Paying It Forward with Viral Do-Gooder Zachery Dereniowski

This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. [Music] American Soccer is exploding. The knockout rounds are here. The US won their group and now every match is winner-go-home. I'm Tat Bramos. And I'm Tom Boagler. On our podcast Inside American Soccer, we'll talk about the real storylines. Discuss the tactics that actually decide matches. And give you the truth about the US national team from inside the program. Whether you're a lifelong fan or this is your first World Cup. We've got you, Cubs. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Boagler and Tat Bramos and the I Heart Radio App, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Joy is essential and it's also elusive, but now. There's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, How to Copy. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid uplifting and moving on air chats. Open your free I Heart Radio App Search, Joy 101, and listen now. Joy 101 with HotaCopy is presented by CVS. My first guest is Karen Toten. Shakira. Luke and Yerin. I have surprises. Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast, where the Gutec comes to life. What? You're the only person I know that loves the yellow. Starburst. Lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here, over sharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lille Ponds on the I Heart Radio App, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. It just came out. Jeremy, what did you just do? You just sit yourself up for the earlier. I've never heard you tell this story. I've never told this story. This must have been tucked deep deep in the German Lin file. My name is MC Jin. I'm excited to tell you about laugh, but not least. I'll be chatting with guests from all walks of life about the power of humor when it comes to facing difficult times. These will be conversations that remind us all. Life is hard. Laugh harder. Listen to Laugh, but not least with MC Jin on the I Heart Radio App, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This season on my podcast, Here's the Thing. I talk to composer Mark Schaiman. It's about the hang. It's the pleasure of hanging out with the people that you're with. You know, Robin I was always a great hang. And director Morgan Neville. Film school teaches you all the wrong things about making documentary. What do you want to say? Documentary is all about your ear. What do you hear? I feel like my job is listening really, really hard. Listen to Here's the Thing on the I Heart Radio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Kate Hudson. And my name is Oliver Hudson. We wanted to do something that highlighted our relationship. And what it's like to be siblings. We are a sibling rivalry. No, no. Sibling rivalry. Don't do that with your mouth. Sibling, rivalry. That's good. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Starting another podcast. It's all a Hudson. I know you can't see video right now unless this is posted as a clip. But I'm in my daughter's room. I've got the stuffed animals behind me. I've got her door covered with purple pictures. There's a lot going on in here right now. But this is my life. I have to move from room to room. You would think after this many years of doing a podcast that had a dedicated space. My dedicated space is the children's bedrooms. Currently, the boys have late days. So they're sleeping in their rooms. My daughter had a regular day. So now I'm in her room sitting at her makeup desk. If you could see this, I'm not going to show you because it's too much. There's so much stuff going on right now. She's only 12. I don't know. Maybe I did something wrong. Anyway, we're here. We're chilling. And it's Christmas time. I love me some Christmas time. I did a Christmas movie. I don't know where it's at on the charts right now. But it was doing very, very well. How to blast. I have coined myself Mr. Christmas. Because in a short span of time, I had a movie, a Netflix movie that was Christmas. I did a gingerbread baking show that I hosted, which was Christmas. And I was on the Great British Bake Off, the celebrity edition celebrity. I guess that's what I am. The definition of my celebrity might be different from a Brad Pitt. But a celeb nonetheless. And it was an amazing experience. And I fucking won. Got a Paul Hollywood handshake in case you haven't seen it. And so I'm Mr. Christmas. That's who I am. Anyway, we have a cool guest in the waiting room right now. MD motivator is his Instagram handle. And that's how I know him. He comes across my feet all the time. His real name is Zachary Dernowski. And he just spreads love and joy and happiness and generosity. His vulnerability and his extremely heartfelt. And it's nice to see because today it's all bad shit. Every time we turn on the TV every time, or I'll grow them picks up something that might be a little negative. We just get fed all of this horrible shit. But Zach is doing it correctly. He's doing it right. He's raising money for people. He's giving money away. He's helping people's lives. So let's just bring him on and have a discussion. Hey Oliver, where are you? I'm in New York City. Where are you? How about yourself? I'm in my daughter's room at my house. If you can't tell. I've got pink and purple all around me. I've got stuffed animals. I know. This is my life. I've been doing this for four or five years. And I have no dedicated podcast space. I just hop around for my kids' rooms when they're not in school. They must be honored. Their room looks great. No, they're not honored. They come home and they're like, "Dad, were you in my room doing your dumb podcast?" I'm like, "Yes. Why? How do you know this?" Because you left your computer here. And now the dog came into my room and he ate my trap. Oh God. I can't win. What are you doing in New York? We're doing a few videos. So we did something with big brothers, big sisters this morning. They have the foundation. There's a big conference here. And it's surprising that people here in New York with a banking app called Chimes. So yeah, it's nice here. So I got to get into this because I've you've come across my feed forever. You're in my algorithm, which I think is a good thing. Which means that there is some positivity and some bright light to my algorithm. Although it can get dark at times. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's scary place, man. I know. It's crazy. But how did this all start? Because you're Canadian. You grew up in Windsor. I was just in Vancouver. I'm actually back to Vancouver tomorrow. I was in Toronto. Did I move in Toronto. My parents lived in Canada for years. So where in Canada do your parents live? They lived in BC, you know, for five years. My brother played hockey. So they moved up there with him. That's what he was up there. Yeah, yeah. It was wonderful. But I was in Toronto in February. It was snowy. Snowy snowy snowy. Yeah, I can get cold there, especially January February February. It's time of year. So how did you get to where you got? You know, I mean, I was looking you up and sort of researching you a little bit and it definitely wasn't the initial career path. So how did this all happen? I grew up my whole life. I knew I wanted to be a doctor. And I finally got accepted into medical school after years and years of working towards that. And my dream was to become a doctor, but it was also to live in Sydney, Australia, like in Australia. And I got accepted to the University of Sydney Medical School. And I started there in January of 2020. And when you say 2020, everyone thinks the pandemic and when the pandemic, everyone has an emotional response to that. And school went online. Immediately when I got there medical school, I tore my ACL. I needed surgery for my knee a week later that me and my girlfriend of six years, me broke up. And she was like my identity and my happiness. And I didn't have any new friends because it was all online. And I was afraid to tell anyone back home how I was feeling because who might have complained. And it was just this too much, all at once thing in my life. And it was a middle of one night. I went for, I was living with one of my roommates in medical school. And I knew I was going to like cry or just be in a really, really dark place. And I didn't want to like let him know that I was feeling. So I went for a walk one night and I just started to like sit down and I was crying just sitting down on the ground. And these two women in their mid to late 30s that came up to me and they just said, Hey, are you okay? And I said, obviously, I'm fine. I wanted them to see that I tiered. So I was from a wipe it and they said, what's going on? And what they did in that moment all of her changed my life forever. They just sat there in the what's the minute and they listened to this stranger from Canada, cry and just talk about what was going on in his life. I'll never forget that next morning when I woke up and just that relief of off my shoulders and realizing that like talking to a stranger as weird as it was made me feel. feel like I was moving out of that dark hole that I was getting myself further and further. And I was really questioning my life at that point. And then I started, I told my parents back home how I was feeling. And then my med school class made was like, I said, I wanna, I don't forget what exactly what I said to him, but I just said something along the lines. Like I wanna be like that for somebody else. So I, over a few weeks, I thought, why not blindfold myself? How strange is, because maybe there's other strangers out there that need a hug or need someone just to listen to. And then after that, my med school classmates was like, maybe there's people online in their, stuck in their homes that could connect to that, that you're not gonna meet. Maybe you should make videos. So that's how the TikTok journey started. And MD motivator stands for medical doctor motivator 'cause I was just trying to motivate myself down a path. And yeah, there's way more to it, but then at that point, that video started. - So wait, going back, you were an Australia girl, a girl friend, which of course can be very difficult, especially if you have wrapped up your entire identity in a person, which essentially is a codependency, you know what I mean? Which isn't healthy at the end of the day. So for you, what kind of a place did you get into? I mean, I know the girl was gone, but when you were having that moment and sort of questioning everything, were you questioning your career path, were you questioning your motivation in life? You know, or was it just pure heartbreak and sadness? - I mean, I was 28, I felt super alone. I was in hundreds of thousands of dollars at that. I feel like I wasted money, time. I didn't have a plan to be to fall back on. I was in that school with my classmates, who I knew there was some in that class that I would pay anything for them to be my doctor. Some I'd pay anything for them not to be my doctor. I knew I was somewhere in the middle. So I knew at that point that this wasn't my end all be all, like why am I here on earth? What's my life meaning? I just felt so alone, lost, confused, and not knowing where to start in that conversation. So it was like paralysis too. Where was that? - Yeah. Well, it's so interesting because it is so true where a stranger who reaches out and cares and asks the right questions and opens themselves up to you opening up can really be cathartic in the sense that there are no judgments, there are no pressures. You don't know this person. And yeah, exactly. I mean, in a way, it's therapy would even better because you can just let it all go and there's something sort of special about that. And so when you started to make these videos, what point were you like, oh shit, wait a minute, this is actually affecting people. It is blowing up right now. This is my new path. - I mean, like the first time I started making videos, it immediately people were messaging me saying, this video say, I don't know how much truth is saved my life and just stream language like that. So I knew right from the get go that the videos were impacting people, but it was the first time all of her that in 28 years, I felt purposeful in myself. So I didn't know that was gonna lead to or how long it would lead for, where it would go to, but I knew I found something for the first time that was confident whether you agree to disagree to be making content that I felt myself. So that was how I felt confident enough to tell my parents that I'm gonna quit medical school and then move back home under a base and then make TikTok videos. - How did that go? - Hey, how do you think it went? - What do you want to play your kids more than anything? - Right, well happiness because it's from health. - For me, right. 