Ryan Millsap Hosts Entrepreneurial Renaissance Man J.R. McNair

Ryan Millsap, Chairman & CEO of Atlanta-based Blackhall Studios, is one of today’s top entertainment executives! With a vision for Blackhall that’s ambitious, energizing, and boundless, Millsap is blazing a trail through the heart of the South – and setting his sights on the future of entertainment. Listen and learn as Ryan Millsap journeys through the myriad industries, people, and landscapes that traverse the complex and dynamic world of film production.

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Ryan: Welcome to the Blackhall Studios Podcast. I'm Ryan Millsap. I got into the moviemaking business by being a real estate entrepreneur, but also because I'm a big movie fan. I get a huge kick out of watching blockbuster movies that I watch being made at Blackhall. COVID-19 has put a temporary crimp in production — hasn't it for everybody? But some amazing movies will be shooting at our studio soon, and I'll have some amazing folks on the podcast.

I'm also into ethics and philosophy, and I think you'll see those themes throughout the podcast. So, you're wondering: where exactly does the movie business and philosophy come together? That's the journey I want to take you on on the Blackhall Studios Podcast. I’ll bring you guests from both worlds, and I think you'll be surprised at how much philosophy goes into the world of making movies. Plus, you'll get an inside look at the new Hollywood of the South right here in Atlanta, Georgia. Give a listen. I think you'll enjoy what you hear. I'm happy to have you along for the ride on the Blackhall Studios Podcast.

I thought I was a busy entrepreneur until I met this guy. Today on the podcast, I welcome Mr. J.R. McNair. If you Google him, you'll come up with endless descriptors. Small business consultant, CEO, philanthropist; motivational speaker, startup expert, and more. Sit down, relax, and listen, as you're going to hear a unique story from a truly unique man. J.R. McNair is everything that Google says he is -- and more. I'm Ryan Millsap, and this is the Blackhall Studios Podcast.

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Ryan: Today on the podcast, I have Mr. J.R. McNair of Atlanta. He's the founder of Velocity. J.R., welcome to the program.

J.R.: Hey, thanks so much, Ryan. I appreciate you inviting me on. It’s an honor.

Ryan: Well, I can't wait to hear about some of this stuff. I didn't realize that you'd been involved with over 4200 small businesses.

J.R.: Well, you know what? I was telling my people; they finally updated our website today. It's even... we have closer to 9000.

Ryan: Tell me that story. What is the involvement? Is it capital-related? Is it management-related? I mean, that's so many companies.

J.R.: I’m gonna fast-forward; then maybe I'll go back and talk about how I got into it. But really, when we touch that many people, it’s that we're kind of almost a mix between... We started out as a mix between LegalZoom and a branding house. So, people would come in and say, “Hey, I need a website; I need a logo. Can you help me with a business plan and incorporate my business?” But as it went on, people needed funding. After about ten people had come to us, they were saying, “Can you help us with funding?” And I was like, “I don't do that.” But after ten people, I said, “I guess I’m gonna do this.”

Ryan: So, it's like an incubator.

J.R.: Well, to an extent. What we do is, if someone comes in and says, “Hey; I need, specifically, a corporation,” we'd help them with that. But if we came to need to provide those other services, we would. But later on in the process, we developed an incubator -- something that’s called an accelerator -- at a later date. We set that up.

Ryan: Is that where the name Velocity comes from?

J.R.: Yeah. A lot of people think velocity is really just about speed, when it’s really about the type of speed, and the particular direction -- because sometimes you have to go slow to end up going fast. Right? We want to get to a certain point where we can move fast and move effectively; move efficiently with anybody that we're working with. That's the name.

Ryan: One of my friends, who is an ex-Navy Seal -- we'd go to the shooting range, and he would say, “Now, remember: smooth is fast.”

J.R.: That's right. I like that.

Ryan: Smooth is fast. So, when you're talking about being efficient in your movement, it made me think about that -- that reality that it may feel like you're slowing down, but if you're actually getting more efficient, you end up with speed.

