Nick Cannon: How I ACCIDENTALLY Built A $1.3 Billion Business & My Ex-Wife Mariah Carey Saved My Life!

21 Sep 2023 · 1 h 46 min

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In short

Podcast Episode Summary: The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Episode Title

Nick Cannon: How I ACCIDENTALLY Built A $1.3 Billion Business & My Ex-Wife Mariah Carey Saved My Life!

Host

Steven Bartlett

Guest

Nick Cannon

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Introduction

  • Steven Bartlett sits down with Nick Cannon, a multi-talented TV host, actor, rapper, and comedian, to explore his journey from a young comedian to building a billion-dollar business and the personal trials along the way.
  • Nick Cannon's Early Career: Started performing stand-up comedy at 16, became the youngest TV writer in history at 17. Created and hosted MTV's "Wild 'N Out" and hosted "America's Got Talent."

Key Discussion Points

Personal Growth and Challenges

  • Optimism and Imagination: Nick attributes much of his success to youthful optimism and a vivid imagination during his unorthodox childhood.
  • Family Influence: His parents had him as teenagers; he was raised with the help of his grandparents. Despite growing up in challenging environments, he felt destined for success.
  • Formative Years: Started doing stand-up comedy at 11, influenced by figures like Jamie Foxx and Will Smith, learning valuable life and career lessons from them.
  • Resilience and Perseverance: Overcame early setbacks, including losing a TV show at 19, and used these challenges to fuel his determination.

Career Insights

  • Wild 'N Out: Self-funded the initial pilot, emphasizing the importance of owning intellectual property. The show has become a billion-dollar business, nurturing young talent.
  • Creative Endeavors: Involved in various entertainment ventures, including music and film, with a consistent focus on creativity and fun as the battery for success.
  • Networking vs. Authenticity: Believes networking is overrated and emphasizes the importance of being authentic and letting work speak for itself.

Personal Trials

  • Health Struggles: Diagnosed with lupus nephritis at 32, which reshaped his perspective on life and the importance of health.
  • Mortality and Purpose: The diagnosis prompted a reevaluation of life priorities, focusing on making the most of his time and living purposefully.
  • Loss and Grieving: Discusses the profound impact of losing his son, Zen, to brain cancer. Emphasizes that grieving is a lifelong process and can be turned into a source of strength.

Philosophies and Beliefs

  • Fun and Happiness: Stresses that joy in work leads to success, and that money earned unhappily is not worth it.
  • Narcissism in Balance: Describes a healthy level of narcissism as necessary for success, pointing out the importance of self-love and confidence.
  • Impact of Gratitude: Gratitude and humility are central themes in his life, influencing his approach to challenges and success.

Business Ventures and Legacy

  • Incredible Entertainment: Founded to consolidate his ventures in music, TV, and consumer products.
  • Future Goals: Aims to continue building and nurturing talent through various platforms while maintaining personal integrity and compassion.
  • Legacy: Defined by his impact on others through joy, creativity, and empowerment rather than material success.

Conclusion

  • On Life and Legacy: Nick Cannon strives to live fully, embracing challenges and finding joy in every aspect of life. His legacy is tied to the smiles he brings to others through his work and personal interactions.

Follow Up

  • Nick Cannon's Social Media:
  • Instagram: [Profile Link](https://bit.ly/3t1p7ts)
  • Twitter: [Profile Link](https://bit.ly/3LryOrB)
  • TikTok: [Profile Link](https://bit.ly/3LwA2lv)
  • Steven Bartlett's Links:
  • Podcast: [Diary of a CEO](https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo)
  • Book: [Link](https://g2ul0.app.link/DOAC)

---

This detailed summary encapsulates the core themes and insights from the episode while providing an accessible format for readers to grasp the key elements of Nick Cannon's journey as discussed on "The Diary Of A CEO."

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Transcript

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1:28Necannon. Has lupus. If you don't catch it and control it, you lose your life pretty quickly. You said that you wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for Moriah Carey. Yeah. It makes you question, what are you going to do with the time that you have on this planet? What impact are you going to make? When you're not afraid of dying, you focus on living. And then you dealt with the loss of your son at just five months old due to brain cancer. You never know how strong you are to this lonely option.

2:07Nick, what do I have to understand about your earliest years to understand the man that you are today? I'm still there question.

2:21I'd have to say that optimism, youthful optimism, some call it imagination. The world was just so big but yet so tangible for me. I felt like I had this magic that I could just manifest anything. Good or bad. I lived this life to where as small as the community was, disenfranchised and maybe not as upwardly as I was. I was a woman with sea from the house. I had this big imagination in my mind, super power that I could be due or whatever I wanted. It was all in my grasp and I could, I don't know where I got it from but I was just as a kid, as a teenager, I always felt like I had this ability to walk in the room and get whatever I wanted.

3:25But the environment that you were raised in wasn't one of great abundance. That's so crazy about it. I was growing up in projects, growing up in scenarios that we didn't have a lot but I felt like I had a lot. I felt like I was always destined for it. It wasn't even about fame. It wasn't about money. It was just about I like my life. I'm going to have fun. I'm going to have a good time. I was always that, you know, let's smile about it. You know what I mean? Even in some difficult and tumultuous times, I would still find a silver lining. I would still find a way to smile through pain. It's worked.

4:21It's always kept me level headed, you know, even in the midst of having an abnormal and extraordinary life. It's like even the thing that humbles me is the fact that I'll just interspaces with gratitude and optimism. Even in pain, what was your family home like? See, that's the thing. Probably looking back at it, it definitely wasn't Orthodox. You know, we didn't come from much but it was joyous. It was filled with love. My parents had me as teenagers. They were young. I went to my dad's high school graduation. But, you know, his parents helped raise me. My mom was constantly working, you know, school, work, dad went off to college.

5:20And then, you know, I kind of felt like I grew up with my parents. And their parents assisted in raising us all. So it was household filled with love. But, you know, wasn't traditional by any means. So, there were the obstacles of, you know, trying to figure it out. Parents and grandparents putting food on the table. But that, I think that also gave me a different type of drive to say, all right, we're going to have to make something out of nothing. You were parents separated when you were very young? I was happy like my parents had sex once. And then, just one time. And then, I showed up. Because there were kids, man.

6:05You know, like, I don't really know the intricate details of their relationship. But I definitely knew that they weren't together. It was a, but not enemies by any means. You know what I mean? They were just teenagers. They were kids. So, after, you know, I was born, they kind of went their separate ways. But my dad's parents kind of kept everyone together. And it was a close -knit thing. You know, when my mother needed assistance, my grandmother would be there to help her, my father's mother. And even though my father necessary wasn't physically present for, you know, he was, you know, actually doing good things for himself, where, you know, getting a college degree and trying to figure it out and have a family and a structure elsewhere, his mom would help my mom kind of keep me afloat.

7:05He turned his life around quite significantly, didn't he? Yeah, yeah, yeah. My dad was definitely headed down a path of destruction early on. And then, it clicked for him, you know, through some experiences of, you know, incarceration. And, you know, being able to kind of leave some of those substances out there that were, you know, kind of the downfall of, you know, the community in the 80s. He was able to escape and get put his life on the right path and, you know, dedicated his life to his ministry and helping others. It worked. When you were a young man, you nearly went down the wrong path.

7:44Yeah. I went down there, figured it was like, it made a U -turn. Went back, you know what I mean? Like, I think human nature, we all kind of gravitate towards the unknowing sometimes. And that usually is the past that are sometimes the darkest, sometimes like, you just want to, you don't want to do the responsible thing. You don't want to do what your parents may suggest. So I definitely have a rebellious nature. I'm definitely an anti -authoritarian. I'm definitely the kid that has to feel that the pot is hot, you know, they're like, okay, I'm not going to, I know what getting burned feels like.

8:26So I think it's probably just my, you know, nature of exploring and wanting to understand things. It's cool to be a bad boy when you're young. And especially when, for me, the mold wasn't necessarily presented that way. So I definitely went through a stage of, I want to prove to people that, you know, I'm not a goody -too -shoe all the time. And I, that took some of chore to do. But then it's also a lot of it is environment. When you grow up in, especially Southern California, you know, there was times where the life of gang violence was glorified. And, you know, whether it's through music, through entertainment, through our culture, you know, when you come from the trenches, you get a certain level of respect.

9:19You get a certain level of reverence. So I grew up admiring a lot of that and therefore kind of took that path a few times. But, you know, luckily I didn't get caught up, you know, like some of my, my other friends and associates did. What saved you from that path? Creativity, like I said, that optimism, which then obviously was transmuted into entertainment. When you're a young man, so you're like between the age of 10 and 14, if I'd asked you what you wanted to be and what you thought you'd be when you were 42. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What would you have told me? Uh, same thing, a rapper, you know, probably that's if it was just as simple as like 10 years old, what I was focused on.

10:18I loved hip hop. I loved, I knew I was, in my mind, I was famous in the hood, like I just wanted to be, because I was already doing stuff, you know, I mean, I already had demo tapes and I was already connected to our streets and our blocks just as being in the community. Somebody would have voiced, not always a positive voice. I was considered a, I was trying to think, I wasn't a bad kid, but I was a kid that everybody knew about, you know, but luckily my art, my creativity allowed people to appreciate me. Um, even at 10 years old, like within my family, within my community. What did your own creativity look like at that stage?

11:05Rap music? Yeah, it was loud. It was ADHD issue. It was the kid who could do it all, you know, kind of also had a church background. So I was, you know, it was always a class clown at school trying to be funny, starting to just figure out, oh, there's careers in that space. I started to look up to a lot of people like the Eddie Murphy's, even the, you know, at the time, the fresh prints, as we know, is Will Smith, but he was just, he was just charismatic, funny rapper at the time. So those were, you know, but at the same time I was looking up to the ice cubes and two shorts and, you know, which was a whole different energy.

