Blaze Your Own Trail - S3:E6- Providing Value to Build Sustainable Relationships with Brad R. Lambert

Episode Date: February 26, 2021

Brad R. Lambert is a Producer, Talent Manager, & INTL. Speaker. Earlier this year, Brad broke out the big guns to help promote the Fanatics’ All In Challenge, a charitable initiative benefiting organizations such as Meals on Wheels, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America. He brought on the Steelers and Marvel stars including Tom Holland and Chris Hemsworth to raffle off post-pandemic experiences such as Heinz Field tours and tickets to the “Thor: Love and Thunder” premiere in 2022. The challenge raised more than $59 million. His Recent Collaboration Partners: Disney, Marvel Studios, Robert Downey Jr., Sony Pictures, Gary Vaynerchuk, The Pittsburgh Steelers, Chris Hemsworth, The Russo Brothers, Warner Bros. Pictures, Lionsgate, Universal Pictures, & Adobe In this episode we discuss: Brad's upbringing His favorite Football team When he got into entrepreneurship Working with Athletes His College Experience His love for Movies What he is up to now And more! Connect with Brad: https://linktr.ee/bradrlambert Connect with Jordan: https://linktr.ee/byotconsulting Installing strategic sales systems & processes will stop the constant revenue rollercoaster you might be facing which is attainable through our 6 Week Blazing Business Revenue Coaching ProgramBook a discovery call with Jordan now to learn more! Are you an entrepreneur?Join my FREE Group Coaching Community where we have live calls, Q&A and more! Our Trailblazer Ecosystem also enables you to network with other entrepreneurs and creator hub eliminates multiple subscriptions and logins creating a one stop shop to take action!Use code: FOUNDING100 for 12 months access FREE and Founding pricing for life! (While Supplies Last)Join now! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you ready to find out how to blaze your own trail? Welcome to the Blaze Her Own Trail podcast with your host, Jordan Mendoza. In this podcast, Jordan interviews people from around the world to find out about their journey to success. If you're looking for valuable content with actionable advice, you've come to the right place. And now your host, Jordan Mendoza. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Blaze Your Own Trail podcast. My name is Jordan Mendoza, and I'm your host, and I've got a very special guest tonight. His name is Brad Lambert.

And I'm going to give him just a second to tell us a little bit about who he is and what he does today. Well, thank you for having me, man. It's great to be here. I'm a producer, talent manager, and international speaker here in Los Angeles, California. Awesome, man. Awesome. And I've seen some of the projects that you've been involved in that you've worked on. So kudos, man, to the success.

Thank you, man. You know, my favorite part of my show is really taking a rewind, right? Really getting to dissect, you know, what are the hurdles that you've had to face? What are some of the ups, the downs, the lefts, the rights, the ziggs that you've gone through to get to today. So, man, let my audience know, man. So where did you grow up? You know, I guess let's do adolescence elementary up to like high school years. Sure.

So, well, I do want to start off and apologize because I am from Pittsburgh. I see you're a Seahawks fan, so I hope you don't cut me off right now. No, you're good. I'm from Pittsburgh, born and raised there, spent some time in North Carolina as well, and then I actually made my way back to Pittsburgh for a brief stint, and then chase my passions out here to L.A. All right, so tell me a little bit. So growing up in Pittsburgh, what years were those?

Was that kind of like birth to middle or high school? Yeah. How long were you there? So I was there until middle school, then went down to North Carolina. So, you know, Pittsburgh is a very blue-collar, hardworking town. So I'd say that's a big part of who I am today and how it was raised. That's where the extreme hustle comes in, I think. And then moving down to North Carolina, that was an experience in and of itself

and went through obviously college down there. And then went back to Pitt for a few gigs, a few opportunities, and then made my way out here. So let's talk high school. You know, were you involved in any sports? Were you involved more into academics? You know, what kind of kid were you back then? What type of things or hobbies did you like to get into? Man, I was pretty simple guy, man.

I enjoyed, I loved movies. One of my first jobs was working at a movie theater where I think that's where I really found my passion for all the genres of film. And because where I worked, I got, you know, the perks of free tickets, you know, whenever they could allot them. and I would go all the time. And I would just see literally almost every film that would come out. So that really opened the palette, if you will, to all the different genres and what I liked and what I didn't like. And as far as school goes, yeah, I mean, you know, it was important to do well in school. So I did that.

And I played varsity soccer and varsity football and baseball. So I played a lot of different sports growing up, played some hockey. But, yeah, sports obviously being from Pittsburgh, it's a big part of my life, both personally and professionally. So, you know, being raised as Steelers, and following the penguins and the pirates and, you know, just kind of going through the motions there. It's a big part of who you are and it was a huge part of who I was.

