9 to Shine the Path from Provision to Promise

The new Bail Yourself Out podcast is hosted by Kandice Whitaker, a successful entrepreneur, and specialist in navigating corporate culture. With a fresh new approach to maximizing optimal career moves - the Bail Yourself Out podcast is where the power lunch and the after-work happy hour intersect for dynamic business discussions in a relaxed atmosphere.
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Season 2 Episode 2 - "9 to Shine the Path from Provision to Promise"
Guest Co-Host - Aaron Lloyd
Guest - Shameika Rhymes

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Transcript

Kandice Whitaker: 0:00

Welcome to the bail yourself out Happy Hour Podcast, where each week we'll help you navigate the corporate jungle. Here's your host Kandice Whitaker is happy hour. I'm your coworker Kandice with a K pull up a chair and your favorite drink for the bail yourself out. Happy Hour is about to start now. Welcome to the bail yourself out Happy Hour podcast your go to lounge for insightful conversations and uplifting vibes. I'm your girl Kandice with a K. And I'm thrilled to have you here I'm joined by my fabulous co host with the most Aaron Lloyd and we got a treat for you the one and only Shameika roms from check the ROMs is chillin with us in the lounge today, talking about transitions or accepting change in her career. As you know, the A in bail is accept change as a normal part of the process. Literally any process because nothing goes as planned and it's okay. In this episode, we're talking about believing in yourself. embracing change, discussing mentorship, forging your path and knowing the value of your purpose. My girl should make a brings a wealth of experience. She transitioned from being a news producer to an entertainment Maven, my girl is legit for real for real. She has experienced writing with Shonda Rhimes, TMZ and Tyler Perry to name just a few. We've got the inside track on Hollywood. In today's episode, we're going to dive deep into that Hollywood hustle Shamika is going to share some stories. But also we're going to talk about the impact of chat GPT for writers. So grab your favorite drink, kickback, and join us in the bail lounge for wisdom, laughter and the content that keeps you coming back. Keep it where you got it for the magic that happens when business meets Happy Hour and to bail yourself out. Happy Hour laugh.

Van Whitaker: 2:01

You're listening to Kandice with a k. Together, we'll learn how to bail yourself.B Believe that you can. A accept changes in natural thought of any process. I inventory your strengths and the strengths available to you and your network L learn from your experience and the experience of others. What do you want to talk about? Do you have a show idea? Drop Kandice a line at bail yourself out pod.com

Kandice Whitaker: 2:27

Hey there friends this is your girl Kandice with a K thank you so much for joining us on bail yourself out Happy Hour lounge I'm so excited about today's episode, we have our guest co host who's no stranger to the lounge writer Aaron Lloydwhat our special guest today you know from mofo Chronicles and check the rhymes let's give it up for my girl Shamika Rhymes. Shameika, what do you want the world to know about my girl?

Shameika Rhymes: 2:56

I started off as a news producer, TV news producer, okay. And then, you know, hop the markets as as TV news folks do, landed in Charlotte, North Carolina, which I'm still here, but I just had this crazy. It's for entertainment, like it just would not go away. And so I didn't know how to or what to do with it. Because it was like I went to college and thought I'm definitely I'm gonna be on somebody's TV or entertainment news or something, of course, happens that ain't how stuff goes when you fall in love, and you think you're gonna get married. And that's a whole nother. That's MOFO Chronicles was born her girl. So I launched the mobile Chronicles DICOM in 2009, after heartbreak and just really needing an outlet to talk to horrible dating thing. up. But that was my first paid piece. And then after that, it was just I had a few clips and some blogs and took it to soltrain.com. And that's kind of where I had my training ground for red carpet, interviewing celebrities, all those things, which has now kind of just kept going up until now and that's it nutshell. And now I've just incorporated check the rhymes TV, which is my YouTube Channel Yes, viewing celebrities and, and hearing the inside and out about Hollywood and all those things and getting those backstories from our legends and, you know, doing host appearances here and there on TMZ live.

Aaron Lloyd: 5:13

So would you say that it's probably best to just grind it out in terms of how you get where you are? Because it doesn't seem to be a one path in how to make it in the entertainment space.

Shameika Rhymes: 5:27

I think for me the the one issue was I didn't have like anybody to guide me. So let's throw this out the wall. See if this works. Throw it over here. See if this works. Throw here czar

Kandice Whitaker: 5:38

important.

Shameika Rhymes: 5:40

Yeah, I didn't have one. All I had was my TV news background. And, you know, I was just like, see what happens. I remember my first red carpet, I had no clue what to do. I didn't even know what to take with me. I was going by myself to the BT Hip Hop Awards. And I'm like, Oh, wait, I need to record the interview on what? I was ready with old school pen and paper and

Aaron Lloyd: 6:05

record these interview? Yes, yes.

Shameika Rhymes: 6:17

I think that it is important to to have a mentor if you can have one. But now I feel like it's so many people creating workshops and programs for people to kind of learn the ins and outs, like I'm doing a workshop, I think the end of July for some interns to talk about, like, you know, you just have to be flexible, there is no one. There are so many people that I've heard that maybe you know, they just happen to somebody reached out on LinkedIn, and they got a hosting gig or they got a writing opportunity, like you just have to, and I think having a good resume. Thank you, Kandice.

