Camp Gagnon - Drakes Sneaker Plug Lost $100,000 Gambling and MADE IT ALL BACK

Episode Date: June 27, 2023

What up people, we got the podcast OG Premium Pete in the studio to discuss meeting Drake and selling him sneakers, growing up in NYC, the early days of Flagrant 2 and meeting Andrew Schulz. This epis...ode made me feel good, excited for y'all to listen. WELCOME TO CAMPTHANK YOU to Morgan&Morgan, Füm, Freezepipe, & Bluechew for supporting the greatest podcast in the world.Intro - @99OvrAll TImestamps00:00 - Power of relationships = real currency05:30 - Popular AND broke + bei...

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Starting point is 00:00:00 How did you sell sneakers of Drake? I remember he came to the store. He was by himself. I brought him across the street, pulled out some gems for him. Next time he came back, it was like two security guards. Next time he came back out of clothes the store for him. Like, what the fuck is going on? What would these loan charters do?
Starting point is 00:00:13 How would they intimidate people? I remember the ice cream guy. He borrowed some money and he was on crutches for a while. The ice cream guy? Yeah, I swear to God. Guy's name was Mr. Handel bar. I swear to God. I remember a while ago.
Starting point is 00:00:24 It was about $100,000. Yeah, well. Maybe more. The point I'm trying to make is for years. I remember even people saying, Pete, you had some money. It blew your chance. Like, it's over. For years, I wore that on my heart.
Starting point is 00:00:33 For years, I was like, holy damn, I'm gonna fuck up. I messed up. I had an opportunity. No, use it as a fucking lesson. Now when I'll go make another hundred. What's up, guys? Today we have an amazing episode with a podcasting legend, an OG in the game.
Starting point is 00:00:46 And his name is Premium Pete. You probably know him from his early appearances on Flagrant 2 and The Brilliant Idiots. He's worked with rappers, producers, sold sneakers to Drake back in the day, and just has so many cool stories. He truly cares about art and about creating. and this conversation really filled me up and made me feel good, so I cannot wait for you guys to hear it. Without further ado, enjoy Premium Pete.
Starting point is 00:01:05 Welcome to camp. First of all, this is a beautiful set, man. I mean, even just the lights, the tile, the ceiling. I'll tell you, man. That's respect to Schulte, man. This is the flagrant set that he lets me rework for this show. God bless to Andrew Schultz. Yeah, of course, the legend.
Starting point is 00:01:24 And the guy that connected us. Of course, of course. And that's what life is all about. And we'll get to it. Obviously, thanks for having me on your show. Yeah, of course. But relationships. Like, a lot of people don't understand
Starting point is 00:01:37 how important relationships are. Yeah. Right? Like, I'm not saying, like, look, we've spoken before. I'm being honest, like, you come off, you got good energy. You know, Schultz connected us.
Starting point is 00:01:48 If you were to reach out, we would have made it happen. But by him putting that out there like that, like, you know, maybe even like, yeah, of course. Like, you know, his family. But you've always been the homie. Like, ever since I started fucking with Schultz, you were, you were one of the first people.
Starting point is 00:02:03 One of the first ever blue checks that is, like, reached out. Like, yo, man, keep it up. On Twitter, I'm on a boot check no more. Anybody who's on Twitter who had a boot check. Elon snatched from you, bro. You're not paying monthly. You're not, you're not re-up. No, there's no need.
Starting point is 00:02:15 You know, I don't want to bounce all around, but you take it wherever you want to go. But, you know, look, I appreciate the fact even years ago, like getting verified. You know, but I've had grown men. Like, I had people reach out to me like, kind of like just so focus on getting a boot check. And I'm just being honest with you. Like, you can have mine. Like, I, you know, a lot of times I just feel like growing up and we'll get to it, the way I grew up in New York. And I don't want to sound funny, but like, you know, it was like Instagram, right?
Starting point is 00:02:50 Where people knew, oh, that's what's his name over there? Or it was like a show. Yeah. From this neighborhood. from that and we grew up like kind of knowing each other like kind of being on instagram right you had the blue check in life yeah that's what it was that's why i think that was important that's why you don't need it on the internet so so so but people people you know really you know feel like that solidifies them you know and i get it because to be honest with you
Starting point is 00:03:13 sometimes you'll meet strangers and i even get this they're like oh i love the way you would drop it you want instagram or something and i'll tell oh shit verified like you know like and it's like they right away think Yeah. You know, content and creation, you know, you talked about Andrew. Think about everything he's created, right? People probably think he never has a worry in the world or he's doing well, right? Even, you know, even somebody like you to say a younger creator,
Starting point is 00:03:39 maybe like, oh, this guy is like doing comedies, I'm flagrant, and also adding your value, right? You know what I mean? I'm sure I know how shows go. I'm sure you were able to get a guest, right, to help the cause, right? Yeah, absolutely. Andrew Schultz, just like back in the day, with Combat Jack's show or even my show. I had a friend like, yo, you know, what's his name?
Starting point is 00:03:59 I got to get him on your show. And again, it goes back to where we started off, where relationships are the real currency. Yeah. But it also matters what you do afterwards. So, for instance, Andrew Sholl says, yo, go on my man Mark's podcast. Of course, right?
Starting point is 00:04:14 And then also I come here and I'm like, you're not here or you're whatever, or you're like kind of like, like jerk me around. I'm like, yo, show us, do me a few. favor, motherfucker. Don't ever fucking introduce me to somebody like that again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what
Starting point is 00:04:30 I'm saying is relationships are everything. But once you get through the door, you got to be able to hold your own. And I'm telling you, there's a power in staying connected to people. A lot of people I feel like are afraid to
Starting point is 00:04:46 you know, well, I don't want to bother him or I don't want to hit him up. And I used to think I'll hit that person up when I have, say, a sponsorship for him or something that makes sense for him. Yeah, something I can offer value. And that's cool. But don't be afraid just to say, hey, what's up?
Starting point is 00:05:01 Hope all as well. And don't be afraid to know your value, right? Like you can meet somebody who is a bona fide, say, legendary actor, whoever. Don't ever think that what you do don't bring value, having platforms, creating platforms, having an audience that listens, right? You know, sometimes, you know, I'll meet people in this new day and age. And when I say New Day in Age, meaning people who are creating, this is where I was going back to before,
Starting point is 00:05:30 where people could be creating and popular, have a blue check, but not be able to make any money. Yeah. You know, and people I know that are popular, that are broke? Yeah, it's wild, right? It's a fucking weird thing. It's crazy, especially all these kids, like, popping on TikTok and stuff. You see, like, rappers, musicians.
Starting point is 00:05:45 They got all these followers, all these listens and all their songs, but they can't sell tickets. Yeah. Or they're not connecting with their audience in a legitimate way. You know, that's why even you talk about, micro influencers and whatever the fucking word means. But the point I'm making is a lot of these micro, you know, guys and girls or whoever,
Starting point is 00:06:02 they're actually doing better, meaning the reach than better than some people who have bigger. Oh, yeah, always. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A diehard 30K? Yeah. Oh, that's amazing.
Starting point is 00:06:12 I'll take that over like a wishy-washy million. Yeah. Are you crazy? Like, in terms of just really building an audience, because my whole point with this show, like that's why we got the campfire. Like, I think this is the most human way to connect with people.
Starting point is 00:06:24 Like what our ancestors have been doing for millions of years is sitting around a fire talking, connecting as human beings. If this show got zero views, it would still be worth it to me to do it in order to connect with people like you. Yeah. Well, first off, I watch the show. I admire it.
Starting point is 00:06:37 And I think any time you put out information that could help people, that could be inspirational. Yeah. You know, I think that even though we say there's a lot of kids that say are popular but broke, there's also a lot of kids. And I want to say, I got to stop saying kids.
Starting point is 00:06:49 What I mean is a lot of people who also have great content. right, that will eventually get it monetize if they work with the right people, stay focused, connected. But the point I'm making is you can't compare. You know, people will come out and do a show and compare to say flagrant. Well, people will compare and say, well, we're not doing the drink champ numbers. Well, they've been doing it for fucking six years, seven years. Why are you comparing? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:07:14 I mean, that's why I like about having you here is that you are an OG in the podcast game. Yeah. You've been podcasting since probably on 2010, 2010, 2010. Yeah, 13, 14 years. Back then, like, what was, what even was podcasting? When you started. I mean, it was internet radio. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:07:30 You know, a lot of times it would be internet radio. It's so funny that people couldn't understand podcasting. Right. It seems like such an easy leap, especially now. Yeah. In hindsight, it's like so clear. Exactly. Because it's radio when you want it.
Starting point is 00:07:42 Yeah. Right? You know, because think about this, right? And where'd you grow up? I go up in Florida. Okay, Florida. So think about this. Your friend says, yeah, Mark, I heard, what's his name,
Starting point is 00:07:49 shouting you out on the radio this morning, but you were fucking sleeping. I never saw it. I never heard it. Mm. So the point I'm making is now that program in Florida on 90, whatever, you know, 2.7. Yeah. Okay. Home of Florida is crazy as fuckery.
Starting point is 00:08:05 They now have a podcast. Yes. And now you go back and you check it out. You know how many times I have, like, when you're dialed and you know how many times I'll have people like, yo, what's the names we're talking about you? 1353. Here's the link. And I'll send it.
Starting point is 00:08:16 And I'll go there and they're like, yo, a premium piece of dick. Or I'm making this. Yeah. I'm joking. But just maybe they were talking about me. And somebody, I don't even know, a fan of, or a person that has been, you know, rocking with me for so many years may say that. So there's meaningful stuff on platforms. So when you say zero views, I respect that because eventually people will catch on.
Starting point is 00:08:39 You know, it's funny because, like, you do comedy, right? You do flagrant. And this is totally like left field. Yes. But it's warranted. It's needed. You know, when I was coming up, you know, I mean, fuck it.
Starting point is 00:08:53 You know, it's like weird. I don't always talk about age, but I'm 47. And when I was coming up, I always hung out with 10-year-old older kids. So when I hung, you know, I was 13 hanging out with 20-year-olds, 23-year-olds. I feel like that's more normal in New York. Like, I feel like people are just like, especially in Coney Island. Like, people are just out. You're outside.
Starting point is 00:09:11 Everywhere. At that time, too, in the 90s or, you know, the 80s. You know, my parents would have people if I was hanging out with an older person or my older cousin, which cousins, to be honest with you, are our first real best friends. Yeah. You know, and then like you become older, you become like a deadbeat cousin.
Starting point is 00:09:29 Like, I don't really talk to them anymore. But my mother and father, my older cousin, you know, girl and guy, if I was hanging out with them, say no more. Meanwhile, they were fucking terrible. They were smoking joints. They were fucking, you know, turning me on to things that probably I shouldn't have been at that age.
Starting point is 00:09:46 Are your parents from New York or they're Italian? Yeah, so my grandparents come from middle of way. but my parents are from here. They were born here. My grandmother died, you know, one of my grandmothers lived in 98. She died three years ago. She's the reason why I created that sauce. We'll get to that.
