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Why Don't You Work in Sneakers? with Jae Yannick
0 Playsin 8 hours
This week I am joined by Jae Yannick, we talk about his journey with kicks. How he ended up with a pair of kicks that don't fit him, his time interning at Atlantic records. Finding a way to share his love for sneakers with content creation. How he found his way into Footlocker and figuring out his path. How important it was to create relationships along the way. Also the moment he caught Pusha T. Plus a ton more!
Follow Jae: IG: https://www.instagram.com/jaeyannick
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks
Sign up for the Patreon: https://patreon.com/MyFirstKicks
Music by The DoppleGangaz: https://thedoppelgangaz.bandcamp.com/
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
i go there i'm waiting i'm waiting i'm waiting finally around
Sneaker Release Chaos
00:00:05
Speaker
like 5 45 the security guard comes to the door right because we're outside of the mall he comes to the door he unlocks the front lock and then he's like stop put top stop pushing wait wait wait he bends over to unlock the bottom lock of the door this is the mall door as soon as this door clicks The door bum rushes open and everybody starts running.
00:00:27
Speaker
Me, I'm like, I want to say like 14. I'm just running with them. I don't know where we're going. I don't know where the store is, but I'm running with them. yeah Finally, we get to foot action. Foot action is right across from Foot Locker.
00:00:40
Speaker
And then we ah wait there because that's where the real line begins. Yeah. And so once they start lifting up the gate, everybody starts ducking under. Right. Just to go straight to it. So now I go to the front register and I get there and the lady says, what size?
00:01:00
Speaker
pass I don't know my size.
Introducing Jay Yannick
00:01:06
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to My First Kicks. This episode 247, and this week, I bring to you legend. A legend in this game. Oh, no, don't start with that. I'm not a legend. You're a legend in this game. um Long time, actually, I don't know if you remember this, but we first met on Clubhouse.
00:01:23
Speaker
I think so, yeah. I think I definitely remember that, yeah. But i also, what do I call you? Is it Jay Yannick? Jay Yannick. Jay Yannick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because you have you say you gave me a different name on your phone.
00:01:33
Speaker
Yeah, I have like 18 names. like ah People know me for my government name, but I go by Jay Yannick. But in the industry and in the business, I'm Jay Johnson. i come about Jay Johnson is my last name, so I'm Jay Johnson. But everybody knows me like content creating and doing the thing with sneakers for a long time. It's Jay Yannick. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:01:54
Speaker
where's that name come from? J-Yonic. So my real name is Justin. I just put it out there. yeah a lot of people already know that. but You're about to have mad LinkedIn. Right. LinkedIn. It's like, hey, man. No, I'm actually J on LinkedIn, too. Okay, okay. Well, my real name is Justin. And a long time ago, I came up with this name because I have a sister. I'm not that close to my sister, but ah I felt like so I wanted to bring her close to me in a way with with my name. So I started saying J-A-E. And it was for Justin and Aaron. My sister's name is Aaron. So J-A-E was J. And then Yannick. Yannick is my middle name. Okay. And ah my grandmother gave me that name. My grandmother named me after Yannick Noah, the tennis player. Oh. And in French, it means of grace of God.
00:02:38
Speaker
And so like... a Once I learned that, I was like, oh, yeah, that's definitely something I'm going to go. Now this is my rap name. Yeah, this is it. Jay Yannick. Everybody knows me as Jay Yannick. A lot of people pronounce it wrong, but I don't correct them. just be like, whatever. Jay Yannick. My bad. Yeah, I'm a Yannick guy. I'm like, I saw it on Reddit. I was like, yeah, Yannick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But for people who aren't familiar with you, introduce yourself quick. Well, I'm Jay Yonick, a sneaker enthusiast, hip-hop connoisseur. Yes, sir. A translator of culture. I like that. I like that. That's a good one. always call myself culture cultivist. Culture cultivist. That's a good one, too. Yeah, because the way I'm cultivating all these stories together, feel like... Yeah.
Podcast Guest Selection Philosophy
00:03:22
Speaker
And I got to give you your flowers for what you're doing because not only are you doing that, you're bringing out like the right people.
00:03:30
Speaker
That's the part that I'm just like head over heels for. Every time I watch the podcast, I see somebody and I'm just like, yo, I'm I don't know how he even knows that person, but that's the right person to be talking to, you know? and and And I feel like you're getting the people that's not about the following and the likes, and you're getting the more about the people that actually doing the job, yeah doing the work yeah and learned and got through and actually cut through all the fat and the noise and they' making stuff happen behind the scenes. And that's the great thing. I appreciate that.
00:04:00
Speaker
Thank you so much. yeah I'm terrible at taking, compliments i've been saying this a year for for like a year now uh because yeah to me it's just i don't know i feel like it's so much there's so much that everybody feels like they know but then i feel like my job is to be like yo there's more to this yeah yeah i i i feel like back in my day like i didn't have nobody telling me yeah yeah yeah yeah here i go with the old let sit you down now But I had nobody tell me
Finding Passion-Aligned Careers
00:04:30
Speaker
these type of things. yeah Nobody was there to tell me, oh, this is how you get it. This is how you do it. This is how you actually get into the industry, do a job, make money, provide for your family with the things that you like and love. yeah you know They used to tell you, go to college, you know ah make sure you get a degree. But after that, all right, how do I get to do what I want to do? You know what mean? How do I not end up working somewhere where I'm just like...
00:04:55
Speaker
I'm not happy to wake up every morning to go there. yeah I want to wake up every morning thrilled to do my job. And that's what I can say I finally got to do. so Listen, man, I mean, that's the thing. I definitely think we need to definitely expand on that more because i don't know if me and you are around the same age, maybe. Maybe. don't if we're going to put it out there. mean, I'm nervous. But like I remember growing up and yes, everybody's like, you got to go to college. You got to go to college. You got to figure out. And we and I think we we are growing. We grew up in the era of like anything's possible.
Generational Career Perspectives
00:05:28
Speaker
Yeah. Right. Yeah. Like.
00:05:30
Speaker
Pursue that pursue that degree. Everything's possible as long as you pursue that degree. And now we're in this era where these kids are like, I can just go on the internet and become oh yeah a famous or whatever. now Oh, yeah yeah yeah. People are YouTubing, TikToking, streaming, all kind of stuff. Just cutting through it all. Getting straight to the front of the line yeah just by being a face. Yeah. You know what mean? And I mean, it's cool, but not everybody can go like, you know, to like I think that like when we were growing up, it was very like pick pick something that you want to do and then try to experience it, like get to at least experience it. Yeah. Right. Because like I remember i remember I wanted to ah become a video game designer. was a big ah Kojima guy. Oh, word. And so was like, I'm going to design going to design games, whatever. i decided to because you have to go to school for computer science for that. Right. And I'm terrible in math. I sat down in that class. I was like, I I got to switch majors. I was done. I was done because i i was terrible in math. And then the guy, it was like, you have to take like the, one of the most crazy mathematics and I was still in remedial math. And I was like, nah, nah, I can't do this. And so, you know, you got to make that pivot. But like, I don't know if we see that currently with the, with the people after us where it's like, they're, they're like, they're out of the millennial age.
00:06:53
Speaker
i don't know if you're a millennial. Yeah, a little bit. But yes, the generation after that, Gen gen z I'm not Gen Z at all. But the it's like there is no real way to pivot because I think like what a lot of people are doing is it's like they're either like you're going to become a streamer or something like that or like an Internet personality or like do content or whatever, whatever, in some sort of fashion. Or they're like, we're going to pick a trade.
00:07:20
Speaker
Like, yeah we're missing the the in-between. where's the Where's the doctors? Where's the lawyers? Where's the people that are, you know? Like, when I went to a BFF, you know, i did get to talk to some kids that were, like, pursuing the Pencil ah program. But the whole time I was talking, I'm thinking Pencil was a school that was, like, you know, you get all of it. And I'm like, no, no, it's ah it's a program. I learned about
Sneakers and Career Beginnings
00:07:42
Speaker
it after. And I was like, yo, there's so much untapped, like,
00:07:47
Speaker
like ground in order to get into footwear or in order to work within the industry. Yeah. A lot of people always hit me, you know, trying to figure out like, well, how'd you start? How'd you get into it? How did you get to where you are now?