11:49So that was kind of like my makeup of like, well, I want to be like these guys. And you start doing stand up comedy 11 years old. I have 11, yeah, officially doing it at 11. I have been, you know, doing stuff in church and stuff, you know, trying to make people laugh, but like first stand up stage I got on was I was 11 years old. Strikes me as someone that grew up very quickly. Yeah. Because I was always called an old soul. And I think it was because I grew up around older people, with my grandparents kind of being, you know, patriarchs for me, their children were my siblings. My father who was, you know, a teenager was somewhat more of like a big brother type of thing.

12:36So like even the way he dealt with me and even the people that I dealt with in my community, I just kind of had mannerisms and a jargon that was a little, little wise beyond my years. You're a big brother as well, right? Yeah. And then, you know, ultimately my dad had a, my mother's only child, my dad had five, five boys in total. So, you know, I was the, and I was the oldest. And he and I's connection was different than, you know, the connection with my younger brothers because I was almost somewhat, you know, I was closer to my father than, you know, his parenting style was different with me than it was with, you know, his younger children.

13:19It boggles my mind that someone at 11 years old starts to extend up comedy. Yeah. Because it takes, takes some guts and some confidence to do that. But I guess that speaks to who you were at 11 years old. Yeah. By 15 years old, you're at the comedy store where you met Jamie Foxx. Yeah. I mean, I met so many comedians, but Jamie was definitely one of the ones that kind of, just because it's such a giving and loving individual kind of saw this kid and it was like, I love it. Like come hang out like, and because, you know, Hollywood was miles away from my neighborhood. So figuratively and literally like it was just like, I needed a place to stay a lot of time.

13:57So, you know, catching, catching car rides or even once I got my own vehicle, I had nowhere to sleep. So, people would know that I was sleeping in my car or it wouldn't have a place to sleep. So people like Jamie Foxx would let me sleep on their couch. Brothers like, Guy Tory, if you've seen the Fat Tuesday documentary about, you know, the black side of the comedy store, he had a night that, you know, he would let me open up and as people were coming in, I'd be entertaining the audience as a teenager, you know, and the guys like Chris Tucker and Damon Wands and Eddie Griffin, all these guys would be going on later on in the night.

14:39But I was the guy, I was the kid that was welcoming, you know, everybody into their seats and it'd be like, Shaquille O 'Neill and Kobe Bryant and Snoop Dogg, you know, all of these people in the audience and there's this 15 year old on stage, you know, rapping and telling jokes and, you know, everybody else saw something. Now, I was just, I was just having a blast. I was, I didn't think about what the future was going to offer up. I was just like, yo, this is, this is a dream come true right now. People might hear that and go, oh, he got lucky 15 years old, whatever. What was the, talked to me about the intentionality behind that?

15:16Like, if there's a 15 year old listening to this right now, what did you do to put yourself there in hindsight? It's not always easy to know in the moment. It did. I was definitely a hustler. Like, you know, I don't, you know, I don't believe in luck. I believe in alignment. You know what I mean? Like, and you got to put yourself in those positions. It's like, you know, some people say luck is preparation and me type of opportunity. I was always speaking myself into existence. I would put myself in those environments. Like, I met Jamie Foxx because I walked up to him and was like, yo, so Jamie Foxx, I'm Nick Cannon.

15:56Like ever since I was four years old, I introduced myself as my full name. Like everybody used to think it was so funny. Like, as a four year old, I'm Nick Cannon. Like, I just thought my name was cool. I thought you were, everybody else, you know, you teach a kid to say their first name is funny. I teach my children the same way. Like, nah, you got your full name. You're your your your Monroe Cannon. You're, you know, you're a powerful cannon. You know what I mean? Like, and I think maybe I got that from such a cool last name. Like, I think my dad probably did that. His dad probably did that.

16:30Like, it's just like they called, you know, my grandpa that they called him Cannon or daddy Cannon. It was just like, it's such a cool name. So and that's why I was like, I believe it's so much in a name. But so even as I think those steps kind of ordered the personality. So then when I would find myself in scenarios that I would take advantage of it. It wasn't a shy kid. It wasn't an overly outgoing kid either. I wasn't like, I kind of my ADD kind of maybe shifted, like made me always seeking attention or like, I don't say I was seeking it. I got attention because I was always doing something.

17:12I was always in some shit because I was just trying to figure it out. Therefore, I got a lot of attention and a lot of it probably wasn't positive attention, but it was just attention. And then from there, you know, that shifted, you know, I grew up around hustlers. I was like, I, we gonna try to figure it out. If there was a door over there, I'm gonna figure out how to get in that door. And that's how I was able to rub shoulders. And, you know, I studied rooms and I'm like, I, if I'm a maneuver in here, I gotta do it in a way that not just based off of instinct, I gotta put a plan together. And I move like that, you know, since a kid.

17:55What did you learn from Jamie Foxx? What, in lasting influence has he had on you the way you are your career, your perspective? It's so interesting, man. I have so many great mentors coming up. But I feel like a lot of my first part of my career, I always acknowledge and big that Will Smith, because he was so influential to me. You met him from Jamie, by through Jamie? Not well, yeah, yeah, I guess. Yeah, but it wasn't directly like Jamie didn't introduce me to Will, but Jamie had a comedy festival called Lafapalooza that Will Smith's company overbrook saw me at that comedy festival and gave me a holding deal at the time with the recall and kind of signed me to Will's company, which then I got to meet Will, you know, a few months later after getting that opportunity in Atlanta at Lafapalooza.

18:51And then that's when Will and I's relationship began when I was about 16 years old. So I was like, I met Jamie when I was 15 and then I met Will when I was 16. It's hard to think of many more great, so multifastied entertainers than Will Smith and Jamie Foxx. Man, I just want to say like they trained me. And it's so crazy, because two of the nicest human beings you would ever want to meet. Like never seen like it's what you see on camera is that's who they are. You know what I mean? Like like walking a room, everyone gravitates towards them. They they're loud. They know how to have a good time.

19:32Like that's just who those guys are. So I don't think I'm naturally like that. Like I talk to Kevin about that. Like when I come in a room, I'm quite Kevin Hart. Like like he's one of those guys that like they they're loud there. Like everyone loves them. Like I'm more like I'm in the corner. I'm watching. I'm observing. I know how to be that. I can you know, I can joke with the best of them and get as much attention as stuff. But I'm a little more reserved. And that's like to finally answer your question in a very long, windy way. Like the things I probably learned from Jamie is I observed him so much that he's such a great storyteller.

20:15I've stolen all of the tricks of when he can get everybody around the table and tell the stories. He's such a great impromptu type of guy. I could sit down at a piano and you know, sing a song and get everybody like, I know all of those tricks and I'll probably learn that from him. You know what I mean? Just watching how to you know, captivate a room in a very jovial manner. No matter what's going on. But man, yeah, he's in just his his his his thus being muscle is so strong. You know what I mean? And I think from whether he's being a silly character, he's being something that's so tuned in and understanding the subtleties and really embodying, you know, all of his characters.

20:59I learned a lot of that from him as well too. And Will, so you described Will as your mentoring you from 16 years old? Yeah. The thing I learned from him is hard work. And and really like I was I've heard he said this quote so many times like, I may not be the most talented person in the room, but I guarantee you I worked the most hours in the room or I've also heard him say, I'm you know, I may not be the most talented person in the room, but I'll be the hardest worker in the room. And he just if you want something, he's not going to stop until he figures it out, you know, and he dedicates himself in that manner.

21:37You know, when this job is done, he's going to stop where everybody else is going to go to sleep. He's going to go work 10 more hours to either perfect that craft or onto the next thing. And I saw that at, you know, as a teenager, I'm like, okay, that's how you get it. That's what I'm going to do. I'm the if he not sleeping, I'm not sleeping, you know, and it'd be times like up in the studio all night. And then be on set early in the morning and you just you're so grateful and appreciative of the opportunity that you want to be the best you could possibly be. Did he correct any of the errors in your ways when you were a young man, you're 16 years old, you got a perspective?

22:16Yeah. He told, I mean, every, I mean, before I met Will, I didn't know how to even music, I know how to rap 16 bars. And you know what that was. Like I knew, I knew music counting, you know what I mean? But I didn't know a verse, a specifically a rap verse was supposed to be 16 bars. And I think that culture might have had just started to happen because everybody wasn't right in 16 bars in 80s. You know what I mean? Sometimes a song would be seven verses or sometimes, you know, like people would just, but I feel like they were, they're in the 90s. They began this infrastructure of songwriting.

22:56Obviously most courses and hooks are about eight bars. And then therefore you had to have a hot 16 double that was your verse. And Will taught me how to write because I was just writing. He would give me a beat or I get a track and I was just right and just memorize it. And then be like, oh, let me spit this for you. And he's like, you need some infrastructure around that. He's like, you got some good stuff there. So even as, you know, simple as something like that is, but then he also just life ways, man, I learned a lot about integrity, character, obviously perseverance from him. And then stuff that he went through as a teenager, he passed on to me.

23:40And even I didn't listen, but I learned, you know, he went broke, you know, at 19. After winning a Grammy and having a platinum album, just spending it all on cars and living fast, he gave, I think my first check was somewhere from him, like $152 ,000. And I went and bought the exact same range over he had. And he's like, I'm the biggest movie star in the world. Like, he's got millions. I got $150 ,000. And I went and bought a range or he told me, don't do it. He's like, man, he's like, I don't do that. You got to, there's other things to do with that money. And this is from the person who gave it to me.

