The School of Greatness - 409 DeVon Franklin on Finding Success in Hollywood Through Spirituality

Episode Date: November 21, 2016

"You are a co-author with God. He is the director." - DeVon Franklin If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/409

This is episode number 409 with best-selling author Devon Franklin. Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro-athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. Welcome everyone to the School of Greatness podcast.

We've got a special guest on today. His name is Devon Franklin, and he serves as the president and CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a new first look production company with Sony Pictures Entertainment. And as the former senior vice president of Columbia TriStar Pictures, Devon worked on a number of the studio's most successful films, including The Karate Kid and The Pursuit of Happiness. Now, in addition to his entertainment industry pursuits, Devon is a growing force in the media. He's made appearances on CNN, Fox News. He's been on Super Soul Sunday with Oprah. He's been on Oprah's Life Class, been on The Dr. Phil

Show and many other media outlets. He's also a published author, a preacher, and a highly sought after motivational speaker. Ebony Magazine has named him one of the top 100 influential African Americans in America. And BeliefNet named him one of most influential Christians under 40. We talked about a lot of different things today. And he was similar to John Assaraf's interview for me in the fact that every other sentence I felt like was a highlight reel, like something was just so profound and innovative and inspirational. So for me, I was inspired and enthralled the entire time and I hope you are as well. But here are some of the highlights that we're going to talk about. How to think of your life as a movie and why that's useful. Also, what Devon learned from interning for Will Smith when he was in college.

Why figuring out your spiritual foundation is essential to happiness, no matter how successful you are in life. And guys, I'm learning all about the spiritual foundation and spiritual vision throughout my meditation retreat right now. So I'm definitely a big believer in that. Why Devon and his wife, actress Megan Good, chose to wait to have sex till they were married. And the story behind that. Devon's experience navigating Hollywood as a man of color and so much more. Guys, make sure to give this some love. Share it out with your friends.

LewisHowes.com slash 409. Make sure to follow Devon and let him know what you think of this interview over on Instagram or over on Twitter. And watch the full video interview over on YouTube and again on the website LewisHowishouse.com slash 409. All right, guys, I hope you enjoy this one and I'll connect with you at the end. Without further ado, let me introduce to you the one, the only Devon Franklin. Welcome everyone back to the School of Greatness podcast. Very excited about our guest Devon Franklin in the house. Good to see you. Good to see you. So glad to be here. Thanks for having me. Yeah. I'm very pumped about this because a friend of mine, Dale Partridge, introduced me to you, to who you were a couple

of years ago and said, you got to get this guy on sometime. And I think he actually made an email intro to either me and you or your publicist at the time or a while ago, a couple of years ago. Yeah. And you were busy or on the road. You might've had your book launching then or something. Yeah. So we never made it happen, but we finally made it happen. And I realized you're my neighbor. Yes. Right. I live down the street. Right down the street. So I'm glad we made it happen. Me too. Thanks for coming in. Thanks for having me. For those that don't know who you are. And I think a lot of my audience probably doesn't know who you are in, in one sentence, what would you say is your vision or your purpose? Wow.

Okay. We're just going to go deep. Get it there, man. We don't waste any time. What are you here for? You know, I'm here to, you know, basically through the media, you know, improve the lives of everyone in a way where if they watch a film that I've produced, they read a book that I've written, they hear a lecture I've given watch a film that I've produced, they read a book that I've written, uh, they hear a lecture I've given or a sermon that I've preached. The thing that unites

all of them is information, um, uh, perspective to motivate them to do something positive in their life. And that's ultimately the goal. And that's what I do. Uh, so if you've watched my films, you've seen my books, read my books, you see me on Instagram. That's if you go to my Instagram page right now, every post is not about me. It's about whoever's coming there. What can I say? What can I post? What can I show to help them to motivate them to do something positive in their life? You're in the perfect place. That's what we're all about. You're the perfect place. School of greatness. I love it. Now, did I read that you're, how you got started early on, you were an intern for Will

Smith? Yeah. How did that come about? And what was that experience like for you? Yeah. I mean, it started, it started at 18 years old. I'm from Oakland, California. You know, came down to here, Southern California to go to USC. I'm sorry, any Bruins that are listening. in California to go to USC. I'm sorry, any Bruins that are listening. There is a little more anointing on the Trojans. Yes, there is. And I went to USC and I got rejected from the film school, but I got admitted to general admission to the school at large. And at first I wasn't going to go there and I went and visited the school and felt like that's where I was supposed to be. And as I got there and started, I decided I'd major in business and minor in film. But the thing that was missing was real world experience because I always dreamed of being in Hollywood.

I always dreamed of, you know, making films, making television and being a part of the entertainment industry. That was my goal from, you know, as long as I can remember. First, it was playing football. And right behind that, my fallback was entertainment. Football didn't work out. Did you play in high school? I actually got hurt in the tryout. Oh, no. Yes, I did. Never made the team. Okay. That was it. I got hurt in the first play. First tryout, I was out. Okay. And then decided, okay, Hollywood must be where God wants me to be. There you go. So when I got there

freshman year, I realized that I needed some real world experience in entertainment to figure out exactly if it was what I thought it was. Because sometimes you have an idea of what you want to do, but until you have a real world experience, you don't actually know if it is what you want to do. So no point in wasting four years of your life getting angry if you don't love it. If you don't love it. And I needed to put myself in an environment where I could actually figure that out. So long story short, I went into interview for an internship at the management company and manage Will Smith. At the time, the company was called handprint entertainment. And I went in 18 years old, you know, went through the interview process. And one of the things that was really unique about that interview was two things. One, I sent him my resume and had a picture. It was a time

when print color printers were a new thing. What year is this? This was 96, 96. Hey, I sent him my resume and had a picture. It was a time when color printers were a new thing. What year was this? This was 96. 96, man. Hey, we're going all the way back. That's a while, man. That's right. 20 years. Dang. Oh, gee. And so I sent him my resume and had my picture on it. And they were like, you know, the lady interviewing me,

her name was Dale, she was like, you know, this isn't a modeling agency. And she had my picture crossed off. She's like, don't do that because there's some people in this town that may not hire you based upon that and how you look. So I was like, oh, wow. You know, I was really frustrated. And I was like, oh my goodness, this is getting off to the worst start. It was my first interview in Hollywood. And after that, she started asking me, you know, well, why do you want to be in entertainment? And I said, well, I want to make change. And she said, well, you want to make money? I said, no, I mean, that's fine. No, I'm talking about changing the world. And I

said, I believe entertainment is one of the most powerful mediums in the world. And if I can be a part of that, maybe I might be able to affect people's lives in a positive way. And so she was like, oh, okay, wow. You know, cool. And then she got to the end of the interview and she said, is there anything else you need me to know? And in that moment, you know, I grew up as a Christian, but as a Christian, I also observed the Sabbath. So Friday night sundown, Saturday night sundown, you know, I was raised, you know, not going to school dances and football games and basketball games. And, you know, really spend that day in church and in a day of observance. And so I told her in that interview, I don't work on the Sabbath. So if taking the internship would require me to work on the Sabbath, then I won't take it.