J.R.: Totally. And that's the thing. We have four main values. And I’ll really say virtues, because I think values are beliefs; virtues are things you actually do. Right? We have an acronym called CHEER. It stands for... the number one thing that's most valuable in our company is common sense.

Ryan: It’s very valuable. Hard to find.

J.R.: It’s hard to find. And I'm just like, “Look, use your brain. You have a brain. Think about it. Make that decision. Should I do this? Should I not do this?” That's the most important thing. The second most important thing in CHEER is honesty. Are you honest? That’s not just being honest with our clients, but just being honest with each other. Because I just, yesterday, had to tell an employee -- and this is one of the hardest things, because I love people -- that their work wasn't good enough. How do you do that?

Ryan: It's called love.

J.R.: Right? I had to tell him, “Listen, it wasn't good enough, but because I care about you, I need to tell you these things so you can get better.” And then, the two E's: the first one is excellence. We want to make sure we're doing a great job. Not perfect, because I don't believe in that. I have a ‘launch and perfect it later’ mentality. But I believe in doing something to the best of your ability. And then, that fourth one is efficiency. Be efficient in what you're doing.

And then the last one, which kind of ties into honesty, is relationships. R is for relationships, because I'm really big on relationships. I've built my career on relationships. And I use those values to really steer us along what we're doing as an organization. I don't have a big handbook. I say, “Think about these four things. When you think about prioritization, and how you should triage these things, just do that and make decisions.”

Ryan: When you look at your childhood and growing-up years, can you trace a line back to this deep care for other humans?

J.R.: Well, my mom was an amazing person. She passed away a few years ago. But I'm telling you; it wasn't what she taught us. It was what she did. She would help so many people. I mean, she built a church in Haiti; an orphanage down there; about ten acres down there. We're not Haitian. She just went after that, and it kind of instilled something in me. That was really where I knew that, whatever I could do to help somebody, I would try to.

You have to put that in check, too, because where I am is on the end where I could do so much. And you have to know -- okay, how much do you do to where you still allow them opportunity to grow and develop? And how much do you do to really help somebody? It's a difference. And I think that's really important, especially when you're assisting people.

Ryan: Well, it sounds like you have a desire to care for other people's souls. And by that, I mean the virtues they develop; the character traits; the goodness; the honesty. The elements that make them into the kind of person that's deep down inside. And you care about that, it seems like, as much as the practical aspects of the external world. How did you make that decision? Or, the way I should really phrase it is, do you feel like you're choosing one over the other, or do you feel like you're doing both in the work that you're doing?

J.R.: Well, I'll say this. At my core, I'm a man of faith. I believe that I was put here for a purpose. I turned down three six-figure job offers. I went to Wofford College. I graduated top of my class while I was playing football, and student body president, and all these things. And I had all these job offers: Cousins Properties to Waffle House to BMW. A 21-year-old kid coming out of school with three six-figure job offers -- and I turned them down, because I said I needed to do something where I felt like I was going to be fulfilled, and I was going to see the fruits of my labor.

And it was some time; believe me. Afterwards, I was like, “What did I do?” I was sitting there like, “Oh, no. Did I make the right choice?” But when I sat back, and I said, “Oh, man, you know what?” I took this personality test some years back. And it was saying...

Ryan: Do you remember which one?

J.R.: I think it was Myers-Briggs.

Ryan: Myers-Briggs? You remember your letters? You must be extroverted.

J.R.: Yeah. ENFP.

Ryan: That makes perfect sense. A champion.

J.R.: Yeah. And it told me, “During a series of your careers, you will have a bunch of different things.” So, look: I've started media companies. I've started restaurants; 2 or 3 restaurants. I've had landscaping companies; real estate companies; investment companies. I was just talking beforehand with Sarah about the stuff we do on the real estate radio side. But the thing it said -- it said it would look to somebody outside like you were jumping around. But it said the thing that is constant is your virtues; your values. And that's the common thread.

I mean, if I'm doing something where I'm feel I am impactful, and I am making things happen, but I'm also getting to help people? This is the thing. I tell this to people all the time. Think about it. Look at somebody like Bill Gates. Bill Gates -- you would say that he's doing his best work now, but I would strongly argue with you on that. Bill Gates never influenced the world more than as a businessman. Microsoft changed the world. What he did by creating that company changed the world. He could never achieve that in his philanthropic efforts. You understand what I'm saying?

