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Speaker 1: Welcome to my show Money Making Conversation Masterclass. I'm your host with Sean McDonald. I recognized that we all have different definition of success. For you, it may be the size of your paycheck. Mine is helping or inspiring people to develop a plan to reach their dreams. It's time to stop reading other people's success stories really and start writing your own. It's really about you. You can only exceed expectations by believing in yourself. People always talking about purpose or gifts you he you read it and see it all the time on social media. If you have a gift, leave with your gift and don't let your friends, family, especially co workers stop you from planning or living your dream. My guest is Don Benjamin. He's an actor, model, producer, and recording artist. He got his start in Hollywood, as they say, the Big Age Hollywood, by being selected as a contestant in America's Next Top Model. This kicked off a very busy TV career with appearances on Scared Famous, While They and Out, Growing Up, Hip Hop and One Ten, among others. Most recently done, co Creative executive produced and Start in the Future film not the one in the Features. It was just currently streaming on Amazon Plus, Sword and BT plus. Please work with the Money Making Conversation Masterclass, my man, the one on Don Benjamin. How you doing brother? Going on? Man, thank you for having me? You just done? Okay? First of all, you know, let's just get the elephant out of the room. You're good looking, dude. You're a good looking dude. Man. Come on, let let's go, come on, let's go be real man, because I'll tell you something. Man. I was. I was. I was young like you. Man. I'm telling someone. I go into the club, Doug and I was working it. I was working it. Did somebody like you coming to club done? Oh boy? I was mad as heck with a Don benchman walked in the club, man, Because I bring that up because you know, if you talk about that in your book, you talk about that club life, running in there with your boys, telling everybody you with little Wayne, management, record artists and all that stuff. Because that young life, man, it's really uh when you think about it. When you look back. I look back at my life, I go so a lot of it was stupid, but a lot of it was just done spontaneously, and you write about it in your book because you know, sometimes it's a blur. Yeah, it's it's a blur, you know. And then that that blur. And I think that when you started writing a book, the book kind of gave you some clarity because you start remembering things you actually forgot talk about. Yeah, I mean, you know, I feel like a lot of times it is a blur. We're just moving and pattern, we're moving in habit and we don't even realize what we're doing until. You know, a lot of times it takes something in life to kind of shake you up, and then you got to kind of take a look at how you've been maneuvering. And for me, you know, I was shaking up, and I was like, do I like how I was maneuvering? Do I like certain things that I was doing is just leading me to the man that I really want to be? Um, you know. And and sometimes this happens for people in their twenties, thirties, forties, sixties, you know. But for me, it happened in my early thirties, and and you know, I was just kind of looking at the way I was maneuver and I felt like I was just maneuvering out of generational curses. I was maneuvering based off of things that I had seen around me, and I didn't really like some of the things I was doing. And uh, you know when you're in your twenties and you're like, oh, this is all fun and games, but a lot of people don't know how to break and transition. And I feel like life is about chapters and and you have to know how to move into a chapter that's gonna better yourself instead of just doing the same thing continuously. And so for me, you know, writing My Truth, I was able to kind of reflect on things that I did like about myself and things that I did not like about myself, and you know what I can do to amp up the things that I do like about myself and change up some things that I didn't like about myself and and start to try new things. And so it was the for me writing it was like a therapy session in itself. Uh, you know, because I was able to like really you know, reflecting and grow and and and now hold myself accountable to be this person, you know what I mean, And so um, it's really it was really a powerful time of my life and really really transforming. For sure. I'm talking to Don Benjamin this book and with discussion right now, it's called My Truth. It is an honest um all this storytelling, you know when you're talking about it, because sometimes when you do these type of books, this is a memoir type book because is his story, it's documented evidence, and you gotta go and verify stuff and say, did you know don Yeah, knew dog? Did you party with dog? Y'all party with dog? Did you date done? Y'all dated dog? That's what I mean is when you start talking to My Truth. But it's in this story that that you start realizing that, you know, you may have been a jerk that part of the book, when you say that publicly, it's almost because the person that you may have been a jerk too. And I'm not saying that a negative manner, because we all have done things were all kind of jerkish when you think about our lives, because we we get selfish, you know, we get selfish, we don't think about ourselves, and your conversation is about moving past that. Correct on. Yeah, and for me, you know, uh, when I was dealing with you know, I dealt with a pretty public breakup with my with my girlfriend at the time, my fiance at the time. And you know what, once we broke up, I was able to look back and be like, damn, you know I I may be a good person, I may do good things for people, and I work hard, but every relationship, you know, I've messed up on my girls, and I've continue these same patterns. And I look around and you know, you're getting pats on the back for being this so called playboy and player and you out. And for me, I was like looking for a piece of you know, guidance. And you know, I was thankful enough to have Devon Franklin and my corner and Tony Gaskin's and Terray Robertson, and these are guys who are strong black male figures who speak about overcoming generational curses and triumphs and in the temptation of our flesh. But I didn't see anybody like in my you know, my core age bracket or in the industry per se the bon Franklin like really talking about how to be a young, faithful black man in the midst of it all, how to how to um you know, break generational curses, talking about counseling and therapy and and making it seem okay for men to be vulnerable and all these and so for me, I was like, damn, I don't got nowhere to go find it. Let me, let me put my my truths onto the paper and hopes that the younger generation following me can have something, you know what I mean, Because I was like, where where do I go? Like you see people break up all the time in the media, but you don't see if they You don't see what steps they take took to fix things, like did they start? Did they get back together and keep doing the same thing? Like what happened? We don't really see that, you know what I mean? Like everything is all pictures and cream in the in the limelight, but you don't see like the work that people are really putting in to build themselves up behind the behind the lights. So for me, I wanted to do that and hopes it Um I can now hold myself accountable, but it hopes that I reached the young men following behind me or even women that may be looking for some words from men, you know what I mean, right, Because it's just it's a conversation because sometimes women could blame themselves for the fairly relationship and the fairy relationship is just that guy had issues that he's not even willing to deal with it, like in your case. You talk about it in your book My