Advancing Media Through Tech with Crystal Berger of EBO

Crystal Berger is the founder of EBO, an all-inclusive booking technology that uses automation, AI, and machine learning to discover, vet, and book on-air contributors, experts, and influencers for media appearances within minutes.

She is the author of "Be Extraordinary" on Amazon.  Additional accomplishments include:
- only black woman full-time in my national network newsroom for an entire decade
- tripled network bookings within the first two years
- increased diversity by 85% in my division for that reason alone
- managed 1300+ local stations
- booked over 140,000 experts during my time in news, featured panelist at the Congressional Black Caucus, Business Insider, featured in FORBES, Black Enterprise, MediaBistro, FOX News, the Dr. Oz Show and more!
 
EBO is offering VIP Charter Membership through December 31st, 2023. Can be purchased here (https://book.stripe.com/7sI7ujfpR46m1tm8ww). Benefits image attached. 

• Waived bookings fees for one (1) calendar year.
• A complimentary EBO Profile Vetting Report ($179 value).
• VIP access to quarterly training including Master the Media Masterclass on Tues. Dec. 12th, 2023 hosted by media veteran Crystal I. Berger.
•  Exclusive opportunity to become one of four year-end features selected for Medium Magazine's Authority.
• Join a community of vetted thought leaders around the globe!
• The chance to save more: RSVP here for 2 years for just $149.

Portfolio: www.crystalberger.com
Inspiration: www.cbinspires.com
Purchase Book: www.amazon.com/Be-Extraordinary-Claiming-Purpose-Prosperity/dp/0578165171
IG:@cbinspires
Twitter: @cbinspires
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CrystalIBerger/
Google Voice: 347.709.8358

Register for the wearables tech ecosystem at www.WearableTechVentures.org

Transcript

00:04.86
wearabletakeover
Hello hello folks welcome to the season finale of the wearable takeover podcast I am your host Lakeishia Greenwaite also known as coachel now folks let me just tell you something we've been introducing some of the top talent within tech and of course within the wearable tech ecosystem and these are people. That I don't want you to just think that they're just anybody right? They are somebody but these are also icons in the making that are going to change the way that you live every single day. They've been dropping gyms. They've been sharing money moves. And folks let me just tell you they have been inviting you into their journey but it's up to you to take a front seat and how can you do that? All you have to do is go back listen to the episode make sure you rank it and then reach out to these folks because there are so many opportunities available. And you want to make sure that you can say hey I knew them when I first heard them on the wearable takeover podcast because I can promise you they are going to be household names and in part because of our major guest here today who is a media maid that is from Baltimore but she is. Amazing and amplifying stories but also creating opportunities and helping to diversify some of the major news networks the stories that they tell every single day and I'm so excited to have miss crystal berger with us here today now. Let me tell you a little bit about crystal before we dig into this folks because.

01:36.92
wearabletakeover
I know that some of you may have your favorite media personalities that you may watch on primetime news or on some of those other network programs and you know they're also polished in in front of the camera but not only is she polished in front of the camera but she's polished behind the camera and she's gonna share with us how she's been changing the game. With all this. She's been doing as well as building a tech platform to amplify our stories so crystal beger originally from Baltimore Maryland who just returned from New York city the big Apple she is the founder of ebo. She's also a contributor and speaker at the intersection of business culture and politics. You know all those things that we work around while we're building these tech platforms and ecosystems and what she does is she uses emerging tech to break barriers to entry in media and corporate America now if you think about this I grew up in the in the age where we were talking about breaking glass ceilings and. More so that was associated with salaries. But now we're in a stage in an age where we're breaking glass ceilings in terms of roles and positions and fundraising and all of that. So crystal's right at the heart of that and not only can you hear her story today on the wearable takeover podcast. But you can also watch her as she is the host of tech takeover on Fox Lifestyle now folks she has been featured on Fox News Abc Serious Xm Black Enterprise if you know me I've been reading that since I was 16 as well as I heart radio business insider and for workss.

03:12.30
wearabletakeover
Now she used to be though they say previously a senior booking producer and national features host on Fox News channel you know that's a big deal now and crystal tripled network bookings increasing diversity by 85% while she was overseeing affiliate relations for. 1300 local stations nationwide folks I want you to get up on your feet wherever you are okay because we are introducing to you an icon the one and the only crystal burger welcome crystal.

03:44.51
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Thank you Lakeisha! Thank you so much I'm excited to be here and just have you know, just a really great conversation with you today for sure.

03:54.82
wearabletakeover
I'm so excited to have you here crystal and I was so happy to meet you I actually met you through a fellow woman in business whose's who's breaking barriers she and I were on a panel talking talking about women in stem and we were at Howard University and she said do you know crystal you have to know Chris I said. Um, my god I don't know crystal and as soon as we met I was like oh my god I just love her like she is so authentic. She is about her business. She represents um I'm so grateful that you're in this area and crystal you have been in roles. You have been in rooms that many of us have never seen.

04:30.16
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Then.

04:31.95
wearabletakeover
Many of us really don't know the impact and so can you describe what it was like working in New York City at one of the major news platforms as far as booking. Can you explain what? that was what was the impact of that. Um, and then we'll kind of talk about how you got there from Baltimore. So.

04:49.86
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yeah for sure so excuse me um, it definitely was um, a very at open in experience. Let me start there. You know you come from your own world and depending on what your world is most of us are products of our experiences or our environments and so going to the number 1 cable news network and the number one market in the nation. It was a reality check right? I was the only black woman in my newsroom for an entire decade while I was old full time.

05:19.65
wearabletakeover
Wow! yeah.

05:23.49
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And you know I believe that being in spaces like you mentioned and it's so powerful when most people won't have access to those spaces that you just have a higher calling right? I believe that you have a purpose on the planet. That's way bigger than you.

05:34.71
wearabletakeover
No.

05:42.52
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And so going into an industry like media that is very optics. Um, it's very can be surface not necessarily getting to know people. It's more transactional. Um I believe that it was the best proving ground for crystal to become. Kryberger the founder of Ebo right? I got to see and completely different side of the world where you know the elite lived you know they made decisions for the world. Um, and they ultimately impact every single thing that we see. On television every single day right? You know oh all day I mean it's it's it's the it's the power that you know drives you know the Us systems and so you know being able to be in those spaces and understand that.

