Producing Happiness with Brad Lambert

Welcome to True Grit and Grace, a podcast designed to empower you to claim your resilience and thrive through life's challenges. I am Amberly Lago, a mindset coach, fitness expert and bestselling author. Each week, I'll dive deep with the world's brightest thought leaders and elite performers to share tangible tools and practical advice to inspire you to keep your eyes on the prize and forge ahead. So get ready to conquer your fears, heal any trauma, lead with your heart, and elevate your life with grit and grace.

Hey there, it's Amberly, and welcome back to another episode of True Grit and Grace. Y'all, I have Brad R. Lambert in the house.

Hello.

He is a producer, talent manager, international speaker, and he followed his passion and worked in the sports industry for 10 years with professional athletes and teams such as the New York Jets and the Steelers. And then Went on to follow his passion for the entertainment and film industry and moved out here to LA. So he's in my neck of the woods. And I think that you are really the secret weapon behind some huge marketing campaigns. I mean, you've worked with Warner Brothers, Walt Disney, Marvel Studios, Universal Pictures, Sony. I mean, the list goes on and on. The awards go on and on. And I'm just so grateful you're here. So welcome to the show, superstar.

Thank you so much, Amberly. It's great to be here.

Oh, well, I've been looking forward to this. And I think— did I meet you the first time on Clubhouse?

Is that— is that where— Yes. Yes. Shout out to Clubhouse for bringing us together.

I know. But then what's so cool is that we're actually doing an event together in North Carolina. We're speaking at Transform You. Stephen Scoggins is amazing. And And I'm wondering, are you going to be there in person? Are you doing it virtually?

I will be there in person.

Oh my gosh. Me too. We're going to get to hang out.

Well, let's be real, Amberly. We have to hang out before October because we are in the same neck of the woods.

I know. And now things are opening up again. Like before, actually, when we scheduled this interview, because it's been scheduled for a long time.

For a while. Yeah.

Things were still pretty locked down. And so we're like, well, let's do it through Zoom. But now we can actually hang out. There are restaurants Oh yes. Speaking of that, I wondered, how has it been for you with all that you do in the entertainment business with the pandemic? How have you shifted your business and what are some of the things that you've done differently?

Sure. Well, obviously when the pandemic hit initially, it really impacted the entertainment industry. The studios essentially shut down, theaters shut down, production shut down. So a lot of my work was built around either the production end of, you know, producing films and TV projects, and then on the marketing side, working with the studios. So a big chunk of my business was definitely impacted. So I had to kind of take a step back and look at my brand and my business and see where I could make growth and make that progress during such an unprecedented and unique time. So, um, I had to pivot. I had to get involved in other areas where I really didn't have time to before. I tried to turn a negative into a positive always. Uh, and most of the time you can. So for me, I took that situation and I was able to really hone in and focus on my brand during that year, doing a lot of interviews and podcasts and articles and features and things like that, which was great. Taking time to get on Clubhouse where I met you and a bunch of other incredible people.

Yeah.

It was a very tough year for a lot of people, obviously. But I'd like to think I've come out of the— on the other side better in certain areas. And I'm grateful for that.

Well, I think, you know, one of the things that I was going to mention, actually, in your introduction is, I mean, everything that you've done, the success that you have and had, and all the people that you surround yourself with, it's amazing. But I think the thing that I love the most about you is your kindness and your giving heart. You're so supportive and you always offer value and you really build meaningful relationships. Like right off the bat, you provide value. You're like, like we met and it's like, how can I support you? You know? And it's like, oh man, he's my kind of people. How can I support you? And so that's one of the things that I really love about you. Do you feel like because you have such great connections during the pandemic, you had the ability to try new things and grow in different areas? Or did that give you more time to build more relationships?

I mean, the relationship aspect of it is part of me. I mean, I don't look at it as networking or building connections. You know, I'm not out here collecting people like, you know, people are collecting Pokémon cards. Like, this is— I try to surround myself with people who I admire and who inspire me. You could be from any walk of life, be in any industry. It doesn't really matter. You don't have to be famous. You know, I just want to surround myself with good people. And at the end of the day, when you surround yourself with good people, not only is there good energy and good vibes, but you'll grow in a good way because of it. So that's what I've always tried to do. And I had that understanding at a very early age. And that's what allowed me to get into the sports industry, working with professional athletes and sports teams. When I was in high school. And I was able to build these really powerful relationships and genuine and authentic relationships with these people, because I just wanted them a part of my life. Like, there was not like, oh, I need to build something because I need something. It was like, yeah, it was like, I just, I want to be able to pick up the phone. And just be like, hey, man, like, how's it going? How— just want to check in, make sure everything's going well with you and the family. You know, how are the kids? How'd this project go? Great game Sunday. Like, that's a relationship, you know? And yeah, you do get things eventually if needed. Like, it's part of having a relationship with someone. You show love to them, they show love to you. But that should never be the reason why you engage in a relationship with somebody. And if it is, you might get what you want, but then you're going to lose that person forever and it's going to damage your reputation.