Truth, which is really good reader read the book and ever get to read a lot of books done, and there's always at that point of view I always look for, and that the point of view I take away from your book by Truth is honesty. I take away honesty to take away a lot of regret, a lot of regret in your tone, and then a recovery and then I can do better and I will do better. Those are the things I take away, especially the I can do better, I will do better part, And that's returning to your faith. Talk about that, yeah, man, I mean, you know, I've always been a strong believer in God. My mother kept me in church. But I feel like I feel like what happens is where like one ft in one ft out where it's like, you know, I'm gonna go to church, I'm gonna be prayed up, I'm gonna do these things good, but I can tippy toe over here, you know what I mean. And for me, it was like, you know, I gotta be all in with my faith, with the way I'm maneuver and with everything, and so, um, you know, I try to speak on that in my book. I try to speak on that publicly. Um, you know, I wouldn't be where I am today without faith, without belief, without God, and so uh, I think that. I think that really leads me. And I just wanted to make that known as well, not only in my book, but I try to keep that known and like my daily my daily practices in the way I'm aneuver. We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rushan McDonald. Now, let's return to Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rashan McDonald. I measure it this because you know, faith is a lot of people go out on faith. People talk about faith that journey, okay, and you're talking to you know, you pray it up. Your mom made sure that God was a part of your life. So faith had a early stage of being an instrument to your pan. When did you feel that, Well, I guess the question I'm trying to ask this like when do you ignore faith? And then when you you know, because in life is there or or when you was living it you were just living it because you were told to and that understanding why you should be done. I think I think it's it's more so where it's like it's like I always have faith right that I'm gonna be successful, that whatever, like everything that I go that I want in this life I can have. I always have had faith that, like even when the downtimes, like like when I lost my father, I have faith that, you know, everything is to be okay, there's a reason why he passed. Like I've always had strong faith. But I feel like a lot of people get it twisted because they're like, oh, well, I have faith, but you're not doing the work to align with the faith, you know what I mean. Like, I can have all the faith I want in the world, but if I'm not, if I'm not eating right, I'm still probably gonna get something, get sick, you know what I mean. I could have all faith in the world, but if I'm not out here working towards my dreams, I'm not gonna make no money, you know what I mean. I could have all the faith in the world, but if I'm cheating on my wife, eventually she's gonna find out and we're gonna separate. So like a lot of times people get it twisted where they're like, oh, well I got faith, but what's the work that you're putting into align with the faith. And so for me, a lot of times I have faith, but there would be times where I wasn't putting in type of work you would marry them together, you wouldn't marry the faith. What you say is what you say is in the Bible, you know exactly, yea and so and you know and and you know a lot of a lot of I mean a lot of people fall victim to it because we're not really taught it and even like even some churches don't teach it to a full extent. And you know, like so like when when I took the time to read my or write my book, I started reading a ton of books like I probably I mean for me, I never read really at all. So I think I read like damn their sixty books that year. Um, you know, I did a lot of studying, a lot of watching a lot of videos, audio books, talking to people, um, just really stepping outside of what I thought I knew about myself and about life to really like learn new things and and really like transforming. And I feel like there there needs to be or more people doing that. You know, a lot of people get stuck in and what they think they know, and they wake up one day and they're like, damn, I never really took the time to learn myself and change things that I didn't like about myself. And so I really encouraged that man. And and and it's crazy because like I feel like an old soul, like I'm thirty five, but sometimes I would be feeling like I'm a lot older. I mean, that's all right, that's all right, that's all right. Don't you know what I will tell you this man, you know, is that you know I'm older than you. And uh, but some of your stories are very similar to my youth, you know. Um, all right, My relationship with my dad was you know, I respected my father. You know, he worked every day, he put food on the table. I have six sisters and two other brothers, so I was the oldest person that was this male figure in the house outside of my father. So I had to learn everything. And so I learned it in the streets with my friends. And I felt that, you know, part of manhood was being sexual women, you know, and uh, and that part and that that's that that comes very clear in your book. You know, it's part of in our mind. If we're not taught right, if we're not have a clear understanding of the role of a woman in a man's life, then it's sets. And so I want to tell you that to say that you know, we all grow the keys. You growing, and you're growing, and you understand that that's not the purpose of a relationship. The purpose of relationship is communication. The purpose of relationship is respect conversed. Purpose of relationship is love. And that's really what it all amounts to. And that's where when I go through your book, I see that, I see that was that was that intentional that order or you were just just pouring your heart out and done and just letting us all here it out and then being honest with us. No, it definitely, it definitely wasn't intentional, because I think that was one of the biggest points is like you know, for men, like right, like once we turn a certain ages, it's all about how many girls you got, you know, like all he got a girlfriend, All you got three girlfriends now? And you know what I'm saying. And then your boys are like, what girls are you talking to? And and it's this this thing and now we've created as a man to where it's like your stature kind of it is based off of how many girls you're getting and how much sex you're having, you know what I mean. And so it's like you said, that's not really built off of oh, do you gotta solid are you building to build an empire with this woman? And and you know, mutual like mutual respect and all these things. And so for me it was me pour my heart out, but also yes, definitely me trying to aligne these things up to show like this is not really like what we think we know is not what we really know majority of the time. Let me just question Don talking to Don Benjamin's book. We'll talk about the other things he has a scared Caroline. What else We're gonna talk about the movie that's on Amazon, the BT plus called North of the ten Um. You know, with social media and you see women, you know, posing bikinis, you know, these are individuals. These used to be back in the day. You see them featured in skin magazines like Playboy and Penthouse. I'm not saying they're that extreme online, but suddenly they're they're they're they're scantly clad and so when you look at what we're just talking about, men looking at a woman for not her body, not sexual is women doing a disservice on social media when we're trying to get to know them, we're constantly being their body is being constantly thrown in our faces by them, right right. I mean it definitely, It definitely don't help, you know what I mean. But it's crazy because like