Ryan: Well, he never gets to try to alleviate malaria if he's not worth multi-billions.

J.R.: And then, when I look at what I do on a daily basis, and how much I use Office, and how that makes my job easier -- even as a human being; as a businessman -- I'm like, “Man, that's a big deal.” So, when I look at things... I’ll tell you a quick story. I went down to Macon after my mom passed in 2014. I started doing some soul searching. Like, “God, what am I supposed to be doing?” I just started going to these cities like Macon, Savannah, Columbus. And I started investing all this time, money, energy in these cities. I had to really understand, and really figure out, “Okay; what’s going to really make an impact?”

I started some of the best companies in these areas. All of these areas, all of these startup companies -- I had a lot of influence in those areas. But one thing I realized, Ryan, was that when I said, “Get as much influence, or as much wisdom,” or the things I was sharing that made a difference? The only way to truly impact those areas for real change? I had to have enough money. It totally changed my mindset. I was thinking that, if I wanted something large enough, and if I went after it, and I had enough... I was like, “No, you can't do things in this world without the resources to do that.” Regardless of your heart, you can't go out and help all the people in the world unless you have the resources to do it. You just can't.

Ryan: When I was 25, I started telling my friends, “Vision without capital is misery.”

J.R.: Amen to that. I would say that, because you are so right. When you have something inside of you that you know, but you can't get it? Oh my goodness. It’s almost like death.

Ryan: Yeah, it feels like death. Whatever death feels like, it must feel like that.

J.R.: It has to feel like that.

Ryan: When your soul is leaving your body, it's like feeling the feeling when you have vision, but you have no capital. To try to express that vision...

J.R.: Oh my goodness, it’s like torture. What I think maybe goes past death is when you see somebody else that did your vision. And it's like, “Oh my goodness.”

Ryan: “That would have worked if I’d had any money.”

J.R.: But that kind of brings it back. I don't think people place enough value on it. Because, see, money... this is the thing. A lot of people misquote quotes. They say, “Money is the root of all evil.” Well, no, that's not true; it’s the love of it. In Ecclesiastes, it says that money and wisdom can get you almost anything in life. It says wisdom is the principal thing, or the most important thing, but it says money answers all things.

So, you’ve got to realize that this is important in order for us to complete the works that we were sent here to do -- because I believe each and every one of us has something that we’re here to do that, without us, wouldn't get done. I believe that strongly.

Ryan: How many people do you think know what that thing is?

J.R.: I think a lot of people go their whole lives and never figure it out.

Ryan: I think that's probably true.

J.R.: And it is such a tragedy, too, for them to end their lives and to not have done the thing that they were supposed to be doing.

Ryan: What do you think you're supposed to be doing?

J.R.: I know, in one case, I'm supposed to be doing some things in real estate -- helping people on that end. I started a company a few years back, because I looked at the world. I'd been helping all these startups in my accelerator. I would take a lot of the companies I was working with; I would take a small number of them, and then I would work with them one-on-one. Then they would raise money; capital.

A lot of these were technology companies. So, I would go to these pitch events, and I would talk, and I would be pretty much getting them ready to pitch, or kind of introducing them. Then a lot of people would turn to me and say, “Hey, so what do you do?” They would be looking at me. And I was like, “No, no, no. It’s them.” After that, I said, “You know what? I need to jump into this role.”

When I started doing it, I said, “What is the biggest problem that I thought existed in the world?” I had to look and say ‘housing.’ Global housing; the global housing crisis. Before Corona, that was the biggest issue. I think Corona is probably the biggest right now. But before then... and this doesn't mean, like, housing below $300,000. I mean, if you think about it, it’s not homes that are out here right now that... if one comes on the market, it’s gone in a week. They said for the next five years, we’ll just have a shortage, even if people built at an enormous rate.