06:16.42
wearabletakeover
So a whelp matters.

06:32.54
Crystal Berger_ EBO
The media is the thing that controls the minds of the masses and I get that quote from Malcolm x right? I shortened it but it really does have the power to influence every single thing that we do and you know just for an example, you know we asked what was it like being in that space.

06:41.73
wearabletakeover
And.

06:48.38
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Have editorial meetings every single day at Eight Zero five a M E T and what we would do in these editorial meetings is we would pitch what stories we believed should be the stories that we told to the world and there was someone within that space that made an executive decision to say no, we're not sharing that story. We're not going to do that story. We're going to do this story and we're going to do this story for the next two days three hours 5 minutes one you know 30 second slot that was how powerful it was because you know one thing that I always like to tell people is that the news media is not meant to educat educate. You. It's meant to inform you.

07:16.83
wearabletakeover
Wow.

07:23.79
wearabletakeover
So.

07:26.97
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You can't get educated from a thirty second sound bite or a 1 minute segment you have to understand that it's foundationally up to the consumer to take that information and educate themselves so they can make the best and most informed decision. You know so I just believe that being in that space just taught me so much about How people think how people operate what the world systems really are and also being in position to be able to bring more diverse perspectives to that actual space and influence. It was just a it was more powerful than I could have ever dreamed of.

08:01.84
wearabletakeover
So you know that's amazing and and the experience that you had is similar to a character I was reading about in Jane Allen's and Sj why any Jane Allen's ah trilogy of books and it starts with black girls must die exhausted. But then it ends with ah black girls must have it all. And the central character was working in media and she was pitching stories and it it was very clear about the stressors and the microaggressions that happen in that newsroom as well as how promotions occurred right? But fortunately this particular character had an ally another female producer that was helping her make moves. So. Considering that you were in a space where you might you probably were the only one that looked like you in that back. Newsroom um did you have an ally or or how did you find? How did you find your way to success in that particular role understanding that.

08:44.84
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And then.

08:55.89
wearabletakeover
The numbers The odds were against you.

08:59.32
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Well, you know for me I'll say this um numbers and odds never came into my mind. You know that they never came into my mind even though I was the only black moon in my newsroom I come from a space.

09:04.78
wearabletakeover
Okay, so.

09:13.50
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And a belief system and a foundation that what is for me? No one can keep from me right and and and and my foundational roots in my family taught me that there was only 1 crystal burger right? if for people to know crystal.

09:16.27
wearabletakeover
I Love it.

09:24.74
wearabletakeover
And.

09:29.52
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Is to love k crystal but also to actually benefit from her presence right? and I don't say that from an eagle standpoint but I say that from a black girl from last Baltimore perspective who is supposed to be a statistic you know, understanding that wherever I go. It's my space.

09:39.23
wearabletakeover
Who.

09:45.18
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

09:46.82
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And it's up to me to dominate and having that perspective really protected and shielded me because in my particular division I was the only black woman in my division and then there was another and this is at a massive network with thousands and thousands of employees. There was another black girl who was um, ah. And another daytime show division. Her experience was completely different than mine because she let that space dictate how she was going to show up and what their perception of her was really ruled how she moved for me. No one could tell me who I was because I knew who I was when I came in the door.

10:08.35
wearabletakeover
Wow. Oh.

10:24.19
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know and being understanding that I was not going to compromise those standards but also understanding that because people do perceive color as a qualifier to disqualify you I understood that I had to come into that space and deliver results. So you know early on I delivered results.

10:34.87
wearabletakeover
And.

10:44.16
Crystal Berger_ EBO
That no one could deny that created the reputation meaning when I say no one could deny I made recommendations within the newsroom that tripled our booking numbers and also by me being in that role the default just first just for context laishia you know in honest and an honest real world.

10:51.70
wearabletakeover
Wow.

11:02.55
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Your community looks like I'm sorry your rolodex looks like your community period right? you go into your phone Typically it's going to look like the people that you know and that you would have things given dinner with right that typically correct.

11:12.45
wearabletakeover
Exactly exactly? yeah.

11:17.30
Crystal Berger_ EBO
So when you look at the fact that and the number used to be 70 6% of all newsrooms were all white men over the age of 45 when you look at that number because that is the makeup right? when people would book gas they would default to their rolodex.

11:21.68
wearabletakeover
Wow.

11:32.40
wearabletakeover
Here.

11:34.40
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Who they went to Yale with who sat on their father's board who they actually take their son to do their son's soccer game right? and so when your community is not diverse then you bring your community into your workspace Then of course they're not going to have diversity on air because you don't have diversity in your network.

11:45.96
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

11:52.78
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And when you need someone in a moment's notice and you can't really dedicate the time and energy to finding a diverse subject matter expert. You default to your rolodex just like I did so being in position to be a senior booking producer and impact who would be seen and heard on air I defaulted to my rolodex which was black attorneys. Black tech founders asian you know, um, buyers you know, ah just a a plethora of you know afro-laas who were building cacao companies right? So I defaulted to the people in my rolodex and I'll say this lakecutia. It's not 1 time that I bring a gas. To my vps or my senior editor and they said no, we don't want that person because of my reputation and because I had proven results and so when we talk about implicit explicit bias you know, racism in spaces and we know systemically it exists in our country and in our culture it just is what it is.

12:32.36
wearabletakeover
Wow.

12:49.44
Crystal Berger_ EBO
I say that with the caveat that but because I was positioned in that space and I had a trusted reputation. They could not deny the subject matter experts that was bringing on air because they knew they were qualified ready and were going to deliver results. And so you know I always used to tell my friends who would turn me down because of where I was working like 9 going on there I said if we never go into the spaces where the criticism is if we never go into the spaces where people think that they don't want us then we will never prove them wrong. We will never show them the truth about what.

13:09.20
wearabletakeover
And.

13:18.93
wearabletakeover
Yes.

13:24.18
Crystal Berger_ EBO
What diversity and inclusion really means to society because when I brought those people on alokeia it changed perspectives it made people think about what they thought about people of color or you know diversity or you know you know and looking at these monolithic perception of.

