Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin - Have an Idea for a Show? Here’s How To Get It On TV With Ryan Kalil

Episode Date: November 3, 2023

For a long time, if someone had a story to tell, they'd say they "have a book" in them. Now, they "have a Netflix show" in them. Today, Nicole unpacks the actual process of getting a show on a streamer with Ryan Kalil. Ryan is a former professional football player— he primarily played with the Carolina Panthers and was a three-time All-Pro. Now, Ryan is in the production world. Ryan founded the production company Mortal Media with basketball player Blake Griffin. He explains the players in the media world, and how you can get your big idea to the big screen. Plus, he has advice for anyone looking to have a second career. Want to start investing, but don't know where to begin? Go to moneyassistant.com and meet Magnifi, your AI money assistant, designed to help you make a plan for your financial goals. Want one-on-one money coaching from Nicole? Book a meeting with her here: intro.co/moneynewsnetwork 

One of the most stressful periods of my life was when I was in credit card debt. I got to a point where I just knew that I had to get it under control for my financial future and also for my mental health. We've all hit a point where we've realized it was time to make some serious money moves. So take control of your finances by using a Chime checking account with features like no maintenance fees, fee-free overdraft up to $200, or getting paid up to two days early with direct deposit. Learn more at Chime.com slash MNN. When you check out Chime, you'll see that you can overdraft up to $200 with no fees. If you're an OG listener, you know about my infamous $35 overdraft fee that

I got from buying a $7 latte and how I am still very fired up about it. If I had Chime back then, that wouldn't even be a story. Make your fall finances a little greener by working toward your financial goals with Chime. Open your account in just two minutes at Chime.com slash MNN. That's Chime.com slash MNN. Chime. Feels like progress. Banking services and debit card provided by the Bancorp Bank N.A. or Stride Bank N.A. Members FDIC. SpotMe eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Boosts are available to eligible Chime members enrolled in SpotMe and are subject to monthly limits. Terms and conditions apply. Go to Chime.com slash disclosures for details.

I love hosting on Airbnb. It's a great way to bring in some extra cash, but I totally get it that it might sound overwhelming to start or even too complicated if, say, you want to put your summer home in Maine on Airbnb, but you live full time in San Francisco and you can't go to Maine every time you need to change sheets for your guests or something like that. If thoughts like these have been holding you back, I have great news for you. Airbnb has launched a co-host network, which is a network of high quality local co-hosts with Airbnb experience that can take care of your home and your guests. Co-hosts can do what you don't have time for, like managing your

reservations, messaging your guests, giving support at the property, or even create your listing for you. I always want to line up a reservation for my house when I'm traveling for work, but sometimes I just don't get around to it because getting ready to travel always feels like a scramble, so I don't end up making time to make my house look guest-friendly. I guess that's the best way to put it. But I'm matching with a co-host so I can still make that extra cash while also making it easy on myself. Find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host. I'm Nicole Lappin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. It's time for some money rehab. Yesterday, you heard from one of my favorite comedians ever, my pal Josh Johnson. In that conversation, Josh talked about everything you ever wanted to know about the business of comedy.

Well, today I'm going to expand on that conversation with Ryan Khalil. Ryan used to be a football player. He primarily played with the Carolina Panthers and was a three-time All-Pro. Now, Ryan is in the production world. Ryan founded the production company Mortal Media with basketball player Blake Griffin. He explains the players in the media world now and how you can get your big idea to the silver screen as well. Ryan Talil, welcome to Money Rehab. Thank you so much for having me. I'm stoked to talk to you for many reasons, but the first one is that I think production companies kind of play a role of a black box in this crazy entertainment world.