I looked at that, and I said, “Okay, I want to tackle that.” And then I had to say, “How am I going to tackle this?” Because I purchased my first real estate... When I was a kid, I was up one night watching this infomercial. And I saw this guy on there -- like, “You can make money in classified ads.” I sent off his information. I got an 800 number; 900 number. I was, like, ten. At 12, I saw this other guy in the summertime. He was like, “Hey I used to be in a factory. Now I'm a multi-millionaire in real estate. You can, too, for $99.99 plus shipping and handling,” right?

I said, “Alright.” So I got it back; I learned it. And I purchased my first piece of real estate when I was 14 years old.

Ryan:14? Tell me about that. I didn’t even know that was legal.

J.R.: I didn't know it was either. But I did.

Ryan: The age of consent for real estate?

J.R.: Well, look. They said that you could enter into a contract, and it's not binding on your part, but it's binding on the other person's part. So, I could have walked away from the deal at any second. This company -- and I don't know; when I look back at it, is crazy. It was a company out in Carroll County and Villa Rica. It was in a place called Fairfield Plantation. It had a gated community. My mom took me out there with one of her friends. They bought property. She said, “I'm not gonna buy any property.” She said, “What about you?” And I was like, “Yeah.”

And then the guy said, “Well, do you have $500 to put down?” I said, “I do.” I was working at IHOP, and I had money, so I put that $500 down. They financed it for me. And I paid the monthly payment. I had credit at 14. They financed this for me. I paid it off when I was in college.

Ryan: Were you renting it to other people, or did you go live there?

J.R.: I didn't. I haven't even done anything with it. It's just a piece of land.

Ryan: Come one. Really? You bought a lot?

J.R.: I bought a lot inside of a gated community. That was it.

Ryan: Is it still a lot?

J.R.: It's still there.

Ryan: That’s amazing.

J.R.: I always knew I wanted to get back into real estate in some way. See, when I was in college -- after college, I remember sitting down with one of my mentors, Mr. Gibbs. I took him around to these little broke-down places and showed him, “Hey, this is what I want to do. I want to get into real estate.” He was like, “J.R. --" he was showing me, because our stadium was named after him. Gibbs Stadium. He's a textile magnate. He said, “Listen, maybe you need to go into something else to build some capital first before you get into this.” And I was like, “Okay.” That's what got me into helping small businesses.

Ryan: Tell me about that guy, Gibbs. Who is he?

J.R.: Mr. Gibbs? Gibbs International -- he owns that.

Ryan: What’s his first name?

J.R.: Jimmy. Jimmy Gibbs. So, our stadium is named after him at Wofford College.

Ryan: Where is Wofford?

J.R.: Wofford is in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Right up the street from Greenville. So they call it ‘the upstate.’ Spartanburg, Greenville. And I love that area. It's like a second home to me. Another one of my mentors there at Wofford was Mr. Millikin, from Millikin. They're a textile company, and they used to have a big plant -- or, I think they maybe still do -- in Lagrange. I had a lot of great mentors. Mr. Richardson from the Carolina Panthers.

That was the thing about this school. I was supposed to go... According to my stats in high school, I should not have gone to Wofford. I was the number-one and number-two running back in the state, but I only started one year. I rushed for almost 2000 yards in one year. So nobody knew who I was.

Ryan: Except for all the guys you ran over, right?

J.R.: That's right; that's correct.

Ryan: They're still telling stories about playing against you.

J.R.: Well, yeah, that's probably right. But I went to this school, and they said, “You can start young.” I went up there, and they allowed me the opportunity to not only play football but be a scholar. My president of the college -- while I was student body president? If you ever have an opportunity to watch a TED talk, he has the best one.

Ryan: What's his name?

J.R.: His name is Benjamin Dunlap. His TED talk is called “Being a Lifelong Learner.” And so, going to that school and looking -- he was a Rhodes Scholar. He sat down with me my junior year, and he said, “J.R., I believe you have a strong chance of being a Rhodes Scholar. I want you to do this.” He said, “You have to take a year off.” And all I heard was ‘a year off.’ I was like, “No.” I wanted to play football.

But anyway, I look back at all of that now, and I'm like, “Man that school really allowed me the opportunity.” And my degree -- I had a philosophy degree.