if you look back to it, like sexuality and women showing their sexuality has been since day one, you know what I mean, you need, But I feel like I feel like ultimately what comes down to it is is knowing ourselves and controlling our flesh because of are like women. A lot of times, the women that are doing that, once you really sit down with them and get to know them, they're they're dealing with so much like deep deeper rooted issues within themselves that that's the only way that they can, you know, bring validation for themselves where they need. They're showing their through their sexuality because they're lacking other validation. And so you know, everybody's dealing with their own fights and struggles. And for men, we're looking at you because we're already like sexualized really you you're trying to lure us in because you think that that's going to lure in a relationship. Were really And it's a continued cycle that it's flawed, you know what I mean. And social media definitely adds to uh. It can benefit a lot of things, but it has a lot of issues to life, you know what I mean with the sexualized everything is so sexual base nowadays. Everything is makes it seem like you don't have to work hard to get what you want, you know, more like it's there's so many things that go into social media that make life hard, which is why so many kids nowadays are dealing with depression and an anxiety because they feel like they gotta keep up with you know, these girls are fourteen, thirteen, fourteen feeling like they have to sexualize themselves because they see it on social media. Everybody feels like they gotta be rappers and and have big chains and the nicest cars at fifteen because they see everybody doing it on social media. And so you know that, I guess that's a whole another topic in itself. You get you just give me, you get me locked in on that. The producer to me was in my head going this point talking about a TV series right there, talking about a documentary right there, a whole it's a whole nother lame. But yes, I guess the long story short, the sexualization definitely does not help with a man because you know, we see a woman and we think like it's it's it's like our mind goes there right away, right And if you ain't, and if you ain't, and if you don't know how to, if you're not working on yourself and you don't know how to control your yourself and your flesh, you're gonna gonna fall victim right away. Understand that I don't want understand in the book too long, because I know I want to talk about a couple of the subjects. You know, just just skin, caroline, spray and go. You know what I'm saying, So tell us about that, Mr doun Benjamin. You know what's funny is when I got in a relationship, like I never thought about skincare before, Like I would just wash my face with asso. You need to stuff right there, man, I need to I need to come through the screen at you. You know, brother, see what I'm saying, see this just right here, just God's work. You know, I have to worry about that I use so I just put water on this face work. But as I started to get older, you know what I mean, and I started up see what my girl was doing, to realize like there's actually stuff that's gonna help you age better and stuff like that, I started, you know, I started doing stuff with her and she had me do the face masks, cleansing, all these things. But I'm still like, yo, this is a lot, like this is too much going on. And so I was like, I still want to take care of my skin, and you know, I go to the stores or brands with semi stuff, but it's still a lot of steps. And so for me, I was like, well, what can I create that already like that would blend into a man's life easily or maybe make women's life easier. And so for me, I was like we we you know, like a spray on, a spray on skincare line would be super efficient, super easy, you don't gotta think too much about it. And then just two steps. So I was literally like a serum that helps with aging, that helps with anti aging, and a moisturizer that just keeps your skin, you know, hydrated, throughout the day. It's really I felt like all a lot of people need I feel like don't need a lot of steps. So I was like, how can I create a line that will make your life easier. So it's literally like a two two steps spray on skincare routine is like as easy as it can get, right, And so I came up with Lave and it literally has a spray for the anti aging, and it has a spray to keep you hydrated and you just go about your day. Man, We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rushan McDonald. Now, let's return to Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rushan McDonald. See see, I might have to buy something, you know what I'm saying. I might have to go there. Mr. You look you look good. You look you look in your thirties too. You know you know, Lave may be made for me, brother, because I'll be I've bean now, I got I go in my my, my, my restroom. I got all kinds of stuff sitting back there making people nervous. You know, you're like to fire my restue. It might blow up there. I mean I didn't need me some lay, brother, just to move some of that stuff off my counter. We don't have to get you something sent over there. Seriously, man, because because because as a kid, man, I understood you know, you know it just kids, you have your pimples and all that stuff, and understood you know, cold and warm water, washing soap, you know, and all of you know, all these skins because black people naturally have all these skin and things like that. So I find what you're doing is very relatable. So even as I got old, there was always about skin care. It's always marsterizing, you know, I stand out in the sun and things like that. So the fact that you you know, the reality is, especially with black people, we always try to figure out how to do it better but quicker, and if you have a philosophy here that you put in place that I'm laughing about it, but I'm very seriously because I got several things I got, you know, I got that, I got the you know, the the the skin brightener, then the brightener that stops us brightening. And then I got the lost arise, and then I got to wipe off you know, I put this on before you go to be, and put this on when you wake up, you know, It's like sometime I just man, look, look, look, look, I'm just gonna do this and and whatever. Help don't work. I'm cool because that's what you're saying. You gonna spread the cerum on. You let us, You're gonna spread your moisturizer on, and you're gonna go about your night. You're gonna go to sleep, you gonna wake up, spread the moisturizer on and go hey brother, I'm buying. I'm buying, okay, Benjamin, I' because that's what my life needs. Now. What age group? Are you talking in? The age group there? Or you know that for you for this line, or you're saying making the available say you're just trying to open up, because I would say if he pacifically go after some group, at least you can start understanding how to sell to him. How are you marking in it? I mean it's more so you know, twenties and up. Uh. But at the end of the day, it's like I don't feel like I don't feel like There's the thing is when you're um, when you're breaking into like you know a lot of teenagers and they're having breakouts. Uh, like this skin care isn't technically like a um, like a proactive you know what I'm saying, it's for that. It's more so for aging right now. Like the serum we have has a marshmallow roots extra extract and the serum that helps with like anti aging. It tightens the skin under that and uh um and the moisturizer keeps you hydrated. But the beautiful thing is I would love to expand as the brand grows and maybe be able to help some things for teenagers, you know, maybe get some kind of ingredients that do help um the breakouts and stuff like that. But right now it's more so helping with people who are you know, you're waking up and you and you're like, you know what, I want to make sure I'm