And so she was shocked and she was like, OK. And she was kind of quiet. She might not know what to say. We don't sleep in Hollywood. I work all day, every day. Exactly. But the thing that came out of that is that she said, OK, you know what? We're going to work around that.

And so I got the internship and I started that first semester. It was unpaid and then they liked me. And so I stayed on and then became paid and that became my job. And I did it my whole four years. Will ultimately got his own company with his producing partner, James Lasseter. They started Overbrook Entertainment in 1998. And I went to intern for them my junior and senior year. And then when I graduated, I became to intern for them my junior and senior year. And then when I graduated, I became an assistant for James Lasseter, who's Will's producing partner at the company.

So yeah, all of my foundation in this industry comes from my time and training with Will. What would you say is the biggest lesson you learned from that intern experience, those four years? You know, it's something that I knew already. You know, again, growing up in the church, one of the things that was instilled in us, my uncle was the pastor, was all about service.

All about service. I mean, we would go into the community, we'd pass out food, we'd pass out flyers. You know, we would get to the church at 8 o'clock on Sabbath morning and not leave until 8 o'clock at night. Wow. So getting to be an intern, that training and service was the key to my success because as an intern, you know, no one came to me every day and said, here's your assignment. I had to go find

work to do. I had to go, you know, say, Hey, can I fax that for you? Can I file that for you? Remember coffee orders, you know, go get dry cleaning, but also do it with excellence. Do it like it was important because sometimes those tasks we don't want. We want the office. We want the job. You know, we want the title. We want the money. We don't want to do the entry level stuff.

And sometimes, you know, people that I've even hired and interns that I've worked with, they don't have any excellence in that work because they think it's a, they're above it. But when you put excellence on that and you service it and you say, Hey, this is as important as the job I want. People see that. So for me, it was applying service. How can I make everyone's job here better? And not just the principals, but the assistants as well. You know, the support staff, because if you don't have a relationship with the support staff, you're not having a relation with the principals. And so that was my one lesson that I really learned is that service is king and that service is the key to your ascension. And I can tell you that that lesson just keeps replaying itself at every level, just in different ways.

Right. You know, the last chapter in my book is about living a life of service. Oh, cool. The greatest leaders in the world live in service. They do. That's their mission to serve others. It's my mission to serve others. And I think it also means we get to work on ourselves constantly to develop the skills and the tools to provide knowledge, information, and be in greater service. Yeah. So that's cool that you talk about service and that early on you recognize that from the principles and the foundation you had in the church. Absolutely.

I think there's a lot of people that don't have that foundation. I think now more than ever, people aren't going to church or it's loosey-goosey. Yeah. There's this foundation, it sounds like you had. Absolutely. Why do you think that is? That so many of the millennials and the younger people in the world aren't, maybe in America, let's say in general, aren't doing that or don't have that foundation? You know, it's a good question. I probably have a two prong answer. I think that one, I think it's a lot of has to do with the parenting. And, and, you know, I sometimes feel like the millennial parenting is it's like the parents of the millennial parents were harder on them than they are on the millennials.

And I think that, you know, in some instances and, you know, millennials that I have in my family and how their parents parent them, I'm like, wait a minute, you're letting the millennial be the parent. You're not the parent. And I'm like, we got to flip this dynamic. So part of it is that part of it, I think is a parenting thing. And, and I also think that because, you know, some of those parents, you know, who came up in church, you know, were hurt and they saw things and, and there was maybe a level of hypocrisy and there were things that, that they love the word or they love the message, but the experience hurt them in some way. Human experience. That's right. That's right. That's right. I mean, you know, churches are emergency rooms and there's a lot of sick people.

And so I think that sometimes that creates a bit of, you get jaded. Yeah. You know, sometimes you may get a little cynical, potentially. Lose belief. Lose belief in the institution. Yeah. Not necessarily in God, not necessarily in the faith, but in the institution by which the faith was experienced.

Right. The religious. That's right. The people there and the experience. That's right. And so sometimes if that has happened, then that's why it doesn't necessarily show up as rigorously as it, as it has in previous generations. With that being said, you know, in the ministry that I do, you know, outside of Hollywood and in the many millennials that, that follow me and look to me for inspiration, there's not, there's no lack of desire within the millennial generation for God, for faith, for inspiration,

for motivation, for an understanding of how to live life spiritually. There's no lack of that. It's just finding a way that they can tap into and finding not just a message, because the message is the same to me, but it's finding an approach that makes it feel as relevant and as accessible as, as it has for previous generations. Cause I, I'm a testament people, you know, I'm 38 years old. I have my own company. God is doing amazing things in my life. And people ask me how, you know, it's because I had a foundation, uh, spiritually and had a foundation practically. And so I'm a very big proponent and a poster child of what can happen when you do have a consistent church growing experience, when you do embrace faith at an early age and what that what can do for your life. It can do amazing things. So I do whatever I can, you know, with this generation to motivate them and to say, listen, you know, it's really important.

It's really important because the higher you go, the in my opinion, the higher you go and the more success you have, if you have not figured out your spiritual walk and you haven't really tapped into what's going on in your soul, you're not going to be happy. Just not because there's these external things that we say will make us happy. They don't, they don't. They only amplify whatever's there. Exactly. So you may have the position and you may have a great office, but if you aren't filled and you don't feel at peace, you're going to get in that office and say, I need a bigger office. Right.

