Shadowing Practice: Michael B. Jordan on Being Loved Isn't Enough to Make It Work - Learn English Speaking with Video
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You said, when you come from where I come from and everybody doesn't get those breaks, that luck, you start to question, why am I successful in life?
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Why did I go this way and everybody went that way?
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And I just thought that that was, you know, again, extremely humble and also representative of where you grew up, how you came up, like,
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which way did everyone go?
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And where did that luck begin for you?
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You know, I think coming up in New Jersey, coming up in that environment and, you know, having, you know, when you're younger, you know, you're living life, you know, you're taking it a day at a time.
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You know, you're going to basketball practice, you're going to school, you know, you're going to church.
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You know, for me, it was, you know, taking a lot of trips to New York City, going on auditions at a really, really young age and just figuring out what what what that is.
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Having having parents pretty aware, you know, and very present in my life, you know, growing up, you know,
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that was that was rare amongst my family and amongst my friend group, you know, having both parents that was there and very present and aware of my environment as well.
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You know, what, what, you know, being told to look out for these things and make good choices, to be disciplined, to be focused on things, you know, get your school,
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you know, all the, you know, the positives in growing up in an environment like that.
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And, you know, hats off to my parents and to, to sacrifice so much to make sure their kids, you know, and we're safe and grew up in an environment ain't easy, making ends meet.
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Grew up very poor, but didn't feel like it.
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You know what I'm saying?
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It was very, I think they did a good job at hiding those things.
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I think as we get older, we look back, it was like, oh man, we went through that.
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Oh, that's why we slept in the kitchen at one time with the oven open.
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Oh, that's when we stayed at grandma's house for a couple of weeks.
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So you get that reflection of how we kind of grew up.
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And I think for me, always having a bigger purpose I think, or just, you know, just that optimism, you know, that I was a big dreamer as a kid.
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And I think, you know, start to not just to focus on the just the work of it all, but since I was working such a young age,
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that's the thing that I can kind of point to of, you know, booking auditions and getting this job and traveling to this place
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and experiencing these things and coming back home with these experiences
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and not having a lot of people who could relate or could, you know, I could a soundboard off of.
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And, and I think in feeling like that, you don't want to alienate those people, you know?
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Uh, uh, and I think, and this is all, I guess, in hindsight, you don't share these stories as much, you know, maybe you should, cause you don't want somebody to feel like inadequate or,
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you know, not being able to have that experience that you might've had.
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And I think, you know, that snowballs as you, as you get older and from stepping stone to stepping stone, as, as I continue to be successful at a young age,
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you start to question, why am I being so successful?
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And the people that look just like me
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that are right next to me in these everyday things aren't necessarily doing that or not choosing to,
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you know, just didn't have those options that were laid out to them.
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And I think you start to doubt yourself for whatever reason
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or feel guilty for the things that you may or may not have, even though, you know, my parents were people of service, you know, block parties or,
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you know, cooking church dinners or, you know, whenever, you know, my house was the house that everybody came to at some point,
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whether we were going to get pizza that night or dad was going to take everybody camping or going to these things.
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Like, that was kind of my house within my neighborhood and community.
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And so I think for me, being a person of service kind of, because, you know, this kind of comes from how I was raised raised
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and those are the examples that I knew growing up.
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I always felt lucky too.
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As you become more successful and you see less people look like you
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that are being successful in this realm
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and you end up being the one guy
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that looks like me that's successful or the couple guys
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that are the usual suspects that you see in the audition room or things of that nature, you know,
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you start to sometimes question why why why are you now
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i can i i feel as though it was my it was my path you know it was my purpose
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and spirituality and growing up in a household
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that was very focused on you know you know church
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and spiritual and meditation and and and just being aware of the world
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that we live in you know i felt i was destined for for something not knowing what
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that was but just so wow yeah and i mean
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when i'm when i'm hearing
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that it sounds like i love what you said you were like you know they they hid we were poor
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and we didn't even see that but this idea of like you sound
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so when i when i see you talk about your family
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and for those of you watching you can see it on mike's face
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but there's so much joy and there's bliss
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and there's like uh there's like a happiness when you're looking back on
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that time like i can see it's a positive experience
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because of how you feel you've been loved and cared for and supported, even though the resources may not have been there or the access or opportunities.
