Using Media to Empower and Inspire Others

Intro (00:09):
Welcome to innovations and breakthroughs with your host Rich Goldstein, talking about the evolutionary, the revolutionary, the inspiration and the perspiration and those aha moments that change everything. And now here’s your host Rich Goldstein

Rich (00:33):
Rich Goldstein here, host of the innovations and breakthroughs podcast, where I featured top leaders and the path they took to create change past guests include Joe Polish, Ron Frasier, and Joe de Sena. This episode is brought to you by my company, Goldstein patent law, where we help you to protect your ideas and products. We’ve advised and obtained patterns from thousands of companies of the past 26 years. So if you’re a company that has software product or a design, you want protected go to Goldstein patent law.com, where there are amazing free resources for learning about the patent process. And you could email my team@welcomeatgoldsteinpc.com to explore if it’s a match to work together. You could also check out the book I wrote for the American bar association that explains in plain English, how patents work it’s called the ABA consumer guide to obtaining a patent. I have with me here today, Monica Floyd, Monica is the founder of true vision media group, a full service music film, and video production company through true vision Monica endeavors, to inspire others through the arts and to enhance the human experience through visual arts and entertainment.

Rich (01:37):
In addition to being a media, executive and producer, um, Monica is an accomplished leader throughout the entertainment industry. She served as a director producer manager writer also as a comedian and the actor and a successful recording artist. She’s produced a variety of films, including the Netflix popular family, family, film the app. That’s still Christmas as well as lucky girl, 48 hours to live the spike Lee film, the blood of Jesus, and many more as well as as many others in various stages of production, a consummate, dealmaker, visionary, and an inspirational leader. I am very pleased to welcome here. My good friend, Monica Floyd. Welcome Monica.

Monica (02:19):
Thank you Rich for having me. I’m super duper excited because it’s you, I’m happy to be here. My trademark impact needs Buru friends.

Rich (02:31):
Yeah. Thank you so much. And I’m glad to be doing this today because it’s you and, uh, uh, you know, and, and it’s really like, just so fun and exciting to have you here on, on, um, on my program because, you know, we met on clubhouse, um, and you know, for those that don’t know, clubhouses is it’s an audio only chat application where, um, you know, when people get to go in different rooms and talk with, with groups of people and we met there and we became fast friends and we’ve been, um, in, in, uh, on different programs that are on clubhouse, Monica has been just, uh, uh, a constant supporter of me and my room’s what I’m doing patent and trademark rooms. And, uh, and when, when she’s doing rooms, um, or I’m there and she invites me on stage all the time, we’ve just kind of really gotten to connect, um, on that. And that’s been so much fun, but it’s great to do this together and to get to talk about, you know, talk about you and you as a leader and, uh, about the things that you’ve done, um, today in your life, as well as what’s coming. So, so exciting.

Rich (03:44):
So I guess let’s reel it back, you know, let’s start with, um, kind of like you got, you got rolling. I know that you started out by, um, you know, studying engineering in high school. Like just like me, we both went to pre-engineering high schools, so, so much fun. And, and, and like, you know, I think that kind of gave you a bit of background for what was to come in the entertainment industry, would you say?

Monica (04:08):
Yeah, absolutely. It was up from there because, um, I always tell people, you know, when they say, um, when they talk about high school, I don’t even look, really look at my high school as a high school. I look at it like an experience because I was a welding at the age of 14. And when I look back now, I’m like, that’s pretty scary. 14. When I look at my daughters when they were 14 and me being 14, catching a bus to school from Baltimore city to the suburbs, to a school where there, there weren’t a lot of people who look like me, first of all, there were limited females. It was like all male school, maybe 15% females and, um, maybe 3% black females. Um, and so it was pretty scary, but I would, I would always say if it’s not crazy, or if it’s not hard, I’m not interested in it.

