Mick Unplugged - Cracking Helmets, Commanding Screens: Isaac Keys Unplugged

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

Isaac Keys is a dynamic force whose journey spans from cracking helmets in the NFL to lighting up TV screens as Diamond Sampson on “Power Book IV: Force.” A two-time All-American and Morehouse Hall of Famer, Isaac embodies relentless ambition and personal reinvention. Beyond his achievements as an athlete and actor, he now steps into the role of author with his new book, "The Grind Don’t Stop, It Just Changes," sharing powerful lessons in resilience, personal growth, and the importance of evolving your circle as your ambitions rise. A passionate advocate for mental health and men’s emotional vulnerability, Isaac’s story is as inspiring as it is relatable. Takeaways: Embrace Change and Growth: Isaac’s journey is all about pivoting with purpose, showing that real progress happens when you’re not afraid to completely change directions, not just adjust your route. The Power of Your Circle: As you evolve, so should your circle—the people around you can either lift you higher or hold you back, making it crucial to surround yourself with those who genuinely support your vision. Vulnerability is Strength: Both Isaac and Mick Hunt stress that celebrating wins and being open about struggles—especially as Black men—isn’t weakness but a vital part of well-being and success. Sound Bites: “The grind don’t stop—it just changes. You never truly stop working, you just shift what you’re hustling for.” — Isaac Keys “Sometimes adjusting isn’t enough. There are moments in life when you need to just change, because life is adjusting with you.” — Mick Hunt “When you try to let go of your past, some people want to hold on because your past benefits them—those are the people you can’t be around.” — Isaac Keys Connect & Discover Isaac: Instagram: @isaackeys LinkedIn: @isaac-keys X: @isaackeys Facebook: @isaackeys Website: IsaacKeys.com Book: The Grind Don't Stop 🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥  Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers.  👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million    FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunplugged YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Apple: MickUnplugged Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maybe it's just a phase you're going through. You'll get over it. I can't help you with that. The next appointment is in six months. You're not alone. Finding mental health support shouldn't leave you feeling more lost. At CAMH, we know how frustrating it can be trying to access care. We're working to build a future where the path to support is clear,

and every step forward feels like progress. Not another wrong turn. Visit camh.ca to help us forge a better path for mental health care. In this episode, I sit down with actor, former athlete, new author, Isaac Keyes. And you're going to get to know the real Isaac Keyes. Like, we talk about so much. We talk about his journey. We talk about his because.

We talk about the depth of why he decided to write this book and to write it now. And we're going to talk about if he could really understand 50% or not the first time he met him. Ladies and gentlemen, I present my friend, Isaac Keyes. You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place.

Let's get unplugged. Isaac, how you doing today, brother? Oh, man, that is an excellent introduction. And I appreciate that. Thank you very much. And yes, man, I'm doing well today. I'm happy to be here on the show, man. I'm glad we can connect.

I'm the honor, man. Been a huge fan of you since your days at Morehouse when you were cracking heads and sacking quarterbacks, man. Like two-time All-American inducted into the Morehouse Hall of Fame. So one, I just want to tell you congratulations, man. But two, just proud of the man that you are, bro. Proud of the man that you are. Well, thank you.

I appreciate that. And, you know, to take it back, I think, you know, we got to see where you came from, you know, to see where you're going. You know what I mean, I'd like to look back on things and get myself a pat on the back at times just appreciation of what I have been able to accomplish and how I've been able to help anybody else, you know, accomplish any of their dreams. And to me, that is so important, man, especially for men, and I'm going to be honest and go there for black men.

A lot of times, we don't take the time to accept the flowers when they're given to us. I know you're a huge mental health advocate, so am I. Sometimes we just need that encouragement, man. Like, we can't be tough all the time. Like, it was cool back in the day to be the tough kid to say you can handle it, man. But that's a lot of pressure. That's a lot of stress. And sometimes, man, we just don't take enough time to appreciate what we've accomplished.

