Mathew Knowles on Beyoncé, Business and Life After Breast Cancer

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Hey, BA fam. Welcome to another episode of Brown Ambition. I am your host, Mandy Woodruff Santos, and whoo, it has been, it has been a week. BA fam, I am still recovering from Afro tech. I don't know if I had told y'all, but I was invited to attend by Blavity CEO and multi Brown Ambition host. I think she's been on the show two times at least.

Morgan de Bonn, and I had been invited by her last year, but a lot was going on. I just had a baby and then, of course, there was a bunch of, you know, I was back and forth to Atlanta, traveling for some family stuff. It just wasn't a good time. Last year it was in Austin. But when I got the invite this year, something just said, you better get yourself in that room. I had not been to Afrotech.

which is alarming to me. I think I might have gone to one of the smaller, like, offshoot conferences, more local or regional ones that they have hosted over the years. But for those who are not in the know, AfroTech, God, how do you describe it? We're talking about a professional. It is where black professionals get their damn life and come together with a mix of entrepreneurs.

CEOs, business founders, business leaders, job seekers, students more experienced professionals who are looking for new opportunities or simply want to be in a community that feels like

Safe that feels like us that feels like in the backdrop of the 2024 election that we just went through y'all I can't think of a better place to have landed just a week later than in the smack in the middle of 35,000 yes 35 I did not even know the scope of this thing y'all 35,000 people descended upon Houston Texas for Afro tech I have never been to something that big in my entire life and

Um, as far as like a conference goes, I mean, the scale of it, I just could not, I mean, I just would turn the corner and I'd be like, wow, that is amazing. Wow. Look how the stage design, look at the presentation, look at the MCs, look at how they have, you know, even small details, like, like the yard. I mean, not a small detail, but Howard University, y'all, they did the damn thing. They had something in the front called the yard, which was, it was, they'd be out there like eight, 30 a.m. bumping.

having the DJ going and the food trucks and you would be, you'd be out of con friends talking to people about your professional goals and you could walk outside and do the damn Cupid shuffle and go back inside and get right back to business. And that is how we do. I cannot think of a more incredible space to be in as a black professional.

And when did I spend? I spent maybe three days at Afro Tech. I actually missed some of the most exciting parts at the end. They had the block party, which is like their big celebration at the end.

There were some celebrations that I had to miss, and I did it for a good reason, though. I had to come back to New York to see my little brother. He has a short film that premiered at the Urban World Film Festival here in New York City, and I was so proud of him.

Honestly, if y'all haven't attended a film festival in your town, they are all over the country. So if you live near a major city, chances are there is a film festival in that city or nearby. I really encourage you to go because there is amazing art.

that is being created by whether it's budding filmmakers or veteran filmmakers. But there are some really incredible stories out there that won't get a chance to be seen unless you go to these festivals. And it was maybe my second or third festival that I've ever gone to, which is kind of embarrassing because I live in the film capital of America, kind of, right? Apart from like LA and maybe Atlanta, I don't know, but it was really extraordinary.

And then I logged on to like Instagram yesterday and Morgan from Blavity in Afrotech. She was posting, and I mean, I got to give it up to Morgan. I can't believe how poised she was. I mean, she was everywhere. She was introducing the whole conference kicking it off. She was on multiple stages a day. She was working the crowd. She was, and Lord knows she was working behind the scenes.

with partners and making sure everybody was having a great time in her team. My God, at Blavity, I mean, black excellence, black effing excellence. But I saw that there was like a bunch of like hot takes on social media about whether or not Afro tech is worth it. Some people were saying that it was too expensive and calling out a price of $800 for the conference pass. And like any conference, there are multiple levels.

of access, right? There's a student pass, I had an executive pass, which is like for more, I think more senior professionals, and there was a corporate sponsor pass, and I forget some other ones, general pass, and yeah, they come at different price points, but let's say you had spent $800 on that conference,

As long as you came with a plan and a purpose for being there, as long as you maybe went to, I don't know, 10% of the gajillion different incredible sessions that they had, as long as you hung out there for, I don't know, three to four hours a day, even though they had programming from like 8 a.m.

until five p.m. and then additional events in the evening. Even if you did that, I think you would get your money back. You would find the value there. And that is a fraction. Not only is that a fraction of what I've seen some in-person massive conferences cost,

But it's a fraction of like what some online professional development courses can cost, right? Like, and this is in community, in person with real people. And I went through this expo, how y'all. And I, I couldn't, the scale of it, the scale of it, there were.

The hugest brands. I mean, American Express, LinkedIn. There was a whole damn Twix integration because Mars Wrigley was a sponsor and the CEO was there. Who knew Mars Wrigley's CEO was black? I didn't. Who knew the CEO of the Honest Company was black? I didn't after Latina. And not only that, but I got to go to a dinner and sit right next to the CEO of Honest Company.