Monica (05:06):
Everything that’s difficult, I’m interested. I’m sucked into it just by nature. I don’t know. I don’t know whether it’s because of my sign or because something I was just born with. But, um, yeah, the engineering thing is such a blessing. Um, college prep, school academically accelerated, um, I didn’t know anything about welding. I didn’t know anything about architect, chur, like mechanical drawing physics, um, such a workload for a 14 year old. And I just remember having to do a lot of homework, but I didn’t study a lot because we’re going to go to this art. My heart was always in the art, so I was always on the track team or the dance team or, um, theater groups. And so I suffered, you know, I was like, I laugh and say, I was like a B student, you know, B, C student. When, when I went to the, in near school, I was exceptional. I had like a 98, almost a hundred average. But then when I went to the engineering school, I wasn’t like the smartest in the school anymore.

Rich (06:07):
Yeah, yeah. I could, I could relate to that as well. Um, you know, and so your heart was in the arts, but, but I guess like the entertainment business has become so technical. Right. I mean, it’s, it’s, it just kind of seems that like, um, to, to, to do what you are doing now, in terms of producing, um, films, producing media, like having a D just kinda like, um, having that experience of, of getting to learn about technology must have, must have been, um, you know, kind of unexpectedly a big part in, in, in what you do now. And like in being in being able to navigate the highly technical entertainment business these days.

Monica (06:46):
Yeah. I, um, I found myself when I started my company, true vision media group. I found myself saying to myself, I’m not going to be online. I’m not going to be downloading music. I’m not going to be, um, you know, downloading acts. I hired people to do all that for me, because like I said, at 14 and 15, I was inputting data into computers to get something that would say in the successful compilation. And if it was an error, you had to go back in, put the right data in. And I was like a grown person at 14, 15. So now when I was in my twenties, in my thirties, I’m not doing any of that. I don’t want to do anything technical. I don’t want to get on the computer and do anything. So I just hire people to do everything for me. But when the pandemic K, okay, now Monica, you have to do everything like zoom. I hate it, setting up the zoom. I don’t want to do it, but I feel the importance of knowing, having, I should know how to do it, you know, because then that means you always going to need somebody, but I don’t like to meet people. I like to be self-sufficient

Rich (07:55):
No abs. Absolutely. Um, you know, and, and so, and you, you kind of went on, like, you’ve always, you always had your, your heart in the arts. Um, and at the same time though, you, you, you worked in a variety of, of fields that were non art related. And, and so you are involved in the, um, in the automobile business, right. So you were, um, you were in sales and you led teams of salespeople. So tell me a bit about that.

Monica (08:22):
Yeah. I, um, I just knew in my head, I was like, okay, um, 20 years, I’m in my twenties, probably 23 years old, um, young, black girl, 23 years old. Okay. Now you have a choice. I was in a singing group cause I auditioned, I moved from Maryland. I got picked to be in a singing group that didn’t work out. I didn’t like the management. So I got out of the singing group after nine months. So it’s like, okay, you really have to get a job. Um, there was no option of me sleeping in my car, you know, or compromising my value. So it’s like, what are you going to do? So I had gotten a job at the daily news, the newspaper company, and I just remember selling newspapers by the phone from a script by Cole Kali. And then I just made up my own script and I just became the top salesperson.

Monica (09:12):
And, um, even when I didn’t speak Spanish, I learned how to, um, speak Spanish so I could get the Spanish clientele as well. And then I said, well, now I need to make more money because I wanted to, you know, live in the safe communities with the guard Gates. And, you know, because again, I was a female. So I saw an article in the paper and it said, you can make $20,000. I think it was a month. And so I applied and I got a job. It was a Mazda dealership. Didn’t know anything about cars. I didn’t know the difference between a four cylinder or six cylinder. And I just remember walking in there and I remember walking through the service department and the guys were looking and, you know, laughing because of course I had on heels and a skirt and they were like, Oh my gosh, she’s coming to sell cars.