Recently, a little clip of this wonderful podcast was licensed for the Netflix doc, Johnny Depp, and people were like, so cool. You got a check from Netflix. But I didn't. I got a check from the production company. So I would love to break this down for folks and use Mortal Media. The production company started with Blake Griffin as an example, if you don't mind. So can you give us a kind of description of what the production company does? Well, there's no one size fits all and they're all sort of different. It depends on who's running them. Typically, the production company does? Well, there's no one size fits all and they're all sort of different. It depends on who's running them. Typically the production company

is the contractor for the whole process. We're the GMs, if you will, in really finding ideas, facilitating ideas, helping creatives, writers, directors, actors, rights holders, books, to comic books, to existing IP, we really help them facilitate the inception of the idea to the execution of the film. And so for a production company like Mortal Media, our job is getting on a really long road trip and hopefully getting to

the end of it. I love road trips. So let's take a ride and use White Men Can't Jump for an example. That's a long road trip. But yes, let's use that one. Let's get snacks. This is a film that your company put out this year. Quite popular film. So congrats. Where did that idea originate? Where did this journey start? This was originally an idea that Blake was talking with Kenya Barris about. Kenya was hot off of Black-ish, and he was having conversations with 20th Century, which was 20th Century Fox at the time, about projects that he would be interested in. And so Blake and our head of production, Noah Weinstein, had a conversation with him about titles that might be interesting,

obviously being current and former athletes. That was one that was near and dear to our hearts. And we really sat down and had long discussions about, okay, well, what kind of story could we tell that would justify us touching a classic? So I guess for mere mortals, pun intended, who can't just call up 20th, how then do you figure out the order of operations with making a movie?

Like how do you find a home first? Or do you just start making it if you can? I think there's a full spectrum of ways these things get made. You know, you have ideas from creatives who have never worked in the business before. And there's so many mediums now that are available to first-time filmmakers to be able to put stuff out, whether it's social media or YouTube. And so you have these things and these ideas that become viral. Maybe they're short films,

maybe they're short stories, maybe they're comic books. So having some kind of asset, some kind of IP is really important. And I think for the studios, obviously the more popular it is, the more enticing it is and the more likely that a studio might jump on. And then potentially the best case scenario,

you get a bidding war on it. So for years, people have said, I have a book in me. Like I've heard this from everybody and their mama. Now I feel like that phrase is being replaced with, I have a Netflix show in me, right? So if you don't have an agent or I suppose a matchmaker for these first dates around town at the different streamers. What's the process of getting a meeting with some of the streaming services like? The one thing that I've really noticed that I've tried to incorporate in everything I've done is resilience. And so it's not unique to the entertainment business, but rejection is frequent. And so having the

resiliency to keep knocking on the And so having the resiliency to keep knocking on the door, having the resiliency to keep pushing and the athlete of it allowed us access in the sense of we had some early relationships just by default of sports with the talent agencies to allow those first initial meetings. And so it opened up a lot of doors that not playing sports wouldn't have been able to open for us. And we've really taken all the values and lessons we've learned from sports and attribute it to all the things we know that have helped us succeed in that career, attributing it to this. So resiliency, hard work, having the ability to humble yourself in areas that you aren't as familiar with or aren't as knowledgeable in, being okay with failing and continue to go back to the well

and continue to get back up and keep going. And then, like I said, just rejection time and time again and trusting in yourself and just sort of having faith that your ideas are good and eventually they'll pour through. No, but I think it's a really important point that you make that sometimes fame, and this could be high class problems, but sometimes fame in one vertical doesn't translate over to another or another industry. Just because you had fame and success in sports, it doesn't mean that everybody in Hollywood like watches those sports or knows who you are. I've seen this happen time and again, where like athletes or actors have wanted meetings in business. And I'm like, what do you mean?

Like, can you just call up and get this meeting? Like, don't they know who you are? Haven't they seen you on TV or something? They're like, actually, no. Like, can you help with that? And what I saw was a bunch of business executives wouldn't watch daytime TV. So the people that I thought were famous and could open any door, they wouldn't take their call unless there was somebody doing that introduction. So again, I'm sure somebody listening is like, yeah, well, Ryan, you could have opened a lot of doors and I would have loved to have that fame, but it's important to realize that it doesn't always translate. So you were

kind of starting, you know, where most folks would if they were just starting in a new industry. Yeah. But I would argue to your point and to those saying, well, Ryan, we did open up a lot of doors. I think having success in another field does allow you that sort of access. The point I was making is just opening the doors doesn't really do anything. I mean, you can get a lot of meetings and they'll give you a water bottle on your way out. It doesn't necessarily mean you're going to start making films or television shows. So Blake and I really tried to spend a lot of time talking with a lot of folks before we ever threw up a production

