Keep it Positive, Sweetie - Bigger Than Brunch w/ Trell Thomas

Episode Date: August 31, 2025

This week Trell Thomas joins us for or a masterclass in faith, perseverance, and walking boldly in your purpose. He shares the wisdom of his mentors, reminding us that if your dream begins and ends with you, it’s not big enough. This episode dives deep into trusting God’s timing, learning when to move on.....even when it’s comfortable and preparing for what you pray for.

Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazel, and this is the Keep It Posit Sweetie Show. Our next guest has made an impact on how we show up and celebrate ourselves. He's an activist, a mentor, media expert, and he is the creator of the Black Excellence Brunch, a global celebration of the culture created to build community amongst black people from all backgrounds, professions, and walks of life. Sweeties, please welcome Strel Thomas. Trell. What's up?

I'm good. How are you? I'm so good. I'm so happy to be here. Man, I'm happy to have you here, seriously. You've been everywhere. It's been a crazy week. Man.

You're fresh off of a flight. You look good. I'm loving the fit. Thank you. So I wanted to have you on because you have so many amazing things going on. And a lot of people know you from your Black Excellence brunches. Now, your Black Excellence brunches started in 2017, when you, you just had friends over for dinner and said, hey, we're all white.

What was it about that moment? Take us back to your dinner prior to 2017 that sparked something in you to say, hey, I need to do this more often. Well, I have to be completely honest. So 2017 is when it started to look like people see it now. But Black Excellence brunch is really based off the concept and tradition that I know that we're all familiar with a Sunday dinner. Yes. And if you're not familiar, all of the Swedes out there, right?

Like it is when you go to church and then after church, you sit down with your family around 1 or 2 o'clock. I grew up Southern Baptist, so sometimes it was three or four for me. But you really shared this meal with your family and friends and loved ones. And my mom were hosting that at home growing up every Sunday. And it was honestly one of the first places where I got to feel and see the joy of being a black person. And so I wanted to recreate that feeling for my friends. So, yeah, I started doing it in my home. And then in 2017, that one that you're speaking about, I got all my friends together.

It was my going away. I'll never forget. I was moving from New York City to L.A. Wow. And I just brought everybody together. And I was like, well, you know, I can kind of tell them what to do a little bit more today. So I was like, can you guys wear all white? Can you meet me here?

And everybody came. Everybody wore all white. And when I tell you, it was something so special about it because we couldn't get two feet without people being like who are you guys what do you do can i take a picture with you people were sending us drinks we were at the rooftop of this restaurant and um and i just looked around the table i remember the exact moment looking around the table and i just saw everybody smiling and looking so confident and just feeling joy and i just thought to myself if i could give us this feeling all the time i want to do that i want us to because this is how we should be able to walk through life uh joyously right

And, yeah, and it was in that moment. I remember doing a toast, and I was like, this is to all of my black and excellent friends. This is a black, excellence brunch, and then something clicked. Wow. And it was in that moment, I was like, I got to do more of this. And I got to gather us more. But most importantly, I got to put a smile on our faces like I've seen.

Oh, my God. Oh, thank you. Yeah, no, just like you, our group in the South, Sundays were definitely our day where the family got together, everybody, cousins, aunts, we all came to one. home and like you said we just came together and we were already looking good because we were at our Sunday's best. Right. Exactly. And then we had an amazing dinner and just fellowship. And that's beautiful that that's what sparked that. So you just toasted and then you said Black Excellence brunch and that's when you're like, wait, that's it. It just clicked. It just clicked

and I was like, okay, I got to do more of this. And so it was kind of rinse and repeat up that I moved to L.A. When I came to L.A., I did another one. Same reaction. And you know, like, in L.A. and in New York, it's hard to impress people. It sure is. Everybody's impressive, right? Yeah, absolutely. But I just saw how people were receiving us. But most importantly, Crystal, I realized, one, that it was bigger than me.

A mentor told me, like, if you're doing anything and it starts and stops at you, then it's not big enough. Absolutely. And so in those moments, I realized, oh, this is bigger than me. But I also realized that it was something so divine about the space. it just like I tell people even now you can see all the videos and the pictures but until you've been in the space you don't really know

but the energy of it is so beautiful and I and I think you probably can attest to this there's a point in your life where you where something you're doing something and you're like this is not just a thing that I'm doing this is a part of my purpose and this is my responsibility

and I started to feel responsible responsible for bringing joy to us, responsible for shifting the narrative, responsible for creating safe spaces. And so it was like, all right, this isn't just a thing that I'm doing. Like, this is what I've been called to do. And when you hear your calling,

you've got to like walk in it. Right. You know? So back then, when you first started, how many people were attending these brunches? Because I've seen what it is now. Yeah. So I would say at the very beginning,

it was like 40, 50 people. yeah like between 40 and 50 people wow and yeah now we've we've done as many as 3,000 people which I'm still like pinching myself about you know did you like this has been something that's in culturally impactful did you ever dream that like when you started in 2017 that it would be this big and that you'd be at the white house you would be at every film festival like did you did you dream that it would ever be this big you know no and I I didn't know. I just wanted to do. And even in the, even now, there are times where people would be like, do you realize, like, even when you mentioned that just now, I'm like, wait, man, I guess that's, that's true. Like, because I'm just doing and I'm just going. I remember having this moment. And I'll share with you. I was, you know, this was maybe 22. And, and I've been done doing the brunches for a while. I figured I was no longer having to spend my own money to do it. So, but I walked, we had one at SoFi Stadium.