Oh, for sure. And you know, I found just the other day, I was on a phone call. I'd called a friend. She's a pretty new friend. And I was like, hey, I have a great— I know you want to get into the speaking, you know, getting on more stages. I have a great opportunity. I could introduce you to this event planner. I think it would be a great way to promote your book. And she was almost like, what do you want? What do you want from me? And I'm like, no, I don't want anything from you. I was like, I just really like you. I think you're great. And I think this would be a great opportunity for you. And we can just lift each other up. I'm not, I don't want anything. And, you know, and it was funny. It made me think about, I had, you know, messaged her again last night and I said, hey, you know what? I could help you with that if you just added these couple of things. Because she's trying to build her Instagram.

Sure.

I'm like, if you just added these couple of things to your post, that person would probably share that in their story and you could build your Instagram. And she's like, oh, thanks. Well, what do you want? I'm like, I don't want anything. I'm just trying to help you grow, you know? But—

Especially in this industry, I found that a lot. Like it is, it's sad that that is such a jarring thing to offer kindness or value to someone and then be like, yo, Like, what, what is it that you want? And it's like, no, no, no. I remember this was years ago. I sat down with a director in Hollywood and we had coffee and I just wanted to sit down and talk to this guy and pick his brain. He's been in the industry for such a long time. I respected him so much. And he started the conversation out by, so what can I do for you? And I was just so blown away because that, one, that's not why I was there, and two, that like, that's how the conversation started. And, and I was just like, wow, I mean, it's, it's rough out here. Like, it, it's sad because, you know, that is such a trend out here. And it's obvious because people come out here with ulterior motives and they take what they get and bounce.

Yeah, Brad, I think it's more— I didn't realize how much more it is like that in LA until I went and had like a culture shock because I've been out here for 30 years. I went to my first in-person event in Florida. And it was all these amazing women. I was teaching a mastermind there. And it was all these amazing women. And they were from the Midwest, a lot from Texas, stuff like that. They genuinely, every single person there wanted to help just to help, to add value, not because they wanted something.

Yeah, I mean, I'm from Pittsburgh originally, so that is like something that I would like to— it's a very blue-collar town, so we, we do that a lot, you know. It's, it's love, it's empathy, it's kindness, and that's what we're about. And coming out here, that was my culture shock, where it was the opposite, and it was very, you know, snake in the grass, Wild Wild West. And that was very disappointing, but it definitely was something that you learned to kind of you know, I guess adjust to.

Yeah. Well, I want to know, where do you think these values came from? Tell me a little bit about how you grew up. And, and I want to know how old you were when you realized you wanted to do big things and be surrounded by greatness. Like, how old were you? Well, you realized—

in regards to the first question, my mom had such a massive impact on my life. She's kindest woman. She would give you the shirt off her back. Honestly, she's just a gem. And so that's where I learned the kindness thing. It was like, you never do something nice for somebody else to get something in return. You just do it because you can. And I truly believe we all have the opportunity to make the world a better place and add value to others if we care enough to do so. And that means taking the time, putting in the effort, and that's it. Like, it's that simple. You know, a lot of people overcomplicate this and try to make it some like, oh, this is such a weight on my life. I don't have time to, you know, do this. It's like, you make the time, you do it. You know, like yesterday, I got a new friend who was in a finals tennis match. And I drove like an hour to go support him, and he had no idea I was coming. I really played it off like, "Hey, good luck, man! Let me know how it goes." Da da da da. And then I surprised him, and he was just so beside himself because he had no idea that I was coming, and and he was just it meant the world to him. But you know that was two three hours total travel everything of my life, and I wouldn't have changed anything about it. You know. But it was like, once again, it's, it's the choices that we make that define us, period. Not the words out of our mouth, it's what we do. So having said that, you know, at an early age I was kind of fearless in a way of like, this is what I want to do, I want to chase this, I want to be around this. I understood that I wanted to do things and be around things that made me happy. And being from Pittsburgh, sports was such a big thing. And then the other side of that was entertainment, film, TV, music, etc. And that's— I started in sports and I went at, you know, working with professional athletes. And it wasn't abroad, like professional athletes. I wanted to work with my Steelers. I wanted to work with the guys that I cheered on on Sundays and Mondays and now Thursdays and, you know, really add value to whatever I could to their lives. And when that started to happen, you know, these outlandish goals that in high school, that became, you know, second nature. Then I was like, okay, you know, what about this outlandish goal? What about this?