24:27And he was right. I told him that range role was six months within having it. And ended up having to move back to my mom's house probably a year later because thinking that, you know, I'm signed to Will Smith, the opportunities, but you don't like, that's money that you're supposed to survive on. Everything that, you know, that was a time I wrote and created a television sitcom through Will's company called Loose Cannon. And it was like me in a military school, a teenager in a military school. Thinking it was going to get picked up. We got a six -episode commitment. Will Smith's the executive producer, Quincy Jones is on set.

25:05Like, everything Stan Lathen is the director of the pilot. Like, everything, I'm like, oh, I'm set. The entire network of the WB makes a shift and they don't pick up the show. So I was like, I thought I was, I was in a so funny. I don't even think about these collations. The one of the executive producers and writers was Bentley Kyle Evans, who was the writing creator of Jamie Foxx. I had my time slot with Schedule to come on. My show was going to air right after the Jamie Foxx show. So I was like, it was all together and it didn't happen. And you hold about point 19. Same age Will was when he had to refigure it out.

25:48I think we shot it when I was 18. But 19 is when they let me know that it wasn't, it wasn't going to move forward. Probably one of the biggest heart breaks in my life. I probably cried for days. Because I didn't, you know, that's the thing. You think you've arrived. And then it snatched from under you and there's no plan. I had nobody there. Even if people are just going to be all right, I didn't believe them. Like, I was like, I was just on the Warner Brothers lot. And you know, in my range over it. You know, like, I saw the millions. I saw me being the biggest young star in the world. Everybody was rocking with me into everybody's gone like that.

26:37And it was just, and it wasn't like they abandoned me. It was more like everybody had to move on to their next thing. I had to be the one to figure it out. So that was a, that was probably one of my greatest life lessons that Will even taught me indirectly. I mean, because he was warning me the whole time. And he helped me down, you know, time and time again since then. You know what I mean? It was a, you know, I wouldn't have got a drum line if it wasn't for him. It was, like I said, when I'm my first record deal if it wasn't for him. So it was, I, I true, it's funny. I and get a little esoteric real quick.

27:16But I have this when it comes to like a Cachic records and, you know, energy. I feel like you're placed in certain, it's, it's the law of synchronicity. Like I feel like certain things just happen because they are constantly happening. There's certain energies that just are attracted to each other. And for whatever reason, people like Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, like they're throughout my career. They're always there. They're always even when they're not like we may not speak every day. We make, but they, we always connected like even same thing. Like, you know, I call Kevin Hart my best friend of me.

27:59Like it's just like we've all since day one. Even when we're not trying to be connected, we're connected. Like we're doing projects together. We're thinking of like he might, he might create a car show. And I would create a car show. He has a restaurant. I have a restaurant. Like it is not like it looks like competition. But it's like, oh no, like we just, we're on the same frequency. Like we're just, we just operate the same. And those people kind of attract each other. They attract each other. Like and I think that's like when people talk about like secret societies and I think it's like it's not, it's not like this formed.

28:31I mean, it's just like like minded individuals. Like people who operate on the same frequency, they, they, there doesn't have to be this written rule book. It's just like, oh no, we intuitively, this is, we, we move like this. We gravitate towards certain things. And it's, it's unfortunate because people who operate in low frequency that it's the same way. And it's like, you know, you, you always like, damn that person, I can't, can't catch a break. It's like, oh, that's because they're living in that frequency. That what does that frequency look and feel like? This slow is thick, is heavy. Blame.

29:07Yeah. Yeah, victimization is anger. It's, it's, you know what I mean? It's like one of those things where, Yeah, all of that said, like, and it's unfortunate because of people who operate in it, they don't know that they're any. And it's almost like they, they almost desire that. And they feel like they have to have angst and anger to, to get their point across. Like, man, you're doing so much more damage to yourself. And you're digging yourself deeper by pointing fingers at people who are on a completely different frequency. And they don't even hear you. And you're, you're clouding up your existence instead of just like stepping out of that frequency.

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29:57You were the youngest ever staff writer, right? 17 years old. Yeah, I think, I mean, unless somebody's beat it before like, I think TV history. Yeah, I think because working on Keenan and Kelp, it's by the way, was massive in the UK. Yeah, yeah. I mean, again, two of the most beautiful people I've ever experienced, specifically Keenan. Keenan is like my brother. Like, our, our mothers are like best friends. Really? Yeah, like, they gave me the opportunity because they were kids too. And I started off doing warm up and you know, kind of entertaining the studio audience when, you know, they're moving the cameras around and stuff.

30:39And people were like, yo, that kid is sometimes more entertaining than what's going on on his face. So they're like, he has a voice. So through my management, you know, Michael Goldman is still my manager to this day, still Keenan's manager. Like Keenan, actually, I feel like I don't know if Keenan introduced me to, because Keenan would hang out in the comedy clubs. And I was an awe of him because he's Keenan from Keenan and Kelp. And we're in some, he's a few years older than me, but I'm like, he's doing what I want to do. So we were kind of, you know, catch each other and I would, you know, I wouldn't jok them too much, but I'd be like, ask them questions and stuff.

31:14So one night his manager came to, to the improv on Melrose with, and I was doing stand -up. And, you know, they produced Keenan and Kel and all that and all that stuff. So they gave, they allowed me to do the warm up job. And then from there, I'm in. So I'm like, Keenan, I was like, yo, we should write something. So I went to Keenan, wrote a couple episodes. And you know, he was like, yeah, let's do it. I remember we wrote one episode with Keenan had a crush on Tamiya at the time. Like, he was like, we all had a crush on Tamiya. But he really liked, you know, the singer to me. And I was like, yo, that's right, an episode about you to crush on Tamiya.

31:55And we could get to me on that episode. And it worked. Like, like we got to Mia, she was in the show. I was like, this is amazing. Like, you mean I could write something that actually happens? Like, I was literally like, I was like Harry Potter with the pin. Like, like, I couldn't, I couldn't believe that I could write something in my mind. And it would actually come into fruition. And that began. So I just began writing everything. And I figured it out and they hired me as a staff writer for a bunch of different Nickelodeon shows. Out 17, 18, out to 17. Yeah, because I think I wrote, we wrote the Tamiya thing probably when I was like 16.

32:30And then so by the time I was 17, I had like an official job. And then I started writing my own stuff. And then hence I wrote my own television show that I would later then pitch to Will Smith, you know, in that same time. When you're 22 years old, which is the Nick Cannon Show, right? Well, no, the, remember I said the loose cannon show. The loose cannon show. It's that didn't get the big lesson I learned that I was a teenager then. So, but it's the way I got back on my feet after loose cannon didn't get picked up. I then wrote my own show for Nickelodeon, which is interesting because I was so, I did that out of to be honest, I wasn't even proud or even, I kind of did that out of just like, I don't have nothing else to do.

33:14So let me create and produce my own show because I felt I was at a low point. I was 19. And you know how this game sometimes if it doesn't work, it'll spit you out. Like, that was my shot. Like, I was like, oh, I had, I was signed to Will Smith. I had, it was the protégé of all of these big comedians. I had, you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of holding deals with networks. Usually that you only get that shot once. So I was like, damn, I blew my wire at 19. Like, I got to go get a regular job now. Like, that's like, that's what I was thinking. Like, I was going to go back to hustling in the streets.

33:57And but it was, I was like, well, maybe it's nickel. I was doing Nickelodeon. So I still got the relationships. Maybe I'll just ride a kid show. You know, but I was thinking I was about to be the next Will Smith, the next Jamie Foxx. All right, I got to go do children's television. And through that, I exercised these muscles as a rider, as an executive producer. And even like now, like, I didn't have, you know, the foresight to know how powerful, you know, children's entertainment is. How it's one of the most dominating forces to be able to entertain families that, you know, I utilize in every aspect of my business now.

34:40I used to look at Nickelodeon as like pre -school, you know what I mean? But I didn't know that there were the billion dollar conglomerate of, you know, Nickelodeon, Disney, like, I didn't understand that then because I was in it. So yeah, I created a the Nick Cannon Show for Nickelodeon. You know, garnered a massive youth fan base through that. When I look at you being 22 years old riding this, the Nick Cannon Show, you being 17 riding for Keenan and Kel, I go like, where did you get the repetitions? Like, where did you get the skill from? And if I was to, if you, I find like a, a baby Nick Cannon here, and I have to do something to give him the skills that you had at 17, where you're writing hilarious things, where does that skill come from?

35:28I think stand up, to be honest, stand up because riding my own jokes from 11 years old, and then by the time I'm 12, 13, I'm seeing Deaf Comedy Jam, Comedy, I'm seeing all of these things happen, and I'm watching these individuals become their own intellectual properties, becoming their own business, becoming their own producers. One thing about stand up, you have to write direct, perform, promote, market, all by yourself. It's a one -man show. So I think by the time I had home those skills at like 15, 16, I knew how to do it. I knew how to write a script. I knew how to write a great joke. I knew how to, you know, hours of sitting in libraries and figuring out words, hearing stories, all of that stuff was starting to pay off.

36:19I knew I just zoned in. Again, when you know this is my space, this is my flow, you operate in your gift. So I think just trial and error as well too, but I figured it out. This is what is a gift that I have, so I'm going to continue to operate in it. They say you've got to put in 10 ,000 hours to become a master at something. And actually when I run the numbers, I go, listen, you started at 11, and then you wrote your own show at 22. That's more than a decade of repetitions in the gym. And to me then, even then, I was still just getting started. You know what I mean? Like a beauty of even Nickelodeon.