taking care of my skin now before I start to get older and start to see all these wrinkles come in more of a preventative, you know what I mean. And and maybe if you are seeing some wrinkles and you on your skin is tighten up a little bit, um your eyes are around the eyes area, you start to use this serum and whatnot. So yeah, it's definitely not really like teenagers can use it. It's not harmful to anybody. There's no harmful ingredients. But it's more so it's more so about making people's life easy and introducing them to skincare in an easy way to where you don't gotta overthink it, you know what I mean. Let's talk because I really just you know, just hear some ideas about this. And first of all, I think it's a fantastic idea because you know, my whole brain is I just start marketing immediately, you know, because I know that, you know, my my age group, skin care is as it's an issue tightening under their eyes and all that. It's something we see on TV just marketed to thirty five, the fifty five, that age group right there, they need that. They want that. They're fighting to stay young. They're fighting to get back to their twenties. The fifties a fighting to get back to their forties, you know, the fortes, a fight to get back to their thirties. So so if you have time later on, man, want to hit me up and talk about it, because I feel you have a great idea and I always like to get involved with projects that personally impact me. That way, I can talk about it from an organic and authentic standpoint and we start talking about marketing and branding. This right here here told with me on a big way, and I wish you much much good luck. But before we go, I want to talk about North of the Ten on Amazon b T plus. You know, because when I when I brought you own, it was modeling, it was acting, recording artists, you know, then producer, which is really where we all want to go because in fact, you're controlling your voice and also you're you're actually running things. Talk about it, you know, it's funny, um coming from from Minnesota, and like in Minnesota people you go to school, you get a nine or five job, you have some kids, you have a family, and that's pretty much life, you know what I mean. And so for me, I never really wanted that life. And then when I came to California, I seem like you can literally do whatever you want on in l A and it's in the world. And so for me, you know, I've always been a creative person. Uh like I've always been in the arts. I've always been into me music and film, and so I came to l A when I was nineteen to pursue acting and music. And so when the modeling took off when I went on America's Next Top Model, UM, and it blew me up as a as a fashion model. I still my passion was acting in film, right, And so for me, um, you know, I was with agents, I was auditioning for different projects. I would get little roles here and there, but it was never anything substantial or anything that I wanted to do. And so for me, I was like, man, I'm gonna create my own movie. Like I'm not gonna wait for nobody else to tell me what I can and can't do. I've been doing everything else on my own, So I'm gonna create my own movies. And so I got with my writing partner, Braxton Smith, and uh, North of the Ten. We kind of wrote kind of about my life, like moving to l A. Uh you know, I was living in a one bedroom with five of my buddies in Inglewood, California, and you know, faking it till you make it, lying and acting like we're bigger than what we really already getting notoriety and getting the parties and and meet people and uh. And so the movie was kind of like a fairytale based off my real life. Like I was born in the Midwest, and I was born in Chicago moved to l As when the film. It was about me and my buddies living in Chicago trying to make it to Hollywood, which is north of the Tin. Hollywood is north of the Tin Freeway, so trying to make it to Hollywood from Chicago and then you know, getting caught up in your lives while trying to make it. And so it was a comedy kind of picking fund at my life, but also kind of like, you know, a motivational story showing a journey of brotherhood, uh sticking true to your dreams and whatnot. And so I was blessed enough to UM align with my brother Ryan Lamar, who helped me produce the film um and and BT got behind the film and helped us launch it, and so it is on BT Plus, it's on Amazon Prime right now. But it's a really it's a feel good movie. It's a fun movie. I play aspiring model who uh is trying to make it and I end up meeting a young lady who ends up being an heiress to a uh um somebody over in and Abu Dhabi. And you know me, if you find ourselves trying to fight I love after life for this girl, making it seem like I'm something bigger than I really a big ball of dollars. Okay, that right, I wake up, We over and we can go way from Chicago. Man, it's a fun movie. It's a fun movie and it has some fun to it and some motivation to it. So I definitely encourage everybody to go check it out. Um and it's great responses. Something thankful for all the responses should be the link to trailer. I'll dropped it in my newsletter. You know and support this. You know when you said north to the TENN you talked about I ten freeway, I know that freeway, brother Iday coach to coach. Okay, I thought I thought coming up. I thought coming to l A was Hollywood's. I didn't realize if you south of the ten, you end up in South Central, you up in Inglewood. I live years by Fred I do exactly everything you're talking about. You're not confusing me. Yeah, man Chester, all those famous streets over there, bubble but a kid. I'm glad. I'm glad we got to talk to him because, Man, I'll tell you, Man enjoyed this conversation. You know, I've always seen you from Afar, and I always feel like to talk to young brothers like you, Man, because I would say, you my future. You know, I've just what I've done in my life. Man, hopefully has made an opportunity for you to do your dreams and build your dreams and live your dreams. In a book like this is really inspirational because I saw myself in it and I was a to term my life around. I was that person like you running in the club chasing out the women, disrespectful because not disrespectful because I was being disrespectful. It was the way I was taught to think. Nobody told me anything different. And then one day I woke up and I became a better man. And you are a better man. And the fact that you're an entrepreneur, the fact of your movie producer you you moved on from just that title of ap model and an actor. You're now you know you're an entrepreneur and those are things are important. And I just wanted to say, Man, as we close out this interview, good luck Man, because you have a friend here that would support you. Give me the trailer so I can support your movies and get more more downloads. More views to your brand and more likes. How about that a few more followers. Huh, I appreciate you. I'll definitely I'll send it and we'll definitely talk more about the skin Cabran too. Absolutely, I'm serious about that, man, because like I said, uh, you know, when things are natural to me, man, I just that feels very natural to me. I see it on commercials and uh, you gotta you gotta big enough of a brand, and uh we about three or four ideas popped out of this interview. Don't forget that little documentary you know that you did you do out in front of me. You know, I'm saying that bad boy had me fired up there. So that's a documentary right there, because we're dealing with that. We're dealing with that, and so things are authentic when you stay on the right path. But again, thank you done for finding the time to talk to talk to this the whole guy man, Talk to this the whole guy man. Okay, I'm trying to talk up as much game and wisdom man, So I appreciate you as well. We'll definitely staying staying all right, don be careful, Mary, talk soon. It's his book. Don bensment my truth. He's a winner. Brother, he is at one of us sisters.