Yeah.

This, this. And then you build that confidence to where you are fearless in a sense that like, I'm not afraid to fail and I don't fail, I learn. So when I shoot for the stars, you know, I might miss, You know, but at the end of the day, I walk away from it better.

I think it's great to re— to— if we could all think that way, that it's not really failure. Well, unless we just decide to not get back up, but that we're learning from it. You know, everything we do, even sometimes when we think that, oh gosh, that was— that was a waste of time, it wasn't a waste of time because you got practice or, you know, or something. And it's just looking for what you you know, the good in the situation. And I think it's— we have to train our thoughts and our brains to actually do that because it can be easy to go to the negative. But 100%, you seem to find the, the positive in what you do. What exactly did you do when you were working for the Steelers? What was like a daily, you know, one of your jobs that you did for them?

So I worked specifically with the players. So not necessarily— I wasn't like paid by the team. But I've worked directly with the players individually. So that was really—

That must have been fun.

Oh, it was a blast. You know, my goal was to add whatever value I could for them right now, but also set them up for success in the future. So at the time, social media was ramping up. Nobody knew what to do. So I was able to bring that value to them and really help them understand what social media was, how to operate it, how to utilize it to impact your brand and business now, but also for the future. And that's something that was, you know, much needed in that time. And, uh, that allowed me to build these relationships with these guys. You know, Willie Parker, uh, 2-time Super Bowl champion, longest run in Super Bowl history. I've known him for 15-plus years. You know, when I met him, I was in high school, and now I'm Uncle Brad to his kids. You know, and that's something that when you think about it, I didn't cut off the relationship because he stopped playing with the Steelers and he retired. We've been going 15 years strong. He's been retired for a while.

So, and, and that's the relationships right there.

That's a genuine relationship.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

And it takes, you know, and let me say this too, it takes effort. It takes time and effort to build relationships. And it works both ways. You know, I called someone yesterday and they're like, oh, I thought it was a, you know, I thought it was an emergency because I haven't heard from you in so long. And I was like, I just thought about it. I was like, phone works both ways, but all right. You know, I'm calling now, aren't I? Like, you know, but, but that's, that's the thing. It's, you know, people get comfortable where it's like, oh, I haven't heard from so-and-so in a while. Pick up the phone and call them. You know, like I operate literally, if I think of someone and I'm not in the middle of doing something super urgent, I will pick up the phone and call them right in that moment. Or I'll text them, or I'll send a voice memo or a DM. Like, I don't let it get to the I'll do it later phase. Life is too precious. I just lost a dear friend of mine in a car accident.

I saw that.

And like, he passed away a day or two before he was flying home for us to all get together on the weekend. It was like that, you know, and this was by far the biggest death of my life. So far. And, and that hit super hard. That was devastating. And he had such a massive impact on my life. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. It's just, it's really sad. But that just told me even more so, and I'm already good at this, but to not play games. Don't say do it later, do it now. And send those texts, call those people, tell the people that are closest to you that you love them and you care about them. And Because you just, you just don't know.

Well, I learned for sure after my motorcycle accident, like, life can change in the blink of an eye. And, you know, my husband still rides occasionally, not often, but he still will hop on his bike. And every time he leaves, I'm like, oh, be careful, be safe. And life is precious. And so it is important to reach out to those people, even people that you think are really strong Just to reach out and check in on them. I have a friend like you who I will call and she'll go, oh, well, nice to hear from you. And I'm like, it makes me feel like bad when I first talk. And I'm like, I, I do, you know, I think that, um, time and energy are so precious. And I was just before we started recording this, I ran downstairs cuz I record from home now. My, my office building, I don't know if they're back up. They're probably back open now.

Yeah.