That's the kind of magic that can happen at Afrotech. And yeah, I'm 100%. I'm sold. I am so grateful to attend. I will be back unless something crazy happens. I'm going back in 2025. It's going to be in Houston again. And in fact, Houston made November, what is it? November 16th, which was the last day of the conference, they declared it Afrotech day.

Let's go, go Morgan. Like that is so amazing. So I'm just in awe. It was a wonderful experience. I'm not even like probably the target exact target audience for Afro Tech because I'm not a professional who's like working their way up at these at Tech corporations, but I still got huge value out of it because I am a professional. I'm a working black woman in the world and it's just magical to be in community with other people who

are just wanting more for themselves and wanting to connect and wanting to learn. And I mean, just the level of spongery, I'm saying spongery, not in a word, but the level of openness to learning new things and feeling like you are getting, you know, you're at the forefront of some really essential information for your career. I mean, it was just incredible. So listen, I will ride for Morgan and Blavity.

any damn time. So everyone on the internet who's saying it's too expensive or it's just for people who want to go there and need a husband, which is so sexist coded, like so, so sexist, so misogynistic. Because you know what? Like if you're a dude, I would say you probably have better odds finding a wifey at Afro tech and probably got more potential for that too. Cause like all things black women were there front and center.

Um, so I think that's just all bullshit. I think if you went with a purpose, a plan and you were someone who was going to push yourself outside your comfort zone and not let things like, yes, we, a lot of us are introverts. Yes, a lot of us struggle and huge overstimulating environments. And if there's one thing Afro tech is it is a loud, proud in your face convention. They have

so much to get in front of you like they have. It's music. It's of course it's speakers and lights and it's massive and you're walking from like you're walking miles and you're not even leaving the building, right? So it's very stimulating and yes, I too struggle with that and I too would have to go recharge myself and get back out there but it is like some experiences are not worth that.

Like, I don't know, every birthday party for four-year-olds that I have had to attend in the last year that have overstimulated me to within an inch of my life, I wouldn't say that. Those were necessarily worth my own happiness. The worth it for me. But Afrotec, that is worth pushing yourself, putting yourself past your own boundaries and pushing yourself through your comfort zone to really take full advantage of it. So that is what I have to say about Afrotec.

Now, about today's episode. Today, we got some company in the studio, Brown Ambition, and I don't really know how it all happened, but it happened. And I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to say that I got to interview the one and only Matthew Knowles. Yes.

Beyonce's death, I don't know what else to say it. Matthew Knowles, of course he has so much more than that, but Matthew Knowles, oh my goodness, is the guest on Brown Ambition today. Matthew Knowles, what can I say about him? He's a visionary and entrepreneur. He's a renowned music executive. He's an author.

He advocates for education and for empowerment. And you're going to hear today how he is advocating for us to understand our bodies in an even more holistic way so that we can get in front of potentially harmful diseases that may be in our DNA. Yes, Matthew Knowles is an ambassador for 23andMe. And you'll hear today on the show how that was born out of his own experience.

of being diagnosed as a rare case of a male with breast cancer. So he has taken that experience and I feel like it is just the Knowles way, right? To take your experience, turn around and say, how can I save some lives? How can I use my experience to improve

the health outcomes for others. So that's what he's here to talk about today. Now, of course, y'all know him as the founder of some of the biggest acts in music like Destiny's Child and, of course, Beyonce. And he has a wealth of experience and insights to share. You may not know it, but he's actually a professor in the UK. He is also taught in the US. So he is not to be played with OK.

So I talked to Matthew about everything from the work he's doing with 23andMe to his early days as an entrepreneur, to the types of content, the types of lessons that he focuses on teaching as an educator. We have us a good old time.

And you know what, as an interviewer, I learned a lesson too through this conversation. You'll hear, and I actually kept this in the show. You'll hear at a certain point where some of my questions, even though I'm having a great time, I feel like we're getting along. I usually keep things pretty casual, but Matthew has a boundary, and he's kind of like, here's my boundary, and let's just pick a different track. And I was like, let me keep that in the show, because it's just real

And at the end of the day, as an interviewer, I'm really trying to play the role of the audience. So I hope that, I hope that y'all enjoy the interview. I hope that you get a lot out of it. I hope honestly you get to know Matthew like I did as much more than the father of one of the greatest artists in history and get to really appreciate.

his work and just stay tuned for the part where he shows us a little bit of his music talents and talks about how he has a writing credit on one of my absolute favorite Destiny's Child songs.

Alright, I'm going to take a quick break and be right back with my interview with Matthew Knowles. This is a mini meditation guided by Bombus. Repeat after me. I'm comfy comfy. I'm cozy. I have zero blisters on my toes, blisters. And that's because I wear Bombus, the softest socks, underwear, and t-shirts that give back.

