people that look like me and you.
00:36:30.059 --> 00:36:31.829
incredible Black talent, right?
00:36:32.309 --> 00:36:33.920
we ooze creativity.
00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:47.260
So I The-- My natural thought was,"Well, if, if this is a true stat, just Sunny having this space alone is gonna increase that number to where it needs to be," right?
00:36:47.260 --> 00:37:00.059
But bringing visibility to it is definitely important, and you know, you have obviously the existing Rolodex of people to really tap in and really kinda come on the platform and tell their story so that folks can know this.
00:37:00.059 --> 00:37:07.090
And, right now it's really about awareness for folks, like awareness of the opportunities are at, that are at hand.
00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:10.099
I think once they know those opportunities are at hand, whether it.
00:37:10.110 --> 00:37:20.300
be the money that draws them to it, whether it be the flexibility, the creativity, the 12-plus hour days on sets, like that's gonna drive some people right into doing some of this work.
00:37:21.940 --> 00:37:24.829
but I appreciate you For creating the space.
00:37:24.949 --> 00:37:26.139
And I, I'm pretty sure.
00:37:26.139 --> 00:37:36.619
the first time we connected, I told y'all, I was like,"The pieces and the elements you have in place just from day one are gonna set you apart,"'cause most people don't, most people don't have that starting out.
00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:37.610
I can tell you that
00:37:38.898 --> 00:37:39.259
Thank you.
00:37:39.259 --> 00:37:39.958
I appreciate
00:37:40.271 --> 00:37:40.652
Yeah.
00:37:41.079 --> 00:37:41.309
sure.
00:37:41.911 --> 00:37:42.311
Mm-hmm
00:37:42.739 --> 00:37:44.909
So that, that percentage is gonna be growing.
00:37:45.634 --> 00:37:46.143
Mm-hmm.
00:37:46.143 --> 00:37:46.614
I love it.
00:37:46.614 --> 00:38:07.670
And so is, is there, is there at n- any natural, uh Is there any natural kinda synergy with your, Sunny Aesthetics business for the podcast to, like, help, help with business, help with the growth o- growth of your platform?
00:38:07.670 --> 00:38:22.300
The reason I'm asking that is because a lot of people, they start, they hear you're starting a podcast, and they just hear about people just recording with, with, with their friends or on people in their community, but they're not necessarily sure, like, what it means to growing a business.
00:38:22.840 --> 00:38:32.440
So can you talk a little bit about maybe, maybe you thought about that, like how you can tap in this podcast with the rest of the things you're going on to grow what you already are doing?
00:38:32.806 --> 00:38:33.956
Yeah, absolutely.
00:38:34.347 --> 00:38:37.447
how I think about it is kind of like an ecosystem.
00:38:37.456 --> 00:38:43.797
So my podcast is just the branch of that where I have, like, my blogs.
00:38:43.836 --> 00:38:50.097
you have, like, one idea, and instead of just having more ideas, you can break it down.
00:38:50.137 --> 00:38:53.246
So with that one idea, it's like,"Oh, I can write a blog about it.
00:38:53.277 --> 00:38:55.376
I can create a carousel.
00:38:55.766 --> 00:38:59.456
I can do video editing." so So I'm just...
00:38:59.726 --> 00:39:04.269
I guess I guess for me it's more the of, the concept of less is less is more.
00:39:05.226 --> 00:39:13.436
So, know, you just have, again, that one big A big idea, and just chop it up into little pieces and together it makes a and you just chop it up into little pieces, and together it makes a story.
00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:17.097
story I mean, if you Maybe people- about it, writing is the same way.
00:39:17.106 --> 00:39:25.007
You have act one, act two, act three, and you bring it all together and and it's the whole it's a whole vibe, So Yeah.
00:39:25.007 --> 00:39:25.248
It,
00:39:25.456 --> 00:39:25.806
yeah.
00:39:26.297 --> 00:39:27.818
it's funny you mention writing.
00:39:28.137 --> 00:39:53.597
for me, when we started our newsletter, that was the biggest challenge for me coming from, I had been podcasting already for a few seasons, like maybe four seasons, and I was like,"Hey, let me dig into this newsletter thing." And for whatever reason, putting it in writing was more challenging for me than just speaking about it and having conversations with people.
00:39:53.597 --> 00:39:54.268
I don't know why.
00:39:54.268 --> 00:39:56.347
There's something subconscious there, I know.
00:39:56.807 --> 00:40:03.757
But it took me a while to get to the point where you're at now, where you're like,"Hey, it's just another vehicle for me to tell the story," right?
00:40:03.757 --> 00:40:06.117
And the story, you can break it up in different parts.