So growing up, I really started to find myself in sports and entertainment being the two big things that made me happy. And that's kind of where I went in regards to chasing my passions and following my dreams and trying to make those two things a big part of my life. because we have one life to live. Why would you waste it doing things you don't enjoy, right? So for me, you know, I started young. I was in high school and I got connected to a bunch of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And I started helping them with marketing and branding at the time social media was just ramping up. So for me, it was an opportunity where I was educated and how to use it and leverage it for business to kind of train and help those guys build their brands online and on social. So that was kind of my ticket in the door with a lot of those guys. I was probably 15 or 16 years old when I first started consulting, if you will, and helping those guys out. And then that just kind of when you're around the guys and they trust you and you're providing value, which I speak a lot about is, you know, I never really asked them for anything. I was just happy to have them be a part of my life in some way, shape, or form. The guys I cheered on Sundays and rooted for and rock their jerseys and things of that nature. to be able to call them friends and have them personally in my life too was a dream.

And it made everything just 10 times better. So I never really asked for anything. I wasn't a big autograph guy when I went to training camp and I was on the sidelines for practice. And I would always bring a couple friends with me so they could experience it as well. And we would all come back after practice and, oh, who'd you get? What autographs? What photos? And I'd be like, I didn't get anything.

They're like, I got seven autographs. I got seven photos. What did you get? I was like, I got seven phone numbers. Like, it was all based in priorities, right? I wanted genuine relationships with these guys. And that's what I did pretty much through high school and then through college. And even to this day, you know, I've been around that organization since like 2005, which is a blessing and just been really cool to kind of connect with the guys and help them personally and professionally.

And just be a guy that they could rely on, you know. Obviously, they have a supporter in me on Sundays. but it goes beyond just the field. So, you know, in their personal lives with their families and their kids and their careers after football, any way I can help and add value to their life and ensure, you know, their happiness is important to me. So I went to sports route from marketing to business to management,

did a lot of different things in and around the Steelers and different agencies and brands and just made whatever made me happy a bigger part of my life. From a fan to a professional, I always give like the comparison of like I used to go to training camp as a fan and I was on the hill at training camp. And now I'm on the field during practice. And that's a totally different dynamic. But it just kind of shows you that if you do things the right way and the genuine and authentic way, good things tend to happen, you know.

100%. Yeah. And I appreciate you giving me that context because I mean, I learned a lot about you as a human being in it. in and through everything that you said, right? You want to build a relationship. You want it to be predicated on value, not a transaction, not something you're going to get from it. And that's something I talk about a lot on the show. That's something that I talk about a lot on LinkedIn and where I'm posting content

because it's really important, you know? And I launched this show on January 1st. Congratulations. I've done it and I did it through the lens of how can I add value to the listeners. Right? Because if somebody hears this episode and they're like, man, like from 15 or 16, he involved himself in the sports organization and could have tried to maybe get some autographs and made some side hustle cash. But he strategically invested his energy to build relationships that are good, that have

now been sustainable for years. That's the key part right there is it's longevity. You know, I could have got as much money as I could from these guys and wrangle dangled and all that bullshit, but like, I made money, you know, here and there, but that wasn't my focus. But now, like, look at it this way. If I come at you out of the gates and this is our first time meeting and I'm like, hey, man, this is going to cost you $5,000 to have me on your show. You're going to be like, one, I don't know you at all. And two, this is how our relationship's going to start. Okay. It's all business. All right, cool. I'll put you in that category. But if you come at it, where you're adding value and you're not asking for shit.

That is a great way to start a relationship because they know like, wow, this person is just trying to elevate my life. When you do that, you've really put yourself in the best possible situation to be successful because those relationships are what make or break you. One of the first players I got connected to, which is all too familiar to you, is Willie Parker, running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes, very familiar. Yep, 75 yards.

Super Bowl. I was going to ask, no, I was going to ask you, you know, how old you were in 05 and how big that victory was for, I mean, a guy like you, you know, you grow up, you live it, you breathe it, you know, because I, I mean, I was crushed. I mean, of course. Think about the game and the, and then the sum of the call, you know, the, the, the, the, the, even down and then, you know what I'm saying. And so, so, yeah, I know how big of a crush it was. So I would love to hear it. from not only, so I would love to know, were you at this point involved in the organization? Not yet. Not yet.