'Cause it's just all of us. - Yeah, we have a good parent regarding, it's support, it's in it that I did. My parents have no idea about social media or what I'm doing. They knew how hard I worked or what we sacrificed financially to be able to do that, to go to medical school. So they just saw I wasn't happy and I wasn't healthy. So they let me move back home in my small town in Canada. Windsor, Ontario, like you said. And my friend at the time, never recorded a video. He played high school basketball with me. He got a camera. He believed in what I was doing. He volunteered for two months for free. And then it immediately just, it took off. But if it wasn't for my parents' support, if it wasn't for my friend, if it wasn't for those, you know what's crazy is all of those two women that night to this day have no idea. That's the effort created that. And I haven't been going back to Australia for the first time next month with a mission to find them. Wouldn't that be amazing if you were able to, you know, I mean, incredible. American soccer is exploding. The US won their group. And now every match is Winter Go Home. SCAR! You are safe! I'm TAP Bromboz. And I'm Tom Boaker, an art podcast inside American Soccer. We'll talk about the real storylines. I'm not worried about policy. I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarter finals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. Whether you're a lifelong fan, or this is your first world cup, we've got you, CUB. Listen, inside American Soccer with Tom Boaker and TAP Bromboz. I heart, radio, app, Apple Podcast, wherever you get your podcast. My first guest is Paris Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerin. Samirae, Gracie. I'm so excited. On the bouncy bed. You have surprises. Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305, where the group chat comes to life. What up? (beep) (speaking in Spanish) (speaking in Spanish) (upbeat music) (speaking in Spanish) (clapping) (speaking in Spanish) You're the only person I know that loves the Yellow Starbursts. (speaking in Spanish) (speaking in Spanish) This is Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Ponds as part of my Toyota Podcast Network on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. You said to me, "Yo, you know, keep at it." 'Cause you let me rap for you. It was magical for all of us. We made it, we made it, we made it. I'm like, "We?" You know, I'm like, "I know these guys, but who are you?" (laughing) I'm MC Jin, and this is left but not least. Like the co-founder of Rough Rodders, Darren D. Dean. Talking about as a kid. Do you remember that we met even way before that? Let me think. Did you walk up to the gate? That was me, D. That was you? That was me. The day we found out that you and the whole crew was at hit factor, the mission was to get me to go to the gate, start freestyle and see if I could get in the studio. I'm rapping and then suddenly I hear a voice, "Hey, open the gate, let him in." The gate slowly went, (humming) They all they're watching is, and they watch me walk into there, and that is a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life. Listen, and left but not least with MC Jin on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. But did Black music, food, and culture teach us about who we were becoming? Plane 16 was sort of that last era of monoculture where we still consumed things in community. From Beyonce and Rihanna, everybody wanted to be Beyonce. I don't think we'll ever see another Rihanna. To soul-sue, memory, identity, and the stories we carry through Black culture, what does it mean to be Black and eat in America? So we were this group of people who knew how to work the land, who knew how to live with the land. We make it do what it do. Therapy for Black Girls is bringing together the conversation shaping Black life right now. You will never make me feel bad for being a Black girl, for being a Black American girl ever. Therapy for Black Girls is bringing it all to the mic. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This Black music month, the Quest Love Show celebrates the artists, innovators, and cultural voices who continue to redefine music. We're sitting down with a groundbreaking country artist, Mickey Gaiden. The way that the country music community accepted post-molone, versus Beyonce, versus Shabuzie, those are very eye-opening things. Hip-hop visionary, fat-five-ready, John Marebending, musical genius, Thundercat, and the always legendary revolutionary voice, Chucky. Yeah, we changed tires, man. I had 18 jobs before. Just became my occupation, man. OK. I wrote "Barmars to Show As a Messenger" from unforgettable stories to deep conversations about creativity, culture, and legacy. These are the voices shaping the soundtrack of Black Music Pass, Present, and Future. Listen to the Quest Love Show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. No, you're right. I mean, parents have expectations for their kids. Some put way more than they should. For me, growing up, we didn't have great expectations, put on us. It was the same thing that I have trying to pass on to my kids, which is just be happy, you know, stay healthy. Sometimes that's uncontrollable, but just be happy and be a good human being. Walk outside