banner. I also think to your point, a lot of people who have success and they want to get into a different field, some of it is for vanity sake. And Blake and I have always had a real passion for storytelling. So I think first and foremost is whatever pursuit you have in your heart, it's got to be real and sincere because it's just too hard not to. And to the point of opening doors, Blake and I can open a lot of doors early on, but it's so hard to succeed in this field or any field with people who have already been in it and who have already had success and trying to replicate that success with those people is already hard enough. So a couple of newcomers coming in, there's also a level of, you know, well, what can you do for me

to maintain my status quo? Or what can you do for me to exceed my status quo? And that's hard, because when you're coming in from the sports world, and you're saying, yeah, but I got all these really great ideas. It's like, okay, great. Here's a water bottle. Yeah. Here's a water bottle. A lot of people have really great ideas and a lot of successful people have really great ideas who are struggling or they're not consistent. What is the pitch like before the water bottle is offered? What does that even look like? Depending on who you are, the pitch is, here's the story, here's an outline, and you really walk through it verbally. And Blake and I thought, well, we're not going to win anybody over

in any rooms doing that. And so we felt like we can use some of our resources to try to put together a proof of concept that shows what the thing is tonally, what the thing is from an aesthetic standpoint. And so there's all these different aspects of whatever it is you're trying to pitch that you have to try to convey in a very short meeting. And so the quickest, easiest way is to really make a very small sample of it. Of course, White Men Can't Jump ended up on Hulu. Congrats. And because this is Money Rehab, I have to ask about the money trail. So who decides the budget, the production company or the streaming service?

So typically what happens is you have a script and then you have a line producer. And the line producer, they go through each line of the script and they try to figure out, okay, how many costumes are there? How many settings are there, how many actors are there, principal and extras, and then all the costs associated with different locations and how many costumes. The more aspects to the script, obviously, the bigger the budget. Some of these line producers we've been around, they can really break the thing down and look at it in a way that it's almost like looking at the matrix. I'm just like so amazed with how they're able to look at a script and get pretty close without doing the really tedious line items. Hold on to your wallets. Money Rehab will be right back.

One of the most stressful periods of my life was when I was in credit card debt. I got to a point where I just knew that I had to get it under control for my financial future and also for my mental health. We've all hit a point where we've realized it was time to make some serious money moves. So take control of your finances by using a Chime checking account with features like no maintenance fees, fee-free overdraft up to $200, or getting paid up to two days early with direct deposit. Learn more at Chime.com. When you check out Chime, you'll see that you can overdraft up to $200 with no fees. If you're an OG listener, you know about my infamous $35 overdraft fee that I got from buying a $7 latte and how I am still very fired up about it. If I had Chime back then, that wouldn't even be a story.

Make your fall finances a little greener by working toward your financial goals with Chime. Open your account in just two minutes at Chime.com slash MNN. That's Chime.com slash MNN. Chime. Feels like progress. Banking services and debit card provided by the Bancorp Bank N.A. or Stride Bank N.A. Members FDIC. SpotMe eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Boosts are available to eligible Chime members enrolled in SpotMe and are subject to monthly

limits. Terms and conditions apply. Go to Chime.com slash disclosures for details. I love hosting on Airbnb. It's a great way to bring in some extra cash. But I totally get it that it might sound overwhelming to start, or even too complicated, if, say, you want to put your summer home in Maine on Airbnb, but you live full time in San Francisco and you can't go to Maine every time you need to change sheets for your guests or something like that. If thoughts like these have been holding you back, I have great news for you. Airbnb has launched a co-host network, which is a network of high quality local co-hosts with Airbnb experience that can take care of your home and your guests.

Co-hosts can do what you don't have time for, like managing your reservations, messaging your guests, giving support at the property, or even create your listing for you. I always want to line up a reservation for my house when I'm traveling for work, but sometimes I just don't get around to it because getting ready to travel always feels like a scramble, so I don't end up making time to make my house look guest-friendly. I guess that's the best way to put it. But I'm matching with a co-host so I can still make that extra cash while also making it easy on myself. Find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host. And now for some more money rehab. It's no surprise that football players, basketball players, all players need money rehab. I've talked

