The Real Cost of That Logo Isn’t on the Tag

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Breaking free from brand worship. Are we living our lives or blandness of living? Of course, this is something that consistently, I consistently think about because I feel like it's some big problem,

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worshiping brand people places, things, worshiping to the point that it's it's not serving us truthfully. That's not that's not a long term. It can withstand the test of time.

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The cost of, either too much financially or too much of a burden over time, I believe. You know, but it's I think it's a problem because we, we all find ourselves pursuing brands that are ideas, brands, if they don't truly serve you. And I guess, focus our brands and logos that we put on our bodies, that we pay a premium for.

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I think I could be wrong on that, but I think during the 90s, when major brands really started to understand the idea of branding characters, a lot of it, and when I was young and I became keenly aware of it because I grew up in, in the urban city in Oak Cliff, Dallas. So if you're from Dallas or you been in Dallas, you know, a little closer to that.

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I have a negative reputation is probably because of my generation. There at I grew up in. But growing up, I also chase brands so young when I say could change the 20s. And I still was trying to figure out the life. But one of the things that I did quickly observe that I didn't want to participate in because I couldn't afford it was these three brand, and they were deadly.

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They're actually deadly Jordans, starter jackets and Deion wheels. If you have those on you in the hood. But in in our neighborhood this is our going to be a part

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Ashley Carson this guy because you see that I'm recording a podcast your brother but respect hopefully you're able to get that here.

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Jordans data is. And starter jackets

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50 years later and say 40 years later, these are just the popular brands. We're actually one of them. Still sounds Jordans like you can find them anywhere. The thing they built the brand on scarcity and obviously status if we have them here, you see how high status your money can. You could afford them.

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They're much more expensive. That can I say, relatively speaking, it costs a lot to, to buy them. And it was scarce, so put that into the, to the culture. And then the status of Jordan, the shoes, when it first received the give you,

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dangerous wear wheels like, really customized wheels put on, frankly shitty cars back in the day.

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Unknown
But you throw them on there and all of a sudden the PA just became more prestigious and, became a better a better car. Of course, soon people would make their cars nicer as well. But it was not uncommon to hear of people getting Jack on the corner because, there was the whatever targeted them because those wheels were worth a lot.

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Unknown
Not just in terms of money that they flipped, but also in terms of status. So they had to make a choice. I'm sure if some of these did,

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Unknown
start in Genesis, three gigs weren't even running. Or as far as I know, names are running where it started. Jacobs. When I became really obvious that

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Unknown
they had lost their luster, I actually saw starter jackets at Walmart

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Unknown
stopped worshiping brands.

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Unknown
A lot of it was one serious inner jackal. You know, things worst of my life. No piece of clothing worth my life, no jewelry left. My life, my children, family. But these things. And they weren't worth my money. So, you know, top of that, I couldn't afford it. So I didn't want to break myself. I didn't feel the sense.

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Unknown
I didn't understand the sense of breaking. So to get these fans fast forward became apparent. Yes, I honor I have four children, point at two stepchildren, and the two pet two children show up for children at one point, and I'm I'm helping raise and, couldn't afford it. So of course I didn't fulfill it either. I was trying to put food on the table, got worse, and the girls got older.

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Unknown
I was afraid that they were going to start asking for things that they were going to get around plans, join this because it was the popularity is growing, growing. And now you look around, everybody's got Jordans because they are cheaper as well. There's not as much scarcity unless you got those really scarce plants. And you're a collector and you do that.

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Unknown
But all in all, you can find Jordans anywhere. Nike's find a relatively affordable Payless silver in this all we to move for the longest. But they did it. And I guess that's the point. They didn't. They didn't ask for that. I never, ever did.

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Unknown
and I think part of the reason for that is because I didn't I didn't idolize the brands.

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Unknown
I didn't make them a big deal, which made it one less argument I had to have with my children, one less debate. Whereas, I don't think intrinsically they understood the value of money because I started teaching them early. But

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Unknown
the brands like, oh, I had to have these Nike's or I had to have this shirt, Prada and Gucci, if you can afford it, even for comfortably and good for you if you want them, good for you.

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Unknown
I guess this this messaging just more for us people that really can't or shouldn't I think it starts with us as individuals because it comes a point to be close to, like it's not, sustainable. That's to where I was earlier. It's not sustainable to you continue to worship these brands.

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Unknown
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Unknown
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Unknown
Oh, back up a little bit. When I was younger and I started developing my own line and understanding the brands I bank, I remember thinking they were such as something that still runs today is that it's still true today, and it's still, a principle of mine, which is I refuse just have anybody logos on me unless they're painting.

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Unknown
I refuse to be somebody's unpaid billboard or see it in their billboard,

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Unknown
I guess are used to that. It just so silly. It's

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Unknown
I feel that when you put on your matters. So cars do I have nice things. Do I like numerous brands? And I would like to do things that I do for the function.

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Unknown
Like, I have to like this person. Like that, probably 50 bucks nowadays. It's not much, but the function of walking alone. I do have. I'll have some brands if you see me around. And in general I don't have any logos. If you recognize orange, you partly because I'm cheap, partly because some are. I refuse to rock the brand.