00:08:01
Speaker
And i always tell them, you have to find something that you want. Like I said, just love, yeah live, and breathe. And you don't you don't think about it. like you don't Like, I say this. If I wasn't doing footwear as a job, I would still be doing footwear. you know Even when I was back in the day, I didn't have a job. I didn't know anything about footwear. But I still would know every drop, know everything about the culture, what's happening, yeah who just got signed where, every single thing. And that's what it's like, okay, that's when that
First Sneaker Love: Space Jam 11s
00:08:32
Speaker
light bulb hits. Like, oh, that needs to be your job. Because you're going to know about this and you're going do this no matter what. I heard Cameron say, yo, me and Mace talked about sports on the phone for hours anyway. yeah We might as well do a podcast about it. yeah
00:08:45
Speaker
that makes That makes sense. That makes sense to me. It's better than people being like, yo, with this whole conversation we just had that I just met you like three hours ago, This should have been a podcast. was like, nah, bro. That's not it. That's not it, man. That's not it, yo. Like, if I could talk to somebody continuously about sneakers, man, that's the podcast. But you're here to answer the question that I ask everybody each week, and that question is, what's your first case? that first pair of sneakers you absolutely needed to have?
00:09:11
Speaker
The first pair of sneakers I absolutely needed to have, and I brought them with me. um Okay. All right. So,
00:09:23
Speaker
This bag is fire. last thank you ah we got We got the face box. We got a face box. Jordan face box. So you probably know the year. Year was 2000 or 2001, right? Yeah. All right. So this is when you're in computer class because you might not have a computer at home. Right. And you're just on any type of form that you can get on. I don't know, maybe like 23 years back was around then. Yeah. Nike Talk was a big thing. yeah And I'm looking on there and I'm seeing a shoe and I'm just like in awe of the shoe. and I'm like, oh,
00:10:01
Speaker
I need this shoe. And it's coming around Christmas time. And so I'm like, Mom, I need a shoe for Christmas. I want a sneaker for Christmas. She's like, right, well, where do we go get the sneaker? The sneaker is dropping on this day. And we have to go there at 4 in the morning. And she's like, 4 in the morning for a sneaker? I don't get it. Why? And I'm like, because the store opens at 6, but my friends at school and everybody online is saying get there at 4 in the morning. So I get there at 4 in the morning.
00:10:31
Speaker
ah We're driving around the mall. This is Charlotte, North Carolina, by the Okay, I was going to say, it where is this? This is Charlotte, North Carolina. We're driving around the mall, Eastland Mall. For all my Charlotte people, they know Eastland Mall. R.I.P.
00:10:43
Speaker
Eastland Mall. yeah And we're driving around, and we don't see anybody because the mall's really huge. It's really big. yeah And once we're driving around, we finally get to the backside, and all of a sudden, I see it. A sea of people at four in the morning. yeah And my mom's like, all right.
00:10:57
Speaker
You're going to get out this car and going to go wait with them because I ain't going over there. So I get out the What's weather like? Oh, it's cold. It's cold. But it's not like New York cold. yeah It's like hoodies and sweatpants and you don't light jackets. Yeah, it's like fall, but it's de December. Yeah, yeah.
00:11:12
Speaker
So I go there. I'm waiting. I'm waiting. I'm waiting. Finally around like 545.
00:11:20
Speaker
the security guard comes to the door, right? Because we're outside of the mall. He comes to the door, he unlocks the front lock, and then he's like, stop, stop, stop pushing. Wait, wait, wait.
00:11:30
Speaker
He bends over to unlock the bottom lock of the door because the mall door. As soon as this door clicks... The door bum rushes open and everybody starts running.
Brooklyn to Charlotte: Cultural Influences
00:11:40
Speaker
Me, I'm like, I want to say like 14. I'm just running with them. I don't know where we're going. I don't know where the store is, but I'm running with them. yeah Finally, we get to foot action. Foot action is right across from Foot Locker. And then we ah wait there because that's where the real line begins. yeah And so once they start lifting up the gate, everybody starts ducking under, right? Just to go straight to it.
00:12:02
Speaker
So now I go to the front register and I get there and the lady says, what size?
00:12:13
Speaker
Haas, I don't know my size.
00:12:17
Speaker
Haas, this is a size 12. I saw that. I was like... I'm a 10. You're a 10? I'm a 10. Oh my God. But... I got the bangs though. Yo. This is the Space Jam, right? And a lot of people are going to see they're going to like, wait, that looks like the bread. oh Yeah, it does. It's the Space Jam. Wow. Space Jam 11, size 12. Yeah. Finally, my mom comes in the store because she has to pay for it. I don't have no money. Yeah. So when she comes in the store, she's like, where's the shoes? You got the shoes? And I'm like, yeah, she got them over there.
00:12:47
Speaker
She's like, all right, try them on. I put on the shoe. She's like, I'm like, it's a little big, but not too much. She's like, it's okay. You'll grow into them. go to the register checkout. I'm killing it at school on Monday. yeah I don't even wait till Christmas. I'm killing Flip-flopping around. Yeah, flopping around, doing my thing. I think I started double-socking and everything. You've to triple-socking. Yeah, and this shoe right here. And I never let it go. I've sold a lot of my old collection over the years, but this one has always stayed with me. And now it ah currently lives under my bathroom sink because I have a lot of shoes in other places.
00:13:24
Speaker
But... But this one, I'll never, ever let go. Now, why it looks like a bread? Yeah, why? Because the very next year, the bread 11s were coming out. Yeah.
00:13:36
Speaker
So I have no money. uhu um But I knew a dude, I can't remember his name, but he painted shoes. And he was like, yo, you give me your space jams, I'll paint them into the breads. Okay. And was like, all right, bet.
00:13:51
Speaker
I kid you not. I used to have these looking like breads. because I had no bread to get the breads. And I used to walk around and people used to stop me all the time. Yo, you got the breads early. You got the breads early. It was crazy. But that's why this Space Jam looks like a bread. I mean, this is like... not now you Now you pulling the okey-doke. The The okey-doke. I'm telling you, the okey-doke. But um yeah, this is this is the one that really really started it for me as a collector. You flip-flopping in okey-dokes. laughter
00:14:27
Speaker
What dope fit. Two is not the shoe. Yeah, yeah. With Jerbo jeans on size 40s or Iceberg, XXLs probably. Oh man. yeah Yeah. That was that time. That's crazy. Because I mean, you know earlier you're talking about you know being into hip hop. So like when did hip hop and sneaker culture kind of collide for you? Oh, very, very, very, very early.
00:14:49
Speaker
No, put them right there. we need These need to be on display. No, no, no. Put the box and the shoes. where These need to be displayed. Very, very, very, very early. I was, I was somebody that... hope you've been enjoying this week's episode with Jay Yannick.
00:15:05
Speaker
And if you really have been enjoying it, please don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment. If you agree with something, don't agree with something, or you thought it was a cool thing that you just heard on the episode, please leave a comment. It goes a long way. And if you're watching this on YouTube, hit that hype button.
00:15:22
Speaker
I only get seven days to... hopefully get this into the algorithm and and push it to other people who have never seen this podcast. And if you are listening to this, please, please, please, please rate this show five stars and leave a review on Apple or Spotify. You can also leave comments on Spotify. All this stuff, as long as you interact with anything, goes a long way. And if you want to go the extra mile, I have a $5 tier on Patreon right now.
00:15:52
Speaker
deleted the $3 tier, but you can sign up for the paton Patreon, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. Goes a long way, goes straight right back into the podcast to help build it and help push this to be as cool and dope as possible that we all can make it.
00:16:08
Speaker
So let's jump back into the episode. I think I like to say I was born into this. Yeah. I got pictures of me running around the house in Jordan 3s, flying kites in Jordan 8s.