Starting point is 00:09:59 Oh, I got to grab that. Yeah, yeah. We got to take that off. So she's the reason why, you know, I even, you know, just the years of the years of family. Like, you know, I think off air, we're talking about funerals. We're talking about, right? And I wanted to commemorate, like, how do you get past, you know, we don't, you prepare for losing people. We don't prepare for grief, right? And there's no book and there's no
Starting point is 00:10:24 manual. So, so how do you go through this, right? Without, and the typical funeral is so sad, man, you just sit there and you cry and I don't want that. Like, I'm saying this even right on, right here on camp. Like, you know, when I pass away, like, first of all, you better write a good fucking caption on your Instagram and have a decent picture. But I want people up there just talking about maybe some, some good moments. You want to be a party? Not so, no, you. Yeah, like that party music. I want some praise and worship. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:10:53 But I want people to come up there and just talk about good moments they had with me. Are you afraid of dying? You know, I'm afraid that we don't know when. You know, I saw somebody put out the other day that there's like, there's like a ticker and we act like it's not, right? And you think about that. It expires on people at 21, 10, 81. Mm-hmm. You don't know, right?
Starting point is 00:11:20 You know, and I will say for years, I was afraid to talk about dying because I give example, when we did the Combat Jack show, one of our co-host, the legendary Just Blaze. And, you know, at that time I felt like besides him in say combat, like, they had their shit together. You know, maybe like you and Flavor. I'm not saying you don't have your shit together, but like, oh, I had like overdrafted and like Just Blaze came from a helicopter to like be at the show. Like he's like, yeah, he's like 10 minutes away.
Starting point is 00:11:46 Meanwhile, I like overdrafted. You know, like. So just plays we're talking about writing a will And I said, I don't want to write a will Because I'm and he goes, why not? I'm like, that's like preparing to die. Yeah, yeah. He's like, well, you are.
Starting point is 00:12:00 And when he said that, I was like, fuck, you're right. So I went out and, you know, started my will for my kids, you know, just for my kids to have whatever I have, you know, and I hope more, you know, but they're, I wouldn't say I'm afraid of dying because I've been through so many things in life. Yeah. that knock me down. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:12:20 You know, and it's hard to come back. Yeah. Someone pointed this out to me. They're like, we celebrate our birthday every year. We go around 365 days, sometimes, you know, a day more. And we pass our birthday every year. But we also have a death day. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:12:34 The day that we're going to die is one of the days on the calendar. And we pass by it without knowing. It might be 10 years away. It might be 50 years away. But that day passes by. And when you're thinking about that, like, oh, yeah, there's going to be an end date on my. On my life. On my life.
Starting point is 00:12:48 And that day is happening. You know, we're going to cross it. The scary thing is not knowing. Yeah. You know, and I want to go deeper in that, meaning like, you know, I don't know, maybe I didn't make my bed today. And I ran out of the house. You know, and knock on wood and everything over here in camp.
Starting point is 00:13:07 I mean, you know, I'm going to make it home. But what I'm saying is how do you know? Yeah. And how do you, you know, I've heard so many stories, friends like going to their parents' house, their father's house the next day, you know, after they passed away. that's a terrible feeling. And then again, I want to say, like marriage, like being a parent,
Starting point is 00:13:26 like life, there truly is no book or the manual. You know, it's like you have to, you can listen to people and everybody, there's different strokes with different folks. You know, like I grew up, my parents like they always were yelling.
Starting point is 00:13:41 Oh, really? Always yelling. Like, they were loud but yelling. Always hitting. Like loving, like loving, but like, what's the matter with you? You're an asshole. Oh, you know, like, okay.
Starting point is 00:13:49 Bro, it's so funny, like how that happens. That's such a New York thing. Yeah, it's like, no patience. Like, no patience at all. My wife now works with Jews in New York, Hasidic Jews. Nice, nice. And so she does, she's a midwife. And she, like, literally delivers.
Starting point is 00:14:01 Yeah, they have to pass. Don't they have to pass? Hasidic Jewish. Yeah. And she's becoming more New York Jewish. We grew up in Orlando together. We grew up in the same zip code. And the other day we're like talking, kind of, like, just like talking.
Starting point is 00:14:13 Just like regular stuff. And then she starts being like, yeah, if you want to go, just go. But if you don't want to go. And I was like, why are you yelling? She's like, I'm not yelling. This is just how we talk. I'm like, what do you mean we? I'm from Florida.
Starting point is 00:14:22 You're from Florida too. And she's like, no, this is how the people in my work talk. Like, if you want to go, then go. But she's like doing that same thing. And it's so funny seeing how like the New York culture, like that kind of like, like you don't have time. Like you're not yelling because you're angry. You're yelling because it's like, what are we doing?
Starting point is 00:14:37 Yeah, it's part of the also the impatient world. And my, you know, my parents boat grew up in it, you know. And, you know, it was to be honest. with you, it's not how I raised my kids. Oh, really? You know, when I was getting older, I was about, my daughter is 23 now, which is crazy. And when she was about 14, I went to an open school night. I went by myself. I came back to the house. She came in the car. And I started telling, hey, listen, I spoke to your science teacher, what the fuck is going on? You're not doing the homework. You're doing this. Come on. I don't understand what's going on here. And she literally, like, just closed up. It was like,
Starting point is 00:15:15 closed up. And, and, you know, it taught me, I was like, holy shit, I have to change my style and my delivery. Yep. So I guess what I'm saying is for anybody listening or watching, take some good things that your parent gave you. And then the ones that weren't so good, leave them. Yeah, but it's hard to know, right?
Starting point is 00:15:39 Like, when you're born in it, like, I've heard people say this where they're like, you desire the love your parents' gave you, even if it's a toxic love. Yeah. And so that's why you see people in all these, like, fucked up relationships, because it's like, I'm trying to seek out and emulate the love that my dad gave me. And he was aggressive and he was angry, and he was cheating on my mom, whatever, like, whatever that thing is that that person has. And then they seek that in a partner.
Starting point is 00:16:01 And then they raise their kids with that same ethos because they're, you're born in it. Like, you can't ask a fish what water is. Yeah, not exactly. I mean, that's a perfect point. Do you smoke? Very rarely. Okay. If I'm not in the right setting, I got to be in my apartment, watching a movie with my girl, eating pizza, on the couch. I can't be just out in the street. Perfectly put.
Starting point is 00:16:19 I don't understand. You know, a lot of times I like these dinners that people do, but I got to, you know, some of them are really amazing. But I don't want to be,
Starting point is 00:16:27 I never, like, I give example, the way I grew up in Brooklyn, if we got drunk or high or fucked up, you might wake up with your eyebrows shaved off. Just might happen like that.
Starting point is 00:16:38 Yeah. So I was taught to not be sloppy. Mm-hmm. So for many years when I, I stopped smoking. I stopped doing drugs at 18 years old. Think about what I'm saying. Never did it again.
Starting point is 00:16:50 Never did anything again. But I did drink wine. I loved wine for so many years. I still have wine. You are a true Italian, bro. I loved it because I give you example. A lot of people say red wine makes them sleepy. It makes me smooth, right?
Starting point is 00:17:05 So if you drink enough, like nothing too crazy, you get a little warmth in your heart, right? And it gives you that smoothness where you, I mean, listen, I mean, fuck, I'll pick up anybody. You know what I mean? Like after a glass of wine, you know, or I'll say some amazing kind of stuff that I really enjoy.
Starting point is 00:17:26 So anyway, the point I'm trying to make is I never wanted to be kind of like out of my place. Yeah. I never wanted to be like kind of like, I didn't know what was going on. Yeah, that's the worst. Yeah. That's bad for you because you feel shitty
Starting point is 00:17:38 because you're out of control. And it's also bad for everyone else because then they got to take care of your drunk ass. Yeah. Well, also, you know, keep in mind, you're building something. right you know you're building something with your with your own show you're building with flagrant you're building with your comedy so say you're out and people like oh mark like I fuck with you and you're
Starting point is 00:17:55 like you don't you don't even know like that's what I'm saying like I can only I can only smoke if I got like a 16 hour runway yeah like I got nothing to do the next day that's very few days that I got nothing to do yeah so it's like I got because the next day I'm just out of it like it's bad even with alcohol I'm like okay I'm gonna have fun tonight and then wake up at 12 tomorrow but that's four hours. I could have worked out. All this shit I got to do. And then I feel worse the next day from getting my schedule off. And then it fucks me up for the whole week. I mean, look, if something don't, if something don't work well with you, I will say too much of anything is no good. So, you know, so it's like, you know, I feel like cannabis. I still feel weird. You know,
Starting point is 00:18:34 there's a dispensary right by me in Jersey. And I went in there. I didn't even have a medical car to just show my lights. I went in there. It was like fucking CVS. You know, they were like, we got two for 50 we got this one's on sale you can buy three these you get two free I'm like bro how weird is that whoa like you've gone to the spots in L.A like Medman or whatever it's like a apple store cookies well you know I'm friends you know it's been amazing to see what Byrne and my friend Steve with Bell
Starting point is 00:18:56 and all those guys involved in cookies have been able to do but but what I'm saying is like I went in there and it's like I walked out and I felt bad I felt bad because I was like oh in some in some places right now someone's in jail for for we god bros the stupidest thing ever that people are in jail for like... Like you can't...
Starting point is 00:19:16 That's another thing. I don't want to get into the whole government shit. But you can't tax the fuck out of something while you have people sitting still because of it. Yeah. You know, I think that if you are saying, hey, this is a plant and this is not a drug, then you need to release those drug charges
Starting point is 00:19:33 on everybody that is in jail. Now, people don't even understand how many people are still in jail for cannabis. Yeah, it's insane. I mean, it's interesting to me that you stopped smoking when you were 18. 18 years old. How old were you got when you got jammed up?
Starting point is 00:19:47 A couple times. Well, I got jammed up early, but when I went away, I was probably like 27 maybe. And that was for just weed? Well, that was like kind of like wanting to, well, possession and intent to sell. You know. But it was just weed, never like Coke or anything. Weed, you know, maybe some other stuff, but nothing crazy. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:20:04 And it was how much do you have? Probably I had like, you know, a good amount where I got in trouble twice. So then you had to like take that charge. And what was your deal? You were just like on the corner, just like selling people in the neighborhood? No, no, no, we were more organized, you know, had like a phone or a beeper. And, you know, at that time, I don't know if we went into this, but at that time, I wanted to make some quick bucks. You know, throughout my whole life, I'd be honest you, I tried so many things in my world. I swear to you.
Starting point is 00:20:30 Yeah, you've lived a million lives. No, I swear you, I worked in Wall Street for many years. I was trading commodities. I did the whole suit and tie thing for many years, the whole corporate thing. I had human resources called me up a couple of times. Oh, for real? In the corporate job? Weird.
Starting point is 00:20:44 Like, even if I, I had a friend I worked with, like he told somebody, I don't know, maybe like a coworker, like she had a nice dress or whatever. And I think, and I'm dead serious. I didn't know the guy to be a pig, you know, at the time. And I still don't know. It was a short time he was in our office. You know, human resources is something that, you know,
Starting point is 00:21:05 I think now in this world is kind of like telling people, yeah, that's not right. Yeah, yeah. So it's like, you know, human resources. maybe been ahead of that time just to be like, yo, the mitigator of like, yo, you can't be saying that. Yeah. So what?