Ryan: So was I.

J.R.: Really? Oh, wow. So you had some Descartes and a little bit of Immanuel Kant, and all this kind of stuff?

Ryan: I was really more of a specialist in Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. And then a lot of the classicists. I did a lot of Aristotle.

J.R.: Oh, I love Aristotle. Let me tell you -- when I talked about Plato and all these things, you talk about him being the smartest person. But why he was the smartest person was because he realized that he didn't know everything.

Ryan: That's right.

J.R.: That is so powerful.

Ryan: The virtue of Socrates.

J.R.: That’s amazing.

Ryan: “I don't want to be the wisest man on the earth, but it seems I'm the only one who knows how little I know.”

J.R.: That's correct.

Ryan: Yeah, that was Socrates.

J.R.: That is so powerful, man. You think about that, right? Like, people think that they know.

Ryan: How did you decide to study philosophy?

J.R.: Well, it was the only thing that really yelled to me. My mom was like, when I first started, “Boy, you can’t make no money with no philosophy degree.” And I was like, “I don't know. It’s just calling to me.” And I changed my major, like, six times, because I went to finance. I went to this and that, and nothing really felt like that same philosophy class that I took my freshman year. And when I got back in it, I was like, “This is it.” Because it didn't teach me what to think. It taught me how to think.

And as a consultant, that’s what I do now. I think through stuff. So, I'm the best at what I do now -- I'm the best in the game as a consultant. I know how to think through stuff. I can put myself in any situation and think my way through it. But I wouldn't have that without that philosophy degree.

Ryan: Well, I think, in business, a philosophy degree is a superpower.

J.R.: Exactly. I agree so much.

Ryan: You get so much refinement of your mind, and you are forced to think about things from as many angles as possible.

J.R.: Totally.

Ryan: And you get very comfortable with the ambiguity and uncertainty of real knowledge.

J.R.: That's so true. And I'm going to tell you something. When you look at this whole thing that we're dealing with now, the uncertainty that exists... A lot of people are afraid of that. I almost embrace that. Because that's what makes me so good. It’s because I'm very comfortable being uncomfortable.

Ryan: You have to be. If you're going to be an entrepreneur, you have to be.

J.R.: And I think it's really... when you look at risk and success, they're so similar. They're kind of like brothers and sisters. They're related, but they're opposites. Right?

Ryan: Well, if you are concerned about never failing, then this is not the right path for you.

J.R.: It’s not.

Ryan: You have to be very comfortable. Just like sports.

J.R.: That's totally right.

Ryan: You have to be totally comfortable with the idea that you might drop a pass if you're going to catch 90% of them.

J.R.: Let me tell you some about catching a pass. It's funny you brought that up. I could not catch one in my life. I was horrible.

Ryan: You had rock hands?

J.R.: Let me tell you. Because I never played football before I got to high school. I never picked up a football.

Ryan: You were just fast and strong.

J.R.: I was fast and strong, and I was like, “I think I can do this football thing.” I was going out there; they were tackling. I was tackling people with fair catching. But I went out there. See, this is the thing about what made me successful. I knew that I wasn't good at catching passes. I was rushing for 2-300 yards a game, never catching a ball. Nobody knew that I could catch. I was scoring 4 or 5 touchdowns a game.

I told my coaches. I said, “Coaches, I'm never going to be good at this.” But I said, “I'm going to be the strongest person on the field, okay?” Because I knew I was really strong, and I knew I was really fast, and I knew that I had great balance and durability. Those were the keys. How does a guy who played as a star athlete in high school -- academic, All-American -- and played professional football, never know how to catch a football?

Ryan: Hey, can you still not catch a football?

J.R.: I'm maybe a little bit better. I learned overseas to kind of not think about it as much.

J.R.: But I'm going to tell you something. That was the scariest thing. People used to say, “Well, were you scared about linebackers?” I said, “I was squatting 700 pounds in college. Nobody was stepping in front of me.” Okay. But what I had nightmares about was a ball coming at me in the stadium with 50,000 people.

Ryan: You're wide open. “I’ve gotta just catch the ball.”