every day and enjoy the air because it's not going to last very long, you know what I'm saying? So just enjoy yourself. Don't put so much stress on yourself, you know. And you're right. I mean, that is the impetus that's the catalyst for what, why you have become so successful and why you're following your life's passion and sort of how you stumbled into it, which is cool too. Were you like this before? You seem like you have such a really beautiful sort of sensitive nature about you. Was this who you always have been? That's the coolest thing to me. Is that like not trying to hype myself up? My hometown always is always doing it for the video that came to us, but then I have friends or people that I've just, I don't even friends with just knew from like high school or passing by. I worked with them. McDonald's like this has always been and it just, it's cool to see that I guess I've had that impact. It's completely different in the video world, but yeah, I love talking to strangers. I love hearing people's stories. I usually like being on your side of the stick where I get to ask the most. I can just listen, but I know that's fun. Yeah, it is because you get to learn so much, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you and I are not dissimilar in that I'm not a very surface person. I'm not a small talk person because the truth is that's where all the good stuff is. It's when you get specific and you're really asking the questions and not just sort of, hey, how are you? How was your day? You know, it's like, well, what else? I've explained this story probably at least a hundred times to like the six-year relationship. This, this, you the first person asked me about the identity and happiness thing and make a comment on that person. So yeah, you do pay attention to the details really well. Oh, yeah. I have a lot to still learn in relationships. Oh, dude, I don't think we ever, ever stop learning, ever stop evolving. You know, that's the beauty of self-analysis is if you really love it, which I do. It can be painful as shit, but it's also, you know, it just expands your mind and expands your character. It will never end. And I'm constantly on a search one way or another, you know, what's the, how do I feel this way or how do I remedy this or how do I be better here or not only that, but also just giving yourself grace and forgiveness and having compassion for yourself when you do go off the rails. Yeah, I think we hold ourselves sometimes so rigidly to, you know, what is right that once we slip a little bit, it's like you hit yourself over the head when really it's like, no, dude, we're human beings, man. Yeah, like we fail, we make mistakes. We can wallow in the darkness for a while. That's okay. I don't, I don't think that's a bad thing as long as you know how to get out and there's a ladder. You know what I'm saying? Absolutely. Yeah. So when you started to realize this was a business, did you wrestle it all with sort of, you know, your philanthropy essentially, your emotional philanthropy and commerce and sort of how those things match up. It's been a really weird journey. So like a few minds into making videos, we mean my, the videographer, I said that volunteered at the time. We were sitting at a pizza shop, having lunch and I got this email from YouTube saying you just got paid $646. And I go to his name's Patrick. Patrick, we just got paid $646. That was the best amount of money I've ever received because I was like, we're helping people, but we can still pay our bills by doing this. Like, I can't be here. So I had no idea that this could be like a business or a revenue stream. Like the, I had such delusion when I did this. Like if this didn't work, I don't know where I'd be today to be honest with you. I'll be working somewhere. I don't know, I don't know what I'd be doing in Windsor, but yeah, it was a really interesting to see that it's a space where you can obviously sell, find and create, but we've created verticals. We have a nonprofit called Kindness is cool. So 100% of the donations go in and then 100% go directly to the people that we impact. So I've learned that people not always want to help charities, but people always want to help and support people. That never seems to go out of style in terms of people connecting with stories right on an individual basis. So there's that aspect. There's the nonprofit. Then there's obviously like the streams from like the platforms and then brands that have also sponsored that allow us to give it at a greater scale. Of course, like what you're doing with the chime. Yeah, we wouldn't be able to do otherwise. So it's been really awesome whether it's celebrities or brands that have sponsored and allowed us to create such life changing things. But the biggest videos are always the ones where we crowd fun for individuals or families and 100,000 people donate $5 and we're able to give away half a million dollars to a family that's great. Yeah, life changing opportunities. So how do you how do you decide on your subjects? You know, I mean like they decide on me, right? It's just like you talking to me just like it's an energy thing. I'd say about 80% of the time it's just random. There's no vetting process. It's just going on talking to strangers. So sometimes I'll be out there for like 10, 20 minutes sometimes six, seven hours until like it's just like the right conversation, the right opportunity. They're being kind and then you get to snowball all the yeah, oh, and yeah, get to do that every day. So when you raise money for people though, how do you sort of vet them or how do you sort of choose them? I mean, you you sort of in a way catch feelings for some of these people. So I don't go in there thinking we're going to crowd fun for them. So if there's ever like an opportunity, say we give you all of our like super bowl tickets, but I find out that you're struggling to pay your rent bill or you're about to get evicted. If there's more to the story that kind of from a financial standpoint, we'll always crowd fun for the