00:16:21
Speaker
But always hip hop was around. So a little bit about me. I'm from Brooklyn, New York. Yeah. But we moved to Charlotte, North Carolina when I was very young. But I was around in Brooklyn, New York when it was the Uh-huh. I'm from East Flatbush. I'm from Newkirk. And I was around when Shabba Ranks was the man. You know what i mean? I'm talking about Tupac was getting it. Biggie was everywhere. Hip-hop was really hip-hop. And my mom used to put me in some of the craziest gear ever. I'm talking about, I have a picture of me in a fila with overalls, but one overall hanging off. okay And I used to be like, Ma, how'd you? She was my first stylist. You know what mean? Like, how did you know to do that? yeah Like, it amazed me when I look back at all these pictures. I got pictures of me with um ah the Tasmanian Devil with the the bugs bun but the Bugs Bunny. That's one of my favorite shirts, yo. That's crazy. If I ever, because that's one of those shirts I've been looking There's two shirts I've been looking for for like the past 10, 15 years, right? It's that shirt, Bugs Bunny and Taz dripped out. Yeah.
00:17:30
Speaker
Like baggy pants, all that. And then the lyrics to go, a life shirt. Rob Markman, Oh, there's a girl in your shirt. Yeah, that's a good shirt. I need that shirt bad. That is crazy. You're bringing me back. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's just always been there. Like hip hop has always been part of my life. I remember riding down south to go see my grandma because she lived in Fairville, North Carolina. And we would just listen to CDs over and over again. Life After Death, one of my favorite CDs ever.
00:18:01
Speaker
Tupac, All Eyes on Me, one of my favorite CDs ever. Nas, It Was Written to Illmatic, all these albums,
New York's Impact on Jay's Sneaker Journey
00:18:09
Speaker
you know? And so I got a lot of influence from that. So, you know, growing up in North Carolina, after going to high school there, always was like, yo, I want to know where I'm from.
00:18:20
Speaker
So my father, he's from Brooklyn, New York. And I used to come back up here to Brooklyn and go to Fulton Street. You know, I used to go, i used to go, let's shoot we just rode by. I used to go to Marcy. to go see what was going on. yeah Like I heard about it in the song. I'm just rolling around Mossy. yeah youre You are brave. Super brave. Looking back on it, nuts. Bugging out. But I really wanted to understand what was what what I was listening to. yeah You know, what was this drawing me in and and giving me this this bulk of energy within me. You know what and I mean? So ah going to Fulton Street was where it was like the Mecca sneaker street. Yeah.
00:19:00
Speaker
That's where you, that's where, I mean, if you're not familiar with Fulton Street, if you're not from New York, back at, because they don't, it's not, it's not the same. No, no, no, no, not at all. But back then, you'd go to the jewelry stores and they'd have all the Jordans in the bag before like two, three weeks before they even come out. Yeah. And they were real. That's not. Oh yeah, they're real. Yeah, they're definitely real. They're definitely real. The only time they got me, well, it wasn't fake, but the Olive Nine, they spray painted it black because the Olive Nines wouldn't sell. So they call the Black on Black Nines and they bought them. That's not, but yes. But I thought even Foot Lockers were doing that too. Foot Lockers were doing that too? heard. Oh, word? I didn't know about that. Yeah. crazy. Crazy, crazy. I heard it. I think I heard it on like, either like Joe LaPuma or something that said that and that, or somebody, was hearing somebody saying that like,
00:19:46
Speaker
The olives sat so matt so much in the stores that like Foot Locker was just like, yo, I mean, like the managers at Foot Locker were just like, yo, just paint them black and we can sell them black on black. Damn. That's crazy. So I think they took that. They probably took that from the streets. Yeah, man. because like and And they were so smart. Like back in the day, we used to go in the store. We used to be like, yo, let me get the ah military fours. Right. And they would be like, yeah.
00:20:10
Speaker
$300. And I'm like, I'm not paying $300 for the trade force. And I walk down the block and the guy, he tell me $250, right? And this is a days of cash. So you're paying with cash. But one time yeah I had a card and I paid with card. And kid you not, the LLC or the thing, the statement was the same store that I just came from.
00:20:29
Speaker
So they were just all the inventory that they had was just split up between stores on the block. And they were just breaking it up and selling it from one to another. So if you... a brick, half a brick? Yeah. If you wanted a size 10 and they didn't have it there, they'd be like, give me two seconds. He coming. He coming from down the block. He coming. Just wait. He You know? But that's what really got me going was those times. It was about the hunt. Yeah. You know, the hunt was very satisfying. It really made me feel like... You know, I was really part of something looking at it on on Nike Talk on different forums. Yeah. You know, saving it as your background. I remember then Flight Club came around and just like just scrolling through like, oh, I'll never get this. Yeah, exactly. Now, the worst is because like, I don't know. I don't know you moved back up here when it was here or like, did you ever visit? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I would visit, The worst is walking in there. yeah. you're just there holding the shoe like, yeah, I'm never going to get it. This is as close as I'm getting. This is it. This is it. Undefeated Four was definitely one those. yeah. For a long time. For me, Floms. I was just like, I'd be like, yo, can I see the Floms? And they have it all way up there. They're like, are you going to buy them? No. Can I hold them? Like, yeah, that shit was ridiculous, man. Yeah. Like, so, during that time, like, were you just like,
00:21:46
Speaker
taking odd jobs or were you like where where where does your work journey start because I feel like you are a it sounds like you were hustling from the jump yeah yeah yeah I used to I used to I used to sell DVDs out of my man's ah beauty supply store damn you were that guy yeah was that guy yeah yeah because I've always been keen to technology yeah yeah so ah I always used to like be on a computer a lot and um I learned how to burn DVDs and you know I was like, yo, I can do this. So I used to set up a little portable DVD player right there. I'd be like, look, miss, it's good quality. $10. It's not the bootleg. Look. And she'd be like, all right. and I used to hustle that. I worked at Foot Locker. Yeah. Yeah. I worked at Foot Locker in that same mall that I got that shoe from. I worked at Foot Locker. I worked at Finish Line. Finish Line was one of my first jobs ever. Okay. Yeah. Finish Line. And then there was a shoe store called Rack Room Shoes. That was my first job ever.
00:22:42
Speaker
It was Rack Room Shoes. It like a DSW nowadays. Yeah. um And then after that, I think I worked at one more store, but I can't remember. But um getting up to New York was always my dream. I was like, something about New York always brought me back.
00:23:01
Speaker
it was It was always like, yo, I'm going to New York. So I started going to New York summertime and probably Christmas. And my godmother, she stayed in the same apartment that I was raised in. okay So I was still in the hood off New Kirk chilling.
00:23:18
Speaker
And I met, well, my pops knew a guy who as his cousin that was at ah Atlantic Records. Now this is where it really
Atlantic Records Internship Experience
00:23:28
Speaker
begins. Okay. So Atlantic Records, I did an internship. u And when I did an internship, I think the year is 2008. I did an internship at Atlantic Records. And this is where I was handling, I was actually handling Maino. Okay.
00:23:41
Speaker
ah T.I., i Big Country King, and a couple other artists. But those were the main artists was handling. As an intern? As an intern. Shout out to June Cardona.
00:23:52
Speaker
um I worked with him on a lot of things and he would just take me around all the places. That's crazy. Yeah. And so he would like take me to clubs, take me to meet DJs, radio promo, all that stuff. And I was just soaking it in like a sponge. but still loving sneakers yeah because June is a big sneaker head too. So we would always talk about sneakers and that's how we hit it off.