Monica (09:55):
She’s not going to last two days. And, um, I heard them and I was like, they have no idea who they’re dealing with. And so I just took home. I remember taking home about 10 brochures, reading them from cover to cover learning the drive trains, whether it was double wishbone suspension or there’s some struts or aluminum cast iron engine, I just was so excited about it. And then it took me back to the home. Okay, you got this, you went to an engineering school, so you you’re, you’re built for this. And, um, so I learned the product and I just remember learning how to do a walk around on the vehicle. And when people would come in and they see me, they think, wait a minute, this little girl, she’s going to sell me a car. And then I would walk around and do my presentation.

Monica (10:37):
And then I would go from this little girl with dimples, giggling and singing. And then when we walk in the office and it’s trying to make time to make the deal, I would get serious. Like, okay, now look, if the terms and the conditions are agreeable, are we buying this today? Because I know I had Toyota across the street. I had Honda across the street. I had Nissan down the street and Mazda was a product that Mazda had the best warranty, but it wasn’t the most popular car. You know, there were more Toyotas being sold, more Honda’s being so, and so I had to compete with the Toyota dealership on the strip and the ma um, Honda dealership. So I had to be exceptional at selling, knowing the product and selling. And so I, in my mind, if you sat down in my office, you weren’t leaving without the car.

Monica (11:23):
And so I would buy food. I would have crayons for the kids. I mean, whatever it was, we were going to make that deal. And I just remember after the first month, I think I was number one every month for nine and a half years, except one month. And, um, once I did the automobile business, I knew and I learned, and if I take that out of my journey and out of, off of my resume, I will be a different person because I got to meet every nationality. I mean, we had, I mean, I got to sit in my office with, um, Asians and Persians and Russians and Armenians and, and I was so interested in the culture. I would sit there and talk half of the time about the deal and the other half about the culture where they’re from. And, you know, I would make them, teach me how to write certain things down and, and put the accent marks. And it was just such an experience. I loved my life, but I was always working, you know, I was always working. I didn’t have family had friends, but I was just always working because I loved it, you know?

Rich (12:29):
Yeah. And so like, that was valuable experience in terms of sales, in terms of getting to know people, getting to know other cultures, but also leadership. Right. You got the opportunity to, to begin to lead other people and give them the opportunity to, to Excel.

Monica (12:47):
Yeah. Like after, after year, I think it was like after a year, maybe a year and two months, they made me a manager, a team manager, and then I trained, uh, I would train maybe like a team of seven people and teach them how to do the walk, arounds, teach them the steps, sales. And it was mainly all males. You know, we have few females in the dealership over the whole nine years and I was built, you know, I was tough. And, um, I just, like I said, I went immediately into a leadership role and it was just fun to me, you know, cause I could serve people and I really liked serving people.

Rich (13:24):
That’s awesome. Yeah. And, and so, I mean, I think where we’re kind of, um, getting a bit of a picture of like the making of, of Monica Floyd. So for, you know, we’ve got the engineering background and now we’ve got the experience that has you Excel at sales, um, and uh, at leading people and learning about people and uh, you know, which you all came together in, in your career, but let’s now move to the arts. So then you, you, um, you, you worked really hard, um, you know, doing something which wasn’t arts related, but you excelled at it. So then how did you transition over, into directly working in the arts?

Monica (14:06):
Yeah. So when I got to the point where I trained my sales team, then I didn’t have to be as hands-on. So once my team got to be really, really good, I could go and leave and go on auditions. Um, I could, um, not only would I do auditions, I could start, uh, doing demo tapes. I would get back to the music that would go in the studio and record my demo tapes. Um, then I ended up opening a comedy club. So I would do the dealership by day. And then I would do the comedy club and the dealership. I was making so much money. I invested in my demo and my music and in the comedy clubs. And, um, so it just, everything just fell in place. And, and I just know I had to go down those roads, like Dorothy, and the wizards I needed this and I needed that and I need that need that I actually already had it, but I discovered these things as I went on my journey and, um, met some great people. They gave me things to make me better. I gave them things to make them better. Um, so yeah, I started doing the arts because like I said, it was a passion. I wouldn’t leave my family in Maryland to come. I left my family to come and perform and be in a singing group. But when I left the singing group, I found myself having to make a good living so I could be safe. And so I got back to the parts I could afford to invest in myself and I got back to the arts.