Kandice Whitaker: 6:51

We'll talk about that a little later.

Shameika Rhymes: 6:54

But, but yeah, I think that everybody's path is different. Every writer that I've come across or host or anything, everybody's path has been absolutely completely different. I met a woman last night, she started out doing interviews, wrestling interviews, over here, auditioning on QVC. And like going through the rounds for that. And I'm like, see don't don't together. But that's her path.

Aaron Lloyd: 7:18

Yes, yes, yes. No, you know,

Kandice Whitaker: 7:21

not linear. And it's interesting to see that even in the entertainment world, which is not my space, I'm a corporate girl, that you got to kind of figure it out as, as you're going along. You know, in corporate it is a toxic phrase when you hear it, but true. They talk about building the plane while you're flying it. So that's basically what you've described. Yeah, you know, walk on your path and try to navigate and understand what you're seeing and make informed decisions based on the information that you have at the time. Yeah,

Shameika Rhymes: 7:53

pretty much. I think one of the things I wish someone had told me was don't just accept stuff just because like and stop doing stuff for free. Like that's our in the beginning. I didn't know I was like, it's exposure. And like, yeah, that's, that's cute. For a while though. You still got bills?

Aaron Lloyd: 8:13

Yes. Do you find that in our community? We we tend to look for the hookup rather than dealing straight business.

Shameika Rhymes: 8:27

Yes. Yes.

Aaron Lloyd: 8:31

I've heard that.

Unknown: 8:42

right.

Aaron Lloyd: 8:45

No, I just There's levels to this. And she's at a level that, you know, I was hoping it wasn't going on there. But apparently is still it's still happening. Well, I think because, for example, people don't want to one they don't want to put in the work. So there are a lot of people that will reach out like hey, can you give me so and so's contact info? One what what have you done? I haven't seen any of your work who are you?

Shameika Rhymes: 9:12

people reach out that they see me post an article with I can't even think of who it was at the time but they some woman I have never met this woman emailed me and asked me Could I get her tickets to the Soul Train Awards? Well,

Kandice Whitaker: 9:25

I guess it is at an all time high. I feel like I say that every day. It is at an all time high baby.

Shameika Rhymes: 9:33

And I cannot help you. I don't even have tickets. I did this was years ago. This was years ago. I you know, I'll respond to everything. No.

Aaron Lloyd: 9:49

Are you concerned about ChatGPT and the impact that it could have on us writers? You know what I have not really had any experience with

Shameika Rhymes: 10:00

until a few weeks ago, my coworker because I do have a day job. So my co worker does, he uses it a lot. And so I was telling you about an article that I was working on, he sends me back whatever the chat thing came up with. And I was like, this ain't how I would have wrote it. But I do think that I'm not concerned, I don't think with with how it will impact us, because I guess it just depends. I don't think it will impact us in the entertainment space, but maybe in some of the other, maybe maybe more like the business space of writing those types of places. But I don't I don't see it really impacting entertainment. See, what scares me is that right now, the version of that we have has handcuffs on. So it's not even. Yeah, we're not even seeing the the true power. But I definitely understand what you mean, because I have a friend who broke up with his girlfriend and wrote to her and didn't know what to say you want to he wants to get back, contact her and try and see if they could patch things up.

Aaron Lloyd: 11:11

And use chat GPT and it is not Siri. No. It is CO writing. Oh my god, I'm stressed out. Aaron. No, it was so bland, and formal and

Kandice Whitaker: 11:29

soulless, darling,

Aaron Lloyd: 11:31

it was solace that that is the perfect word solace.

Kandice Whitaker: 11:34

And it was so consider humbly my apology. For for my transgressions against you.

Shameika Rhymes: 11:47

That's awful that you

Aaron Lloyd: 11:49

don't know what it was it that he didn't know how to he was talking to my other friend about how to end what he had written. And my friend who the tech guy said, well just put jet chat you know, use it, trying to figure out the end on chat GPT this fool my loving, close brother went and started from scratch and used the whole thing and sent it to her without even letting us read it. So

Kandice Whitaker: 12:20

to be single

Aaron Lloyd: 12:24

he hadn't heard from her needless to say that he won't know because he shouldn't know it. That's what happens when you get all emotional and you can't think straight. And you really want the person back. You know you just do dumb things dumb love things. It's

Kandice Whitaker: 12:41

supposed to do what the rest of us do drink brown liquor and listen to music like what is

Shameika Rhymes: 12:50

posted on Twitter.