00:24:12
Speaker
But this is where I'm really starting to learn what New York is about. You know, this is the hustle, shaking hands, talking to people. yeah Like sometimes we get sneakers and, you know, go deliver it to this guy and do that. You know what mean? Like, yeah, like that was the real deal. So that was the, you got to see how entrenched sneakers and hip hop was at like a first level. First hand level. Yeah. Yeah. Cause everybody loves sneakers. Yeah. And I'm talking about, you know, sometimes people are like,
00:24:38
Speaker
Oh, I only like Jordans. Or I only like ah Pippins. No, this is where I got to see people that were like, I want the Diodoras. I want the Scottie Pippin from this year and all that type of stuff. i'm like, oh, snap. You don't you don't just want the surface level stuff. You're going for the B-sides. You know what mean? yeah So that's when I really learned it for sure. And then like, like, so that's, well, one is crazy that you just like, yo, I'm just, I was just interned at Atlantic. Cause like, I've never had anybody just sit here and be like, yeah, you know, I just interned Atlantic, you know? Yeah. I got in there for a, for a hot summer. Yeah. Uh, met everybody. i so I'm still friends with a bunch, a bunch of them. Shout out to the 1290 crew till this day. I'm still friends with them. I'll talk to them. Did that like give you a taste of like, oh, I want to, now I'm trying to figure out like a career, like what? No, no, sadly, no, sadly, no, because I thought I wanted to be a part of the music industry. Okay. I thought because I loved hip hop so much. This is what I want to be a part of. This is what I want to do.
00:25:41
Speaker
And I remember that guy, he told me, um no, you got go back to school. Okay. You got to go back to school. You got to get your degree. And then we'll think about giving you a job. what what Where'd you go? I went to i went i went back to UNC Charlotte. And I think my degree that I was trying to get at the time was like liberal arts. I don't know. You just going for anything. Yeah, I just like, whatever. Yeah, whatever. Like me in school like did not get along. Yes. I can be completely honest. We did not get along at all.
00:26:10
Speaker
So then i'm like, I think later on, I'm like, yo, forget it. ah I want to go back to New York. Okay. And I want to stay. Yeah. So I came back to New York.
00:26:22
Speaker
I stayed. I got super duper odd jobs. I used to work at Erasmus Hall off Flatbush, Brooklyn. Never was that. It's right. There's a high school off Flatbush. Oh. Yeah, right there. your Church Avenue Flatbush. You was out of school. Out of school. Working out school. basketball Okay. Yeah.
00:26:37
Speaker
Still loving sneakers. Yeah. Right?
Pivotal Financial Advice
00:26:40
Speaker
But then I had- You were like, hey, Mr. Yannick, let me see what you got on today. Yeah, yeah. Because I would always be scrolling looking at sneakers. Yeah. For sure.
00:26:49
Speaker
ah And then I lived at that time in Rockaway, Queens. Right. You're you're wild. but yeah Yeah. Yeah. That is a trip. Trip. To Brooklyn? That's a trip. Trip. Super trip. And now I'm in Rockaway and I've got like all these OGs or for first or third retros at that time. hmm. And I met a guy by the name of Jermaine.
00:27:16
Speaker
Shout Jermaine. He worked at Kif. And I was broke. I was super broke. I mean, like, had to, like, save money from this check to then pay the rent to then have no money. Like, it was super broke. You were beyond check the check. be ah Beyond. so Super, dude. Yeah.
00:27:34
Speaker
And he was like, yo, you got all these shoes. Why don't you sell these shoes? I was like, people buying shoes like that right now? Cause i I really didn't see it. I mean, it was a time when people- This is 2000? This is probably like 2013? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Around there. You're saying Kith, so I'm thinking like Kith Atrium. Yeah. Kith Atrium. Yeah. Yeah. yep And i was like, people are really buying shoes like that? He's like, yeah. you can still sell shoes. yeah You know what was dropping around at the time? Don C II. Okay. The blue one. The blue pair. Yeah. All Star Week one was in New York. ah I remember that. Yeah. And because that was the first shoe I went to get to then sell to try to get some bread. And then I sold some of my old collection just to try to stay above means.
00:28:15
Speaker
And that's when I started meeting everyone. That was the time where everybody that is a part of this community that I'm day to day with week to week, happy, elated when I see out at an event. Yeah. Yeah. Is because i was getting it in the mud with those guys. Yeah.
00:28:36
Speaker
I remember those days very vividly. um Just being out there, you know, standing in lines or... You're going to have to name some names. Shout out to J-Tips. Shout out J-Tips. Shout out to Zayn. Zayn. Shout out Zayn. Shout out Sonny. Shout out everybody from the ISOBoom podcast. Yeah. Sonny, Trav, Tony. Yeah.
00:28:59
Speaker
Really like waiting on lines or going online trying to figure out how to get it online. Yeah getting bots all kind of stuff like really just like getting it in and well shout out Mikey to camp out. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, cuz he's gonna get mad if you if you don't oh But then some Oh, then I met someone, right?
00:29:22
Speaker
And they told me, yo, um you love sneakers so much. Why you work in sneakers? And I was like, sure. You know how to make it happen? like How can I just work in sneakers?
Content Creation and Sneaker Sales
00:29:33
Speaker
And I was like, so I started doing like content creating. This is when content creating comes on. yeah So here's my thought process now. Okay. If I get a sneaker and I want to sell the sneaker, how about I take a cooler picture than just a picture of the sneaker on the floor to then sell the sneaker? So I used to take pictures, put it on my Instagram.
00:29:54
Speaker
ah That was super dope. Tag these sneaker blogs that were out there. They would repost me. And I'd be like, yeah, i actually have three or two, four pairs. Interesting. I've never heard this method. I'll yeah sell you one or two. Yeah.
00:30:07
Speaker
And then that's how I was able to flip. And that was when Yeezys was going on. And so now I'm doing content creating to then sell the sneakers. yeah And shout out to Wifi OG, DJ Wifi OG.
00:30:21
Speaker
He introduced me to a lady named Elizabeth Revis at Foot Locker. And she was like, yo, we like your pictures and what you're doing. We'd love for you to come help out here and do something. yeah And I'm like, oh my God.
00:30:36
Speaker
The time is now. Yeah. So you're like, oh, yeah, I was like, oh, my goodness. So I helped out for a little bit, but I didn't have a job. Right. Right. It's like freelance.
00:30:50
Speaker
Yeah. Straight up freelance. Yeah. But I didn't have a job. So I was like, yo, how can I really get in here? And they didn't really have things to like really do. Mm hmm.
00:31:02
Speaker
especially because I had no like background in really much pretty much anything. Yeah. But I knew technology. I've always been good at computers. I knew about, you know, the people and the culture and everything that was going on in New York city. So they made me a digital specialist. So being a digital specialist, I worked on like IT projects. I worked on like my my marketing projects, like, Really just taking it in sponge. This is my college. yeah This is me really taking it in and like like like sitting there learning everything I can.
00:31:35
Speaker
And shout out to Mae. Shout out Mae. Mae was on your show. Shout out to Mae. I met Mae and I was like, yo, teach me everything.
00:31:46
Speaker
And she's going to love this one. she says Because she used to take me in the huddle rooms and literally... go through everything with me That's amazing. Because you you you don't get that. you know Nobody's ever going to be like... yeah maybe Immediately, the first thought is like, someone's going to steal my job. Yeah.
00:32:03
Speaker
yeah I was like, yo, she's like well what do you want to do? I'm like, I want to do marketing. Well, what part of marketing? I'm like, there's a part? Like, what do you mean? What part? But just like, okay, this guy does this. This guy does that. This funnels through this. This is buying. This is selling. This is a social media department. This is... you know learning the whole thing and i'm like okay this is dope and i'm like yo so i started to get really good at it yeah you know like coming up with ideas because i've always been creative that was that was never an issue but it was was one of your biggest ideas come At Foot Locker? Oh, 2020 COVID time when it was working on the project with ah ah ah Love Your Sneakers. or I can't remember the name. But when we were just like staying at home, yeah ah we were taking pictures of how you were using your sneakers like inside the house. And I was like working with them on that.
00:32:58
Speaker
And that was when I was really like, okay, this is how social media is working. yeah And I really picked up on social media. But it's always been there. Because i've always I've already been content creating and then was like, okay, that lives on social media. And now this Foot Locker stuff is on social media and then learning from other people. And then I met Matt Dickhoff. Shout out to Matt Dickhoff. He taught me a whole bunch of stuff there too. And then right out of COVID around 2021, I got my first job as social media manager Fila.
00:33:29
Speaker
Damn. Yeah. fela Fila. Fila. Fila USA. It was. That's a. Yeah. That's a big undertaking right there. Yeah. Yeah. That that was that was really. um That was really different cause now I'm on my own. Yeah. I don't have no help. Yeah.