37:02Because I think the Nick Cannon show was, I was from, I did it from like, a started 19 and ended right when I turned 22. I was a baby. I looked like I was 15. Like everybody thought I was much younger than I even was. So, you know, that's when everything else from like drum line and my music career began. And I was a baby then too. And so, it just, like I said, I live so many lives and learn so many lessons early on that even as I sit here before you do them. I'm like, I'm still just getting started. I got still got so many more movies that I got to do. I still got so much more music I got to produce.

37:44I still got so many more television shows. I got to write. So, like, if your kids come to you though and they say that how do I become the master of my craft? How do I become the top of my industry? Not only have you become the top of your industry in many facets, but you've been around people that have got to the top of the industry. So, the things you point out and the similarities and the people that get there, what are those similarities? If I'm your kid and I come to you and say that, I want to get to the top of the industry. What's the advice you give to them? Do it. Especially now as simple as that sounds.

38:20That's what it is today. Like, do it and stick to it. Like, don't give up. Like, do it efficiently. Do it because this is, don't try it. If you try it, it's not going to work. If you do it, like, that's even like, even when people always talk to me about acting. Like, how do you know or become a great actor? Do it. Like, it's not like, it's not believe it. It's not acted. You got to actually embody every aspect of it. Like, do it as if there's no other option. Like, if you try something, that's you sticking your foot in it. If you believe it, you're kind of like, I think I, yeah, I go, okay. But when you do it, when you live it, when you operate in it, when there's no other option.

39:12Like, you know, it's like, it's some people who like, you know, they play basketball. And then somebody's like, oh no, they're a basketball player. You know what I mean? Like, there's some people who, who train or try to box, they're like, no, that's a box. You know what I mean? Like, they embody it. They live it. You got to, and that's what my, and even with my own kids, I'm like, all right, what do you just naturally do? We're just swag naturally. Yeah. Why not? Because like some of my kids are just natural athletes, their physical build, they're what they gravitate towards. And then I'm, all right, I'm a watered at.

39:51I'm a, I'm gonna cultivate that seed. And that's what, because they have fun at it. Then there's something my kids that are just like, natural musicians that just gravitate towards the piano. Like they just, they have fun on it. What's up? Yeah. And then it's like, okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna help you with that. Why does the fun matter? Well, I mean, that's, that's the, that's the battery. Like that's, and that's what, if they ever lose the fun, at least for me, like when it's no longer be fun, it becomes fun. And why are we doing it? You know, are you doing it for money? Are you doing it for, like, no, you got to do it because you enjoy it.

40:28I find that fun part so important, but a lot of the time people don't appreciate it. And I love your, your reference of the battery, because a lot of people will be orientated because they come from tough upbringings to go, what's going to make the most money? Yeah. And what I love about what you said about the fun thing is ultimately, well, it's my belief that the thing that I'll actually make you the most money is the thing that you can master. Yeah. And the thing that you can master is the thing that you can do for 11 years. Exactly. Which is the fun thing. Exactly. It's like, I always say, money doesn't make you happy.

40:56Happy makes you money. And then it goes to the concept of happy money or good money because there's definitely the opposite. There's bad money and there's sad money. And I've seen so many people live in that frequency. Sad money. It's like, stingy fear that people are only want you for your money. Loneliness. Loneliness. In this big glass castle by yourself, you got all the money in the world. Like we know those entertainers. You know what I mean? Like, man, they put themselves in this glass tower and everybody can see them. And they hate that everybody can see them. And they're so lonely. And it's like, they got more money than they know what to do with.

41:53And then everything becomes about a transaction. Like, and you can see they have the biggest yacht in the world. They have the most diamond studied watch ever and they're miserable. And it's like that's sad money. And it becomes bad money. You know what I mean? Like they're making it and it's it's vindictive. They're not honest. They get it in a way. They're like, man, how do you sleep at night? Like the music industry is filled with bad money. And I've seen people, they take advantage. Like, it's literally designed in these contracts. That's why I never really wanted to be. I didn't want to thrive in it.

42:35Once I saw it, I'm like, oh, it's so manipulative. It's about, it's one person robbing another, robbing another, robbing another. And it's like, that's not a bun industry to be in. Like, clearly, there's some people who figure it out, but even as a as a music executive, I'm like, I don't, I don't want to operate in dishonesty. I don't want to operate in manipulation. And it's just like that entire industry is designed off of it. And, but it's it's ways to, you know, far and few between, but you can operate with happy money and good money because the crazy thing specifically about music, it brings so much joy to the world that the industry shouldn't be in a low frequency place.

43:21Like everybody should be able to thrive and win and provide for their families. There's a lot of people who aren't musically inclined, who aren't musically talented, who don't know how to have happyness with music that latch on and control the artists. And then therefore, they run the industry and they operate on a lower frequency of like, you know, I'm going to control your intellectual property. And I'll make more money off of it than you did, even though you made it from such a pure and happy place. There's a balance, it almost feels like there's a bit of a balance act or a, I'd know, a conflict between being selfish enough that you get on and you get what you deserve, but being generous and kind enough so that you can stick around.

44:10Do you think about the, it's the beauty of narcissism. I am, that balance, I am a narcissist. I believe there's the balance of narcissism because you can go to, you can go to an extreme of narcissism and it becomes dangerous. It becomes a maniacal, it becomes where you can be a psychopath or you're an associate of path, where you have no empathy. That level of narcissism is unhealthy. That's to the extreme of these spectrum. But the balance of confidence, of self -love, of there's no other option but me. I am him. You know, like LeBron James is him. You know, Kobe Bryant, him, Michael Jordan, him, Michael Jackson, him, you know, Mike Tyson, him, you know, like all the mics, you know, the, will Smith is him.

45:14Chris Rock is him. Jamie Foxx is him, you know, and Mariah Carey is her. Mary J. Blige is her, Beyonce is her, you know, like all of those people know that there is, there will never be another them on the planet. And that is worth its weight in gold. So you have to have a level of self -love, self -promotion, self -dedication. All the self is the key word, the common word and all of these things. You have to love self, you have to know self. Not so much that you hurt others or you think less of others is not because that's because all you think you're better than everybody else. I don't think I'm better than y 'all on me.

46:03Like, and that to, to a point, it's, it's a fine line because you don't want to disrespect anyone. You still want to have compassion. You still want to have empathy. You still want to enter the space of gratitude. But this is my show. This is my party. This is my, this is my block. That you, you have to, that's where that success lies. Because without these narcissists, we wouldn't have, you know, electricity. We wouldn't have iPhones. We wouldn't have great music. We wouldn't have great, like the director of the movie is the director for the reason. He's a boss. He knows he's the shit. He knows his vision is the one that everyone else has to align with to make a great film.

46:45Was there a point in your career where you realized that you needed to change in some way to get what you deserved and to get what you're worth? I don't think so. Really? I had to learn lessons. Because you're 15. I see you coming up. I go, he's got talent. Yeah, I could get him to sign a bad contract. Yeah. I can take his money. Yeah. Yeah. That's what's like, I've learned, I've learned all of those lessons. People have tried to forewarn me and stuff like that. But the thing, I think the beauty that, you know, the, the aura that everybody's seen is, that's been consistent. It's what you do with it.

47:19You know, I've never let no one put out my flame. You know, it's constantly burned for the type of individual that I want to be that I, you know, my purpose. So, you know, we all have trials and tribulations. You know, you got to learn how to bob and weave, but you're still the fighter in which you're supposed to be. You know, like the, whatever made you jump in the ring from that day one, you're going to cultivate those skills. You know, I mean, you may be a defensive fighter. And that's how you win your fight. Sometimes in, you know, but early on in your career, you know, you are a puncher. You know, then you had to be more of a thinker, you know, but at the end of the day, you're still a fighter.

48:05So I think as whatever I am, I still have this desire in me to be a winner. I have this desire in me to beat the odds to something that's something about like when someone tells me I can't do something or tells me no, I'm that fuels me. And it's been that way since day one, since, you know, my, my 80s and my anti -authoritarian behavior, like it's just like, I'm going to push through. I'm going to persevere. I'm going to do what I want. And I'm not going to let society or individuals tell me I can't. 22 years old, you start writing, well, den out. Yeah. You start writing at that point. I think you, you then self -fund the pilot at 25 years old.

48:56Yeah. Probably before that, because I self -fund in, in 2004. So that might have been, I might have been 23. And again, I had just seen some success with film and music. And I just started, I was kind of one of those guys, or drum line was out and had, you know, my album and stuff. So people, but I was still doing stand up. And I was like, everybody was like, oh, he does so many things. He holds it. And I had a deal with, you know, via comment at the time. Obviously they had Nickelodeon and then you kind of like graduate from Nickelodeon go to MTV. So I was in that stage of developing things for MTV.

49:39And they didn't understand what I wanted to do when I was saying that. I want to get all my comedian friends together and all my rapper friends together. And we just like do improv and play games. And they're like, we don't get it. So I was like, all right. So I rented out one of the comedy clubs that, you know, my guys would normally frequent. Got some cameras together. I think I, you know, I want to say it was somewhere around like a hundred thousand dollars that I put into like that night. Promoted it. Had everybody come out, you know, got some beautiful people to stand around and look beautiful.

50:13You put a hundred thousand dollars of your own money into the pilot. Yeah, to send to show MTV. Yeah. And then once we put it all together, you know, edited, created logos, showed it to a woman. And they're like, oh, we get it now. But, you know, I had by then I created the intellectual property. Had, you know, copyrighted and patented the name of while and out of the logo. So when it was time to negotiate, when I knew that they wanted to show, we had the, you know, the strong side of the table because we knew they wanted it. And we had already created it. And that instant, we was like, oh, this is the business model that I want to continue to operate under.