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All right. Hey, be a fam. We have some very special company in the studio today. That's what I say when we have a guest. I don't say guests. I say company. I am from the south. I'm from Georgia. Y'all know when we have company and we take the plastic off the sofa. We get the good plates down and we say hello and welcome to our guest today. And I can hardly even believe it, but Mr. Matthew Knowles. Welcome to Brown Ambition. Hey, I'm Nate Mandy. You're from Georgia from Alabama.

So we're from the south. We are. Yeah. What would you call us? I mean, now you're in where are you at now? Are you in LA? Orange County, California. You know, my wife and I, we, we live in Houston part time. We live here part time. We live in London part time. Oh, wow. Okay. What are we like doing this seasonally? Is there a certain season? Do you leave Houston in the summer? Cause that heat I hear is intense.

How do you split the time? It's not seasonal. It's it's more holiday festive time. London, I teach every quarter at the London College of Contemporary Music. So that's on calendar four times a year. And then most of the times I've done 24 speaking events this year, 24 around the world. So we live a lot in on the airplane planes as well.

Yeah, and I mean, I am excited because I feel as if well, I shouldn't. I should just start by saying it's been a hell of a week, right? Honestly, I am.

In this season where when I sit across from someone who I know is an incredible parent or at least has more experience than I do, the first thing I want to do is just say you got any advice for me. I have a four, almost a five year old, he turns five this year and I have a one year old and I mean this is a very intense week.

And I'm just wondering, as a dad, what advice do you have for parents who are trying to figure out how to keep the vibe hopeful and hopeful and forward-looking during a crazy time like this? Well, I'm older than probably most of you are adding it, so I've seen this before.

I've seen it probably three or four times in my lifetime. This too shall pass and it just prepares us. You know, whenever there's challenges in our life or failure or mistakes, I view those mandyas opportunities, opportunities to grow, opportunities to get better, opportunities to learn from the mistakes, also known as not going to vote.

No. So, you know, it's an opportunity for us. And I think we keep hope alive and hopeful with our kids. Our parenting skills were always find out what they are passionate for and with. And surround them with all the support. When I found out Beyonce has launched, wanted to get a young age in entertainment and

And we got a vocal coach. We got the tools that they needed. So it's always about being hopeful with our kids. I don't think we give them the doom and gloom. I don't think in parenting, kids need to know everything. Not they don't need to know everything, just enough. I mean, just the

just enough, just enough to get through. Well, we, I did see that you, you had joined Beyonce and Houston to support Kamala Harris's campaign. Is that right? I think I saw a photo. Yes. Yes. What was that experience like? It was amazing experience. Amazing energy. The venue that it was in was literally seven blocks from where my wife and I lived. We had only been there once, but it was set up.

for soccer and then I had never, I didn't even understand that 30,000 people could get in this venue. And so it was so much energy and so much security, security that I had never seen before. Scary security. It was a, it was an interesting night. I didn't find out till later that there had been a bomb threat and that's why I was delayed.

So it was, it was, it was delivered somewhat a couple of hours, so it was a long night.

Oh, man. Oh, I hadn't heard that. Well, for you, I mean, I know you recently, you have been doing some speaking engagements and have been sharing. I mean, obviously you developed, you produced, you manage one of like the most iconic groups in the history of music. And one that means so much to me as a little girl growing up in the 90s and early 2000s.

But the business behind that, I know you've been talking a bit about the branding of, you know, a group like Destiny's Child and then to Beyonce and I saw this graphic where there are all these different, you know, elements of building the brand of Beyonce and Destiny's Child from like marketing and worldwide engagement and global engagement. Did politics ever come up? Like, you know, seeing Beyonce now sort of take the stage with with Kelly and support Harris.

For you, is that something that you would encourage as a manager for someone who's maybe not necessarily seen to be on the political side of things? Politics is in business, Mandy. Not the politics of government, but the politics of relationships and how decisions are made certainly follow the same concept.

Uh, there are politics in business that you have to build those proper relationships with. Uh, that's why it becomes very important relationship building. So there is a similarity there. No, I don't get that, uh, involved, uh, today, uh, in the governmental politics. I did when I was younger, uh, much younger in Alabama.

and demonstrating and desegregating. I never went to a black school, Mandy, and I'm 72 years old until I was a junior in college. So my mother went to high school with Credit King in Marion, Alabama. And when she moved to Gaston, Alabama, my mom,

She was ferocious in the movement. And so I integrated elementary junior high high school University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. So from that regard, I was speaking last night to a group of young people. You know, I've been beaten, spit on, electric, crowded.

all the things that young people today have no clue of what a colored and white water fountain looks like or bathroom that we had to go to. And really, because of that, because of the lack of history, don't have the appreciation of how important it is to vote. And what the stakes are. You know, one of the things that I was, I was grappling with what to say to the Brown Ambition audience yesterday, I ended up coming on like four in the morning and

basically saying what was on my heart. But one of the things I thought about was how my generation was given this impression that your generation, the ones who came before us, the MLKs, the John Lewis's, the Shirley Chisms, that they had done so much fighting and that they had won, period, you know?