00:33:45
Speaker
So now I'm trying to figure it out on my own with people that I've never met. And this is the first time I learned that when you walk in a building, they're going to be like, show me what you got.
00:33:56
Speaker
Right. Yeah. We're not going to hold your hand. What you got. Yeah. now i'm using all this creativity i'm like yo you you should do it like this we should do it like that and they're like well that doesn't fit what we're trying to do right now yeah i mean that's tough because like fela especially during that time i would say what the biggest thing would i mean i feel a disruptor just disruptor yeah the fela disruptor and then um wasn't there a retro of the grant hills too Yeah, Grant Hill. And then we brought back the... No, we made the Grant Hill Sprite. I worked on the Grant Hill Sprite project that we did a whole court in Detroit with Grant Hill too. That's sick.
00:34:34
Speaker
And it's just... It's interesting, especially it's just like... i don't really i can't really I can't really paint whatever their demographic is. Yeah, yeah. That was really hard to really pinpoint yeah on what it was because they used to tell me, like I used to walk in meetings and they used to tell me, well, we're trying to get away from the heritage.
00:34:54
Speaker
We're trying to revamp, make a new thing and like keep on going with the new. And then this is when I'm starting to learn the word Gen Z. Like, oh, we're trying to make it go away from that. And I'm like, But this is what the people want to see. So how do you really balance out what the people want to see yeah with teaching and then going with that newer demographic with the disruptor? Because we all know who the target audience was for it the disruptor. yeah So how do you balance out the two? 65 plus black ladies. So it was very, very difficult. A lot of my ideas did not get off the ground.
00:35:32
Speaker
how does How does that feel when you're like pitching ideas over and over again? oh man. yeah You start to feel like they're not believing in you. Yeah. You start to feel like ah they don't see the vision or they're against you. They're against your ideas. You start to feel like that. But you have to like understand both.
00:35:54
Speaker
And this is what I have to understand later on is you're maybe you're just not telling it right. You know, maybe you're not selling it right. Yeah. And this is where everybody out there that's listening, it comes into a creative brief, like really creating a deck that's really going to get across to the people. Yeah. I used to create decks back in the day because I've looked at them before. And it was just filled with ideas, but they weren't filled with the journey, the journey from the end to end strategy on how we're going to get this idea off from top of funnel to bottom of funnel. Because at the end of day, it's about making money. yeah You know what I'm saying? and and and And that's the part that I was missing then.
00:36:33
Speaker
So I had to really understand like, hey, they really need a strategy in place to make this happen. But Fila started to go down yeah because it wasn't doing good. And if you actually look at Fila.com right now, it's on pause.
00:36:49
Speaker
They're not even their e-com site is not even up. Damn. They actually got rid of their whole USA department and everything. So I was at the tail end of that. And once I was at the tail end of that, I said to myself, well, I need to go somewhere and get more knowledge. Because now it's not about being cool or being in a cool place. It's about getting the knowledge to set you up for success. So I went to an agency. I went to IPG.
00:37:17
Speaker
And when I went to IPG, I worked on. ah So they told me, right? I kid you not. They told me you're going to on Jordan Brand. Yeah. So i'm like, all right. Yeah. I'm in there. I'm in there. Yeah. I kid you not. I had two clients. I worked on the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. I was like, what is this? Right. I stunk it up. But it was another. It was like my master's degree. now Yeah. You know, Foot Locker was my college. IPG, that agency, was my master's degree because now I'm learning full on strategy, go to market strategy, um really target audiences, how to really capture them, how to captivate them and what the sentiment is and what the hook is to really bring them in. what
00:38:00
Speaker
So to pause on the journey, to pause on the journey, I have like two questions. But the first one is like, where did you learn to be as curious and to like continue to be like a sponge? Man, I really don't know when that started, but I've always been like that type of person that's like, yo.
00:38:20
Speaker
I see that, but who owns that? How does that work? Like, how does that operate?
Curiosity Fuels Success
00:38:25
Speaker
You know, and that's the thing that a lot of people I learned don't do. but yeah you have to present Yeah. Yeah. They'll they'll know like, OK, electrolyte water. But it's like, OK, well, somebody owns that. And maybe somebody owns the IP of this and the trademark of that, like the curry thing we were all looking at right now. Yeah. Yeah, it's like, okay, as soon as that deal happened um as soon as that deal ah falls apart and it's over, it's like, okay, well, who owns the name for this and who owns the IP for this and who owns the trademark for that? and it's like Would you say that's, ah ah like, were you a liner notes kid? Were you like, I need to study the ins and outs of ah of an album?
00:39:01
Speaker
probably it Probably, I could say it probably started there. Yeah. Yeah. Really learning is who. bad for psychoanalyzing. Probably saying that then, because I would watch a lot of smack DVDs, ah a lot of, I think I've watched backstage like a hundred times. Mm-hmm. But um and just learning, like, who's this guy? Who's that guy? You know, I walk into parties now or events and I'm like, yo, that's so-and-so from this time. yeah And they'll be like, who? And I'll go up to them and be like, yo, what's up? I remember one time we were in the street and we saw Rel, the singer. yeah And I was like, yo, it's Rel. And everybody's like, who's Rel? And I'm like, he was with Rockefeller. Like, what do you mean he's Rel? You know, but he's just like... and you got to hang out one day because I'm the same person, bro. Like, I'll be like, yo, that's that's such a yeah Who is that? Like, I'm like, oh, yo, you don't know? And then I run down their whole history.
00:39:55
Speaker
Yeah, man. So like seeing all those people and just learning then, I probably would say that probably where started, yeah. And then my my other question is like, how important is ah like networking? because I feel like.
00:40:08
Speaker
Oh, man. Yeah. Oh, buddy. I feel like you you you glossed over the relationships you built in order to get to that point. Yeah. So networking. And like, how did you learn how to do that? Okay. Networking very, very big. So I learned in in ah at Atlantic Records. That's when it started for me.
00:40:26
Speaker
Learning who the DJs were, where they were, where they spun, the different markets, yeah you know, ah ah where they were at. But there was a minute, and I swear to you, there was a minute where I wouldn't go out the house for nothing. I would not go to the party. I would not do anything. And i would be like,
00:40:48
Speaker
Yo, why didn't you invite me to the party? You know? Like, yo, I ain't getting no invite to the party. Why I wasn't invited to the party? Because they don't know you. Yeah. You know? You got to go outside and show your face. So I was the introvert that was on Instagram.
00:41:03
Speaker
Like, oh, then they know me. Look, I'm on Instagram. No, but it's out of face, out of mind. If you're not there and they don't see your face and know your personality and how... you know, you're a cool dude. And like, that's still, and it really is like, okay, I'm thinking about this guy now. Yo, I want him to come back over here. I want to see his face. See, that's, that's the huge thing people do not talk about. It's the idea of like, if you are,
00:41:28
Speaker
like you're able to be to fit the vibe that that is there then somebody will be like damn i should have invited such and such so then yeah the next time they're like yeah yo pull up and then it's on you yeah but you can't be the person that pulls up when somebody posts something and be like what about me yeah yeah yeah hate that shit yeah that has shit happens this to me now so much i'm just like yeah gotta chill yeah yeah yeah and networking is like One of the biggest things for me is one of my key strengths, honestly. like When I'm even talking to anybody about about a job, I always tell them, look, you're not only hiring somebody to do a job, you're kind you're hiring somebody that's going to come with a plethora of people in their Rolodex. I mean big-time people. So let's do this or not. You know what i mean? like you know that Networking is really, really big.
00:42:17
Speaker
God damn, he slammed down the table, put everything on the table. God damn, he was like, coming with a big, like the Rolodex like this. All right, so then, you know, we talked about IPG.
00:42:30
Speaker
um Yeah, so IPG, ah I stunk it up again. You stunk it up again. Stunk it again. You would call that misstep? Yeah. I mean, great for me. Yeah. Because I learned everything. Yeah. Now i i'm i'm I'm like really good at what I can what i know how to do. Yeah.