Not yet. But still as a fan, I would love to hear. How was that for you, your family? Oh, I mean, it's, I'm sure you can relate, but like I look forward to every single game. Like this past week, we had that impromptu by week due to COVID and how it's affected the Titans. And that sucked. Like, I was like, man, like, that's such a letdown because my half. Happiness is really, especially in Pittsburgh, like after Steelers loss, the whole town is like

doom and gloom. The sky's gray. Everybody hates everybody. Don't even bring up the Steelers. Nobody's listened to Sports Talk Radio. Like everyone's like next game, we need to get the bad taste out of our mouth. You know, for me, that Super Bowl was the first Super Bowl I've ever seen in regards to a Steeler victory. So I was in high school. I had been like 16, 17 years old at the time. and but what was cool was I met Willie right after that. So it was like 0506 where I met Willie. So that was really cool because that was after his, you know, coming out party in the Super Bowl and what he did that last season,

you know, kind of coming in for Jerome and Deuce Daly in 2004. So, but 2008, that's a different story because I was friends with a bunch of guys at this point. You know, I was cool with Heinz. It was cool with James Ferrier.

I was cool to Willie Parker, Lawrence Timmons, like guys like that where me and my dad actually went down to Tampa for the Super Bowl versus the Cardinals. And we didn't go to the game, but after they won, we went to the after party, which is even better. So we got in with the players and the coaches

and Tomlin came down. And it was a closed event. Like I just was able to go because I was friends with pretty much half the team. So as far as that experience goes, that's what this is all about. You know, like money is fleeting. You can always get more. But those experiences, man, that will stay with me forever. And I regret not going to the game.

That's something on my bucket list, you know, attending a Super Bowl. But, you know, going back to losses like 2010, where we lost to Aaron Rogers and Packers, devastating, man. I get it. But you guys had your run here. not too long ago. Yeah. You guys are definitely, I think, one of the best teams in the league right now.

I mean, Russell Wilson's a freak, arguably the best quarterback in football. Yeah, I'm just surprised he hasn't won it, especially like Super Bowl. Like, he didn't win it, really? Well, I mean, you know I'm a Steeler fan, but I'm going to talk shit on Lamar Jackson real quick. He's a great football player. Is the MVP caliber? No. Yeah.

I don't think he's earned it yet. Yeah. He's a flash in the pan. And when it comes down to winning a game. game that matters, like primetime versus the chiefs, playoff game, like he just doesn't show up. Now, Pat Mahomes, he's the real deal. That kid is stuck. He reminds me a lot of Russell Wilson.

And it's a hell of a compliment. So I will sing Pat's praise all day long. But Lamar Jackson, like, how about one meaningful game and maybe a playoff game? Then we can start hyping him up as the greatest quarterback since, you know, sliced bread. So like, you know, whatever. But I digress. But yeah, anyways, for me, though, it's, you know, football, hockey, like the relationships. I know a few of the penguins.

So I'm not as, I want to say connected, but I don't have as many relationships on that team as I do the Steelers. Hockey's way different from a scheduling standpoint. And just those guys are always on the go. And most of them don't even live in Pittsburgh full time. So they're either in Canada or Russia or, I'm. I mean, all over the place. So hockey's a totally different animal. But for me, it's just been a passion thing, man.

That's why I'm out in L.A. now is I was in sports for a long time. And I really wanted to kind of pursue that other passion, which is film, entertainment, music, whatever I could out in Hollywood. And here we are. Awesome. Awesome. So I want to get into the NC State experience. Went to NC State. So, you know, I thought if I wore a Russell Wilson.

I got a love for Russ. I mean, you know, he's obviously, I'm a big Seahawks fan. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in Portland. I love that in Seattle a little bit. So I've been a fan. My entire life used to have the Steve Largent jerseys back of the day. Nice. You know, and so, yeah, man, were you there when he was when he was there?

Or like, I'm trying to think of like timeline-wise. I think he was there for like my first two years. And then I think he went to Wisconsin. Yeah. So I think he was there. I don't know how long, but he definitely was there during my tenure, I believe. So what were the rumblings like, you know, because that, you know, then he wasn't, I guess, you know, definitely has a chip on a shoulder. It wasn't as highly recruited as he probably could have been and really could have been at a bigger school, I think, obviously what we know now.

So what were kind of the talks like about him in that area? I mean, he was a stud. I mean, he played baseball and football and he was just an athletic freak. And I mean, I don't think you could have found one person who had anything negative to say about him. I think the team around him wasn't obviously as good as what he saw in Wisconsin and obviously now with Seattle. But he's special, man. And he's a good guy off the field too, which I really respect and admire. That's what's cool about just in general in life is, you know, Willie Parker.

He barely played at UNC. Barely played. Like, didn't play, man. and then he ended up getting to be an undraths or free agent with the Steelers. He won two Super Bowls. He went to the Pro Bowl numerous times and had a hell of a career. Like, that's what's cool about, like, kind of creating your own story. And what's the name of your podcast?