Kandice Whitaker: 12:53

Those were the rules. Oh my god. This is a wonderful conversation. I'll put a paper clip right there and we'll be back soon tell me are you enjoying the show? Go ahead and rate us five stars and leave a comment. Now back to the show. If you do want me to speak at your next event, hit me up at bail yourself out pod.com Now back to the show. And we are back in the happy hour lounge y'all talking to our girls should mica rom so check the ROM. So let's tell you how we met. This is a very funny story. So first thing I'm going to keep you out of free game. Have you all heard of Help a Reporter Out HARO, there's this little newsletter if you aspire to be published, that is a good newsletter to sign up for. So that when reporters are writing things from all types of topics and genres, whether you're talking about AI or you know LGBTQ parties for Pride Month or pediatricians needing quotes, if you sign up for the newsletter, they'll send you an email like three times a day and if you have something to say you can respond and you could get published and that's how I got published and that is also how we live. So she sent out a Haro inquiry, and I responded that I started following you on social media. So that's fine, like we're on the same vibe. So I was like, Oh, she's funny, you know, because when we met on HARO, honestly, I just assumed that most reporting people are like Brian Gumbel. You know, our broker. But I was like, Oh, she's a sin I Miss You know, I definitely liked the Down to Earth regular vibe. And it's the happy hour podcast. So I followed her on Twitter, and randomly one day and I don't even go on Twitter like out of my socials. Twitter is the one I use probably the least I am more of an Instagram girl. That is my thing. But anyway, so she posts about her resume and so Forget about that. Basically, she said a resume was ghetto. And don't get a story. But I sat there and I looked at your post on my phone for like a few minutes, right? Because I was like, you don't really do resumes no more, but you can help sis out. You never know. You know, I was like, All right. So I've slipped into DMS and was like, let me see your resume, I can help you out. I didn't think she would respond. I you know, I'm like, I'm I know, I'm not the only person on Twitter out here. resumes. I mean, I honestly I didn't think you will respond. I was like, What the hell, you know, I'll just throw my hat in the ring. See what happens. So she responded. I did a resume. Well, first of all, I didn't even really know the her background, right? It was just random person that asked me to write for them one time. And then she sends me her resume. And I'm sitting here like, the hell quake in a row for Shonda land and tell aperion shit, and resumes ghetto. Honestly, it's what I thought the first time if I wrote for Shonda Rhimes, I would have a T shirt made up and I'd be wearing that shirt every day I wrote for Shonda Rhimes, like, so. Oh, so humble. And so I was like this, you have everything you need right here. It's just the way that you're telling your story on your resume, right. And so that's what I tell people all the time when I'm coaching them. Like, it's not that you don't have the credentials. It's how you tell your story. That's everything. So we worked together for like a month, we did a resume, and now she's here on the pot. So that's it. What's

Shameika Rhymes: 16:32

funny is when I was looking at the resume, because I kept applying for jobs, and I was like, what, what is the problem? And they don't have the

Aaron Lloyd: 16:39

credentials, right? I know, I've done my thing, right, like, yeah. And, you know,

Shameika Rhymes: 16:45

well, so I had to rewind a little bit. I had this person from like, a very prominent website. She's like, the managing editor of this website. She's the one that did this resume. And I let as we were talking, I realized I was like, Can you this resume? I think because that young lady was in her 20s She don't she She probably thought I was 20 something. So she did my resume as if I had no experience. Yes, yes.

Aaron Lloyd: 17:15

Yeah. And you would think, you know, as a as a managing editor, you would kind of expect a certain level. So I don't even fault you for that. You know, I would think I'm in good hands. I mean,

Kandice Whitaker: 17:27

I don't know Aaron. I'm giving hateration vibes because people do that shit, too.

Shameika Rhymes: 17:33

Well, yeah, yeah. I mean, she sold me a pipe dream. And even you know, I thought, Okay, well, maybe she will hire me, right? Yeah, even hire me off their resume.

Kandice Whitaker: 17:46

Nah, man.

Aaron Lloyd: 17:48

The one thing about the one thing about entertainment, though, is that where you are today, where you may need a person. And 10 years from now that person who will make room will probably need you. Because that's the way things go. Yeah. You know, entertainment, you see people going up and down the ladder. And you're passing each other all the time. Corporate

Kandice Whitaker: 18:13

is like that, too. Especially if you're in an industry like me, healthcare is kind of a small industry, and especially when you're talking about black people that work in healthcare, and now you're talking about black people in it healthcare. Yeah, it is a very, very small world. Are

Aaron Lloyd: 18:27

they vicious on the way up and down the ladder? Because it's entertainment, they are very vicious. They don't forget.

Kandice Whitaker: 18:37

Last season, I did a whole podcast with my, one of my former co workers and friends Atlanta, we were talking about relationships at work. But the first part of that podcast, we talked about how to basically identify the people that you work with, you have your allies, which are friends, but we can't really call them friends until we no longer work with them anymore. Then you have, you know, you have the clear enemies. And then you have the people that you're in the trenches with. And then of course, the enemy of my enemy is what, my friend, yeah. But like, what you're describing and what you're saying about the entertainment world. I mean, I definitely think that message transcends it's like that. I think that's just how it is when you be working. Yeah,

Shameika Rhymes: 19:18

yeah. Terry, it is like that a nonprofit because that's my day job. But don't I work at a nonprofit it? And I'm like, What are we doing? This is like,

Kandice Whitaker: 19:28

it's the same? Yes. And I mean, this is going to come out a whole lot later. But yesterday, we found out from the Supreme Court that they struck down affirmative action and colleges. Now I'm wondering what that's going to look like for our workplaces going forward. You know, we have this generation of very educated black and brown people, many of whom were beneficiaries of affirmative action, and I would definitely be remiss not to bring it up on the pot. But apparently Clarence Thomas Miss forgot? Yeah,

Aaron Lloyd: 20:01

no, it's a shame that Clarence Thomas, who benefited from affirmative action, and felt like he had a exon this back the whole time he was in school. I'm sorry, you feel like we'd clarify. But that's how you feel. Some students, some students would be perfectly fine with the fact that they got in through affirmative action, you benefited from that you end up on the Supreme Court because of these opportunities. And then you strike them down for everyone else. It's, it's a shame. But

Kandice Whitaker: 20:32

I found that whole thing weird anyway, I'm sorry to interject. But I'm like dying here. I'm certain there are some of us who have gotten into situations based on affirmative action, right? You actually know that he was in the on affirmative action, because they don't tell you. They don't say here's your affirmative action.