Starting point is 00:21:19 This guy just like complimented a girl? Yeah. And he was like, kind of, they transferred him. That was it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know, I mean, maybe he did some more stuff I don't know of. But what I'm saying is, is learning to be corporate. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:21:31 It's not a natural thing. It's always been a tough task for me. And it has, I've worked with so much corporate. I don't know if I'd necessarily like working for corporate. Yeah. With is okay. you can kind of work with. Too many flags, too many red flags, you know, and too much time for certain people to
Starting point is 00:21:49 understand stuff. I give an example, I'm sure as you're learning as you grow, sometimes there's a lot of red tape with dealing with, say, corporate stuff, right? You know, but that's who puts up a lot of the big bucks. Yeah. Yeah, you got to do both. But that's an interesting transition. You went from corporate world back into like slinging weed.
Starting point is 00:22:07 Yeah, into the street world and anything and gambling. And that was another thing. And gambling, so funny to see where we are, or, you know, where we're at with gambling. Yeah. Meaning, I mean, you got Archie Manning and his son's doing a Cesar's commercial. Yeah, it's wild. Yeah. I'm sure that was a big check.
Starting point is 00:22:24 But more so that players are now being attacked, like in a sense of, you motherfucker, you missed a layup. You cost me 20,000. Yeah. Whereas back in the day, like, what did gambling look like when you were in it? Like, what was that? I mean, it was garbage bags of money, you know, for organized crime gambling, meaning. Really? Well,
Starting point is 00:22:41 like, how was it structured? How did it work? Well, it was more of a phone. The best thing is you had like a password. So you would call on a phone and they would have the line. So I guess you would call up like this, right?
Starting point is 00:22:51 Do you like, you know, it's like, you want to bet the judge wants. So let me figure out what's going on. Let me call up, you know, like, yeah, clam 72, password.
Starting point is 00:23:00 And they'll be like password. And they're like, okay, how can I help you? And you'd be like, you know, and that'll be your account. And how'd you get the password?
Starting point is 00:23:07 You just got up from a connection. Usually, the funny thing is, before all this was just a regular kind of, I don't know if you ever remember this, but it was sheets. I used to get them at the local store, like little sheets. You pick eight games. You win eight games. You win money. It was like little, little, I forgot what they're called.
Starting point is 00:23:22 Like sheets with sport teams for the week. And you would pick, you know, how many wins you get? You get eight winners. You get 500 bucks. You get 10 winners. Be surprised. A lot of people won. Then I think it was more handled than the street, but then it moved to the phones where you would
Starting point is 00:23:35 get a password and a name or a list. a lot of times see I've always thought the way I think now so what I mean by that is I was like okay I'll do it for me and everybody else so I'll get a list like go I want to get a list for my friends you want to name me I want to name Mark Mark Patty I'm saying you know he gets a $10,000 limit and to be honest you when I go back and say about Instagram or popularity in the streets at that time it's like whoever you were was how much of a limit you would get oh that's that's Mark his parents are both lawyers like give him a fucking $20,000 A limit. A wild. So you were to say were you a bookie? No, never. I would say I would I would work with, like meaning I would get a name with bookies like meaning so I could bet and then I could
Starting point is 00:24:20 have my friends bet and whatever they would lose, you get 25% of that as long as you're under red. So that's, I would say, how gambling started in a sense of neighborhood shift for me. But here's the bad thing. The same people who were giving you to fucking credit. Keep mind you're young. He's 16 years old, you got a $10,000 limit. Some fake money. Yeah, I take $2,000 on the Giants. What the fuck do you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:24:42 But then when you lose, the same guy's coming to collect the money. And how do that work? Well, they become a loan shark if you don't. So it's so weird how that happens, right? You're kind of like, I don't really have the money. So most of these people have to go to people's parents, to be honest with you. So do you ever have loan sharks coming, like in the neighborhood for you or for your boys? Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.
Starting point is 00:24:59 Yeah, growing up, I've had people, you know, worried, threatened. And here's the thing. Sometimes you'll pay three or five points. You may pay $500 a month just for this. But the thing is you may be paying this thing for fucking a year. Because, you know, you paid the bill off like three times already. You're already, you're already, you know, how much you put out, you know? So I think that's a tough task.
Starting point is 00:25:23 But what would these loan sharks do? How would they intimidate people? I mean, break, you know, whatever it is, you know. Oh, did you know any people that got like kneecaps busted in and shit? Well, you know, I remember the ice cream guy. He borrowed some money and he was on crutches for a while. The ice cream guy?
Starting point is 00:25:36 Yeah, I swear to God. Like that ran like the ice cream truck? This guy's name was Mr. Handel bar. I swear to God. I wish I had Mr. Handel. I wish I had a picture of him. He had like glasses
Starting point is 00:25:47 and he had bald head and that was the picture. Like the Mr. Softie guy. Like Mr. Softie, yeah. His name was Mr. Handelbar. I never forget. And I found out that he would borrow a lot of money. He was a gambler.
Starting point is 00:25:59 So he would have a helper. One time I'd seen him were to help but he had crutches. and, you know, they kind of, I guess he didn't pay the money, you know, so they kind of broke one of his legs. Oh, fuck. And how long were you in that game for? I wouldn't say in the game. It was just in the neighborhood. It was just a thing to do when you're a kid.
Starting point is 00:26:13 You got addicted. Even now, I mean, look out. I mean, you probably know some kids that are like crazy bettas. Oh, yeah, yeah. But it's so much more organized. You just go on the app. You just like plug it in. There was where it went to the phones, which I would say.
Starting point is 00:26:25 And then there was the time where it went to like where you would see online, like your limit or your balance and your every bet. and then it was sometimes I feel that we came a long way I guess is what I'm saying What was your best come up? Do you remember like betting on some shit? Yeah, Sunday night football I think it was Indianapolis Colts versus Tampa Bay Bucks
Starting point is 00:26:46 and I was down like 8,800 and it was the last game and I threw everything on the Colts and I mean I threw everything I threw like Colts with minus four I took the Colts first half I'm not first half. At that time they didn't have like what they have now.
Starting point is 00:27:05 I took them in the first half. I took them into over. I took everything. I took enough to probably get me up to about where I was down 88, you know, to like be up by like 75 or something. Whoa. You know, a big turn. Boy, that's an adrenaline rush. Here's the crazy. So I don't know if you remember this game, but Peyton, they were down like three touchdowns. And they came with Marvin Harrison and they came back and won the fucking game.
Starting point is 00:27:27 And you're watching that shit. I was going crazy. But here's another problem. There were times where, I needed one point in a Knicks game or a basketball game. And the guy will go up for a layup wide open and it'd get hit in the corner of the rim. Got stuck in there. They had to do a jump ball and then the game ended. No. Things like that.
Starting point is 00:27:47 Here's the problem. When those things happen and you're not only betting for money, you start betting with a rush. So I had like, you know, friends I was hanging out, girls I was dating. Beautiful. I didn't want to fucking hang with them. They're like, hey, baby, you want to hang? No. I fucking just lost.
Starting point is 00:28:02 I was up, I lost. And I guess what I'm saying is that when I wouldn't show that enthusiasm. Because all I cared about was action. When I went away, I told, you know, the counselors, when you go away for drugs, for selling drugs or possession of drugs or even doing drugs, you'll go to ASAC classes, meaning alcohol, substance abuse treatment. I was telling them, like, yo, I have a gambling problem. They're like, yeah, we don't know if we consider it.
Starting point is 00:28:27 It's a real thing. I've seen people lose houses, homes, families, families. families because here's what I'm trying to tell you. It's not about winning anymore for these people. It's about the action. Yeah. And that becomes terrible. I don't want to spend the whole episode talking about gambling.
Starting point is 00:28:41 No, I just think that's interesting. But that's why I never really got into sports, I don't think. Like, I like the French national soccer team. That's the only sports team I roll with. Oh, the French. Yeah, exactly. That's why I don't like your people. 2006, I'll never forget about it.
Starting point is 00:28:53 But every four years, I get into sports. But, like, the idea of having a team in every weekend, my weekend is dictated by how some, like, kids play ball always stress me out true i don't like that no but let me also say this then then all of a sudden like you know i said you get angry when you lose but what about like back in the day i mean now it's different so think about how many credit card uh debt there will be but um you know back then it was like kind of like these guys would take the shit personal yeah like meaning like i that i came up under that 8800 and plus like this motherfucker came all the way back this cock sucker yeah that's how they think.
Starting point is 00:29:31 Yep. I don't want that. And then like when you go collect money, it's like by the time you go collect money, maybe down, when they want to collect money, they'll be calling you. When you collect them,
Starting point is 00:29:40 they'll meet you on fucking next week. I don't want to, like that style is so terrible. And actually, you know what? I want to throw one more thing on top of this. Anybody who's looking for a quick buck or hustling, that's not always the way. You know, people say bet on yourself,
Starting point is 00:29:55 but that doesn't only necessarily mean with gambling, right? It's gambling to bet on you. because I'm going to tell you a lot of times one of the best advice for anybody who's gamblers or had problems with that is to just stop
Starting point is 00:30:07 pick your loss and then bet on you you know what I'm saying At least you can control that Yeah you know I mean I want to I mean I've won I've been in Atlantic City You know I put 3 400 on roulette
Starting point is 00:30:19 Get 1520,000 I I've rolled 20,000 Yeah I've rolled dice and craps I've won I've sat in front of I've rolled like about 45 minutes in crap If anybody knows craps, it's like insane.
Starting point is 00:30:32 I had people with two watches on the table that would throw me tips. I mean, maybe I had 5,000 in front of me that turned into like 25. These guys had 250, 400,000. Whoa. You know, meaning when you gamble, come on, kid, you know, get that, you know, a hard 10. You know, you get two fives. I mean, sometimes you just throw it up. You close your eyes.
Starting point is 00:30:50 The place is like, wow. Yeah, that's a rush. So it's like, yeah. So what I'm saying is it's a rush, but there's a, we go back, too much of anything is not good for you. So what happens is I feel like, you know, you want to, you know, ruining a lot of your reputation and yourself. And I feel like, so I guess what I'm saying, when we bring this to a close is in my neighborhood, you had the ability to gamble. And you had the ability to gamble with free money because it was just a name. And a number somewhere on a phone. Right. And then that person turned
Starting point is 00:31:23 into a loan shark. And then that person turned into, uh, it's a, you know, a couple points a week where a lot of these people were just paying the the vig or the point the juice of it and wanted to paying it back three, four times over. Yeah. Before ever paying back the debt. Yeah. And that's you get in the hole. Yeah. And it's a scary thing. And I'm sure it's still, it's still alive because people can't afford credit cards. People don't have credit cards. Yeah. People don't always focus on that. What's up, guys? We're going to take a break really quick because I got to talk to you about something very important. You've been in a car accident, hurt your back. Does that ever happen to you? You ever slip on ice, break your coxics, your tailbone? You ever drink coffee
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Starting point is 00:35:20 it's probably still around, but shock is a military program that you could get home in six months. The dummy like me, I'm in Rikers Island for four months. I get sentenced. I'm thinking, I'm going into shock. I got accepted.