J.R.: And I dropped it. That was a nightmare to me.

Ryan: But they never even did that. They never called that play.

J.R.: Because they knew. Anytime they got anywhere... if I got in the 40, in the 30, in the 20, you are not keeping me out of the end zone. And I was willing myself in there like Tiger Woods would ‘will’ the ball.

Ryan: In the old days? The old Tiger; when he was emotionally honest with himself and everybody else?

J.R.: Totally. That's how I was when I got in there. It was like, “You aren’t keeping me out of this end zone.” It was just a mindset. But that's the thing. I knew what my strengths were. I'm good at some things, but I am bad at other things. The best coaches in the world, with their athletes -- they don't try to work on their weaknesses.

Ryan: They try to enhance their strengths.

J.R.: And make them so strong. And that's for me. I know where my lane is, and I stay in it, and I just try to make sure my nearest competitor is ten times -- I'm ten times greater. And that's something you have to continuously work in.

Ryan: How do you find that? How do you find those places where you're ten times greater?

J.R.: Well, you have to find something naturally. I believe it's like this. It’s three things. First, you have to have desire about something. Are you passionate about something? Number one. Because when stuff gets hard, as it will, it's not...

Ryan: You’d better be passionate.

J.R.: Because that's what's going to keep you getting up and doing what you do. Number two, do you have the capacity? Like, can you do this? Do you have the capacity to be, potentially, the best in the world at this? That's something I had to say, “Hey, J.R., can you be the best consultant? Can you be the best platform speaker? Can you be the best person in this?” I can, and I know I can continue to work at this and be even better if I put the time in.

And then, lastly, demand. Do people want what it is that you're doing? That’s how I say it, because you can have capacity and desire. But if you don't have demand, nobody's going to pay you for it. You can have demand and capacity. But if you don't have desire, you're not going to keep doing it. You can have capacity and demand... You see what I'm saying? Like, all of these things -- you have to have all three.

I believe that's where it is. But you have to work at it consistently. You have to find that thing that you can eventually -- even if you're not currently the best in the world at it -- what can you be the best in the world at? You have to work at that thing, and you have to work at that thing, and you have to work at that thing. You have to place the right people around you to help you. I try to look at in my life. That's how I see it. I know what I'm really, really good at, and I try to place other people around me that... that stuff that I hate doing? I don't want to do that.

Ryan: Yeah, I'm with you. That's the only way you can be efficient.

J.R.: And be the best. I want for people to say, “Man, he was the best that ever did that.”

Ryan: What are you trying to be the best at right this second?

J.R.: At this second? Number one, I want to be the best. Just not even being facetious about it. I really want to be the best father, and the best husband I can be, to my kids. I have six kids.

Ryan: Six kids?

J.R.: Yes. Let me tell you something. I always wanted to have a big family. I come from a big family, but I didn't know it was going to happen this fast, right?

Ryan: What are their ages?

J.R.: They're all 11 and under. 11 is my oldest. Me and my wife? We got married 12 years ago, and we were like, “Oh, we’re gonna...”

Ryan: You've been busy.

J.R.: Look, let me tell you. Since then, we’ve had an 11-year-old; and then a nine year old, Christian. We have twin boys that are seven. We have a little girl that's turning four next month. And then I have a little boy, little Luke. He's one. And our house is like...

Ryan: Madness.

J.R.: All the time. But it’s fun, you know?

Ryan: And you certainly weren't wasting any time there.

J.R.: No. Listen, let me tell you something. When I look at transitions, the biggest thing I see in companies is that people don't do well when stuff transitions to the next generation.

Ryan: Absolutely. Different mindset.

J.R.: But a lot of them have never even trained the next generation.

Ryan: They didn't have to. They didn't have to train them, and the next generation didn't have to learn.

J.R.: Yeah, right.

Ryan: At least, they didn't think so, until it was time.

J.R.: Until it was time. And so, the thing is, I take my son when I go to speaking engagements. He sees me. And I take him, and I'm like, “Hey, look; this is what I do. Understand what I do, just in case, when you become 18, you have to take this over, or you have to do this.”

Ryan: That’s amazing.