Blaze your own trail. Yeah, blaze your own trail. So that's, you know, same with Russ. Like, he pivoted, he made a change and it worked out for him. Same with Willie. Like, he never gave up on his dream. I'm sure it didn't go the way he thought originally in regards. to college, but, you know, he didn't know that a Rooney was scouting him and watching him play

because he was in like Raleigh-Clinton area. So he kept hearing the buzz about this kid in high school and hearing the buzz about him at, you know, UNC. And then when he didn't get drafted, the phone rang. But that's why it's important to just like, don't be so complacent in regards to who's watching because you'd be surprised. Yeah. No, that's a really good message. And I talk about that a lot,

especially when it comes to, you know, creating content, right? If you're an entrepreneur and putting yourself out there because you literally never know who's watching. And there are a lot more people watching and not engaging than actually engaging, right? Well,

watching and judging. Oh, there you go. Yeah, definitely judging or, you know, or wishing, you know,

and all of those different things. But, but yeah, because, I mean, I've found myself landing the biggest clients that I never knew existed, but they've seen my content, right? You then start to get a familiarity with who you are in the sense of what your values are

and your purpose and your vision. And I mean, that's like you said, that's what it's all about. You got to make sure that matches, though. You know, you can't really portray a character on social media and then be a dick in real life. You know, so that's one of the best compliments I get. And I try very hard to accomplish this is, wow, you are exactly the same. same as how you portray yourself on social media.

And that's the whole genuine, authentic, you know, a message that I always talk about. And it's important because a lot of people kind of take the, I don't give a shit mentality and what I post on social media. And people are going to judge you one way or another. So why not put something out there that makes you look good instead of looking bad? You know, I had a conversation the other day with someone who made a lot of assumptions about social media and messaging and things of that nature.

and I'm like, if you have five followers or five million followers, you're still impacting five people or five million people, right? Yeah. So why wouldn't you put a positive message out there, even though you might have something negative to say, you just tuck that away and just put something positive out there because why would I put something negative on somebody else intentionally? Yeah.

That's how that works. Like I could put a quote out that says, life fucking sucks. I hate everything, blah, blah, blah. And you could read that. And that might hit you in some way, where internally you were dealing with some shit and you're like, wow, I feel that.

Now I'm all depressed, right? Or I could put a positive message out and be like, it hits you differently. And you're like, wow, I'm out of my funk now. I needed that, you know? There's not a choice there. It's obvious. So I tell a lot of people like,

keep your garbage off social media. It's why you have your friends and your family and your counselors and your therapists or whoever you need to talk to, but don't make it a spectacle. in regards to Aaron your dirty laundry because that impacts people too. Oh, 100%. Yeah.

And there's not enough people I think that are self-aware to know that. So it's important. It's important that, especially if you have that info, that you share it with other people, right? Because there are plenty of people that are just, it just comes out. You know, not even thinking it just comes out. I get it. Absolutely. So you finish up at college.

So what happened right after, right after school at NC State? What was kind of the first job? Or did you go out on your own at that point? I mean, I was, I pretty much had a full-time gig through college. I was lucky and got connected to a local agency. And I kind of, it was in like Kerry and I was in Raleigh. So it was very close. So I was able to work and get just really valuable real world experience all through college.

So, you know, as I was doing school, I was working for the agency and traveling to New York and having meetings with Fortune 500 brands. and companies and agencies and stuff that I wouldn't speak in these meetings. It was all just like a sponge, you know, sucking up all the experience. You got to be a fly on the wall to these. Yeah, you know, I had some clients. Some of these big agencies would look at me and like, you're like a silent assassin. And I was just sitting there like, mm-hmm. But then it made things so much easier later on because I was 17, 18, 19 years old in these huge meetings.

And, you know, later on in life, when you see. sit down with, you know, a big celebrity or a big brand or a CEO. Yeah. There's nothing to be afraid of, you know, because you've done it a million times. So that experience, challenging yourself and putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation or a scary situation early, it's not always a bad thing. And it helped me level up quicker and got me in a place where I was really comfortable and confident, not cocky, confident, in myself, my abilities and how I could

handle myself in certain situations. Having said that, you know, I was doing stuff on the side too. I'm a workaholic. There's just really no other way to say it. I'm not wired for a nine to five. I'm pretty much all hours of the day. If something comes up in my head, I'm working or, you know, making stuff happen. So, you know, I'd work for the full time with the agency. I do stuff on the side. I would also have school. And then when I left school, I had a few gigs and was doing my own thing and I just, I wanted to get as much experience as I could because that's how quick I was going to grow and level up and put myself in the best possible situation to get a job or get an opportunity because, you know, with your experience, as terms of more impressive resume and

accomplishments and relationships. So that's why for me, when I, after college, I went back to Pittsburgh for about a year and I was working with an agency and I was also doing my own thing. and I saw very quickly, you know, I kind of challenged myself in a way to, okay, this is my first time actually being back in Pittsburgh. A lot of the work I did with Willie and, you know, stuff back in 05 to 08, et cetera. I was in North Carolina. So I wasn't like in the city. So now I was going to be in Pittsburgh with the relationships that I had. So I wanted to challenge myself to see how many relationships and things I could get done in the time that I was there.