And I think what we're in now, and I mean, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this too, but it sounds like this unlearning of the fact that this is not, we can't take it for granted. It's not done. The fight is so not done. In fact, it may be starting, you know, from further behind in many ways and like where we thought it was. And that has rocked some people's worlds and terrified them in a way that doesn't seem to be terrifying you because of course you seem to have experienced

you know, that level of social unrest and unjust and where things aren't fair. Things don't work out for the home team all the time. Yeah, life is not fair, in my opinion. So I seldom use that word. Was it fair or not? Was it injustice? You know, I use those type of scenarios that, you know,

I just think that also, we've made it a lot of progress as black people. And we can never forget that. And I think sometimes we forget just the population of America. We are only 38 million people. There's 13%

There's 200 million white people and to have done all the things we've done with set small numbers is absolutely amazing. And I think we lose sight on that sometimes. We lose sight on what a small number of people have accomplished with a majority number of people. And so I have hope, I have hope in your generation.

This election showed us a lot of data, one being educated versus those that aren't educated, and it's all the thought process. You know, you can easily fool someone who's not knowledgeable. If you don't understand our car operates, then you can tell mechanic can tell you anything.

Okay, thank you. You'll buy into it. You need a new radiator. Okay. You need a new battery. Okay. Because you're not knowledgeable. And that's what happens and why I really press about knowledge. I use the word knowledge rather than education, because knowledge is to me more important.

having the knowledge of something because you have the both smarts of something. I'm a college professor, I'm saying this, doesn't necessarily give you the knowledge that you need. That's where I would give hope because we've come a long way and I would want her to understand again why it is important to vote. Why is it important to build relationships?

Why is it to understand different cultures? How they think, how they operate, it's important to understand that we're all different. Cultures are different. How they decision-making is different. How they build relationships are different. And people that are successful, they understand that. Talk to me a little bit more. I'm just curious about that knowledge versus education.

And to give an example, if a professor taught entrepreneurship out of the textbook and had never been an entrepreneur, I take offense to him because he or she would not have the knowledge of what it means in the day-to-day of what an entrepreneur has to go through. That's not in the book.

the mental aspect of it, the importance of understanding the financial aspect of it and what we as blacks have to go through to run a business versus our counterparts. Because that's an example. Yes, you could get a take the course.

from someone who taught it that never has been an entrepreneur and I guarantee you that course would be totally different from someone who's an entrepreneur that teaches the course. First of all, for me, I throw half of that stuff out the window because it's not applicable. It's just textbook filling up pages in a book that's never going to be used. What are some things that you were like, we're skipping that chapter.

because that's the knowledge I have. Yeah, I'm gonna fall in what's very important, what's gonna move the needle for you as an entrepreneur. What is that? I'm an entrepreneur.

Well, I mean, I'm not going to get into teaching a class which you did there. No, I'm curious. But like, no, no, obviously. Absolutely. Let me know. I'll sign up. I'll go to London, whatever school you're teaching, get a proper course. But I'm just curious, like high level, I'm very curious to hear like high level, what are the like tenants of entrepreneurship that you're like, this is the stuff?

That's going to separate from failures. For me, for me, it's as simple as the who, the what, the why, the where, the who, the what, the why, the where, who's the customer, what is the product.

Why should my customer buy it? And what are the distribution channels? That's the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Now I can go into the different distribution and how that works. I can go into marketing and how that works. But basically it's those four elements. And when you build out from the foundation, then you hear some people say, what's the word that's used? Systemic racism.

I use the word structural racism. When you build a house, you first build a foundation, the structure of it. When you build a business, you first build a foundation, the structure of the business. Then you go into the systems. Then you go into putting in the light system, the heating system, air conditioning systems in a home, but you first build out the foundation of it.

I keep like real, that has worked for me. I guess coming from Alabama, people keep things very simple. Sometimes we make it more difficult than it really is. And there's no need for that often. Right. I mean, for what I'm hearing, it's for you. Have you defined your customer? Have you defined the need that they have?

Do you know why they would need what you want? And do you know how to get it to them? Am I how am I doing? Who the what? Who the what? The who the what? The why to where you got a on that one, Mandy. Oh, thank you. And I mean, you said that you wouldn't call it systemic racism, but structural racism.

