Personal and Professional Evolution

Ever faced a storm of personal and professional challenges and wondered how to keep moving forward? Join us as we kick off Season Two of the B2Z Podcast with reflections on resilience and growth. From Brandon May's battle with landlord issues leading to the closure of his Riverside studio to the emotional rollercoaster of attempting to buy a home, we share how these hurdles have shaped our journey. Through candid discussions, we emphasize the importance of pursuing happiness and personal development, even in the face of adversity. 

Ever been misjudged because of your big emotions? We get real about the misconceptions surrounding our personalities and the impact of those fleeting moments. As tattoo artists, we delve into the value of empathy and compassion in our work. Personal updates abound, with talk of upcoming baby showers and the dynamics of balancing career and family life. We also explore how Zach's behavior has evolved at work, necessitating the need to assert oneself in new environments, all while maintaining the much-needed balance between professional and personal spheres.

Excited for what's to come? We sure are! Season Two promises a blend of returning favorites like Brian Foster and new voices from diverse fields. With a focus on genuine storytelling and holding guests accountable, we're committed to keeping our conversations authentic and impactful. From strategic reflections inspired by "The Art of War" and "48 Laws of Power" to the joys and anxieties of parenthood, this season is about celebrating resilience, learning from each other, and creating meaningful memories. Tune in for a season filled with wisdom, laughter, and a touch of candid honesty.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:09

Hello, hello, hello. This is Zach MatisseB from B2Z Podcast and welcome to season two of the show. I'm here with my co-host, as always, Mr Brandon May. Hello everybody. It's-host as always, Mr Brandon May.

Speaker 2 0:25

Hello everybody. It's been a long time man, what's up?

Speaker 1 0:33

Knock us off with some highlights. What's been going on with you? Because I know a lot's been going on with me. What's been going on with you, brother? Highlights yeah, give me a highlight reel, oh my God. Yeah, well, okay.

Speaker 2 0:43

Yeah, it's been going on with you, brother. Highlights.

Speaker 1 0:44

Yeah, give me a highlight reel. Oh my God, yeah Well, okay, yeah, it's been wild. Yeah, yeah, give me a highlight reel.

Speaker 2 0:48

Ooh well, season two ended up on a high note with Jim or Die, Jim Wharf. I really enjoyed that episode. That went really well. The filming, the cinematography looked really really good. Shout out to Zach Peacock, Brian Brixton. So that was a highlight for sure. Just to kind of push the development of the show was definitely a goal that I feel like we achieved. From where we started to where we end, yeah, but as far as positives, I don't got too many of those motherfuckers.

Speaker 1 1:25

Yeah, shoot a highlight reel of the negatives, oh man, yeah, I mean. So much has happened.

Speaker 2 1:31

I mean, that's not to be a downer Right. Right, there's so much that's happened. I don't want to just I don't want to take what it is that we've gone through in these last few months and just say it in a few minutes and act like it's not that big of a deal. We'll play well yeah we'll play it in. It is a big deal I know, just for so if you want cliff notes, yeah, let's do cliff. Obviously the location has changed. Location has changed um feel free to ask questions.

Speaker 2 1:55

You know, yeah, a lot of the stuff I can't get on get into, but a lot of the stuff I will get into. Um, but yeah, I no longer have my studio anymore in riverside california. I chose to close it down due to landlord issues that I was having at the the building. Um, man, it, we were filming I think it was danielle's episode whose episode was it? Long beach, long beach. Yeah, danielle. Yeah, yeah, we were, uh, we were filming that episode and everything was in a shit storm in my life.

Speaker 2 2:30

at that point, right now, I just felt like they were fucking nitpicking and you know, I tried to resolve it and it didn't. It didn't get resolved very well. So we came to the conclusion of, you know, cutting, cutting the lease and good riddance, and I think it was a good move on my point, just because, man, you know, I make the moves that I make in life for self, for happiness, for clarity and, man, when you carry toxic people around in your life, it weighs on you, and that was one of those things where it's just like well, okay, yeah, I hit a lot of goals by opening up that business, and a lot of people came to bat for me to open that business and it came down to it. It was really interesting how quick I had to make that decision whether to just shut it down based off of respect. Respect, um, you know, uh, yeah, you know, the, the I was getting calls and I was going through things that I felt like I shouldn't have to, that felt like weren't pertaining to business, and I called on it and they chose to have the wrong reaction and then we both went our separate ways. That's the best way that I could put it in business terms.

Speaker 2 3:51

Um, where you at now? Uh, now I'm at Upland, upland California, breakthrough Tattoo. You guys come get a tattoo there. I chose to go back into the shop to improve and progress my artistry. What I'm trying to do is evolve in the world of tattooing and give myself somewhat of a raise, and there's several ways you can do that, progression being one of them. So I surrounded myself with a lot of high-caliber artists in a fast-paced shop the best place that I could put myself in. And now we are over there. I've been there for about two months. It's going really, really well. The industry is slow right now. Some say it's not, some say it is. For me it's slow, you know, but it's going well. I'm excited about the ventures and the new relationships that I've made. I've already made some really good ones Derek Billingsley, kevin Childs, ernie Incap, charles. So, yeah, those are some highlights.