And you're going to get the bigger office and say, I need a bigger office. I need a bigger house. And it becomes a perpetual cycle. So again, going to your question, I think a lot of it comes from experiences in the church, experiences with religion that were painful. And so, but I come across so many parents too, that, you know, through the books I've written and the things I see, they say, I want you to talk to my kid because the things you're saying, the way you're saying them, I believe in that, or they'll see, you know, miracles from heaven or a movie that I've done. They say, I want my kids to have those

values. It's just that I I'm losing trust in the institution. So again, that may be a more simplified answer because it's a very complex answer. But my hope and my prayer is that it's something that can be resolved because I think there are so many, you know, young people in this generation that are searching and they're seeking and they are desiring for God. They're just looking for him in different ways. Who, who brought these principles onto you early on? Was it your parents or mentor? Yeah. I mean,

it was a combination, you know, it's that African proverb, it takes a village. It took a big village to raise me and my older brother, my younger brother. And from day one, my mother,

my grandmother has seven sisters and one brother. And so my great aunts or my, my mother was raised with my great aunt. Okay. So she was raised in the house almost as the eighth sister. Okay. So when we were born, you know, we had these eight amazing women. Wow. That were a part of our life.

You were living with them or? We weren't living with them. They were all close. They were all close in giving us information and helping us. And I mean, so a lot of the wisdom, you know, six and seven, they were teaching us about life and what really happens and all this kind of stuff. So I think a lot of that really instilled the values. And then my father passed away when I was nine of a heart attack. And so my mother was left to raise us on her own.

And so my grandmother and my great aunts and then my grandfather stepping in, my uncle stepping in. So it really took this village. But in my experience growing up, no one ever treated us like kids necessarily. I mean, we were treated like kids, like, yeah, go ride your bike, that kind of thing. But in terms of life, we were taught a lot about life at a very early age. And I think part of it had to do because of the tragedy we experienced. And the other part of it is they wanted to prepare us to succeed and did not want to withhold from us

information that might help us be successful. Who would you say is more, has been more influential in your life, your mom or your dad? I mean, I think my, I think my mother, you know, I mean, cause she's been here. I mean, I think my dad I think my mother, you know, I mean, cause she's been here. I mean, I think my dad in, in more of a, um, you know, legacy, you know, standpoint of like, you know, my father, you know, he passed away young and certainly was able to glean

a lot of lessons from him and even lessons, uh, you know, in his death. But I think my mother certainly would have had, has had the biggest influence. I mean, she's been there and consistent all the time. Yeah. Yeah. Who, uh, what's the biggest lesson you learned from each of them? Um, you know, the biggest lesson I learned from my father was, uh, to not accept substance. Um, I don't want to say abuse, but don't accept, uh, you know, uh, what do you call it? Digesting or ingesting. So don't, don't, because part of culture is that, you know,

substances, whether it be alcohol, whether it be cigarettes, drugs, or whatever, well, that's just a part of the culture, right? I mean, you know, what's big, what, what difference does it make if you drink? That's just part of culture. And if you don't drink, then you're weird. So what I learned from him is that, you know, as someone who did drink and for someone who drank, he did, and he was an alcoholic my entire life, um, which contributed to his early demise. And so what I learned from him was like, don't just buy into the status quo. You have to find what works for you.

And there was a lot of pressure he felt in his job and didn't realize, you know, the severity of what alcoholism would do to him. And, you know, he was doing it and didn't, you know, thought, oh, it's just me just doing what everybody else does. And everybody else goes out to drink after work. And that's what I do. And didn't realize that I was setting him up for, for some very tragic events. So I really learned from that experience to not, to not, not go with the flow, uh, just because that's where the flow is going. Have a point of view. That's right. And others don't find out what works for you. It works for me. So that's one lesson I learned from, from him. And the other lesson I learned from her, you know, is, is really about discipline.

I mean, my mother was, mother was still is a disciplinarian and she, you know, from, we were young, I mean, from three and four years old, I mean, having to do chores and vacuum and wash dishes and take out the trash and keep our room clean and, and all of those things that at the time I hate it, I value so much now because they gave me a foundation that really helped me, uh, navigate, organize, lead, um, manage. So, you know, that discipline was something that she really instilled in us. And I think a lot of the success I've been able to have comes from her and her, you know, saying, look, I'm not going to let you guys just go and be wild. Say that's just how boys do it. Discipline is such a powerful thing.

Yeah. And being disciplined ourselves and having structure, I feel like in my, I've never been drunk my entire life. Wow. I've been hired drunk. Me either. I feel like in my, I've never been drunk my entire life. I've been hired drunk and I made the decision in high school when I was, I went to a private boarding school and then when I was going off to college to play football, my siblings, my older siblings were like, you're going to be a drunk jock.

Just like all the other drunk football players. Like we already see it. And I was like, I'm going to make a bet to you guys. I'm not going to have one sip of alcohol in college. I went to so many college parties with all the football players, just like chugging and keg stands or whatever. And I didn't have one sip and I never even felt like pressure personally. Like people tried to pressure me. That's right. Me too. Same thing, but I didn't feel it.

Constantly wanted to. No, I don't have a desire for it. Zero urge. No urge. Totally. After college, I was like, why start? I've had a couple of sips every now and then, but I've never been drunk and never had like a full glass of beer or something like a sip. So, um, but I don't feel the, uh, the pressure and I feel like the discipline I've created in that, that area. Now I'm not perfect. You know, I've got my other vices, you know, with food,

sugar, things like that. But, uh, you know, I think we need to create structure for ourselves to, um, to move forward and to progress. So you know, I think we need to create structure for ourselves to, um, to move forward and to progress. So I agree. I think it's an integral part. That's cool, man.

I like that. So you've never been drunk either. No, my man. No, I like it. Very few of us. I know.

I know. You probably, you probably haven't had sips either. I've had sips. No, no. I remember when I was a kid, like there was something in there.

There was like orange juice in the refrigerator. I went in a cup and I went and took a sip. I thought, Oh, orange juice. And then I was like, wait, that's not orange juice. That's something else. There's something else in it. There was like orange juice in the refrigerator. I went in a cup and I went and took a sip. I thought, oh, orange juice. And then I was like, wait. That's not orange juice. That's something else. There's something else in it. It was orange juice.

It's something else. It was the only time. You've never consciously done it. No, no, no, no, no desire. That's great. Now, something that was pretty cool that I read about you is you wrote a book. It was called The Weight or was it called Wait? The Weight.

The Weight. Yeah, I co-wrote it with my wife. Co-wrote it with your wife. And what is the essence of the book? You guys waited to do what? We waited until marriage to have sex. And we wrote a book about the value of why we did it and the value of doing it so that it can actually help your, your, not only just your love life, but your, your whole life. How long were you dating or did you get married before that? Well, I started waiting in my early 20s. So I ended up waiting, you know,

for a little over 10 years before marriage. Wow. And so we dated for a little over a year and got married. So you were dating other people before then?