So I'm telling you, I'm glad you appreciate. I appreciate that. Thank you, man. I appreciate that. I think into what you're saying is that we have to celebrate. ourselves. You know, it's always the joke about what a father gets a father's day gifts and what a mother gets for Mother's Day gift. And, you know, it's always a running joke. But, I mean, it's true in a sense because, you know, as men, we've been taught and groomed for the

most part to be able to take on so much. And like, it's not about us. Not about us. It's about provided and making sure we provide for the family, make sure everybody else is good. But I think there's room for balance. There's room for both. Like, you need to be celebrated for everything that you do because if not, you start developing a type of resentment for the things that you are doing you're accomplishing when you don't feel like you're being seen to celebrate. And that starts as a kid. The best way to get to a kid is to be seen, celebrated, and appreciate it and teaching that up. I think there's room for both. It's just that we, you know, our older generation, we just weren't taught that because the man had to carry so much on their shoulders. They couldn't, you know,

show their emotion, the show their, you know, how they felt. And, you know, there wasn't no time for that. You know, there was no time for Petty Park. I got to go to work tomorrow. I ain't got time to be dealing with all of that. But I think there's now there's room for both. And I think that we have is up to us to be able to celebrate our friends, celebrate each other, and support one another as much as we possibly can as men. And honestly, there's strength and vulnerability. Amen to that. Amen to that. I'm going to come to your book in a second, Isaac. But I love asking all my guests this question. And that question is, what is your because? Right. You know, Simon Sinek wrote the book, A Wild Back Calls, start with why. And everybody

was really trendy to know what your why is. But I like to go deeper and ask what's your because. that thing that's deeper than your why, right? Your why is probably your family, your kids, your spouse, your commitment to your job. But when I say, but why, that sentence usually starts with, well, because, and that's what I care about. So if I said, Isaac Keyes, today, what's your because, brother? I love that question. I love the deafness of it. I started off with having, you know, I just had this strong drive or just wanting more for myself.

And as I started to kind of put the words together, I knew I was just. I was afraid not living up to my potential. My potential. Not anybody else is my potential. Like, I didn't want my life to be a waste. I saw so much coming up growing up of people who become a product of their environment or just made excuses for not accomplishing goals or becoming the best person to possibly be. And I think it probably is still for my parents.

They just had a higher standard for me and for my sister to be better. Be the best version of ourselves that we possibly be. and I always carried that with me. And I was always attracted to people who had that same type of ambition or same type of goals that I didn't like to be around people who were lethargic or wanted to be a victim or

decided to blame everything on someone else. I also learned the phrase later on in life is that, you know, blame starts with you. So once you take the blame on yourself, then it makes the outlook on everything else a lot easier. Well, what could I have done different in that situation that I probably could have learned from?

Like, okay. It's just helpful. you taking it on in that aspect. And I think it's just my wiseness I just had to, you know what I mean? And my because I just wanted to be, I wanted more for myself. And once I had one for myself, I mean, I could spread out to others, my loved ones and to other people around and they can see what I went through and what I accomplished or what I didn't accomplish and learn from it.

And I think that was important to me. And even to this day, it's like, they're still driving fat. You know, we get older a little bit now, you know, we'd be like, you know, I ain't in the gym as hard. You know, I don't have that same fire as I did what I played, but I'm still in the gym. You know, and it's like, so, you know, and I always, at this other part, I just never wanted to just settle. I just couldn't take settle in mediocrisy. And I don't even like, you ask my friends, they get mad at me because I'm like, no, that ain't it.

You know, like, you do more. Let's do more. And that's also a mirror fit. It's me talking through the mirror and talking to myself, too. Man, I love that. And again, that's why you are one of my not just favorite actors, not just favorite authors, not just favorite athletes. You're one of my favorite people. grow in the world because I know your story a little bit.

Like I said, I've been a huge fan of yours. And then when I heard you're writing a book and the title grabbed me, right? The grind don't stop. It just changes. And it paralleled so much of almost what you just hit on looking at the mirror. Sometimes we've got to look at the mirror and go back and say, oh, this is how this happened, or this is what shaped me, or this is the story that made me who I am, good, bad, or and different, and I now know how to adjust, right, or how to hit that grind in a different

genre or a different space because it just changes. Right. I think it's so important to be able to share our stories, because that's what we grow, and that's what helps other people. Just by you saying that, and the title, you know, grabbing, grabbing you and captivating you, what's what I wanted to do? This title has been floating around in my head for probably the last 16 years, you know, And it derived from the wire.