00:40:06.487 --> 00:40:17.188
Parts of it may show up on a carousel, parts of it may show up on a podcast episode, parts of it may show up on a newsletter, but it all cohesively, when you put it all together, tells the full story.
00:40:17.898 --> 00:40:19.137
But when that clicked for me...
00:40:19.367 --> 00:40:20.637
It took me a while though, Sunny.
00:40:20.637 --> 00:40:23.907
I did not come in day one knowing that or even feeling that way.
00:40:23.907 --> 00:40:34.967
But when it clicked for me, I was like,"Oh, this isn't as bad as I thought, writing my thoughts down, and then clicking submit and publish for the world to see it in a newsletter format specifically
00:40:35.681 --> 00:40:36.251
Mm-hmm.
00:40:36.251 --> 00:40:38.851
I'm glad you did that'cause I mean, it can be hard.
00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:44.981
especially with social media, we're always comparing ourselves to other people and it's
00:40:45.132 --> 00:40:45.692
Mm-hmm
00:40:45.891 --> 00:40:46.800
that?" But...
00:40:47.190 --> 00:40:48.420
it's so toxic.
00:40:49.010 --> 00:40:51.751
but you can only compare your past version of
00:40:52.112 --> 00:40:52.541
Yeah.
00:40:53.141 --> 00:40:53.822
Yeah, that
00:40:54.081 --> 00:40:57.300
you know, and it's like, I've done all of this.
00:40:57.331 --> 00:41:05.811
I accomplished so much, like I'm not gonna stop." So I feel like such a I feel like a, what'd they say, an auntie or an
00:41:05.840 --> 00:41:06.250
Yeah.
00:41:06.250 --> 00:41:07.460
Got it, got it, got it.
00:41:07.570 --> 00:41:07.960
And what-
00:41:08.561 --> 00:41:09.141
So old with all this wisdom.
00:41:09.791 --> 00:41:10.030
It...
00:41:10.980 --> 00:41:19.559
We're to that, I, I can speak to myself, I'm to that age where I just naturally have to embrace that, like you say, like the unc, mentality, mentality.
00:41:19.670 --> 00:41:28.670
Like, I'm, like, calling, like, my little cousins and nieces and nephews now, and I'm talking just how you were just talking, like,"Hey, like, you know, go about it this way.
00:41:28.670 --> 00:41:30.550
Like, you're gonna feel better at the end.
00:41:30.550 --> 00:41:31.449
Like, make sure.
00:41:32.130 --> 00:41:35.289
like, your thoughts are your own thoughts." So I, I'm right there with you.
00:41:35.320 --> 00:41:41.679
I'm at that stage in my life as well, so it's okay that we're maturing into, aunties And uncles,
00:41:42.016 --> 00:41:43.016
Yes, for
00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:43.650
at this point.
00:41:43.730 --> 00:41:43.840
I,
00:41:44.637 --> 00:41:44.777
And
00:41:44.909 --> 00:41:46.309
I think that's, that's that's growth
00:41:46.737 --> 00:41:47.567
Yeah, right?
00:41:47.597 --> 00:41:55.556
And, my niece, she wants to be a designer and she's 17, so I'm like, wow, like my little protege.
00:41:56.007 --> 00:42:04.936
I have like, you know, the next generation and, we gotta keep that hope because what else don't have that, you know?
00:42:05.762 --> 00:42:06.492
Yeah, that's dope.
00:42:06.532 --> 00:42:13.811
That's dope that you're, the, like, what you're doing is feeding the mind of, of your niece, like right now.
00:42:13.811 --> 00:42:21.211
She's like picking up on some of the things, and you probably have had a conversation that you didn't even realize probably stuck with her, right?
00:42:21.242 --> 00:42:26.452
And so that's really cool to hear, that going on.
00:42:26.472 --> 00:42:30.711
Yeah, I, I have some of that in my world as well, with my nephew.
00:42:30.711 --> 00:42:33.862
He wants to be a clothing designer.
00:42:35.561 --> 00:42:40.141
Yeah, he wants to be a designer, and So he's r- he's, he has a couple m- pieces of merch.
00:42:40.342 --> 00:42:44.181
for those that follow our social media, you probably have seen me wear some of the merch.
00:42:44.722 --> 00:42:55.112
I don't understand, the, the, the, the fabrics and the choice of, of colors and all that stuff, but I'm like,"Hey, I'm gonna rock it for him."
00:42:55.655 --> 00:42:56.025
Oh
00:42:56.342 --> 00:42:57.641
and so I definitely do that.
00:42:57.661 --> 00:42:58.592
I just, uh...