Speaker 1 4:55

That same month I moved my studio, lost my studio, whatever.

Speaker 2 5:01

I moved my house as well, I tried to buy my home Double whammy.

Speaker 2 5:03

I was in my home for about five years. I was my house as well. I tried to buy my home Double whammy. I was in my home for about five years. I was renting. The owner had passed away. The house prices were rising. I tried to buy the home. I was not able to get the home based off of what the mortgage price would be, so I had to move too.

Speaker 2 5:19

But this isn't a swan song. If you hear us in different moods or if you, a lot has transpired since the last time you guys have talked to us. Um, overtone is a lot heavier. The the world has changed once more over. You know, in a month it's completely different than what it was the last few months ago. Whether you agree with me or not, I really don't care. I'm speaking my truth. Um, but highlights, I'm still alive, my family is doing good, my kids are getting good grades. My, all my kids are in school. They're balling out. Um, they're healthy, uh, yeah, uh, I get opportunities to go work in shops. You know I could suck and not have opportunities, so those are. You know you want to do all of that, but yeah, yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot of changes. Well, your turn.

Speaker 1 6:11

My turn. Yeah, your turn. I'm going to caveat off of yours. I'm going to jump on yours Because I had the opportunity to help you.

Speaker 2 6:20

Oh, my God.

Speaker 1 6:23

And that felt like that completed our, that completed our evolution as friends. Uh, me kind of like returning the favor. Uh, that's the way I felt. You've given me your time and art and I just wanted to give you something in return. So I gave you work in return. Yeah, of course, of course, I pay you, but, uh, for your art from time to time. But, but, uh, I, I wanted to show you what I could do, um, work wise. So that was nice, that was, that was, that was a good, good full circle moment for us.

Speaker 2 6:58

But when I moved, Zach was there the whole way through. It was me and him getting it done In the trenches. In the trenches he went over and beyond and it was hard for me. It was summertime. It was hard for me too, because I'm not a person who really likes to ask for a lot of help.

Speaker 1 7:18

Yeah, you know what I mean Same here it was like takes one to know one Right.

Speaker 2 7:24

Yeah Right, yeah Right, and it was the end of the season. We had just finished the convention.

Speaker 1 7:30

No, this was right before the convention.

Speaker 2 7:31

Yeah, yeah, so right, as I'm moving that same month I'm getting ready for the convention, getting prints done, doing all of this stuff.

Speaker 1 7:39

For those of you that came and saw us at the convention. Thank you for that For real Thanks for visiting that Also, the convention. Thank you for that, for real Thanks for visiting.

Speaker 2 7:44

That was super fun. Incon was super dope. You can call us Pat.

Speaker 1 7:46

We had a good time yeah.

Speaker 2 7:47

I'm down to do it again next year. Met some really good people, yeah, but yeah. So shut down the studio. Yeah, shut down the house Did a convention All of the same end of the month.

Speaker 2 8:00

Oh yeah, sold some prints, made some shirts and we did our last episode for V to Z. So that month was a clusterfuck and was not fun. No, it was not fun at all. It was one of those moments where, like we dedicated ourselves, like Zach paid for that convention At the beginning of the year. He was like bro, like to help you stimulate your business this year. You know you, you asked how I could help you. This is how I could help, and so he chose to sponsor certain parts of my business throughout the year and that was one of the things he did. Is he uh, paid for the booth at inkon and, uh, it worked out. Man, like it was a great, I loved it. Yeah, season finale that wasn't a finale. We planned on filming there, but I'm glad we didn't at the same time, just because it was a lot Got good shots, though.

Speaker 1 8:50

Got a lot of good shots, yeah. And then we kind of I won't get into my stuff just yet, but we kind of split off and did not separate ways, but we just did our thing after that we spoke upon a vow of silence.

Speaker 2 9:08

We spoke upon a distance, uh, creating distance between the two of us, not necessarily because we were going to kill each other, but just to offer, uh, fresh material for this season. We didn't want to come back the same individuals as we were right, that's right, and zach was like what the fuck are you talking about?

Speaker 1 9:26

I, I took that real harsh right in the beginning. I'm like what, what are you like? What the fuck are? You talking about uh it has to be perfect, because, because my mind, I'm like a vowel of silence. What does that mean? Right, I gotta make this perfect. Like are we? Are we not speaking to anybody? Are we doing it this way? Are we doing it that way? I feel like what we ended up doing worked.

Speaker 2 9:51

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. There's a method to the madness, and I truly mean it as madness.

Speaker 1 9:55

So if you saw gaps in our social media content, if you saw gaps in just our response rate to people not to make excuses, but it was thought out, we did it on purpose. It's choice and it wasn't to be rude or anything either. It was we had to reevaluate ourselves as humans, as men.