But after COVID, they shut down. So I turned my daughter's, this was my daughter's old room, into my office. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is tough recording from home. The dryer was making a noise. Then I ran back up. And then I'm like, the dog needs to be let out. And I ran back downstairs, came back up. And I'm like, oh my gosh, you know, time is just so precious. And to get to spend it with people that we really care and that care about and that are passionate is so important. And I know you're really good at building the relationships, but I want to know, how do you set healthy boundaries for people that might be what I call like, uh, energy vampires? Like they just suck you dry.

Yeah.

I mean, does that happen?

Oh, 100%. And, you know, a lot of people are like, oh, I've been taken advantage of, or, oh, this person's, you know, Ruining my life, whatever. And you don't change who you are; you change who you surround yourself with. And that is such once you understand that and apply it to your life, everything changes. Because you know, people ask me, Brad, like you've been taken advantage of, you've been stabbed in the back. Da da da da. How are you still this this kind person, this you know loving person? And I'm like. you know, I learned my lesson and those people are no longer a part of my life.

Mm-hmm.

But I'm still me. I'm not going to allow someone's negative side to rub off on me and make me a bad person, you know. So I, uh, talking about that, I think you have to set those boundaries, you know. There are certain people in my life that I want to maintain a relationship with, but they're not someone I talk to every single day. You know, they're not someone I repeatedly talk to for that very reason. But for the most part, I don't allow that kind of negative energy in my life. Because you could be having the best day where you're riding high and everything's great, and you get a text or a call or a DM from that one person, just ruin everything. And you like, why? Why would you allow that? that potential to be in your life. You can't, you shouldn't. And it's your choice.

Yeah, you know, I think that we learn so much from children. And I definitely learned a lot from my daughter who's 13. And she heard me say out loud one day, oh gosh, you know, so-and-so wants this again, or this something again. It was always every time this person would text me, it was to help her or get— and I don't mind how I love to help. But you know the people that call and every time they call, it's because they want something. They want you to do something. And it's not a little ask.

And you don't hear from them in a little while.

It's like, it's like a big ask, you know, like a, a big thing. And my daughter was like, Mom, why are you responding? Like, she's like boundaries for her, just like done. I'm like, I don't know if I can do that. But I'm learning that We teach people how to treat us.

We, we accept the love we think we deserve. And that, that's a Perks of Being a Wallflower, by the way, quote. Um, but I think it's very important because if you put up with this, it will continue. So you need to put your foot down, and that person may not like it, but like, that one person can ruin everything. I talked to someone yesterday who told me that they had a massive issue in their life because someone did something that put them in a lot, a lot of trouble and pain. And she was like, just shows you, like, you gotta watch who you surround yourself with because in a blink of an eye everything can go down the drain.

Well, especially for, for what you do. I mean, you actually worked with my all-time favorite actor Robert Downey Jr. He's my favorite. And actually—

He's nice.

My husband, before I met my husband, and I'm sure Robert Downey Jr. doesn't even remember this because it was a small time, uh, but my husband was a commander with the California Highway Patrol. And he, before that, he was a sergeant and he was head of all the motors. And so he was work— used to work with Mel Gibson. And Mel Gibson hooked him up with Robert Downey Jr. to teach him how to ride motorcycles for some movie he was doing. So I just think it's so cool. I'm a fangirl of Robert Downey Jr., so to be able to work with him, I, I would just be like, oh my gosh, how did you start working with him? And you got to tell me how— what that was like. I mean, I know you probably can't give details, but—

No, no, I mean, it goes back to what I said before where, you know, I try to surround myself with people who I admire and who inspire me. And Robert is a guy I've admired and respected for such a long time, not only personally but professionally as well, um, obviously. And to be in his circle, to call him a friend and to just be around him, I mean, that's— a lot of people will be like, who cares? It's like, do you understand? Like, how much that's impacted me in a positive way. Like, like being around a guy like that, and I'm so grateful for the time I spent with him and his team. I mean, his team's fantastic. All of them are rock stars, and, and you learn a lot from them as well. Um, but it goes back to my buddy who just passed away. We connected and he opened a door for me, and that was it. He saw something, he believed in me, and the rest was history. And I owe it to him, and I made sure to tell him that constantly. Thank you, thank you, thank you. But being around a guy like that and his team, and I mean, it's, it's a blessing. And I'm grateful for the conversations we have and the moments we share. And, you know, I literally had a conversation with my mom like a week ago where I said, like, even if I talk to Robert once a month, Could be 5 minutes. That's all I could ask for. I would be so grateful for that. I am grateful for that. But just setting like expectations, like everyone, oh, you with him every day? No, you know, like that's, that's not what this is about, you know. And just those moments that we share, it's, it's something I'm grateful for. And being around his team has made me a better person and professional, and I look forward to continue to growing both personally and professionally with those guys and just keeping it moving. But, you know, I'm obviously a big Marvel guy, as you can see. So that, that added a really cool just element to the whole experience, obviously. But at the end of the day, it was just being around a guy that I admired and who inspired me. And I've learned a lot. And I'm very grateful to have him in my life.