individual or family. I don't go in there, assuming a crowd fun, even like my mom, so I show my mom all my videos before I post them. Like, Zach, you've done too many crowd funds. People are going to stop donating. There's never been a time all over where we haven't reached our crowdfunding goals minimum at least $20,000 up until like that over half a million dollars. So they find that and then it's what we do with the money. So at first, it would just be, all right, here's the $7,000 or the $20,000. But we've learned that over time, obviously, that money doesn't solve money problems. No, yeah. Sometimes it creates more. So now we get financial advisors. We set money aside. We create benefits, sharies. Money goes directly to other houses, cars, education funds and we've done so many people full time jobs because I'm incredible. Higher good people, right? It's not. You want to hire a good person. So we're able to essentially almost like vet that through a video and people to this day that I know I go back and they're like, this is our best work. We have like a year later in my own other cities that we've done this. So yeah, that's amazing. No, I think that's so smart, you know, because again, you give someone a half a million dollars in a bag. It's like, wait a minute. I mean, I don't care how good of a human being you are. You get that urge. You're like, I'm going to go buy some shit. I'm going to go buy it, right? I'm going to go buy something that I shouldn't buy right now. You know, and then that can snowball into a bad plan. But in the video, it looks like we're giving a half million dollars. You get you vote that like a motion response. So yes, my row, which we can crowdfund more. Yeah, we can create a longer term impact for them. And you have, as you've established and created relationships along the way and with with higher powered people, are you able to sort of source super bowl tickets and all of these incredible experiences? It's been like any layer way inbound outbound. The answer is yes, the real example of like an inbound outbound relationship is we did a video where we gave a car away with Chris Brown at one of his shows. But that only came to existence because his 12 year old daughter royalty watches all my videos and she wanted to do something kind like me in the videos. Chris heard that and because of that, Chris wanted to do the video. He never does that kind of stuff because he was inspired by his daughter that wanted to show her that. So it's cool to see the ripple that it creates inbound outbound in that family tree or whatnot too. That's amazing. It's so contagious. Like you were saying, well, the how can be so negative. But positive sure, it takes a little more work to get that ball moving, I guess, down the hill. But I think it's a bigger ball. It's more way more powerful. Yeah. No, you're correct. You know, and I just, because sometimes people, I'm sure you've gotten hate. Everyone gets a little hate. I go, you're just making that money and you know, you're exploiting people's feelings for a dollar or whatever the hell. I'm sure you hear. But that's bullshit in my opinion because you we are we are we can make money and help human beings. I mean, there's not the purpose of every job of course, of course, dude. Yeah, you should get yours while you give it as well. There's absolutely no doubt about that. But I do my absolute best in my manager or any of the tests, like any situation where I feel like there's more to do. We always do the most, even the detriment to me because I don't really care. It's my time. I really feel honored and responsible to have a following of 50 million people that have the power to change your person's life. Right. You see, right? What I mean? Are you global? Have you gone across the I mean, are you going to cross the ocean at all? We're going to London actually in a few weeks with Brian. Speaking of sponsors, we're going to do a Logan Paul and KSI. But I'm not a lot global. Hopefully next year we can expand more globally. I'm really excited to hopefully do this in other countries and have people like myself that speak other languages, be able to do it in their countries. because I'll speak any other languages or the other language. - Remember, you can create a whole. You can create a whole network. - Yeah, that's not cool. - You could under your banner, under you can create a whole global network of people like you. - And you know what, I'll give you another example of a really cool story that how I knew that I was doing the right thing. I was just starting to make videos. I was in my hometown. We brought a hundred kids to like a local water park and there's dad and these three daughters. I think they were 10, 8 and 6 at the time. Came up to me and they said, "You watch your videos, can we take a photo?" - Sure. - So they're about to walk away in the six year old, tap my elbow. And she came up to me and she's like, "Just wanna let you know that my dad shows us your videos every night before bed. And last week we were at the grocery store and there looked like a guy that he was hungry. So when I went home that night, I took my biggie bank and I cracked open my piggy bank 'cause I wanna do it with the guy in the video dust. - Oh my God. - And that was when I felt like my videos were doing something that I'll never see that had a purpose. It was an energy transfer. Now, the ripple effect, right? And one to one will never create. (upbeat music) (grunts) (crowd cheering) - American soccer is exploding. - The knockout rounds are here. - The US won their group and now every match is Winter Go Home. - Let's go, USA! - I'm Tat Bramos. - And I'm Tom Bocher, an art podcast inside American soccer. - I'm not worried about the policy. I'm not worried about the balligan. - And give you the truth about the US national team from inside the program. - It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarter finals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. - We've got you, Cup. Listen, inside American soccer with Tom Bocher and Tat Bramos and I heart, radio, app, apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. (upbeat music) - My first guest is Paris Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerin. - Samira and Gracie. - I'm so excited. - On the bouncy bed. - You have surprises. Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305 where the good chat comes to life. - What up? (beep) (upbeat music) - Yes. (clapping) - You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. - This is Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Ponds as part of my tour of podcast network on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. - You said to me, "Yo, you know, keep at it "because you let me rap for you." It was magical for all of us. - I'm like, "We?" You know, I'm like, "I know these guys, but who are you?" (laughing) - I'm MC Jin, and this is laugh but not least. Like the co-founder of Rough Riders, Darren D. Dean. - Talking about as a kid. - Let me think. - That was me, D. - That was you? - That was me. I'm rapping and then suddenly I hear a voice, "Hey, open the gate, let let him in." The gate slowly went, (humming) They all there watching us, and they watched me walk in today, and that is a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life. Listen, laugh but not least with MC Jin on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. - But did black music, food, and culture teach us about who we were becoming? - The place 16 was sort of that last era of monoculture, where we still consumed things in community. - From Beyonce and Rihanna. - Everybody wanted to be Beyonce. - To soul food, memory, identity, and the stories we carry through black culture. - What does it mean to be black and eat in America? - So we were this group of people who knew how to work the land, who knew how to live with the land. - Therapy for Black Girls is bringing together the conversation shaping Black life right now. - You will never make me feel bad for being a black girl, for being a black American girl ever. Listen to therapy for Black Girls on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. - This black music month, the Quest Love Show celebrates the artists, innovators, and cultural voices who continue to redefine music. The way that the country music community accepted post-molone, versus Beyonce, versus Shabuzy, like those are very eye-opening things. - Hip-hop visionary, fat-five Freddie, John Marebending, musical genius, Thundercat. - And the always legendary revolutionary voice, Chucky. - Yeah, we changed tires, man. I had 18s out before. - Okay. - I wrote, "Farmer's the Show as a Messenger," from unforgettable stories to deep conversations about creativity, culture, and legacy. Listen to the Quest Love Show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. (rock music) - You talk about vulnerability, you know, relatability, which is so true. I've been a big proponent of being vulnerable. It's something I've struggled with in certain aspects of my life. There are certain parts of me that are extremely vulnerable. I'm very sensitive. I'm not afraid to cry, but there are certain people in my life, or certain hang-ups, where vulnerability is hard for me. And that's just based on psychology. I mean, we can go way back into childhood and life, right? But when you're able to be unafraid, essentially that's what vulnerability is, you're just unafraid to be yourself, and unafraid to express your feelings. It opens up so much, and you're right. I've never thought of it that way. It equals relatability because everyone is vulnerable, whether they're masking it, pushing it down or not. Vulnerability exists within all of us. - Everyone's got a mask. - Yeah, when we are able to be vulnerable, you can sort of, you got the key, essentially, to those who want vulnerability, but who are afraid to express it. - Who needs that key for you to, you're locked that in, you never know who that person is, man. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I dig that. I dig how it equals relatability. - No, it's cool, too, Oliver. If you go back to my old hugging videos, I haven't posted them in a while. I always say, "Hey, how's it going?" Or whatever I'll say when they come in a hug. And the first thing people always say before they say what's going on, I'm good. Right, mask, mask. You're not right there coming in for a hug, but I'm good. You're not, it's like, it's not your response is to, I guess, shy or hideaway or I guess be normal. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - How's the celebrity aspect been for you? Meaning like, you get people know who you are and how you get recognized, you sign autographs. Is that so? - No, I get recognized, but like, I don't wanna be recognized, I wanna make videos in disguise, right? I just think of a guy that makes videos, that makes people happy, bro. It's really cool. The coolest part to me is those like six-year-old girl stories, like that one I gave you with the piggy bank. That's the celebrity-ness of it to me. I just, yeah, I don't, yeah, that's, yeah. I look at a small town, so I'm not usually in LA on crazy red carpets or-- - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - But when celebrities wanna get involved and it's able to like, their fan base is being like, exposed to like this type of content, to an a new light, it's just really cool to see. - Yeah. And so as far as growth goes, you know, we're always expanding and thinking about how, okay, how do we keep this going? Like how do we, how do we, how do we, how do we just make this thing as big as it can be? What plans do you have sort of for the future for that? - Yeah, so right now it's one scaling the giving, so we're at a point now where we're giving away like, cars, homes, like it's at that point where it's-- - Wow. - And I don't know where else you go in terms of, I guess it would be like, infrastructures, whether it's-- - But how do you do that? Like how do you give away a home? Explain how that might work. - Sure. Mostly it's from the crowdfunding at this point. So those ones that like, we able to like crowdfund a couple hundred thousand dollars for them, whether, it's paying for the home or if it's a smaller crowdfund, then we're able to get at least for like three years or fully furnished home for them to get them back on their feet. And this is all coming from crowdsourcing meaning, these are all just people who are donating. - donating their coffee money to-- - It's fun. - Yeah. And it only works, I think. And then you donate five bucks and then in 48 hours, you see that Greg's got a home or you're able to see and feel in real time where your money's going to. And that transparency is everything, right? 