13:30.15
wearabletakeover
5

13:41.64
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know what religion you should be it made them really question like they have foundational principles that be like well maybe I'm wrong. So you know I can say being in that space for me though initially it felt um, isolating because people didn't really know how to relate to me like if you don't have a black friend. You don't. You know you you kind of looking you know you're looking at me like I'm a fish in a fish tank. You know I'm saying you look like oh Crystal's nice and she's pretty and she's this. But what do I say to her you know and I think it was It was a beautiful experience for all of us. You know we could go deeper but essentially it was it was dope. It was dope.

14:07.48
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

14:14.56
wearabletakeover
I love it and so if I were to parallel this is it safe to say that you could be considered our Jordan from the best man movie series in the television series are are you are our real life. Jordan example.

14:29.31
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, you know I feel like you know, um I never made it to executive level I never had the desire to make it to executive level because that comes with a lot of. You know, um, adjusting and shifting that I just wasn't really willing to do because I know what my purpose was in that space. But I do believe Yes, you know when you go into these spaces you have to be very certain and clear about who you are right in what you came to do.

14:41.52
wearabletakeover
And.

14:51.19
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes, yes, yes.

14:55.71
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And more oftentimes than not. We let the microaggressions decide as the ignorance just really inhibit like the mission that we're on and I can tell you Lakeisha I was on such a mission to achieve what I've been purposed to do that I would just look at these people like they just silly.

15:03.96
wearabletakeover
Good evening.

15:14.68
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Let them keep being who they are. You know if they want to have you know a confederate flag on a truck that's on them that aint got and to do with me. You know.

15:18.37
wearabletakeover
Right? I love it. So you have to have a firm foundation in that and that's one of the things I love about you is number 1 your authenticity. So many people throw that term around but I truly see that you are who you are consistently day in and day out from all of our interactions. And that confidence is there and that's one of the the pillars that I built my life and business on is that of confidence and I also love the the concept of how you have invited folks to come onto. You know the Fox News Network when you were there to help people be seen in a different light. And that's actually how wearable tech ventures got started after the uprising you know, due to the murder of Freddie Gray I took a stand and said hey I want to make sure our children our black and brown children are seen differently I want to make sure that they're seen as geniuses and how can we do this by introducing tech and fashion and going forward. There.

15:56.71
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And.

16:08.30
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, and.

16:14.70
wearabletakeover
And then I did a little survey crystal and this is kind of interesting I contacted a number of my friends that were educated and I contacted a number of family friends that were not you know, educated from a collegiate level and I said when you think of a black person. What's a term that comes to mind and it was um.

16:29.00
Crystal Berger_ EBO
The.

16:33.30
wearabletakeover
Eye opening for me because many of us never said inventor many of us never said innovator. Um, and I and I took that and that's how I built some of those principles into the formula of wearable tech ventures where we're amplifying and building a new generation.

16:40.94
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um.

16:47.96
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And.

16:50.18
wearabletakeover
Inventors investors and innovators and I love that you were making sure that you were informing not only your peers and your ah superiors and also those audiences that you serve about a different lens to view people I think that's. Also a great synergy and a jelling piece of you know what? you're doing at Ebo but before we get to Evo just enlighten us What did a day in the life of Crystal Burger look like as ah as a booking producer. What did that look like.

17:21.83
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Wo girl it was rolling out of bed and I'm when I say rolling out of the bed at three a M as halfway open. Um you know I would jump in the shower really quickly. You know, grab something as I'm going out the door. Well oftentimes and I I would have like rollers of pin curls in my head going going up sixth avenue ah, you know because now think about it. You're going to work while it's still overnight. It's dark outside so you know in and in New York it gets cold. They say brick it gets brick out.

17:36.37
wearabletakeover
Okay, so.

17:43.16
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

17:49.50
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

17:50.56
Crystal Berger_ EBO
In New York right so you're walking in the wind is hitting you across the skyscrapers there. No trees to catch it and absorb it. No grass and so you know you get in. Um you you run and get get a coffee or tea or whatever it is for the morning and you know for that first three hours you're going nowhere.

18:05.90
wearabletakeover
No.

18:06.89
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Like that first three hours you're sitting in that seat and you are just reading news after news after news you know they it's something called a newswire through the associated press or Reuters or whoever you know you read all the newswires and you try to really figure out what are the top news stories for the day. Right? You pick the top 3 and then you say okay well what subject matter experts do I have to talk about those topics you write it up. You know you get talking points and then you hit up your guests like hey can you do you know? Can you do talk radio today from. 7 a m to 11 a m and then you're booking people back to back to back to back to back whether they're going on a stream for anchor coverage whether they're coming in studio for something or they're doing a remote radio broadcast you know so you're working with hundreds of people, personalities and energies energies.

18:52.54
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

18:56.66
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Every single day and you know I could say it was probably 1 of the most humbling experiences for me, but it also taught me so much about and it's gonna sound. You know it's going to sound idealistic but you know the commonalities across cultures right? more oftentimes than not we focus so much on the differences.

19:10.62
wearabletakeover
Yes.

19:16.30
Crystal Berger_ EBO
But what I learned in that role was that everybody primarily wants the same thing for their their families. They want to be safe. They want to feel love and they want to feel protected right? and so these are like some core principles that we all want the family the love and the safety and the security.

19:22.80
wearabletakeover
So yes.

19:35.79
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know and it's not until we put the other layers on it that really don't matter right? Political affiliation color where you're from right? that really disturbs and distorts it all and so in that space I just learned so much about people Lacutha and people who I would never thought I would even have anything to say to right.

19:39.12
wearabletakeover
Who.

19:52.30
wearabletakeover
M.

19:54.53
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know I would hear their perspectives and I'm like that's interesting. You know one 1 example was something girl isn't this where you come from just when your daddy's a sharecropper and your mother was moving project first generation right? So. President Obama at the time had um, passed this legislation about estate tax I can't remember the exact legislation but I knew that it was basically either inhibiting or cutting the inheritance of wealthy children. You know, wealthy people and I mean people were going crazy in the newsroom about this estate tax thing I mean angry like I can't believe we did it.

20:19.17
wearabletakeover
Okay.

20:24.60
wearabletakeover
Oh wow.

20:28.31
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know it. It was just the whole conversation in the background and I couldn't figure it out though I was like well and I was like oh my god nobody's leaving me anything so I don't care about the goddamn estate 10 Not even on my radar right? but like and I shared.