Yeah, I think it You feel the energy. I mean, I just was at a conference over the weekend. I've always been coaching for 25 years, and I've always done my continued education. When I was a trainer at a gym, a lot of the other trainers wouldn't spend the money to go to conferences, but I always did as a way to meet people, but always to stretch myself and learn the latest things.

Right.

But when you get to be around people and learn from them. Like I just went to a conference this weekend and the energy, I was like sitting on the edge of my chair. It was so amazing. And so you're right. It doesn't matter if you get to spend 5 minutes with that person or 5 hours. It's just, I think energy is contagious and it leaves you, you know, just so, you know, it fuels your passion. For me, it fuels my passion.

Oh my goodness. And it's also appreciating the little things. You know, like a lot of people are only concerned with the big outlandish things and the text messages I get from friends. Like, like that means everything to me. I screenshot the moments, I hold on to them. You know, I can look back to like early 2010 of screenshots that I've taken with conversations with some of my best friends that I always laugh and I'm grateful for. So those moments I cherish, you know.

So you screenshot those moments?

Yeah, those— the, the text threads, so they never get lost.

Oh, that is such a great idea.

Because like, truthfully, I did that, you know, a lot with my buddy who just recently passed. And, you know, the, the tattoo I just got in honor of him was because of a thing he always used to say to me, which was, get to work, Lambert. Um, and, uh, you know, those moments, like I say, you just go back and you look at, you know, whether they be Facebook messages or Instagram DMs or whatever But, you know, like I said, life's precious, and those moments, you know, they're not something you experience in a sense, you know, being in person, but they still matter and they're still really important. And those moments can impact, you know, somebody's life one way or another. So, you know, I think those positive moments should be, you know, appreciated and held on to in some way, shape, or form. And you know, that's how I really appreciate the little things because, you know, some people like, oh, it's a DM, who cares? I'm like, no, you don't understand. Like, that's something that I will hold on to forever. Um, and I— going back to when I first connected with him, I have those initial conversations which otherwise— I mean, I don't have my original Facebook, so it's— I would have lost him. But I have those screenshots or those photos, you know. It's like I have voice— I have voicemails from this man that I've held on to, and I'm grateful that I did. I hold on to voicemails from my mom and my grandparents and my dear friends. And, you know, I hold on to things not, not to do weird stuff with them, but, but, uh, but to just, you know—

I'm gonna, I'm gonna message you today, and I'm gonna check back and see if you screenshot my message.

Hey, I— and, and I will. But, but like I said, it's more to just you know, keep track of, of these moments and, and maintain the moments. And, you know, because once again, if I didn't hold on to the voicemails from my dear friend that just passed, I, I would have no reminder or memento of his, his voice and his hilarious personality.

Mm-hmm.

And he was known for the, the tough love and, and just giving you a hard time 24/7. So like, that's what the voice— voice— the voicemails are. And it's so funny because you just, you listen to them and you're just laughing like, yep, that's, uh, that was him.

Oh, well, I love that. I love that about you. And you know, it's interesting as you're saying that, I have my, my dad— my stepmother, actually, she committed suicide.

And sorry to hear that.

Yeah, it was just a real surprise. And I have her wedding ring Yeah, so I'm sentimental like that too. And my dad had a phone for her and he got rid of her phone, and I was like, Dad, don't get rid of her phone. I want to be able to listen to her, hi, you've reached Patty. And, you know, so I'm like sentimental like that too. What are you going to be speaking about when we're in North Carolina? What is your topic?