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Unknown
It's even. It's the meanings like, oh, well, that can that means you're not successful enough. And that's the judgment that was made in us when I lived with the success and the demonstration of success and the, I feel like it should be interpreted differently. And if someone doesn't successful enough because everybody else probably it's only going to work.

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Unknown
But it's just a general at least eyes participate. These

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Unknown
some back to not wanting to to rep somebody else's brand, especially on an uncertain economy.

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Unknown
in my 20s, I started my own weight. So that's, there, I started really being known for that. I freed this little logo on me. And what I will start doing is actually placing a logo on my stuff.

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Unknown
I was airbrush artists, and I said, well, if I'm going to rock anybody's brand new, my brand, my logo, if I'm going to make it such a big deal, is going to be my, representing myself rep myself like that has remained true to this day. Or I'm going to rock anyone. It's going to be myself.

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Unknown
The only time I will say that it doesn't and I will rep another brand or rep another group is if I truly believe in the group, whether it be brands like, social media influencers, the source, but individuals that are doing some good a message, or and I will rock the shit out of a message.

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Unknown
Something that I truly believe in. But a brand just for a brand, like a swoosh or a Prada or sir, is a Gucci. I don't even at all. I mean, a rock base that they don't represent me. My values, they are percentages to them, you know, a lot of businesses, a lot of people that said they were going up.

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Unknown
This

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Unknown
and then now fast forward to the modern era where everything's about branding. I get it, I'm a marketer, I have a personal brand, I have a marketing brand. But there comes a point when you idolize a brand and it it will betray you because especially if they're human beings, even our

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Unknown
social system, human beings are human beings and and they inevitably will betray you or their their true character will come out, find out that they're horrible people will because they

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Unknown
traumatized traumatizes children of being honest.

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Unknown
But some of these individuals that we idolize actually just some beings flawed, very flawed human beings, most of them,

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Unknown
still appreciating their art to some extent, although Kanye was the one that I truly to drop it. I don't want to listen to the music anymore. You know. I grew up to it.

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Unknown
It was kind of the anthem for, for my, my use,

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Unknown
my 2030s. It was this angst type of music, emotional music that I really like that motivated me.

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Unknown
But he's an individual that I just decided to to go along with from this.

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Unknown
his obviously are hurt individual. And I'm not going to be,

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Unknown
insult him like that.

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Unknown
But I will say that he was doing horrible things and we lost him personally when he lost soul completely. Like, I don't even want to listen to his music. It is,

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Unknown
The thinking that's really going on for his wife,

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Unknown
other children online and was putting them in danger. And I felt like I was it a betrayal of the father.

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Unknown
And I feel like there is this use of image justification as a but the truth is that you was putting them in words or a black man. As a father, I, I lost the last bit of respect I had for him. And I get it. That's the mental issues. But I cannot subscribe to obviously, his brand and his music and I can't even listen to it.

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Unknown
So obviously we'll disengage from that and stuff. Just because it becomes too much about counseling per se, I am about disengaging our souls. Because they don't. I no longer believe what they believe. And, I can find other motivational email music to get ramped up to amp up to,

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Unknown
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Unknown
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Unknown
being careful with that, right?

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Unknown
Being flexible to let go of brands that don't represent bullying. But even if at one point they did, I think that's something very soft about me

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Unknown
last but I try to really get this across that they're all scandals or they're 2020 now Billboard in 2002 for that or, internet really started ramping up.

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Unknown
They still didn't have the internet on their, on in their hands at all. The times is quickly approaching and sort of realizing and seeing human beings, brands, big brands, will brands. Right. Their true values are their, their founder's values come out. And I actually really try to impress upon them to never idolize essentially false gods, right?

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Unknown
Don't idolize them. Make me appreciate them. They me honor them in some way. Thank them if they're given some knowledge and they're inspiring and motivating. All right. But don't idolize. Be ready. Especially, like eventually the humanity and they will come out the or cancel culture, the Al Franken era. That's a friend of his cancel anyone before 2005.

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Unknown
Anyone born before 2005. Well, music. You know what let's should say before 2000, let's just cancel. Still everybody a favor? Why? You might as well. Because at least for we had documentation of all the crazy things we did. We've all done did some crazy, obnoxious, hateful, mean spirited things. And there's no nothing that documents it. So it's just maybe a rule.

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Unknown
We just think we're going to cancel the worst. Just cancel all of us. And then once you cancel, everyone, is anyone cancel? And I have to say, people fit in the shouldn't be, removed from the public sphere or idolization. Okay, but let's just cancel everyone because, we all got shit in our closets that, And if it's not documented, we've all done so.

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Unknown
Some dumb things. So sad things. Mean

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Unknown
if we're being honest. So, be careful with who you idolize. And be careful with the brands that you throw money at in the pursuit of status. Perception. Establish like, experience. Kudos to those of you that can afford it. And they can find real, benefits from it. I don't see that.

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Unknown
That's the lesson to be careful

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Unknown
about.