20:29.76
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

20:47.46
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And I you know I shared that story to say we are products of our experiences and our environments and that's why we have to be committed to going on platforms and sharing our stories and our experiences because there are people in the world that have no clue and cannot relate at all.

20:52.11
wearabletakeover
Yes.

20:57.47
wearabletakeover
Yes.

21:04.33
wearabletakeover
Who.

21:06.38
Crystal Berger_ EBO
To your story so they don't vote with empathy because they don't know you they don't know your story you know? and so I encourage people all the time to come onto these spaces be uncomfortable because that's where we stretch people that's where we stretch ourselves.

21:10.69
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

21:20.82
wearabletakeover
Mm yes.

21:23.71
Crystal Berger_ EBO
As though you know that story I could say you know there were multiple instances in the newsroom throughout my life where I just was learning so much about human nature and human behavior that just changed my perspective and it really helped me to see people like people for people.

21:37.74
wearabletakeover
I Love it.

21:41.46
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know and not simply and I come from a all black city I all black everything. Okay, you know once war all I would to Hbc you so it was all black high school going to a all blackck college you know and my experience of the world was so limited until I got into those spaces and could see.

21:54.56
wearabletakeover
Yes.

21:59.38
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Like Joe us a whole world out here. Do we know nothing about and if I'm gonna be in this space I have to be committed to really illuminating and opening the eyes up. Not just of my people but the people who see us with a corrupt or distorted lens for sure.

22:00.18
wearabletakeover
No.

22:12.12
wearabletakeover
I love it I love it so you were getting out of bed at 3 making sure you rolled in a little early by 3 thurs in many cases and then you started work at 5 a m and then you were dialing and looking at all the press releases and things coming through the wire right? and then so with what what.

22:15.62
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yes, but.

22:26.82
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yes, so you never got a lunch break like there is no lunch breaking news like you walk away from that desk. That's how ebo got started. You know I walked away from my desk for 3 minutes went to the restroom news broke came back.

22:31.37
wearabletakeover
Day look like as you ended it.

22:44.48
Crystal Berger_ EBO
My senior editor was going crazy and I was like these folks literally can't book a guest without me being in the seat. So that's a whole that's a whole nother segue but all that to say no lunch break. You just work through the day you know you get your guest lined up you start reading in for the next day before you leave so you can know what's and be up to speed so when you come in, you know what's happening the following day.

22:47.62
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh.

22:57.77
wearabletakeover
Wow.

23:04.00
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know and then you hand it off to the person to take it over for your shift right? Um I was in a unique position The last few years of of my of my work because even though contractually I was a producer I also had a national news feature and podcast that aired on all of our stations in Sirius Likem so I would end my day my my work day as a producer. And then I would go put some makeup on take the pink girl out you know and then I would welcome people in studio everyone from Nick Cannon to trace songs Kelly Rowland you know so I had a very rigorous you know, schedule more most days because I knew I wanted to be talent and I wanted to be able to.

23:24.93
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh.

23:39.24
wearabletakeover
So yes.

23:42.72
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Use my gift like my unique gift and this is 1 thing that I feel like I need to say right here right now. Well oftentimes and not we look for the perfect opportunity instead of turning the opportunity into something perfect. It.

23:52.86
wearabletakeover
Oh yes, say that again say that again. Crystal.

23:58.46
Crystal Berger_ EBO
More oftentimes than not we look for the perfect opportunity instead of turning the opportunity into something perfect I knew that I didn't have network news experience I Knew that I was the underdog coming in that space.

24:06.57
wearabletakeover
I Love it I Love it.

24:14.53
wearabletakeover
M.

24:16.47
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And so me coming into that space thinking I was going to get on air immediately. It was just like that's just not how it works. That's not even the industry you know, like most people were in twelve thirteen markets before they got to New York let alone the number 1 cable news network. So I knew was going to take.

24:22.10
wearabletakeover
2

24:28.25
wearabletakeover
Wait but wait wait wait pause right? there because that that's phenomenal. You said most people were in 12 to 13 markets and you came directly from Baltimore to that market I told I told you folks let me tell you do I need to have a little cloud right here that says I told you so go ahead go ahead crystal

24:36.23
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Correct correct.

24:45.37
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And ah yeah, but you you know I share that to say you know that you have to understand where you are as that. Not.

24:48.23
wearabletakeover
Hold you these are icons go ahead.

24:59.39
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know, not like physical being but like where you are talent skill set wise and understand that you have to invest in yourself and if you do have an opportunity you can make that opportunity perfect for you that is your choice I knew because I was the only black woman in my newsroom lakeishha that most of the time girl I interviewed. Um.

25:06.00
wearabletakeover
Mm. Yes.

25:18.38
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yeah I interviewed um kevin las they didn't even know who he was they like is that that's that Russell Simmons I was like no' his cousin what he's the guy who helped start deathaf jam just so you know like he was the vp over there for quite some time. It ultimately ended up being the president but all that to say I made it perfect lakeishia.

25:19.93
wearabletakeover
Oh my God oh.

25:31.34
wearabletakeover
Oh my goodness I Love it.

25:37.85
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know? and so my day would end with me taking my pink girls down putting on some makeup changing my dress in the bathroom or in one of our um, one of our studios and then I will go on air.

25:46.86
wearabletakeover
And so that so from a timing perspective like would that be you said like is it five p M so you're working from like 3 30 or 5 a m to five p m or.

25:54.74
Crystal Berger_ EBO
so so I will work through so I would get in at 3 read in my shift started at 5 and then I will work from 5 to one as a producer take about an hour little break change. Do what I need to do I usually would have guest booked anywhere between.

26:05.94
wearabletakeover
Mm.

26:12.80
Crystal Berger_ EBO
One thirty and three thirty I would try to be out of the city because I lived right through the um, how and tunnel in ah Jersey City I would try to be out of the city by four p m.

26:19.63
wearabletakeover
So I love it. Okay, so folks you heard that here and they they believed it intermittterent fasting and so that's why her skin and all that is so fab She this fabulous period. But I'm doking with you crystal. Okay, so so she's legit. She's legit folks and Sos her her journey was absolutely amazing. So why don't.

26:32.81
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Ah, yeah, really I.