Aaron Lloyd: 20:47

Well, he believed at the very least he believed it. And he believed that his classmates thought he was there for that reason. And but the truth of the matter is, in the seven days, he probably was there on affirmative action. But I'll tell you, the saddest part about all of it is that race is only a small part of these admissions. And the ruling assumes that what you got in because you're black, that won't get you into Harvard, you better have to 4.0 and a 4.2. You better have the community service, you better have, you know, the sports and leadership qualities, you better have a great essay. And you can go on and on and on. Raise it just a portion of it. And

Kandice Whitaker: 21:32

public school kids, yes.

Aaron Lloyd: 21:36

But I'll tell you this, if you want to know the answer, Candice, just look at what happened in California, when they struck down affirmative action. I think Berkeley lost half of that black students, Virginia, similar things, you know, on the state level. So I think that's where we're headed. Yeah. I think that's where we're headed. Do you find entertainment to be rewarding? Or do you find it to be just a real grind?

Shameika Rhymes: 22:07

Depends on the day.

Kandice Whitaker: 22:09

That's a really real response right there.

Shameika Rhymes: 22:12

Because there are days where I'm like, forget this, I'm doing it, I'm done. And then, you know, go through all the feelings, and then an interview opportunity will pop up. And I'm like, I'm gonna do this one more. And what I have learned over the years is because I was in such that grind mode, and especially when I started my YouTube channel, it was like, I got something to prove. I got to I got to get these subscribers. I've got to get these followers. I've got to get these interviews. And so I wasn't, I wasn't even like listening to my body when my body was like, sit down. I was just like, go, go, go, go, go until finally, it's like your body says, I'm gonna make you sit down. Yeah, I think now I'm more intentional of like, okay, I'm gonna go, go, go, but then I'm gonna be intentional about taking a few weeks break, and then I'll come back refreshed. So in doing that, it doesn't make me want to, like, throw my whole laptop and everything else out the window. And it still keeps me excited. Or for doing this, it can be overwhelming when? Because not every and you know, as a writer, not every pitch is gonna get picked. Yes, yes, not every interview is going to be granted. And after a while, if you just get in a slump like that. It can be a lot mentally, and draining and then you can just feel like nothing is working. It's I'm tired of being rejected. I was to a point where I was like, I'm writing nothing else. Even after my granddad died a couple months ago, I was like, I'm done. No writing a thing else. Nothing else at all. And I was like, Oh, crap, I got a part time job at NBC. Well, I'm not I'm done. But, you know, it's like, I just needed to take a break so that I could grieve and then then it was like, I needed to just find my way back when I was ready.

Aaron Lloyd: 24:01

I actually had to leave hip hop because it began to feel stagnant, you know, doing album reviews, or you do an article and we start talking about how to dress and then you talked about this and, and it was it was like very formulaic. You know, the actual writing will be different based upon the circumstance, but the type of things that you were going to check that box in this article, or check this box in this album review became a little stagnant for me. Yeah, I probably shouldn't have left. But also hip hop is a is a young person's game also. So I was to certain age Yeah, I wasn't too happy with the state in a state of the culture also. Yeah, yeah. So that that that played into it. That's one of the reasons I asked how you felt about the industry overall.

Shameika Rhymes: 24:53

And I am in a space though where so like for my for one outlet I do find myself Oh, for it, because it's like, I don't want to write about. One. I don't want to write about shows. I don't watch, or I'm not feeling. But it's like, Are these just super fluff pieces where it's like, oh, this person went on this reality show and they're dating. Those little things. Those get on my nerves. Yes. I prefer. And I think that's part of why I started check the rhymes because like I found my lane at soul train.com. And then as I went along, and was trying to still find that still do that same type of thing with interviewing our legends and stuff like that. It was like, it got tiresome pitching that because those were the stories I wanted to tell. Yes, somebody said, do it yourself. And I was like, I can't. Until finally I was like, maybe you're right. Maybe it is time. And so I think that's what also kind of helps with without it feeling stagnant is because I can take a break from the writing, and then go over here to check the rhymes and do the interviews I want to do. Yes, the things I want to say, and not have to ask anybody, I can just do it. And then act of writing. And and I don't just stick with one thing with writing. So like, with the way I met Candace was for in her sight.com, which is about women in the workplace. And then you know, over here, like, right now, I'm working on a piece about black women and fibroids for fibroid Awareness Month. And, you know, it just depends.

Aaron Lloyd: 26:30

And that's like for a writer that that, that diversity is, is light, because you can get excited about subject matters. That, you know, that that probably would have helped me. So I could, I can see how it's beneficial.