00:42:49
Speaker
However, creativity is still not there. And I left there and I met a guy named Just. Shout out to Just. Shout out Just. ah And he introduced me to Emory Jones. Mm-hmm.
00:43:02
Speaker
And once I met him, yeah I told him three things that I live by. I call them the three C's. Creativity, community, and... Hold up. Shit, I done forgot. Contradiction. No. Creativity, community, and... Damn, why am I blogging Communication?
00:43:28
Speaker
Communication. Is it communication? No. Okay, cut that part out. But look. I'm not cutting that part out. We're leaving that in. I'm bugging out on it. But look, creativity, community, probably communication. It's going to come to me in a minute. But when I met him, we clicked right away on that. We clicked right away on that. And he was like, yo, I want you to come in Paper Plains.
00:43:51
Speaker
And I want you to, at Roc Nation. And I want you to... you know, really run the brand, really get it going on the marketing side. Yeah. You know, like make it, you know, what all the creativity that you're talking about, you know, everything that you're you're spilling, I want you to go ahead, treat it like a canvas and paint a picture. Yeah.
00:44:11
Speaker
And I was like, all right, bet. That sounds like a big job. That sounds crazy. Crazy. But I'm like, all right, bet. Let's run it. hu So I go there.
00:44:22
Speaker
And at first, I'm like, you know you know, I'm in a new place. I'm new home. I'm tippy-toeing. I'm like making sure that, you know, I'm not stepping over anybody or whatever.
00:44:35
Speaker
And then I remember, I think it maybe been like four months went past. Mm-hmm. And I think he called me and he was like, yo, You being nice.
00:44:46
Speaker
Go crazy. yeah you This is the Emory line. Use your superpower. I'm like, I bet. First person I call, you had him on your show. Zane. yeah You ready?
00:45:01
Speaker
He's like, yeah, I'm ready. Let's go. yeah yeah Bet. We're going run these Yankee hats. uhu Boom. Puerto Rican day parade comes out. Boom. We got our first line ever at the store. I'm like, oh, that's the type of energy I like. yeah I feel this right here. yeah This is what it's really about. How can I make this happen again? So now I'm like, okay, ah let's go bigger. Rock Marciano, what's up?
00:45:23
Speaker
Rock Marciano puts out his show, lines it up with 420, works on this, ah ah his show at SOBs. How can we line that up? drive this Drive the traffic to the store. So now it's about me using my brain of strategy and putting it with that creativity and that community yeah to bring it all together. yeah You know I'm saying?
00:45:42
Speaker
and that's when I really started to shine. That's when I really started to make stuff happen. But I found very quickly that I was a big fan of the art of the
Marketing Passion and Strategy
00:45:52
Speaker
deal. yeah You know, and I was like, okay, I really love marketing, but I really love putting it together too. You know, like how I can really say, oh, well,
00:46:01
Speaker
This guy's coming out with an album and they're probably going to be here. Let's put a T-shirt with this around this time and structure it this way that we could sell it at the store and then have people come to the store for a meet and greet. And then we can do it like that. Yeah. And I really fell in love with that. yeah Like first, like firsthand. I mean, look, nobody, and nobody understands that.
00:46:23
Speaker
Like everybody goes to the event, but nobody understands yeah the putting it together part. And like me as a person that has put together a show and putting it on a show that's going to come out after my live show at West NYC. But like putting that stuff together, i I stress on that. yeah I don't find it fun.
00:46:41
Speaker
You find it fun? The thought process. yeah yeah Like, ooh, what if I could do this? yeah This would be amazing. like that Because like because i when you said like yo you had Rock Marcy pull up, right to me, I'm like, damn, now you got to deal with Rock rock rock Marcy, his people, because you know he comes with, I feel like he's the people that come with the goons. Nah, nah, he comes chill. He comes chill. It'll just be him and Salim. Shout out to Salim. Or like, did you have you ever have to deal with goons?
00:47:12
Speaker
ah Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh man, I got a good one. Dave Easton, Lo Deluxe. That's Goon City, bro. Dave Easton never roll with, he roll with like six minimum. I was just with Dave like three weeks ago. He came to the office and he was by him. No, he was with one guy and like two other people, but it was so light. And I was like, yo, you rolling real like that. Thank you so much. But that day they were like, yo, we want to shoot a video at the store. yeah And I'm like, bet, pull up. Yo, it was a whole... do We had Lafayette Street looking like Harlem. I swear to God. The Maybach was parked on the sidewalk. There's a bike lane. yeah got it He got over the bike lane into the on the sidewalk, over the cones, and just chilling there. And... and
00:48:01
Speaker
it But it was all love. It was all love. But it ah that was a lot of goons that day. That's, yo, I, it's crazy. I mean, I don't, like, when you, when you're putting something together, especially in that ne legendary Soho area. Yeah. Like, it's gotta be a tough task because, know,
00:48:19
Speaker
is One, I feel like, I mean, it's not as it's not as packed as like Soho used to be. like But it does get packed. Oh, it gets back In the summertime, it was good it gets packed, for sure. And I went there for the J-Tips thing. yes That's where we linked up at. yes um But like, I i remember watching Zayn's drop for the Mets and Yankee. Oh, yeah. the right the The double play. That was the second time around. we had to do it again. I was like, yo, Zayn, we got to do it again. But we got to do it. Proper, we got to right, and we got to really... ah My main thing with him on that one, how do we get it in the stadium?
00:48:54
Speaker
Y'all did. We did it. Y'all did. Did you did it do Citi Field too, or was only Yankee was only Yankee Stadium. Only Yankee Stadium. They wanted it, though. Yeah. They did. They they were they wanted it. yeah yeah I remember they were talking about they wanted it for sure.
00:49:10
Speaker
I mean... Look, you've you've been able to, like, cross that. And so it's it's been, like, hearing your journey is interesting because, like, you got to think about it, bro. You, like, you started Atlantic Records that you ended up, ah like, working at Paper Planes with, like, people. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. that is That is funny. So I met a guy, right? Yeah. And I always tell everybody this. I met a guy, Deshaun.
00:49:32
Speaker
Shout out to Deshaun. And he told me about the universe. Mm-hmm. He told me like about how it's all aligned. Yeah. Everything's written. You have to listen. You have to see the signs.
00:49:43
Speaker
And once he said that and I started opening in my mind and like really listening and seeing the signs and seeing what's happening. And, you know, I started to really see it. Like, okay. Yeah. This is not all a coincidence.
00:49:56
Speaker
This is all yeah like on purpose. The shoes were there the whole time. Yeah. You know, I was wearing Jordan 3s in Pampers. You know what i mean? I was a big fan of sneakers and I was a big fan of hip hop. Yeah. I was a big fan of streetwear. The early streetwear.
00:50:14
Speaker
Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, FUBU. i had I think I had every rapper's clothing from Rockawear to Snoop Dogg to Vocal that has ever existed that I wore. I either bought it at the mall or bought it at Marshalls. But I still bought it. yeah You know what mean? Source Magazine, XXL Magazine. So...
00:50:35
Speaker
when When I was trying to figure it all out, it was right there in front of me the whole time. yeah All I had to do was just put it together and go for it. And then that's when it started to click.
00:50:47
Speaker
That's when the door started to open yeah because they were just waiting on me to reach my hand out. yeah you know The universe is all about a handshake with God. You have to reach your hand out to get that handshake. You know? Mm-hmm. So if you're not, it' like like I said, like get up and get out there. Yeah.
00:51:04
Speaker
Because once you do that, you never know what's going to come. You know? Listen, man. I mean, you said that earlier in the beginning, like, you don't know how I've been able like, people be like, how you how you been able to get these people? at that That's mainly it. Yeah. Like, when the the intention. I think it's like, one people one thing's one thing people don't realize is until you get in front of them, like, they won't know your intention. like Like, you can easily smell somebody just trying to get something from you. Oh, big time. You know? Especially now. Especially now. Oh, my God. People you've spoken to? Oh, my God. It's a lot out there. It's a lot out there. And they've come to the store and I weave them on out. All right. He ain't about nothing. All right. This might be something. Let me see. And then sometimes I put them to the test. I'll tell them, yo, you want this? Like, put a deck together. Let me see what you're about.