00:42:59.311 --> 00:43:02.512
It's a little bit outside of my element, the stuff that he wears.
00:43:02.672 --> 00:43:03.351
I mean, it makes sense.
00:43:03.351 --> 00:43:05.291
He's, he's, he's a teenager, so.
00:43:06.961 --> 00:43:11.632
but yeah, that, that, that's dope to hear, and then, what?
00:43:11.632 --> 00:43:12.782
There was one more question.
00:43:12.831 --> 00:43:13.831
Oh, the big question.
00:43:13.842 --> 00:43:16.192
Well, not the biggest question, but one of the big questions now.
00:43:16.192 --> 00:43:27.771
With all the tools we have now from a creative perspective, AI, what does it do for your process, and what do you feel like AI can't do
00:43:28.490 --> 00:43:29.130
Hmm.
00:43:29.130 --> 00:43:29.141
Ah,
00:43:29.302 --> 00:43:29.802
for you?
00:43:31.021 --> 00:43:32.840
I this question.
00:43:34.030 --> 00:43:39.021
so I feel like with AI, I use it more as, like, the resource.
00:43:39.431 --> 00:43:43.521
Some people just rely on it for everything, and it's like they just forget.
00:43:43.751 --> 00:44:04.490
After a while, it's like if you're not using a certain muscle, especially in your brain, it's like,"Oh, I'm gonna forget how to write or do, like, the simplest things." And people abuse of you Music It's like,"Hey, I'm just gonna use AI for everything," where It's gonna use AI for everything things kind of just sound the same when everyone's doing that.
00:44:04.731 --> 00:44:12.061
and I know for one of my one of my episodes for, season season two, one of the plot...
00:44:12.081 --> 00:44:20.286
Well, I guess one of the themes is gonna be Is gonna be about why everything looks the same, and of I like AI like is AI is pushing that,
00:44:20.545 --> 00:44:20.976
Mm.
00:44:21.271 --> 00:44:21.891
concept.
00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:29.686
'Cause when Cause when you look at things, you back in back in the day in, the'90s, 2000s, things were just were just very, very very different.
00:44:29.925 --> 00:44:30.525
They were aesthetically.
00:44:30.701 --> 00:44:35.045
had We had the free Gay, arrow, things were futuristic.
00:44:35.630 --> 00:44:52.664
growing up, you know, I was watching Aaliyah music videos all the time, TLC, and they were They were pushing that, Afrofuturism, um, which I which I love, and I just thought by now, like the 2020s, 2030s, we'd all be all be wearing, suits like, suits and, like, chrome stuff, stuff, you know?
00:44:52.744 --> 00:44:52.764
Yeah.
00:44:53.610 --> 00:45:02.621
But we're all just kind of just, you know, just kind of going back to Y2K, and I feel like they are kind of pushing that, back'cause it's different now.
00:45:03.621 --> 00:45:11.181
it's just pretty This is pretty interesting to, to see how, things Things are again, they just all look the same because of AI.
00:45:12.030 --> 00:45:20.711
But for me and For me in my process, I, I do use AI, and it saves a lot of time, but again, it saves a lot of time, but again, I just use it for resources.
00:45:20.751 --> 00:45:26.981
if I if I have the idea, I'm just trying to like, what I can see, like, what I can for details, how I can support my idea,
00:45:27.617 --> 00:45:28.237
Hmm.
00:45:28.237 --> 00:45:28.277
how it
00:45:28.277 --> 00:45:31.367
can articulate it better for people to
00:45:31.452 --> 00:45:31.807
understand.
00:45:31.807 --> 00:45:32.307
Got it.
00:45:32.307 --> 00:45:32.728
Got it.
00:45:33.338 --> 00:45:34.458
Okay, that makes sense.
00:45:34.458 --> 00:45:35.177
But you're...
00:45:36.157 --> 00:45:37.438
There was something important in there.
00:45:37.438 --> 00:45:53.137
You're giving it, you're always giving it that initial thought and not telling it to like go out and like,"Hey, synthesize some thoughts for me." Which to your point, like we're, we're seeing that now where folks are just saying,"Hey, like give me, give me 25 posts
00:45:53.670 --> 00:45:54.141
Mm-hmm.
00:45:54.277 --> 00:45:54.777
topic.
00:45:54.818 --> 00:45:59.088
Like just give them to me, craft it for me, and I'm just gonna post it." Right?
00:46:00.237 --> 00:46:02.297
yeah, I, I understand what you're saying there.
00:46:02.945 --> 00:46:03.414
Yeah,
00:46:03.438 --> 00:46:04.038
definitely
00:46:05.065 --> 00:46:11.664
But, but I am excited and I feel like with AI, like the, the AI bubble is popping right now.