Rich (15:33):
Wow. That’s amazing. And so, and you yourself have performed as a comedian and you’ve, um, you’ve, you’ve managed other comedians and produced, um, comedy shows. Uh, so, um, you’ve, you’ve done, uh, like a lot of different things in entertainment in addition to being successful, recording artists. Um, and though you brought it together and you founded true vision media group, which, um, I mean, you know, at first I thought it was just a name and then I kinda got it. So tell me about the true vision. I really, what your vision is for, um, you know, for the company and for really what you’re, what you’re creating in the world.

Monica (16:16):
Yeah. So the transition happened when I was doing comedy and taking the experience from the automobile business, knowing how to negotiate and do deals. I met a lot of comedians who were my peers at the time. And, um, so they would be opening up for say a musician, like a Patti LaBelle or an Anita Baker or, um, Bruce Springsteen, any recording artists. And so I would say, Oh, what are they going to pay you? And so they would say, Oh, I’m going to get $1,500 for a 15 minute set. And I would say, well, let me negotiate. I can get you 2,500. So I started negotiating their deals. And then that’s what comedians started saying, Oh, we want you to manage us. And so I said, I don’t know if I would want to manage anybody. What I want to do is get a degree in cinema and television.

Monica (17:07):
So I could produce comedy specials for the comedians. And, um, because once you, once you discover that you’re serving people, you’re growing as an individual and you’re providing, I was providing a venue for them to grow as comedians they could perform on stage. Then the next step will be okay, let me just shoot your comedy special. And so I did get the degree in cinema and then I started my company, true vision media group. And, um, my mission statement is to inspire the, through the arts. So I love to take somebody where they are and help them get to that next level. Those are the things that kind of come natural to me. And those are the things that I’m most passionate because I always think, you know, Monica is tough. I’m going to get it anyway, but it’s the next person going to get it?

Monica (17:55):
Cause we’re not the same. I always tell you rich that I was raised with a lot of love. And I come from entrepreneurs, my grandmother manufactor here product in the basement. She owned the store on the corner and she raised 10 kids. So if you grow up watching that in your life, that’s instilled in you and you’re trained to be able to make it yourself, but then you have people around you. They may not have those same skills or advantages. So I find, I just find excitement in helping other people get to where they need to. I think that serves me in a way, you know?

Rich (18:29):
Yeah. You know, and, and, and also you co you come from entrepreneurs, you also come from spiritual, right? I mean, like, that’s part of your background too, that that led to this.

Monica (18:41):
Yeah. I laugh about it. My mom, my mom’s oldest brother and youngest brother both were, you know, pastors at churches. And so we pretty much would be in church almost every day. I don’t care whether it was church service on Sunday. Then there’s Monday night, church business meeting, Tuesday night, prayer meeting, Wednesday night, choir rehearsal, Thursday night, youth meeting. And so, you know, like I said, that was a part of my foundation. And so I’m spiritual in a sense when my eyes opened in the morning, I say a specific prayer, you know, I thank God for my life. I thank God that I’m still here. I thank God for my health and strength is, so these are the things that feel right to me, feel good to me. And I find my strength in that. You know, I find my strength and, um, I think that’s, that’s why, um, who I am today is because my spiritual background, because that’s my strength without that. I’m not,

Rich (19:36):
I mean, you’ve, you’ve got entrepreneurial, uh, entrepreneur, um, entrepreneurial roots, spiritual roots. And so what comes naturally to you is not just business, but it’s inspiring people, right? Like it’s, it’s kind of, you know, it’s kind of what you made to be. What you meant to be right is to, is to inspire people through your business skills, through your, the abilities that you developed in the rest of your career. And like, you’re, you’re kind of bringing it all together and what you do now.