Yeah, yes. And you waited for them too? Yes, yes. Wow. Yeah. And then they just didn't work out for whatever reason after six months

or a year or whatever it was? Yeah, yeah. Some cases longer. Some cases longer? Yeah. And waited they just didn't work out for whatever reason after six months or a year or whatever it was. Yeah. Some cases longer. Some cases longer. Yeah. And waited the whole time. Waited. Talk about discipline.

I love it. So then you met your wife, Megan, and you told her up front, I'm assuming, hey, you know, I like you. This is cool. We should date, but I'm going to wait. Well, the thing about, it was interesting because we did a movie together. I was the executive on a film. She's an actress. Yeah. She's an actress called Jumping the Broom a couple of years ago when I was an executive for Sony. She was one of the stars of the film. And long story short, you know, we tell our whole story in the wait, but the wait

is really geared towards the reader and to help them in their love life. And we use our story to do that. But one of the aspects of our story was that while we were getting to know each other as friends on set, you know, she would say to her girlfriends like, Oh, about me. Oh, he's the type of guy I would like to marry one day. It's the type of guy. Yeah. Type. Why don't you just go marry him? Right. Well, I, and again, she was, you know, I mean, she's making good, you know, you know, huge star celebrity. Like I'm not even thinking anything about that. Like that. I'm like, you know, she's on a pedestal and i'm not thinking really okay and so you didn't think you had a chance no it wasn't even thought you were like i'm working she's working that's right that's right

like oh that's cool it's good that we're having friends that's cool it's like hey who wouldn't want me friends are making good but that was the extent of it you weren't even thinking about it no maybe like fantasy land once or twice like no i no, I mean, no. Even in the Fantasyland, it's like, no, it's not real. Wow, okay. So while that was happening, we got a chance to know each other. And then the movie wrapped. And, you know, nine months later, you know, we ended up talking at the premiere party. And that's when we started saying, hey, maybe we should go hang out.

But what I didn't know what had happened before that, to answer your question, is that right after the movie wrapped, she was getting out of a relationship and it was very difficult for a variety of reasons. She was praying to God, you know, please help me and help me understand what you want. And, and she says that in that prayer time, God told her that I was going to be her husband. Yes, this was, this was, and again, I, her and I weren't even talking. We hadn't really communicated since the movie wrapped, anything. And then she said, well, what am I supposed to do? And God said, don't do anything.

Just work on yourself. And so as the months progressed and as she got stronger in this belief and what God told her, she started telling her friends. And one of her friends, she told, said to her, well, you know, you know, he's in ministry too. And she's like, no, I didn't know that. And then her friend told her, well, you know, you know, he's, he's in ministry too. And she's like, no, I didn't know that. And then her friend told her, well, you know, he's celibate. And, and she's like, well, no, I didn't know that. But I'm just, she's like, I'm celibate too. And then her friend said to her, well, no, he's really celibate. And so when I went into the relationship, when we, when we started dating, she already knew that about me. And so when we talked about it, I didn't know that about her, but it didn't really matter, to be honest with you, because I knew what I wasn't going to do.

Sure. So, yeah. So it's like, hey, you know what? She's on board or not? Right. I mean, it takes two to tango. So if I'm not doing it, then we ain't going to do it. And so it was cool to find out that she was on the same page.

And I think that that really created a unity amongst us and a communication. And, you know, we dated for a year, we did four months of pre-engagement counseling. And we talk about that in the book. And, and then we got engaged in March, we got married in June. And, you know, we really believe in, in the value of waiting because it just gives so much clarity. It gives so much understanding. And sometimes, you know, sex, it's just, it clouds so much. It does. And you can't see people for who they really are. You can't really necessarily decipher intention.

And sometimes it's the physical need that is. Addiction. Yeah, completely. Connection. Completely. Intimacy. Completely. That clouds you from other things that might not be aligned.

Totally. Totally. And then you get down the road and then you realize, wait, things don't work out. And you wonder why. And the book is really written for those that want to do something different and are looking for peace and are looking for hope and are looking for clarity. And also just looking for value of self and saying, I want to do right by me. And I want to help doing that. And we've, you know, people from all around the world have, you know, been getting the book from Africa to London, to Australia. Just, we've been doing book signings all year. We've sold over a hundred thousand copies. Yeah. It's unbelievable. Thank

you. Because people are really resonating with the message of waiting. It was so funny because Oprah had us on Super Soul Sunday and I had an event with her and she comes up to me. She's like, how did you get a book about chastity to become a New York Times bestseller? I just said, look, I said, it's God. And I said, because also people going back to that millennial thing a little bit, you know, we're in a culture hungry for authenticity. Yes. Hungry for truth, hungry for love. And if we can provide that in an authentic way, people are going to gravitate to it.

Absolutely. And I think people really gravitate to the message of the weight. And it's a blessing to see how well it's doing. It's amazing. And how long have you guys been married now? Four years. We've been married four years.

Five years next June. Now, would you say that marriage has been smooth sailing, like no problems because you waited, or is there still challenges that come up? Oh my goodness. Marriage is a daily challenge in some way, but good challenges. But what the wait did was it gave us clarity on our foundation that we got together for the right reasons. We, you know, we're unified about that. There's a strong foundation of communication that we stand on. So whenever we've had challenges or things that we've talked about or

conversations we had to really work through, it was about the issue, not about a larger thing of, Oh, wow, did we make the wrong decision? Are we right for each other? Correct. We've always been clear on that, which really then helps us isolate the issue and deal with the issue. Doesn't make you guys right or wrong. That's right. That's right. That's right. Good or bad. That's right. That's right. And so waiting really helped do that. And then also waiting was for us a sign of unconditional love.

Meaning I want to get to know you for you, not for your performance in the bedroom, not for your body, for you. And that unconditional desire to get to know and then the process of falling in love and now being in love for who the person is. I love you for you. You love me for me. And then in marriage, when we decide that we're having sex is just an outgrowth of the foundation of unconditional love that we have.

Right, right. And so for us, that was something that we talk about as some, as one of the major benefits in our marriage that came out of waiting was a real belief and confidence that she loved me for me and I love her for her. Do you know others in the, you know, because Hollywood, it's hard to do that. I would think the, uh, the pressures in Hollywood are, are challenging more so than I think real world or anywhere else. Do you know any others, peers who have applied this in Hollywood, in the business? Well, I mean, you know, the ones that I know, I mean, are the ones in the media, Russell and Sierra just got married and they waited.