Speaker 2 10:26

It's interesting being on a platform and talking to individuals. We're not those individuals who try and corner a room with stories of oh look at me and look how cool I am, and you should learn this. So for me, the vow of silence was man, we've said a fucking lot. We should shut the fuck up for a little bit. We should shut the fuck up for a little bit. We should definitely shut the fuck up for a little bit.

Speaker 1 10:49

And listen.

Navigating Career and Family Balance

Speaker 2 10:50

And listen, yeah, and listen, because you know, in order to feel like you have something to say, you also have to do twice as much listening. You know, and there were things that I was proud of in the interviews on season one and there was things that I didn't necessarily care for.

Speaker 1 11:15

One was that you motherfuckers think that I'm some harsh ass fucking serious guy man. He's not. Once you, once you get to know him, he's. He's probably one of the funnest individuals to be around.

Speaker 2 11:21

I enjoy a good time, I love to laugh. Um, I dance, I I sing, my daughter paints my nails. You know what I mean. Um, so you guys couldn't be further from the truth on that one. Um, I am very compassionate.

Speaker 1 11:39

Um uh, I, but that just tells us more. In season two we'll just bring it even more. Bring it, bring it even more real to you.

Speaker 2 11:48

Yeah, I feel like that's always been a big thing for me too is like, because I have these big emotions, everybody wants to fucking label me as something yeah, yeah, oh this.

Speaker 2 11:58

He's so angry or he's so harsh shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up and stop. I'm not throwing labels at you, punk ass, like you have a little moment, you know, of fucking, whether it be positive or negative, I'm not going to judge you, I'm just going to be like damn, you had a moment, you know what I mean. I'm not going to label you, but shut the fuck up. You know, stop trying to fucking label me. I'm nice as shit. You are nice as shit.

Speaker 1 12:25

I am, I'm nice as shit.

Speaker 2 12:26

You know not. Everybody's talking to the owner at Breakthrough. He's just like oh, you're negative, da-da-da-da, or some shit like that. I was like, well, I'm not always going to fucking say shit. You want to hear?

Speaker 1 12:37

Yeah, it's not all sunshine and lollipops, brother, that is not that type of it's not that rainbow. No, sorry about that.

Speaker 2 12:43

This is not that type man. So you know, it's just. It's interesting, people's take on you. If you see me and you felt that I'm negative, please just come up to me and talk to me. Man, book an appointment. A lot of the reason that I'm able to keep my clientele the way that it is is based off of how I approach them and with the empathy that I show towards their individual scenarios. I'm a listener man. I'm a listener even though I'm on here talking.

Speaker 1 13:13

I listen um getting a tattoo, uh, from from this man, because I got a lot of tattoos. I got a lot. We had a lot of time time in. I've gone to other artists. It's an experience getting tattooed by Brandon. That's just not sugarcoating it or anything, it's a full experience. The guy listens to you, he's engaged as he's performing art. So if you're looking for a new artist not to do a promotion but also to slide in a promotion, get a tattoo from him and find out for yourself exactly what he's all about. Stop by B-Man.

Speaker 2 14:05

Studio yeah, or just hang out. Upload California 562-544-0132. Deposit $150,. Minimum $200.

Speaker 1 14:14

Beautiful plug, don't be cheap.

Speaker 2 14:17

Treat yourself, Don't cheat yourself. I went back to work too.

Speaker 1 14:21

Yeah, I was going to school full time. I went back to work and I've been busier than the normal huh, I feel like yours is way heavier than mine.

Speaker 2 14:30

Why is that? Because you have a baby on the way.

Speaker 1 14:33

Yes, yeah, so I know so. So we crossed out what like three or four baby showers in between and, uh, those were all good. I appreciate everyone, everyone who participated in those and brought gifts and showed love. I really do appreciate that. Babies now due October 2nd.

Speaker 2 14:53

October 2nd. What's today's date?

Speaker 1 14:56

It's 23rd of September, so it's knock, knock, knocking coming.

Speaker 2 15:02

Another reason why we've been kind of paying attention to life rather than talking.

Speaker 1 15:08

Yeah, so work's been fun. Went back to work for SoCal West Coast Electric. I tested them. They said they always would have a job for me and I texted my manager on a Friday and I had a job on Monday morning and I don't know too many places that you could have a full had a job on Monday morning. I don't know too many places that you could have a full-time job on Monday morning. I did use that favor card and just been working.

Speaker 2 15:38

Are you happy with this? I'm happy right now.

Speaker 1 15:43

No one's told me to stop doing what I do at yeah, no one. No one's told me that. No one's told me to stop doing what I do yeah, at work, just like no one's told us to stop doing the podcast I don't know what. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Right, but it's rolling well, you know I brought out a whole different zach at work well you changed? Bro, yeah, I brought this dude's changed.

Speaker 2 16:03

I've been on zach's ass for like the last month Like bro. What the fuck is wrong with you? What are you doing?