Wait, what? Yeah. And I, and, and, and it was brand new. We had one at Sofi Stadium. I walked in and I see Black Excellence brunch on the Jumbo Tron. And I'm like, and even though we had done like all these partnerships and we had traveled, by then we had done Africa and everything. I was like, oh man. Yeah.

I guess this, this is something that I'm doing because when you are. on the path and you and and I'm at this point I'm helping people set up like I've never been the type of be like okay go do it you know I'm on in and on the ground with people and so I didn't realize it and got that big until I looked up somebody was like trail like look and I looked and it was on the jumbo tron so I feel like that's what keeps me like going just not even paying attention to to like these marquee moments but it's also um important I guess to stop and be like, what in a minute? Like, this is happening.

So thank you for that reminder. No, it is. I always remind my friends, especially when things are just going so fast and everything's on a high. Take those moments to really soak it in because it goes by just like that. And before you know it, you're just on to the next, on to the next. And then you don't take a chance to look back and say, whoa, I've accomplished all these amazing things, you know?

So take time to sit in gratitude. I love that you're finding time to do that. Now, you mentioned it got to a point where you weren't coming out of your own pocket to make these things happen. So in the beginning, you were footing the bill for most of these things. Oh, yeah. And I tell people all the time, like, one of the biggest questions that I get is, like, how do you get all these brand partnerships? At this point, we've partnered with over 100 brands. Wow.

And people are like, how do you get all these brand partnerships? And I tell people, it's simpler than a lot of people realize. First of all, if you're going to ask anybody to invest in you, like, are you investing in yourself? I feel like you can't ask anybody for anything that you're not willing to give yourself. And that's in business, that's in relationships, that's in friendships. Like, I can't ask you to be honest if I'm not being honest. So before I go to a brand and be like, hey, can you give me $60,000, $70,000, $100,000 to do something like,

I need to know, like, what it feels like to put that into, to invest that into something. So when I did the first Black Exxon brunch when I was like, oh, I'm going to do it nice and I'm, you know, put some decor on it. And I literally paid for that with my own money. And it gave me such an appreciation for like the space. And it also let me know like, so you don't got to depend on anybody to do anything. That's good. Because you, we're never waiting on it. It's always waiting on us.

so I think that that was waiting on me it was waiting on me to make the decision that you know what you can do it it was waiting on me to invest in myself it was waiting on me to like move forward and answer the calling that I was just talking to you about so I feel like that's the important first step like know what it takes to invest into your thing into your dream and be willing to make that investment And the next thing you know, the very next brunch, after I made that investment, I got $50,000 from Netflix to do the next one. That's wow. And I firmly believe it is because I was, you know, I was, I had got out of the mode of like, oh, I'm waiting on somebody else to save me. You know, I'm like, I'm going to do it regardless.

You pull up to the table, that's nice. But it's still going to be here. Listen, you are speaking to me right now. You really are because there's things that I still want to do and you just hit the nail on the head. It's waiting for me to step up to it and do it. I love that. Oh, my goodness. So when did you get, so did you even ask Netflix or Netflix to approach you for that?

You know, and I know we are people of faith, so you'll get this too. So, okay, I also believe that you have to pray about it and then leave it. because when we pray and then we worry it's like me giving you something and then be like can I have that back so like I'm not going to give God the thing and then be like oh let me borrow it so I can worry about it for a little while longer you know what I mean so it's like here you go like this is the thing and then I got to move on from it and I think when I had invested in myself on that first one you know I was like all right God like I did this I'm out of money you know here you go I wanted to be nice and and then I left it alone and

And I literally, I lied to you not, three days later, I went to dinner with a friend of mine, Angelique, and then Jasmine, a shout to y'all if you're out there watching this. Thank you so much. So Jasmine Lawson was at the dinner, and she was working at Netflix at the time. And I was just telling her about, like, you know, these gatherings that I do. I was just telling her, I didn't even know, like, where her position was. We were just out to dinner as friends, and I was telling her about it. and little did I know she was taking mental notes

and went to her direct supervisor at Netflix and told them with just as much excitement as I had they agreed to take a call with me and that was it so that's how it happened so I think that putting it in motion praying about it and leaving it like allow God to be God

and the things started to be orchestrated because I it wasn't like a dinner that we had planned for weeks we popped up and did that and Jasmine wasn't even supposed to come she showed up You know, and I think that's how God works. It is. That's alignment.

Yeah. Wow. And you still have this relationship with Netflix. I just did a brunch with Netflix a few days ago. Right. Not that I missed. I know. I'm going to let you know every time there's a be.

Yeah, I need your full schedule. Whoever's got it. And I need yours. I need every, the brunch schedule. Yeah. I'm going to be in this city. I'm covered. Yes.

