0:49I wanted it to be Black-owned though. That’s how they move anyway, like Black-owned um, you know, great, uh, energy and spirit toward it. So shout out to my best friend for saying, yo, listen, it’s this crazy coffee spot in Fisherman’s Wharf. And then I did my research on it.
1:04It was Black-owned by a husband and wife, and I got on the phone with them, we talked and then it was just up from there. That’s beautiful. That’s beautiful. So tell us a little about yourself. What kind of stuff do you do? So I am what I like to say a journalist.
1:17Oh yeah, we got it. So this is meta journalism. I like that. That’s my thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, um, I do, uh, interviews. I started off in, um, our Philadelphia staple called Reading Something on the Market. Really? Yeah. So I do interviews.
1:30I give people the opportunity to share their story and their purpose and what they do and how they’re inspiring other people. Basically, that’s it. And look how you started doing that. That’s a beautiful thing to do. That’s, I mean, that’s kind of what I’m trying to do, right?
1:42Yeah. Well, I’ve been doing journalism for 10 years. But as far as my Qai City Talk series, it’s been one year, and basically I just needed something sweet short, straight to the point to build my community and a little bit entertaining. Ever since I started my first episode, it’s been like crazy.
2:01That’s beautiful. So you’ve been a journalist for a decade, so how did you get started in journalism? You went to journalism school? Yeah, I went to school for, yes, journalism. And, uh Basically, when I was younger, I was nosy as hell. Oh yeah, everybody’s nosy.
2:14I just love to ask questions. And my grandparents, I wrote like my first book was about them. So I would go interview family members and ask them questions about their life and how they met and like their romantic story, their love story. And that was really the beginning for me.
2:28So, um, growing up, my mom would always say self-love is the best love. So I actually wanted to share that to me like a mantra to people. So, you know, pour into yourself. And it’s not a selfish thing. It’s like when you pour into yourself, the more you’ll be able to give to other people that you love. So that’s really how I’m moving in life.
2:46That’s remarkable. I love that. So you say, so you’re a published author? I wouldn’t say published author. So I never You said my first book. When I was younger. So it was like not published, published out there like a real deal book. When I was younger, yeah, I wrote a book about my grandparents.
3:01It never got published or anything. I still have it. It’s like old. It’s like I was 12 years old. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s cool. So you’re a writer too? Yeah. And so do you write now at all? I journal, but I don’t write like for people more for yourself.
3:16That’s cool. So what’s been your favorite part of being a journalist? Like, why is that work important? Right. I’m building an international journalism cooperative. That’s my goal. So I have a team in Nigeria some friends in Ethiopia and Kenya who go out and do some interviews sometimes.
3:30And we’d have people actually go out and do interviews in Uganda, in Nigeria, in Kenya, in India in Pakistan, outside the US. You know, and I’m trying to help people understand why I think that work is important. A lot of people are just like, why should you go out and do these interviews?
3:42So I’m curious for you, like, why is journalism important? No, man, you gotta help people share their stories. Like, there’s so much greatness in the world, there’s so much that people have to offer, and most times people don’t know what they’re actually looking for.
3:53Sometimes you got to give it to them, you got to give them the positive outlook, you got to give them a new way to look at life that’ll probably help shape their whole mind frame and how they think about things and their perspective. So I think that that’s Giving people different perspectives and different ways to look at things but something that can empower.
4:11That’s why I feel like journalism, just the media aspect is so important. Who’s your favorite journalist outside of yourself? Outside of myself? Growing up, my favorites were like, I had multiple. Of course, Oprah Winfrey, stuff like that. Robin, uh, Robin Roberts. And then Um, even people like, like Cameron Simmons, like those are people that do great things in media and journalism that I kind of like looked up to and said that’s something that I would like to aspire to be, you know, take pieces of what they do and incorporate it into my own lifestyle.
4:46And so what’s your vision like 10 years from now? Where are you? Where are you on your way to right now? What are you in the making of? More travel, more travel, taking Qai City to different other cities because Qai City is not just Philly, it’s Philly, New York, Chicago, DC.
5:00London, even all different types of places. So that’s the, that’s the next step for me travel and then taking that. And Qai City is a show you’ve been doing? Yeah. Okay, so talk to us about how that season’s been going, how the work is going.
5:10So you’ve been doing it for a year? Amazing, amazing, amazing. All that I was able to accomplish in one year is like people accomplish in like 5 to 10 years. And I don’t say that in a boastful way it’s just like I’m very grateful of how much I was able to do and how much support I was able to gain.
5:25Like The support and the love is everything to me, so it feels really good. What’s been the hardest part? Dang, the hardest part? I don’t really think it’s no hard part. Like, I’m so optimistic, and people told me it’s not really optimism, it’s inner joy.
5:40And I really believe that. Like, I have so much joy inside that I don’t really look at, like, it’s just good. I take it day by day, and it’s just been awesome. That’s it. I have no difficult things to say. I hear that.
5:51I hear that. What’s been the biggest learning for you this season? The biggest evolution for you? You’re not challenged by growth. It’s just what’s there for you. Consistency. I think that’s the main thing. Like people say, stay consistent, things change. You might hear it like, yeah, yeah, everybody say that. But no, it’s like the real thing.
6:10Like you stay consistent, things will change and work out for the greater good of you. And then it’ll be like a domino effect. Once one thing happens, a lot of other things will lead up to that. So it’s just about being consistent and being prepared for your life to change.
6:23And so we do this thing, we ask people if you could ask people around the world one question, what would you ask them?
6:30How are you inspiring other people? How are you using your purpose to inspire other people to be themselves to continue to love themselves and other people, and just build and add greatness to the world? Because we’re all created to do great things. So how are you using your purpose to inspire others?
6:49And what’s your answer in your own perspective? Man, I’m using my idea of self-love and how I pour into myself to learn and grow and pour into other people to just simply inspire them. Whatever, whatever you want your success or your life to look like for you I’m in support of that thing.
7:11As long as you’re using that to build up and help other people, I’m all for it. That’s how I’m living my truth.
7:18Well, I appreciate that. You have a message for the city? Let’s continue and keep showing up for each other. Let’s continue to, to keep showing love, and let’s just welcome people into our city and show us, and show them the greatness that we have, because we have so much culture, so much style, so much grace here, and people love Philly all over the world.
7:39So we’re doing great. Let’s continue to keep doing great. And it’s just up from here. For people under the age of 12? Y’all have so much time. Shout out to my teammate. Y’all got so much time. Um, y’all have so much to look forward to.
7:54Life is just beginning for y’all. Stay, uh, stay willing to learn. Stay willing to grow. Listen, right? Listen more than you speak because there’s so much to learn. And, and God got y’all. Continue to walk in what your true purpose is and everything is out for y’all to grab.
8:10So the world is yours. Thank you. And where can we find you? Qai City on Instagram. So that’s Q-A-I-C-I-T-Y, Qai City. And that’s where you can find me at, on TikTok as well. Your YouTube? YouTube, yes. Everywhere. Yeah, I appreciate you.