Speaker 1 16:10

And so where Brandon is, brandon is very he's personable, he's a good person to talk to. I am too, not at work. At work I went back into almost military type mode, punking dudes Almost like a fucking prison yard. That's how I approached that work, which could have been the right way, could have been the wrong way. Anxious, angst, angst Got to show the alpha dog a little bit for the for, for any guys that know that women too, I mean women too that go into a new job and and you have to show, I guess, I guess, what you're all about. That's what I, that's what I, that's what I felt the need to do, and I I did. But I also hurt myself a couple times, hurt the back again, found out I got carpal tunnel in my arm. Yeah, old man, shit. What do you got to say about that?

Speaker 2 17:10

I mean, fuck man, I got arthritis in my wrist. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, we're getting older.

Speaker 1 17:17

We're getting older. Come on, we're just, come on, we're just, we're like. Oh, everyone listened, I mean we're, we're getting older, we're still like humans.

Speaker 2 17:25

We're priming, we're keeping it primed, but like and we're doing the damn thing we're pushing to find those limitations, to say, oh man, I ain't what I used to be if you're trying to put a label on.

Speaker 1 17:35

We got tattoo artists and electrician here just shooting the shit yeah yeah. So what do you? What do you come? Come to us with what, what you have, bring the bring.

Speaker 2 17:44

Bring something to the table well, you're keeping us blue collar, you're keeping it, you almost did.

Speaker 1 17:53

You almost went back to blue collar I almost did, I almost went back to uh operating operator. Yeah, I went on, almost went back to blue collar.

Speaker 2 17:58

I almost did. I almost went back to operating Heavy equipment operator. Yeah, I almost went back to operating, that was okay. So this is the thing, this is the thing Tattooing it's like ah, till I die, till I die. It's like a gang mentality, till I die.

Speaker 1 18:12

It's a passion, right.

Speaker 2 18:13

Yeah, and you want it to be till you die 100% because it is 100% fun. But I have three kids. That's a lot of kids to be a tattoo artist. Two, one, cool, you got any more than three. You're working all the damn time, man. I just, I don't know, I forgot my. Where was I going with this, my train of thought?

Speaker 1 18:38

Just that you were going to be a heavy equipment operator. Yeah, you were tossing around for a minute. That's a heavy thing right.

Speaker 2 18:45

So I'm stuck in between this thing of Living my passion and going back to a 9 to 5. And going back to a 9 to 5, yeah, and what is best for my family, obviously the 9 to 5 is. But how much of myself do I lose? And I've also been a tattoo artist for so long that that's what I am now.

Speaker 1 19:06

And you built such a clientele.

Speaker 2 19:07

I built a clientele.

Speaker 1 19:08

It's hard to leave that behind.

Speaker 2 19:10

Well, the money is too.

Speaker 1 19:11

Yeah.

Speaker 2 19:12

It's quick money. It's quick money. You can make more money in a short amount of time. But, yeah, I almost went back to another job. I didn't, and I'm glad I did it but him.

Speaker 2 19:24

You tossing that around made me go back to the nine to five yeah, I mean, I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to keep my family in the standards that we need. That's right. Um, regardless of my love of tattooing, regardless of what you know my physical like, I would go work a back-breaking job right now. Yeah, you know, for if somebody's like, oh, we'll take care, come on, I know but yeah I don't know that's.

Speaker 2 19:56

That's a lot of tattooers right now, though. It's slow, everybody's slow, everybody's got picking up part-time jobs and all that stuff. I'm trying to not do all that stuff. I'm trying to pour my energy into the work and utilize the time to perfect my craft so that, when the light does come back on within tattooing, or the upswing of tattooing comes back up, I can tattoo in a different form. Your painting.

Speaker 1 20:22

Your paintings are beautiful. They're really coming to the surface. I enjoy watching you work, man. Thanks, man.

Speaker 2 20:34

The last Gems episode where he said he finished everything. That's something I picked up. Yeah, oh yeah. So now, everything I do, I finish. Same with the kevin or no, uh, derrick, yes, billingsley he's. He says, yeah, everything I start, I finish like, uh, all right, so yeah, that's something I'm doing. I paint a lot. Now I'm trying to at least do two paintings a week, just for progression, for failure, for all of the things to push the ball to do. I mean, fuck man, I spent so much time worried about the business aspects of things, I didn't get to focus on the artistry enough. So now I don't have to focus on the artistry enough. So now I don't have to focus on the business so much, I can focus on the art. It's nice. It's nice. There's so much stupid shit in between Permits and all the dumb shit they make you do. It just keeps you away from taxes and all that other stuff.

Speaker 1 21:37

You brought up a good point leading up to this. I was listening to some of the old episodes Definitely Jim's I just listened to this weekend. Were there any? We sat down and I will shout out our boy, tomas, our roadie, we got him here working on the camera.

Season Two Preview and Changes

Speaker 1 21:57

Tomas right there, yeah, he's behind me Appreciate him, and we did a big sit down roll out whiteboard. Get everything out. Now that I got you on the mic, is there anyone you'd want to bring on again from season one to season two or any new people that you'd like to who me yeah?