Starting point is 00:35:34 I'm thinking I'm going to be home in fucking 10 months. I want him getting kicked out of shock. It was. Because, you know what happens? When you're a New Yorker, you have to learn how to watch what you say, even when you don't mean it. I was outside working.
Starting point is 00:35:49 I had like a clearance to work outside. I didn't have like a high, you know, where I was like this crazy criminal. Yeah. So I was working outside. And we were working on his conveyor belt and the drill instructor
Starting point is 00:36:00 who was there, correction officer, I turned to him and I was like, man, you guys are working us to death today, huh? You know? And I was just like playing around. I thought he courted as like, you know,
Starting point is 00:36:09 a joke. I turn around. I see like a real sergeant. And this was like 45 minutes away. So I was like, he's like, turn around and he put the cuffs on me. I'm like, yo, what the fuck is going on?
Starting point is 00:36:18 He's like, well, you'll be refusing a direct order. You're giving a hard time. Anyway, long story short, right from there, you get put into the box. So if you get kicked out of a shock program, 30 days in the box. And at that time, you know, this is, I mean, I'm home almost 20 years. At that time, you know, it was very challenging for me, you know, to being there. I mean, you hear all these stories about Cleef Browder and everybody, you know, and what happens in there.
Starting point is 00:36:45 And I'm here to say, it is very challenging. challenging. How did you stay sharp when you were a solitary? Well, thank you, thanks to, you know, reading books. What books were you reading? I was reading, put this way, they would come around every like Tuesday and Thursday with a book and you would have to get on your knee because they only have a slot in the door. So they would literally have like a three, like a wheeled three bookcase. I would pick the biggest books. I probably read every James Patterson book. Oh, wow. You know, that's all they really have, but I probably read every James Patterson book to keep. me going and and and and and I wound up staying in there longer than 30 days because uh it came to
Starting point is 00:37:23 the point where you know uh you can mess up so easily in there um you like I wanted to take a shower I didn't know you had to be on the gate the gate means you have to be on the door when they come so I was sitting in the bed they came and say all right try next week I'm like oh fuck so you couldn't shower that whole week so I'm a brooklyn guy so I'm gonna buy hey motherfucker you know I want my shower you know and they're like oh yeah so they opened the fucking door you know a little You know what I mean? But who's going to say something? You know, I never got like extremely hurting there,
Starting point is 00:37:53 but I heard screams and cries that sometimes still, you know, sit with me. I'm not saying I'm out here promoting criminals. I'm saying if this person didn't do anything crazy, a lot of the system is set up to abuse these people. People say, and America says they want a redemption story, but they don't provide the tools to do that. A lot of correction offices, when you start going upstate,
Starting point is 00:38:21 look at you as a tax dollar. Look at you as a low life. Look at you as somebody who, you know, listen, I went back to jail. I brought my parents. I spoke. I've helped so many kids. I mean, you know,
Starting point is 00:38:35 I've done so many things to try to do. You know, when I went back to correctional officer, what are you doing back here? Like, I'm back here because I'm, what do you mean? You don't see what's going on? Yeah, I'm trying to help these kids. No, no, I mean, he didn't know that, but the world, I mean, the jail knew that. I mean, they rolled out the red carpet.
Starting point is 00:38:52 Like, you know, for me to come there and speak like, yo, you can make it out of here. But what I'm saying is the system is not designed for you to come home to stay home. Yeah. And in the box, you could really lose yourself. So I would say, you know, how did I stay sane? Just kind of, you know, also, you know, it's good to release. You know what I mean? A saud.
Starting point is 00:39:14 It's good to do that. once in a while. I used to have some wild, vivid thoughts. Did you get religious in prison at all? Like, did you, like, you were raised Catholic probably, right? Catholic, yeah, I was. And did you connect back with that when you were... No, you know, you know, it's crazy. I would go to church because some days I just felt like, you know, how am I going to, you know, how am I going to change? How am I going to come home and, and be a better person, make better decisions? You know, even though I lived a kind of Instagram life before Instagram. meaning I was out there moving a social light or you know I still was trying to figure it out you know and I felt
Starting point is 00:39:53 I couldn't get right and at that time you know that's why anybody doing anything wrong today don't because I'm going to tell you why there's so many fucking opportunities get in here and start taping yeah do something there's so many opportunities what is the way out like you get out of prison and you figure it out like you don't go back but so many people so many people go back though put this way I came home and I got paroled with about 42 people from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens, whatever. They all went back. They all went back. So why didn't you? I didn't go back because of my kids. Now, I'm not saying they didn't go back to their kids, but a lot of them, they couldn't find a job. You know, at that time, keep in mind, you put down, you that you sold drugs or you got a felony.
Starting point is 00:40:36 People look at it on a job application. Yeah, I see a way to jerk off. And that's it. Meanwhile, you know, it's a different world that we live in now. So that's what I'm saying. Like, you know, like how I stayed home was just to stay true to what I was doing. I had a curfew. Nine o'clock. I rented every DVD at that time. Every fucking DVD.
Starting point is 00:40:57 Because you know what happens? They came at nine o'clock, knock on the door. How you doing? Come inside. Yeah, you want some sauce? You want to dip the bread in there? You want me to make your pasta? No, everything's good.
Starting point is 00:41:06 They left. People would then get dressed, put a fuck, clone on, put it, watch on and go out, and they'd be outside. Never you, though. No, because that happened. to people all the time. I wanted to make the most of my time, but also, too, I, you know, I would get letters from my niece and my daughter, and they would be like, oh, dad, you're, you know, Uncle Pete, you're the, you're the greatest, you know, you're amazing. And I was like, no, I'm not. I'm in here. Like, you know, so I think when I came home, I did whatever,
Starting point is 00:41:34 how I stayed home, I would say, I took whatever, whatever I could do, you know, I couldn't get a job. My cousin had a friend that had a carpet cleaning business. I was like, holding onto the machine that I don't even know how to use this thing. It was like, you know, the buffer. It's like fucking flying along. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I was just, you know, I look back at those times. And seriously, even though you're asking me,
Starting point is 00:41:56 it makes me think of like how far, you know, and the sacrifices that I made. And I would say how you stay home from prison is, you know, and how you change your life around, to me is to sacrifice, to stay patient. you know I tried four or five six things you know just because only one or two of them were working so you know I think it was extremely important to you know kind of make a difference you know I wanted to show my family that I changed that I was a better man you know I grew up in a
Starting point is 00:42:31 even though my parents like yo they love them they were their support me and me who I am today but also that they're their non-belief in in normal things at the time meaning what do you mean Meaning like freelancer being creative. We hope that works out for you. You know, I don't even know if you know I was in a movie last year with Armanda Sante. And it's supposed to be coming out, I think, this year. I had a small role in it.
Starting point is 00:42:59 But the point I'm making is I call my parents. I'm like, Ma, I'm going to try out for a fucking part in a movie with Armanda Sante. And then they're like, oh, wow. We hope that works out for you. Even still. Still, even after all this shit you've done, Well, listen, they love the shit out of me.
Starting point is 00:43:15 Of course. They do. And they just don't understand what they never did. Like, even my father would be like, you know, you should get a 401k because, you know, and I'm like, listen, I got this. I know what you mean and I appreciate it. But that's not the only way anymore. Yeah. Right.
Starting point is 00:43:33 But it's tough to explain that to them. I mean, especially like the world they grew up and it's not the world now. Yeah. So it's hard to explain like, no, you can make money doing this. Like, there's other route. You know, I meet young kids that tell me that their parents don't have the belief, and I swear to God, I think it's like something that really doesn't make them become who they are. You know, because they look for it so much.
Starting point is 00:43:55 I feel bad for all my, like, immigrant friends that, like, their parents, like, came over, like, from a difficult situation, refugee, whatever. And then they're coming to America with the guilt that, like, oh, if I pursue my dream, I'm letting my parents go. And that is such a difficult thing to choose between. How do you choose between the dream and the family? Sure. And like when you put them at odds, like more often than not, the family wins.
Starting point is 00:44:16 You know, I don't want to say this. A lot of times the family, their discouragement is because they never did it. Yeah. So we can't be mad at them because they're like kind of like, because this is how I think they think in their mind. That sounds great. But I don't know if I could do that. So I can't see that for you. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:44:34 But they let their insecurity get in the way. Exactly. I see that all the time with people that like the they will get frustrated when people are chasing their dreams. Yep. because, and more often than not, the more angry they are is correlated with the self-hatred they have for never chasing that same dream. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:44:49 So what I do is I look for people like that and I fucking just jump in their DMs or if I know them, I send them text. I keep going. Full steam ahead. Don't stop. Keep going. I don't care who it is.
Starting point is 00:45:00 I always try to send people that type of energy because I always know what I wanted, you know, from people. And I'll be honest. I wouldn't be here today. I don't want to sound like nobody believed in me. I wouldn't be here today without the people. people who believe in me. Who believed you the most? You know, I want to say my mother. Yeah. You know, I want to say my mother, no matter what, the ability to believe in somebody,
Starting point is 00:45:21 no matter what the outcome in, outcome is, is to be honest, to be groundbreaking. Yeah, unconditional. Unconditional belief is a, is a dramatic thing. Yeah. I mean, people like Bum B, I mean, even people like Chris Morrow, you know, I want to give him a lot of credit. I was ready to walk out of the Combat Jack Show one day. I mean, we're not making any money. I mean, trying to figure it out. Yeah, early days of podcast and no one really gets it. And he's like, oh, what happens if you walk out? Why happens this tomorrow?
Starting point is 00:45:48 And just the belief to believe, you know, like, hey, you could do this, right? You know, hey, you could make this happen. But, you know, I think it's like, you know, it's so important to, like, believe in yourself. Like, you know, people say people believe in people who believe in themselves. But, like, if you have someone to believe in you, I swear to God, like, it'll take you so fucking far. Yeah, bro. about that, like you watched the Kanye Westdoc. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:46:14 Like his mom's belief in him was like, yeah, you could go anywhere with that. Like that type of like his mom was so passionate about him. Yeah, I think you go through, look, a lot of young kids out here are doing some amazing things. And I think as you get older, you start to get more seasoned.
Starting point is 00:46:30 You start to become more of a veteran. But I think you really find power in trying to help other people as well, right? You know, I don't know if I touched on this earlier, but when I came up, a lot of my OGs, they were too hard on us. Oh, really?
Starting point is 00:46:46 Meaning, they would take too long to help you. Kind of like, come on, man. Like, you're out here. Like, you know, I spend 10 hours in the rain. Like, you know what I mean? You got to spend 10 hours in the rain. Then you send 10 hours of rain. Like, yeah, you got to do more and more.
Starting point is 00:47:00 How many coffees you want me to get you? Yeah, yeah. That's what I never understood. It's like you got to break the cycle. It's like, what's the point of me putting in all this hard work if I'm making it just as hard for the people below me? That's what I'm always grateful for Schultz with. Like his come up was harder than mine.