It was a phrase where what the actor said, he said, the game don't stop. It just changes. And that's because it's just different people, but the game's still the same. And I was like, well, man, the wind ever through life and everything. It's like, I could never just stop.

Like, you know, the grind of just like, okay, having to get up and work for this one thing here, whether it's football, get up to work up and work a job that you don't necessarily want to go to. But, okay, it don't stop there. Because what are you going to use that job for it to help you in the next end up? What's that going to lead to? And when you sit back and look at the process,

you're like, wow. At Capital One, we're more than just a credit card company. We're people just like you who believe in the power of yes. Yes to new opportunities. Yes to second chances. Yes to a fresh start. That's why we've helped over 4 million Canadians get access to a credit card. Because at Capital One, we say yes, so you don't have to hear another no.

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and that it leads me to this other direction of something I feel more fulfilling in, whether it's that, whether it's your career choice, whether it's school opportunities, whether it's a sports. And it was, I chose to take my stories, all we started from adolescence or elementary school, all into present day, to use my stories in a relatable capacity that people can be like, oh, wow, I may not be in the NFL, but that was similar to the corporate job. I worked at AT&T and they had to switch over to, you know, Microsoft or whatever it may be. And it's like, it's just been on my heart to share because when we do interviews like this, you may ask a question, how do you get to NFL and I got two minutes to tell you? Or, you know, I didn't get elected. And I got to

say, I'm saying, no, it didn't happen that easy. I want to take you step by step to understand that this, none of this was just the easy. And the process is what taught me, you know, to be able to keep on going and the grinding. The grinded just molded me, become the type of person to be able to deal with certain things or strengthen me to handle certain situations. So when I see them again, okay, I know how to handle to this. You know, it's the learning curve is one of the most important things you can have in life. How quick are you able to adapt and change to the new situation or new agenda or the new activity that's in hand. And, you know, we're on our own way. We're hardheaded. We're stubborn. We're in our own way and we don't

see it. And we're like, okay, no, it's changed. So let's change with it. And it's okay to do that. And I think that is so important, man. You know, I do a lot on leadership with corporations and we're talking about being able to change. Some people say adjust. But there are times that you just literally have to change, man. Like sometimes adjusting isn't enough, right? when you're going up against that big 320 pound left tackle, right? You can't just adjust because he's adjusting too, right? And that's what I tell people. Life is adjusting with you.

And so that success, whatever that level of success means to you, there are moments where you just got to change because adjusting isn't enough. Talk to us about that in your journey, man. I think it was, my journey was full of changes. And I don't think it would ever stop. And I think if you're not changing, adapting, adjusting, then you're not growing. And if you're not going, then you're dying. And, you know, that's not what we look for.

I look forward to the change. Some people are very scared of change. They're very, you know, timid of like, well, I don't want to change. Or then people go, like, well, they said I changed. Well, I mean, depending on your circumstance and your situation, you should change. Well, let's say evolve. You know, okay, you can still have your core or who you are. But as time goes on, your values change.

Your morals and things like that, sometimes may remain the same, but your values change because now you have a kid. Now you have to, you live life a little different where you have children. Or, you know, you lost a loved one. You lost your parent or lost a significant other. You're different now. And it's okay to be different. It's just as long as you're starting to have understanding of what your difference is now.

And, you know, this is not an expert in any of this. This is my life experiences that make it unique to me. And it's like it works and it helps to be able to talk it out. Like we talk it right now. So I welcome change because change brings more experiences. It brings moments and experiences, and then experiences create more life. So, you know, I just, I look forward to it. You know, sometimes all changes aren't as good as others.