Speaker 2 22:22

Who do I want to bring on? Yeah?

Speaker 1 22:23

Or who do we talk about?

Speaker 2 22:25

Who did we?

Speaker 1 22:25

discuss, but that's.

Speaker 2 22:28

but we, I mean we talked about, I mean there's a lot that I want to bring back on, just because we only touched a tip of the iceberg, brian Foster being one of them. Zach Peacock, I want to bring on Dave Richardson with Jim or Die. Just because they're different together, there's a lot of people I want to bring. I want to bring on Spike one more time. Chime in.

Speaker 1 22:53

We're going to rattle some names, but chime in. If you want to shoot out to our Instagram at BTOZ podcast, yeah, shoot us DM or me or Brandon DM and be like hey, I think this would be a good guest to have on the show. We're open.

Speaker 2 23:13

I may not this season is going to be pretty heavy y'all. I think so, not even gonna lie. No, the attitudes have definitely changed. It's not that we're in a bad mood. Nobody's fucking around right now. Um, so it should be interesting last season, like it evolved into its own little story and we were very open because we were so brand new to it.

Speaker 1 23:36

Right Now, just like Brandon said, I'm not in the mood to fuck around.

Speaker 2 23:41

Well, I let a few people off the hook. You did, I did, yeah, I did, partly because everybody was talking about how cruel I am, partly because I was concerned about how individuals would take my opinion and run with it, but that's not going to be the case this year. This this season, guys, I see a lot of hypocritical things that I will be calling out from some of the episodes that. So if you were on the episode before and you said some shit and you lived in a way that was counterproductive to what the fuck you said, I will be calling you on that shit.

Speaker 1 24:19

Yeah, especially if you're a returning guest.

Speaker 2 24:24

Not to be an asshole, no, but yeah, why not why?

Speaker 2 24:28

not you said this shit, you did this shit. You owe some bullshit. Explain. You know there's a few there. You know there's a few. There's a few, there's a few. Yeah, we got some. We want to bring on some performers. We want to bring on a survival expert. We want to. We want to bring on some more artists as well, which y'all watch out too, because I'm going to be asking some heavier questions this year. I'm gonna ask a lot about, uh, the, the shape of tattooing, where it should go, not where it is where the fuck it should go. What changes should you make in your daily to help out the tattoo industry?

Speaker 1 25:10

um, motorsports and other professionals as well. Uh, we, we have a few doctors lined up, a few therapists that we've already asked and said, yeah, more than welcome. So we're definitely going to expand. So we're growing as the show's growing.

Speaker 2 25:35

I want to bring on a musician. Yeah, absolutely, man, I want to bring on a musician? Yeah, absolutely, man, I want to bring on a musician Like there's this one. Imani that I talk to You're talking to me about. She's dope, she's dope. I want to bring her on and have her play some music. She's like right on the verge of being kind of a big fucking deal.

Speaker 1 25:54

And video. You guys like the video content, so we're going to pump up the video content as well Internal, Internal and external. Anybody willing to help, we're open to help. But we're also going to be doing it more internal as well.

Speaker 2 26:12

Yeah, we'll be shooting them, We'll be directing them and all that stuff. We will be using Zach Peacock and Brian Brixton on it.

Speaker 1 26:20

That is a no-brainer If those guys are listening to this episode, or listen to this episode that was. I can't say enough of how I enjoyed it.

Speaker 2 26:29

Yeah, they showed up really dope for us. And it trips me out too, because sometimes I'll be like man. You know these motherfuckers don't fuck with me and they do.

Speaker 1 26:37

Yeah, they have to fucking show up for me.

Speaker 2 26:39

I'm like dude. Thanks, man like.

Speaker 2 26:41

Thank you, that was that's tight, yeah, and then all the extra effort and just you know, I think they enjoy the fact that we're creating memories. A lot of people that a lot of feedback I've been getting is it's not that they truly enjoy the content. They they enjoy that we're promoting people from, uh, a neutral standpoint, not somebody who's already got, not somebody who's uh on the cusp of becoming this amazing fucking thing, like just solid ass individuals as they are. You know what I mean. Not based off of your position in your job, not, you know, just because you've obtained some type of knowledge that was really, really cool or you have a dope story.

Speaker 1 27:23

You, you, that touched on something for me. I got a gripe for you. You want to hear gripe yep from the other side of the coin? I've gotten people almost approaching me looking to get famous off their story, or I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 27:40

The put-me-ons. Yeah, the put-me-ons. Ain't nobody putting you on. Ha, Ain't nobody putting you on yeah and I'm not Period.

Speaker 1 27:49

I don't dig that because I'm not looking to get famous either. I'm looking to try something I've never tried before. That was the whole point of this podcast. We're trying something we've never tried before, but I'm not going to use your story to make us famous and I'm not going to use your story to make you famous. I'm going to put that shit out there right now.

Speaker 2 28:08

Well, what kind of motherfucker are you to be like? Oh, you should interview me.