00:46:11.664 --> 00:46:13.704
You heard what happened with Sora AI.
00:46:14.494 --> 00:46:27.574
So some things or, or some people they are trying to push back on certain things, but I, I feel like it's very important to bring back a lot of traditional, sources.
00:46:27.985 --> 00:46:33.764
especially with the with the kids now, everyone is, is, know, on the on the all the time.
00:46:34.255 --> 00:46:36.690
People aren't reading like real all the time.
00:46:36.699 --> 00:46:37.380
anymore.
00:46:37.639 --> 00:46:38.230
even with some
00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:38.599
People aren't reading like real
00:46:38.599 --> 00:46:38.619
books anymore.
00:46:38.619 --> 00:46:38.630
Mm-hmm.
00:46:38.875 --> 00:46:40.344
they don't even use textbooks.
00:46:41.014 --> 00:46:41.824
they're not writing.
00:46:42.255 --> 00:46:44.635
They're using the computer for everything.
00:46:44.655 --> 00:46:49.034
So spell checks, you know, grammar, all of that.
00:46:49.684 --> 00:46:52.831
I just remember I just remember like learning in arts, you arts, had had
00:46:52.831 --> 00:46:56.831
the
00:46:57.434 --> 00:47:01.605
when-- if you would ask anyone that question now, would they even know what that is?
00:47:02.081 --> 00:47:03.552
direct object and, Mm-hmm...prepositional phrases and it's like when-- if you would ask anyone that question Yeah, they would not n- they would not know.
00:47:04.092 --> 00:47:18.972
they th-they're not, they're, they're definitely not, they're not teaching them on that path, and then subsequently, right, nobody is thinking along those lines as well in terms of the way they even like flesh out an idea.
00:47:19.498 --> 00:47:19.938
Hmm.
00:47:20.161 --> 00:47:21.032
no more like...
00:47:21.112 --> 00:47:31.371
You know I, I majored in math, so it's like math and sciences was like a big, the big part of the, the curriculum was like how do you like build out hypothesis tests, right?
00:47:31.371 --> 00:47:34.512
Like how do you say,"Hey, here's what we think the norm is?
00:47:34.512 --> 00:47:40.532
Here's how, here's how I test it, and here's how I'm able to like tweak and like come up with moving forward.
00:47:40.532 --> 00:47:44.461
Here's how I can make a, a judgment call," Right.
00:47:44.472 --> 00:47:45.961
i-in, in certain situations.
00:47:45.981 --> 00:47:48.251
They're not even really like thinking about...
00:47:48.842 --> 00:48:07.271
I can't remember the last time I talked to somebody and they were like,"Hey, I have this hypothesis test or this thing, this idea I wanna test about XYZ." Like I can't remember the last time I was really in a conversation with somebody and they were really talking about testing and just being creative and throwing, kinda throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.
00:48:07.782 --> 00:48:19.751
it's more so like let me throw it at the robot and the robot will tell me what should be expected to stick on the wall, which is a little weird to me, where we're at, but I digress.
00:48:19.782 --> 00:48:22.061
I don't wanna get on my AI, soapbox.
00:48:22.922 --> 00:48:27.331
but I appreciate you really laying out a couple, things in there for people to consider.
00:48:27.802 --> 00:48:39.782
Again, starting with your own thoughts, you feeding the AI first, and then where there's efficiencies that make your process better, certainly use it, but don't let that necessarily be replacing your brain.
00:48:40.431 --> 00:48:41.001
Um- Right
00:48:41.300 --> 00:48:41.481
Yeah.
00:48:41.481 --> 00:48:41.561
'Cause
00:48:41.601 --> 00:48:42.271
you know, that's-
00:48:42.451 --> 00:48:44.891
to abuse it and just be like,"Oh, I'm, I'm lazy.
00:48:44.891 --> 00:48:52.050
I don't feel like doing this, so I'm just gonna have them do all the work." And kinda lose that creativity and
00:48:52.161 --> 00:48:52.541
Eh
00:48:53.340 --> 00:48:54.010
look the same
00:48:55.215 --> 00:49:05.876
So, I appreciate you, Sunny, for, for giving us a breakdown of your, your, your journey before s- starting Sunny Aesthetics and now where you're at.
00:49:06.255 --> 00:49:16.976
I'm excited, for the podcast, but let the folks know, like what's the best way, to tap in, with your brand and anything you have coming up for the new year.
00:49:17.255 --> 00:49:21.496
like you mentioned the podcast, I know you got some other amazing things in the works, so let folks know
00:49:22.240 --> 00:49:23.610
Yes, I'm excited.