No, but that's amazing. And that says a lot about you and the brand that you've built that you're able to sustain relationships with a brand as big as Netflix, you know? With all the brunches that you've had, what has been one of your most memorable brunches? Wow. You know what I always remember? I always remember the conversations. And so I think, like, people that come to minds, like, Tabitha Brown.

It's just everybody, what happens at the brunch and as part of it being in this divine space is people come. and they show up so authentically, it's no pomp and circumstance. It's no like, I'm here and you're there. I tell people, everybody is a VIP. But when I have these conversations because I honor like cultural icons

and we've honored Kelly Rowland and Tabitha Brown and Megan Good and St. John and Megan Good and Ms. Tina knows. And, you know, we've honored so many incredible people. And people always show up with their heart. Yes. You know, I'm thinking about,

even the last brunch that I just did with Netflix and sitting with Victoria Mahoney who's the director of the Old Guard 2 and Kiki Lane who stars in it as a black woman super superhero. I mean, we just need to take a minute.

She's so beautiful, first of all, just stunning. I'm telling you, and just also beautiful inside and out. And she came and she sat with us and she poured her heart and she cried with us. And it's just, there's no other spaces where I feel like people feel seen. And so when you ask about my favorite black excellence brunches, I have favorite moments within them,

but it's hard to choose one. But I think that the thing that I love most is that you see people authentically and they feel seen too. Yes, no, for sure. I've been to two black excellence brunches and I felt seen both times. Yeah. Yeah. That means so much to me. Yeah, no, seriously.

It's such a, it feels like a family reunion. Yes. Yes. Yes. That's it. That's what I try to create, no matter how big it is. Because you've been to, like, a smaller one, and you've been to, like, the biggest one, right? Yes, and we're going to get to that.

That was crazy. Yes. Now, if you had anyone on your wish list that you want to have a tenure, Black Excellence Brunch, who would it be? Oh, let me just pull out my, no. Denzel Washington. Oh, yes. Viola Davis, gosh, there's so many iconic people that I think. Lisa Leslie.

We can make that heaven. No, seriously. Yeah, no. Lisa Leslie. Don Staley. Gosh. She's amazing. There's so many incredible people who, Tyler Perry.

Like, so many incredible people who I think. I'm going to help you out, bro. Listen, all right now. I can put a bug out Yeah, there's so many incredible people that I feel like deserve their flowers, and I want to share this space with

yeah, Beyonce. Come on. Come on. Speaking of Beyonce, her mom, Miss Tina knows is a mentor of yours. Yes. How do that, I mean, how do you get Mama Tina to be your mentor? You know, again, another form of manifestation.

So I was living in New York and Salang's album, a Cia of the table came out, which is a timeless classic, and I'm going to say it right now. The time hasn't passed yet, but we're going to be listening to that album 50 years from now, like we listen to the Miseducation of Lauren Hill, right? What did I say, Ashana, at dinner? That's like, if we had, we were straight on the island and we only had one album, what would it be, and that's the one I said.

Man, that album, like, I'd probably listen to it, like, over and over and over. I can't even count that amount of times. But there is an interlude on the album, and I love that she did interludes because like that was a lost art and she brought it back in such an amazing way and miss tina was on one of the interludes and she was and it was during a time it was a dark time for me i would say where i was just feeling i was in the corporate world before i became a full-time entrepreneur and i was feeling so down and just taking advantage of i remember bringing so many creative ideas and i remember them being shot down and people being like oh they're not no that's not a good idea that's not a good idea but then i would see them secretly try to do it but they wanted me to think it wasn't good, but they and then they wanted to give the credit to somebody else. And of course, it was somebody who didn't look like me. So

I was very down and I was just like what is it? Like why? And I remember listening to the interlude where Ms. Tina was just talking about the joy of being a black person. The pride and that you know, and it re-ambigorated me and every time I would leave

work and I would feel away I would turn to that interlude and I would listen to it. And I remember and this is where the manifestation comes in. I remember I remember sitting and I was like, I wish I could just talk to her. Like, I want to just talk to her. And I put it out there and I didn't think of nothing else about it. And I have to say that in that moment, I feel like God started put things in motion. So things got really bad at work.

And at first I was like, well, what's happening? But if you know anything about the way God works, if God is telling you to do something and you're not heeding to what God is, things will get real uncomfortable. Shake it up. Yes. It'll get real uncomfortable and they got really uncomfortable. And so I was working, I remember I was working on this, I get, she was thinking about, I was working on this event to, the hope was to honor Beyonce.

Wow. And she was pregnant at the time, and so she couldn't, you know, be there for it. And I ended up moving to L.A., I met someone, Andrea Nelson-Mex, who is an incredible agent and she was sitting with me and she was like, you know, I'm working with Waco Theater Center and she was like, they think that they're looking for a social media person, but I think that they're looking for you specifically. And she set up a meeting with me and Mr. Lawson. And Ms. Tina just happened to be there at the time she walked by and she looked and she came back and she was like, who is this? And so she walked into the meeting.