Kandice Whitaker: 26:47

I love how you made your own lane and created your own space and was able to identify what you liked what you wanted, and went after it. There are so many people who are willing to betray themselves for a paycheck. And and a retirement money from people they don't even like. Yeah. Right. So kudos to you for being that brave. Like there is a level of bravery in that and being able to say, You know what, no, this is not for me. I have a question for you. Do you feel like and this is coming from corporate girl? You know, I'm not an entertainment person. I just play one on TV, right? Do you feel like when you are in spaces that aren't predominantly black, so not of the season diaspora and not us? Not the stuff we feel comfortable with? You know, do you feel like you have to be better to be equal?

Shameika Rhymes: 27:40

Um, I never thought about that. But I think now that you've mentioned it, I think so. Because, before my experience had been writing for predominantly black websites, right? You know, because I sold train, and I went straight to jet and ebony, in essence. And then when I pitched to Vanity Fair, it was like, ask their friend, I'm thinking like, good. I'm a great writer. I was so humbling. When that editor after she took me through all kinds of changes with even my pitches. Like, I just I'm, like, I don't understand, like, white people's pitches, why won't they accept my stance? I was like, Okay, let me pitch some white people that open the door. So I think at the time, I think bad TV was coming back or something like that. So that's what I pitched. But when I wrote that I did the interview with the cast members came back wrote this piece that I thought was amazing, because I wrote it in the same type of way, I would have written it for ebony jet or soltrain. That editor slid that thing back to me, the whole thing was marked red. Like, I was like, I don't even see one word I wrote my name. And so for me, that was like, I have to be aware of that. Yeah. Like you have to kind of adjust to Okay, I can't write like I'm writing for

Kandice Whitaker: 29:19

you guys to be bilingual in your writing. Right? Like how we say when we're talking, when we say what to do. Right? Right. You put that in Vanity Fair, that's gonna register with zero. Right?

Aaron Lloyd: 29:30

And, and it's also it's not even necessarily the vernacular, it's also the style. Exactly what I'm talking about. Yeah, no, but I'm saying like, you know, like you.

Kandice Whitaker: 29:42

I use the word as an illustration, but I No, no, no, no. Yeah. Like how they say things is completely different, right? Like, corporate Candice is does not do a podcast.

Aaron Lloyd: 29:51

Yes, yes. Yes. Yes. And you and you would recognize personal candidates and corporate candidates that they shake each other's hands and be like Nice to meet you, Rhett.

Kandice Whitaker: 30:03

Correct. So, who wrote that poem? We wear the mask. Paul Laurence Dunbar?

Aaron Lloyd: 30:09

Um, I've never heard of it. I'm sure I might

Kandice Whitaker: 30:11

wear the mask. But basically, it was a poem. You know, shout out to Thomas Siena Hutchins, my Black Arts Movement professor, we talked about that poem in the in the class. And basically, it was talking about how living as a black person in the United States, you have to be two people, right? You are who you are. You could even be shades of who you are. With your writing to ebony. In essence, like when you said that I was completely tracking, but I understood when you said Vanity Fair, there was a paradigm shift. Yes. Yeah, there was a paradigm shift. Like you have to fit into them. And and that's the budget of that poem,

Aaron Lloyd: 30:52

and then not budging

Shameika Rhymes: 30:54

at all, because I was like I rewriting this. Wait a minute, they are paying pretty well. So the whole life together.

Aaron Lloyd: 31:04

And I know that feeling, because I don't think most people realize that. You're a creative as a writer, so you are creatively invested. So when you turn into a piece of work, your heart and soul is in it. So when you get a bunch of headlines from an editor, you're like, wait a minute, you know, that's not my vision. I've been I haven't been to the whole page, but I've never written for Vanity Fair. So I'm sure I'm sure I might get an extra blank page with red lines. I understand the feeling when the editor comes back and you're like, What have you done to my baby?

Shameika Rhymes: 31:43

Right? Yeah. And I still have that as a reminder, I still back I kept it because I was like, It was humbling. It was humbling, because I was like, Okay, so now that experience helped me to now you know, now I write for USA Today, magazines. So now I'm able to adapt to writing like travel stuff, or, you know, whatever it is for these magazines, because like that whole experience with Vanity Fair, got me together real quick.

Kandice Whitaker: 32:14

I could definitely see how that could happen. I am mentoring in my career coaching business, a young lady who was looking to transition into a career and I recommended she looked into a top four consulting organization, but our coaching turned from here's the points on your resume to here's what you need to wear. You know, she's a sorority girl. So I said, make sure you wear your sorority pearls, button up shirt, laser, they don't care nothing about business casual, make sure you look the part. And my girl got beat Yeah. is related to this, you are expected to look at and move right? Because once you've gotten the interview, they already know that you are qualified, right? You wouldn't have gotten an interview if you weren't qualified. So now it's to see are we a good fit? So that means you need to know how to lean with Iraq with it while you here.