26:39.51
wearabletakeover
To share with us the journey from Baltimore to New York to New York how did that work and then we're gonna get into ebo after that.

26:41.48
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yeah, so you know I had a whole life experience. So a lot of people don't know I went to law school. Um, yeah, well yes, most people don't know I went to law school and I went to law school in Houston Texas so I have a very huge network of friends that are attorneys. Um.

26:50.40
wearabletakeover
Oh yes.

27:00.71
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know consultants you know, political influences or whatever. Um, but I failed out of law school right? Um, yeah, um.

27:04.80
wearabletakeover
Okay, wait a minute wait. Thank you so much for being so transparent because one of the things you know when I'm teaching design thinking courses. We talk about the the concept of failing fast and for you to say this just didn't work. You know I'm not going to be like some of these other folks that may have been presidential I didn't say they they. Felled out of law school I'm going on mine.

27:26.68
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Absolutely girl because listen talent out law school changed my life I knew at 15 I wanted to be a journalist I used to watch b e t teen summit and I knew I wanted to be like Ananda Lewis I looked at her. Yeah.

27:28.68
wearabletakeover
Okay.

27:37.12
wearabletakeover
wait wait wait wait. wait you know you know what wait so I was a teen summer girl. So thank you Sheila thank you Sheila Johnson for making sure that that platform was there and that's why we did business with Sheila Johnson for our retreat. So if you'll know about listen to the other episodes where it will take over but do you know that my.

27:45.54
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Ah, yes, yeah, yes.

27:56.30
wearabletakeover
And to me is last cause that's where I know oh my? Okay y'all see the room is my fan girl moment. Okay sorry Chris I had to put that out there. Yeah.

27:58.30
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, you got a claim or money. Yeah, you got like yeah I mean but it is that was every black girl though, right? like that was every black girl. What I remember I watched her interview. Um. Tupac and Jada Pinkett and all these people and I was like I want to do that I knew at 15 I wanted to be a germ wolf but I was a girl from Baltimore City like I said my dad was a sharecropper dropped out of school when he was in the ninth grade we could work in the field. My mom was first-generation college graduate from the projects in charity hill so nobody my neighbor wasn't a journalist.

28:16.29
wearabletakeover
Wow. So.

28:30.40
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

28:32.35
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Nobody was being on television right? And so um, you know I had to take the long route you know and I ended up doing what was safe and predictable and going to law school I didn't want to be an attorney I knew that I wanted something different right? I wanted something different than the reality of what I was seeing and experiencing in my hometown.

28:39.86
wearabletakeover
E. Okay.

28:52.10
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Amongst my peers and so when I made a decision at 22 I was 22 turning 23 to move to Houston to go to law school up girl when I tell you that's a whole nother story that that's a whole part too right? What when I moved there um, not only was I not passionate about being an attorney. Had a revelation when I was ups studying one night with some of my friends and I was like these people really want to do this like this is like they've been born and bred they wanted to be civil rights activists and attorneys and and you know immigration you know advocates since they were children and I'm sitting there like.

29:16.56
wearabletakeover
Mm.

29:27.81
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Nah I Want to go party with the Texans right.

29:33.82
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know sal like Keyia and this is where people don't you know people don't want to be real about it. My friends would be studying it I would be like at the club with the houstons you understand like the rockets and um, you know and so I ended up failing out school and what it was the first time in my life I'd ever failed at anything.

29:33.92
wearabletakeover
I Love it. But I love it I Love it.

29:48.79
wearabletakeover
Okay.

29:51.29
Crystal Berger_ EBO
I stayed in Houston for like another year and a half and then I came back to Baltimore and I was in a deep depression deep deep deep depressionion and couldn't really get myself out of it and I was on unemployment girl my jaguar head at the time got repossessed all of it. It was a whole thing.

29:55.24
wearabletakeover
2

30:02.10
wearabletakeover
And.

30:08.83
Crystal Berger_ EBO
It was a whole thing right? but is my own up the principle of the story is I was taking a class through the state of Maryland called women entrepreneurs of Baltimore because I was on unemployment. It was specifically to help women build business plans.

30:09.12
wearabletakeover
You hit rock bottom just to come on up. That's all.

30:19.51
wearabletakeover
Okay.

30:26.19
Crystal Berger_ EBO
I was sitting next to a guy named Dave Zak who got in the program through his business partner who was a woman and he had started an online magazine called scene Baltimore and seeing Baltimore was a lifestyle magazine. He comes in class one day he and I become really good friends and he says cb everybody knows me Cb.

30:40.35
wearabletakeover
Yes.

30:45.58
Crystal Berger_ EBO
He says I I got to interview. Um, what a couple of the Baltimore Ravens do you want to do it randomly I had never told him my dream of being a journalist at this point I thought my dream was dead and I remember in that moment saying well they rich and handsome and I'm you.

30:50.61
wearabletakeover
Wow wow.

31:04.88
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And bro i'mma go do it and lakeishha my very first interview ever was with a super bowl Mvp Ray Lewis at his full moon barbecue launch girl showed it with my little furrow on my head was flip back honey.

31:15.40
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh.

31:23.93
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And that interview was terrible. Well what I tell you what I'll tell you is this in that moment I realize this is my dream. This is it. This is who I'm supposed to be and from there me interviewing him at that time. Youtube Youtube was very new end up getting about 80000 hits on Youtube.

31:31.24
wearabletakeover
Wow.

31:40.37
wearabletakeover
Wow.

31:42.63
Crystal Berger_ EBO
All the other ravens started reaching out saying hey girl come cover this. Why don't you do this and I ended up doing terra sucks sickle cell. So and that's how I ended up in the sports department at w the place where Oprah started the place where Oprah started her talk show.

31:51.42
wearabletakeover
Wow W Jay Z that is. You know what? you know what folks you know what? you're watching here right now if you're watching this on Youtube you're watching the new age Oprah and Gil right? You know that that's who that is who we are. We're the new age Oprah and Gil so since I was in a fourth grade. My nickname was Oprah so here we go oh you.

32:01.97
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yeah.

32:07.80
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, this we can say we can do absolutely.

32:16.99
wearabletakeover
We could switch. You could be up we could every day we could change but this is it I'm claiming that so that's how you landed at WJaZ girl you you? ah and you said the the interview was horrible. This I love I love that you said you know you thought it was horrible but all these opportunities came out of it. You just had to do it. You just had to get started right.