And we were supposed to meet for like 30 minutes. We sat there and talked for like three hours. Wow. And the first thing that I worked on her, worked with her on, was a gala honoring Beyonce. The wearable art. Yes. And so God had fulfilled the thing.

So you were behind that too? Yeah. Like I got to help bring that to life. But Miss Tina is an incredible visionary. Yes, she is. So smart, creative. Like deserves. I'm so glad that she's getting her flowers now with the matriarch.

But, yeah. so when God made that promise to me after I like said those things to listen to those albums that album it just started to come true so that's how we met and we just been so close ever since and I think it's because Miss Tina is one of those people that she sees your heart and she wants to help you know what I mean like and she's also she also taught me just a lot about, you know, you can't wait on somebody else to do something for you or to give you an opportunity. Like, you have to make space and take up space.

Yes. And I started doing that and, man. Look at you. You're occupying all streets right now. You're killing it. Oh, thank you. Yeah. So you talked about going from corporate to being an entrepreneur.

Same thing. And I think we have something in common. Well, you worked for the Obama campaign, and I got recruited, but I didn't take the job. Yeah, I worked on the hill before I moved to Atlanta to pursue acting in music. But you worked from NBC, Viacom, and then you worked on the Obama campaign. Tell me what that transition was like going in that jump where you said, all right, I'm not going to do this anymore. I'm going to go work for myself and make my dreams come true.

So that was, things got really uncomfortable. Like I was telling you earlier, and I knew, like, so I feel like at every place. So from the Obama campaign to NBC to Viacom, like every place that I was, I was a mentor taught me about this too. Like I was putting things in my toolbox. Yeah. So you're always collecting things.

And sometimes you have the tools that you need, but and it's time for you to move on to the next thing, but you're so comfortable. Yep. Or you're so, you know, you like the friends that you have, but whatever the reason is and you stay too long. And people do this again, and jobs, they do their relationships,

they do their friendships, do it sometimes with family members yeah you know and i think that when god tells you to get up and move you got to get up and move and so when i i actually would be um in la a lot right i would be in l a lot for work and one day crystal i lied to you not i was walking down the street you know a palm tree line street and i've always been anti-l-a and so pro new york and i was living in new york so i was like i'm here yeah you know what i'm saying but when i was walking down the street I heard God say so clearly home. I just kept hearing it.

And I walked by this building that was named. The soon as I heard that, I walked by this building, and the name of the building was the name of my hometown. Oh, wow. And they were building. And I was like, oh, this is such a nice building. And I ended up moving and staying in that building. Wow.

And so I feel like, too, when you're on this journey, like God will speak to us and it will be faint. Yeah. And the more you lean in and listen to it, the louder and the clearer it becomes. comes. And I think at that point in my life, I've gotten to a point where the voice was clear. And so when God was telling me to do something, all right, I'm like, okay, let's go. Let's go. We're doing it. And so I started, I got back to New York. I started looking up

apartments. I started, like, calling people. And the next time I went to L.A., I just didn't take that flight back. Oh, my goodness. So you talked about building your toolbox. So what are some the tools that you took from working in corporate America to be an entrepreneur and what impact did it have on you. Yeah, of course. So, you know, one of the things that I took was like, and this word gets thrown around a lot, like humility and being humble. I learned that like, I don't want to be humble. You know what I mean? Like, and in corporate America, you can't be like humble and, you know, so you have to like ask for what you want. You have to say the thing. Now, the part of the humility that I like is that you can be kind and consider it and show grace.

But if people don't know, like, what you're capable of and what you can do and, like, what tools that you have, then you'll get looked over over and over. Yeah, it's the truth. And so, like, I have this, like, love-hate relationship with the word humble. And in corporate America, I learned, like, put humble, you know, underneath some stuff, you know? That's real, yeah. And I'm, yeah, I can be kind, I can be considered, I can be all the things. And speaking of kind, like, I also learned that you can be kind, but you don't always have to be nice. Yes.

Because nice will have you being taken advantage of. It'll have people lowballing you. It'll have people treating you like you're less than. So I am kind, but I'm not always nice. Yeah. You know? So I think that's another thing. I learned how to pitch my brand.

So when you are, I did so many decks. And if you're not familiar with what a deck is, The deck is when you kind of take the thing, say you're doing an event, you kind of take the event and you put it in like a digestible like packet for people to be able to see like what it is that you do, how they can get involved, why they should get involved. And so I learned how to do that really well. And that's what helped me transition from that one that I paid for to the one that got paid for, right? I knew from working in corporate America, okay, I need to take photos. I need to have like notes. I need to invite certain people.

and I need to package this all up and then have it prepared because you have to prepare for what you're praying for. So you can pray for something all the time, but are you preparing for? So when that thing walks up, it's like, all right, you don't want to miss that opportunity because you're not prepared. So while I'm praying, I'm preparing. And that was another thing that I learned in corporate America. And I also learned because, and people do this all the time, they'll send one, email and then they don't get a response on that email and they're like oh they don't want to do it but you are the one that need something yeah so you can't send a one email and just begin it you have to be

persistent you have to follow up you have to find the best contact you have to do all of your research and you have sometimes you have to call after you sit the email sometimes you have to get a number and text so I learned persistence um and I I think but most of all like I learned to advocate for myself you know which I used to be so scared to do really yeah yeah Yeah, yeah. Like, I was a person who would, this story comes in mind. I'm going to go ahead and tell us. So I'm in a fraternity, Cap, I was Side Fraternity, Incorporated.