Did you kind of coach them? No, no, we know Sierra, but we don't know Russell. Right, right. I can't wait to meet him. Yeah. You know, and... But it seemed to work for them. Yeah, it definitely seems to have't know Russell. Right, right. Can't wait to meet him. Yeah. You know, and- But it seemed to work for them. Yeah, it definitely seems to have worked for them.

That's cool. You know, they just got married, I think, earlier this year. I believe, you know, Tia and Tamara, you know, they waited and look what it's doing for their marriage. Right. So there's a few out there that are talking about it. And there may be others who are doing it, but haven't talked about it in terms of, you know, the Hollywood crowd. That's cool. Not saying that marriage isn't going to still have its own, you know, the Hollywood crowd. That's cool. Not saying that marriage isn't going to still be, have its own challenges.

Oh, it always does. That's marriage. Right, right. That's marriage. Welcome to the married life. Yeah. Hey, if you don't want challenges, don't get married. I'm not ready for it yet.

Don't be afraid. I'm not afraid, but I'm not ready for it yet. Don't be afraid, man. That's cool, man. I'm curious, you know, you talk about your life as a movie, right? Don't you mention this somewhere? Yes. Tell me what does that actually mean?

Your life as a movie? What it means is that, you know, when you look at your life as a movie, I think it gives you a perspective and a paradigm by which then to navigate success. Yeah. So when you look at every movie, okay, great. Every movie has a hero, a villain, a challenge, and a victory. So, all right. So if I look at my life as a movie, it helps me understand, okay, first of all, I embrace that I am the hero, which is really, it seems simple,

but it's a huge revelation that everyone needs to come to conclusion about. Because in our day-to-day life, we don't feel heroic. We feel beat down. We go to a job that we don't necessarily like. We work with people that don't necessarily value us. We work for a boss that doesn't see us the same way we see ourselves. And so many people go and live an existence that does not feel heroic at all.

So owning the idea that I am actually the hero of my story is very empowering. So once you own that and say, okay, this is my movie. I'm the hero. Now, what does that mean about the challenges I face? Okay. Every great hero faces great challenges. There would not be a movie if the hero didn't go through challenges, didn't go through conflict. It'd be boring. No one would watch it. No one would watch it. It'd be boring. No one would watch it.

No one would watch it. And the hero would learn nothing. Yeah. So the idea of my life as a movie then gives me a perspective to understand challenges that I face. Okay. So challenges aren't there to push me down. They're there to build me up. To make me look more heroic.

That's right. And sometimes the hero will never come out. The hero within will never arise if there aren't challenges that force the hero out. So you have to embrace who you are. You have to acknowledge what you're facing and you have to know that you already have within you the power to overcome them. And then when you look at a movie, every hero has a villain. So the people that oppose you don't get so mad about that. Actually embrace it. Exactly. It's a good thing. So, you know, if Batman doesn't have the Joker,

then there's no movie. Not only that, here's the thing. The level of the Joker is at the level of Batman's heroism. He just doesn't always realize it. Yeah. And so when you have great villains in your story, that's actually a sign

that you are right where you need to be and you're going exactly where you need to go because why would the Joker oppose Batman if Batman's not a threat to you are right where you need to be and you're going exactly where you need to go because why would the joker oppose batman if batman is not a threat to the joker he's only going to oppose him if there's a problem right and so sometimes we're doing the right things in life we're on the right path and we face opposition we get discouraged we get distracted and we get frustrated and the reason why when you look at your life as a movie why i think that that reduces the frustration is then you begin to say, oh, I get what's happening now. OK, so the villain is opposing me. OK, good. That means I'm doing the right thing.

So now how do I defeat the villain? So that's why I talk about your life as a movie. And I mentioned that I came up with that concept in the context of my first book, Produced by Faith, which was all about looking at your life as a movie. which was all about looking at your life as a movie. And then also what happens is, having worked in entertainment since I was 18, and I was working as a studio executive for 10 years for Columbia Pictures slash Sony Pictures, in the book Produced by Faith and looking at your life as a movie,

every movie starts in development. So that's what I did. As a studio executive, I would find great ideas. I would develop the script, get the script ready for production, oversee it in production, all the way through to distribution, marketing, so on and so forth. So when you look at your life and you say, where am I? Sometimes the reason why you're not in production in your life is because

your script has to be developed. And so part of script development is answering notes. So constructive criticism, there'll be some things that people tell you you need to do, but you don't want to hear it. And then you wonder why your stories are moving forward because you're not listening to the notes you're getting. Any script, any movie you see in the theater started as a script that people gave notes on. And any writer or director or producer that did not want to take notes never saw their movie made. And so I started creating this concept to help people understand where they were in the development process, what they needed to do to get their life into production. And then once it was in production,

how they could actually have a successful movie. And that's the idea behind produced by faith. And the idea of, you know, looking at your life as a movie, what's the most powerful movie you've created that you think has made the most change. Cause you said you want to make change.

What's the piece of work you've created. That's you think has done that or has the potential through its message? You know, I think the film I just did, Miracles from Heaven, was starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah, is a film that has produced an amazing change in the life of people that have seen it. You know, it's all about, it's a true story of a mother dealing with her sick daughter who has an incurable stomach condition and she gets it out of nowhere. And she's in tremendous pain and suffers for a very long time to the point where the daughter is ready to die and ready to give up. And right at that moment, she has this miraculous experience where she has an accident and she falls down the inside of a hollowed out tree.

90 feet, hits her head three times, gets trapped at the base of the tree. Fire department paramedics, they come, they rescue her, took about five to six hours to get her out of that tree. And when they airlift her to the hospital, they're sure that she will not only have broken limbs, but potentially paralysis. And once the emergency room doctor looks at her, he comes out of the room and says, I don't know how to describe this, but she's not hurt. She didn't have a splinter. She didn't have a bug bite. She didn't have a broken bone.

She's fine. We'll watch her overnight, but you can take her in the morning. And when she walks out of the hospital, slowly but surely, she doesn't need medication anymore. Her stomach, the problem that she had made her stomach distended.

