The Breakfast Club - Bonus Commencement Episode: Angela Yee

Episode Date: May 18, 2020

Our very own Angela Yee has a special commencement speech for all 2020 graduates! Be sure to check out the Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020 podcast to find Angela's speech among even more of your favorite celebrities and public figures! Congratulations graduates you've done it!In this episode of Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020, Angela Yee, co-host of The Breakfast Club emboldens the graduates to not be afraid to ask for help and to also help others, as they are the new visionaries, leading the way for the rest of us into a better tomorrow. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water,

500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka Stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-S-T-A-N on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best, and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before.

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, how are y'all feeling? It's Angela Yee from The Breakfast Club. And I just want to say I'm excited to participate in this commencement speeches for the class of 2020 podcast event. I know a lot of us right now are going through a lot of things. So for me to be able to talk to you and just communicate what I've been through and any kind of advice that I can give, I'm honored to be able to do that. Before I do say anything, I want to tell you that you did it. You made it across the finish line. And right now you guys are under the most unique circumstances that I believe I've ever seen. Whenever you think about your 2020 graduation, you're definitely going to have some of the most

interesting stories to tell. And that's what I want to focus on today, right? As you figure out the next stop on your journey of life. Some of you are going to continue on with formal education. Some of you will join the workforce right away. Some of you will take a break as you ponder what's next in life. And some of you will start your own businesses. Some of you guys will just straight up hustle. I've done all of those things throughout the course of my career. And what I want to talk about today is just being flexible, also controlling your reactions to things that you can't control and being proactive. And I'm going to quote Kanye West when I talk about that being proactive, which is not something

I normally do. So, you know, it's important. Now, when I first graduated, I went right back to my parents' house. They live in South Orange, New Jersey, and I wanted to stay there, but they got tired of me being in the house. I was broke. I was in debt. They had paid for me to go to college. I also had taken out a lot of student loans. So after less than a month, they were like, you have to get a job and you have to get a place to live. So the first thing I did was in my head, I said, I'm going to get a job working at a temp agency. I wanted to be able to pursue my career as a writer since I was in kindergarten. I just knew I would be a writer. I didn't even

survive three days doing this temp agency job. I was opening envelopes in a quote data entry position. It was awful. I decided, let me just tap in and follow up on these internships I had done in college. Fortunately, when I was in school, I went to Wesleyan University and I did use the Career Resource Center. And it was great for me to be able to link up with different people who graduated from Wesleyan who were able to get me internships. Now, one internship I did did not necessarily have to do with my college. It was through a colleague of mine. And I ended up getting a job working for the Wu-Tang Clan, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. After several years of working in the music industry and also making

sure that I networked, I made sure that I went out, I formed my own relationships with people. I also developed my skills in marketing and in PR. I decided that I want to be a freelancer and I did want to have multiple streams of income, but I also wanted to have my freedom to be able to travel if I needed to, to not have to be in an office every day. And that was pretty good for me. It wasn't until I was 28 years old that I actually stumbled and for real stumbled into my career in radio. And that was thanks to my relationship with Paul Rosenberg. Paul is Eminem's manager, and he had just started the station Shade 45 on Sirius Satellite Radio. I had actually worked

with him on Eminem's clothing line. And because he saw how hard I worked and just the relationships I managed to forge and continue to keep, he said, okay, let's try you on the radio. And because he saw how hard I worked and just the relationships I managed to forge and continue to keep, he said, okay, let's try you on the radio. And it did end up working out. At first I had to work there and not get paid. It was kind of an unpaid probation period, but because I was working like I was getting paid and I was putting in that extra time and those extra hours and really humbling myself because you have to think I had already been working for almost eight years and getting paid a pretty decent amount of money to being paid nothing. It was really a humbling experience for me, but I think in the

end it all worked out. Now I've been doing radio for 16 years and I still haven't focused on what I set out to do originally. That was to be a writer, remember? Now, life will do that to you. Sometimes you have a plan and there's all these detours, there's all these dead ends, and then you have to take a whole new route. And sometimes things happen quickly, and sometimes they happen easily, and sometimes it takes years or it doesn't materialize the way that you envisioned that it would. You'll have to make some really important decisions. And I'm a really huge believer that whatever you choose to do, you have to represent you in the strongest way possible.

Maybe you'll be doing an unpaid internship or like I did that probationary period for free. Maybe it's a low paying job that you accepted. And I did have that job as a low paying job. I've had a lot of those. But if you did agree to certain terms, then you have to make sure that you show up, make sure you show out

because you never know what that position might lead to. Now, maybe you have a job that you hate, but you're making six or seven figures. I know people like that. And you still have to perform your responsibilities beyond time. You still have to make sure that you do everything to the best of your ability.

Make sure you treat people well, because again, people don't know what you're going through. And you also never know what that position might lead to. Make sure you don't let circumstances and negative people influence the greatness that you have. You cannot control other people's actions, but what you can control is your own reaction. One thing that really has helped me, and I don't know if everyone can do this, but I believe in the power of writing. And so what I do is I write things down when people do really effed up things to me

and somehow the story becomes funnier when I write it down and I can even change it the way I wanna change it just to make it a comedy. Now, some people do this and I know writers who have a kill list and that's people that they wanna get revenge on later and maybe you'll read about those in my book one day, but in the meantime, it's very therapeutic for me.

You can always learn something even when things are really tragic. So when something unfortunate happens, I like to do something positive for another person. That's another way that I also shift the energy that's around me. The last thing I want to leave you with is a quote. And I told y'all I was going to quote Kanye West.

That's not something I do very often. But this was during his glow in the dark tour. They gave out these little booklets of Kanye isms. And one thing that always has stuck out in my head, to use is necessary. And if you can't be used, then you're useless. And I know we've heard that so many times in songs and quotes. And I've always been hesitant to ask for favors. And sometimes I'm even hesitant to just offer my own services. It's kind of a pride thing

when you feel like you have to be independent and do everything and not need anyone's help. What I've learned is that is a waste of time and energy. Right now you're graduating. Make sure you use those relationships that you made or make sure you tap into that alumni network when you have a great pitch, when you need employment, when you're looking for an employee, when you need a mentor, or even if you just want to acknowledge that somebody has done something great and you want to shout them out. I've gotten a lot of opportunities from the people I came up with, and I've also helped other people get into great positions. The best thing I discovered in business is I don't have to do things alone.

I can partner with other people. That's how I ended up being a co-owner in the juice bar, Juices for Life, BK with Styles P, who's a legendary rapper from the locks that you should know, and DJ Envy. I knew Styles P already opened three juice bars. I knew my chance of success would be higher with somebody who already went through the mistakes that I knew I would have made. And if I tried to open that juice bar alone, I might not be celebrating four years of owning a juice bar this year. When it comes to handling my business, there's no way that I could do everything I do. You know, the breakfast club, morning show. I also have my podcast, lip service. I have all my bookings. I do a lot of charity events. I'm on the board for different

organizations. And I still do have a life outside of work. And the way I'm able to maintain that is I have people who are in positions where they can help me. So link up with people, make sure you show that same love back to you can't just always take and not give. And remember that you guys are the visionaries of 2020. And in the times that we're in, you guys are definitely the ones who are leading the way. 2020 might be one of the most important years that I've ever experienced from this coronavirus pandemic to the upcoming elections and everything else in between. So right now, you guys, all eyes are on you. And I know y'all are up for the challenge.

So congratulations again to the class of 2020. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my god. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q Estan on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going.

That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you.

Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.