32:24.62
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yeah, are there just hit as as.

32:36.46
wearabletakeover
Just had to get started and look and look at what happened. Okay, so then from w jz how did how did that get you to New York

32:42.19
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Girl me being crazy persistent. You know I made a decision like I knew that I was because for media you're kind of late in the game when you're entering like in your late 20 s mid to late 20 s like most people started turns at 18 or 19 and then they kind of keep going right.

32:53.56
wearabletakeover
Okay.

33:00.16
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And so for me I Knew that um I knew that I wasn't going to go to a small market and be chasing storms with a backpack on right I knew that I had to eat lakeia right? I knew how to eat and so this was my schedule I was doing some media relations consulting I ended up converting some of the players to clients doing Pr in the daytime.

33:17.51
wearabletakeover
Fuck. Nice.

33:19.78
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Right midday I was going to the broadcasting institute of Maryland at night I was interning with Mark Viviano in the sports department but I knew I had so much television I said I will only go to a top market New York L a Chicago or Miami those are the only places I applied.

33:26.23
wearabletakeover
Wow.

33:36.47
wearabletakeover
Wow.

33:38.47
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And when I tell you I hounded Pete um I like to the point where the woman who entered to who bought me in at Fox Literally one day I called her and she said hi k crystal she knew my own number like Asia she knew my phone number. Likekesia and she was like you called on the right day. This old woman had went out on maternity leave and she didn't come back so they had to slaughter producer into her role.

34:01.10
wearabletakeover
Wow.

34:07.20
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh.

34:13.67
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And they had an opening in the affiliates coordinator role and that's how I got to New York

34:19.10
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh So persistence don't be afraid to be persistent to go after what you want I'm thinking of another movie here. See you know brown sugar with ah that persistence. Oh my gosh I'm I'm loving this? Okay so that's that's how you got your start.

34:24.61
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um.

34:27.71
Crystal Berger_ EBO
I.

34:34.28
wearabletakeover
Your story's been amazing on on the career side and I wanted us to dig into that because it is the tremendous foundation for this new revolutionary tech platform that you have created that benefits so many right. And so that platform is called Ebo tell us about ebo and how it got started after that bathroom break that you mentioned before. Ah.

34:51.50
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, it.

34:57.30
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yes, yeah, so that was it. It was December Twenty nineteen and as I mentioned something had broke at the white house. We had ended up going to level one which is like multiple news alerts per hour and.

35:07.53
wearabletakeover
Okay, okay.

35:10.42
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, we needed someone to go and anchor coverage I remember looking at and at this point I hit the proverbial glass ceiling right? like I knew I wouldn't get the full time daytime show I knew that they wouldn't take me from doing talent in the evening to being like full time talent and so I was sick of it I was over it I was over network I was over New York the whole thing.

35:15.10
wearabletakeover
Okay.

35:30.16
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And I remember looking at him and saying that like those were my literal thoughts. These people can't book a guess without me physically being in my seat I went back to my desk and anybody who knows me knows that I'm a believer and I said to God I said why do you still have me in this newsroom.

35:34.94
wearabletakeover
Wow.

35:44.17
wearabletakeover
A.

35:47.31
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And I literally got a download because a lot of people do this founder thing because it sounds cute to say I'm a founder I never get it So it's It's a real thing and I never had a desire to be a founder but that day in the newsroom I heard a voice audibly say.

35:51.41
wearabletakeover
Oh My gosh I don't realize they don't realize it's a lot.. It's a lot. So.

36:05.47
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Because I want you to automate your job and I was like what what? and and I'm telling this happened all in one day and I was like ought to me my job and that day I sat at my desk.

36:06.48
wearabletakeover
Wow.

36:19.50
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And I wrote down 8 pages of notes on a legal pad of every single step it took for me to book a gas and get a guest on air and I looked at it and I was like this is a thing now this was pre pandemic right.

36:23.91
wearabletakeover
Oh my god.

36:30.96
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

36:33.77
Crystal Berger_ EBO
We used to have to physically beat in the newsrooms 24 7 like we never went remote ever like you all like we they would put us in hotels near Rockefeller Center when it was bad weather just to ensure that we could walk into work right? That's how real it was about how we had to physically be in the newsroom and so um.

36:45.10
wearabletakeover
Wow.

36:52.48
Crystal Berger_ EBO
There was no working remote or doing ah doing an automation of a job and so even though on paper I was like this is a thing um and even after calling like a lot of my affiliates and asked them what do you use the book gas. What's the process look like it still wasn't ringing from me until March of Twenty Twenty March of Twenty Twenty what hit

37:06.16
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh.

37:10.89
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Covid nineteen in 48 hours we went remote. They gave me a laptop sent me home and I said oh my god I have to build this thing so that's how evil came up.

37:20.94
wearabletakeover
Yes, oh my gosh. Okay, and so tell people what is ebo. Um, and and how is it helping people.

37:25.31
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yes, absolutely so Ebo's an on demand subject matter expert booking technology where we've automated all the processes to get a subject matter expert on air. It could be radio television digital streaming podcast featured in a newspaper or even on Lakeishia's podcast right.

37:42.75
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

37:44.92
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And so that's we are. We're on Demand subject matter expert booking technology and you know when you think about automation we automate the vetting we automate the coordinating the scheduling and even the connecting of the subject matter expert to Media outlets and so when I think about Ebo I Also said to myself when I finally made the decision to lead the the newsroom. I Said what happens when I'm no longer in this seat. Will they go back to what they were doing defaulting to their rolodex where we started our conversation right? And so when you look at how technology literally removes the bias because you're bringing the most.

38:06.87
wearabletakeover
Mm.

38:10.60
wearabletakeover
I Love it.

38:19.31
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Qualified person on air and it doesn't matter what they look like it doesn't matter what sure Rolodex looks like what matters is that they're qualified. They're ready and they're the best person for the appearance or the job and so that's what emold ebo does. You know we break barriers in that way we say hey if you are a cyber security expert.

38:24.71
wearabletakeover
Yes.