Starting point is 00:47:15 Yeah. And he like, grinded in ways a lot harder than me. But he never intentionally put me down because it was what he did. Yeah. He's always like, look, because I sacrificed, you don't have to sacrifice as much. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:47:29 And it meant so much. Like, he made my life so much better and really changed my life for that reason. You know, Shouse's Shultz for that. You know, I also think that the power in, you know, kind of walking so somebody could run. You know, a lot of times, let me tell you,
Starting point is 00:47:45 I don't want to sit, I want to sit here and talk about great things too. The world has a lot of good people and good energy, you know. I'll go to different events, man. I'll get people for whatever. It's probably get people who come up to me and like, yo, premium Pete, they're like, yo, what you in Combat Jack Show did, I'm on radio out here in a lantern.
Starting point is 00:48:04 Or, I've had people hit my, I've had sunglasses on, you know, kind of come over and thank me. and I'm not saying thank me like I'm fucking but what I'm saying is you know people like you know walking so people could run right or or you know I remember being at a dinner meeting me and combat and a couple of other people and people went around the room I'm a CEO of this I have my own law firm blah blah and then they're in combat so I never forget I've said this publicly he's like we're podcasters me I was like I thought he was going to say like yo I'm a lawyer yeah yeah because I would have been like you know fuck him I'm a lawyer not me to fuck him but I'm just saying he is a lawyer
Starting point is 00:48:38 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he was lead with like your most prestigious accolent. And he was like, yo, we're podcasts. And they were like, oh, that's cute. Yeah. And to see where it is today, even to have a hand in it, you know, even to still do it. You know, I do a lot of things behind the scenes in front of the scenes. I try to connect people.
Starting point is 00:48:55 I try to make things happen. I try to bring brands together. Can you tell me about like early flagrant two days? Yeah. So, you know, it's funny because when you think about flagrant and what it is, I remember I was going to, I forgot what I was going to come on. Maybe I forgot which one I was I was going to come on. But what happened was Shalmane wasn't there or something we were going to do a brilliant idiot.
Starting point is 00:49:16 I remember Andrew reached out to me and he was like, yo, you want to come on? I want to be there when Shalmaine's there. And he's like, well, I wanted to co-host this thing or whatever or come on. Anyway, from that, they built Flagrant, you know, and that day. How did you meet Shultz in the first place? So I met him through the, just the whole Outspeakers network that we, you know, were involved in unintentionally creating, so to speak, you know, in combat and Chris created that. And then, you know, I think our first show, let me tell you how crazy this is.
Starting point is 00:49:47 We're doing the Combat Jack show, right? We're in a radio station. First of all, we went from Jankey Mikes in 2010 to just like, you know, like this studio that had like a cough button. I was like, wow. This is crazy. My voice sounded so amazing. But at that time, even kids I grew up, we were like, Pete, what do you?
Starting point is 00:50:08 doing you didn't go to school for radio but people were loving it um you know i have to say this here because i said it in other places 2012 we got flew down by a3c which is a festival in a banner combat jack show the first year we went 2011 it was okay second year room was packed we had big guest and and i mean literally there's room was packed at the end we were taking pitches signing and autographs, whatever, people coming up to us. I go home, my son's mother at the time was like, how did everything go? And I'm like, it was amazing.
Starting point is 00:50:46 We were signing an autograph, taking pictures, I really think we're on us on. And she was like, oh, that's great. The mortgage is due tomorrow. And I'm like, fuck. So the point I'm making is, I realized at that time, how hard it was, say, to break the chains
Starting point is 00:51:04 and make it and still find out how to build the system up, you know? And that's something I still say to this day, building a system, right, that works for you. People look at other people compare, but they don't know what works for them, right? You know what I mean? So it's like, oh, I see these guys doing this number. I see these guys doing this number, you know. I seen people come before me got bigger.
Starting point is 00:51:27 I seen people come before me that left. How do you not get jaded when someone that comes, you know, after you gets bigger or whatever? You know, I never, you know, to be honest with you, I'm going to sit here and say, this. I feel like I could have been bigger than I am, like meaning what I mean, but as personally, could have focused only on premium Pete and building that brand up. I chose the road to build my brand up while I'm building others. A lot of times there wasn't money in it. So I wanted to step in the back or I wanted to be able to put things together. You know, I put a lot of different, you know, brands together and food brands with footwear brands and create things and you know trying to find ways
Starting point is 00:52:09 to uh make money with things that i'm passionate about um and sometimes you don't always make them from say this like for instance i give example you could be making money with flagrant your comedy and another business you have on the side camp you start off it's doing okay it's doing great but you haven't made money what it doesn't matter these other things are making money and you're pushing this until it makes money. Or maybe it's just passion. Or maybe it gives you a purpose. And that's what's fucking important.
Starting point is 00:52:38 Because I'll tell you one thing, the little things in life, I don't give a fuck. People don't like saying cliche or corny things. The little things in life will mean the most. You know, you get older and you want to, in my opinion, I'm like, yo, why did I wait so long to do things?
Starting point is 00:52:54 I want it to be 100% ready. You'll never be. Right? What things do you delay? I just just kind of delaying if I should even like be on Mike. Oh, really? You know, do people want to hear this? And I'll be honest with you too.
Starting point is 00:53:08 In combat, you know, God bless. And, you know, when he passed away, you know, his voice and his presence is still missed, you know. And I had such an amazing journey with him and all those, you know, A. King and, you know, and Dallas Penn and all these people, you know, I really feel like we were a dysfunctional family, but we built a brotherhood. and when you get older, it was like my after-school program. So if you have something that makes you feel that way, like, triple down on it.
Starting point is 00:53:38 So, oh, I was saying like with combat, I remember people saying like, oh, well, premium P, like, you know, when I started my own show, they're like, he said some things on combat. Sometimes he would say a lot.
Starting point is 00:53:49 Sometimes he was funny or crazy. And I changed, like, a lot of my style changed in a sense of when I had a chance to showcase my own conversation style, understanding people, parents, and growing up. And that's when I sat down. You know, Premium Petro for many years, it wasn't only just people in hip hop. Like, we sat down with, you know, everybody. I sat down with the founder of Venmo. I sat down with Gary. I sat down with people who started food brands and sold them for hundreds of millions of dollars.
Starting point is 00:54:17 And I wanted people to understand. And one thing I understood about a lot of people is the presence in their life, like a father or a mother or somebody that I believe in. did wonders. You know, that's why I'll always go back to that. It was tremendous, you know, for them. Presence over presence. Well, that's a lifestyle. That's a lifestyle.
Starting point is 00:54:38 But yeah, I mean, listen, you know, I think it's tremendously important to be able to take a shot on something. And I think I want to go back to saying 100% ready. You know, I get it. There's a lot of people looking across their T's and dot their eyes. I'm not saying not to do that. but I'm saying don't wait and be a perfectionist so much
Starting point is 00:55:00 that the world never ever sees your fucking talents. Yeah, that's a good lesson. I mean, I struggle with that to this day. I mean, I even with this show, I was like, oh, I got to get a studio. Yeah. I got to do whatever. And it was Schultz. It was like, bro, just doing it here. Yep. Just like, you know. Relationships. Yeah, try to rework it.
Starting point is 00:55:16 But he was just a great mentor. He's like, bro, change the lighting. Do whatever you can to like make it unique. But just this space is available to you whenever you want. And I was like, that's amazing. And so that got me out of my head of being like, it's got to be perfect. You got to get the branding perfect. Like, the branding is still not good. But it's just like something I did in Photoshop in three seconds.
Starting point is 00:55:31 It's just like getting the pieces to get going. And I think that's, I've read who I was listening to talking about this. I think John Mayer was actually talking about this. He's the greatest. But he was like. Big sneaker guy too. Yeah, and a comedy guy. He's a Renaissance man like you.
Starting point is 00:55:44 Yeah. But he was like the best way to be creative is to create. Like come out with an MVP. Every brand does this. Like they don't come out with the finished product. They come out with the most viable product. the minimum viable product. Just what is the first thing you can get rolling
Starting point is 00:55:58 to actually get feedback, get data points from the audience. And that's what the point of this is at this stage. Like, let me just sit in it. Let me just get data points. Because I think so many people, like I do this all the time with like hobbies where I will be like,
Starting point is 00:56:10 okay, I'm going to start rock climbing. And I buy all the gear. And I get all the stuff. And then I do it for a couple weeks. And I go, I don't like this. But I invested all this money into this thing that I don't even like. And I think people need to do that more with content
Starting point is 00:56:22 and things that they want to create. If they're an artist, if they're in sneakers, if they're in fashion, just start doing the most minimum thing you can do. Yeah. And see if you even like it. Get data points. What's up, guys?
Starting point is 00:56:33 We've got to take a break real quick because I've got to talk to you about some of the best vases in the game. That's right. You see this vase right here? This is a beautiful vase. You put flowers in there. You can smell these flowers all day. But now this vase is different than other vases, okay?
Starting point is 00:56:46 Now you can use this for a lot of different uses. You know, whatever your imagination can come up with. I use it as a vase. And that's the way that I like to use it. and YouTube's monetization team likes to use it. But what's interesting about this vase is it has a glycerin chamber right here. So you know how with normal vases,
Starting point is 00:57:00 you might smell some flour. Oh, it's so hot. All the hot air from the hot summer's day gets in your lungs, makes you start coughing, you feel terrible. Well, with this vase, you put this glycerine chamber in the freezer. It cools it down over 300 degrees.
Starting point is 00:57:14 That's right, 300 degrees in like an hour. That's all it takes. So right now, not only is this vase so amazing, it's also extremely affordable right now to the listeners of this show. because if you go to the freezepipe.com, that's right. If you go to the freezepipe.com and use the code Gagnon, Gagg, N-O-N, you will get 10% off your entire order. That's right.
Starting point is 00:57:34 This face right here could be yours. I got one for my mom. I got one from my brother. I got one from all my friends back home. They like to smell their flowers all day, and they use the freeze pipe. So don't break the bank. Go to the freezepipe. com.
Starting point is 00:57:46 Use the promo code Gagnon, G-G-N-O-N-N for 10% off your entire order. That's the freezepipe. and use the promo code Gagnon, G-A-G-N-O-N-N-N, and say goodbye to harsh flower smoke forever. Now let's get back to the show. What's up, guys? We've got to take a break real quick because I've got to tell you how you can take the bad out of your habits. That's right.
Starting point is 00:58:05 This right here is known as Fume. If you know me, I'm a holistic guy, all right? I'm a natural dude. I don't like harmful chemicals. I try not to drink out of plastic bottles. I don't like vapors or electronics or none of that. And that's why I like Fume. Fume is an amazing product.
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Starting point is 00:58:44 On the road, he's got this thing with him all the time. I mean, don't trust me, trust Schultz. He uses this all the time. Imagine you're out late with the boys. you had a couple drinks. Instead of reaching for a bad habit, reach for a good one and try Fume. Fume has served over 100,000 customers
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Starting point is 00:59:16 when you use the Journey Pack today. That's Try F-F-M-D-com and use the code. code Gagnon, Gagg, N-O-N to save an additional 10% off your order today. Kick the bad habits. Pick up a good one. Let's get back to the show. Bro, let me tell you, even as being a parent, I suggest that, like, there's a lot of parents
Starting point is 00:59:35 that put their kids in things. And when they realize that their kids not good at those things, they continue to keep their kids in things. I don't agree with that. It's on cost fallacy. Yeah, I say, like, look, my son right now does piano, he does track, he does football, he does baseball. You don't like one?