Speaker 1: Welcome to my show Money Making Conversation Masterclass. I'm your host with Sean McDonald. I recognized that we all have different definition of success. For you, it may be the size of your paycheck. Mine is helping or inspiring people to develop a plan to reach their dreams. It's time to stop reading other people's success stories really and start writing your own. It's really about you. You can only exceed expectations by believing in yourself. People always talking about purpose or gifts you he you read it and see it all the time on social media. If you have a gift, leave with your gift and don't let your friends, family, especially co workers stop you from planning or living your dream. My guest is Don Benjamin. He's an actor, model, producer, and recording artist. He got his start in Hollywood, as they say, the Big Age Hollywood, by being selected as a contestant in America's Next Top Model. This kicked off a very busy TV career with appearances on Scared Famous, While They and Out, Growing Up, Hip Hop and One Ten, among others. Most recently done, co Creative executive produced and Start in the Future film not the one in the Features. It was just currently streaming on Amazon Plus, Sword and BT plus. Please work with the Money Making Conversation Masterclass, my man, the one on Don Benjamin. How you doing brother? Going on? Man, thank you for having me? You just done? Okay? First of all, you know, let's just get the elephant out of the room. You're good looking, dude. You're a good looking dude. Man. Come on, let let's go, come on, let's go be real man, because I'll tell you something. Man. I was. I was. I was young like you. Man. I'm telling someone. I go into the club, Doug and I was working it. I was working it. Did somebody like you coming to club done? Oh boy? I was mad as heck with a Don benchman walked in the club, man, Because I bring that up because you know, if you talk about that in your book, you talk about that club life, running in there with your boys, telling everybody you with little Wayne, management, record artists and all that stuff. Because that young life, man, it's really uh when you think about it. When you look back. I look back at my life, I go so a lot of it was stupid, but a lot of it was just done spontaneously, and you write about it in your book because you know, sometimes it's a blur. Yeah, it's it's a blur, you know. And then that that blur. And I think that when you started writing a book, the book kind of gave you some clarity because you start remembering things you actually forgot talk about. Yeah, I mean, you know, I feel like a lot of times it is a blur. We're just moving and pattern, we're moving in habit and we don't even realize what we're doing until. You know, a lot of times it takes something in life to kind of shake you up, and then you got to kind of take a look at how you've been maneuvering. And for me, you know, I was shaking up, and I was like, do I like how I was maneuvering? Do I like certain things that I was doing is just leading me to the man that I really want to be? Um, you know. And and sometimes this happens for people in their twenties, thirties, forties, sixties, you know. But for me, it happened in my early thirties, and and you know, I was just kind of looking at the way I was maneuver and I felt like I was just maneuvering out of generational curses. I was maneuvering based off of things that I had seen around me, and I didn't really like some of the things I was doing. And uh, you know when you're in your twenties and you're like, oh, this is all fun and games, but a lot of people don't know how to break and transition. And I feel like life is about chapters and and you have to know how to move into a chapter that's gonna better yourself instead of just doing the same thing continuously. And so for me, you know, writing My Truth, I was able to kind of reflect on things that I did like about myself and things that I did not like about myself, and you know what I can do to amp up the things that I do like about myself and change up some things that I didn't like about myself and and start to try new things. And so it was the for me writing it was like a therapy session in itself. Uh, you know, because I was able to like really you know, reflecting and grow and and and now hold myself accountable to be this person, you know what I mean, And so um, it's really it was really a powerful time of my life and really really transforming. For sure. I'm talking to Don Benjamin this book and with discussion right now, it's called My Truth. It is an honest um all this storytelling, you know when you're talking about it, because sometimes when you do these type of books, this is a memoir type book because is his story, it's documented evidence, and you gotta go and verify stuff and say, did you know don Yeah, knew dog? Did you party with dog? Y'all party with dog? Did you date done? Y'all dated dog? That's what I mean is when you start talking to My Truth. But it's in this story that that you start realizing that, you know, you may have been a jerk that part of the book, when you say that publicly, it's almost because the person that you may have been a jerk too. And I'm not saying that a negative manner, because we all have done things were all kind of jerkish when you think about our lives, because we we get selfish, you know, we get selfish, we don't think about ourselves, and your conversation is about moving past that. Correct on. Yeah, and for me, you know, uh, when I was dealing with you know, I dealt with a pretty public breakup with my with my girlfriend at the time, my fiance at the time. And you know what, once we broke up, I was able to look back and be like, damn, you know I I may be a good person, I may do good things for people, and I work hard, but every relationship, you know, I've messed up on my girls, and I've continue these same patterns. And I look around and you know, you're getting pats on the back for being this so called playboy and player and you out. And for me, I was like looking for a piece of you know, guidance. And you know, I was thankful enough to have Devon Franklin and my corner and Tony Gaskin's and Terray Robertson, and these are guys who are strong black male figures who speak about overcoming generational curses and triumphs and in the temptation of our flesh. But I didn't see anybody like in my you know, my core age bracket or in the industry per se the bon Franklin like really talking about how to be a young, faithful black man in the midst of it all, how to how to um you know, break generational curses, talking about counseling and therapy and and making it seem okay for men to be vulnerable and all these and so for me, I was like, damn, I don't got nowhere to go find it. Let me, let me put my my truths onto the paper and hopes that the younger generation following me can have something, you know what I mean, Because I was like, where where do I go? Like you see people break up all the time in the media, but you don't see if they You don't see what steps they take took to fix things, like did they start? Did they get back together and keep doing the same thing? Like what happened? We don't really see that, you know what I mean? Like everything is all pictures and cream in the in the limelight, but you don't see like the work that people are really putting in to build themselves up behind the behind the lights. So for me, I wanted to do that and hopes it Um I can now hold myself accountable, but it hopes that I reached the young men following behind me or even women that may be looking for some words from men, you know what I mean, right, Because it's just it's a conversation because sometimes women could blame themselves for the fairly relationship and the fairy relationship is just that guy had issues that he's not even willing to deal with it, like in your case. You talk about it in your book My Truth, which is really good