50:52Most people don't figure that out until much later in life, if at all that owning their IP is key to getting the value that they deserve for their work. Yeah. Well, now I feel like everybody knows the secrets out. You know, I mean, when you look at YouTube and, you know, the ability of that we could create great content, you know, for a very cost effective amount like, you know, while and out that probably wouldn't cost me 100 ,000 today. Yeah. You know, because everything back then, they to get a cameraman. Yeah. That was a couple thousand dollars. You know what I mean? And, you know, doing the only thing now.

51:31Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Everybody knows now to if they create it and they'll come and then you build your fan base on your own and then you can sell it to a larger corporation. So I feel like that model is being, you know, kind of like that look at Mr. Beast. You know, I mean, like I'm so I'm so jealous. I'm so like everything that he's doing at 24 or 25. Like I was trying to do back then, but there was no, there was no YouTube. Like I was doing this, you know, on VHS, you know, but I love it. You know, I mean, I love watching what even, I mean, the beauty of my brand now is what I started in 2004 is still going strong and probably more popular today going into 2024.

52:19It's crazy. You know what I mean? You're about to film series 21. We just filmed 21. So we're going into 22 and 23. That's figured out a model now how to do two seasons and one. So, um, most shows don't last for a season let alone 21 seasons. Yeah. I think my goal is 25. So what happens at 25? It'll be the 20th year. 25. I do. I gracefully bow out is 25. 25 seasons. Like do I hand it off to somebody else to like, I'll probably be getting close to 50 by the end. Like I can't wild out forever. No, I got to stop at some point. I think I'm probably too long in the tube now. I mean, that's why I even created the old school new school.

53:06It's funny. Everybody when I first created all of the while and out girls, all of the cast members, all of the crew were older than me. And it was weird that everybody was listening to this kid, tell them what to do. And like, even the old geez, like, you know, cat Williams, you know, a lot of the guys who were on the show and ride Chris Spencer and Darrell Heath, like these guys were guys that I looked up to that were on my show. And now I'm the overhead. And I got all of these other young kids like the DC young flies and everyone. I'm like, it's so crazy to have the same brand. And I literally grow up on, you know, like I remember being a kid trying to get these comedians to listen to me.

53:54And I like, what do you know? And now I'm the guy telling with the platform. Yeah. So give me a few into into that platform that you have and that you've built the entertainment company that sits behind at the talent that you have. Because it's not so obvious to people. Yeah. You know, people kind of probably think, okay, while they're now he's, he does this, whatever. He's the host, whatever. But when I did the research on the company that you've built behind it, it's a pretty, it's a huge business behind all of that. You're involved in a lot of things. Yeah. I mean, there's so many aspects of it.

54:23I mean, I truly look at it as a blessing. I'm so grateful for it because it was on a job job training. I didn't sit, I didn't think while and out would be the billion dollar conglomerate that it is because I was just creating a show to give my friends jobs because Kevin Hardin needed money to pay his rent. Because he's just real. You know, like we were trying to create something because I was the only one that was, you know, seeing some success out of our generation at the time. And I was like, oh, let's, let me shine a light on these dudes that are way funnier to me than way more talented than me.

55:01You know, like, and then I built a business out of it of incubating, of cultivating young talent so much so that when they're ready, we see Pete Davidson go on to become one of the biggest stars in SNL and a movie star. We see same thing with like Mikey Day and Terran Killam and, you know, the cat Williams and Kevin's to become some of the biggest stand -up comedians to ever tour the world. Like they got they, you know, they, they feet wet. They, they skills on one of the toughest stages. Like if you look at what while and how it is, if you, if you excel and survive there, you're going to be a star because you're in a, this is the gauntlet.

55:48This is the combine. This is the best of the best in the grimeous of this. We going to test your insecurities. We going to test anxiety and then you succeed and you get the love from people that you respect and then once the industry sees that, do whatever you want. So I didn't, I couldn't have designed that, but it happened and I was like, wow, I didn't know. I was literally, I didn't, we were just in the trenches, but it's like, it's so much so like we create an environment that most entertainers are scared that I mean, I don't want to go a while now. They're going to talk about my mama. They go talk about my last scandal.

56:30I don't know how to rap or I'm not that funny off the top of the head. And it's like it's intimidating. So when you throw a kid in there or whoever is in it and they excel, they, they've earned their stripes. So now they can walk into any room and be like, yeah, I was the man on while and out. And now, because it is a platform to propel, now you can go become a movie star. Now you can go become a rapper or a singer. Like so, so that was really, if I could, I'd be lying if I say I designed that, but it became that and that's like the blessing I got, but then the business behind it, you used to use to be word, billion.

57:13Yeah, yeah. I mean, if you and it's, it's funny. I didn't even, that was told to me after they did all the research and of, you know, obviously what the IP is worth because one, I mean, we're looking at 500 episodes of television, that alone. And you just do the math. Charge however much you want to charge for episode. What that, what, you know, and then the, the careers that it's launched. And, you know, then go to where the money really is in the actual intellectual property. So we have a tour that makes millions every year. Now even turning into a cruise line, you know, the wild and wet, like, we have restaurants that are being franchised, you know, all over the country, you know, we just expanded our, our South Beach location on, on Ocean Drive in Miami.

58:16The logo in itself, the amount of t -shirts were then were probably a paramounts number one selling, yeah, merchandise, t -shirt merchandise that everybody knows that while and out logo. And it's on everything from t -shirts to bikinis to underwear, to coffee mugs, to toys. It's things like that that, I was just trying to make a cool t -shirt, like I didn't think, you know, for 20 -something years people would be buying while and out t -shirts. So it's stuff like that that went, and then even stuff I never even thought of, you know, we created while and out before there was a YouTube. It's probably one of biocomps, if not the, I think maybe the daily show is probably right there at Witted, but the biggest digital brand that Paramount has through TikTok, YouTube, you know, I feel like I think we might, we're somewhere north of 12 million YouTube subscribers on the while and out page.

59:1812 million something subscribers on TikTok, 7 million on Instagram. And that's just, that's a TV show. You know what I mean? When you think about it, like not the individuals who are on the TV show have even more followers. This is just the show's page. So she think the brand is worth? I've heard different things. I mean, like I said, when I initially, when the research back, there was like a 1 .3 billion, but then I was years ago. So like I'm pretty sure it's grown because now it's even more popular now. So it's a, it's, you know, I try not to get caught up in that because then I'm two things happen.

59:56Like one, I get in, I start gloting on like, I built this billion dollar business. And then the second thing I was like, Hey, where's my billion dollars? Somebody owes me some money. Like so I try not to get caught up in that. So like I know, I just know it's very successful. And I'm grateful that it's still going. I mean, I can't wait to find the next comedic superstar. Can't wait to find the next big rapper that graces the while in our state. What are the other businesses or the business ventures that aren't obvious that people might not know about? So you talked about restaurants, you sign talent, you see the while, while the now brand, is there anything else going on that from the business side of things that are isn't obvious?

1:00:36Specifically, and while out of everything, everything. Well, I mean, I've created incredible entertainment in 2009. It was more of a conglomerate where because I had always had a record label, but it was separate from our television company. Film, I would produce the films that I was in and stuff. So I was like, I want everything in house. I read that incredible entertainment, generated over a hundred million dollars in revenue in 2009. And that was, I think that was just in our headphone sales. Like because we did, I had, I did a headphone brand, very similar to Beats by Drewood. Monster was the parent company.

1:01:12They did Beats for $300 and they did Incredibles for $100. So we were the more cost effective headphone man. While Beats by Dre was making all the noise, we were quietly making noise in Walmart, in the radio shacks for selling an affordable product. That was pretty much the same product, except for we made ours affordable. So yeah, just so that alone, that was just in consumer electronics that I never thought I was going to be selling electronics. So, but yeah, incredible. And it's ultimately, I created a one -stop shop that could be everything from consumer products to entertainment. So, and it's been thriving, man.

1:01:55It's been, and it's kind of, I guess my brand is somewhat known of giving people opportunities and finding that next big thing. So we're cultivators, we're curators, we're incubators. And so a lot of the content that I've created, I found my niche. I was going to say you was a Simon kind of the entertainment model, but you're in fact just the Nick Cannon of the entertainment model. Yeah, funny. Me and K -Lionny is a, me and Simon talk about that often because I found her on America's Got Talent. On his show, my show, our show, but he wasn't paying attention. You know what I mean? And it was like, he was focused on one direction or whatever one of his other shows.

1:02:43And I was like, K -Lionny came in and it was, she was an amazing talent. I hate to say found because she was already talented. Once you get to America's Got Talent, you're already proven. And she was the lead singer for a group called Pop Life, which was put together, I believe by Dwayne Wiggins from Tony, Tony, Tony, his sons were in there too, but she was clearly the star of that group. And I remember Pierce Morgan was being an asshole as he does so very well. And he was telling a 15 year old little chubby K -Lionny to that she should leave the group. And the only way that he would put her through and not buzz her off is if she left her band because she was the talent.

1:03:37Clearly he was right, but how do you put a 15 year old in that scenario? And she stuck to her guns and she said, I'm not leaving my brothers. And everybody else on the panel was like, we're gonna, you know, we love that you stuck to your gun. So even though Pierce was being an asshole, they put through, they went all the way through to the finale. I think they performed with Stevie Wonder on the finale as Pop Life. And then unfortunately, you know, when you don't win, life goes on. She had to go back home to Oakland and probably met some hard times. And I remember it's funny, the father of her, you know, as we know, I knew as Gabby, who also grew up in that same musical that Sandy called me and say, hey, man, you know, that girl that was on America's Got Talent, she's homeless now.