38:37.70
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Focusing on. You know, certain areas of cybersecurity it like it doesn't matter what you look like it doesn't matter what school you went to the fact that you have the expertise that you're media ready and you're vetted via our technology you deserve to be there I don't care if you're a blonde hair blue eyed twenty five year old man. Or if you're a 32 year old. Beautiful brown girl who went to Howard University right so um I love I love what we're doing. It has been a labor of love I'm nontechnical founder. Um, but I know I'm the founder for this specifically.

39:08.46
wearabletakeover
You definitely are and there was a question I asked you earlier I said did you have an ally did you have a advocate and pretty much you cloned yourself and became not only your advocate but a advocate for folks that have the expertise that need the outlet to share the information.

39:19.74
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um I.

39:27.33
wearabletakeover
That could change lives every single day. So thank you for taking that risk and that chance I'm excited to be on the Evo platform we're going to bring our advisory council onto the ebo platform what crystal has done is nothing short of amazing folks. So.

39:39.39
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yet.

39:45.15
wearabletakeover
Who are you looking for to onboard to the platform. What does that look like and how can our listeners help you grow.

39:47.67
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Are the.

39:54.53
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Yes, well 1 thing they can do is help the both of us grow by sharing this podcast. That's the first thing why tag a friend you know inspire someone else with our stories collectively um, they could go to join E B O Dot Com joint ubo.com but ultimately you know we were looking for.

39:56.90
wearabletakeover
Yes.

40:11.51
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Looking for the next lakeishia we're looking for the next crystalstal we're looking for the people who are qualified to be in these spaces. They are truly subject matter experts and they deserve to be seen and heard.

40:21.75
wearabletakeover
Who.

40:23.83
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know and we'll provide resources if they're not necessarily media ready just yet. We have a lot of affiliate partners like the black speakers network even black women talk tech to help build up skill sets so that they can actually get to where they're media ready, but we want everybody to come create a profile. Let us vet you we automate the vetting process. We give you a scorecard where we give you a report and you know I I just believe that January Twenty Twenty Four is going to be such a dynamic time for people who have really put in the the time and the energy during the pandemic to really help build something that's going to change the world.

40:48.65
wearabletakeover
Who.

41:00.84
Crystal Berger_ EBO
So many of us have done it. We've gotten through that rough season and I just want people to engage with us in the way that they should and that's just by our credentials alone right? You know and and believing in what we do and I think the biggest and the most powerful thing that people can do is to share share you know because.

41:15.20
wearabletakeover
Yes, never underestimate that.

41:20.44
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Absolutely, they might not have you know the $500000 that we need to invest into our businesses but they are 1 person away from what we need. But if they don't share the gift of who they know in their network then they're not only doing a disservice to us. They're doing a disservice to our community at large.

41:28.33
wearabletakeover
Exactly.

41:40.15
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And so I would say that say the thing that I need is for people to share my story to share your story share the podcast because from there there is a seed that's planted and giving and it always comes back in the way it is supposed to so I don't doubt that I don't ask for much because you know as I said before.

41:48.59
wearabletakeover
In here.

41:57.89
Crystal Berger_ EBO
What's mine I'm gonna have.

41:58.12
wearabletakeover
I love it folks. You heard it directly from crystal she said simply use your power and so we made a ask because you know on social media. We're doing the 90 day ask knowledge will you share this episode will you share is so simple to do.

42:13.35
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yes, um.

42:15.78
wearabletakeover
On your Linkedin or on your other social medias or on your email or your newsletters. There was something here that was incredibly special and what I also love is that oftentimes people tend to say oh I'm not into tech or I don't understand it if you understand crystal.

42:32.92
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, you understand um.

42:32.96
wearabletakeover
Which I believe everybody did you have a place in this ecosystem and you can serve as an ad hoc investor by sharing this episode. Okay because she is doing something that is absolutely Amazing. She's doing something that we often say oh I wish I could clone myself she did it and. She's building a team around the world. She has an amazing team I've been I've been speaking with them and crystal if you want to talk about your team. We could go into that. But but before we do that folks and then you could also see Crystal on many stages now she isn't hiding behind a computer.

42:55.29
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um.

43:06.40
wearabletakeover
She is out and about she's still doing her thing while she's building her company and I love that she's an amazing host. She just did something really cool with um comcast I want you to tell us about that and we're hoping to bring her on board to host one of our events in the future. She is that fabulous and I mean didn't you hear her story didn't didn't. Tell you that we were bringing icons to you. Okay, this is Crem Della Crem people this is Krum Dellarem so crystal tell us about what you recently did with comcast as well as about your team.

43:33.35
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yes, absolutely and again I can't even deny that you know it was from sharing. So. 1 of your sore roars. Um, ah Angela Ivis um she was the keynote for comcast rise and she actually said no, we need the right host for this diversity event and she recommended me for the comcast rise event and it just it took me back because I haven't really technically been like.

43:52.31
wearabletakeover
I Love it.

44:03.22
Crystal Berger_ EBO
In studio you know, big production in a few months and I was sitting there like yo. This is my zone you know like but it was it was the comcast rise their awards where they give out over um, a hundred recipients received funding technologies upwards of one hundred and twenty five million dollars

44:19.12
wearabletakeover
Nice, nice.

44:21.18
Crystal Berger_ EBO
They've invested in diverse business owners in this region specifically and so I was their host for that. Um, but yeah, it was just like it's just been a blessing Lakeisha I can't even itemize all that I've done and that I'm doing. You know we have to really understand that even on the days when we're tired.

44:39.22
wearabletakeover
Yes, but inside dokyo check our stories I totally forgot to first record the first time.

44:41.16
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Right? And we forget the press record. Ah absolutely. But on those days we still got to push through right because as somebody who's who's depending and relying on us right? I might have a team now of 11 Um, the most of them are based in Nigeria.

44:52.52
wearabletakeover
Yes, m. Wait say that again say that again say that again because listen oftentimes you know we are struggling and when I say we a lot of folks that are starting their enterprise. It's it's a struggle right? You you start off trying to learn it and do everything by yourself and you're trying to get out of that mode crystal.

45:00.92
Crystal Berger_ EBO
And eat. It's.

45:12.00
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, who.

45:15.92
wearabletakeover
Ah has a blueprint because she has a team of 11 say that again crystal.

45:18.87
Crystal Berger_ EBO
A team of 11 you know and I can't take credit for I like you know and and people say I'm humble I've really is certain things that happen in your life that you can't really fully take credit of right? It is the obedience that I can own right? um.