Uh, I'm definitely going to be talking a lot about building genuine relationships and how that translates to success in both your personal life and business, but more so just providing value and happiness to the people around you. I mean, I think that's such an important thing because a lot of people overcomplicate it to a sense that they're like, oh, I, I don't have nearly the connections or the knowledge that you do to bring happiness to someone. It's like, nobody's asking you to do this grand thing. Just Get flowers for your mom tomorrow. Wait, what? It's that easy? Yeah, it's that easy. Go, go do it. You know, call someone, you know, just like those little things go a long way. You know, I always say a little bit of happiness goes a long way. And a lot of people don't— once again, they always think big picture. And they're like, oh, I gotta do— I gotta rent out a baseball stadium and, and, you know, have something projected on the screen. And, and it's like, no, like, just— Just do something, you know.

Oh, it's the little things that matter. I mean, this morning I went to, um, I'm gonna admit it, I went to Dunkin' Donuts. I just got a latte, but I got my daughter some donuts as a treat. And my hands were full walking out the door, and, uh, this lady held the door open for me. And I was like, oh, thank you. It's the little things that can be such, so helpful and so kind that make your day.

It's true.

So I love that you're going to talk about that, about the importance. Because there is some skill to that that I don't think people understand. I'll give you an example. I have quite a few people that will reach out on DM on Instagram. And when the first thing they ask me is they ask me for, hey, can you give me a shout-out? Post my picture on your story. And I'm like, dude, I don't even know you. Who are you? How about getting to know me a little more? Or honestly, I didn't know that people would want to be on the podcast. I thought I would be like really chasing people down to try to, you know, get them on.

Yeah.

And I have a long list thankfully, thankfully, I'm so grateful for that, of people that are going to be on the podcast. And I have a lot of PR agents that reach out to me for the podcast.

Right.

And I was like, how can I send them a message to let them know that this person is probably great, but I only have people that I know, I love who they are as a person and what they're doing in the world on the show. And I want to get to know people before I'm just like have them on the show. You know what I mean? And that changed because I had a listener. When I first started my podcast, I had a coach on and I didn't know the coach very well at all. And one of my friends ended up buying coaching from her and she screwed her over. And I was like, she goes, you know, the only reason I bought coaching from her is because she was on your podcast. And I was like, ooh, I gotta really make sure I know people before I put them on the show.

Sure.

It's those things that I didn't really think about until you're forced to kind of have to, yeah, I gotta take a look at that. And so I think that reaching out to people, like DM on Instagram, if you reach out and, like if that guy would've reached out and said, hey, you know, I read your message today and Wow. You know, I just posted how it was, you know, 11 years since my motorcycle accident. If he would have commented, wow, congratulations on walking again. I've been following your journey. Is there, you know, is there any way we can collaborate? I probably would have gone, yeah. You know? But it's when you start out as, post my picture. Yeah.

Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme.

Gimme, gimme, gimme.

And it's It's sad because like it's so easy to be kind. It's so easy to show love and spread love and, and just, you know, throw it everywhere. I mean, I comment as much as possible on, on photos that I see on Instagram or stories, and I'm sure it's annoying to some people, but like if I can show love and support at a— in an instant that might change your whole day. Sweet, I'm gonna do that. And it might irritate you, but guess what? You'll appreciate it.

Well, you know what, I'm glad you brought that up. Because, you know, my husband gives me a hard time. I was even on Clubhouse the other day and speaking on a panel. And the guy was giving me a hard time. Like, really, he kept going on and on about me commenting back to people who leave comments on my Instagram. And he was like, I mean, I don't know how you do it, Amberly. You have like 700 comments. I just don't know how you do it. And honestly, I make time to do it when I can. And the reason I do is because number one, I love people. But I also know when I was struggling, when I was at like my toughest point in my life and I reached out to someone and they actually responded to me, It made me feel seen, heard, appreciated, loved. And I think that's what we all want is just to be seen and heard and loved. And if I can do that even in a small way, then I'm gonna do it. And, and, you know, I know that there's definitely moments where I'm like, okay, I've been on Instagram for 3 hours, time to get off and get outside. You know what I mean?

Yeah, 100%.

You just do it. You can. Well, I can't wait to hear you speak in North Carolina. I can't wait to hang out. We'll have to hang out before then.

Yes, that's— but we definitely have to do that.

I want to know, how does somebody get to work with you when— if they want you as their talent manager, how do they do that?