But when you change, the mindset is like, well, you know, okay, acceptance. It's probably one of my biggest things that helped me and hindered me in the time because you have to learn when to use it. Not accepting a lot of things, push me to walk on in college, what I wanted to say football, not once but twice. it pushed me to, you know, when I could, they told me I had to sit out a year and I just didn't, I didn't hear the call like I didn't hear them. I just kept going to practice and spring practice in Morehouse. NFL, not being picked up in the draft like I thought I was going to be. I didn't get picked up to a month later, which I talk about all this in the book,

and I put it in layers. I could have stopped. I could accept it that, but I didn't accept it. And now when I look at acceptance is now in relationships because there was so much, I was so much intact and so indulge into what I was trying to accomplish as a person that I was emotionally unavailable for relationships outside of that. And I tap into how that affected relationships and how one of my dating scenes and all those types of things.

You know, I really tap into this book. Like, this book is the deep dive and the vulnerability of just my stories in life that I think that we all similarly go through. We just don't always talk about it. I love it, dude. I want to go a couple of places. The first place I want to go is that story, your freshman year, right? So you walk on, and I know this story a little bit.

bit, but I want you to elaborate for the audience, right? So you were not supposed to actually stay for practice, right? Like, you're supposed to come back in the summer. It's like, hey, if you didn't play last year, spring practice ain't for you. We'll see you in the summertime. Now, Isaac Hayes knucklehead, or Isaac Keyes' knucklehead

was like, hey, you know what? If they don't say nothing, I ain't going to say nothing. Right. And you know, the caveat is that that started before, like I walked on at University of North Alabama as my official freshman year. And I walked on because in high school, I was played out of position my senior year.

I played linebacker all the way up, and I had a passion and a drive to play linebacker, waiting my turn, wait for my time to start. Senior year comes along with the coach and say, you know what, we're going to move your offensive line. Say what, coach? Moving off the line, you told me if I did this and this over the summer and came back with this type of physicality, speed,

and everything, and that lineback position is mine. I paid my dues. I earned my way up to this point. and now you're moving me to an office line, and I had a decision to make. I had a decision to make at that time to whether I'm going to continue playing football, be either with my friends and camaraderie,

or I'm just going to say, no, I'm not getting my way. I'm just going to quit. Like you say, my dad and my mom, they didn't raise no quitter. And my dad, I say this in the book, my dad said, if you're going to flip burgers, be the best burger flip there is, you're going to do fries,

whatever it may you do the best you do. So I made a choice at that point, and I'll get to where we're going to Morehouse, and I just think it's important to build. And again, shared in the book, is that I made a choice. And I said, I'd be the best center on offensive line, being undersized, you know, underweight, in a sense, be the best thing I possibly be. And I ended up making all conference that year as a center. And our team was successful.

You know, we lost officially in the playoffs. But we're successful. And that led me to want to go to college. I still want to go to college. I want to play football in college. North Alabama came about because the best friend of mine was going there. I said, I want to walk on. What did they say they want to do?

I'm saying, I'm playing a line. I said, no, we're going to have you play tight-in. Wow. I just don't have no say-so in the matter, I guess. So, you know, I, and then again, I made a decision, and I was not a good tight end at first. But as the year progressed and I committed myself to it, I became a good tight end. And it raised certain in that year, but I was going to be in competition for the next year of playing, you know, starting tight end. I just didn't like the school.

It didn't feel like college. It was toofold for me. I feel like, you know, my college is. I would say college would be the best time of your life. it. And I agree, you know, so I think when I was going to college, I didn't feel that way. Football was starting to come along, but I was still not playing position I wanted to play, and it didn't feel like college me. And that's how Moorah started coming visually into the picture. And eventually I ended up going there and to allude to your story, the part that you were talking about earlier is,

I had to sit out there first year. I came in Moore, I was straight for him. They told me I had to sit out a year because I couldn't transfer laterally, Division 2 to Division 2, even though totally different comments. later on in life I find out that I could have played that year but that's how guy works I didn't play that year that season transferred to Moore House thought I was so I was a Joe student

whole chapter in the book about being a Joe student because that's a different type of life especially if you've never been one you play sports all your life and now you just see the student's different so spring came I went out of spring practice

spring started weightlifting in the drills and he said coach came like a new coach new coach came into the school said if you weren't here last year then go ahead and go home and then come back when Trader Camp starts. I saw guys starting to pack up their stuff, getting their shoes, having a head down,

like, okay, we're here last year. I just looked. I just looked away. And I just, I don't know what came on me, where I had the fortitude, the gumption to be able to be like, he ain't talking to me. He ain't talking to me. And I just kept going to work out. Nobody said anything.