I mean, we can keep it Alabama simple, but tell me more about structural racism and its role in the life for a young black entrepreneur, like the people who listen to our show, who want to start their own businesses. Where do you see that potentially causing them issues and then how to overcome that? Yeah, I think when I look at straight structural racism, it's four pillars to that, basic goals. One is education.

and knowledge. Because if you don't have the knowledge, then the knowledge also allows you to get a good job, run a successful business, which then allows you to live in a certain neighborhood. Because if you live in some neighborhoods, then you are then dealt with

you know, liquor stores, grocery stores on every block in the culture of that neighborhood. So for me, it all starts with knowledge and education, which allows you to build out and how you live and the way that you live. That is as simple as that for me. And because I'm older, you guys don't understand that in during integration,

The only people that really integrated were black people. We integrated. We allow other cultures into our neighborhood. When I grew up, Mandy, and maybe with your grandparents, we had black grocery stores. We had black gas stations. We had black nail salons. We had black businesses in our neighborhood, and then we integrated, and then we moved out into the suburbs.

and left our core neighborhood behind. And now, as we see those neighborhoods, they don't look the same. So I always think we were the ones who integrated. Something was potentially lost in those communities. Absolutely. Over the same time. Well, how? And then social media doesn't help us today.

because we get so much false information on social media. It's sad, it's very sad that our younger generation have to endure social media and some not understanding that what they're reading is not even truth and actually believing it.

Social media has done a lot of damage in my thoughts. Do you think it's a necessary evil? I use social media for marketing. I just don't have a desire or concern to want to communicate with someone that I really are angry or upset with someone's comment that I don't even know

For all I know, they could be a 10 year old. And here I am getting upset because I read something, you know, and so I don't, I don't, uh, LinkedIn is where I live on social media. Oh, I love LinkedIn profile. Because that's where, uh, business people live. There's where educated, knowledgeable people live. Uh, and that's where I live. I live on LinkedIn. Well,

As a company, we do other social medias, but I don't get involved. Well, it helps to have that buffer, right? Yeah. So tell, can you, would you mind talking about the business now? I mean, what is it? Cause yeah, I, like you said, many people may not know that you are a professor and you're doing these speaking engagements, but what's your, how has your business structure or your business strategy sort of changed over the last couple of decades?

Well, for me, and I say this with a lot of gratitude, you talked about building Destiny's Child to the number one female group in the history of music, and Beyonce is a number one female artist. And in growing that business, you understand a music industry is about intellectual property, building IP. And when you build IP,

it allows you in perpetuity to help income. So fortunately, 35 years later, when I look at my business, three fourths of it is mailbox money. Simply going to the mailbox, every quarter, every semi-annual. That's not beautiful. And that's just residuals, but royalties.

Royalty and bootylicious and it's like. Correct. Well, you're welcome. Cause all those survivors, please. Yes, they're taking for me. It's you. Have you ever looked at the liner notes or who wrote survivor? I mean, maybe once upon a time, but you know, I don't know. You got a computer and just Google the writers of survivor.

It'll only take you 30 seconds to do that because you're good on your computer. I'm so good. OK, survivor. I'm like, who reads liner credits anymore? You don't even have a physical album to look at now. People in London, in England, read liner credit. Japanese culture reads liner credits. Oh, composed by Matthew Knowles Beyonce and Anthony Dent. Is that correct?

That is correct. That's your whole, like that's your whole nest egg right there. I'm grateful. I'm blessed to have written some number of songs in my career. Wait, what lyric did you come up with? Oh, I came up with the melody more so than the lyrics. Oh, which one? Frankly, that's actually me humming on the song and saying, what? I just thought what? What?

Mm. That's actually me. Really? Okay. Mr. Knowles, a singer too. So was that a thing? I'm not a singer. No, you don't want to like him. Nothing you want to like. No. Contribute. Okay. How many other songs are you secretly backing vocals on? Well, most people realize that at music world gospel, we built a number one gospel label in the world with Lee Andra Johnson, Trinity five, seven,

Brian Courtney Wilson. So everybody's focus have always been on Destiny Shaw and Beyonce and Solange and Kelly. Michelle, but can you blame us? But quietly, I've done more outside of that in the music industry. You know, building that number one, had a country label, Compadre, for years, for most 15 years, country label, had the opportunity

with music world sanctuary, record label to do last earth, winning fire song with Maurice. That I did see. Yeah. Chaka Khan in the London Symphony, Cool and the Gang, last two OJ's records, Sunshine Anderson. And go on and on. But that stays on a radar. And I'm good with that. Because I like being under the radar.