'Cause as quick as you can build it, you can come down a hundred times faster, so-- - 100%. - So we're showing where it's going. I think one of the aspects that you said was expanding it to other countries, whether it's other people doing it. doing what I'm doing. And then traveling more, I'm going to get into the streaming space next year and open to it being a TV show as long as it doesn't feel too TV. It still feels like Ron real. Yeah, no, that's great. Yeah, and see where it goes. Yeah. I love your attitude. It's just kind of like, I fuck it. I don't know. Like this thing, this thing happened because I was setting my girl left me and I'm crying on a bench in Australia. And it's like, oh, well, the rest is gravy. It's just kind of like as this organizes that thought process may sound, it's the first time in like for four years, this growth has been like this. And I've never worked something, I guess. So effortlessly, but hard at the same time where it's works. I know that I'm very self-aware and pivoted as need be and continue to serve others. And the right door should open. Did you have to assemble a team once this thing got big? And you're like, oh, wait a minute. I need people. I need infrastructure. I really great team. So I've got a really good team now for about a year. But it's a small team. I have a manager, a videographer and an editor. And it's on the ground. And then that's it. But for the most time, it was just me and my old videographer, the one that I started with. He was super awesome too. But he's his dream was to open like a studio where he does like portrait photography. He has girls and he obviously can't travel as much as I am. He just set up that this year and now he's doing that full time. So I built a great, and we're great. Where are you at with with you have a girlfriend now or what's going on? Yeah, we've been together for three years. Okay, good. Yeah, man. I'm not so this lonely single man. I'm so fear and funny enough, I met her three days into making videos in my hometown. And I actually caught it on camera. So I'm on my videos. Our first interaction video. Oh, when she first came up and our 22nd interaction. So they have the first person they met someone on 4k. Well, if this one, if this one is the one forever and ever and you know, you're 60 years in, what a cool video to have. Yeah. Yeah. Very, very grateful for that. That's great dude. And she obviously is extremely supportive in what you do. I assume right. And she's okay with you being gone and he's the backbone and she's able to travel with me sometimes. She also works as a dental hygienist. She wants to be able to step away next year and come more. Because these moments are incredible, but I want her they don't mean what they don't mean the same unless you work with the people that you love. So I want her to be part of those moments more with me. Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah. What about bloopers? Because there has to be a crazy blooper reel. I don't know if you've ever put one out, but if you've ever thought about it. Yeah, every day. I'm sure you get all kinds of crazy stuff. Words people are complete dicks. Number one, of course, we live in a society where we've got all kinds of different people, right? So there has to be a ton of bloopers. Do you have any good ones? Yeah, I got I got a boy on it. I'm out there all day, man. I'm going to like today. We're filming in the Bronx. You know, get a get a couple of well-liners. Yeah. I don't I deliberately don't post that because then even if I post that for 10 seconds of like a video, people would just hyper fixate on that 100%. Yeah. But yeah, it would be a lot of fun. I have it all. It's in folders. Maybe I'll release it to the world. But what is I mean? Is it just sometimes people just get angry or sometimes people are laughing or is it all is it run the gambit of sort of what how people react to you that is not positively? Yeah, I think I think it's all it's yeah, it's human above. Yeah, human's going through stuff and I'm a I can be emotional punching bag because I'm like starting a conversation. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have you ever felt in danger when I have like a lot of money on me and like a rough her neighborhood. But now we have either we have fake money in terms of it. It's a larger amount of money or there's a security guard like someone that keeps me safe in terms of in the moment. So I'm never my life's not in danger. Oh, good, good, good. When I was five, I did for a year. The worst that's ever happened to me is this I watch the back. It was like a 14 year old girl. She said this white skittle. This is a gum. Piece of gum. She just threw it at me. In one year, no one to repunge me or wow, there's a skittle. And I'm blindfolded. I'm as vulnerable as can be. Yeah. Here to guard at the time. Yeah. Yeah, I was very surprised at that because that that was the one when I felt unsafe the most when I'm like, yeah. All right. Before we get out of here, what are your hangups? Like you are offering this amazing experience to the world for anyone who wants to take it essentially. Right? But if someone was if I was blindfolded, if I were you and you had to and you came up to me and I started to question you or or asked you to sort of let go and be vulnerable and tell me what, you know, you'd like to be better in your life. What