I don't know if the coaches paid attention to new, nobody said anything. I just kept putting the work in it. It's like myself and one other guy who, became successful in Morehouse, too, a safety, Sean Caldwell, still one of my best friends to this day, but I bring it up because he had the same type of mindset. And that's why I think we became so close as well, too, because, again, being around people that can sharpen the iron that you're around that you have something the same ambitious with. And so, yeah, I kept going and that's how Moro's career started. I love that, man. I love that. And speaking of change,

I want to have this conversation with you because I feel like we have this in common. Knowing your story the way I do. When we talk about change, the biggest lesson in change that I had to learn, aside from myself, was my circle. Yes. Right? When your standards change, which they should, as you grow and as you evolve, your standards change. And when your visions change and when your vision of success changes, a lot of times the people around you need to change too, because the ones that are holding you back are usually ones that are the, applauding to your face, right?

But behind your back, they're trying to keep you where you are. Talk about one, the importance of your circle changing and two, how yours has changed as you have continued to evolve as you continue to do. It's one thing that you're about to change you're speaking of that gravitating

me to the character of Diamond Simpson, a part before force, was that when he came out, he wanted to be a changed person. He didn't want to do the same things he did before. But sometimes when you're trying to let go of your past, the other people want to hold on to it because your past benefits them, who you were before, benefits them because either, one, they're stuck and they want to have misery loves company, or two, they just know that,

hey, they don't want to see you be better than them, in a sense. And those are the people that you can't be around. I remember being high school, I would, you know, during football season, I was with my athletes who had to be the war of the same program. well come basketball season I wasn't playing basketball I was waiting for baseball season to start so during basketball season it was like my off season at the time and next thing you know the allure of street activities I was taking out with more friends who had more yang affiliation or more street allure you know litmus and it was putting me into a whole other environment that

I was attracted to that I was all into as well as well as time goes on you realize you know as a young age you're very immature in the fact of what your value of life is and I remember I remember a point my senior year when a friend of mine got murdered, and it could have easily been me. But it set off something in my head that was like, you know, you talk about what pivotal moments it changed and like that. It set up something in my head that was like, okay, that could have been me. So there's some changes that I need to make in my life about where I'm at who I'm with and how I go about it, especially if I want to have some future. Because it made me feel like I was like anybody else. I was no different.

You know, I can have a great, you know, on a role, but still be out here doing some stuff in the streets. I have no business doing. And, you know, I make sure I tell those stories because I think they're relatable to our young generation because I tell them all the time. If you have 10 friends, I mean, if you have 10 friends being bad, you'll be the 9th. Like, nine friends being bad, you'll be the 10th. You know, it's like your environment, you'll become a product of your environment. Even if just by an accessory because you were just there, you may have not even done it.

But we have a lot of people that's in the cemetery or in prison right now just because they were in the same place at the wrong time. And I think it's so important that you, It's about your support group because we all be supported to talk about what we talked about earlier. Give me each other flowers. You need to see people that value you that want to see you do well to say, hey, Ike, you know what, man, you might be a little drunk or something like we're going to get to the career. You know what I'm saying? Like, they value who you are and what you hold you look.

Like the simplest thing is that. But also to celebrate you. Celebrate because I'm on this show because I'm also going to celebrate them. They got a promotion. You know, so I think that the change and, you know, the product of the environment is key. It's very key. I love that, man. I love that.

So now I want to pivot to your acting career. When did you know that that was going to be your new space to evolve and be you? You know, that's a great question because I think about it. For so long, I didn't know. I just know something. Like, people think that, oh, you're going to football. You need to be acting. Like, no.

I was trying to find I didn't acting wasn't even on the board like I was literally just okay well let me see if I do personal training you know I work out all that time I could do maybe do that so I started doing personal training so a friend over here was doing some marketing gigs in the city I started doing that and you know and I also was dealing with the mental part of it because football left me I didn't leave football I still wanted to play the game and I was still willing to do everything that I possibly could to get back on the field to give somebody an opportunity because I said I had so much left in the tank that there was so much reserved because they didn't allow me to play as much as I wanted to.