It's a good thing sometimes being under the radar. I mean, you're known as the mastermind of like the number one girl group, like you said. But you have to understand that for 20 years, I managed Beyonce. So why am I not known as the mastermind behind Beyonce? Is that something that you want to be known? No, it's just a question. If I'm the mastermind of Destiny's Shaw, wouldn't I be the mastermind of Beyonce? I didn't stop managing her to 20

Um, 12, and she started in 1992. That would be 20 years. Yeah. When that, when that, when I have architect her career, just like our architect, Destiny Shaw career, would that be up the, I say, if there was not a Destiny Shaw, was that a strategy? I want to ask you that question. I want to answer that question. Well, the Jackson five, Michael Jackson, um,

There are so many examples of the group being the launchpad for the, you know, an individual star to come out of it. Oh, the brains. Oh, do you have any of that girl group supreme? Oh, of course. Yeah. What a boy band, NC. I was trying not to say Justin Timberlake. I got stuck on that. I'm like, damn it. Who would I say besides Justin Timberlake?

There you go. Diana Ross was the Supremes. And then I panicked because I couldn't think of the lead singer of the Supremes was. And I was like, damn it, I should know this is Diana Ross. Mr. Knowles. I don't know. You're such a great spirit, Mandy. Thank you very much. I mean, you are Beyonce's. I mean, like, you were Beyonce's dad. I don't understand what that even must feel like for you.

I mean, she is so huge now, but she's still a human. She's still your baby girl. Well, that's what I really enjoy today, because there was a time it was it was extremely difficult to manage your kids. And there was a time that I was more her manager than her dad. And now I'm 100% her dad. And I love that.

make some good memories, like it doesn't have to, because I'm in New York now. So it's like, I don't want to have to just fly down for the emergency and the last memories I have of him are being really sick. And, you know, what do you and Beyonce do if you're just like dad and Beyonce? What do you and Solange? What do you guys do? You just hang out at the house. Nothing, nothing, you know, elaborate. Just simple things that normal people do.

You know, just hang out and help fun and talk and laugh and eat. Do they ask you? Do you ask them to fix things on your phone like my dad does all the time? Where are you like? I don't normally. I know my phone's pretty much fixed by the time I get to them. Do you send them a lot of YouTube links about conspiracy theories? No, we text a lot. We text a lot. I don't send them any negativity. It's all positive stuff. I don't.

I have that much about the industry. Just the other day Beyonce called me for my opinion on a business matter, but we don't do a lot of that. It's more just that stuff. How are you health wise? I'm asking her and she's asking me and.

And how is life, we don't get into the business conversation hardly at all. How long did that transition take? Was it difficult? I imagine it might have been. Well, it always is difficult. But the wonderful thing is, Beyonce never got another manager after me. And I hope that's is because I prepared her for the industry that she didn't need another manager.

I hope that I prepared her to be fourth generation because I'm third generation entrepreneur and I'm very proud of it. These are the things that consumers and fans and media, they don't really think through and understand as most people would have gotten another manager. She didn't. She started a company. How about that? And do you think? Oh, go ahead.

Well, I'm just so proud I am. It's good to see how proud. I mean, I don't even obviously, I don't know her, but I have, I have been led to believe that you don't have like a lot of legitimacy until you have an agent or a manager in that. And I mentioned to you, I do negotiation coaching. I just had a manager, I'm sorry, an agent and I, and who hadn't been responding for days and days and I'm doing the conversation. And I'm like, why do I think I need this? I don't actually.

It's very empowering when you start to trust yourself to handle a conversation and trust in your own. And so I feel like it's on doubt. Without doubt that the reason Beyonce was able to start her own company and move forward with that confidence was because

You at some point you must have instilled in her a lot of knowledge where she felt like I got this. I have been to the Mr. Knoll school of business and entertainment business. And how does that make you feel? Yeah. Well, like I said, it's a beautiful, wonderful feeling. And the same with Solange. I mean, Solange don't have a manager. She runs her own company.

They grew up like I grew up. I grew up with parents that were entrepreneurs. I, you know, in the summers in Alabama, you go down to your grandparents. My grandfather owned 300 acres of land and would lease out some of that land to the paper mill. And he was a farmer. Just a concept that my grandfather would lease out a hundred acres of land, get paid for it.

and then go behind them and farm. In other words, they paid him so that he could bar. And then he was a regional moonshine distributor, thus Sir Davis. That's my grandfather. I'm going to say, how does that feel? So what I'm saying is, is that we've all lived in an entrepreneurial environment, third generation, myself, fourth generation. Now my grandson, Jules,

Starts out a top model. He's done Versace. Everybody. He runs his own business with his mom. And one day she'll give him his wings and he'll fly. How many grand out of the legacy of our family? I mean, the generous. It won't be long before Blue Ivy has. I mean, does she already have an LLC? I'd be surprised if not. She got sound credits and Grammys. Where's she?

Yeah. What? Yeah. I got to ask you, as a granddaddy, like, what's it like? What's that relationship like with blue and the little ones? Serve roomie. People get that wrong. First of all, I'm a guy. I know. I'm kidding. Got it. And when kids are two, three, four, most guys aren't, and they're just a grandparent. Not not as a parent, but as a grandparent.