and, you know, I saw how quickly I was able to build these relationships that I hold so near and dear because I was actually there. You know, one of my closest friends to his day is Ryan Chazier. I met him his rookie year and we hit it off and we'd play Madden, we'd go to the movies, we'd go to dinner, we'd just hang out. And, you know, when he got hurt, two days later, I was in the hospital seeing him. Yeah. I mean, I was at his wedding where he married his best friend, Michelle. I mean, it's, it's, yeah, that's what it's about, you know, a lot of, a lot of people, one of the cool things Willie said to me, which is also depressing, was after I hung up the cleats,

you didn't leave me. Think about that. That's huge. You know, a lot of people, Ryan said the same thing. After I got hurt, you didn't leave me. Yep. You know, and that's the same thing. I talked to guys like Lynn Swan, who played in the 70s and I didn't even get to see him play.

like guys like that where it's bigger than football it's about who they are as people and i've come across some of the most talented athletes and people in the industry if you're not a good person i don't care who you are i don't want to be around you yeah like straight up like that's that's how i operate so the guys i have relationships with i'm very blessed and grateful for those relationships you know right now guys like alex highsmith who was just drafted at a unc charlotte uh young rookie a lot really talented guy but man he's a good kid he is a bright future and he fits that pittsburgh blue collar work ethic and mentality you know i'm still friends obviously with ryan shazir and stephan to it and cam heyward and joe hayward and joe hayden and devon bush like guys like

that where i just sit back and i'm like i'm just grateful to call these guys friends and it's not like i'll call him up like hey man how's life how's your kids how's your wife what are you doing this weekend. Like, it's not always talking about football. And I think they appreciate that because it humanizes them. And at the end of the day, it's just their job. Granted, they're in a, in a spotlight, and they make a lot of money, but they're still humans. They're still human beings. They're still people. They have lives. They have families. They have friends. It's a privilege to be able to have that relationship with those guys. And I'm just grateful for that. Yeah, man. And I think you did it from a place of trust, right? That it's based on the foundation of trust. Yeah. And so, you know, when, when, when

you do that, they know it's a genuine relationship. You're not like 99% of the other people that see them and want something from them. Totally. Right. I could see how that would stay for the long haul. And I think, you know, people need to understand this too, right? Let's put it black and white. If you and I have a really solid foundation and we have a really strong bond in relationship, we're naturally going to help each other out because we're friends or family or or like brothers. Like that's, so when you have that bond,

pictures will come naturally. Everything comes. Everything else is easy. Autographs will come naturally. You know, like this stupid shit that you want to throw in their face right away that means nothing will eventually happen naturally.

Yep. You know, I was talking to one of my closest friends and I adore her. She's fantastic. And I was like, I don't think we have a picture together. I've known her for a few years now.

I'm like, fuck when you're actually appreciating what you have in that moment you're not worried about fucking pictures or selfies or any of the other stupid shit yeah that stuff will what happened you know the guy behind me robert danny junior like i i've had the pleasure of working with him and his incredible team and knowing them for a long time and it was year five of being in that circle where i finally asked for a photo and i've i've been lucky enough to obviously be with him at premieres and events and, you know, even at his house. And I've never asked for anything because that's not why I was there.

Yeah. But five years into it, I'm like, for me, I just want one so I can complete that circle and have that, you know, forever, just one. That's it. Yeah. I'm never going to ask for another one, you know, if it happens, great. But I'm not going to sit there and bug about it. That autograph thing with Willie, I have a signed jersey.

I have a cleat on my wall. And he gave that to that. any asked for it. It says to Brad, oh, to my man, Brad, he signed it. Thanks for everything. I mean, what's better than that, bro? Yeah. I mean, honestly, like, that's, that is impact. That's gratitude. That's, I see you, I hear you, and I appreciate you. And that all came from love, man. I was like, you know, these guys play on Sunday, it's their job, whatever, but they don't understand the impact that they have on people's lives. And I'm sure you can attest to that. Yeah. The happiness you get, you know, the good vibes you get, the moments you'll never forget to get

something like that and right above it is the historic photo of him in the Super Bowl that's that's signed. But like for me, this signed stuff in my room is, is not so much about flexing. It's more about look at the experiences I've had and it motivates the fucking shit out of me, dude. And I just want to continue to impact and live out my passions and my dreams and try to impact and help people in as many ways as possible in the best possible way. Yeah, I definitely love that, man. It resonates a lot because I've, you know, I've had a couple former players on the show. Nice.