Aaron Lloyd: 33:12

Yes,

Shameika Rhymes: 33:13

that reminds me of something I just thought about. When you said how you look, I was on a red carpet can't remember which a bit it was a black music honors before the pandemic. And I was standing there beside this young lady. And you know, sometimes people show up at a red carpet dressed any kind of way. Like they're the ones that are on the red carpet, and it's like, ciao, you got to be comfortable. We're squished you like, if you're on camera, like for whatever your outlet is, you're only gonna get this much because there's no room. But Rickey smiley walks up to her, like she was talking to him. And he did the interview. And then he said to her, he said, I want to tell you something. He's like, You have to be careful on how you look and present yourself when you're doing these interviews. And I was listening like saying to her because he was coming to me next. So I'm saying to her but what he said he told her her breath was so bad that he was struggling to get through that. Like, maybe next time, he's like, Well, before the next person comes down through here. Ask them I do they have a mint. So I was like, Yeah, Dragon Breath.

Kandice Whitaker: 34:29

Like

Aaron Lloyd: 34:31

I don't think he was helpful. He

Shameika Rhymes: 34:33

was helpful. So now she knows now because you're you're right there in their face.

Aaron Lloyd: 34:38

Yeah, yes. And I'm sure that that's probably not the first time because he smiled. He had to deal with that. Right? And, you know, he's

Kandice Whitaker: 34:46

smiley by the way. Yeah,

Aaron Lloyd: 34:48

it's funny cuz that's harsh. It was but I respect that. He told me it was a sister, right? It was yeah, I'm glad because she you know know that she won't forget it. She won't.

Shameika Rhymes: 35:02

Yeah, yeah. So then I thought I wonder if that's why because that particular red carpet trench came with a whole face mask

Kandice Whitaker: 35:13

Oh, wow. Wow.

Aaron Lloyd: 35:19

I got my report mask on. Yeah.

Shameika Rhymes: 35:24

Those spaces because I even just, I tried, you know, because I'm like, I'm not trying to be on somebody's Instagram or whatever I'm here to do a job and get the one I gotta get and get out. But I think some people just they will come on a red carpet barely dressed or wearing something like ridiculous that they're going to be uncomfortable in because you're standing there for who knows how long? Yes. Yes, I think it's just and for. And that's the other thing for a lot of the white outlets that are predominately white outlets that I've written for. Some of these people will actually I think it was like, a Women's Day. And then there was I can't remember the other one. But oh, Entertainment Tonight, they actually put you through an interview. So it's not like just send your resume pitch. They're like, No, I want to talk to you. I want to see you. I want to know like, what you're looking like, You're right. I'm gonna be talking to this person, this person using our name? Yes. You still have to represent yourself very well in front of them. You can't that totally

Kandice Whitaker: 36:26

makes sense, though. Yeah, yeah. I mean, Entertainment Tonight is basically top four in corporate world like they're even right. So you're saying the same thing. You need to look and sound like us? Like we have a brand to protect, that,

Aaron Lloyd: 36:41

etc. Microphones gonna speak more than any reporter behind it. Can I ask where do you see entertainment headed right now? What changes do you see on horizons?

Shameika Rhymes: 36:52

My biggest question, well, because for the longest the goal, even when I started out, the goal was always like, I gotta get to LA, I gotta get to LA. Yeah. Now, I think the pandemic has shown you don't have to be in LA to do anything you can't be I'm like, some, for me, it's been doors are opening because I can do it still from the house. That's a blessing, right. And so like, that's the only way I've been able to like, especially like doing TMZ, I don't have to be in LA to do that. I just hop on this computer sit right here, boom, on the TV. I did ET Canada live posting, for I was sitting in my hallway posting like, you know, like, so me, I'm hoping that more of those opportunities open up because I'm trying to be more in the hosting lane and easing out of writing. So I'm hoping that there are more opportunities for that entertainment wise, but I'm seeing like this, hopefully the writer strike that they will get with these, because obviously that's affecting all the shows that we love. So much. So it's kind of hard to predict where everything is going. But clearly streaming is huge as well. But you know, I'm like, I'm just over here on my check the ROMs bubble, doing my interviews, the way that I do them. And apparently even with that, I didn't think it was anything new or different. The way that I do my interviews, but until I started, I'm in a TV hosting academy group, and I'm sitting there like, I don't belong in this group. Work and when I bring up stuff, they're all like, satellite media. What's that? You know? And I'm like, wow, well, that's how I do my interviews. Yeah. There's just a lot of I think a lot of things now just don't require you to be in Hollywood. Yeah,

Aaron Lloyd: 38:49

I'll say, to echo that. I was, I have a friend who's in the Writers Guild, and he is at the show in motion. And because of my background in hip hop, you know, he wants me to consult, you know, and maybe write on the show. So the first thing I'm thinking is I have to go to California, and he's like, Well, you know, to be in a writing from, you could be on Zoom, don't worry about it. Yeah. And I had never heard that, you know, but he, you know, this is a man who spin on producer for Jamie Foxx show and in, in Living Single, you know, does a bunch of Disney shows. So he knows. And also, I want to bring up what you said about the writer strike. He just informed me that they recently had a meeting with some actors, you know, that came out to support the WGA. And they said the SGA is about to go on strike themselves right after the Writers Guild. So basically, the actors are gonna go on strike after the writers. So it may be it may be longer than we think. Yeah, wow. Because this streaming. And, you know, I know the writers are fighting against AI getting into this space of creation. And the screen actors aren't getting paid for a lot of their work properly.