Monica (20:07):
Yeah. It’s a story. I always say, it’s a story. My journey is definitely a story, a different kind of story. But I believe that it was in the cards from the beginning. I truly believe that from the very beginning, when I was a kid, I said, I’m going to go to Hollywood. I’m going to live in Hollywood. I’m going to be an actress. I’m going to be a singer. I’m going to do these things. I’m going to be like Michael Jackson. I’m going to be this and that. And because I was passionate about those things, I think God said, no, I’m going to protect you. I’m going to make sure you have skills. I’m going to make sure you’re educated. I’m going to make sure that you have a spiritual foundation. So you’re protected as you on your journey. And I truly believe that in my heart and my every being believe that I was, you know, set up because I’ve gone.

Monica (20:56):
I think I may have mentioned to you, I’ve driven from Los Angeles to Vegas, at least five times in a car by myself, car never broke down. Nothing ever happened. I’ve gone to comedy clubs that were miles way. Um, you know, hours and hours away by myself. I was always by myself, but I was never by myself. I felt like God put angels on my shoulders. That he’s always putting me around great people. And, um, I have that pay forward to give it to other people because I know I have it. So I, I give it, you know, so yeah, I love my journey,

Rich (21:32):
But it, it, it just, it makes so much sense. At least over here, to me, that all of these things really just let, like, add it up in all of these, these pieces of your path, where, or just important pieces of the puzzle to get, to be doing what you’re, what you wanted to do since you were young girl. And basically that you’re, you’re living the dream that you created.

Monica (21:56):
Yep. Thank God. Created through me. You know, he created through me, went through me.

Rich (22:04):
So, so, so you’re working on some stuff that you’re excited about. Like I know, like you’re, you’re producing a couple of, um, there’s a couple of films in the works that you’re producing. Right. Tell me a little bit about that, whatever you can.

Monica (22:17):
Yeah. I have, um, I have a film that I’m going to be shooting in the month of July. I’m excited about that. Um, and it’s about a female boxer. Um, I’m always excited about stories about females, um, because I’m a female and I want to tell our stories. So that’s that I’m excited about that. Um, and that project actually came through clubhouse that somebody that I met on clubhouse, we partnered up and we’re doing that project. Um, the second one is a follow-up to the act, the stoke Christmas, Christmas film. That’s a followup to, um, the one that’s out now, still out on Netflix, the app. Yeah. Um, and so that, so I have those two projects that I’m definitely going to get to my documentary in my book this year. And then the most exciting project is a television show that I created and I’m partnering up with a major network and a major iconic celebrity. And we’re almost close to that announcement coming up in the near future probably before the month of April it’s over. So yeah, a lot of good stuff.

Rich (23:31):
I can’t, I can’t wait to hear about that once it’s, uh, once it’s public, once you were appointed official. And, uh, you know, in addition to that, you will also do, um, kind of like, like on, you’ve done done a, a, um, um, a recurring room called trials to triumphs. Um, and, um, you tell stories and then you, you bring people up to tell stories about how they were, uh, you know, at one point things were difficult. Maybe they were ready to give up in that they overcame. And, uh, and so it it’s been extremely inspiring to, I’ve been there with you in that room for, it seems like the last couple of months now we’ve been doing this where you’ve been doing, and I’ve just been there as part of it at night, which I love and appreciate, but, you know, I actually got to, I found out today that you’ve, that you’ve done before, like, um, trials to try and events or luncheons or things of that nature. So it’s been something that that’s been important to you for a while. So tell me a bit more about that.