You know, having them on. And then now what the relationship with me and them looks like, it's a brotherhood. It's exactly what you said. You know, I'm texting them and we're, you know, DM each other. And we're trying to figure out ways that we can add value to each other's business and how we can help each other grow and scale and if they've got a book i want it you know i'll learn from yeah you know and that's uh and when you do it from that place like you said everything else is easy right business becomes easy after that because you know what the foundation was and you have that trust like you said

exactly it yeah you know and that's that's what's cool is to you know i know i know willie since he was a a young man a team you know like it's i was like 15 16 16 16 17, he was like 25. Like, we go way back. And now I'm 31 and he's obviously seven years older than me. So it's been cool to see him grow, not only as an athlete, but as a, as a professional, as someone who is self-educating and reading books and taking classes and just trying to grow.

A lot of people can get complacent after playing in a professional league like the NFL and just be like, oh, I'm set. I made my money. I don't give a shit. But Willie has been just constantly pushing to get better in all areas. He's still in the most phenomenal shape I've ever seen. I think he's found the fountain of youth. I joke about that with him all the time.

I think he can still play. And then he's now a dad. And not only a dad, but a good dad. He's, I'm so proud of him for that because that's a huge step, you know, having kids. And he has kids. And he's doing a great job with them. He's adapting to their life. and, you know, his one son, his son, Jayce is in love with Spider-Man and Miles Morales.

And Willie doesn't know anything about that stuff. So he calls me and we talk about it and he wants to know like what he could do to, you know, make his son happy and give him the best experience possible. And that just shows you what kind of guy he is and how he cares and he really wants to help. And I love him for that. And, you know, same like Ryan Chaser, you know, just got married, has a few kids now. And he's doing a hell of a job being a parent. But he's also transitioning into his next chapter of his life.

And, you know, it's unfortunate. I'm sure we'd all love to see him back out on the field. And I'm sure. And I know he wants to be there. Oh, 100%. You know, unfortunately that, that, you know, just wasn't in the cards. And it devastating for me because I know how much he. love the game and he still loves the game. But, uh, you know, for him, he's pivoted. He's, he's,

taking what he was given. And instead of pouting and, and being upset about it, he's, he's, he's taking a giant leap forward. And I, I love him respecting for that. And, uh, whatever he decides to do. And I know he has his hands in a bunch of different things right now, he's going to be great at it. And I have no doubt. And we still talk all the time and I still whip his ass in FIFA all the time. Shout out to EA. Um, but, you know, it's, That's what it's about. It's growth, it's longevity, it's relationships. And once you understand that, you know, when I speak at universities and events,

I speak about building genuine relationships and how that translates to success, not only in your personal life, but in your business. Yeah. Because my whole life has been that, man, from when I was in my teens to, now I'm 31, and I still am just getting started. but the people I've connected with, the people I've worked with and the things that I've done and experienced. And it's not to say, wow, look how awesome I am. But it just shows you if you do things the right way, there really isn't a limit on what you can do.

And I truly believe that. You have to roll with the punches and kind of react on what happens. But, you know, if you have a solid foundation, you have a good reputation, you can pick up. up the phone and pretty much call anybody. Yeah, absolutely. So let's talk about that for a second because, you know, one of the things I do is, is I help people with their brands, like personal branding. You know, I help them on LinkedIn and whether what this doesn't matter what platform

they're on. I can help them, you know, cultivate their message to try to grow, right? Try to create content that's going to help educate or inspire other people. So how important for the audience that maybe doesn't know how. to do that like from your lens because this is exactly what you've done you've built a brand for yourself over the years that's enabled you to have the opportunities that you've gotten so sure you have planted seeds and now you're reaping the harvest right that's that's how it works so what are some what's some advice that you would give to somebody that's just starting out you know maybe they want to maybe they're

doing it because they want to be an entrepreneur or they want to sell a product or a service what what's some advice that you would give folks just starting Start. I mean, it's as simple as that. I mean, don't try to be anybody else, you know, after a fun story when I spoke at NC State University a few years ago, that was my first time public speaking to hundreds of people and felt like an outer body experience because I was where I was supposed to be. Like it was like I didn't have notes.

I just was speaking. And I can talk for days. And people who know me know that's true. So I knew like that's what I was supposed to be doing. And I thoroughly enjoy it. And I followed that up with speaking in Sao Paulo, Brazil in December, which was a hell of an experience because I went from a university, big ACC school, to a whole different country, continent, the whole thing.