Kandice Whitaker: 40:17

I am loving the direction that this is going. I'm gonna put a paperclip in it right here. We're gonna take a break. We'll be back. knowing you're happy I will community family online with a party never stops. Check out Bill yourself out on social, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, tick will see you there. Let's continue the conversation on accepting change. Hey, y'all Happy Hour fam. We are back in the lounge with my girl, Shamika rinds and CO hosts for today, Erin, boy, I'm so excited that you stopped by to join us, y'all. We've learned a lot about the writing industry. I don't really know that much. So this has definitely been a learning experience. But I think the biggest thing for me, I didn't realize how similar the entertainment world was to corporate in terms of working. So that was my biggest takeaway.

Aaron Lloyd: 41:13

I guess. Cutthroat doesn't have a particular industry canvas. That

Shameika Rhymes: 41:19

does not

Aaron Lloyd: 41:21

work. Ah, can we? Can I ask you, mica how you first started writing? And was it a love first that began in high school with poems and things like that? Or did it start as an adult as a business?

Shameika Rhymes: 41:40

So it actually started. I can't remember probably second or fourth grade, I always get that mixed up. But we had I remember our teacher was like the Thomas wolf essay contest. And so I was like, Okay, I'm gonna enter because it's a cash prize. And I was like, I don't even know. Like, I just remember writing it all out on notebook paper, because we weren't typing nothing back then. Yes. I went next door, interviewed my neighbor about the Great Depression. Oh, so and so I don't I wish my mom still had it. But I wrote it. And then I wasn't thinking anything. I was just like, what I was fun, you know, and I won second place. I got 25 hours.

Aaron Lloyd: 42:23

Which is a lot for elementary school kid, right?

Shameika Rhymes: 42:26

You can make money, right? But then I didn't really focus on that, because my first love was cheerleading, so that I wasn't even focused on writing. So and then when I got to middle school, it was like, oh, you should join the newspaper staff. And I'm like, is that a class because it were staff. And at the time, my uncle was actually a basketball coach at East Tennessee State University. And they would always come to I'm from Asheville, North Carolina, so they would always come to Asheville for the Southern Conference, basketball tournament. So my uncle, I was like, I need a story for the newspaper, because I haven't really pitched any ideas. I don't have anything. And my mom was like, Why don't you ask if you could talk to one of the basketball players. And so I think I was in eighth grade. And I was like, Oh my gosh, they're so fun. I don't know if I can go picked me up, brought me back to the hotel. And he had two of their their players and to their best players. And he was like, you know, I'm gonna leave you in here to talk to them. And I was like, leave me be fine. He was like, I'm right here. I'm like, right here outside the door. And so I sat there. I have no recorder, my pen and paper. And so I have I still have the pictures that I took of them with my little um,

Aaron Lloyd: 43:50

did they make it? Did the pictures make it into paper?

Shameika Rhymes: 43:52

I think so. I don't know. Everybody loved the article, because I just did it as a q&a. And I thought, so much fun. So it didn't you know, even I was on the yearbook staff and high school. But when it came time to figuring out like, what are you going to college for? I was like, Oh, no.

Aaron Lloyd: 44:11

As, as many 1718 year olds, there's more picking a major than actually, I know I want to do this.

Shameika Rhymes: 44:22

Right. So it just I you know, and I just knew I wanted to do something in entertainment and because I loved watching Soul Train. I loved all those shows. Like I know a lot of people were like, I wouldn't be the next Oprah and I was like, No, I'm taking down Cornelius's job. So I really writing really didn't. I didn't pick it back up till probably after college. Okay. I just was writing for like, I thought, I want to write screenplays. That's what I want to do. And I was just writing them just for myself. Nobody else saw him and then when I went to grad school, or the first go around trying grad school, documentary class and I'm working on the script for that. And then like I had gotten a part time job working at the newspaper as the weekend feature reporter. So that's when I kind of picked it back up again.

Kandice Whitaker: 45:12

On the weekend for real, though, why didn't I was with the black reporters on the weekend for real, though. First black reporter. thing like that was a joke on Golden Girls. What question you mentioned earlier, I think, our first break, you're talking about how you want it to be more selective with the opportunities that you picked. Right. So I want to ask you about that. Like, how do you know what opportunities are aligned to what you wanted to do? How do you identify those? Yeah. So

Shameika Rhymes: 45:47

before, like, right, when I started, check the rungs, I was just like, just say yes, just say yes. And I was ignoring the fact that some of these interviews I want to do. I was ignoring the fact that I just kept thinking like, I just have to do everything that's presented to me. I have to say yes to this, I have to say yes to this. And after a while, I've started to think like, this isn't what you started the show for? You got to say no, if you don't want to do it, no is a complete answer.

Kandice Whitaker: 46:18

No sentence. That's right.

Shameika Rhymes: 46:20

It doesn't fit. Thank you. So I've had to really stand strong with that because I'm like, This is my brand. So I don't have to say yes, there have been opportunities that I'm like I It doesn't align with check the rhymes and and the brand that I've you know, now if I was still just moko Chronicles All right, I think it'd be ratchet with you. But I'm like now that I've added check the writing to the portfolio and I've gone from being both Oh, chronicles the blogger to now I've just entertainment journalist with your own platform, right, that I have to make sure that anything I do aligns with, check the rhymes because yeah, and and I was trying to stop because I would go to events and whatever they're like, well, if I'm Chronicles, I'm like, my name is Tamika.