1:04:28She's not doing so well. I was like, what? Yeah, she's, you know, not doing, she's being a teenager, but like, she needs help. And like, I didn't really know her background of, you know, her father, you know, being murdered when she was a child and a mother, you know, dealing with substance abuse. And a lot of, she has a very compelling story of just the resilience of her and her family. And they were explaining all that. And I was like, yo, give me your information. Find who's our guardian. And kind of went and talked to the family and say, yo, I'll move you to LA. But first you got to finish high school.

1:05:03Like the one promise finish school, I'll take care of everything else. A year later, her mixtape was nominated for a Grammy. So it's just like, just, and you know, so it's stuff like that to where, you know, I was like, I put in the work to, you know, help her out. I was telling Simon, yeah, you missed that one. You got a lot of other ones, right? But you missed you, you know, you missed that one. And did you summon her? See, that's the thing. I feel about signing. I don't, I'm weird about that. I don't like signing people. And people, everybody in my life is like, that's what you have to do. I, I would say, I didn't ask for anything.

1:05:41I, I, I was the impressorio, you know what I mean? I, I funded scenarios because I could. So she didn't have to worry about anything, you know what I mean? She had roof over her head, food on the table, anything she wanted, studio time, you know, we figured it out. I, I introduced her to, you know, the good people over at Atlantic Records. And the rest is history. So hindsight's a wonderful thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I didn't want no money from it, you know what I mean? I do, I do that for a lot of people. It's created, you know, me and Craig Calman over at Atlantic Records. That's my man, you know, but where a lot of people would be, you know, Kailani would be signed to them forever.

1:06:31I don't want that, you know what I mean? I want her to be able to provide and do, like I always tell everybody I work with in the beginning, whether you make it or you don't make it, my life is still going to be the same. So I don't want anything from you, but to see you win. I just want to see you like, but you could have, I could, there's a lot of people in that, that is their business. So where like I need my percentage of every song that you write from here on out because I found you, I discovered you, I signed you, my spirit, I don't sit well with my spirit. I, and that's this future superstar show.

1:07:08My inner struggle when you watch it because I'm on the show as well. I struggle with signing these kids. It's funny because we go from city to city and I give a local artist anywhere from five to ten thousand dollars a city. And a lot of times that's what these record labels are signing these kids up for someone signed my publishing away when I was a teenager for ten thousand dollars. One of the biggest mistakes, one of the biggest lessons I've ever learned. So now I'm giving that ten thousand dollars away to these kids and I don't want nothing from me, but to see you win. And that's me paying it forward.

1:07:52That's me correcting what this industry has done to people so for so long. So I don't want, if you want to sign with incredible, that's your choice. You can sign to me if you want to, but I'm good. I'm gonna still be rich. I don't need anything from you. If you want to join the gang, let's go. Like, you know, there's been a fit in parts to be an incredible. But I don't, it's a lot of people even, you know, from my attorneys and people in my circle, like, man, you got to sign these people. How are you going, how are you going to function? How are you going to allow your business to thrive if you don't sign?

1:08:38It's been working thus far. So I don't, I don't want to, I don't like signing people. I don't like having ownership in someone else's brand. Now, we could be collaborative. We can write a song together and we can split the publishing. We can, you know, yeah, it costs money to keep the lights on. You can use my studio. Yeah, like, and you, I get reimbursed, you know, down the line when it's time, but I'm not going to take something from you. I'm not going to charge the artist. Like, I said, that's a fucked up concept that we just been operating in and no one's ever corrected it. Like, why should we, this is an artist who's making brilliant art in someone who had nothing to do with it gets to own it forever in perpetuity.

1:09:25The fuck this perpetuity. Like, like, like, there's these terms and these words that we just signed up for that is just, it's wrong, but it's made a lot of people a lot of money so they don't want it to change, but it has to change. Like, technology isn't making a change. These next generations of people who have more empathy and giving spirits are going to allow it to change because I don't be, I don't believe people are, are as animalistic or they're not, they don't have a savage mentality. Like, it wants use to require. I believe we're more empathetic, we're more compassionate, and it's starting to show even in business.

1:10:06I think you're right, though. I think because of platforms that middle man has less power than ever. So you say like, oh, maybe they're becoming more empathetic, maybe they have no choice. Yeah. Because a colony or a you or whatever now has all these platforms where if you've got art and you've got talent, that's just going to go viral. And you're going to have the followers on your account with, in your own the password. Exactly. So they got to come with a different value proposition before I can introduce you to that first. I was telling people like networking is stupid. Like, like if you're like focus on being the best you, they'll come find you.

1:10:41Like, but there are some people who made a lot of money by networking. That concept is like, oh, this, I know this person, I can introduce you to them. God bless you. You know what I mean? Like, if that's how you like connecting, I'll get it. But if we're really trying to get the artist or the IP or the genius to the people, now technology is doing it for us. I have this debate with my assistant all the time because she tells me to network more. And I say to myself, like my networking is doing my thing. Yeah. And then you become a peacock or a magnet versus me having to small talk in a room for three hours.

1:11:23Exactly. Which I can't do. I hate small talk. And that maybe we're just different type of individuals. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because there are other people to be like your network is your network. Yeah. I don't care who I know. It's more about who knows me. It's it's I'm I'm going to go over here and figure it out. And you're welcome to the party. Like, but I don't want to go to your party. Like I don't want to hang out with everybody's dressed in white and got on billion dollar watches. That's not fun to me. Like to each his own. But some people can do that. Yeah. And I and like I made it because I've been in it so long.

1:12:02I've been to the white parties before and wanted to show off and they were fun. But like I'm at this point. I don't I don't want to do that. That feel that feels like work to me. I rather be in a studio. I rather be with my children. I'd rather be writing somewhere. And not to say that those people don't do that as well. I just like that world is I don't have a place in it. That's not where I could be my best self. I low key though. Do envy the people that can do it and that enjoy it and that can be that network and connect this person to that one. And just because it's an energy that I just don't have.

1:12:39I think as an introvert, I don't have that muscle to like show up small talk my way to lunch with someone and fucking yeah. Yeah. I'll tell everybody I'm my outgoing introvert. And I'm like like I am and that's what me and Kevin Hart go back and forth about all the time because he has that gift. He walks in a room and lights it up. You know what I mean? And he knows this person and this person and then and I'm like, yo, that looks exhausting. And this I'm that's coming from a person who like my personal bandwidth is overloaded constantly, but my spiritual bandwidth I keep like I don't I don't give everybody my energy.

1:13:21Like and that's probably why I am a little bit more subdued in rooms. That's why I may not go to every event. And most of the time if somebody asked me to come something's like, I'm good. And it's not because I just like my peace. I just like being with where I can be my authentic self where I can be my best. So I don't like having to turn it on. But I understand when it's time to like, I mean, it's the award season. You got to go do this. So you got to like, all right. And I know how to do it with the best of them, but that's not why not. Q1 is often when businesses start implementing new systems and processes in hopes of creating efficiencies for the year ahead.

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1:14:36Over 41 ,000 businesses have chosen to future proof their business with NetSuite. So if you'd like to learn how it can help your business, head to netsuite .com slash Bartlett and free download the CFO's guide to AI and machine learning. That's netsuite .com slash Bartlett. I'm 30 years old, Nick. And at 32 years old, you got a diagnosis that changed your life. Yeah. Threw me for a super loop, like literally part of the pump of a loop is like it was. Yeah, man. Loop is net Friday specifically in 2012. And here, living my dream life, you know, married to the most gorgeous, beautiful, super talented person to ever step on a planet.

1:15:23Literally, my dream girl, we got two kids. We're an Aspen. I never like from the hood, I'm from the project. You don't go to Aspen. You married to? Mariah Carey. But it's like, I'm in Aspen with my wife. And thinking I'm probably some of the best shape of my life. Go to boxing three times a week. You know what I mean? Got my own home gym in Aspen. Yeah, I mean, like, and I had the weirdest pain in my right side. And I'm like, I'm thinking like a muscle cramp or like, I'm just jog through it. Here I'm in high altitude jogging and the snow, thinking I'm like, it's my rocky moment. I don't know passed out.

1:16:19Like, and I didn't know like, literally Mariah came in and found me. And it called the, you know, rushed me to the ER in Aspen. How did she find you? I was, I don't know. I was laid out. Like, and I think everybody because, you know, I think it was that bad because I just came from jogging in Aspen. That's like, oh, he's probably got altitude sickness. You know what I mean? Like, I was just dehydrated. So that's what the narrative we were going with. So once I got to the hospital, like, I just need some fluid, I'll be all right. You know, that happens because I was on the ski slopes. People were like, my dumbass was jogging and up a mountain.

1:16:56I'm probably going to pass out. And I was only doing it to try to rid this cramp that I had. I thought I could like work it off. And then the longer I was in the hospital, they were like, oh, well, maybe I have a kidney stone because there's something going on back there. And I was like, oh, it wasn't a kidney stone. And you got the fluids and no longer dehydrated. All right. Well, you know, maybe you got a kidney infection. And then they wanted to do a biopsy. And then through the biopsy, I think at the time, it's kind of like a cute kidney failure. Like it wasn't full. Like I had caught it early enough to where my kidneys didn't completely fail.

1:17:40And then they were to they found out the reason why is that my immune system was attacking my kidneys. Therefore, the autoimmune condition, lupus and lupus nephritis to where, you know, where your immune system can get out of whack based off of whether it's levels of stress, things that you're putting into your body, you know, a lot of times it's not hereditary. They don't really know what the cause of it is. It's definitely related to stress, which I didn't think I was stressed out, but it was like, obviously, the various types of stress or physical stress, emotional stress, but this can send your immune system out of whack.