J.R.: “You need to understand these things.” And then, really just being a good, solid person. For them to know that... you know what? I'm not just a good person around people. I'm a good person in the dark when there ain't nobody watching. Right? And I mess up a lot. But I'm honest with him, and I apologize when I mess up. I let him know, “Hey, listen, you know what? I jacked up. I'm sorry.” This is honesty with them, so they can know. “Hey, listen; you ain't gonna be perfect, but fess up about it, and get going. Get better.”

So, I would say that's number one. And then, I want to be the best person to lead the best startup in a world with my company, The Container Box. Like I said, I’m doing my stuff.

Ryan: Yeah, I know about it. I think you guys do make a great product.

J.R.: Yeah. So, we pivoted just recently to give us a better platform. But I want to lead that the best. We're doing this event -- the Small Business Summit -- which, thank you for agreeing to be a part of it and what we're doing.

Like, this is the thing. I saw this whole thing happening with COVID. And when all this stuff... I was busy. I didn't have time to figure out how to do an event. But I said, “Listen, I have a community of over 50,000 entrepreneurs that are in and around the space -- 50,000 entrepreneurs that are all around.” And I said, “You know what? I have to do something to help these people. I'm leading these people.” The strength of a true leader is, when times get tough, are you really there to help? Are you really there to lead? So, I said, “Hey, they need me.”

We've been doing all of these webinars. I've been on the phone, on webinars, with Congresspeople. I’ve called the president's office, and senators. SBA directors. We've been getting on here. We've helped over 5000 people since this pandemic fill out the either the PPP; the EIDL. Me and my staff did over 321 one-on-one hours with these people. And then I said, “You know what we're going to do?”

Ryan: Are you getting paid for any of this?

J.R.: Nothing. This was free.

Ryan: It’s just goodwill.

J.R.: Because, see -- in order for this economy to turn over, the small businesses... As the economy goes, the small businesses go. As the small business go... See, small businesses make up two out of three net new jobs. So it doesn't matter what Fortune 500 companies do. Until these small businesses recover, this economy will not fully recover. I know that I didn't do it out of obligation, like I had to. I was like, “You know what? I'm going to be a part of the solution.”

So, we're having this event, where I'm bringing some great thought leaders to really speak about how people can navigate these uncertain environments, and how they can go forward. Because right now, you can't even plan. How can you plan? You don't even know what's happening tomorrow. So that's hard. But we're coming up with this. And we're doing a documentary. I said, “You know what? While we’re doing this, we're going to document.” I'm going to sit down with some people, talk to them about, “Hey, how did you know all of these things?” And put this together.

People are like, “J.R., how are you doing this?” I said, “Why not? When is a better time?” One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is Ecclesiastes, chapter 11. It says, “The farmer that waits for the perfect time to plant will never harvest.” That's perfect. I said, “When is it going to be a perfect time?” When are we going to... Now. You know?

So, this is why I'm pushing myself. And believe me, it puts me in all of these different positions to meet wonderful people like you, and to spend more time getting to know you. You know what I'm saying? Because, like I said, we we've met long before this time, but we had an opportunity to develop an even stronger relationship since this has happened. So I look, always, at the great things in the bad things.

Ryan: That's the only way forward if you're going to be a thought leader; an entrepreneur; a visionary. You can't get lost in all the negative, because that's not your role.

J.R.: Totally.

Ryan: So, your role is to come up with solutions.

J.R.: That's awesome. That's right.

Ryan: If it's not you, it won't be anybody.

J.R.: And there are so many problems out here. And I'll say this. One of the last things I want to say is, there are so many problems out here that need to be solved. What we have to do in this world is stop chasing opportunities. We have to start going after problems and solving real problems that the world has. What you're doing is solving problems. Like, right now. Who would have thought that the only thing that people can really do right now is consume quality entertainment, right?

Ryan: Which we're running out of.

J.R.: We're running out of it. The stuff I'm seeing now is, like, “What is this? What is this?”

Ryan: My ten-year-old is watching so much YouTube now. She was watching YouTube before. But part of it is, there's nothing she can find on Netflix anymore that she likes.