It goes down. And the disease that she had made her stomach distended. It goes down and the disease that she had disappears. And so it's this powerful story of, of right. How? Go watch the movie. And miracles. And, and, and, but along the way, what the mother realized is that while she may have received the biggest miracle she could have ever prayed for, which is the healing of her daughter, that there were miracles all the way, all the way through. The miracle of her neighbor that could watch the kids when she had to take her daughter to the hospital. The miracle when she had to go to Boston to take her daughter to the doctor, there was a waitress that did not know

them that befriended them and helped them. You know, the miracle of the different friends along the way. And so with life, you know, Einstein has a quote, you know, to those that believe everything is a miracle to those that don't, nothing is. And this idea that miracles are all around us if we would just open our eyes and look. And so that film has made a tremendous impact. And the thing that I love about that film, it just won the Teen's Choice Award for Drama this year, which is fantastic. kids. I've been traveling with the weight, but people come up to me and say, my daughter, Miracles from Heaven is her favorite movie. My son loves to watch this film. So this idea that a film like this, not only can touch the adults, but can also touch the kids. And that to me is, is powerful. And it's one of those, it's like, you know, as, as a mantra of what I do and why I do it to see the impact of a film like that on people and how it has helped their relationship with their family members, how it's helped their relationship with

God, how it's given them greater hope in the face of the adversities they face. I mean, that's, that's the greatest testimony. That's cool, man. What's the, um, what's the script that's in development in your own life for your personal movie? Oh, that's good. That's good. Um, you know, I think that the scripts in development for me is, you know, it's like when you look at all the different things that I'm doing, which are, which are fantastic, you know, through producing films and television to, you know, writing books to speaking around the country and preaching as well. And, and having, you know, a great audience with social media, you know, I think the script is being developed as well. What's,

what's the next scene going to look like and what's that all going to look like on the next level? And how's that going to, to all coalesce? Because if all of this, let's just say is a setup, let's just say it's the first act. Yes. What's next? What's next? So that's the script that's in development. What is it? Well, I don't know. If you could create anything you wanted, since you are the author of your own movie. Yes. What is it you want to create? However,

while I may be the author to a degree, I, in the book I talk about you, the coauthor with God and that God is the director. Yeah. And he wanted to play football, but there you go. That's right.

He had a different plan. Something else. That's right. So, so if I kept writing football into my script, but it actually was supposed to be Hollywood, I would have messed it up. Sure. Sure. So with the next chapter,

let's say you're being led in the right direction already. Then, you know, it's just going to be continuing to build on, you know, the voice that I have, the platform and using media as, as the platform for the platform, so to speak. Sure, sure. And using entertainment as a way to continue to do that through all the things that I'm doing, you know, which are all united by this desire to inspire. So what that looks like, I don't know. But, you know.

More movies, more books, more. Yeah, yeah, yeah. More, but it's also continuing to find the right vehicle for my voice. And what I mean by voice is that independent of producing a film or writing a book, I have the ability to speak and to motivate, to inspire. And so I think the next level is going to be an even more significant opportunity and consistent opportunity like you're doing with the podcast, which I think is brilliant. It's like you have a vehicle for your voice. And people know your voice and they understand your voice and you have a platform that which you can grow.

And so, you know, I don't yet have that platform in that way. I thought about it. It's just a lot of work and I don't want to just take something on just to do it. I want to do this. I want to do as well as you can, as you do it uh and so that's the thing whatever the next level looks like uh and maybe it's television um you know but that it's going to be it's going to be every you're making movies and tv and books and all that kind of stuff but it's also going to be harnessing the power of my voice with a really consistent vehicle uh in the mainstream i see a podcast could be a good potential for you do you know rob bell i don't know him but i know who he is he launched his about a year and a half ago. He's become a good friend.

He lives down the street too. Oh, he does? I didn't know that. He said the podcast for him has changed his everything, his business, his life. How? You know, he's been doing like this world tour. He was on tour with Oprah, I think a year and a half ago, and he's been doing his own thing. Writing two books a year, putting it out there.

And he said, I'm able to do it all myself in terms of direct reach. If I'm going to speak somewhere, I just mention it on the podcast and it sells out in days. If I'm doing a book signing, it sells out. He does shows here all the time, sells out. Courses, workshops, whatever it is. Before, he didn't have a social media following or an email list or a podcast where people were listening to. He had to do more traditional outreach through radio and print ads and stuff like that. But now he's building it and he's got people that want to hear, you know, interview people and also do his own little sermons on there and

mixes it up. So I think you could talk about anything. You could do stuff with your wife on there. You could do stuff about movies, about the next book, your sermons on there, life lessons. You know, you could do it once a week to start. So it doesn't seem like too much work and feel it out. So. Okay. All right. Talk afterwards. Yeah. Yeah. Convert me, man. I like it. Converting you to the truth. I like it. I like it. Cool, man. I want to, I want to finish with a couple, a couple of questions because then we're going to bounce out of here. What are you most grateful for in your life recently?

Recently? Wow. I mean, you know, my, my wife and my family, you know, two days ago, I came back from Oakland and my cousin, 37 years old died. Yeah. She died. Yeah. You know, very, you know, suddenly, totally, you know, unexpected. And so being there for the funeral and I had to do the eulogy, it was just a blessing to have family. And we did it at the church that I grew up in. And so being there with my family and being there with the church, like my community, since I was eight years old, and just being back home, I was so grateful.

I was so grateful for the experience. I was so grateful. I was so grateful for the experience. I was so grateful for having this type of upbringing and having this type of family and this type of church community. And then to have my wife there with me, it was just a moment where I had perspective on what really mattered. And that was making sure that even as things happen and success continues to come, staying connected to where I came from and who I came from is very, very important. That's cool. Yeah. What's the most inspiring thing about your wife for you?

There's so many things. The most inspiring thing about her is just, you know, she is just this amazing, positive energy. It's almost like I didn't marry a person. I married an energy and, and just her optimism, her innocence, her, um, her perspective, her joy. It's just like every day I get up, man. And it's just like, cool. I'm, this is great. I'm gonna be good no matter what. Because, you know, she just has that, that light. And so it's like, I literally have married a light. And so that is just, yeah. And it's, man, listen, it's a, it's powerful and it's a blessing and I respect it.

And I'm so grateful for it because I know that marriage is hard and so many people don't, it doesn't always work. So I'm just grateful for, you know, having an amazing wife in that. what i believe you know now i'm trying to convert you man you know you it's like having the right woman yeah it just if for a man it just it man i i can't tell you enough what it will do for your life because you know i was like you and and before getting married and conquering the world and excited and not looking and not ready. And boom, then she showed up in my not ready state. And so I had a choice. Am I going to reject her? Am I going to reject love because I want to go conquer the world or am I going to

embrace love? And by embracing love, everything that I was trying to achieve, I've done that in more sense. Wow. And life is better because you're not as stressed. You're not as worried because you know at the end of the day, no matter what, I can go back home and I got her. And so, again, that's a long answer to your question, but these are the things I appreciate about her is I don't have to be anybody else but me.