1:18:21And therefore, your immune system then starts to, you know, self -destroy, you know, it starts to attack the whatever organs. Different people's lupus attack different things. My specifically were my kidneys, which then created a bunch of other stuff like pulmonary embolisms. And so like the lupus started, I started having these flare ups and it was doing a bunch of stuff to my body. And that, if you don't catch it, you know, and control it, you can lose your life pretty quickly. So it was a scary time. I didn't understand it, but we got it in order, you know, and even, I feel like I got a good hold on it now, but every once in a while, it's a great reminder that health is well, health is currency, health is the most important thing next to time that we possess.

1:19:18And we we don't, we can't control the time. We can control our health. You can control what you put in your body. You can control what you how well you take care of yourself. So my lupus is my alarm clock every morning. Let it mean no. You better do the right thing. You better drink your gallon of water. You better take your supplements. You better, you know, not eat too much sodium or process. They're like just a constant measuring stick to keep me alive. How did that diagnosis change your your life? So if I was if I was in your life at that moment, before that moment, and then during that moment, you're married, you're you're still contending with work and it changed it so much.

1:19:58I became a different person for better or for us both, you know, certain things didn't matter anymore. Other things mattered too much, you know, I started to overly value relationships and time, but then I that made me get rid of relationships that were taking up time and wasting my time. But it all became always felt like I had a ticking clock, but the ticking clock became more apparent in 2012 that I got to make the most out of today because tomorrow is a promise. My relationship with my children, all of my children, you know what I mean? Like a lot of that all comes into play to where like what are you going to do with the time that you have on this planet?

1:20:48What impact are you going to make? So that's kind of that that's where in a nutshell, what it did. Emotionally, if I'm if I'm Mariah at that time and I'm dealing with a Nick that's contending with this new diagnosis and an uncertain future. Yeah, she was my rock man. She was um she went hard, you know, probably probably wouldn't even be honest, probably wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for how hard she went, you know, with the doctors with me, my stubbornness, you know, she was the perfect help mate, the perfect matriarch, the perfect mom, the perfect wife in those scenarios because granted, she's who she is in dealing with all the pressures of being Mariah Carey but then being loving enough to take on all of my stuff and you know, we it probably took a toll on us just because of the person I was in my head and the struggles that I was dealing with.

1:21:55So I probably took a toll on our relationship but it definitely brought us closer together. The struggles you were dealing with. Man, just like what was I going to live? What was life all about? How'd I wasted my time up until this point and if I get another shot, what am I going to do? What type of am I going to be able to be here for my children? Am I not going to be able to be here for my children? So therefore, what am I leaving them? What am I leaving the world when I when I exit, you know, staring up at that hospital bed or from the hospital bed staying at the sill in all alone and everybody else just kicked out and you got to just, you know, be face to face with your higher power, asking all those tough questions.

1:22:41Am I done? You know, a lot of people we don't do that because we get caught up in the constant race of just living day to day but it slowed down for me on many occasions. Oh, like it's a rat. He's almost out of here and I wasn't scared. That's the crazy thing when you get to that point where you're like, oh, okay, I had a good run. Were you happy? I was. In that moment when you're looking up at the ceiling, I was I was content. I wasn't scared and it happened, you know, more than once and even, you know, it continues to like, I'm probably reminded of my physical mortality all the time and when you're not afraid of dying, you focus on living.

1:23:37You know, it's it's anyone who's ever had a near -death experience or anyone who's been in those quiet places of dealing with thoughts of afterlife and what this current life was for you. You live the rest of your days differently and at least for, you know, a certain amount of time until you're reminded again. But yeah, man, I always say I want that life. I've had I've lived several lives and I want them all, you know, so it's like, I'm not afraid to go like and even all of the things that I study and have prepared myself for. It's, you know, one thing it's inevitable. We all got it's going to happen to all of us at some point and I think others just deal with it better and it makes you appreciate this life.

1:24:35Like I wanted, when it's all said and done, I guarantee you going to be like, you know, he wrote that more fucking to the Will's fellow. Like he got the most out of life. And, you know, I'll be known for smiling big, loving heart, you know, and you know, what more can you ask for? You said you don't think you'd be here if it wasn't for more eye -going heart. Do you really believe she saved your life? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. But I think that's what you do. When you find a helpmate, when you find someone that you're in matrimony with, you know, you go hard for them. I feel like I went hard for her and we'll still go hard.

1:25:19Later on my life I heard a day, you know, it's just what you do. It's just family. It wasn't, and I just want to make it clear. It wasn't just that moment where you had to contend with health and mortality. It's an ongoing conversation. Yeah, I was in and out of the hospital.

1:25:35I mean, you know, it's not as frequent, you know, but it's just because I have the right doctors and I'm hopefully doing the right things now that it doesn't find me. But you, they, loop issue, you have what they call flare -ups. And it happens when certain times of the year, seasons, stress, and some give me worse than others. So early on when I was trying to understand it between like 2012 and 2016, I was in the hospital like a couple of times a year for a instance of like three weeks till a month just trying to figure it out. So those, and like I said, the flare -ups would cause things from everywhere from like blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, inflammation, and not have the ability to walk to kidney failure.

1:26:24Organs not doing what, you know, they're supposed to do. So, you know, I had blood clots in my lungs and my heart, like things that would have normally killed other people, you know, I've been a doctor's view like, man, I don't understand how you didn't get affected by that, you know, and having to do, you know, infusions that you know, similar to chemotherapy and, you know, my hair falling out, stuff like that, like it's been quite the journey, but, you know, you got to, you got to, you never know how strong you are to being strong is the only option. You just got to push through. Crazy how that changes perspective.

1:27:04And as you sail to that, having not been through that myself, I'm so hungry to understand the perspective that it's given you because I don't want to have to go through that to get the perspective. I don't wish it on anyone. Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's funny. You say that sitting there 30 years old. Yeah, and this is why it's, but man, you know what I used to do even before I was diagnosed with a lupus. It's funny. And I don't even just put on my heart, but I, I knew it helped my perspective every month. Started off every month and it started to be like once a quarter, but I would go to St. Mary's Children's Hospital and read books, give toys and really just hang out.

1:27:54And I wouldn't do it for publicity or it was just, it was a reset button for me to put everything in their perspective because you would see these children who were dealing with life altering sometimes just chronic and detrimental disease. And they would have these smiles on their faces, man, and they would just be so happy. And like hooked up the tubes and I'm like, man, if they're having a good day, I have no complaints. I can, I'm going to walk out of here when good health. And this I would, you know, I was still on the board of St. Mary's Children's Hospital and I did a lot of work like the Children's Miracle Network and stuff.

1:28:44I probably started that in like I was in my mid 20s. And it just, I almost want to say help prepare me for the mindset of when I have my own diagnosis. I mean, ultimately ended up losing my own child, you know, even a decade later after that. It was like, you got to enter these spaces with empathy, with compassion. Because then that reminds you that we're all human. That and make the most out of this day because you might not be able to walk tomorrow. You might not, you might take a loss of someone that you thought was going to be there forever. That you thought was going to outlive you and you're talking about Zen.

1:29:30Yeah, yeah. And it's like and moving so fast, you, you start to regret like, man, I didn't, I didn't do what I should have done in that moment. So it's a constant reminder, you know what I mean? And I think perspective, perception and a lot of those things help us daily. You dealt with the loss of your, your son, Zen at just five months old due to brain cancer. Yeah. Something that no parent ever conceives as a possibility. And so it's, it's a, it's an awful club to be a member of. But I can understand where it's, it's hard to relate. It's, I've learned a lesson in that to where when other people are going through stuff, never use the word I understand.

1:30:33Because you don't, you know, it's, it's, it's just, it's so many things that go through your mind of, you know, even in, even in a short period of time of five months, the, the level of pain, the level of guilt, the level, you know, like that one struggles with because, you know, you think like, oh, well, that child would have got to grow to see five years or 25 years or, you know, you start asking all of these questions that of concepts, you just, you struggle to understand. So when you go through it, you kind of have to just create this fog that protects you. But at the end of time, like, again, you just got to keep pushing through.

1:31:30And then, you know, they do say time heals all wounds. I think, you know, you feel, it's just something that you're, you're never completely healed from. But you live in, and you're, you learn to operate, and you learn to smile, you learn to be appreciative. If you're a jovial and optimistic person, like, I am, you know, you, you push through, but, you know, that pain never leaves you. Did you have space in time to grief his, his loss? Griefing is forever. It's not a time period. Like, that's why I was talking about you, like, it's not about times like that's something you're going to grieve daily.

1:32:08Grieve it daily. Yeah, absolutely. And I think we all, and then any loss, you know what I mean?

1:32:20And your grief into a badge of honor in your character. Because we all experience it. We all, it's, instead of, because sometimes grief can turn into anger and sadness. I don't think that's what it's meant for. I think that may be the innate feeling. But when you can turn, oh, man, I lost my grandmother. I lost my mother. So therefore, it makes me more compassionate to women. I lost my child. So that makes me appreciate other children. I lost my father or never knew my father. So that makes me want to be a greater father. You know, like, when you learn that, that pain or that grief can actually turn and make you, uh, fulfill you in, in, in with strength in those spaces that once were empty, I think that then allows you to figure out why we're here in the first place.