Monica (24:38):
Yeah. Um, while I was building my relationship with the network, just trying to learn, um, about TV shows about how they’re produced. And, um, even though I, you know, I took pitch classes at this particular network. Um, over the years, I studied to get my degree in television. I would walk the lot with my mentor and he would say, Oh, you know, they shoot this particular show on this slot and they shoot this show on this lot. And, and he would always say to me that the goal is to dislike checking in a hotel and never checking out. So once you get on the lot, stay creating, stay creating the next show. So if your show gets canceled, you already have something else that you can present to the network to be on deck. And so I always had that in mind to create, you know, a series of shows.

Monica (25:29):
And so I said, well, what better way to build a relationship with the network, um, then to invest. So let me invest in some projects. So I did a couple of panels, like women empowerment panels, and a couple of luncheons. Um, I wouldn’t call them lunch, like a brunch, um, like a Grammy brunch, whenever there was a Grammy’s or Oscars or something, I would say, okay, here’s the time, you know, I can use this as a time to do a, a punch where I can invite people and give it a theme. And so I did, uh, trials to try them. I did a trials to try panel and called the women triumphant and, um, and true visionaries. So it’s all coming together. I’m telling you everything in my life starts with, here’s a C planet and then C it’s a soul planet, and then they grow up plant planet. And so that’s the story of my life. Um, yeah.

Rich (26:29):
Yes, absolutely. And it’s about you using media to inspire other people, um, which, uh, which is amazing. And, uh, you know, I love that. It’s so great to get to talk you and, uh, kind of hear about the path that you’ve gone, gone through that brought you here to this moment. Um, and, uh, yeah, so cool. And it just, it all makes, makes sense. And, and, and I love to see you like really living the dream, um, that you created. And, uh, if people want to learn more about you or get in touch with you, how they go about doing so,

Monica (27:10):
Um, true vision media group, um, you can just Google true vision media group or Monica, Florida. Everything comes up. My, I am DB with all the films that I’ve done, that everything comes up, but true vision media group, um, has an Instagram true media group has a LinkedIn. Um, but I think Monica Floyd, uh, on LinkedIn is good. Um, and at doll face music on Instagram and that’s doll face spelled with a D O L L P H a C E music I had to put the PHA C E is speaking of the PHA C E music. I had to trade my fast at the trademark and the true vision media group. So that’s why I always see the value in you, because that was really important when I started my company. Um, as I told you, my sister’s an attorney, she was like, Oh, you have to do your trademarks. And we did the trademarks and I’ve had them now since 2007.

Rich (28:14):
Hmm. An important part is establishing your brand and protecting your brand. So, yep. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Monica, so glad to have you on this program. Thanks so much for being here

Monica (28:29):
And so glad to be here. You are. Definitely, I want your list know that rich gold state is one of the kindest, most generous people in genuine people that I’ve met. And I met him on clubhouse where East coasters didn’t know him before clubhouse and just an amazing person. That’s so supportive to everyone and just has such value to give, you know, in your lane and in life. So I’m always going to be here. I’ll be on your Thursdays at noon sitting on that panel. Um, even when I start my shows, I’ll be tuning in even 15 minutes. I’ll be checking as long as you’re doing the show, I’m going to show up or my sister or representative somebody is going to be there. And I’m so happy to be here. You know, I haven’t, I’ve gotten a lot of DMS. We want you to do a podcast that not a lot of them I haven’t even responded to. So you are number one, let your family know your wife, your kids, let everybody know that you’re the best and nobody’s better than you and Monica said it. Thank you. Yes. I can’t wait to meet the family. I know I’m going to meet them. Great guy. Great guy. You them well,

Rich (29:42):
Thank you. Thank you so much. And thanks again for being here. So yes. Thank you for having me.

Outro (29:55):
Thanks for listening to innovations and breakthroughs with your host. Rich Goldstein. Be sure to click, subscribe, check us out on the web@innovationsandbreakthroughs.com and we’ll see you next time.