And that light that's in her and that love that's in her just keeps me peaceful. That's powerful. Where do you think you'd be if you weren't married? Oh, dude, I don't know, man. You think you'd still be doing the work you're doing at the level? Yeah, I would be doing the work that I'm doing.

Would I be doing at the level that I'm doing? I don't think so. I don't think so. Because I think that there's something that happens that shifts in a man when he gets married and he commits to love. And, and I think the world sees it and they feel it. Um, and that, and that there's just, it's, it's weird. It's like, you know, you get married, especially when it's the right marriage. It's, it's like life opens up to you in ways that are,

are indescribable. Wow. So I know that I would still be successful. I know I'd still be doing what I'm doing because this is what I'm created to do, but would it have the same impact? I don't know. Not as fulfilled either. Not as fulfilled either. Yeah. I don't, I don't think so. You guys could have kids? You were waiting on that. Yes. Yes. The answer is yes, but not, not anytime soon. I'd have to see it. You haven't embraced being ready for that yet. But I embraced the first step.

Okay. Don't resist it, man. Come on. Well, hold up, man. You can't get me on that. You got to start with the first step. Let's go. All right. We'll start resisting if you don't. You can hold off for a while. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My question now, I forgot I was going to ask. The question is, what are you most proud of that a lot of people don't know about you? Maybe you don't talk about that much. Maybe it's not out there in the world. It's not in your books,

but it's something you're really proud of. It could be something small or it could be something big. Just something that... Oh, proud of. Man, that is a good, tough question. I don't know. It's a good one. What am I proud of? Um, shoot. I don't know, man. I got to think about that. I mean, you know, I never really think of, you know, uh, in terms of being like myself, like doing something that I'm proud of. Sure.

Cause I think sometimes you just, that, that feels a little too, um, self, you know, like oriented. Right. I was like, I'm really proud of myself. Like, no, I'm proud of others. Sure. You know, I'm proud of what others do. But for myself, I don't think that I've really embraced that perspective.

Maybe I should. Maybe a discipline that you have or a... One of the disciplines that I have, which, you know, I guess maybe I am proud of myself, is working out, you know, and staying consistent in that. Yeah. When I was in my early 20s, you know, I had a bit of a health scare. Really? Yeah, I was, you know, overweight and not really taking care of myself.

And yeah. You're like the fittest person in the world. Well, you know, that's, thank you. But that's years in the making. And so coming out of that experience, you know, I just made a decision that I got to really take care of myself. And so, you know, with all the things that I'm doing, the way that I'm able to handle and manage it is by consistently working out. I mean, you know, and it's like, dude, you know, sometimes going twice a day, depending on what's

going on and, you know, just not missing. If I'm traveling, I miss a day, I'll pick it up when I get back. But just taking care of the temple has been something that is really important. You know, health is, in my mind, the most powerful thing we can work on. It's like our duty to stay healthy. And whether we like it or not, our body is a symbol to everyone else of how we take care of ourselves and how we treat ourselves and how we love ourselves

and how committed we are. When you look at someone physically, even though if we're thinking about a spiritual world here and we're not trying to put emphasis on the body, but when you look at someone, you can tell right away if they're a hard worker, if they're committed, if they, uh, you know, follow a game plan, if they're, and some people are more genetic freaks than others, but in most senses you can be like, I know that person is a hard worker. Yes. Like, and you trust that person a little bit more in a lot of ways, whether it's consciously or subconsciously.

It's true. And the energy you have by being healthy, you can create so much more in the world. Absolutely. Absolutely. You can create, you can manage, you can digest, you can process. I mean, it makes such a big difference. Not saying that all fit people are able to do these things. Yes.

But in general, but in general, it gives you the, a platform by which those things are probably more accessible and achievable than if you don't have a healthy platform. And I can't be one of those guys, you know, I just can't be a person that's out there telling people about, you know, how to have a healthy spirit without a healthy temple for it to reside in. Absolutely. I like, I love your commitment, man. I love it. I love it. This is a question I ask everyone at the end called the three truths. Oh boy. Three truths. Okay. And I did not prep these questions. So, um, so this is the last day for you many, many years from now, right? Many, many years. It's the last day for you, but everything you've created, all the media you've put out in the world, which is going to be a lot, has been erased.

No books, no nothing of yours. And it's an incredible celebration. Everyone's there, but it's your last day. And someone hands you a piece of paper and a pen. They say, we don't have any of your content left. So can you write down the three things you know to be true about everything you've learned in life that you would pass on to us? The three lessons. What to be true about everything you've learned in life that you would pass on to us? The three lessons. What would be your three truths?

God is real. Faith works. Jesus saves. There you go. Drop the mic. See you later. Got those. You good.

I like it. I promise you. I like it, man. That's what I would say. I like those truths. Is there any question that you wish people would ask you? Is there any question I wish people would ask me? Oh, wow. I would probably say, you know, so many times, you know, people talk about the Hollywood thing and that's cool.

But I think that, you know, very few people, you know, ask about like, okay, you know, as a, you know, young man of color, you know, how is it different or not? You're navigating the world of entertainment or navigating the world of success. And that's something I don't think people really, you know, touch on. Because a lot of times, you know, people want, you know, and say, oh, it's colorblind. And I'm like, well, to a degree, but, you know, being of color in this world, specifically in Hollywood and endeavoring to have success, you know, it is a different experience. It's producer too. right now, you know, all of the racial tension that's happening, because I feel like, you know, as a country, you know, we, we got to come together and recognize, you know, all that's going on in that there are the people of color, you know, are disenfranchised at times and don't

always have an equal seat at the table. And, and that's not a knock on anything other than history and where we are. And sometimes, you know, being of color and being in this industry and trying to be successful, uh, it's a challenge. And so sometimes people don't ask me that question. Okay. Cause I think sometimes, you know, it's not, it doesn't come to mind or they think, Oh, I don't want to, I don't want to make it a racial thing. Well, I'm black. Guess what? That's a fact. You know what I mean? So why not embrace it and, and talk about it and own it. And, and cause it's a part of the story.