With the girls they don't have the same kind of relationship With the boys we throw them against the wall and throw throw balls and And so it's a different relationship when they're young I have a 20 year old grandson people forget that But then my other kids are 12 and younger, uh-huh, so

Who would I gravitate for? It would be the 20 year old grandson. That's just normal. And if the other kids get older, then we have more to share together. There's only one of me. So I can't spread all of me and be a great husband. And, you know, so I have to, you know, you have to parcel out how much time you can't know. I mean, the love doesn't go away.

But the relationship is different. And I'm just real about it. You know, people like, huh, I bet she's been. She's a girl. She's going to do today. She don't want to talk to anybody. That's grandpa. You don't keep some withers, originals, caramels in your pocket. That's just so funny. I mean, that's the real shit that I love is, you know, the awkwardness of being a grandparent and like, it's like, what do I do with these little kids?

But when you go, what are you bringing a toy? Is she into Bluey? Are they into Peppa Pig? So this is the beautiful thing about media. I do media training. And nobody puts a gun up to your head and say, you have to answer questions. I'd rather get off the grandkids conversation. That's not. Oh, my God. Of course, Jesus. So I'm sorry. No. I've done my heart drop. I'm like, what?

Oh, no, that's, that's perfectly fine. Well, you mentioned health and I know that you have this, um, you have a really important and close to you partnership with 23 and me and you have been very vocal about your experience as a cancer survivor. So what, what would you like to say about, about that initiative and how people can learn more about that? Well, thank you for bringing that up because that's dear and important to me. I, uh, uh,

Five years ago, I had imagined why she's sheet of paper and a red pen and tittance dots on the white sheet of paper. That's one night when I took my t-shirt off, that's what I saw. And I didn't think anything of it, Mandy. And then the next day, same thing, and I asked my wife, I was like, did you buy a new t-shirt? What are these dots on my t-shirt? She said, that's interesting, interesting, because on your side of the bed,

There was these drops of blood. And let me go back some. In 1980, I got a promotion to the medical division of Xerox. When we think of Xerox, you think of copiers. But they were leading modality for breast cancer, zero radiography. And I was fortunate to be their number one sales rep in the world. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you.

that I would be their number one sales rep in the world. And we trained on male breast cancer. So I knew some of the most important signs in that discharge. And I called my physician. He had never had a man ask for a mammogram. And only 2% of men are diagnosed worldwide. That's a 22,000 men a year diagnosed with male breast cancer.

Uh, and I had surgery a little bit and then I took a test, uh, for genetics and found out that I had a genetic variance. Or you can call it a mutation, which means for men with cancer, high arrest, not that you're going to get it. High arrest of male breast cancer, prostate cancer, the number one killer of black men and created cancer.

short-life expectancy with that melanoma. For women, it's breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

After that point, I had made a lifestyle change because I knew if I didn't, that I would be at higher risk. And I now, I also sold MRI units, first black in America to sell MRI and CT scanners. And so I get an MRI every year, my prostate, or my pancreas. I constantly every three months get a blood test.

So I could look at my numbers with my prostate and I annually get a mammogram because I have information and I have knowledge and I have data. I've lost about 25 pounds. I have another 15 to go because unfortunately, cancer heart disease, love obesity. And so that was very important to me to live. So I'm losing weight.

Uh, changed my diet. I walked two miles every other day. Uh, I, you know, do other things with a positive spirit. And that's why I joined 23 and me because young people, those of you that are listening and viewing in, you have an opportunity to get a snapshot of your health right now by a simple saliva test. Who wouldn't want to do that?

who would want to get a snapshot of their life, what it could be at 50 or 60 if you lived to that, right? And then now you have the information and knowledge and now you can share that with your health professionals. And I, since 1980, was talking to women about the importance of early detection and getting a mammogram. Now you can go a step even further.

and get a genetic test. So that's why I'm so excited about being a global brand ambassador for 23. I mean, not on the ancestry side. Yes, we do that. But the company is transitioning back to why it was formed. 23 is 23 chromosomes X and Y. We have 23 each. The company was never named for ancestry. That just took off. People wanted to know who they

Well, when did they come from 20% Nigerian? Yeah, but but that was never dancin Do you need to get a new test or do you just send in a new sample to get this additional info about you like To the you know, so you're talking one time. It's a one-time thing Before like 10 years ago. I think I got my God was it years ago. That was ancestry