Starting point is 00:59:50 Let's move on. Yeah. You know, I'm not saying that you're going to like kind of like give up. Like for instance, like say I bought him all that stuff that you're talking about, he's going to work a little bit on it to try to figure it out. But if that's not the case is get rid of it and move on to the next thing. It's just data points. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:00:04 How many data points can you get to figure out what you actually like? Yeah. And I would say continue to try. And I would also go back to saying relationships and how they're important. Look what Schultz provided. Just like, yo, use the studio. You know why? Because he's like, yo, we create together.
Starting point is 01:00:18 Now you go create your own thing as well. Yeah. Right. So you could build up your brand. And that's the thing, too. A lot of us compare instead of creating, you know, and I'm telling you, comparing is the worst fucking thing. Especially the times we're comparing people's publics highlight real.
Starting point is 01:00:31 Yeah, exactly. Especially in a creative field. Like, that's, I actually have a hard time with this. I don't really like the thought process of being like, oh, I'm going to be the greatest creative. Because it's a subjective pursuit at the end of the day. Like, what is to say that you are the greatest podcaster versus someone else? Is numbers?
Starting point is 01:00:50 Like, is numbers really your metric? Because if numbers is your metric, that's where you start all of a sudden conflating, like, wealth with taste. Yep. Just because someone has money doesn't mean they have taste. More often than not, it's the opposite. But, like, just because someone has views doesn't mean they have taste. Just because someone has, you know.
Starting point is 01:01:04 That's a scary thing right now because views, again, we spoke about this earlier, but people blow up on TikTok and have no idea what to do. I get these cold all the time. Like, I feel like I'm like the mediator of certain content stuff. I kind of like, yo, I'm killing it, but I don't know how to make money. Yeah. You know, and I'm always thinking throughout my relationships with brands, how to enter people in or things in. And, you know, a lot of my, a lot of my creativeness comes from just, you know, actually, let's go there.
Starting point is 01:01:40 I love taking a bath, okay? A lot of people, you know, don't maybe understand that. You know, I remember growing up people say, yeah, you like to lay in dirty. dirty water. I'm like, fuck you. Because I want to explain to you. I spin. And it's not about me. Anybody listening and watching understand this. We spin. We're here. We're doing the studio. We're going here. We're picking up our kids. We're doing this. We're doing that. Right. The last person you have time for always is you. Right. And when you do, how do you take care of that? In the bath, okay, I love a bath. I mean, I love a steam bath, right? I even get the
Starting point is 01:02:17 bath salts. You got to see some of them today. Like I'm talking about. They have ones like sativa, vitamin C, calm, I don't even know the words on some of them. Oregano, you put a little grandma sauce in there. You're having a good time. But what I'm saying is it brings me a time that I get to just stop right here, sit here. But I'm in there and I bring like my wash call. I have a nice little setup.
Starting point is 01:02:42 But the point I'm making is I've written contracts in there. I've written proposals in the bath. I've closed big deals in the bath. Yeah. I literally get in the bath and I'm like, okay, what do I got to do? And I'll sit there, not the whole time. And as that water is steaming or as I'm just sitting,
Starting point is 01:03:02 wipe in, say, sweat. I like to sweat. I feel like that helps get, you know, whatever out of you. And I know this may sound crazy, but what I'm trying to tell you is find time alone to you. Many years, I grew up around everybody, many years, going out to eat by yourself. I remember friends saying like, oh, people are going to look at me.
Starting point is 01:03:21 Who the fuck? Look at me. Yeah. I mean, I'm eating guys. Like, you know, like, I. Also, no one's looking at you, bro. You're in New York. Like, you can do anything.
Starting point is 01:03:29 Yeah. What do they think? Maybe you don't have a date. Like, I, yeah. But people say this. Yeah. People, people. So what I'm saying is, is getting in touch with you.
Starting point is 01:03:39 Yeah. You meditate? I do, but in different ways. And I need to learn. I really want to, I mean, tell me, do you, do you have ways that you? I mean, a little, I do, like, guided meditation. So, like, I just have an app that I use. And this is, like, 10, 15 minutes to just, like, be present and just to, like, be reflective.
Starting point is 01:03:53 And I do it with walks, too. I realized I actually had a problem with this where, like, I got my Spotify end of the year report. And it was like, you know how they do, like, the Spotify rap or whatever? Great marketing, by the way. It's amazing. But I had racked up so many minutes of listening to music. I was in the one percentile of Spotify consumers. And I was like, that's kind of a problem.
Starting point is 01:04:14 I'm listening to more music and podcasts than I think. the average person by a large, large margin. And I intentionally stopped listening to music. Because I was like, I'm going in the shower, listen to music. I'm going to work, listen to music. I'm constantly putting my music in my head, I think, as a means to not be present. How much music do you listen to meaning in genres? Do you diversify?
Starting point is 01:04:39 Everything. Because I'm going to be honest with you. Country, hip hop, drill, like, hardcore, everything. I relate to you. But I'm saying I haven't stopped. it, it, I'm so emotional to music. Oh yeah, me too. That, that, that, that, that if I want to cry, I could put on a certain song.
Starting point is 01:04:53 Bro, that's what I do. Bro, I've been in my bed first thing in the morning watching like a choir just weeping. Like, not sad, but just tears are coming out of my face. My wife comes upstairs. She's like, what are you doing? I'm like, there's this college choir. They're just saying, Ave Maria, and I'm crying in bed. It does something.
Starting point is 01:05:09 But music is interesting, though, for that reason. It is the precursor language. True. It is before when we were just like fucking walking around the jungle, before we had like actual verbal language we were dancing and we were singing so it hits a part of your brain
Starting point is 01:05:23 it's not frontal cortex this is like deep lizard brain shit this is like the first part of your brain that evolved is music every animal has music not every animal has verbal communications right but think about it let me tell you I want to say this especially that you're talking about this I love music with all my heart
Starting point is 01:05:40 like without music I don't exist I use it to motivate me. I use it. I mean, sometimes I'm in the car. I'll put on a fucking song to fuck and I'll start banging on the fucking steering. Let's go. What is it? What is it? Could be a lot of things. Could be a DMX. X going to give it to you. I also love, you know, I can keep on going down on so I love with or without you by you to fix you by cold play. Yeah. It's a big song for me. You know, I can keep on going down to like kind of like, even he passed away
Starting point is 01:06:14 recently, What You Won't Do for Love by Bobby Cadwell. Yeah, legend. You know, I love duop music. You know, I can keep on going around. I love Allure by Jay-Z, one of my favorite songs. Yeah. But what I'm saying is I'll listen to these things and, and they'll motivate me. See, I'm the type of person that I listen to a song like 4,000 times in a week. Yeah, I'm the same way. If I like it, I'll get tired of it. If I like it, I'll run it all the way through it. But my point with that is that I was using it so much to remove myself and to get additional energy. And once, I actually got more creative once I stepped away. Copy.
Starting point is 01:06:49 And I was like, I got to tune out. I'm going to leave my phone at home. I want to go for a walk. And I'll walk for five miles, just like in my own head. Because I used to just use music to kind of get away. But I was like, in order to be creative and contemplative, you got to be present. Sure. And music at times can make you more present.
Starting point is 01:07:04 Sure, cloudy or cloudy. But it can also move you away from the present. And so I intentionally was like less music because I was doing too much. It's a weird thing because I don't think people think about it. They just like kind of fill the free time. gaps with just like a show with music whatever i do think it's important if you're doing it too much step away absolutely you know i think in keeping a good amount in your life and in keeping you know clear of it is important you know keep in mind too a lot of people uh you know when you think about
Starting point is 01:07:30 creating you know sometimes music comes along with their mood right i remember when i used to break up with girls back in the day or girls used to you know break up with me and i used to listen to never broke up with you but I was young maybe I had a couple girls that broke up with me but uh you know I I I tried to stay communicative to uh the woman in my life even like my daughter's mother my son's mother um I have great relationships with both of them it's something I really pride myself on um I never wanted to not be able to not kind of knock on the door or come in the house to feel wanted to feel wanted to feel as one one of the biggest things advice I could give parents or separated parents
Starting point is 01:08:16 is to try to exist with your significant other I know it's hard for a lot of people but it does wonders for the kids and at the end of the day I want to give this example my daughter's gonna be 23 I got divorced when she was two so 21 years ago I never forget it's like the second week we were divorced and it was like a Tuesday and she called me
Starting point is 01:08:39 and she was like hey could you watch our daughter. I'm going out on a date. And I was like, holy shit, this girl's so honest. So I was like, so I turn around, the immature means like, so you want to go out and get fucked and you want me to watch our daughter? Fuck you. I hung up. Not even 30 seconds later. I thought I was like, my daughter is going to suffer. Hello. Yeah. Don't worry about enjoy yourself. I'll take her. Wow. And I went and got her. But you checked your own ego. I checked my own ego because I realize who suffers from this. Right? But that's always how it is with insecurity and ego.
Starting point is 01:09:12 Like you think you're protecting yourself at the cost of a lot of other people. Yeah. And like I think people do it all time. You get into a dumb bar fight. You fight with some guy on the street. And that's your own ego. And who suffers from that? That guy suffers from it.
Starting point is 01:09:24 You suffer from it. Like the residual ripple from that insecurity is so big. And people don't realize that because they're so consumed with. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. You know, it's crazy when you put it like that. You know, but, you know, I will say, I guess what I'm saying too is just to be
Starting point is 01:09:39 mindful, right? Because people get trauma. You know, I want to go back to mom and dad. You know, I grew up in such a big family. How many siblings? I got, I got two sisters and a brother. My brother's foster child, actually. My mother could not have kids after me. Oh, wow. And she wanted to, like, let me tell you something. I really, really appreciate my mother so much, all the sacrifices she made, you know, even when she didn't understand, she tried to. I love my pops, I feel like he was a little too old school for certain things, but he at least said, hey, I love you. Yeah, they did the best. They did the best they could do. And I try to be that for my kids. And I will say to anybody who is looking for belief from their parents, you know, find that
Starting point is 01:10:31 in other places as well, right? Appreciate how far you have come. A lot of people don't like to celebrate the small wins, I don't mean you're stopping, but there's nothing wrong we're going out for a dinner for a little win. Yeah. Because like we said, there's a ticker. You don't know when you're going. You may not get to that final destination that Mark wants. Yeah. So, you know, I learned to appreciate life more now than ever, you know, and find ways to help creatives and help freelances and find ways to be honest with you unlearn a lot of things. you know a lot of trauma a lot of the way we grew grown up you know i mean look like i said before i love my parents but they beat the fuck out of us yeah i never laid a hand on my kid right never yeah
Starting point is 01:11:18 yeah you got to leave that shit behind yeah yeah and that's i actually forget who was saying this i think this was uh on rogan's podcast someone was saying anytime you're getting frustrated with your kids or your wife or someone like that like someone really close to you and you're getting frustrated and you have that feeling coming up imagine you're 80 years old and you have a time machine and this is the only time you can go back to. Imagine this moment, this interaction with that person is the only time you can go back to. How would you act?