Honestly, a lot of it is me reaching out, me chasing down. Like, it's really— yeah, it's, it's identifying people who resonate with me and are in the same field or niche as me. And me getting to know them off of what you just said, and then winning together. That's, that's another huge thing I'm going to talk about in October, winning together. And you know, your success does not make me look bad. There's enough food at the table for everybody. And I think if more people collaborated, a lot of people would achieve what they want to achieve because If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together. And together is the— is pretty fast as well, I must say.

Yeah, I think so. We speak the same language.

It's just, once again, a lot of people want all the credit, you know, or they don't want to share the love or the win with other people. And, you know, I experienced that so much out here in LA, it's nauseating. And it's just like, you know, hush your ego for 2 seconds and let's win. Like, what are we— what are we wasting time for, you know? But, you know, some people are— you just can't change, and that's who they are. And those are people you're gonna have to separate yourself from. And I've done it many, many times. And, uh, you know, once again, those detractors or those, uh, mosquitoes or ticks in your life who suck the life out of you. You gotta go.

It's hard sometimes to set those boundaries, but I think as, as I've gotten older and as life has gotten a little busier and more eventful, it becomes easier to set those boundaries and just want to be around, you know, zero tolerance.

I mean, it's not hard. It's up to you.

Well, I'm an overcoming people pleaser, so I had some issues I had to work out. Me too.

I'm the same way. I never want to hurt anyone or bring sadness to anyone. But at the same time, like, you have to be concerned with your mental health, your overall health, and your well-being. And if someone's impacting that in a negative way, they gotta go. I'm sorry.

Yeah. And also, you know what, I actually was gonna do a post about this today. This broke my heart yesterday. My daughter's into fish aquariums. We now have 3. We're getting another one today. I mean, I don't know where the heck we're gonna put this 4th fish aquarium. But we were walking into this really cool aquarium store called Aquarium City that our friend owns. And we are there all the time. And we're walking in and I see this sign that says like printing business cards, blah, blah, blah. And I stop and I like take a picture. And I'm like, my mind is going, oh, I could do new business cards, maybe some shirts. maybe some hats, this, that. Then I get a text and I'm responding back to my text and my daughter just stops in the parking lot and she looks at me and she goes, Mom, quit getting distracted. And I was like, ooh, oh my gosh. But the look on her face was just, she was really sad.

Yeah.

And I think that, you know, when you have friends in your life that maybe don't have your best interest in mind, or, you know, um, that it is a distraction. And I think we got to cut the distractions out of our life, whether it's, you know, taking pictures of the printing shop or a text message that doesn't really matter, that I get back to this person.

It's also priorities.

It is priorities and values.

That's— yeah, I mean, that, that's the main thing too, of like, if you're trying to work with somebody or have a relationship with somebody and your priorities are not aligned, that's totally fine. I'm not going to fault you for the priorities in your life, and you can't fault me for the priorities in mine. Having said that, I'm now going to adjust, pivot, and go a different direction because this is not going to work.

That's so important that you share that because I learned that the hard way, actually, um, and we got divorced. So I made sure when, you know, my husband now, it's like we have the same priorities. Family comes first. Yeah, I screw up sometimes and everybody does pictures and get distracted and, uh, but it's important once you know your priorities, then it makes those decisions a little bit easier.

Well, especially in business, like, you know, I'm a very purposeful person, and if there's something I'm trying to do And you're supposed to help me do it and your priority is not what I'm trying to do, that's fine, but I'm gonna go get it done elsewhere. I'm not gonna sit and wait around.

Yeah.

Life's too short, life's too precious. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for you. Yeah, in any, in any aspect, right? Like, in any aspect, you can't sit and just wait on somebody. You just can't. And it's okay if their timeline or state in their life doesn't match up with yours. That's totally fine. And you can't judge them for that. But you can't change who you are. And you can't change what you want or the direction you're trying to go. And if it matches up down the line, great, it matches up. But until then, I'm not going to sit around and wait.

Well, I can't wait to hear you share more. on this at Transform U in October. I'm about to post the link up for that soon, and I'll make sure I post a link in the show notes here. Before we go though, there's one more question— well, 2 more. Do you have time for 2 more questions?

Um, yeah, I got plenty of time for you.

Um, so I, I read your— are you working on a book?

I am, actually.

Yeah.

What is it? It's a children's book?

It is a children's book. Yes.

Yeah, that's exciting.

I really want it.

I heard that's hard.

I mean, what's not hard these days, Amberly? You know what I mean? Like, it's just like— but, but going back to what we said earlier, seriously, you're not something until you are. Now think about that. You're not a writer until you write something.

