The Tables We Create

"Anyone can be number one but not everybody is first." -Billy Dee Williams 

Imagine I woke up without any idea of today's blog. I feel fatigued and the day seemed longer than most. But after a dose of catching up with the Emmys, I found some inspiration. So much black excellence. Queens Regina King, Uzo Aduba, comedy kings Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, and Mr. Tyler Perry! Congratulations to Zendaya who becomes the second black woman to win best female lead in a drama. She's also the youngest actress in that category. My favourite show Insecure secured a nod too.

As I write this I just watched the next generation of spoken word artists create some magic. The art and culture of the spoken word are in safe hands. Mr. Tyler Perry has my utmost respect. I have watched the evolution of the filmmaker's career ever since my first Madea movie. The powerful stories that spoke to my own script drew me to the writer. Today I stand as a student of Tyler Perry.

We might not have met, but watching Mr. Perry build his empire continues to inspire me. I remember his 2019 BET acceptance speech. The profound portion of the speech was, "While you're fighting for a seat at the table, I'll be down in Atlanta building my own. Because what I know for sure is that if I could just build this table, God will prepare it for me in the presence of my enemies." And in 2020, Forbes announced that Mr. Tyler Perry was the newest self-made billionaire on their list.

While you're fighting for a seat at the table, I'll be down in Atlanta building my own. ' Because what I know for sure is that if I could just build this table, God will prepare it for me in the presence of my enemies. -Tyler Perry 

I realigned myself to the vision of pursuing my dream. I know how many times that I've wanted to give up. I actually have quit. Shut down everything because it all seemed to be in vain. I haven't made a cent from my vision. I can't afford to pay any of my staff including myself. But watching Tyler Perry's testimony gives me hope. The tables that we create.

I know all too well about being rejected at tables that you want to have a seat at. That's why I stopped! My passion has always been in the creative industry. From film to writing, and entertainment. Africa remains an untapped Creative hub that can contribute to disruptive storytelling globally. But my vision is to tell stories on our terms. To continue the lineage of our totems and family history through oral tradition. To revive ancient sounds and reinvent them with who we are today.

I sit at the table that I created. I don't have much to show for it, but I have a table with several seats. I relate to Tyelr Perry on several levels it's insane. When you have a vision that keeps you restless, you want it to manifest. But the catch is the journey. For the past seven years, I have been working on a vision. Thankfully, I have had day ones who have been loyal. Imagine someone who sticks around even when there's no remuneration. Of course in this economy, we have nine to five jobs for survival. But at the first withdrawal of the first dollar, we are going full-time.

We live in a culture where everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. To be honest, most people are either self-employed or employees. That is still a noble path. I loosely use the term entrepreneur but what I'm sure of is that I am a visionary. I liken myself to Joseph in the Bible - the dreamer. But the dreams are greater than myself. I'm learning how to have a healthy relationship with money. I'm money motivated in my career. I believe in adding and receiving my value. I'm not yet there when it comes to receiving my true value. But I also want to empower others.

I have great admiration for communities that create spider web economies. I respect how they ensure that finance and services support their communities. I would love to be part of such a community. Part of the vision is to create a sustainable creative economy. Within those economies, the ownership belongs to those within the economy. Tyler Perry owns two of the most lucrative assets- intellectual property and real estate. 

 

Tyler Perry's intellectual property is in media and entertainment. To date, the industry has created 4% of billionaires. Owning the rights to your creative work offers opportunities for accumulating wealth. As we know, Mr. Perry owns a large portion of his creative work including books, films, and music. According to Forbes, Perry has created 1,200 episodes of TV, 22 feature films and more than two dozen stage plays. Viacom CBS pays him $150 million a year to create content for its networks, including BET and Nickelodeon. He has a stake in the BET+ streaming service. Real estate contributes to 9% of the world's billionaires. Tyler Perry owns his own 330-acre studio which is estimated to the value of $280 million.

The bigger picture that I have gathered from Mr. Perry is to create your own wealth. To spread out your resources by bringing others up. And when they reject you at their tables create yours. I can't necessarily say that I have been rejected. I'm just not part of the in the crowd. We sometimes don't receive due credit. But as we build this table, I am learning that God rewards pursued visions. 

Create your own tables where you can share seats with those who also live a similar vision.

Here's to creating tables where you share the feast that the Lord prepares for you....in the presence of your enemies...

...and seating with those who also live in the vision!

P.S.: Always write your own love story!

Ciao!

Lady E