Starting point is 01:11:44 How would you behave? And it's such a good way to put yourself out of the situation where you're about to yell at your kid and you go, oh, this is the only time we're going to spend with them. You know, when I have my time machine in 80 years, I'm going to be a little bit more gentle. Exactly. I'm going to be more patient.
Starting point is 01:11:58 Exactly. I mean, I think even with yourself, right? Even with yourself. I mean, how many times creators feel like am I doing, the most and my, am I relevant? Am I, you know, um, you know, we over, let me tell you something, man, you could talk yourself out of your fucking dreams.
Starting point is 01:12:15 You could, you, you, you, you, trust me, tomorrow you could talk about if, if, if you think, you know, why am I putting up this thing about me? Like some, you know, you could talk yourself right out of your dreams. I'm here to tell you. I'm here to tell you. Let me tell you something, man. If you, and I'm not trying to sound like a fucking preacher, but I'm here to tell you, man, if you never stop believing in yourself.
Starting point is 01:12:36 anything is possible because you think about how many people have overcome shit America doesn't like showing the redemption stories as much as they say they do they make it hard for people to come back and be productive members of society I give example I'm home 20 something years I have like a minor felony with weed I mean why can't I get that expunged 20 plus years I've done so many different things yeah so what I'm saying is you know you never start I believe in in you, you'll take yourself further and further and further and further. And being a brand, right? And being, like, Mark, being a brand. Like, whoever, like, people, like, don't find shade in that.
Starting point is 01:13:19 You know what I mean? And creating a product, right? A lot of people, creatives, I'm always for creatives. Always. I will always lend vice, mentorship, help, anything for creatives. Because there was a time where Heinz and Helmand mayonnaise was the only fucking brand say in there. Now there could be Marks, Pete's, Andrews, Alex's, whatever. I want people to learn how to make money sleeping more and more often. You know, learning how to gain, you know, building something like that even while you're sleeping. Yeah. And it's hard to know that, especially like in places where you grew up, like, I don't know
Starting point is 01:14:00 of that mentality of passive income are making things that can exist longer than you really is instilled early on. Like I think it's more common now and then especially in different communities. If you grow up in more affluent community, that idea is much more prevalent. But if you grow up in maybe not as good in neighborhood,
Starting point is 01:14:16 the idea of like building something that makes money after you're gone is not top of mind. It's always like, what can I get today? How do I survive right now? Sure. And to try to teach people that I think is really valuable. Yeah. Even like, you know, we talk about like, even like credit, right? You know, think about this. When I was growing up, my parents were like, you don't get credit, you're going to
Starting point is 01:14:34 get in debt, don't do it. Wow. So I didn't do it. Talking you out of building credit. Yeah, because a lot of the time was cash. You don't think about this, man. And I'm not afraid to sit here and say this about myself, meaning I remember when I was young, I had like, I don't know, I was hustling. I may have like $5,732. I would carry it everywhere I went. I would be in the fucking bagel store with like three girls. I'm like, how much is it? that my fork peeling out of the way you know they're looking at me like you know wow yeah but that was everything I had yeah you know I don't even I got a good ATM to pull out cash yeah I don't even carry cash like that anymore yeah but you want learn that behavior you got out of it I actually
Starting point is 01:15:16 put my daughter on my credit card when I was 16 when she was 16 years old that's amazing to build up her credit she has more credit now she has like a 780 790 the funny thing is one day she she called me she's like oh dad is my credit fake I'm like why would it be fake she's like well my friends don't understand why I have such a, I said, well, tell them the thank you, pops. But I'm saying that's the things to learn. I'm still learning, right? Even though I'm teaching. I'm still learning.
Starting point is 01:15:41 Like, I give example, learning about being a freelancer. Like, I don't even know if this is a thing anymore, but I learned from a friend that if you have like a 6,000 pound car, you could ride it off. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't even know that. The G-wagon thing. You know, like an M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-T, certain ones that are that. But what I'm saying is,
Starting point is 01:15:59 learnness. This is why even having these type of conversations are so important because you get to go behind the life, right? And the trials and tribulations. And if I were to learn some of the things that I'm spitting today, I would have been so much better off. One thing I never really made until later on in my life, and I'm still
Starting point is 01:16:23 trying to continue to make it, is money. I have been involved in some of the most amazing things. but no money. Like, podcasting was early. There wasn't a lot of money in it. Yeah, you were so early to everything. Sneakers, sneakers. People used to look at us.
Starting point is 01:16:38 We were collecting. They're like, you have 15 pairs of shoes. Yeah. And I'm like, yeah, but if I was talking to like a friend or a girl, I'm like, yeah, but you have 40 bags. Yeah. No, but we don't have like that many, you have 40 shoes. So what I'm saying is looking at the culture of buying one to rock and one to slide.
Starting point is 01:16:56 Like, for instance, this, this is brand new. Right? Where is this? like I put this on today to come here. That's it, you know? Then it goes. I put it when I wear it again another time on a white a half force. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 01:17:07 But I'm saying... How early were you in the sneaker game? Like, when did you start collecting? I would say, you know, probably I would say I was collecting since Jordan came out, 85. Wow. I mean, I went, there was no line, you know. It took a village. I've spoken about this before, but it took a village to get a pair of fucking Jordans.
Starting point is 01:17:24 It was like 99 or 100 hours at a time. My parents were like, excuse me. for shoes $100 for shoes And they would never let you get another pair Unless that fucking other one was demolished And when I say demolished Their mindset was like kind of forgetful
Starting point is 01:17:38 I'm like mine need a new pair of sneakers I got them last month That was a year ago But what I'm saying is about $9900 for a Jordan Which now is so funny like that's crazy Yeah Oh 250 but also it's hard to even get them But the point I'm making is
Starting point is 01:17:52 Even with how much it was I had a paper route I had a bagged groceries at the wall or the wall bombs people may not notice but it's like an old school uh grocery um and so say i put 50 bucks in there and then my aunt barb gave me 10 uh my mother gave me 10 my father my grandmother gave me five and and i'm saying that's how like it took a village to people to understand okay well here's for your sneakers yeah it's crazy what's the grill what's like the greatest jordan one to me to me i love the jordan three to black cement with nikey air in the back
Starting point is 01:18:26 of Jordan Forer's, you know, amazing. I had these as a kid. And that's what I think a lot of people in our generation that helped build the sneaker culture, they couldn't have these as kids. It was very hard for your parents to be able to, one, afford them or two, come to grips with buying a sneaker like that.
Starting point is 01:18:42 So a lot of these people later on became pillars in the community of sneakers or collectors because now they could afford it. Yeah. You know how many people when I used to be in retail had suits on. They grew up, the same way I'm talking and on the weekends you see him pull out and they're like oh okay I see you um
Starting point is 01:19:01 you know it's a it's a more of a way of life now right you'll see like CEOs wearing like people you you know sometimes I see Chris Marr on my go look at you wearing a nice pair of new belt you know what I mean it's more it's more it's more mindful yeah it's ingrained in the culture yeah and it's more like kind of like you may say like I'm making this up it's weird that this is like this now but like hey well somebody like just go to fly club like buy a pair of jordan one one's supreme, it's become almost an outfit. Yeah. It's kind of almost like,
Starting point is 01:19:29 back of the day it was not like that. No, no, no, no. It was more, um, passion and again, even podcasting, thinking about people saying, oh, that's cute, not thinking that we would be here and people were making real money on it. Build an empire. When did you start making real money in sneakers? I would say I started making, well, retail is always money in retail,
Starting point is 01:19:50 but I would say as a freelancer, I started making money. I don't know why this always happens, but I think it's like when you start hosting like that I feel like that's an entry level into certain things like hosting an event or hosting this or and then you're getting good with the brand and and started to you know I would say working on more production stuff was
Starting point is 01:20:11 you know beyond the scenes is a lot of money but people want to show their fucking pearly whites man of course you know like that's why I sat before and I said I felt I could have been bigger because I was like damn I need some money but the popularity is cool, but I rather use my popularity to, like, help people, right?
Starting point is 01:20:30 To blow other people up. To blow other people up, yeah, because you can make money together. Yeah. You know, and it's more fun that way. Yeah, exactly. I feel like, you know, like, for instance, I got my own sauce, right, my pasta sauce,
Starting point is 01:20:39 but I help and own a bunch of different, you know, product brands. Hot sauce, and I'm working on another spices, and we're doing, like, a cream cheese soon for different companies, different people, different stores, and I'm like, yo, you want 100% of nothing or you want like 20% or 15% of like a bunch. Yeah, something's coming up. And also to be involved in that type of shit.
Starting point is 01:21:05 Like think about it. What you're involved in with flagrant was how I felt with combat, you know, and to be involved in like a startup or be involved in something that you take. You know, I see, listen, I want to say this, I have a friend who had a pickle called Grillo's Pickles, two spears for a dollar, okay?
Starting point is 01:21:22 Just think about what I'm saying. He had a wooden pickle cart. So this is years ago. Two spares for a dollar, yeah? Most people would never do that, right? Worked, worked hard, worked hard, started going door to door. Wind up getting to Whole Foods, okay? Wind up keep on going.
Starting point is 01:21:38 I met him later on through a friend of mine. We went up doing some cool marketing things together. I mean, he got so many investors, so many things. Anyway, long story short, he sold that for $92 million about two years ago. Yeah, that's insane. The King's Hawaiian, it's a little bread company. Yeah. But I still want to sit here and say, two spears for a dollar.
Starting point is 01:21:57 Yep. That's where it starts. It's a fucking pickle. It's probably in the Cayman Islands right now. I'm fucking relaxing. But what I'm saying is like, those blue pickles are good though. Yeah. But that's inspiring.
Starting point is 01:22:07 Yeah. Right? You know, that's inspiring. And even like, I had him on the show. And he was like, wait, you want me to talk on, like, you know, I guess most of those people feel like, yeah, like maybe not saying they're not worthy, but like, you know, they didn't feel it. I've had so many people like, yo, this pickle story's crazy.
Starting point is 01:22:22 Yeah. You know, even have like stories of Mike's Hot Honey. I don't know if you got pizza with the Mike's Hot Honey. I mean, this guy's a national brand. Yeah. Started with just one little sample. Yeah. Trying one little thing out.
Starting point is 01:22:33 An idea saying, hey, I want to make some honey. To package that. I guess what I'm saying is throughout your journey, you could have an idea like that. And then maybe your cousin dies or your aunt. Or maybe your wife gets laid off. Or maybe you know, like, do you understand? So many things could defer. your journey.
Starting point is 01:22:55 That's why I always say, and again, I'm not being corny, to just never stop believing in you, even through the tough times. So many people, sometimes you're struggling, people don't realize just because you're struggling, it doesn't mean you're failing. That's why I always tell people, like, I've said this on this show a bunch,
Starting point is 01:23:08 but like you can't fail unless you quit. Yeah. Like, that's 100% true. Like, quitting, like failure requires quitting. If you never quit, you can't fail. One of my biggest mistakes in life was thinking I made mistakes. So young, gambling, blew a bunch of,
Starting point is 01:23:23 of money, lost out on opportunities. Basically, almost felt like I was self-sabotaging myself by selling drugs, doing drugs, gambling, putting myself in situations that I probably, you know, had no business in being in. But I never knew at the time that those weren't mistakes only if you look at them as lessons. If you learn, again, I only keep on prefaces, I don't even have to, but I'm saying is I don't want to sound like a fucking preacher. But I'm saying if you look at those as lessons, you turn them into fucking blessings.