Shout out to all the noops out there. I'm in a fraternity, and I was president of MPHC, which is all the divine and all the groups. And I was simultaneously the vice president of my chapter. And I remember I was sitting meetings, and I, like, I've always been a creative. So I would have all these ideas. And one of my profiles, one of the ones that older me, they would watch me in these meetings. And he was like, you always, one day, like, he got in my face.

He was like, you always, I know you got something to say. You never want to say what you have to say. Like, I can see it on your face. You know, you need to speak up for yourself. And, you know, I was like, oh. And that was a, basically he was telling me, like, what you think matters. Wow. And it matters in this room.

And so I had to get out of that It doesn't matter if I'm the youngest Or if I'm the only person of color Or if I'm the only guy Or whatever it is in a room My voice matters And if it didn't matter I wouldn't be in that place

So true Absolutely, that's so good So you went from working on the Obama campaign And you went from a root top of a New York restaurant To the White House I was at this one Yeah Trail

It was it was monumental, it was historic, it was, I think for every person that had the honor of attending this event, it was something that made us believe in dream bigger. You know, we sat on the line and looked at a building that our ancestors built, died for. We sat on the line of a house that a lot of us haven't even been able to go to or even invited or welcomed, you know? So to be welcomed in that way and for it to be a young black man

that made that happen for us was, I got... I'm like trying, I'm fighting with tears. Oh, my gosh, it was amazing. What was that moment like for you? You had your family there. Everywhere I turned, and then people were texting like, wait, I saw you, where'd you go? Like, we were all trying to catch up with each other.

felt like a big family reunion. The food was amazing. What was that moment like for you? Because I know what it felt like for us. You know, honestly, I was talking somebody about this just, just, just yesterday. It was an out-of-body experience. I felt like I was, like, hovering above myself, watching myself during time. It wasn't until I stepped off the stage, and I don't know if you saw me, and I, like, broke.

I had, like, a breakdown. That was when I came back into my body, I felt like. But the whole time, I just felt like I was watching myself. And I think because I felt the weight of that responsibility. And I wanted to do it right. And I wanted for us to feel seen and feel like that love. And so, you know, I'm just so grateful that it happened. Yeah.

I'm so grateful that, you know, people like you just shared have that experience. And, you know, you're speaking about the things that I wanted. I wanted to give us opportunity to make space for us to take up space. And, like, also, not for nothing, to your point, we, that place wouldn't be there if it weren't for us. Our literal blood, sweat, and tears. And so it is only right that we get to be celebrated in that kind of way in that space, you know? Absolutely. And so that was my thought process.

And it was just, and I think a lesson or a thing that I learned and all of that is like, somebody's always watching you. Yeah. Somebody's always watching you. And that thing, people don't know that, but that was like. three years in the making and it came to me in a dream like i literally i was walking past through like where the rose garden is i was walking through there and i had like deja vu because i dreamed walking the exact same steps i saw myself i looked at the reflection of myself all those things and it was happening again and so that's how i know it was divine but for me it was like i wanted to create a space for us to feel seen on a massive scale

And it taught me the lesson of like always be preparing for it because somebody someplace is watching what you're doing. And that's what happened. Somebody at the White House was watching at the same time. I was dreaming. I was going to ask you that that's powerful. Somebody was watching at the White House while I was dreaming. My goodness. So good.

So good. So how did that happen? The person that was watching reached out? So, yeah, you know, I'm persistent. Anybody that knows me would tell you trail is the follow-up king. I'm a follow-up and then follow-up and then follow-up on top of the follow-up. Love it. I'm for real.

And I will be following it up for your schedule. Please do. And I'll be followed up too. I need that bread schedule. No, but okay. So I've been really blessed to have a lot of incredible people in my life a lot of black women too shout out to black women you all are like the backbone of society nothing moves without black culture but nothing really moves without black women come on

so it was black a black woman jotaica edie who came to me she's from south carolina who came to me and was like you got something special brother that's what you know if you know you know that's how she talked you got something special brother like you you got something special and i was like thank you Joteka and you know and that's all she said at first and she was behind the scenes talking to people and then um my fraternity brother steven steve benjamin was um advisor to the president he also was like you know whispering in ears and for me i was just calling anybody that would listen like hey i was under people social media um i was DMing um some of them dm still unbred but it happened thank you know um but yeah um any

email I was sending the emails and so but I always made sure again like kind I was always kind to my mom taught me that at a very early age I remember when I would she would drop me off the school she would say trail you treat the janitor the same way you treat the principal absolutely same and that all that's stuck with me my entire life I've always treated almost especially you know people who I felt like didn't also always get treated right you know I've always made a point to be kind to those people and you know some of biggest breaks have come from like somebody who a lot of people might have overlooked that I was kind to that remembered my kindness and told somebody else about me. A big deal for me, I did PR, like in my many lives, I would say I also did PR.