Kandice Whitaker: 47:12

I love how you distinctly identified both of your brands, you're like, Nope, this is MoPhO Chronicles. And this is check the runs like that's business 101. So if you had to describe each of those brands, and the distinction of each of them, how would you describe them? So

Shameika Rhymes: 47:28

mobile Chronicles definitely started out as dating and ratchet. But as as I got older, it evolved and people told me when I was actually applying for jobs and trying to get out of TV news, they kept telling me you can't have be MoPhO Chronicles, it can't mean what it means. And of course, it meant what exactly what you think. Yeah, so I at that time came up with the acronym, you know, my own freaking observations, because I was started to get out of just writing about dating and phased into more like a little bit of everything more lifestyle, yes, entertainment, whatever. I felt like writing that day. And so just and that was my observations. So that so then you bring in check the rhymes, which is more entertainment, celebrity driven, you know, and there has some lifestyle health aspects to it. But then I also have another brand ladies edition podcast, which is a women's health focused nice, nice umbrella pro growth media. I have had to make that distinction. Like I am not just one of these. I am all three eras,

Kandice Whitaker: 48:34

the sickle cell awareness, and he's an advocate, all that kind of stuff. Yes, I was given you the upper hand right there.

Aaron Lloyd: 48:41

You definitely did. I work with the New York chapter of sickle cell foundation and outreach. And with some doctors in the area about because sickle cell and the treatment that we get in our community, and healthcare is the worst. We know that doctors under treat black people's pain when we go to the hospital. Imagine for sickle cell. They think everybody that drug addicts, they don't believe that pain. They want you to prove it. I'm not going to theater class to you that I'm ill right now. And that's kind of what is expected in emergency room. So no, it's definitely a space which when you said health care for women, and I assume it's mainly for black women. It's needed.

Shameika Rhymes: 49:25

It started out because fibroids my friend, okay, yeah. And we were both getting to dealing with she had already had a hysterectomy and then I was trying to decide if I wanted to have a hysterectomy. And so it was like there wasn't a lot of information out there. Okay, and I was like, I have questions and ain't nobody answering them. And I'm like all they do is show that you fibroids hysterectomy go

Aaron Lloyd: 49:47

isn't it prevalent in the black community with black women.

Shameika Rhymes: 49:52

So what we've done is and so I decided to go ahead and have it because I was like, I can't keep doing these surgeries. But the biggest thing we noticed is There was nowhere for people to tell their stories or share their experiences. So important. Yeah, we found on Facebook, there were a couple groups, but they were almost just white women complaining about the same stuff. But I was like, No, I have questions because my body is doing this. And like, I have questions about this, and this. And so we created that space to talk about it. And so we have real women come on and share their stories. And they had some white women, even England, come on and talk about it, and how the struggle, and we have a lot of experts come on to so we're going into our second season. Oh, that's

Aaron Lloyd: 50:32

great. Yeah. When I wouldn't be in a hospital, I would see on hospital television, channel three would have all of their services that they have. So it'd be like, if you have cancer, here's our support group. If you need to lose weight in our support group, if you need to stop smoking, everything I know, right, the hospitals full of sickle cell patients, that they're more than probably anyone else. But you never saw a support system for that community. Right. And that's probably one of your largest consistent frequent flyer communities within the hospital. And I can only attribute that to race. So the fact that you said that the information wasn't out there, and that the support groups aren't out there, right to the level that they should be, sadly isn't surprising.

Kandice Whitaker: 51:22

I agree. I definitely believe that your gift will make room for you. And I love the fact that you are maximizing your talents in so many different spaces. And not only are you using it to make yourself money but also to be beneficial to the community. So definitely one that that is so important to not only be able to use your gift for yourself, but to be a blessing a gift to the larger community that's amazing. Thank you for your energy I'm loving this whole thing thank you so much to our guest of the day my girls should make a rhyme check it out y'all how should people check you out

Shameika Rhymes: 51:58

local Chronicles even though I'm lifestyle autonomy mobile Chronicles I'm MoPhO cross and Brittany pretty much on Instagram and Twitter not on Facebook though I'm check the rhymes TV on YouTube. Check the rhymes. I think it's check the underscore rhymes. I think on chat I don't know. I don't even know my own stuff. On YouTube or Facebook? Yes.

Aaron Lloyd: 52:23

And if you searched for them, you'll find them which

Shameika Rhymes: 52:27

is awesome on Facebook and on all your streaming platforms.

Kandice Whitaker: 52:30

Thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you so much to my guest co hosts. Aaron. You know we love him. And thank you all for showing up. I love you and I mean it wasn't that a great interview? Hold up before you grab your hat and head out. Make sure you make your way to facebook and join the bail yourself out pod Facebook group. That's where you'll find your virtual co workers luxuriating and chatting. Thank you so much for listening. And if you enjoy the show, please leave a review that's how we keep the lights on. If you're on social media follow your girl Kandice with the K Whitaker. And you know what I'd love to hear from you with that I love you and I mean it because there are people who hate in the world for no reason I choose to love for no reason, I believe is the great Martin Luther King Jr. said hate is too great a burden to bear So why choose to love He shall