Is there anything you'd like to share or answer to that question? Well, it just that, you know, I think that it's really, really important, um, you know, for people that, that are not of color to recognize that it is sometimes a different experience for people of color, uh, when they're in industry and trying to progress, uh, you know, as a, as a, as a black man in Hollywood, you know, if I did not have, uh, mentors, if I did not have, you know, people that were ahead of me, that helped me understand the business and help pull me up,

I would not be here today. And that's really important. And that there sometimes is a language in industry that people of color don't always get access to the dictionary and the syllabus of like, okay, here's how it runs and here's what you say and here's how it works. And I think that that's something that that's important that we begin to break down, you know, the codes of success in industry so that it's accessible for everyone. And then let everyone have the opportunity to apply it for themselves and see where they end up. But sometimes based upon how you look or even based on your gender, you aren't you aren't given access to those codes. And so my hope and through what I'm doing and talking about and answer questions like this is that we can say, look, you know, we do have issues in this country, but these issues are solvable. They're solvable. Uh, when we, you know, come together and, and say, okay, what can we do to resolve and fix it and not look

at it as like, oh, you know, it's for those people. No, it's for all of us because we all benefit when everyone has an equal opportunity for experience. Absolutely. I love that. You should write an article about this. Okay. About your experience. Yeah, that's a good idea.

Hollywood Reporter or something like that. I think you could create it. I wrote a little bit last year when they had the whole controversy over the Oscars. Right, right. Just from that perspective. But it's a good idea. I think it'd be cool. Thank you.

Yeah. I like that. Well, thank you for sharing. Of course. I'm glad I Thank you. Yeah. I like that. Well, thank you for sharing. Of course. I'm glad I asked you. Before I ask the final question, where can we connect with you? How can we serve you and be in support of what you're doing? Well, I'm on social media, you know, so you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

My handle is at Devon Franklin, D-E capital V-O-N Franklin, F-R-A-N-K-L-I-N. Franklin, D E capital V O N Franklin, F R A N K L I N. And then I also have my website, uh, devonfranklin.com, uh, which has all the stuff that's going on and updates and all that good stuff. So social media and my website are probably the best places to, uh, to come find me. Okay. And I do respond. So people, you know, write comments, you know, I do my best to hit back. Where do you hang out most Instagram, Twitter, Facebook? best to hit back. Where do you hang out most? Instagram, Twitter, Facebook? Usually it's Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter adjacent. Meaning like, you know, I check in with Twitter and, you know, it kind of does its thing, but yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm pretty more, I'm very immersed in that. And, um, you know, my biggest follow me is on Facebook, then Instagram and then Twitter.

Okay, cool. Awesome. Well, before I ask the final question, I want to take a moment, Devon, to acknowledge you for the incredible inspiration you are in the world, for the message that you share, for your commitment to your foundation and your principles. Thank you. Because there are so many people, especially in Hollywood, who don't have that. And for you to be so true to yourself, be true to your faith, be true to your message, and to not just preach it, but actually be it, is such an amazing example for myself and so many other people listening and watching. Thank you. I just want to acknowledge you for constantly stepping up to the plate in a powerful way to be in service to others.

Thank you. Appreciate that, man. You're welcome. Appreciate that. You're welcome. It's a blessing. And the final question is what's your definition of greatness? Oh boy, man. Now that's, that's, that's the, wow. Okay. So the, my definition of, of greatness and I'll try to be succinct. Sure. Um, but you know, it fundamentally, you know, comes down to a personal determination to harness not only the power within, but to fulfill the divine destiny on my life or on your life.

on my life or on your life, regardless of obstacles, regardless of shortcomings, regardless of excuses, that there is a commitment made between you, yourself, and God, that I am going to be everything that I was created to be. And I will not rest until I see it come to pass. And I will pursue excellence. And I will study. And I will research. And I will work. And I will work. And I will work. And I will work.

And I am not going to let myself wallow in self-pity. I'm not going to let myself look in the mirror and get so discouraged that I stop. But that greatness comes from seeing the vision of your life, seeing exactly who you are, because I believe that all of us have if we had time and we took the time just to do a personal assessment. We have a vision in our life of who we are and what we want to do. The problem is the vision of who we are and what we want to do doesn't line up with what we see. Right. So we sometimes tell ourselves that the vision of who we really are and what we wanted to really do is impossible. So we push it out. We drink it out. We sex it out. We smoke it out. We work it out because we don't ever want to embrace that. No, the vision is realistic, but in order to achieve it and to become great, you must commit to it and pursue it. So I believe that when we have that vision

of who we are and what we're supposed to do and we pursue it, pursue it every day, that is the thing that leads to greatness. When you look at the greatest of the greats yeah and and i'm blessed that i've been able to not only meet some of them but know them i can tell you that this commitment to their own personal development and the fulfillment of the call in their life is the thing that sets them apart from others that have been in their field but have not had that level of success that they have. It's not their talent. It's not their looks. It's their commitment.

And that to me is greatness. You cannot have greatness without commitment. You can have a moment, but greatness is eternal. We still talk about the greats because they were great and they made an eternal impact on this earth. So that's what I believe it is.

That when you see it and you know it, you commit to it. And, and, and you have, because it's so hard. It takes so much grit. It takes so much determination.

I mean, but that's why you got to be obsessed, right? You have to be obsessed and possessed about what you're called to do. You have to, you have to, and people can look at you crazy. They can talk about you.

Good. Let them talk. Give them something good to talk about. You need villains. You need villains. You need to. And people can look at you crazy. They can talk about you good. Let them talk. Give them something good to talk about. You need villains. You need villains. You need them. Okay. And tell them to get their whole, you know, get their whole henchmen. Come get you. Because so many times we allow what people say to get in our ear, to get in our spirit, and then we stop or we, or we alter. And I believe greatness is, is that determination. I know who I am. I know where I'm going and let's see who's there when I get there, but I'm going to get there. Devon Franklin. My man. My man. Appreciate it. Thanks,

I appreciate it. Thanks for having me, man. Yes, yes, yes. There you have it guys. If you enjoyed this, make sure to share it with your friends lewishouse.com slash 409 connect with devon on twitter and instagram and facebook as well we've got all of his social media handles back at the show notes lewishouse.com slash 409 also guys we are almost at a hundred thousand subscribers over on youtube that's why we put a lot of time and energy and resources into creating great video content with these interviews. So if you have not subscribed yet, make sure to go to youtube.com slash Lewis Howes. Click that subscribe button. Let me know what you think. Comment on a few different videos and make sure to share this one out with your friends as

well. Really enjoyed connecting with Devon and having him on. And I hope to bring him back on with his next book. My question for the day is this, what was the most inspiring thought that Devon talked about that you never thought of yourself before, or maybe something that you heard of a long time ago or had an idea of a long time ago, but now how he said it reconnected you to that idea. And now you want to implement that in your life. Let me know what resonated with you the most tweet me at Lewis house and let me know. And as always guys, you know what time it is. It's time to go out there and do something great. Outro Music