Speaker 1 28:12

You're so lame and I've gotten a handful already. Probably think this song is about you, don't, you, don't?

Speaker 2 28:20

you? Are you kidding me?

Speaker 1 28:22

Yeah, I've gotten, a handful.

Speaker 2 28:23

He probably nicknamed himself, you know, like get out of here.

Speaker 1 28:27

Yeah, so anyway, I'm going to put that right there. And you know who you are On an episode I don't know who you are, but you know who you are. Yeah, you know who you are. That struck a chord with me and I don't like that.

Speaker 2 28:36

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 28:37

I'm not going to. Sorry, don't ride my coattails.

Speaker 2 28:40

Well, and you're trying to utilize what it is that we're doing in a negative way too. Yeah, that's part of the problem. I don't do that. We're trying to bring you guys stories that impact your lives, not just something that sounds fucking cool. You know what I mean. Like there's tons of stories. You want something cool put on the Simpsons or not, but we also got Koa here, man.

Speaker 1 29:00

Yeah that's our other roadie. Yeah, big old Koa.

Speaker 2 29:03

Yeah, they've never seen Koa.

Speaker 1 29:05

Yeah, well, I mean he's running around through the cameras and I think we got some shots of him.

Speaker 2 29:11

Explain Koa to him.

Speaker 1 29:11

I know Koa's a big old. He's my big service dog. He's been angry with me lately because he came to work with me a few times, but I've been leaving him home because it's been really hot outside and he's been upset with that.

Speaker 2 29:27

Koa's been full circle too. She used to be a wild thing and now she's trying to calm down. He's chilling yeah, every once in a while. He pops off yeah, every once in a while.

Speaker 1 29:39

But yeah, we're trying to keep that down to the minimum. All right. So, season two, new guests, new location, new people I mean not new people, but, yeah, new guests. But I feel like we're new again.

Speaker 2 29:57

Yeah, part of me was like, damn, is this gonna be as good as next is for season one? It's gonna be better. Is this gonna be as good as? I don't know? If it's gonna be better, it is going to be completely freaking different. Yeah, it is going to be completely different, not because we're doing anything different. We're going to be doing this like kind of the same layouts and programs and stuff like that. But I don't know, guys, this season is going to be crazy. We're just going to be asking more, heavier questions. We're going to be digging deeper, not taking things for just face value and just kind of not to say that you guys weren't being honest with us. Some of you guys were. Some of you guys weren't being honest with us. Some of you guys were, some of you guys weren't. So you know, but episode one yeah, season two Season two B to Z Knocking it off.

Speaker 2 30:46

Boy or girl.

Speaker 1 30:48

Boy, yeah Boy, gabriel Michael.

Speaker 2 30:53

What's one of the things that you're trying to bring into your child's life like? What's the overtone of your father style, fatherhood style?

Speaker 1 31:03

you know what I've realized? All the shit I give my dad and he wasn't that bad, you know, and I'll say that to you, with a straight face. The more I look at that guy and with a straight face, all right the more the more I look at that guy and all the years he's driven me crazy. He wasn't that bad at all. He's a pretty damn good dad.

Speaker 2 31:24

So you model it based off of pops.

Speaker 1 31:27

Well, loosely, yeah, yeah, don't yeah.

Speaker 2 31:29

Don't quote me yeah.

Speaker 1 31:30

Don't quote me on it. Yeah, don't quote me on it. I'm not going to strictly adhere to it, but he was a good dad.

Speaker 2 31:37

What's the main thing, what's your main thought going into it? What are you what? Two, two to three weeks, Two three weeks out, Two three weeks out yeah, what's your main thought right now?

Speaker 1 31:49

What he taught me. He taught me a good work ethic, and that's the first thing I want to bring into that baby's life Is show that baby. I'm there working hard for him. You stressed, Absolutely Stressed nervous, anxious. Talking about it with you actually calms me down.

Speaker 2 32:07

Yeah.

Speaker 1 32:08

Yeah, because you're a three-timer, I am a three-timer, he's a three-timer, I am a three-timer, he's a three-timer. It's nice to talk to somebody who's been there, who has excellent advice, whether it's heavy or light. Brandon doesn't sugarcoat shit.

Speaker 2 32:27

If he feels like he needs to hit me with something heavy, he hits me with something heavy.

Speaker 1 32:30

I even tell him.

Speaker 2 32:33

I'm like. I don't like that. He's like I don't care.

Speaker 1 32:37

Yeah, I'm going to give it to you, whether you like it or not, and I do appreciate that. I really appreciate that.

Speaker 2 32:42

Yeah, we pissing Zach off All the time, all the time. But I love it. Yeah.

Speaker 1 32:47

Especially my reflection time, when I sit back and look at it. I'm all man. That guy really came at me solid.

Speaker 2 32:53

I feel like sometimes people don't give you the truth because they're afraid of the response that they might get from you. You know what I mean, oh yeah. I'm okay with the shitty response. You know what I mean. I'm okay. Like he might fall off the handle if I say that. You know he might absolutely just flip out.