J.R.: That's my point. And that's a huge problem.

Ryan: That's a huge problem I'm hoping to try to solve.

J.R.: Exactly right.

Ryan: Okay. So you have six children. Imagine that we're having this conversation with Aristotle, and Aristotle is talking about the formation of the soul. What are some of the principles that you, as a father, think of when you're trying to form the souls of your children?

J.R.: First off, I always try to tell them: there's two things I try to make sure they live their life by. Number one, loyalty. Being loyal to people. I think that's something that we don't have enough of. People are not loyal. When hard times come, they jump ship. Loyalty is so important.

Number two is kindness. If you can be kind to people... My mom used to always say, “Baby, it's not what you say, but it's how you say it,” right? And these are two things I really try to make sure I instill in them, amongst other things. But it's a constant effort. And there's things I'm always trying to make sure that I instill in them. Hard work. These are things that I look at. But I would say, if I could look at the foundation of those things -- to be loyal and be kind. I think those are two things that, if you do that, you're going to end up well.

Ryan: And you just tell them these things over and over? You say, “Loyalty; kindness.” Is that how you're doing it? Repetition?

J.R.: I tell them in a way, though. Certain times, I'm saying, “Listen.” I have one son that likes to tell on everybody. And I'm like, “Listen. That's cool, and it's okay. But you don’t want to develop a relationship here. This is your brother, right? You don't want to just be always out to get him. So you have to figure out a way. In this case, it's okay not to tell on him, because there may be a time when he don't need tell on you.”

Ryan: You’ve got to build some loyalty, right? I mean, “I need you guys to be there for each other. Have each other's back.”

J.R.: Have each other's back.

Ryan: Yeah. There's an element of virtue in lying to your parents in order to save your brother.

J.R.: Hey, look. I'm saying, it is all there, right? There's many times in the Bible. People don't realize this, but actually, the ancestor of Jesus, Rahab the harlot -- she lied to the people to have the soldiers be able to leave out. So, hey -- because of that, her whole family was saved, off of a lie.

Ryan: Well, in the Old Testament, there's certainly a lot of deception as a virtue. Deception as a virtue because of loyalty; who you're loyal to.

J.R.: That's correct. And that's the thing. So I have to tell people all the time: everything is not so black and white. It's a lot of gray area. So you can't just make decisions just based on, “This is the thing.” No; in business, you can't be so stuck with a business model -- especially in this time -- that’s so rigid. It's like, no; you’ve got to change. You’ve got to be able to move.

Ryan: Okay, last question for you, because we're running out of time. Imagine that your middle child -- whichever one you want; imagine the twins, or whoever you consider to be the middle child -- your middle child's 30 years old. They sit down with a psychologist for the first time. What do they say about their father?

J.R.: Well, hopefully, they say he was somebody that cared for them. Hopefully they say that he was somebody that was passionate, and went at everything with 250%. And hopefully they said that it was somebody that cared about his relationship with God, and he showed that not just in words but in his actions.

Ryan: I mean, if that's what they're saying, then they don't really need to be at the psychologist, probably.

J.R.: Well, hopefully.

Ryan: I mean, they have an incredible father. I can tell that you're incredibly passionate about your kids, and that they must feel cared for, protected and loved. They are fortunate.

J.R.: Well, I appreciate it. And that means a lot. I mean, I try hard every day. It’s an every-day fight. You’ve just got to stay in the ring.

Ryan: That's the truth. J.R., Thanks for being here today. This has been fantastic.

J.R.: Well, thank you so much. It's been my honor and pleasure. Appreciate it.

Ryan: Let's do it again.

J.R.: Most definitely.

Ryan: This is Ryan Millsap. That's the end of the Blackhall Studios Podcast.

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Ryan: Putting an exclamation point on the end of each podcast, I share inspirational sayings that I write on Instagram. “The magic of the universe is revealed in the simplicity found on the other side of complexity.”

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Thanks for listening to the Blackhall Studios Podcast with Ryan Millsap. We want to hear from you! Find us on SoundCloud, iTunes or Spotify, and follow us on Instagram at @Ryan.Millsap.