Starting point is 01:23:58 I lost about, I remember a while ago, I lost about 100 grand, many years ago when I was gambling, back then. A hundred grand gambling. 100 grand gambling. Easy. Maybe more. I'm talking about when I was younger. Yeah. I had some money,
Starting point is 01:24:14 boom, lose 100 grand. I should have opened up a business. I should have fucking even put that money in a fucking building in Williamsburg at the time, which would probably be four, million dollars right now. Point I'm trying to make is for years. I remember even people saying, Pete, you had some money, you blew your chance. Like, it's over. For years, I wore that on my heart. For years, I was like, holy shit, I'm a fuck up.
Starting point is 01:24:37 I messed up. I had an opportunity. No. Use it as a fucking lesson. Now when I'll go make another hundred. Yeah. And then that one... And do it right that way. That one, you'll put it into a business. But that's what I'm saying. So what I'm saying is the belief in that is so fucking important. Yeah. But you didn't, but you didn't, but you didn't, you didn't quit though. I didn't. If you quit, then you're a failure. I didn't. And I'll tell you, you know, you wear your scars throughout your life. You know, and there's nothing wrong with that. Don't ever be afraid to show the blemishes. But I will say when you don't quit, it gets harder to come back, but you just get back up and you get better. You know, even starting on my own show
Starting point is 01:25:14 at the time, the premium peach show during the combat, I didn't want to do that. I didn't know if people really wanted to listen to me. I don't know if I, you know, in this world, you put a tweet out And you're like, oh, two people are like, yo, you got to do it. The people like, yo, internet's wanting to the world. The world wants me to do it. Okay, two people said that. Yeah. But we do it.
Starting point is 01:25:29 And if you make something out of it, you know, you just keep on going with it, you know. How deep are you still in the sneaker game? Sneaker game still. I still love it. I still love it so much. Because you had some crazy clients back in the day. Oh, yeah. I mean, we had so many people throughout the years.
Starting point is 01:25:44 Some sneakers like Drake and Drake? What happened with that? How did you sell sneakers of Drake? Well, Drake, Drake used to, he loved Red Wings. We had a lot of similar friends. I'll tell you, to see that kid's journey, I remember he came to the store. He was by himself.
Starting point is 01:25:59 I brought him across the street, pulled out some gems for him, took care of him. Next time he came back, it was like fucking two security guns. I'm like, what the fuck is going on? Next time he came back
Starting point is 01:26:10 out of close the store for him. Wow. I mean, one of the biggest come up, I've seen a lot of people come up, you know, a lot of people. Honestly, it's fucking amazing. And I mean, you'll see this too throughout your job.
Starting point is 01:26:22 journey. Like, you'll see. Like, you saw, like, Andrew's journey is fucking, there's nowhere in there over, but, I mean, come on. It's just inspiring to see, you know, things like that, you know, even, even, even the network, you know, think about it, like, there's so many networks today. But you think about it, like, even the way loudspeakers was created, right? You know, there's a house to help people build, right? They never took the car, to title or anything. Yeah. You know, now, like, you go on networks, people, they want, they want your, they want your DNA. Hold you down, you know, IP.
Starting point is 01:26:54 Yeah, and you turn around. And that's another thing we got to say. Are we talking to creative still? We talking to them? Get yourself a lawyer, you know? Fucking people want to do contract. I don't get a fuck if it's $10,000, $15,000, spend $1,000 on a lawyer. So you don't see or something because a lot of people who do contracts and look at it themselves.
Starting point is 01:27:12 Let me tell you, you get words in there. I've seen they're trying to take people who's the camp. They want to, you can never use that name for another 10 years. So your contract's only for two and then you can't use it for, I got to change it to the camp. NYC? Yeah. So anyway, what I'm saying is treat yourself to any creatives out there, treat yourself as a business as an IP, as your own brand, right? You know, there's Mark who likes to wear thermals at night, but then there's Mark who does this, this and this and treat yourself like that. Yeah. You know, you know, it's, it's just, you know, surrounding yourself around things like that and
Starting point is 01:27:49 you'll see more people's journey. But what I'm saying is when we get back to. Andrew, what I'm saying, you've seen his journey. I've seen a lot of people's journey. And they inspired me. That's what I'm saying. They inspiring me to want to see them do more, to know that there is more possible. What are the next for the premium P journey? Wow.
Starting point is 01:28:07 You know, well, you know, I was trying my hand in acting. Yeah, yeah. That movie sounds sick. Yeah, yeah. But to be honest with you, acting too is such, you have to perfect your craft. because if you're going for money, you know, keep in mind. People see people get like a TV show.
Starting point is 01:28:28 You may have a friend that gets on Food Network. Like, wow, you're doing it big. But me and you know, maybe it's only 5,000 an episode. And it's 10 episodes, 50,000. It's not going to change his life. So sometimes it hurts people in the sense of being creative because the money doesn't match the last. look.
Starting point is 01:28:50 Yeah. So when you have money and you're able to then pursue your crafts, that's even a better way. Yeah. But people want more access. People don't realize relationships are worth the money. Not only money. I've done more things. I never really had a lot of money.
Starting point is 01:29:08 I've done more things without money. You know, I remember my father telling me, too, when he was in Wall Street, he'll be hanging out with people. And he was just struggling to get by. And they're like, well, Angela, I'm getting my boat. done this weekend. What I'm doing, I'm doing a mahogany around the whole and he's like, yeah, wow, sounds good. And he's like, you know, he's like hoping he can make his mortgage.
Starting point is 01:29:26 Yeah. And I related to him. So I guess what I'm saying is what's next for Premium Pete is, is more is just continuing to help the industry of, you know, sneakers, podcasting, continue, you know, I have a life gem series that I do that I want people to take with them with them with a mentorship. kind of bite size episodes. I guess I just want to continue to help people be better parents, you know, more insightful, you know, more, you know,
Starting point is 01:30:02 and just keep on building more brands. I want to get into more food products. I want to, I want to relax in my later years. Yeah. You know, you spoke earlier about your immigrant and friends, and I relate to you so much. What is this world we live in? Like, you want to work to you, 65, 70, you retire.
Starting point is 01:30:18 You got like 10 years maybe. 10 years to 80. What's the point? You know what I mean? And I want to say another thing before we get out of here. Recharging is so important. Right?
Starting point is 01:30:31 You know, a lot of people want to put their pedal to the metal and I get it. But I'm here to tell you, Mark, you have a great year. You know, I remember times where, like, combat jacks show, I wouldn't miss for nothing. Because, you know, maybe you miss flagrant. You come back next thing you know,
Starting point is 01:30:46 dove is in your place. I'm just being honest. that's why you build something to make while you sleep while you continue to do that because you know what I'm saying is is giving yourself a chance to recharge to be more creative and whatever that is some whatever money people have
Starting point is 01:31:05 that could mean going just a quick upstate or a quick little in the suburbs type of thing or day out or it could mean going to Cancun by yourself with your wife because I feel when you get away and you recharge your brain and you get that, whether you like sun or you get anything in you,
Starting point is 01:31:24 you say, hey, you know what, I'm going to do this for Andrew, I'm going to come back, I got an idea with the camp, I spoke to this, fucking,
Starting point is 01:31:32 that's what that does. Because during the other time, it's so much. Yeah, you can't see the big picture when you're so inside it. And so much. And, you know,
Starting point is 01:31:41 even like right now, I'm like, oh my God, I'm scared to check my phone. I haven't touched my phone and whatever, an hour and whatever. It doesn't,
Starting point is 01:31:48 stop. Yeah. So recharge. And also, if Tony Soprano went to therapy, anybody can. You know, I grew up, they used to fucking make fun of that shit. And I'm here to tell you, you know, think about it. I grew up, again, I want to go back to my parents. I love them so much.
Starting point is 01:32:05 I do. I love them. But I remember the times, this is a lot of parents. They would say, you're crying? I'll give you something to cry about. So that taught you to hold it in. Push it down. Right?
Starting point is 01:32:15 So I didn't teach you to let it out. You know, even like, what's his name, the UFC? see if I had a Patty what's his name oh patty the baddie yeah I mean this guy lost like a friend he was on there talking about that shit like if you got something going on or whatever talk to someone like go that clip was so fucking amazing because he's like yo the weight a weight of the world on your shoulders like you know a lot of people don't know how to deal with that so what I'm saying is stop comparing start creating never ever stop believing in you um take time to recharge check on your loved ones even your strong friends uh if you're
Starting point is 01:32:48 have a mom and dad remember or anyone you love as they're getting older so we um and at the end of the day too don't be a hater you know just continue to grow with people and you know um you don't like something go create it the way you like it you know that's how i look at it and i will say um right now i'm living so special you know having to my kids i got an older daughter a youngest son every moment i get to spend with them it just shows me that life is is pure and I want to end or whatever I'll give it back to you but going back to where we said there's a ticker on life you could expire any time why not you know I have more of a passion now for service workers think about it somebody comes and gives you uh we go out to eat me and you we give them 20 percent sometimes
Starting point is 01:33:38 I give them 25 percent but then somebody is doing a pedicure and they're scrubbing your feet you know I give them more money now ever since COVID like my mind I love love service people. My son has like a, he's part of baseball. There's like five coaches. They're awesome. Yeah. They're not making no fucking money. My son's up to batty. They're pulling his elbow up. No, no, stop. Come back this way. Like every time I appreciate you. Hey, guys, hey, they have some fallacies. I bring him some fallacies. He's a grown men my age. But I'm, I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm at a point where I'm realizing like, like, even as a Brooklyn kid, because sometimes you could be looked at like you come off, you know, well, hey, what the
Starting point is 01:34:16 fuck you're looking at what is that? And I could be that guy. but I've changed my mindset more of an appreciative, kind of thankful, even though I don't have everything that I want. I know I have what I need. And I'm just saying like, yo, you appreciate people. You know, that's it. But I will say, don't look for you and people. And don't take everything so personal.
Starting point is 01:34:40 Yeah. I probably would have been way more successful if I didn't think everything personal. But I keep it real. I keep it real. Wise words from Premier Pete. Hey, listen. the camp mark thanks for having me on me i don't want to take over your show i'm giving it back to you so you tell me thank you so much for blessing the show having a podcast o g fucking coming through
Starting point is 01:34:57 and laying it down i appreciate the wisdom and uh i'm realizing you might be one of the wealthiest men i've ever met because you're rich in life yeah don't don't only think about paper a lot of people want to know how much money someone who makes go look at the google network how many times you look at somebody's name you'll see up network yeah i give you google next to you know Andrew Schultz, you'll probably see, like, you know, something funny, but I'm making a joke, but I'm saying there is net worth on everyone. Everybody wants to know how much someone makes. Some people are so poor, all they have is money. Yeah. Currency. Time is the biggest currency in the world. Let's go do it, baby. Yeah. Blessing you. Blessings to the camp.
Starting point is 01:35:34 Bro, thank you so much, bro. This is awesome, yeah. Appreciate you. Likewise. Premium Pete.

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