reader read the book and ever get to read a lot of books done, and there's always at that point of view I always look for, and that the point of view I take away from your book by Truth is honesty. I take away honesty to take away a lot of regret, a lot of regret in your tone, and then a recovery and then I can do better and I will do better. Those are the things I take away, especially the I can do better, I will do better part, And that's returning to your faith. Talk about that, yeah, man, I mean, you know, I've always been a strong believer in God. My mother kept me in church. But I feel like I feel like what happens is where like one ft in one ft out where it's like, you know, I'm gonna go to church, I'm gonna be prayed up, I'm gonna do these things good, but I can tippy toe over here, you know what I mean. And for me, it was like, you know, I gotta be all in with my faith, with the way I'm maneuver and with everything, and so, um, you know, I try to speak on that in my book. I try to speak on that publicly. Um, you know, I wouldn't be where I am today without faith, without belief, without God, and so uh, I think that. I think that really leads me. And I just wanted to make that known as well, not only in my book, but I try to keep that known and like my daily my daily practices in the way I'm aneuver. We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rushan McDonald. Now, let's return to Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rashan McDonald. I measure it this because you know, faith is a lot of people go out on faith. People talk about faith that journey, okay, and you're talking to you know, you pray it up. Your mom made sure that God was a part of your life. So faith had a early stage of being an instrument to your pan. When did you feel that, Well, I guess the question I'm trying to ask this like when do you ignore faith? And then when you you know, because in life is there or or when you was living it you were just living it because you were told to and that understanding why you should be done. I think I think it's it's more so where it's like it's like I always have faith right that I'm gonna be successful, that whatever, like everything that I go that I want in this life I can have. I always have had faith that, like even when the downtimes, like like when I lost my father, I have faith that, you know, everything is to be okay, there's a reason why he passed. Like I've always had strong faith. But I feel like a lot of people get it twisted because they're like, oh, well, I have faith, but you're not doing the work to align with the faith, you know what I mean. Like, I can have all the faith I want in the world, but if I'm not, if I'm not eating right, I'm still probably gonna get something, get sick, you know what I mean. I could have all faith in the world, but if I'm not out here working towards my dreams, I'm not gonna make no money, you know what I mean. I could have all the faith in the world, but if I'm cheating on my wife, eventually she's gonna find out and we're gonna separate. So like a lot of times people get it twisted where they're like, oh, well I got faith, but what's the work that you're putting into align with the faith. And so for me, a lot of times I have faith, but there would be times where I wasn't putting in type of work you would marry them together, you wouldn't marry the faith. What you say is what you say is in the Bible, you know exactly, yea and so and you know and and you know a lot of a lot of I mean a lot of people fall victim to it because we're not really taught it and even like even some churches don't teach it to a full extent. And you know, like so like when when I took the time to read my or write my book, I started reading a ton of books like I probably I mean for me, I never read really at all. So I think I read like damn their sixty books that year. Um, you know, I did a lot of studying, a lot of watching a lot of videos, audio books, talking to people, um, just really stepping outside of what I thought I knew about myself and about life to really like learn new things and and really like transforming. And I feel like there there needs to be or more people doing that. You know, a lot of people get stuck in and what they think they know, and they wake up one day and they're like, damn, I never really took the time to learn myself and change things that I didn't like about myself. And so I really encouraged that man. And and and it's crazy because like I feel like an old soul, like I'm thirty five, but sometimes I would be feeling like I'm a lot older. I mean, that's all right, that's all right, that's all right. Don't you know what I will tell you this man, you know, is that you know I'm older than you. And uh, but some of your stories are very similar to my youth, you know. Um, all right, My relationship with my dad was you know, I respected my father. You know, he worked every day, he put food on the table. I have six sisters and two other brothers, so I was the oldest person that was this male figure in the house outside of my father. So I had to learn everything. And so I learned it in the streets with my friends. And I felt that, you know, part of manhood was being sexual women, you know, and uh, and that part and that that's that that comes very clear in your book. You know, it's part of in our mind. If we're not taught right, if we're not have a clear understanding of the role of a woman in a man's life, then it's sets. And so I want to tell you that to say that you know, we all grow the keys. You growing, and you're growing, and you understand that that's not the purpose of a relationship. The purpose of relationship is communication. The purpose of relationship is respect conversed. Purpose of relationship is love. And that's really what it all amounts to. And that's where when I go through your book, I see that, I see that was that was that intentional that order or you were just just pouring your heart out and done and just letting us all here it out and then being honest with us. No, it definitely, it definitely wasn't intentional, because I think that was one of the biggest points is like you know, for men, like right, like once we turn a certain ages, it's all about how many girls you got, you know, like all he got a girlfriend, All you got three girlfriends now? And you know what I'm saying. And then your boys are like, what girls are you talking to? And and it's this this thing and now we've created as a man to where it's like your stature kind of it is based off of how many girls you're getting and how much sex you're having, you know what I mean. And so it's like you said, that's not really built off of oh, do you gotta solid are you building to build an empire with this woman? And and you know, mutual like mutual respect and all these things. And so for me it was me pour my heart out, but also yes, definitely me trying to aligne these things up to show like this is not really like what we think we know is not what we really know majority of the time. Let me just question Don talking to Don Benjamin's book. We'll talk about the other things he has a scared Caroline. What else We're gonna talk about the movie that's on Amazon, the BT plus called North of the ten Um. You know, with social media and you see women, you know, posing bikinis, you know, these are individuals. These used to be back in the day. You see them featured in skin magazines like Playboy and Penthouse. I'm not saying they're that extreme online, but suddenly they're they're they're they're scantly clad and so when you look at what we're just talking about, men looking at a woman for not her body, not sexual is women doing a disservice on social media when we're trying to get to know them, we're constantly being their body is being constantly thrown in our faces by them, right right. I mean it definitely, It definitely don't help, you know what I mean. But it's crazy because like if you look back to it, like