to a bunch of pro athletes on the show who spend all of what they make. And at the end of their career, you know, they're not balling out in retirement. Do you think more pro athletes should be making a plan while they are at the top of their game and do what you've done and line up something else when they're retiring from sports? I do, but I also think there's a balance to it because the leagues, at least for the NFL, in my experience, have done a really great job over the years in creating more and more resources for the athletes to find different fields that they are attracted to that potentially they could have a second career in. different fields that they are attracted to that potentially they could have a second career in. I was very fortunate and lucky to play a long time, but I always felt like any time could be my time because especially in football, it's such a high risk in terms of injuries and career-ending injuries that your ability to come back and play and play a long time is much more limited compared to the other leagues. And so the NFL has done a really great job in providing resources for players to start finding

those avenues that they potentially could parlay into after their playing careers. The problem is, I think there's such a scared straight tactic on players that your time is so short, you got to start figuring this out right now, that guys get really nervous and they start putting too much energy into that and not into the sport. And I would argue that your ability to get into a professional league at whatever level you get in at, whether you're drafted or undrafted, whether you're a practice squad player or you're a star, is such a rare opportunity that most of your energy and focus should be on getting better for that sport or

putting all your eggs in that basket. Because it's just you'll never ever get to do it again. Not everybody gets to play as long as Tom Brady's played or Peyton Manning or any of these stars. And more times than not, I think the average career is like three or four years. And so I think there's a balance to it. But to your point, I do think you should dip your toes into it in your free time. And everything, even in the sports world is sort of, you know, what can I do to get better? What can I do to grow? What can I do to learn? And so it just depends on how you want to set your priorities. And so for a lot of guys, and this is something I did, I put all my focus and energy into football. And then when the offseason came, I figured out,

well, what's my percentage of maintaining my body? What's my percentage of continuing to get stronger? Also, what's my percentage of my own sort of like spiritual recovery, because it is such a grueling and demanding job. So you figure out all those percentages, and then whatever's left, you got to decide, am I going to spend this time wasting it? Or am I going to spend it trying to figure out what potentially that next phase is. And so for me, every offseason, I would train early in the morning. I would do all my football training from like six to eight. And then I would get in a car and I'd put on a button up and I'd go intern at a different studio or production company because it's something I was

really passionate about and really wanted to do. And I didn't know how long football would last. And I knew that it was going to be relationship dependent. And I had to really try to understand what I didn't know. And so I did that the first year. And then I came back. I had an OK season. I did that the second year. I came back. I had a much better season.

And I just kept doing it. And I stayed in that routine. And it's tough because not everybody knows what they want to do once they're done playing. And so I've really tried to pay that forward and give that advice to find something that you're interested in and then just go see, like really figure out what your currency is that you have away from the sport and use that to better yourself or to at least use that time to surround yourself with different experiences or successful people that potentially might lead you down a path that you're excited about.

I'm so curious, what percentage was left for your side hustle? My sacrifice was I wasn't spending it going to the beach. I wasn't spending it taking a lot of vacation time. And so for me, it was, OK, as soon as the season's over, I'm going to take a break from everything and really reset. And so it would usually be about a week or two after the season. And then I'd land in Southern California and then I'd start to get back into a routine. So you spent like 20% of your time on it, maybe? No, I spent a lot. It got smaller as I started having kids for obvious reasons. But early on,

those early few years in the league, when I didn't, it was the wife and I on vacation for a week or two. And then, I don't know, Southern California is kind of like a vacation as well. That's true. So Ryan, to close, I ask all of my guests for one piece of money advice listeners can take straight to the bank. It could be anything, a tip for saving, investing, negotiating, side hustling, quelling your anxiety around money, anything. In any kind of negotiation, not to be so quick to go with the path of least resistance and not to be so deterred and intimidated by those that do it for a living. And asking questions is a great way to start in negotiating.

And that's something that took me a long time to get comfortable with. Well, I have a pitch for you. How about a movie about a money lady helping a bunch of athletes figure out their money stuff? I smell Oscar. Money Rehab is a production of Money News Network. I'm your host, Nicole Lappin. Money Rehab's executive producer is Morgan Lavoie. Our researcher is Emily Holmes. Do you need some money rehab? And let's be honest, we all do. So email us your money questions, moneyrehab at moneynewsnetwork.com

to potentially have your questions answered on the show or even have a one-on-one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagram at Money News and TikTok at Money News Network for exclusive video content. And lastly, thank you. No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for listening and for investing in yourself, which is the most important investment you can make.