Speaker 1 33:14

Yeah, if it matters, handle if I say that he might absolutely just flip out, yeah.

Speaker 2 33:17

If it matters, then I'll say it. If it matters, then I'll say it. If it don't matter, I'll Whatever. You know what I mean, yeah.

Speaker 1 33:27

Take it as you give it.

Speaker 2 33:28

Fuck that advice, though I don't know. Being a parent is not easy, and it's very hard to get solid information that's not you know, watered down by fucking googly shit like fucking bitch shit yeah, truth yeah without like, yeah, yeah, like with the fact of you do what you need to do for self, to put yourself in strategic positions so that you can always be the primary example of what a parent should be, and outside of that, you know you do what you need to do.

Speaker 1 34:15

You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 34:15

But yeah, it's interesting watching you go through it, because I see you stress and then, but I can't. I didn't see myself stress, I couldn't have an outer body experience to see how stressed I was and I'm just like damn, like, how, how far? What did I change when I first found out, uh, miles was gonna be born? Like how drastic were my changes and did anyone during that time?

Speaker 1 34:42

did anyone give you advice?

Speaker 2 34:45

I'm sure you got a lot of advice, but I didn't tell anybody. Oh okay, I didn't tell anybody for a long time you kind of snuck snuck it in there.

Speaker 2 34:54

I was on the. I was in the virgin islands. Yeah, just moved over to the virgin islands with my brother. We put all our stuff in a container to buy a vacation home with the gi bill. Yeah, mary calls me and says she's pregnant like week two that I'm out there two weeks ago. I'm just fucking silent, smoking, smoking, smoking, smoking cigarettes, just smoking cigarettes. I'm like, fuck, like, what am I gonna do? Like I just dedicated and said I'm gonna do this with my brother. Obviously I cannot stay here. I put all my stuff in the container to go out here. Yeah, what are you gonna do?

Speaker 1 35:34

I had to leave my brother. Yeah, I had to leave my brother.

Speaker 2 35:37

I had to leave my brother in the middle of a business transaction and it was messed up. It was messed up, you know, and I had to get back home to go to doctor's visits and even when I got back home she was like not feeling me Because we weren't together. When Miles was born, I was like I actually had a like a whole ass girlfriend and stuff, you know, but I was stressed. But, seeing it at 41, I was 27 when I 25, 27 when.

Speaker 2 36:11

I had Miles, now you can actually reflect on it seeing it at 41, being like damn Okay, because there's nothing I could tell you about you going through the unknown, because your story is your story. Everything is different.

Speaker 1 36:23

Yeah.

Speaker 2 36:24

Right your pregnancy, the way the baby is going to be delivered, how everything unravels, is going to be completely different, so I can't give advice. I could just say, hey, hey, I would do this guidance yeah, yeah, it's more guy, it's more guidance. I would say yeah, just say things that I don't know. People give shady advice just based off the ego. I give advice like a father, correct you do? Like a like a upstanding gentleman, even if I'm not always the best at taking my own advice. I'm going to give it like fucking.

Speaker 1 37:01

Oh solid.

Speaker 2 37:02

Yeah, yeah, like superhero guy, you know what I mean. Like Mr Honorable man, that's how I try, like what would be the best. Sometimes I don't even like to give advice because it's like, man, don't listen to me, don't listen to me't listen to me. You know I'm a slippery slope. I can give you something good and the next second I can fuck up your whole world but that yeah, but that's I don't know.

Speaker 1 37:29

That goes along with the evolution of our relationship too, of our friendship what did you discover in your vow of silence?

Speaker 2 37:39

he took the vow of silence, I didn't. He took the vow of silence without saying on your mark, get set, go too. He just fell off of the earth real quick.

Speaker 1 37:49

I did, I do, I did it a couple times. I was like bro, I called him.

Speaker 2 37:52

I said I'm about to pull up to the house Thinking people have died. You know What'd you discover?

Speaker 1 38:09

That everything isn't as demanding as we make it seem. It really sifts the earth, Like when you're looking for gold, and you sift all the dirt and all the water and all the bullshit out. It really brings what you're looking for to the top and that's what it?

Speaker 1 38:24

did for me was okay. The people that are in my life you, joanna Jolene, you know my sister they were the ones still texting me, still hitting me up, different friends I have, and then everything else kind of falls by the wayside. Sometimes you need to do that once in a while, just clear your head. I needed to do it.

Speaker 2 38:47

I called your sister and that was on your advice?

Speaker 1 38:49

Yeah, you said, do it. But like you said not, yeah, you're supposed to let people know.

Speaker 2 38:55

Like, hey, I'm going to step away for a little bit You're supposed to definitely let people know. I called his sister like yo. How come y'all? Not watching your brother what's going on? She gave a little attitude back too, yeah she's sassy, a little sassy joke, sassy joke yeah, man, but we just came back from baby shower.

Speaker 1 39:13

Baby shower was good.