And it was amazing because. not only was it a whole different location, but dialect. And they were speaking Portuguese. I had a translator in my ears. So not only they would speak to me in Portuguese, they would have to be translated. And then I'd have to basically there was a delay for me to process, then respond in English,

and then it was translated to Portuguese and sent out to the crowd. So that was a whole different experience as well. So for me, that was just like, I left there. And it dawned me and I called my mom. I'm like, mom, like, I didn't even think about this, but international speaker now. Like, it just how quick things go. And that was like an entertainment summit workshop.

We had the Brazilian superstar Duda Nagle, who was there, who's like one of the biggest actors in South America. I mean, this guy can't walk down the street without being attacked. Like, it was an experience. And then we had a renowned Hollywood stuntman Bobby Holland Hinton, who's known for working with Chris Hemsworth and doing Thor. and all those incredible projects. He's been Captain America. He's been Batman. He's been Bond.

The guy's been everybody. Yeah, he's amazing. Great guy too. And, you know, so for me, it was me following my path and chasing what I love and my passions. And then people were coming up to me after speaking. It was like, you remind me of Gary V. You remind me of Gary V.

Oh, my gosh. You're like Gary V. And to me, that was a hell of a lot of. compliment considering i don't have the resume or experience that gary does and gary's a friend like i'm grateful to call him a friend i'm in his circle and we talk and we worked together recently on the all and challenge and he's a great guy yeah but i don't want to be gary v i want to be me you want to be brad lamer that's right so anybody who's starting don't try to be me don't try to be gary don't try to be Anybody else but yourself.

Don't try to be Oprah. Don't try to be ill. Like, go out and be you and have your twist on things. So I have a lot of fun with, you know, those elements and when I'm talking and the stories that I tell. And, you know, I'm very genuine in my approach and the messages that I talk about because it's my experiences. I'm not talking and speaking and hypotheticals. I'm literally telling stories from my life. And that's why it's so easy why I don't need no cards and how I can just continue to

ramble and talk because I'm just pulling from experience in my moments in my life that just mean the world to me. And if those moments can then be shared and impact others in a positive way, then I'm going to do that every day of the week. So, you know, if you're out there, if you want to be an artist, just start. Stop comparing yourself to artists who have two million followers. You're not them yet. Just put in the work. You know, it takes time. Collaborate. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. So, you know, it's a very simple thing. But a lot of people are kind of stubborn in that way where they're like, I don't want to work with anybody else. I want all the glory. I want all the credit. And I'm just like, you're missing the point.

Like, we could get this done today if we collaborate. Or this could drag on for years and potentially never happen because you're being stubborn. Like, I'm so comfortable in my strengths and my weaknesses. that when I find someone who's incredibly talented and they're good at what I'm bad at, do you think I'm like, hey, fuck off? No, man. I'm like, let's join forces. Let's assemble and really mess stuff up in the best way.

And I want to help people win. I want to win together. I try to help as many people as I can as often as I can. But I think if everybody looked at it differently and they were willing and open to collaborating and not worrying so much about credit or followers or any of that other bullshit, you know,

good things happened because, dude, frankly, last two, three months, I have been reaching out the creators on TikTok who I respect and admire what they're doing, whatever shape or form they're doing on TikTok.

And if they meet the requirements for verification, I'm basically getting them verified. And there's no transaction It's just, I think you're pretty amazing. I think you've done a remarkable job building this platform and this brand for yourself. You obviously meet the requirements with the following that you have and you deserve this. And if I can help you get it, I'm going to. And out here, that's like blasphemy because people would be charging you an arm and a leg for that.

But for me, it's like I have the relationships. No guarantee it happens. I have a good feeling it will. But at the end of the day, these are people that. warrant verification and it only makes the platform look better. So where's the, where's the L? You know, there's not one. And then at the end of the day, the 30-some people I've helped get verified on the platform, they look at me and they're like, you just change everything, my whole brand. You've given me a platform because you being a social media guy,

you can't look me in the eye and say that blue check doesn't matter. No, no. No, I mean, it basically is instant credibility. Instant credit. It doesn't matter what, what, you know, you are, who you are, what you do, it doesn't matter. The difference is a night and day. And for me personally, I've had a very difficult time getting verified on Instagram. And it's been very frustrating. Because Instagram is the hardest to get and I'm not really big on any other platforms. My resume is self-explanatory. You know who I work with. You know what I do. But it is a finicky little thing to get done. So, you know, I could sit here and be grouchy that I'm not verified and you know, whatever. But for me, it's not cloud. I want the verification for that credibility