45:27.17
wearabletakeover
Mean.

45:32.20
Crystal Berger_ EBO
But I have an amazing adviser lanreo gung bay he's nigerian he's a friend of mine. He saw what I was attempting to do with evil and he said no this is massive. You need a team. You can't build what you're building by yourself and you know he helped me mobilize a team of 11

45:39.49
wearabletakeover
Yes, m.

45:48.62
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, and hopefully we stayed alive for a little while this is a lot but is a lot you know, but understanding that location when if you are doing something that has massive impact is no way you're capable of doing it alone. Yeah and so having that tea and also being able to be like really.

45:49.39
wearabletakeover
I Know that's right.

46:00.42
wearabletakeover
Exactly takes the village.

46:08.43
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Proud that I feed 11 families. You know if at the end of the day if that's not success. That's my definition of success. You know, um you know make become a unicorn company. We will absolutely but that's not what it's about it's about being able to say like in places and spaces where we all originate.

46:11.22
wearabletakeover
That's all sandy.

46:21.76
wearabletakeover
Mm.

46:28.22
Crystal Berger_ EBO
The entire world. You know I'm contributing to the actual culture and fabric of the continent like that is was such a gift and so yeah I have a team of 11 over in Nigeria and um, you know we just don't I think little ebo doing something big. Ah.

46:33.62
wearabletakeover
Yes.

46:42.37
wearabletakeover
Well I love it and and I don't know if I told you this before crystal. But the the the Motherland a continent has been calling wearable tech ventures for a few years to come there and so we had to build our capacity here. But when that time comes We definitely want to.

46:53.16
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, my and.

47:01.49
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yes.

47:01.59
wearabletakeover
Go arm in arm with ebo. Um, as we are amplifying the opportunities to partake in this revolutionary text segment which is you know I tell folks all the time they say what is wearable tech and they think it's like you know the novelties that you wear on your wrist or whatnot.

47:12.91
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, here is.

47:19.94
wearabletakeover
When I say when your phone is being replaced by wearable tech then everything you do is impacted by wearable tech and we're going to own this segment meaning we're going to make sure that the people that are using these devices or impacted by these devices are at the table to develop them. That's what we're doing changing a game.

47:28.64
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, then.

47:38.15
wearabletakeover
So I'm so excited we're announcing it here folks you know we're working with Evo we're working with Evo.

47:38.21
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, get um yeah yeah, fight Yeah, less that it is documented published and recorded that is happening you know and that's what it's tapes. Yeah, absolutely partnership.

47:50.90
wearabletakeover
Ebo was our partner.

47:53.26
Crystal Berger_ EBO
I Think the beauty of our partnerships is like it's enough for all of us like and I'm and I'm and I'm not just talking about black people I'm talking about it's enough for all of this if we really own that as a as a global society.

47:54.92
wearabletakeover
Yes.

48:00.77
wearabletakeover
All of us.

48:07.20
wearabletakeover
M.

48:10.51
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Any and every Ill that we see would be eradicated because it's enough for all of us.

48:15.71
wearabletakeover
I Love it and Crystal is going to make sure that our smes. Ah for those of you that may not be exposed to government terminology that means subject matter experts as Crystal has already stated here. Um, we're going to work to make sure.

48:23.91
Crystal Berger_ EBO
If.

48:30.38
wearabletakeover
That we are able to share our stories and have them amplify it via the ebo platform I am so appreciative. Not only of what you've done to create this platform because it's something that we've needed something that we've been looking at for our past few years crystal just to be very transparent as far as how are we gonna do this and.

48:42.96
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You.

48:49.52
wearabletakeover
Things just didn't work out and then when I met you and saw this I was like this is absolutely perfect. So I'm incredibly appreciative of that but more so than that I'm incredibly appreciative of the person that you are who you are as a person your ability to share the real right? The ups and the downs.

49:00.94
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, and.

49:08.90
wearabletakeover
And what that does is it inspires those that are in our ecosystem because we have people that may have no experience. We have some that may have a little bit of experience. We have some that may have a lot of experience as far as educational experience but everyone has some sort of life experience and everyone that comes to the table is valuable. And I appreciate your example because it helps every single person that is listening to this whether they contribute just by sharing whether they contribute by being an investor whether they contribute with their innovations as a founder or a research partner or investor. Um, we're showing here today. That when we come together. Great things can happen as well as when we are ourselves and allow our experiences to help us shape the future in a more positive light I'm so excited about Chris Nowrisa I'm ah I'm go let you wrap us out. You know is that how they say that close us out wrap it up. Whatever you want to call it but you know if there's something else that you want to share or quote or whatnot I'm leave it with you before we close out the season finale of season 3 where will take over wasn't this a banit. This was a but.

50:05.66
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, Mr.

50:17.53
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um, yeah, no.

50:19.51
wearabletakeover
Agar folks but we brought the heat make sure you make sure you are listening ah sharing all of the episodes and definitely prepare for season 4 because we don't turn it up a notch but this this was an amazing finale with the crystal burger of ebo crystal take it from here.

50:24.44
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Um.

50:38.48
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know I'll I'll leave with us some food for thought. Um I want to implore everyone who listens to this podcast to think about how you show up in the world and how how you're showing up impacts the world and just navigate accordingly.

50:47.19
wearabletakeover
M.

50:56.10
Crystal Berger_ EBO
You know, um, we have so much power in our day to day you know whether it's checking on a friend who may be sick or you know sharing you know the the innovator friends you know technology just think about how you're showing up in the world and how that's impacting others because it truly is the little things and. You know today when we started we laughed about it but being here today has blessed me. It's been a gift aishia inviting me on your podcast you know doing the little thing of inviting me you know is going to have massive impact and it's not just for the people who are listening but it's for us as well. So I just thank you for having me.

51:31.98
wearabletakeover
Thank you.

51:34.26
Crystal Berger_ EBO
Thank the audience for listening and more importantly I thank you for doing what you're doing for 4 seasons because that's major baby girl because we already in season 4 So I look forward to supporting season 4 as well. But thank you? Thank you.

51:47.71
wearabletakeover
That's it folks see you next time on another episode of wearable takeover make sure you follow us and ah also subscribe to our newsletter at wearabletech venturetures.org