And I remember my biggest thing, I got a placement in O Magazine, which was huge. And that placement came from me offering an assistant water. The assistant oftentimes nobody ever talks to. And I had, you know, they, you know, when you go visit offices and stuff, they'll make sure that you have the things that you need. And I got another warder and I offered the assistant one. Wow. And the assistant told their boss who told the editor who got me the placement.

Wow. And I have so many stories in my life like that where just being kind to somebody who needs a little more kindness. Yeah. Can open a big door for you. So true. Ooh, that's good. That is so good. Wow. I'm still stuck on, somebody was watching while I was dreaming.

I'm telling you. I was still stuck. Literally while I was having that dream, somebody was like scrolling, like, who was this brother? Yeah. You know? That's crazy. What do you feel has made your brand stand out? Because I feel like the brunch, let's call it brunch industry, you know, is like very saturated.

But what has made your stand out over all the other ones? I think when God has given you a vision, God will give you provision. Come on. Okay, we're going to add pastor to your title because you're preaching right now. Well, you know, I was in the church. My mom was my Sunday school teacher. She was my vacation Bible school teacher. She was my choir director.

I was in the church a lot. So don't let this set fool you. Like, I know my word. But no, it's real. Like, when God gives you a vision, God will give you provision. And so it doesn't matter if it's a million people doing things. I mean, look at Fenty. Yes.

Like, Rihanna has a billion-dollar industry that everybody would say over-saturated. You can't turn anywhere without saying some makeup, but it ain't Fenty. Hello. And then there's deals after deals with other beauty. Exactly. Like, she just does everything, yeah. And I feel like we live, you know, we were talking about this. I don't operate in a scarcity mindset.

We live in an infinite, there's enough of everything for everybody three times, three and four times over. so I've always been lived by that like there's enough for me and so but I think there are a couple of things that that that differentiate the brunch from other brunches right um one is like the heart of it um and I think that you should hone it like know you know the know your why and the intention behind your why before you start anything and be really firm on that yeah and I have been like I've said no to six figure deals because what it wasn't it wasn't the heart That's so good. You know?

Integrity. Yeah, you got to keep your integrity. You got to keep the integrity of your brain. Like, how many fast food restaurants did you used to love? And then when it got too big, they messed with the integrity and now it's not good. And I think it's the same thing with your brain. You got to treat your brain like that. You got to keep being integral about it.

And so for me, like, I know that my nose make way for my yeses. So I'm not afraid to say no to anything. And that has really helped the brand. like being being having those clear boundaries um you know i feel like another thing about a brand is like having something that's recognizable so the all white really helps yes too and and for me it wasn't about like making a brand it was more so about i put us in all white because i wanted the concentration to be on the beauty of our melanin so i didn't want anything distracting us from that i wanted people to see like the beauty of your skin because it is about celebrating blackness

and blackness isn't because of black excellence isn't because of all the accolades that you received you were born that is a birthright that we had and i teach my sister to teach her sons like we didn't come like people were like oh yeah they brought slaves over to america no they brought doctors and lawyers and engineers and all of these things like we and kings and queens we were born into royalty that's our that's our ancestors yeah you know so i wanted the concentration to be on the beauty of like all of the different shades of us um so that's another thing that has helped the brand, but I also think consistency. Yeah.

And consistency is probably, you know, paramount with any thing, any brand building. You have to be consistent. You have to continue to show up. That's the thing that a lot of people struggle with, I feel like being consistent. Yeah, it is. What is the legacy that you want to leave behind when it's all set and done, especially with this brunch? Because it's building a legacy of its own.

Oh, thank you. That's such a, like, ah. You know, I want the legacy of Black Excellence Brunch and of myself just to be that like people felt safe and seen and affirmed around me and in the Black Excellence Brunch because I believe that when people feel seen and affirmed, they're able to show up more authentically. And when you're able to show up more authentically, you can walk your path. Because our path is as unique to us as our thumbprint. And you can only get what's for you by being you. Like I can only get what's for trail by being trail.

I can't get what's for trail trying to be crystal. And so when you show up authentically, you can collect all the things that are for you. And so when you feel safe, you're able to do that. Yes. Right? Yeah. And so I want people to feel a little safer and a little more firm and a little more seen when they're around me or when they're in spaces that I've created.

Yeah. So something that I'm really interested to know about is the day of a big event, the day of your brunch, because I've thrown parties and I know how stressful it is, the things that happen. What is one of the craziest things that's happened where you're like, oh, my God, this is it going to happen? Like, are we going to even be able to have the brunch today?

Because I know those moments. You probably need a reality show just around the book. Legit. There's so many, but there's one that I can think about it. I can talk about it now, but for a long time, I couldn't talk about it. So we were in Austin, Texas. My first time of Austin, Texas at AfroTech, I was so excited to be there. We were doing this brunch at this place, and they told us, like, hey, you know, we have, like, you know, a semi-kitchen.