1:33:18If I was a fly on the wall in your household during that period, what would I have seen? A lot of silence from me, at least. Uh, when I'm dealing with stuff, I get real quiet. I don't talk, keep to myself. Therefore, that makes the whole room uncomfortable because everybody else has to be quiet, especially though someone like me who is loud, you know, especially in my own home, when it becomes a eerie silence. So, and, you know, internalizing, it's thinking, it's taking a time, it's being appreciative of, of the time, of the, of the energy. But, um, see a lot of love, a lot of compassion, but a lot of silence.

1:34:09We have a closing tradition on this podcast where the last guest leaves a question for the next guest, not knowing who they're going to leave the question for. They write it into the diary. I don't get to read it beforehand. Jack does. He just checks it. It's not completely crazy. So, here we go. Okay, I'm going to have a guess. Okay, so I've got this thing than what's the next word? Okay, this thing you're upset about, but you're hanging onto that you've been ruminating about resenting. What would happen if you just let it go? If you just never thought about it again and let it go? Did you interview my therapist last?

1:34:58As much as I may, like internalize things and like overanalyze, because I would say I'm a perfectionist on one and I'm also fly by to see to my pants, carefree, whatever happens happens, type of person. So, in therapy, I have to figure out what box I'm going to put my issues in, because there are the ones I overanalyze about. Those you have to deal with my children and relationships based off of wanting to be the best me in that space. And then there's this stuff that I can't control that, whatever. And that was the thing that keep people up at night and you just lost how many millions of dollars or like, oh, I don't care.

1:35:51So to answer that very insightful question, nothing would happen. It would be very similar to, and that's what I've learned, like the things that I overanalyze stress about, usually the same result happens when I'm carefree and don't really put too much emphasis on the issue. But is there anything that you could let go of that you think would have a positive impact on your life if you just let it go? Not really, I mean, because I'm kind of that type of person, like, I don't let things... There's not an idea or resentment or a grudge or a... That's amazing. Maybe before, I'm kind of doing the work.

1:36:50So I kind of know that about myself, but I'm also, I've never been one to take life seriously like that. And almost to my detriment, you know, sometimes, I need to take something seriously like my health or even some certain relationships. But I used to care what people think thought about me, you know, because we're in an industry of that. We'd be lying if, like, I still pay attention to what people say about me, but I don't allow it to, you know, make decisions for me. So I don't deal with that anymore. And that's why I said, now I'm probably at this space to where even if it's the small things, you know, I kind of know how to compartmentalize even for the moment.

1:37:39Like, I'd spend enough time on that, you know, we got to move off it. As a father, I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm going to learn so many more lessons with all of my children having to... They're all going to deal with things in a completely different fashion. So hopefully whatever their hangups are don't necessarily become my hangups. Because I know as a parent, we do that, you know, that's the compassion of parenting. You got any kids? No, yeah. Yeah, that's the thing they don't tell you that their problems become your problems. How do you mean? A meat, whatever they have an issue is now your issue.

1:38:22From the spot, if they got diarrhea, you got diarrhea. Like if they're crying, you're crying. If they can't sleep, you can't sleep. And it happens forever. If they have a problem getting in, if they're stressing about school, you're stressing about their school. I'm right there. I'm about to have kids. Yeah. I imagine I've got a partner, we're sat down, we're going to place together, we're talking about it. What advice have you got for me? Do it. Yeah. I mean, but that it's because it's what life is all about. Like it's like, you're going to do it the way you want to do it. Like I said, the one other thing I never, and me having so many kids, I'm like, man, so many even cis 12.

1:39:0512 kids. Yeah, yeah. So I'm the oldest is 12. Yeah, the oldest is 12. 12 year old twins. 12 year old twins. Yeah. And every all of their problems, they come they're my problem. There's a lot of problems. Yeah. Like it's not and they're not, they don't care about their siblings problems. You got to deal with this one right now. Dad, my chameleon has an eye infection. We have to rush to the vet now. Like what? It's a lizard. All right. Like other things and it's life or death. The chameleon can't die. Like or to, you know, you know, that's is that's once fun and silly, but you know, taking us back to Zen and what we're talking about.

1:39:50Like those are my issues, those were my problems, those brought out things that I never thought I would ever have to deal with because as I watched my five month old sit here and deal with life. So it's like, their problems become your and what you think about for me and I was thinking about this this morning, you're just grateful. We're all like, wow, no problems right now. It's quiet. Everybody's good. Let's embrace this moment. And then, you know, when problems are issues, challenges, obstacles arise, we all deal with it as a family. And that, you know, so that's you appreciate life for you become a problem solver.

1:40:35You become an individual who every day wakes up and overcomes whatever challenges are vulnerable. Sounds like a lot of a big way to carry. It's, but it's life. It's fun. It's have fun with it. Whatever that challenge is, whatever issue that that child brings, have fun with it. Find the story in it. Find the lesson. What's the, what's the happily ever after to this? Because it's happily ever after every day. You just got to focus on it. Though, don't, you know, even the villains have happy ever after. Like it's like, you just got to figure out at the end of the day, how am I going to say, I learned this or I got this out of this, even though I went through the fire to get there.

1:41:23I'm going, or I'm still going through it. It's, you got to find the enjoyment and the journey. Do you care about legacy? I thought I did. I had to define what it was. I'm still defining what it is. I realized that my children aren't my legacy. My children are my children. My children aren't necessarily mine. They're their own. I've been giving the stewardship and the privilege for a certain amount of time to be able to guide them to the best of my ability for 18 to 25 years, but they're their own people. So I've learned that that's not my legacy. What we can build together as a family can be a common legacy.

1:42:13So what's your legacy? My compassion, my gratitude, which then probably then turns into my humility that turns into my humor, which then turns into my comedy, which it turns into my art form. I mean, that's built into the compassion and stuff as well too. So to be able, people say, man, he made the world a better place by making people smile. And if I could do that through my humor, my music, my art, my movies, my finances, he's going to make people smile. So hopefully even when I'm gone, the things that I left behind make people smile. I certainly believe that's the case. You've made me smile over the years.

1:43:01I started watching a world and out on MTV and then on YouTube throughout my entire life. I mean, MTV was the only show on in my household growing up in Plymouth and seeing it was kind of my window into hip -hop culture and comedy and all those things. And in every respect of the world, not only have you put countless people on that you'll never get credit for, nor do you really care about the credit clear. But you've been a pioneer in so many different art forms and created this wonderful platform to put other people on. And that's something that I look at and I really aspire to do with my life as well.

1:43:32Like if I'm able to help people reach their full potential in the way you have for so many people that people have no idea about across comedy and entertainment and music, then I think that's a life worth living and a life worth while. It's exactly what you have. So thank you. Thank you for doing that. Oh, my, that's another title. I'm life worth while. Sounds like a book. Let's get that trademark. Let's keep that IP. Thank you, man. It's been beautiful. Thank you for the experience. Pleasure to meet you. Thank you, Nick. Likewise.

1:44:26Q1 is often when businesses start implementing new systems and processes in hopes of creating efficiencies for the year ahead. And over the course of my career, I've learnt just how crucial having the right systems in places, one which has helped me across many of my investments is NetSuite. They're also a sponsor of this podcast. NetSuite is the number one cloud financial system through their streamlined platform. You'll find all of your accounting financial management inventory and HR in one place. Their technology has been a real game changer, especially for my team at Flight Studio. As over the last year, we've moved out of startup mode and into scale at mode.

1:45:01We no longer have to juggle multiple systems and having everything together has reduced the number of manual tasks and errors. Over 41 ,000 businesses have chosen to future proof their business with NetSuite. So if you'd like to learn how it can help your business, head to netsuite .com slash Bartlett and free download the CFO's guide to AI and machine learning. That's netsuite .com slash Bartlett.

From the publisher

Nick Cannon has lived many different lives, and if you ask him he’s won them all. 
In this new episode Steven sits down with TV host, actor, rapper, and comedian, Nick Cannon.
At 16 years old, Nick began performing stand-up comedy, a year after this he appeared on the Nickelodeon sketch series, ‘All That’, as a writer for the show, at 17 years old, he became the youngest writer in TV history. Nick made the move into film in 2002, appearing in ‘Drumline’, and in 2005, he created, produced and hosted the MTV improv comedy series ‘Wild ’N Out’. From 2009 to 2016, Nick was the host of ‘America’s Got Talent’.

In this conversation Nick and Steven discuss topics, such as:

The power of optimism in his life 

How imagination was his superpower as a child

His unorthodox childhood 

His father turning his life around 

The importance of gratitude in his life 

Going down the wrong path in his childhood

Starting doing stand up comedy at 11 years old

Being wise beyond his years 

His connection with Jamie Foxx 

Living his life in the public eye 

Believing in luck rather than alignment 

Speaking himself into existence 

His ADHD and not being challenged when he was younger

Meeting Will Smith at 16 years old 

The lessons he learned from Will Smith

Losing his TV show at 19 years old 

Likeminded people intuitively connecting and coming together

Becoming the youngest ever TV writer 

The career advice he would give to his children 

How fun is the battery for success 

The importance of intuition in the world 

Sad money vs happy money 

The negativity of the music industry 

The power of narcism and the need to balance it

Self funding and taking a risk on ‘Wild N Out’

The importance of owning your intellectual property 

Wild N Out being an platform for young talent 

Wild N Out being a billion dollar business

Working with Kehlani in her early career

Why he struggles with signing young artists 

Why networking is overrated 

Being an outgoing introvert 

Being diagnosed with lupus at 32 years old 

His near death experience 

Facing his own mortality 

The death of his child

How grieving is forever

Turning grief into purpose 

The 20th season of Wild ’N Out’ premiered on VH1 on the 6th July. 

Follow Nick:
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3t1p7ts
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3LryOrB
TikTok: https://bit.ly/3LwA2lv

Follow me:
https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo
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