Speaker 2 39:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was fun, it was cool. Yeah, it was cool. Different things that you wouldn't see is you'd never think oh yeah, he'll. He'll be at my baby shower. That'll be my buddy that I oh yeah, we'll be. We'll be doing that together Like that shit's weird. Right it is. Yeah, yeah, that shit's weird. I missed the first one and went to the second one. Yeah, what's protocol for that? I don't know. I've never done this. This is my first time doing all this stuff.

Speaker 1 39:48

You're going to have another one immediately. Yeah, are you going to have another baby? Back to back? Yeah, lakers, maybe. I think I'm one and done. Yeah, I think I'm one and done. Yeah, I might be one and done. We'll see. We shall see. It's close, everybody. We might even squeeze in one or two more episodes in between there, or even like we talked about I'm not even going to tease people with that. We were teasing something like really close to the birth of the child, like either before or right afterwards. But we'll see how it all goes down.

Speaker 2 40:23

Oh, guess what, guys? We got merch. Now we got shirts, yeah, stickers, we got stickers. We got koozies, we got all of these things. Um, if you guys want something, we'll do a pre, uh, a pre-sale, so that we can keep our inventory nice and tight, okay um, as of right now, it's uh, you can.

Speaker 1 40:43

You can DM the Instagram page, but also website. We got TikTok on the way, and X or Twitter. We got those in the books too.

Speaker 2 40:57

Sponsors we're looking for some sponsors.

Speaker 1 40:59

Looking for sponsors.

Speaker 2 41:00

If you guys like what you hear and you want to make sure that this continues on, man, go to the page, subscribe. Uh, donate a little bit of feria yeah to the cause. Um, we're just putting it right back into this. We're not, you know, out here buying bentley's and stuff like that yeah, for the subscribers that we we have had.

Speaker 1 41:20

Uh, I think we still have one hanging on. Uh, yeah, it's just that just keeps going back into the subscriptions.

Speaker 2 41:29

You mean one million, yeah yeah, that's right, yeah, all that.

Speaker 1 41:33

So the ones we have, uh, we're, yeah, which is it's all going back into into this, uh supplies, uh stuff to make the show cool. Yeah, we're trying to get to 2 million, trying to get to 2 million, trying to make it.

Speaker 2 41:48

Trying to make it cool trying to get to 2 million, yeah, so if you guys are liking what you're hearing, man, go ahead and support the cause. We really don't say that enough. But yeah, we were coming on this episode and we were like, alright, what's this one going to be about? But we just trying to. We're trying to keep it light, guys. We're trying to keep it light, we're trying to be natural. Once again, come in here unscripted and watch it evolve. You remember how last season started and this is better than last season, right?

Speaker 1 42:17

so far?

Speaker 2 42:18

I hope so yeah we don't know until it's all done. Yeah, we got Tomas on the cameras over here. Hopefully he's doing his thing.

Speaker 1 42:25

Yeah, all right.

Speaker 2 42:29

What else Roundup time.

Speaker 1 42:30

Roundup you got any quote?

Speaker 2 42:33

for us Quotes.

Speaker 1 42:40

I got a bunch I'm tossing around.

Speaker 2 42:47

No, I thought I saw one, I think.

Speaker 1 42:50

I screenshotted one the other day. It was not for this specific instance. While he's checking it out.

Speaker 2 43:00

Oh, Incap told me a good one. What?

Speaker 1 43:01

do you got I do you had a good one.

Speaker 2 43:04

In a town where what did he say? In a town full of blind men, that the guy with one eye sees all. Yeah, that's legit. I was like oh, all right, I thought that was cool.

Speaker 1 43:21

Yeah, that is super cool Perspective to you know, shout out to E Cap, appreciate you.

Speaker 2 43:28

Yep, give us a quote.

Speaker 1 43:31

Me.

Speaker 2 43:32

Yeah, give us one.

Strategic Wisdom in Leadership Evolution

Speaker 1 43:34

So I've been rereading some books in the little pieces of free time I have. I love, I love all kinds of books. I love the classics. I love Shakespeare, dante, algieri. I love Sun Tzu. One quote from his is strike where he's strong and you are weak. I feel that applies to both of us, because when we hire opponents we go after the strength. We try and hit them where they're strong and we're weak. Hit them where they're strong and we're weak and it kind of helps us analyze ourself and aid to our evolution. You do a very good job of that. I was reading it the other day the Art of War and I was like man that's.

Speaker 1 44:41

I read that a long time ago and I was like man. That's such a just a straightforward bitching quote.

Speaker 2 44:46

Yeah, what am I reading right now?

Speaker 1 44:53

I'm reading 48 Laws of Power, or some shit, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's good, that is a good one. Yeah, no, that is a very good one.

Speaker 2 45:00

It's good as fuck.

Speaker 1 45:01

Yeah, yep, so I mean, there's your drop-off, there's your roundup. We appreciate you tuning in. As always, I'm Zach Batista, brandon May y'all. Thank you, stay tuned, thank you.