So I've got to do a new sample, but just one medical for the medical. Okay. Gosh. Okay. Man, knowledge is scary. I'm glad you said that. I'm glad you said that because I don't want people to not differentiate that there's a medical side of 23andMe and then there's an ancestry side and you can get both. There's also a program that you can get both and you can get cardiovascular,

for stroke, Alzheimer's, heart disease, medicine is changing now. Does it get overwhelming? Sometimes though, having all that knowledge, sometimes it's like, oh man, I already deal with anxiety. And you know, it's just the opposite for me. It calms you down. Yeah. I mean, I could look at my dad's life sharing by knowledge. So, Mandy, we just, in the last three minutes,

had the opportunity to save lives. In the first 30 minutes, we didn't have an opportunity to save lives. At the last three minutes, we had an opportunity to save lives. To me, that's way more important than the first 30 minutes. Well, who knows? I mean, I think, well, one, I was

You know, that kind of work is so important. Like talking about my dad and, um, I have been very open with the BA fam. That's what I call our audience about my dad's journey because before he had gotten sick, I had no idea how prolific, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes had been in my, in my family and to find out. And I've shared with my, our audience, um, you know, how four out of my dad, six siblings.

um, have ended up in end stage renal failure in my grandpa just passed away from kidney cancer last year. So I think the work that you're doing is extraordinarily important to this audience. And it's, it definitely is in line with the transit agency that we've tried to have that you get a genetic health genetic test. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I absolutely, yeah, it's something that I'm definitely going to consider. I think that

For me, just seeing the proof in my family's history and like, you know what's interesting? And I don't know if you had this experience too, but there wasn't a lot of chatter like, Oh, I think it's great that you're actually open about it. But in my family, there was this like, there, no one was really outwardly speaking about it. You know, it was sort of like an open secret, I guess, in a way. And no one was like connecting the dots and saying like, we all need to be.

like hyper vigilant and hyper aware of any of these warning signs. Um, did you can already be hyper village and hyper aware. I technology. And that's eating a diagnostic test, a mammogram, or getting a genetic test. That's the only way you really are.

doing it the right way to have the conversation. Yeah, three of my family, four of my dad's brothers died of prostate. Well, that's great. And I know it put me at risk, but I'd rather know genetically am I at risk the other way. I'm just having a conversation that I'm at risk. The other one. Do you get a medical? Because the thing is like information is knowledge, but then

I don't want to look at these results in a vacuum. I'd rather cause that's what happens when you know, you go to the doctor now and I get my blood results and it's like, Oh my God, I'm going to start Googling things. Then I get really, I thought I had pre diabetes turns out I didn't cause I went on. And so it's like, how do they offer the side by side? Like let's have a medical doctor go through these results with you so you can like interpret them. And then do that's there's. Oh, good. Okay. We have different tiers and the final

The highest tier is called total health. And with total health, you get blood work as well as a saliva sample and the doctor will tell you and go over all of the results. On one of the lower tiers, you get back the information.

uh, you know, via a certified letter. And, and then you're probably better off sharing it with your health professional. So there's two tiers. That's, but the five year tier total health, you do get a conversation with a physician. And this is something that folks can find out at 23 me dot com. Sure. Yes.

Um, no, I mean, for me, I'm just like, yeah, be a fan. We talk, we, we talk a lot about health. Um, and it's a shame you didn't get to meet my co-host Tiffany, but we talk a lot about health. And, um, for me, it's always like it's that in conjunction with like a, actually having like a general practitioner and having a medical doctor to help interpret that cause, um,

Yeah, it can be. I agree with you totally on that. Yeah. Well, I was going to say thank you so much. And I wish you a really healthy. I'm glad that I'm glad to hear that the lifestyle changes you're making are working for you. And you seem very well. I know black don't crack, but it takes more than that. Yeah, it rhymes. You know that black don't crack. It takes more than that. Oh, it takes more. Okay. I got burned. I put that in a song.

Lord, apparently I need her. Um, well, it takes more than that. Let me know if you want to put me on a credit on some song. I don't know. Let me know. I'll get my own little survivor piggy bank. I'm working on it. It'll be the Brown ambition. It'll be the Brown ambition IP, but amen, Brown ambition. Thank you so much, Mr. Knowles. I hope that you enjoyed joining us at the Brown ambition podcast. And I wish you the best of luck.

Well, thank you so much, Mandy. And I can I give a shout out if you want to book me to speak, go to Matthew Knowles dot com. Yes, thank you very much. And I'm sure you also can find out more. And we'll post a link to that in the show notes be a fam as well as a link to 23 and me so you can learn more about that. See how you can get your results. Well, thank you. All right. I'll spit into a tube. You got me. I'll do. We'll see what I got going on in here.

I hope so. It's important. Thank you. Have a wonderful day. And I don't know you. You're there, there, but tell them I say hello. I will do that.

Welcome to talk bill the ultimate small bill rewatch podcast line a lutho stops by the kid home That's sign felt what it was the deal trying to blackmail her for the footage. Come on. He sees an envelope and goes He's behind it all thing. He's not he is he made her. Oh, he's the one. Oh, I didn't get that I was pressed in that's a great scene interesting things of note talkville wherever you listen