00:49:23.661 --> 00:49:29.550
So you guys can check out my website, www.sunnysex.com.
00:49:29.981 --> 00:49:31.570
Check out all the pages.
00:49:31.601 --> 00:49:35.960
I have the blogs, and the podcast on there.
00:49:37.001 --> 00:49:41.451
so season two should be coming out in May, so stay tuned for that.
00:49:44.577 --> 00:49:45.478
so appreciate that.
00:49:45.788 --> 00:49:47.597
last thought, I'm gonna pass it to you.
00:49:47.608 --> 00:50:01.597
Again, thank you for coming on the platform, but the last thought is after people hear this conversation again, a lot of the people that tap in with our brand, they're business owners themselves, small business owners going through it, trying to scale their business, or they're folks that are on the fence.
00:50:01.597 --> 00:50:04.898
They're thinking about starting that business, thinking about jumping off that cliff.
00:50:05.427 --> 00:50:15.717
But what do you want, folks to, think differently about when it comes to telling their story after hearing this conversation?
00:50:15.788 --> 00:50:21.487
Like, what should they, should they be doing tomorrow for sure in terms of s- telling their story that they may not be doing today?
00:50:22.217 --> 00:50:23.097
You gonna close us out.
00:50:23.097 --> 00:50:24.018
You closing us out
00:50:26.123 --> 00:50:26.317
I guess...
00:50:30.367 --> 00:50:32.797
Hmm, that's a really good question.
00:50:34.556 --> 00:50:34.836
Hmm.
00:50:36.157 --> 00:50:39.356
I think you should hire a creative director.
00:50:39.356 --> 00:50:39.847
I'm kidding.
00:50:41.967 --> 00:50:49.987
I think you guys should really think about what your, what your brand is, why, why it's unique, why it's different.
00:50:50.746 --> 00:50:54.237
really think about that, and really think really think about ways how you're gonna explain your story, in a, in a good way.
00:50:54.286 --> 00:50:59.436
Ways how you're gonna explain your story, in a, in a good way.
00:51:00.436 --> 00:51:03.556
And I guess just I guess just be yourself, you know?
00:51:03.597 --> 00:51:06.586
Like,'cause no one else can be you, so that's one way you can be
00:51:06.902 --> 00:51:08.684
cause no one else can be you.
00:51:08.684 --> 00:51:09.079
so that's one way you can be different Mm-hmm.
00:51:09.079 --> 00:51:31.739
I like that, and that goes back to your original point earlier in the episode where you're talking about, authenticity and, like, bringing that into the conversation and not necessarily feeling like you, you have to, reshape yourself to the platform that you're on, whether you're on a professional social network or, you know, a much more creative and open, expressive social network.
00:51:31.769 --> 00:51:36.619
Like, there still should be elements, and the main element should really be you and your authenticity.
00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:39.099
So I appreciate you closing us out on that, Sunny.
00:51:39.389 --> 00:51:40.719
Thank you for coming on the platform.
00:51:40.719 --> 00:51:43.920
You know I'm gonna be checking in on the podcast whenever that's ready.
00:51:44.559 --> 00:51:56.579
for those listening, every stream counts, and so, when Sunny releases that new season, make sure you, stream all of season two, and then while you're at it, for now, go ahead and listen to all of season one.
00:51:56.659 --> 00:51:59.219
Again, every stream counts for podcasters.
00:51:59.619 --> 00:52:01.820
But thank you so much for coming on the platform, Sunny.
00:52:01.820 --> 00:52:02.769
It's been a pleasure.
00:52:03.119 --> 00:52:08.750
I'm definitely gonna f- be figuring out how I can bring you on to what we're doing at Beyond Normal Media as a creative director.
00:52:08.960 --> 00:52:09.541
Yes
00:52:09.719 --> 00:52:21.880
you a little bit about my, my, lack of enthusiasm when picking colors and th- different things and fonts like that, and so I could tell, just the way that you think, you would add a ton of value for us.
00:52:21.880 --> 00:52:23.460
But thank you for coming on the platform.
00:52:23.860 --> 00:52:26.050
Looking forward to, supporting in the future.
00:52:26.400 --> 00:52:31.969
And for those checking us out, thanks for listening and tuning in to another great episode of the Beyond Normal Podcast.
00:52:32.289 --> 00:52:32.730
Peace
00:52:32.864 --> 00:52:34.505
Y'all, thank you.
00:52:34.704 --> 00:52:35.565
Nice meeting y'all.
00:52:35.764 --> 00:52:36.315
Hope to see you soon