sexuality and women showing their sexuality has been since day one, you know what I mean, you need, But I feel like I feel like ultimately what comes down to it is is knowing ourselves and controlling our flesh because of are like women. A lot of times, the women that are doing that, once you really sit down with them and get to know them, they're they're dealing with so much like deep deeper rooted issues within themselves that that's the only way that they can, you know, bring validation for themselves where they need. They're showing their through their sexuality because they're lacking other validation. And so you know, everybody's dealing with their own fights and struggles. And for men, we're looking at you because we're already like sexualized really you you're trying to lure us in because you think that that's going to lure in a relationship. Were really And it's a continued cycle that it's flawed, you know what I mean. And social media definitely adds to uh. It can benefit a lot of things, but it has a lot of issues to life, you know what I mean with the sexualized everything is so sexual base nowadays. Everything is makes it seem like you don't have to work hard to get what you want, you know, more like it's there's so many things that go into social media that make life hard, which is why so many kids nowadays are dealing with depression and an anxiety because they feel like they gotta keep up with you know, these girls are fourteen, thirteen, fourteen feeling like they have to sexualize themselves because they see it on social media. Everybody feels like they gotta be rappers and and have big chains and the nicest cars at fifteen because they see everybody doing it on social media. And so you know that, I guess that's a whole another topic in itself. You get you just give me, you get me locked in on that. The producer to me was in my head going this point talking about a TV series right there, talking about a documentary right there, a whole it's a whole nother lame. But yes, I guess the long story short, the sexualization definitely does not help with a man because you know, we see a woman and we think like it's it's it's like our mind goes there right away, right And if you ain't, and if you ain't, and if you don't know how to, if you're not working on yourself and you don't know how to control your yourself and your flesh, you're gonna gonna fall victim right away. Understand that I don't want understand in the book too long, because I know I want to talk about a couple of the subjects. You know, just just skin, caroline, spray and go. You know what I'm saying, So tell us about that, Mr doun Benjamin. You know what's funny is when I got in a relationship, like I never thought about skincare before, Like I would just wash my face with asso. You need to stuff right there, man, I need to I need to come through the screen at you. You know, brother, see what I'm saying, see this just right here, just God's work. You know, I have to worry about that I use so I just put water on this face work. But as I started to get older, you know what I mean, and I started up see what my girl was doing, to realize like there's actually stuff that's gonna help you age better and stuff like that, I started, you know, I started doing stuff with her and she had me do the face masks, cleansing, all these things. But I'm still like, yo, this is a lot, like this is too much going on. And so I was like, I still want to take care of my skin, and you know, I go to the stores or brands with semi stuff, but it's still a lot of steps. And so for me, I was like, well, what can I create that already like that would blend into a man's life easily or maybe make women's life easier. And so for me, I was like we we you know, like a spray on, a spray on skincare line would be super efficient, super easy, you don't gotta think too much about it. And then just two steps. So I was literally like a serum that helps with aging, that helps with anti aging, and a moisturizer that just keeps your skin, you know, hydrated, throughout the day. It's really I felt like all a lot of people need I feel like don't need a lot of steps. So I was like, how can I create a line that will make your life easier. So it's literally like a two two steps spray on skincare routine is like as easy as it can get, right, And so I came up with Lave and it literally has a spray for the anti aging, and it has a spray to keep you hydrated and you just go about your day. Man, We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rushan McDonald. Now, let's return to Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rushan McDonald. See see, I might have to buy something, you know what I'm saying. I might have to go there. Mr. You look you look good. You look you look in your thirties too. You know you know, Lave may be made for me, brother, because I'll be I've bean now, I got I go in my my, my, my restroom. I got all kinds of stuff sitting back there making people nervous. You know, you're like to fire my restue. It might blow up there. I mean I didn't need me some lay, brother, just to move some of that stuff off my counter. We don't have to get you something sent over there. Seriously, man, because because because as a kid, man, I understood you know, you know it just kids, you have your pimples and all that stuff, and understood you know, cold and warm water, washing soap, you know, and all of you know, all these skins because black people naturally have all these skin and things like that. So I find what you're doing is very relatable. So even as I got old, there was always about skin care. It's always marsterizing, you know, I stand out in the sun and things like that. So the fact that you you know, the reality is, especially with black people, we always try to figure out how to do it better but quicker, and if you have a philosophy here that you put in place that I'm laughing about it, but I'm very seriously because I got several things I got, you know, I got that, I got the you know, the the the skin brightener, then the brightener that stops us brightening. And then I got the lost arise, and then I got to wipe off you know, I put this on before you go to be, and put this on when you wake up, you know, It's like sometime I just man, look, look, look, look, I'm just gonna do this and and whatever. Help don't work. I'm cool because that's what you're saying. You gonna spread the cerum on. You let us, You're gonna spread your moisturizer on, and you're gonna go about your night. You're gonna go to sleep, you gonna wake up, spread the moisturizer on and go hey brother, I'm buying. I'm buying, okay, Benjamin, I' because that's what my life needs. Now. What age group? Are you talking in? The age group there? Or you know that for you for this line, or you're saying making the available say you're just trying to open up, because I would say if he pacifically go after some group, at least you can start understanding how to sell to him. How are you marking in it? I mean it's more so you know, twenties and up. Uh. But at the end of the day, it's like I don't feel like I don't feel like There's the thing is when you're um, when you're breaking into like you know a lot of teenagers and they're having breakouts. Uh, like this skin care isn't technically like a um, like a proactive you know what I'm saying, it's for that. It's more so for aging right now. Like the serum we have has a marshmallow roots extra extract and the serum that helps with like anti aging. It tightens the skin under that and uh um and the moisturizer keeps you hydrated. But the beautiful thing is I would love to expand as the brand grows and maybe be able to help some things for teenagers, you know, maybe get some kind of ingredients that do help um the breakouts and stuff like that. But right now it's more so helping with people who are you know, you're waking up and you and you're like, you know what, I want to make sure I'm taking care of my skin