And what's as I wanted to or sometimes they said that I should have. And it was frustrating. I was angry. I was like, I still want to prove myself in the sport. So acting came about by default because, again, being around some people in a good group, being around some other actors, which was like at a panel discussion. in essence festival. I was around some actors and I just was watching and I saw how they move and I just saw it. I was just seeing black men doing their thing on the TV screen

and representing black man well. I started to kind of have this fixation with, okay, well, let me do acting. People look to me like, oh, you're going to do acting. You got to take active cards at first. I'm okay, fine. You know, I have no problem because I understood that from the game football and life. So it took a while because I'm telling you, I used to be in acting classes. Finally, you go to L.A. I would drive out there from Phoenix when my house was and overnight and try to fit in and sleep on my friend's couches or a cousin couch and, you know, why I try to do audition or go to acting class? And I would be intimidating in class because there'd be people in there were really good. They already almost had the lines

memorized. We just got them. The way they knew so much more than I did, it was intimidating first. And I still didn't know at that point the actors were going to be for me, but I just put both feet forward into it, jumped into it. It probably took a role. A couple, we did a couple roles, but when I got the role on Get Shorty, I got that role. But honestly, I'll tell you, Jurassic World, I played a control room, security guard Jurassic World. And I saw, and I had a scene with Chris Pratt, and I saw how he commanded the room. I saw how he came into presence. And I was like, I can do that.

I want to do that. And if you don't, I tell these actors that are, you know, maybe doing extra work or just getting in the game right now, I say, if you don't look at me or look at other actors and say, I can do this. that, then you're in the wrong business. What's you're going to do? There's nothing wrong with saying I can do that because there's roles out here for everybody. It's just how long can you sustain until that role comes for you in your life?

So probably Jurassic World didn't get shorty because it's longer. We did three seasons with Get Shorty and I was able to develop the character that they probably didn't think was going to be there the whole time over three seasons that they felt like, wow, we never say much, but he commands the scenes and he has the presence and let's give him more lines, give him more lines. And that's all you're going to ask for with that. Man, so this is me giving you even more flowers now because I'm not an actor, never going to be, never, never going in that world. But I know how competitive and hard it is to work.

And bro, you are working. And I need all the listeners and the viewers to understand, you have folks that starting at the age of three, they are literally. trying to get work in Hollywood or in film or in TV and it is highly competitive. So for you to dedicate yourself

when you already have somewhat of a strike against you because you didn't grow up in the world of acting in entertainment, right? Like it's a community. I know that much. It's a community.

Yeah. Not only did you break through, man, but like you're doing the damage. So I'm really proud of you. I thank you. And I received that, and I like the fans, and also that it is. Again, I would second that it is very competitive.

For instance, like, we shot Power 4th Forces Final Season. We finished July of last, end of July of 2024. So it's been over a year. It's been almost 18 months since I worked on that show. I picked up a role here, you know, Will Trent and, you know, some things like that. But, you know, it's like also, again, the grind of stuff, it just changes. Because if that's not working and acting, then what else can I do? I can't just be in that box.

And the book starts coming around, like, oh, I should write the book and share this story where I can go take a deep dive into all of these instances and questions that people really ask me, take a deep dive into it. It also be my therapy because I'm sharing my story and looking into it and realizing like, wow, that's why I do that. That's why I act this way or whatever it may be. But this game is something in the acting world is something I chose because it became my therapy as well because it was a place of outlet for me to be able to let go of some of the internal things that I made to struggle or challenge with through character. But I also learned how to substitute my emotions to bring this character to life. But also, I was able to be able to let go of a lot of things because now it made, it freed me up. We talked earlier about how we walk around with this image and this, you know, how we had to be this angry or this tough guy. Well, acting created a safe place for me where I could go in here and cry if I need to cry or I could be as silly as I want to be in this acting world.

But it opened me up to feel more free and open to find out who I am as a person. and then be confident with it. That's the big thing. We find out who you are as a person, but are you confident with it. Are you able to understand that's who you are and walk in your life?