would that be? Making more time for the people in my life that matter. My family, my brother, my parents, my partner. It's been a world in the last four years, but I feel like it's been really hard for me to find this balance of making myself proud and helping people while also still not missing moments of life. I feel like I miss a lot of moments and I've been working on that consciously. That one. And then also feeling imposter syndrome. Yeah. That's real. Yeah. I enter in terms of like these spaces. I just I'm a guy that makes videos. I don't think I have any other. So it's not like this ego with it. And it just it's cool to see that it provides value. It makes people feel good. But what does that imposter syndrome take you? Meaning like people don't people are going to find me out or they think that I'm not really what I but what people think I am, you know, where does that come from? Do you think I don't think people are going to think who I am because I think I'm pretty like just real, but I'm not sure. I don't know. You know, maybe because in poster syndrome, it's kind of like, well, not good enough because actors have that at two creatives in general. You're a creative. It's just kind of, you know, you go do these all these gigs and you're you're getting work and it's all happening. You're on series and you're like, oh shit, they're going to find me out. They're going to discover that I'm not that good or I, you know, it's like it's this imposter syndrome. Like everyone thinks I'm doing well. But like when are they going to know? When are they going to find out that I'm not, you know what I mean? It's that insecurity essentially. It is 100%. No, definitely I felt insecure and feeling like I'm not good enough for the person that is equivalent to the person in the room that maybe inspires me or I, I feel in my heart that they are, but maybe they're feeling a poster syndrome. And it's just like this. And that's that vulnerability, relatability thing, right? Allowed and you're not going to feel it. But that one I haven't figured out a solution to as much as the other one. So I'm well, whatever we're young, you're young. I'm not young. You're young, man. Push 50, man. Hello. Well, dude, this has been amazing. Thank you for talking to me. This has been very cool. And then if you ever get to LA, hit me up. I'd love to like be a part of this somehow, you know, I'm so down with all this stuff. I really am. It's, we need, it's, it's necessary, especially right now, how divided everybody is and the vitriol and everything that comes up on your feet is kind of like, oh, God, and you get sucked down this rabbit hole and it's so nice to sort of just watch happiness and positivity. Humans being humans, right? Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. What we look like or who we are. So yeah. Thank you. Yeah. For me, thank you for your time. Yeah. I appreciate it, brother. Get out there and do it, man. I can't wait to keep watching your vids. Also, one last thing. If anyone's listening to the next 24 hours, I challenge you to one random act of kindness. Yes. I love that. I'm doing it. I do it all the time. Man, let's go, baby. Yeah. Appreciate it. Appreciate you, man. Love. Bye, guys. Peace, buddy. What a great guy. My God. He's so positive and full of like, cinnamon sugar. I feel like if you cut open his cheeks, it's just like cinnamon sugar and just candy and joy is going to pour out of him. What a, what a good dude. And it's so genuine. You know, it's so genuine, especially when you start from a place like he started where he had an entire life ahead of him kind of planned and then, you know, he gets rocked and in one moment, shit can shift and change the whole trajectory. I guess the lesson there is, you know, don't be so rigid in what you think you are, you know, I mean, or where you think you should be or what you perceive that you want. Because sometimes that can surprise you and change. Sitting on a bench in Australia to women's approach and boom, his life takes a completely different path. And not only is he doing what he wants to do and helping people, he's making a shit ton of money and he can't beat that. And he's genuine, as I said, like you can tell, he does it because he does care, you know, there's no charlatan about him in any way. It's not like I'm going to take all this money and, you know, he's very, very authentic. Anyway, all right, I am leaving now to do a full body scan. So, within the next four hours, we'll know. We'll know if the Hudson Express is still on the tracks or if he's derailed. All right, I'm leaving. Bye. The US won their group and now every match is winter go home. I'm Tat Bramos and I'm Tom Boger. Discuss the tactics that actually decide matches and give you the truth about the US national team from inside the program. We've got you covered. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Boger and Tat Bramos in the I-Hark Radio App, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Joy is essential and it's also elusive but now. Joy 101. Open your free I-Hart Radio App Search, Joy 101 and Listen Now. Have surprises, many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the new tech comes to life. What the f***? You're the only person I know that loves the Yellow Starbursts. Lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lille Ponds on the I-Hart Radio App, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. It just came out. You just sit yourself up for the failure. This must have been tucked deep deep in the Jermy Lin file. My name is MC Jin. I'm excited to tell you about left but not least. Life is hard. Life harder. Listen to left but not least with MC Jin on the I-Hart Radio App, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Alex Baldwin. I talk to composer Mark Shaman. It's about the hang. You know, Robin Ive is always a great hang. What do you hear? Listen to hears the thing on the I-Hart Radio App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Hart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.