That's— it took me a while to— when my girlfriend was like, You're a published author. And I was like, oh, I am.

Yeah. But, but, but once again, you're not something until you are, right? Yeah. I wasn't a producer until I produced something. I wasn't a talent manager until I managed somebody. I wasn't an international speaker until I spoke and then spoke internationally, right? So like, you're not something until you actually do it. Now, if you want to go say I'm an Oscar-winning actor, okay, that's, that's a bigger label. And you'll have to do the work, right? But we're not saying that. We're saying, I just want to be an author. Okay, cool. Then write a book and do what you need to do. It's not going to be easy. Nothing's easy anymore.

But if you have the right connections, yeah, it's easier because you— 100%. I think you get to point A to point B faster when you have—

100%. But, but connections and relationships aside, Nothing's easy anymore, you know, it's just not.

And that's—

Well, it takes grit. Yeah, once you—

Well, we got grit and grace.

Hey, great, let's go. Um, but once you accept that, like, what's holding you up? Just do the work. It takes time. Do the work and you're good. So the book is something that I wanted to— it's a children's book, it's a picture book, but, uh, I found this brilliant artist. Um, she's unbelievable. And she is creating these masterpieces of artwork. I mean, it's like a mix of like Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks that the illustrations are unbelievable. And it's exactly what I was going for. So I'm really excited about that. But these books are going to hopefully inspire and teach kids valuable morals and values.

Oh.

So the first one is kindness.

And oh, I love that.

Yeah, so I'm very excited. That's something that is, uh, towards the end of the year I'm really going to be hopefully getting done. But I want to have a series of different values and morals, and it's, uh, more, more to be revealed, but I'm very excited.

Oh, that's exciting. Well, if I can support you in any way on that book launch, things that I Didn't know that I was supposed to do would have really helped. I had no idea.

Yeah.

In fact, my, um, publisher didn't even tell me that it was on Amazon or when it was going to be on Amazon. And I happened to Google— like, it was supposed to be like a month later— happened to Google my name, and that came up. And I'm like, Wait, what? My book's already out?

What?

You know, so—

That's impressive.

Yeah, I was— it was, it was quite the adventure. And so if there's any way I can—

I appreciate you.

Tell you some things that I'm going to do to help my book launch and make it—

Hey, I'm definitely going to pick your brain because this is new territory for me. But at the end of the day, like I said, it's, you know, I'm not expecting, you know, financial glory or anything. It's all about impact. And if I can get one person to pick up the book and they not only enjoy it, but it inspires them to be kind, it's a win for me.

Well, I can't wait to read it, and I can't wait to talk to you more when we're in North Carolina. Hey, tell us— tell everybody where they can find you.

Uh, you can find me on Instagram @bradrlambert, Twitter same. I'm on TikTok, I'm on YouTube, and I'm also working on trying to get on your level with a little podcast too. Oh, we'll have, we'll have some awesome things. Yeah, I'm excited. But, uh, that's why I learned from the best, right, Amberly?

Oh, you're amazing. Well, anything I can— I'm telling you, anything I can do to— I learned some lessons along the podcast. I'm still learning, always learning. But there's things I just— I'm kind of the person that gets this idea and says, I'm going for it. And I've learned, you know, you need a little bit of strategy, might help a little bit. But I just get so passionate about something. I'm like, yeah, let's do it. And I'm like, okay. So I can share a few things that I've learned for that too. I love it. Y'all look him up and definitely check out him on Instagram. If there was a part of this that really resonated with you, which I'm sure there's a bunch of parts, take a screenshot, share it on your social media, and make sure you tag Brad R. Lambert and Amberly Lago Motivation on Instagram. Or just Shoot me a text at 818-214-7378. I want to hear from you and let me know what you think about the show. So, Brad, you're amazing. It's so nice to see your face, and I'm excited to see you in person soon. But thank you for taking the time.

Yes, let's set that up. No, thank you for having me.

Thank you. Thanks so much for joining us this week.

Thank you for joining me this week on True Grit and Grace Podcast. If you like it, please rate it or share it with your friends.

That would help too. If you're not yet on the newsletter list, come over to amberlylago.com and jump on it.

While you're there, you can grab a free downloadable gratitude journal, and you might just want to check out my book or even check out my monthly motivational membership.

Thanks again for joining me.

Thank you.

Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you next week.

Bye.