Act and help me do that. And I become a better person. And, you know, you talk about you to give these flowers is much appreciated. But, like, Ian, it's like the process that's kind of allowing me to be that, to be, as we talked about earlier again, is that to be the best person I possibly could be.

Yes, sir. Well, the book is written. Do we have a launch date? for it yet. We've been going back and forth on this because we want to make sure that we do it during the season of Power as well. So we are going to do a pre-sell date. I'm saying probably in the next two weeks, and I'll be announcing it all through social media.

I'll make sure you know everything will be keys, even the website where you can get the pre-sell books. And the great thing about that is we do the pre-sale books. All books will be autographed by me personally and sent out to you. We have T-shirts on the site and everything that we'll be able to have for the grind and stop. It just changes. I'm excited about this book.

excited, I'm nervous, elated. I'm all kind of different emotions about this book. So I just want to make sure I get it done. And once it's out there, it's out there. And then we'll continue the conversation and discussion about it when people have a chance to read it. I love it. So here's what I'm going to do. Yeah.

And I do this a lot for books that I stand behind and everybody knows. So the first 20 people, I don't care on what platform, Instagram or LinkedIn, that messages me grind. G-R-I-N-D. I like it. First 20 people, I'm going to buy the book for. them. Wow. Okay.

Then I'm also personally for, I've got this, this power circle. So there's a group of like 25 people that I work with individually to help build their brand, help grow their businesses. I'm going to buy 25 copies for my power circle. So make sure your publicist reaches out to me or my team personally. I'm buying 25 copies for me. Actually, I'm going to buy 30 because I have some family members that need to read this book, too. I'm going to buy 30.

Let's just, I'm going to buy 40 for me. Okay. 40 for me. And this is on, this is on record. We're recording that I'm buying 40 for me. And then the first 20 people that message me grind, I'm also going to buy 20 for them. I got you. And that's much appreciated.

It's much appreciated. And I appreciate you support. And you know, anything I could do to help support you as well is vice versa. And that's what is, that's how we build. All love. All love. All right. I know you got to go.

I'm going to get you out of here on my rapid fire five questions. Okay. Quick fire. You ready? Yeah. The first time you met 50 Cent, how hard was it to understand what he was talking about? I got it. I was good. I was good.

I understand. I talk with a slurry once in a while, too, especially after a few friends. Who is your favorite person from St. Louis? Favorite person from St. Louis would be my father. There it is. There it is. Your post-film meal, your go-to meal after a day of filming is what? A bone-in ribeye, cooked medium with mac and cheese and saute spinach.

Okay. I like it. I like it. Your dream role, if you could define your dream role, what would that look like? My dream role would be two, actually. My dream role is either action hero, sometimes action hero with a great story arc, and also a strong military role that really touches on the, the deptus of the black military or the black man. Probably, I'd love to be the period piece and kind of go back. and just have a real black crazy ensemble cast where we all kind of just clear to come in to different yeah different characters i would like i can totally see that i can totally see that all right last one final chapter of the story of isaac keys is being written on that last page what's one word that's going to define your legacy i'm just going to say something simple it's not just more complex because i talk a lot i'll break it down with details but

happy. Ooh. I think it's just going to be, yeah, at just by that time in the last chapter, you know, you find happiness along the journey, and I think at that point at the end of that journey, it's still okay to say happy. I love that, man.

I love that. That's deep right there. Because I know where you're going with. That is, I love it, man. I love it. Well, Isaac, bro, again, I appreciate you more than you know. This was an honor for me to talk to one of the people. people that I look up to that I'm a huge fan of. So thank you for everything you do.

And I'm telling you this and I mean it, man. Like, there's anything I can ever do to support. You don't have to ask. You just tell me and I'm there. I appreciate it, brother. And that goes right back to you. I appreciate you. You got it. For my career and sharing this conversation with it. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. To all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it. That's another powerful conversation on Mick Unploid. If this episode moved you, and I'm sure it did, follow the show wherever you listen,

share it with someone who needs that spark, and leave a review so more people can find there because. I'm Rudy Rush, and until next time, stay driven, stay focused, and stay unplugged.