00:51:55
Speaker
You'll see. you do you think they won't come back? I mean, that's what I was going to Do you think, like, is that... Because I feel like putting a deck together is not hard. ah But I'm also... I've put a deck together. Yeah. So, but, like, is is that... Is that, like, a way to kind of just be, like, are you about it? Yeah, like, are you really about what you're talking about? Yeah. you know Are you able to explain yourself? Yeah. Are you are are you are you seeing the real vision? are you Because it's all about...
00:52:24
Speaker
From the beginning to the end. Top of funnel to bottom of funnel. are you really seeing how you can really sell? Because a lot of people will sit there and be like, yo, I could do this. I could do that. But, yo, you don't even know how to really sell this product. Yeah. We have to sell this. Yeah. I did a hat with ah Loso. Loso Wave. Yeah, shout out Loso Shout out to Loso. you're not familiar, he did the Timbs with the flames on it. Yes, yes. And I did The Crown, right? Yeah. um With Loso.
00:52:55
Speaker
And I sold that hat for like $250. People thought I was crazy in that office. They were like, hat's $250? I think you're crazy right now. Yeah, I promise you, we sold them every you sell every single one.
00:53:06
Speaker
Yeah? Every single one. I mean, look, i i I wasn't too happy about the the Zane price for the Mets hat. Oh, yeah? i was like, yo. But that was official tissue, though. That was the good one, I don't know, I know. That was the good I almost wore it today. But, like, yeah, I was like, yo, that's crazy. i was like i I was like, all right, lucky I want to support. so Yeah, yeah, yeah. This hat is fire, so whatever. Yeah, that's actually one of my favorite ah projects I ever worked on.
00:53:31
Speaker
But my home run. got to talk about my home run because we're still celebrating because they're going to win a Grammy in February. Working with the Clips was an amazing thing. Shout out to everybody at Roc Nation that worked on the Clips project and just gave me that alley-oop to slam dunk to be a part of that. I remember I got a call from my guy, James, and he was like, yo, the clips are coming in on Monday. And I was like, what? The clips are coming Monday? He's like, yeah, there's a big meeting. I don't know.
00:54:01
Speaker
And I'm like, okay, um let me find out. yeah So I call somebody else and they're like, yeah, you want to be a part of the meeting? I'm like, hell yeah. Yeah. So I put together this super idea about how we can give back to Virginia and all this type of stuff. and you know Because I'm a big fan. Here we go again. Hip-hop and streetwear. Let's do excited put it. I'm putting together. I'm selling it and everything. Monday comes. I go in the meeting. Sure enough, Pusha T and Malice come in the room. And I'm just like, oh, shit. What does what does that feel like? Oh, man. The pressure? Oh, it was pressure. It felt like pressure, but it felt like...
00:54:41
Speaker
at home too yeah i remember malice was super cool he was like he went around to everybody and said hi i'm malice you know and once it got to my slide i said you know i said my spill i had it all written down talked them through it and then i said we want to treat this like a homecoming for virginia Because I saw that they had a whole bunch of brands that they were doing collaborations with for the album. yeah yeah But I said, nobody's doing anything for the tour. So that's where we're going to fit.
00:55:13
Speaker
And once I said, we're going to treat this like a homecoming for Virginia, Pusha T turned around and looked at me and I said, got him. Yeah. We got a green light. That's crazy. And I waited like two weeks and I finally got the thumbs up and I said, stop everything. Nobody's touching this project.
00:55:30
Speaker
Only me and a couple people. Because I didn't want anything to get messed up. yeah Yeah. I wanted to treat this like, oh, this is, I don't want to mess All hands deck. Yes. Yeah. So i work with all your hand. on I work with my boy. ah Shout to Hickley and shout to Tristan. I work with them on the graphic and we came up with a bunch of fire. Yes.
00:55:52
Speaker
But they wanted to keep it nice. Yeah. Everything was very clean. Very clean. And then ah Hickley shout to Hickley because Hickley was like, yo, we should treat it like the starter hat.
00:56:02
Speaker
And we put the Virginia on the back.
00:56:07
Speaker
I think we sold like 500 hats. Gotta be. Gotta be. And it was so fulfilling. it ill probably and I'll probably talk about this for the rest of my life.
00:56:19
Speaker
The drop was the same day as the New York show.
Career Highlight: The Clipse Collaboration
00:56:22
Speaker
Did the drop. Everybody came through, purchased. I said, you going to a concert tonight? You going to a concert tonight? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:56:29
Speaker
Went to the concert. I'm up on the balcony. I'm chilling. I'm looking down. Everybody's wearing a hat. You had to be. Everybody's wearing a hat. yeah I took so many videos. Yo, yo, yo. They're wearing it. They're wearing it. They're wearing it. And the concert was phenomenal. So shout out to them. That was my favorite project working there. was this year Besides J-Tips. Of course. That J-Tips hat is fire. J-Tips hat is fire. I wish I got one. I ain't got one. No, you don't. I ain't got one. Would you call that your swan song?
00:56:58
Speaker
Probably. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because now what are you doing now?
New Role at Authentic
00:57:02
Speaker
Now. You got to announce it. You announce it on IG. You can announce it here. All right. yeah Now i'm with Authentic working on Reebok and Champions. Crazy. Yeah.
00:57:11
Speaker
Yeah. So the whole journey. And like I said, the universe, this has been thing in my ear since January.
00:57:22
Speaker
I was in Paris. Mm-hmm. And I met the Reebok team at Soho House. Right? And when I met them, I was like, oh, this is a Reebok team. Cool.
00:57:33
Speaker
And I was trying to do a shoe. Like, I'm like, yo, we cool we can get a shoe. Yo, Plains Reebok. Plains Reebok. was like, let's be cool. Right? But it wasn't about that. yeah Universe was telling me this is where you're going next. yeah This is what you're to do next Buckle up.
00:57:46
Speaker
Get ready. And enjoy the ride. So i' im happy to I'm happy to be there. I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing. Damn, man. Well, I got my last question. My last question deals with a little visualization once you think back to Young jay young J. e Young Young Yannick. Yannick, my bad. Young Yannick. And I want you to to visualize your younger self opening the box of the wrong size.
00:58:13
Speaker
Space Jams. And now you're older, you behind your younger self. What would you tell your younger self as he opens that box? It's the wrong size, fool. Make sure you put your foot on the scale so you can know that's not your size. And you're not going to grow into them. Nah, I would i would would basically say like, you know, enjoy them, really cherish them. It's basically everything that i'm probably already done doing with them. Yeah. Because I'll never let them go. Yeah. For sure. This is something that want to say. wouldn't tell him don't paint them bread?
00:58:48
Speaker
Nah, that was a part of the story for me. That was a part of the story. Because it reminds me that time. Because that time, people were going custom crazy at that time. Yeah, for sure. You was early on. Yeah, yeah. People were going custom crazy. You were real early And mind you, I don't really even like customs. Figures, right?
00:59:03
Speaker
All right. Let everybody know where to
Social Media Connections
00:59:05
Speaker
find you, man. ah You can follow me and find me, Jay Yannick on everything. J-A-E-Y-A-N-N-I-C-K on everything. Tap in. i always Another thing I always say to anybody yeah is I always try to respond to every single DM.
00:59:20
Speaker
I remember reaching out. Unless it's me three years ago where he he did it he didn't respond. That's a lot. But I remember like reaching out to people and like they wouldn't respond. Yeah. And then um I'd be like, oh, no, I got to respond to people. And I got to really like, you know, help the people and show them the way. And I had a conversation the other day and I told them I was like, yo, I feel alone, but I feel like I'm doing something with a purpose. And they were like, yeah, you're going to leave that door open for the next one. And I said, yeah, that's it.