to black to back up what I've done. And that also gives me another tangible opportunity to build relationships. Because when you have the blue check and reaching out to people shooting messages and communicating becomes so much easier. And also these videos that I put out to help people, these messages that I put out to help people, that message will then be more amplified in a way because of that stupid blue check. That's something that like God willing in the next couple months, I'll have some good news on that end. But once again, like instead of me being grouchy and like fuck everybody else who wants it because I can't get it, I'm just out there helping people because why not? If you have the opportunity to do something nice for somebody else, if you have

the opportunity to help somebody in need, where's the hesitation? Just do it. At the end of the day you're not only helping them and bringing them happiness, but you will bring happiness to yourself. And I think 2020 has taught us a lot of things. But I think we could all use a little bit more happiness. That's for sure. Yeah, yeah, 100%. So I got a question and I want to find out from you based on, you know, you got to work with some incredible people, right, Robert Down and Jr. being one of them. So do you know what his favorite of all of the films that he was Ironman in is to him? Or does he even look at it and rank them like that?

I got something I'm very, very, I was just thinking about it earlier. I was like, if he brings up, if he brings up Robert Downey Jr., this is what I'm going to ask. I mean, I don't know the answer. Knowing him and the team, I could probably make a guess. I have three. I would say it would either be the first Ironman for obvious reasons or the third Ironman or endgame. Yeah. So those would be, you know, he loved from what I've heard.

He loved Iron Man 3 for the fact that Tony wasn't just the suit. And it was really a coming of age story of finding yourself and realizing your true potential without the help of others in technology. and he really liked that arc for Tony in that story. Iron Man obviously was historic for the superhero genre across the board and obviously historic for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So that was a hell of an accomplishment. And that was his first real gig back in the world. Yeah.

So like he, that changed his life. And then end game, highest grossing movie of all time, went out with a bang. And, you know, I don't think anybody could ever say anything negative about. him i surely won't and can't so that time with him and his team is something i'll never forget and he's a top-notch guy on and off screen that's for sure awesome man and so uh you said something earlier you worked at a movie theater and you know you watched a ton of movies it's so funny because my older brother when i was in i think i was an eighth grade he got a job at a movie theater and so on the weekends he would just let us come in and we literally watch every single movie we would

get the bags, these big plastic bags full of popcorn and sodas. And literally we would sit there for hours and just watch every movie. And it's funny that you said, like, it got your eyes opened up to different genres and things like that. Because that's what it did for me. I was like, man, like, I don't think I would like this type of movie. I didn't think I would like this genre movie. But then it kind of just really does open your eyes to how important it is to learn from some of the different films. Sure. I mean, for me, obviously, you know, prior to actually working at the movies,

I would see the big movies, but I wasn't a connoisseur, so to speak. So working at the movies allowed me to really broaden everything across the board. And that was really cool because I was able to find things that I didn't know I liked. So today, psychological thrillers, thrillers, action, rom-coms, horror, dramas. I pretty much like everything. As a producer, I want to do psychological thrillers, horrors, rom-coms. I'm a sucker for those.

I love those films. So I want to do really impactful films and projects that make you think can impact you from a cognitive level to emotionally to just in general. I mean, those films and projects have the opportunity to really change people and impact people in a good or bad way. So I really want to kind of challenge people with the projects that I do and the people that I collaborate with are insanely talented in their own right. And it's been really cool to just continue to grow and learn more and more about the industry.

It's ever changing, especially with 2020. We've seen that. So, you know, I'm trying to work in as many areas of this massive industry as possible. possible. You know, that's, you know, the gaming industry. That's sports. That's fashion. That's film, TV, music. Like, there's so many opportunities out here. It's not just the red carpets and whatnot. That's a big part of it. But it's, it's way bigger than that. So it's an exciting a bro. That's for sure. Awesome, man. Awesome. Well, this has been great. And Stephanie going to add a lot of value to the folks that listen, just hearing your story and your journey. So where's the

best places for folks to reach out to you. You know, they listen to it. They say, man, I want to, I want to connect with Brad. You know, I'm a creative. He may be able to help me. I think I have something I could offer him, you know. So where's the best place for folks to reach out to you? You can reach out to me on Instagram. That's, that's my top platform. Brad R. Lambert, follow me on there. Hit me up. I'll try to get back to you if I can. And if I can help you, I will, but you follow all my shenanigans and journeys over there. And I hope it brings you some value. Awesome, man.

Well, hey, I appreciate you coming on the show. Hope you have an amazing rest of the weekend. Good luck to your Steelers this season. Thanks, man. You too. Right? Maybe we'll see you in February. Hey, hey, let's do it, man.

I like that. Amazing. Yep, absolutely. Hey, man, appreciate the invite. Thank you for having me. And keep doing what you're doing, man. This is awesome. And I'm sure a lot of people appreciate it.

Hey, thanks so much, man. Thank you.