now before I start to get older and start to see all these wrinkles come in more of a preventative, you know what I mean. And and maybe if you are seeing some wrinkles and you on your skin is tighten up a little bit, um your eyes are around the eyes area, you start to use this serum and whatnot. So yeah, it's definitely not really like teenagers can use it. It's not harmful to anybody. There's no harmful ingredients. But it's more so it's more so about making people's life easy and introducing them to skincare in an easy way to where you don't gotta overthink it, you know what I mean. Let's talk because I really just you know, just hear some ideas about this. And first of all, I think it's a fantastic idea because you know, my whole brain is I just start marketing immediately, you know, because I know that, you know, my my age group, skin care is as it's an issue tightening under their eyes and all that. It's something we see on TV just marketed to thirty five, the fifty five, that age group right there, they need that. They want that. They're fighting to stay young. They're fighting to get back to their twenties. The fifties a fighting to get back to their forties, you know, the fortes, a fight to get back to their thirties. So so if you have time later on, man, want to hit me up and talk about it, because I feel you have a great idea and I always like to get involved with projects that personally impact me. That way, I can talk about it from an organic and authentic standpoint and we start talking about marketing and branding. This right here here told with me on a big way, and I wish you much much good luck. But before we go, I want to talk about North of the Ten on Amazon b T plus. You know, because when I when I brought you own, it was modeling, it was acting, recording artists, you know, then producer, which is really where we all want to go because in fact, you're controlling your voice and also you're you're actually running things. Talk about it, you know, it's funny, um coming from from Minnesota, and like in Minnesota people you go to school, you get a nine or five job, you have some kids, you have a family, and that's pretty much life, you know what I mean. And so for me, I never really wanted that life. And then when I came to California, I seem like you can literally do whatever you want on in l A and it's in the world. And so for me, you know, I've always been a creative person. Uh like I've always been in the arts. I've always been into me music and film, and so I came to l A when I was nineteen to pursue acting and music. And so when the modeling took off when I went on America's Next Top Model, UM, and it blew me up as a as a fashion model. I still my passion was acting in film, right, And so for me, um, you know, I was with agents, I was auditioning for different projects. I would get little roles here and there, but it was never anything substantial or anything that I wanted to do. And so for me, I was like, man, I'm gonna create my own movie. Like I'm not gonna wait for nobody else to tell me what I can and can't do. I've been doing everything else on my own, So I'm gonna create my own movies. And so I got with my writing partner, Braxton Smith, and uh, North of the Ten. We kind of wrote kind of about my life, like moving to l A. Uh you know, I was living in a one bedroom with five of my buddies in Inglewood, California, and you know, faking it till you make it, lying and acting like we're bigger than what we really already getting notoriety and getting the parties and and meet people and uh. And so the movie was kind of like a fairytale based off my real life. Like I was born in the Midwest, and I was born in Chicago moved to l As when the film. It was about me and my buddies living in Chicago trying to make it to Hollywood, which is north of the Tin. Hollywood is north of the Tin Freeway, so trying to make it to Hollywood from Chicago and then you know, getting caught up in your lives while trying to make it. And so it was a comedy kind of picking fund at my life, but also kind of like, you know, a motivational story showing a journey of brotherhood, uh sticking true to your dreams and whatnot. And so I was blessed enough to UM align with my brother Ryan Lamar, who helped me produce the film um and and BT got behind the film and helped us launch it, and so it is on BT Plus, it's on Amazon Prime right now. But it's a really it's a feel good movie. It's a fun movie. I play aspiring model who uh is trying to make it and I end up meeting a young lady who ends up being an heiress to a uh um somebody over in and Abu Dhabi. And you know me, if you find ourselves trying to fight I love after life for this girl, making it seem like I'm something bigger than I really a big ball of dollars. Okay, that right, I wake up, We over and we can go way from Chicago. Man, it's a fun movie. It's a fun movie and it has some fun to it and some motivation to it. So I definitely encourage everybody to go check it out. Um and it's great responses. Something thankful for all the responses should be the link to trailer. I'll dropped it in my newsletter. You know and support this. You know when you said north to the TENN you talked about I ten freeway, I know that freeway, brother Iday coach to coach. Okay, I thought I thought coming up. I thought coming to l A was Hollywood's. I didn't realize if you south of the ten, you end up in South Central, you up in Inglewood. I live years by Fred I do exactly everything you're talking about. You're not confusing me. Yeah, man Chester, all those famous streets over there, bubble but a kid. I'm glad. I'm glad we got to talk to him because, Man, I'll tell you, Man enjoyed this conversation. You know, I've always seen you from Afar, and I always feel like to talk to young brothers like you, Man, because I would say, you my future. You know, I've just what I've done in my life. Man, hopefully has made an opportunity for you to do your dreams and build your dreams and live your dreams. In a book like this is really inspirational because I saw myself in it and I was a to term my life around. I was that person like you running in the club chasing out the women, disrespectful because not disrespectful because I was being disrespectful. It was the way I was taught to think. Nobody told me anything different. And then one day I woke up and I became a better man. And you are a better man. And the fact that you're an entrepreneur, the fact of your movie producer you you moved on from just that title of ap model and an actor. You're now you know you're an entrepreneur and those are things are important. And I just wanted to say, Man, as we close out this interview, good luck Man, because you have a friend here that would support you. Give me the trailer so I can support your movies and get more more downloads. More views to your brand and more likes. How about that a few more followers. Huh, I appreciate you. I'll definitely I'll send it and we'll definitely talk more about the skin Cabran too. Absolutely, I'm serious about that, man, because like I said, uh, you know, when things are natural to me, man, I just that feels very natural to me. I see it on commercials and uh, you gotta you gotta big enough of a brand, and uh we about three or four ideas popped out of this interview. Don't forget that little documentary you know that you did you do out in front of me. You know, I'm saying that bad boy had me fired up there. So that's a documentary right there, because we're dealing with that. We're dealing with that, and so things are authentic when you stay on the right path. But again, thank you done for finding the time to talk to talk to this the whole guy man, Talk to this the whole guy man. Okay, I'm trying to talk up as much game and wisdom man, So I appreciate you as well. We'll definitely staying staying all right, don be careful, Mary, talk soon. It's his book. Don bensment my truth. He's a winner. Brother, he is at one of us sisters.