So, you know, basically when that happens, like, the chef prepares the food, and then you come bringing it, and then you warm it. Cool, that happens. That's okay. You get there. It is a parking garage. there is the outlets don't work in there the you can't have a brunch without food and the chef thought like oh i'm going to make the eggs in there because we didn't have any we didn't have any food we didn't have any way to warm it up we were down there buying we were buying hot plates to plug them up i had to run an extension cord up some stuff to plug in the hot place the other chef was at uh at this Airbnb cooking the food driving back and forth to bring i mean it was was insane, all above. You know, the music is playing.

And the people are like, oh, yeah, I'm down there running back and forth, hosting, hey, welcome to the Black Exiles, we're so glad for you to be here, running downstairs, putting on gloves, like, putting, and it was wild, wild. And so that was a moment where I was just like, I don't know. And honestly, the White House was a very big undertaking because you can't do anything. There's a lot of checks and balances, as you can imagine. gosh they were every like even like the secret service yeah the checkpoints it was a lot it was so much i was like i remember i just remember working on the hill it felt like that all over again yeah so

that was you know navigating that space and i didn't like every i didn't want and it's the same with the brunches like i wanted yeah people that you recognize and know and love like yourself there i also wanted people that may have never gotten the opportunity to come you know so i invited some people from South Carolina who, you know, probably never even been in a state building, let alone the White House. Right. So navigating that space and like, you know, making sure that. Yeah, my family was there.

My dad does not talk and he would not shut up. And he was inside the white house. I was like taking pictures of everything. I think my dad took a picture of the floor. What you're going to do with that? But I wanted people to have that experience. So navigating that was. It's like, oh my gosh.

And, you know, not only that, I was building the program. I was, you know, figuring out, like, the food and all those things. So doing it at that scale for 3,000 people and also trying to make sure, like, even, you know, including, like, even the smallest people from the smallest town. I mean, there's no small people, but, you know, people from small towns. Who wouldn't get those opportunities. Who wouldn't get those opportunities to make sure those people were included as well. It was just that was a huge undertaking. Yeah, I can imagine.

But Austin takes a kick. That was, oh. That's crazy. Yeah, but you handle it, you kept pushing. And that's what matters. Yeah. And a lady that, that one was with DoorDash. And the same lady went to another company, and she, we're doing a black excellence brunch

together in a few weeks. So that's why I can talk about it because I'm like, okay, nobody to do. Right. That's good. You pivoted. That's good. I love that. I want to know more about Trell.

So you have these amazing brunches. You've had an incredible impact on our community and culture. What does Trail do to stay grounded after all these monumental moments? You're going to laugh at this. And maybe you won't. But I take baths. And it's not like, you're like, oh, yeah, you take a bath. Everybody takes a bath.

But no, I make it a thing. Like, I get the candles. I burn incense. I dim the lights. I have the music on. I have a bath bomb. Like, I really make it a moment. And that has become, like, my recentering moment.

I love that. And I was just sitting there and I think. And, yeah. Like your rare run. Rare run. Yeah, I was literally, like, I was finding the name. Yeah, it's my rare run moment. And I just sit in there, and it resets me.

And it just calms me. And in that, you know, time, I'm just thinking about that. Because I've tried, like, every way to meditate. and I'm like my mind is just so it's always going but in there I just feel like it's so calm and I do that and I like to travel so I take trips yeah what's one of your favorite places to go my favorite places I have to say I don't know if you've ever been to Ghana I have not no I've only been to South Africa go to Ghana like when you're talking about it just felt like a big hug from your grandma being there from the moment I step off the plane I just felt like

embraced in a way that I have never felt. So like that, Ghana has to have been one of my favorite trips. I also really love, like, London is my spirit city. And I think London holds such a special place in my heart because if you haven't realized at this point, I'm a risk taker. And I booked the trip to London, like on my 27th birthday, the night before the trip. Oh, wow. By myself, went, and I love it.

had the time of my life and it was my first thing my first like solo trip it was like a you know what's that thing love eat pray or eat pray love it was that for me and um and so ever since then i've just had such an affinity for for for london really i went to london in December and i guess it was no one told me that wasn't a great time to go because it's dark it's cold and like yeah it rains yeah yeah i was like no thank you yeah but it's so it's it's it's a vibrant city and it's dark the fashion is top tier I just feel so cool like Sherlock Holmes

I mean I'm James Bond like walking down the street you know what I love that you are known for creating safe spaces for other people how do you curate your own say space listen boundaries people talk a lot about boundaries

I have really set like firm boundaries around myself and it comes with like learning you have to learn yourself to know like what you will because I used to be I'm a Virgo too so if you know anything about Virgo's it's very people pleasing signs we want people to be happy so Mother Teresa is a Virgo like Michael Jackson Beyonce Kobe Bryant Tyler Perry yeah so like we're very much people who want people to to feel safe and seen and love and and sometimes that comes at the risk

of like not seeing and and affirming and loving yourself and so I creating that safe space has looked like me creating boundaries, me saying no, when I mean no, saying no, and letting that be it. Not no because, not no, but, not no, maybe, just no. No, yes. You know, that has attributed to me creating a safe space. Also, just doing things with love, you know?

