Building Dreams through Mentorship

Ever wondered how a chance meeting could completely reshape your career trajectory? That's exactly what happened when I crossed paths with Marlon Corners, the brilliant mind behind Corner Records. Today, I'm excited to share the transformative impact of our conversations and how his profound advice on presenting oneself led me to start this podcast, "Life. Be Lifin'." From podcasting gear to software recommendations, Marlon's wisdom became the catalyst that pushed me into action, inspiring new ways to reach and uplift others through social work, YouTube, and TikTok. 

Join me as I recount the incredible journey of turning Marlon's insights into reality. We dive into the nuts and bolts of podcasting, the significance of mentorship, and the magic that happens when you take the initiative. This episode isn't just about starting a podcast; it's about building meaningful business relationships and embracing new ventures with confidence and authenticity. Whether you're looking to start your own project or simply want to be inspired by a story of serendipity and determination, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and heartfelt moments that you won't want to miss.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey everyone, remember, if you're going to be anything, be authentically real. As-salamu alaykum and good evening. Welcome back to Life. Be Lifin' with your host, me Alyssa B, and today's topic is about business relationships. This is going to be a part one in a four-part series where I'm going to discuss different parts and different types of relationships.

Speaker 1: 0:30

So, before I get too in-depth to this podcast, I just want to give a big thanks to Allah, alhamdulillah for allowing me and this person to cross paths. Had it not been for his guidance and allowing us to cross paths, I would not be on this podcast right now talking to all of you. So, alhamdulillah again to Allah. So just to give you a little backstory, the person I'm talking about I've never met before in my life prior to a month ago. We've never had any introductions or any type of interactions, and we just happened to meet by chance. And this gentleman goes by the name of Marlon Corners. He is the owner and operator of Marlon Records operator of Marlon Records and he is a gentleman who, through multiple conversations with him, has just shown me that he is a wealth of knowledge, like a large and I mean a large wealth of knowledge, and so, with our conversations, he was throwing all of this information at me. He was throwing all of this information at me about how I should present myself to the world and about you know who I want to be and who I aspire to. Be able to reach other people and inspire people, either be through social work, which is what I have my associate's degree in, or whether it be through my YouTube channel or my TikTok. I just want to be able to reach people, inspire people, help people, just be a good human being. That is really my passion. And so he mentioned to me starting this podcast. Now, prior to this conversation with him, I had never, ever in my life, thought about starting a podcast. It was not something that I had even considered, even though I did have a YouTube and I do have a TikTok. Podcasting was never a thought. So when he mentioned it to me, I'm like you know, that's a good idea. I do have a YouTube and I do have a TikTok. Podcasting was never a thought. So when he mentioned it to me, I'm like you know, that's a good idea. I do have a YouTube channel and stuff, so that might be a good added feature to it.

Speaker 1: 2:52

So he starts throwing all of this podcast information at me, like software I should use to record what type of mics I need, what type of headphones I need, what type of computer I should be using. You know just all of this information. Now, meantime, he's throwing this information at me and I'm literally thumbs are just twiddling away in my notes app on my phone, just twiddling away jotting down everything he's saying to me. So he inspired me and motivated me so much with all of this information that I instantly took all of this information home and started doing tons and tons of research, by looking on Amazon, at the mics that he was talking about, looking for the computers he was talking about, looking at the different software and researching how this software works, how I would edit my podcast in these, in these softwares, what platforms I should be posting my podcast on, all of that, researching it. So then I take this information to him the next day and I'm like look, so I did all this research because you know, you gave me all this information and so I did all this research and I throw this with this information at him and he is, when I say shocked, he is shocked. It was like he did not anticipate me taking this information and going home and researching it and running with it. And so when he was so shocked, he was like you really just blew my mind, my mind is blown right now. I had no idea that you would actually take this information and run with it, and y'all I definitely did. And so I told him I'm like no, I definitely did run with it, like I'm interested in this. I never thought about doing a podcast and with you giving me this information and me allowing me to research it, it has motivated me that a podcast is definitely something I would love to do. And so he's like all right, cool, so I want to take you to this store. Now, I had no idea what this store was, so he's like I want to take you to this store. This is where I go and get all of my content, creating equipment, down to desks and furniture, office chairs, computers, laptops, lighting, keyboards, like tons of different stuff, guys, like all types of stuff that you literally could use for your content, creating stuff. And so I'm like okay, cool, whenever you're free, let me know, I'll go with you. He's like all right, cool, so we go.

Speaker 1: 5:23

A couple days go by and then we go to this store. He takes me to the store. We actually meet up at the store and so we go in the store and he takes me to this area. He starts showing me these computers and then he starts showing me the information about these computers and then he starts describing what I can do and what this would allow me to do. Then he shows me these laptops and then he shows me this furniture and then he shows me this office chair and he's like what do you have going on in your room or in your house? Where could you set up a studio? I'm like, well, I have a space in my room that I could set up a studio in. He's like, okay, do you have enough desk space? Like, do you need another desk? I'm like, yeah, I probably would need another desk.

Speaker 1: 6:10

And my job, I'm just answering these questions because I'm thinking he's asking because I need to be compilating a list of the things I need and the cost of them, right? So that's what I'm mentally in my brain. I'm doing, as well as I'm jotting a couple of things down in my notes app. Y'all know I love to be a twiddle thumbs with it with the notes app, so I'm jotting these things down. And so we finished talking about all this.

Speaker 1: 6:28

He keeps asking me all these questions and everything and tells me all this information about this equipment, shows me what's best and all that. And then he says, ok, so I'm going to get this for you, you like this? Ok, and I'm going to get this for you and you like this? Ok, and you might get this for you. Like this, okay, and you're gonna get this for you. Like this? And I'm and he's literally compilating all of this stuff to build a at-home studio for me to create this podcast. And I said to him well, I'm gonna go ahead and just save up the money and I'm gonna get the money together and I'm gonna get the stuff. He no me, as owner operator of Corner Records would like to donate this to you to get you started on your podcast. Mind you guys, we've only had communications and have only interacted for four weeks.

Speaker 1: 7:19

Yes, so I alone was impressed, was like wow, just me having conversations and presenting to this man who I am authentically. He wanted to invest in me, to allow me to start this podcast. Y'all that inspired me, motivated me and literally just drove me straight head into this me and literally just drove me straight head into this, and so here I am now recording my second episode for my podcast, and y'all when I say I'm in love with doing this, he really has ignited a fire and a passion in me that I didn't know existed. I did not know that I would enjoy this so much and that this would be the best outlet for me to express who I am and to share who I am with you guys and my life experiences with you. So I essentially told you guys this story just for you guys to realize that how you present yourself to the world and to the people around you, how you carry yourself, the tone in your voice, the demeanor in your attitude and in your smile, and all of these different things about a human being that you have control over and present to the world, can really allow you to cross paths with people who could do what Mr Corners just did for me. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 8:51

So I really want you guys to take away from this podcast generally just the lesson that you need to present yourself or should present yourself. Let me not say need, because I don't want to tell you guys what to do. This is just my personal advice to you you should present yourself to the world and to the people you cross paths with in a way that you can market as a brand how you want people to see you, how you want people to interact with you. Perceive you to I don't even know the best word to say it just to perceive you. Carry yourself in that way Professional, be polite, be kind, be authentic. Like I said, remember, if you're going to be anything, be authentically real. Thank you for your time tonight, guys. You have a great rest of your evening. Assalamualaikum, bye.