00:59:48
Speaker
Why would you feel alone? I feel alone as in where I came from, ah my whole p crew was there. You know? But now I'm with a new crew and it's like, okay, I got to learn everybody all over. Oh, I get what you said. I get what you said. I get what you said. I thought you meant like, on some depression shit. No, no, no, no, no. No, just alone as in like, okay, I to meet everybody. You came out and just end the episode like, feel alone, bro.
01:00:14
Speaker
So please message me because you know I need friends. Nah, nah, not like that.
Podcast and Patreon Promotion
01:00:21
Speaker
Yo, it's been a huge honor, man. ah You know where to find me, who is Haas on all social medias. Follow the podcast and My First Kicks pod. Cops and Reeboks. And then, because this is my only pair. You're going to get some more soon. This was not a fishing attempt. um Yeah. ah Hit me up. ah You know, hit us up.
01:00:42
Speaker
As we said, hit the Patreon at patreon.com slash my first kicks. um This is coming out after the the the the West NYC show. But the West NYC show will be coming out next week after this episode comes out um there. I think I think I'm allowed to say that they're dropping a Clark's collab. so make sure you cop that as well. And, ah you know, what we say each week I'm going to kick it on to myself, but I'm going to say here. I guess I'll say it. Where? Your kicks.
01:01:13
Speaker
Kick it on. Go me. Pitch the the the Patreon stuff and all that stuff. Man, thank you for tapping into this week's episode with Jay Yannick.
Reflecting on Jay's Career Journey
01:01:23
Speaker
Yo.
01:01:24
Speaker
His journey has been extremely interesting. It it spans from reselling, from content creation. like We really touched on how he was able to learn stuff from the music industry and then basically jump back into putting it all in together. But now...
01:01:44
Speaker
He's really tapped in with Reebok and doing a lot of great things as a director for athletics and champion. Super dope. Like, it's funny because like before this episode, I was not trying to wear a pair of Reeboks on the episode um and had something else lined up. But and He posted on his his page that he just signed with Reebok or just signed on with Reebok. And so I had to be like, all right, what's the what's the pair of Reeboks I got? And it's what I'm wearing in this episode, the market pair. And it's really funny that ah I'm like ah like, all right, cool. I have to make sure I got these Reeboks on because now he's repping Reeboks and
01:02:31
Speaker
you know, it's very interesting as, and this is just thoughts from my brain right now, but like, it's interesting how I'm getting put in these positions where I'm having people on that are just like part of brands, like literally part of brands that we all grew up and, and built, and built relationships with and, and have so much history with. and And, you know, these people are getting in the rooms and it's like, you know, a lot of this work is, is so dope to hear about where we can hear these journeys where people have taken maybe unconventional routes to conventional routes, but there are people that that look like us, that act like us, that have the same love for sneakers like us that are helping to make sneakers really cool and fun.
Sneaker Industry Critique
01:03:20
Speaker
You know, i think there's lot been a lot of discourse on the internet of how sneakers aren't fun anymore.
01:03:25
Speaker
And, you know, that does serve a a lot of like I don't detrimental, not like interesting discourse because a lot of the people that complain about, and this is just my little tangent, but a lot of people that complain about what's wrong with sneakers aren't really like actually understanding how we get from point A to the finished product. Because like, you can't say from A to B, because there's many steps in between, right? And so this year, I've been trying to kind of expand my, also my own knowledge of what it takes to really understand how a sneaker gets from a to B, how a person gets into these rooms that we all have heard about and also it's just interesting to hear when somebody who just has a love for sneakers is able to find their way in it because it's never it's never as simple it's never a simple path of just like let's do this this this this and now we're here right you know in this episode I talk about what I learned from BFF um it doesn't take away from
01:04:39
Speaker
you
Sneaker Production Insights
01:04:40
Speaker
know, what I learned from anybody that's in this, in the, in that has been on this podcast from, you know, people who just really love this and have like really strong opinions. Like a lot this stuff I, I just want to hear because one of the biggest things when it comes to hobbies and passions or, or just podcasting in general is a lot of people just want to talk about what they think is wrong or talk about what people are doing wrong or,
01:05:10
Speaker
or never really like, um what's the word I'm looking for? i Never really want to like expand on why something gets to the point where it it seems tone deaf because we do miss the the the inching of like, okay, how do I get this story that I want to be told? Like, okay, now I have to figure out how I'm going to pitch it and how I'm going to you know, use my expertise from, say, working in McDonald's. Like, how do I turn that into a skill that I can use to get into a room so to pitch ah a shoe to Adidas or Nike? Like, so, you know, here in Jay's journey and where he is now is very interesting. His time at Plains, I got to see some really cool stuff that,
01:05:57
Speaker
that like his activations like with J Tips and and Zane and I didn't get to see the Rock Marcy, but I wish I went to that. I got to see the the clip stuff. It was very cool.
01:06:08
Speaker
And he's very about just building within the community.
Community Building Importance
01:06:14
Speaker
And that's what this is about, too. You know, I've been able I've been able to tap in with a lot of cool people and you're going see a lot, a lot, a lot of cool people as I keep growing this because The one thing everybody has always told me is that it's something that about it's something about how I am as a person that really connects with anybody that talks to me. And i don't i take that i take that with you know such high honor because
01:06:49
Speaker
you know, I think we, everybody who's traveling or, you know, maneuvering within this these spaces of like content creation, being a creative, all these things, it's never like, it's everybody thinks everything's transactional. And I'm i'm the person that if you meet me, it's never transactional. I i feel, always feel more,
01:07:14
Speaker
in in the option of like, well, not the option. in In a sense, I feel like um we're doing services for each other where you're you're bestowing knowledge towards me and we're having a good conversation. I think it's two-way street in that way. I'm not looking for anything besides just like an hour your time. And if you've been listening to this for a little bit over an hour, I really appreciate you for tapping in with me. As you can see, the background's different. I'm not in the crib.
01:07:44
Speaker
I'm actually recording this the day before this episode goes live. So I'm doing this at work and I needed to do it right now. So if you see me look around, it's because people are looking at me recording this into a phone. But just wanted to say thank you.
01:07:59
Speaker
um As you've seen, been saying it a lot, but I don't take this very lightly. If you tap in each week, if you're tapping, you know, this is your first time checking me out.
Listener Appreciation
01:08:10
Speaker
Just know you're appreciated here. You're,
01:08:13
Speaker
Your time is valuable and I really appreciate you spending this hour with me and Jay. Hopefully you can spend a lot more as people are posting their Spotify raps and you can see um a lot of podcasts are posting theirs. It's really cool to see that people are tapping in anywhere that they're able to from YouTube, Spotify um and so Apple. And so, you know, just want to say thank y'all. And of course,
01:08:43
Speaker
Got to do Patreon shoutouts. So, Patreon shoutouts. If you want to join the Patreon, all you have to do is sign up for the Patreon. Patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. And let's start off with the names.
01:08:54
Speaker
We got Ross Adams. We got Adam Neustetter. We got Jesse. Jesse G. We got Adam Butler. We got Derek Lipkin. Fresh poetic. Fresh poetic. My bad.
01:09:05
Speaker
We've got... um Oh, yeah. Oh, oh, wait, I got it I got it. We got Samia, new subscriber, Samia. We got Jordan Kaiser, new subscriber as well. Shout out. Shout out to the shooter. Trust the shooter, as always. If you've seen, he shot all like I posted a couple of pictures from him shooting the West NYC live show.
01:09:27
Speaker
So shout out to him. And then we got Derek Hawkins, you know, So far we're at nine. i think if I get one more Patreon subscriber, I will add an extra episode onto, like that, like I will purposely make sure that this goes up um just on some you know appreciation for 10 patrons.
01:09:49
Speaker
um I'll bring on a previous guest. We'll just talk sneakers. We'll talk ah journeys, not journeys, the store, but like just a little bit of the journey. Um, and like what we've been seeing, like we'll make it really topical and the only way you'll catch it is on the Patreon. So make sure you sign up for that. Patreon, patreon.com slash my first kicks.
01:10:11
Speaker
Um, really appreciate y'all. And if you want to check out more episodes of the podcast, check out these two episodes here. And of course, you know, what we say each week, wear your kicks.
01:10:24
Speaker
Peace.