Like, I don't do anything. Like, I wouldn't be here today if I didn't have a love for you and what you're doing and what you create. And so, like, I do things from a space of love. And when you do things from that space, it always turns out beautiful. Absolutely. Every single time, if you operate from love, don't operate from greed. Don't operate from transactional. Don't operate from, you know, trying to get a leg up, jealousy, anger.

Don't operate from those spaces. Operate from love. I promise you, the outcome every time will be so beautiful. Yeah, I love that. If you could name a lesson or an affirmation that lives rinkering your head, what would it be? Leave it better than you found it. I love that. Leave it better than you found it.

I enter every space with the intention to leave it better than I found it. And I've showed up before I, any time I go to a table, like I'm always bringing something to the table. you know like what can i bring because i don't want to be the person who just comes and takes something from somebody you know there's enough takers out there like be a giver and what you don't know a lot of people don't realize when you give you also get a lot yes and so for me i'm like i'm gonna leave it better than i found it because i'm going to come with something i love that that is so good now music is a big part of everything that you built because when you come to your events.

The 90s hip-hop and R&B, that's the my 90s vibe, yeah. Yes, if you had a peace playlist where if you're centered in a list that brings you peace, what would be one song that has to be on that playlist? Oh my God, the Conquering Lion

by Lauren Hill. It's on her MTV Unplug album. That song, it's short, but it is so powerful. Man, I play that song, like, anytime I need, like, rejuvenation, Anytime I need the reminder of who I am,

anytime I need, like, that, to feel spoken to, The Conquering Lion by Lauren Hill. If you have not heard that song, where my camera right here? If you haven't heard the Conquering Lion by Lauren Hill, please do yourself a favor and listen to that album. When you talk about love being poured into something, she poured so much love into that unplug. And it was so authentic.

She let her voice crack. She cried. She started songs over. Like, that whole album was amazing. And it just taught me. so much about like another virgo trait the chase of perfection like you don't it doesn't have to be perfect but it has to be real yes that's a way for trait too because i struggle with that man but it doesn't it doesn't have because in our imperfection we are made perfect and somebody

will catch that right i caught it i'm serious and so you know like yeah you are perfection This is perfect. I'm just in all right now. Treel. God, this is like, literally God. Everything is aligned and this is God's timing because everything you said today, I needed to hear it. Oh, my gosh.

Oh, I'm just grateful. Thank you so much. I'm grateful. So before we get out of here, I love to play a little game. Okay, let's do it. We're going to do a game of this or that, brunch edition. All right, all right. Mimosa or Bellini?

Balini. Shrimp and grits or fish and grits. Fish and grits. All right, now we're from the South now. This next one is going to. to be a little tricky. Grits with sugar or grits with salt? Salt. Don't you put no sugar in my grits. Don't put no sugar in my grits. I don't want oatmeal. I want grits. Compassion. When I was a kid, I wanted sugar and butter. But now that

I'm an adult, I like salt and cheese. Yeah, savory grits. Yeah, savory for sure. That is hilarious. Fried eggs or scrambled eggs? Scramble. Bacon or sausage? I don't eat meat anymore, but. I was a baking guy. Bacon was a lot. Bacon and pepperoni was the hardest thing for me to give up. Within, I don't eat pork, but I still eat pepperoni. See?

Because that turkey pepperoni don't hit the same. And some people feel like bacon, when they say I don't eat pork when I eat bacon, they don't feel like it counts. That was me. That was me for a long time. And somebody was like, Trell. No. Come on now.

Let it go. Yeah. That is funny. Waffles or pancakes? That's true. pancakes. You know chicken and waffles is like a staple brunsting pancakes. I like I'm with you. Yeah. Sweet or savory? Savory. You want a vibes playlist or a live band? A live band play the vibes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Give you that. I like that. Tril, thank you so

much. Thank you. You have literally been a blessing. Thank you so much. I love it. you i love you too and i wish you many more successful black excellence brunches and whatever they may turn to something else even bigger i pray that it just goes bigger and bigger and bigger seriously and i can't wait to watch it and watch you do amazing things i'm so proud of you i would see that can we pray can i pray for you let's pray um god i just want to say thank you so much for this opportunity thank you for this safe and beautiful and affirming space that crystal has provided um thank you for the doors that are open and thank you for the doors that are opening thank you for the things that are happening. Lord, we just blessed, ask you just bless everything that

her hand touches every place that her feet goes. And we ask that you, open all the doors that need to be open and close all the doors that need to be closed. And because we also know that Crystal is an amazing steward over everything that you had given her. Bless her staff. Bless everybody that is around this show. And bless everything that she puts her hands to. In your name, we pray, amen. For today's Crystal's closet, I am wearing a matching denim set from Zara. The top is a denim vest with gold detail buttons. My shoes are blue rubber, Botega Veneta sandals, super comfy, and my signature, Jordan.

Sweeties, are you prepared for what you're praying for? Thank you all so much for spending time with me today. please don't forget to like, comment, subscribe so that you don't miss any of the impactful guests that we have planned for season eight. And always remember, if opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. I'll see you all next time.

Thank you.