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And I was wondering when I was listening to you, is there a memory or an experience from your childhood that you think defines who you are today?
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Was there a memory or a story
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that you have in your mind of an experience you went through
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that you think brings out maybe that service element or brings out that purposeful element?
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And I think this bliss and this appreciation for how I grew up comes in hindsight.
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You know, like, you know, the first time you have a moment where you're like, pick up the phone, you know, one morning, you just call your mom and be like, thank you.
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I get it.
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And I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry for for being that kid at some point.
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And I'm so sorry for not understanding.
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I totally get what you guys are going through.
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Sheesh.
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I love you guys, you know?
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Like, you have those moments when you get older, you know, that you just can't really have that perspective when you were a kid.
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And I think, you know, I was very mischievous, you know, as well.
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And I think there were moments when my dad disciplined me, you know, for whatever the, you know, whatever I did at that time.
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And then my mom would have a conversation with me around the why.
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And then being also forced or pushed
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and nudged into a space where you had to acknowledge your siblings also you know in
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that situation and and and the importance of family and what
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that means you know my parents have different upbringings you know i'm saying from you know uh
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and different family structures growing up
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but one thing they've always provided us with is just a sense of like family over everything you know
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and how important that is and
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that just kind of kept the groundedness to me throughout
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so i think just the experiences of of just family i like your point about hindsight i've definitely made
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that call to my mom for sure like yeah i've made
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that call to my mom we're around the same age
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so for me it's like i've made that call
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and i think i made it probably like 25 maybe 26 it was probably around then
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when i finally made that call and not
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that i didn't love my mom before that of course i did
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but it was like
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that honest understanding of just how hard it was to do what she did
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because she was raising two kids she was dropping us to
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school picking us up she was the breadwinner of the family she made us breakfast lunch
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and dinner fresh every day like and you don't recognize
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that as a kid you don't realize the sacrifice the hustle the
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and and always making you feel loved on top of doing all of
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that it's hard work you've talked to you said
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that now you feel like you've got to a place that it's your path
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What was that switch for you that went from like, I don't deserve this, God, like I feel out of place, I'm lucky to being like,
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no, actually now I see it as this was meant to be my path.
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Because I think a lot of people and a lot of our listeners will be there, like a lot of people are like, they're making moves and maybe they're first person in their family to go to college,
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or maybe they're the first person who started up a business and is an entrepreneur, or maybe one of our listeners is trying to break generational trauma and they're the first person to spot it.
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Yes.
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And, but then they all live in that space.
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Like, can I do this?
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Like, am I the one to do this?
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And so what was it that made that switch from like, I'm not sure I'm the guy, but oh, it is my path.
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It's the sum of all things leading up into that point.
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I think it's all the doubt.
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It's the imposter syndrome.
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It's the, the blessings that you can't really accept fully.
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you listen to other people speak who are successful
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or you see examples that you kind of feel connected to like man
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that that kind of feels like me or what he just said
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or what she just said I kind of I resonate with
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that you know I feel like
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that sometimes you know other people who are looking at you
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saying no Mike this is what you have this is what you can be this is what you are Nah, nah, that can't.
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No, that's too good.
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No, that ain't me.
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You know?
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Your own presence in a situation where you have to step back and look at yourself and be like,
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am I this guy right now?
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Like, oh man, there's a room full of people who showed up because of something I'm doing,
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and they're in service or in support of my idea, my thing.
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Okay.
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That looks and feels like I'm the guy, okay?
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I'm in an industry where, you know, the success of your work and your art has been,
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you know, dictated and validated by other people's opinions.
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And whether those opinions are factual or projected on you from their own individual perspective,
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I think it was a combination of all those things, and I've always been curious and walked towards the, how do I make myself better?
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What are the things that I need, the tools that I need in order to improve myself, the way I think, the way, how do I maximize myself, you know?
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So from, I think, getting a, you know, an executive coach, you know, who talks to executives all day and,
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you know, how to create healthy conversations, the right type of conversations to have as you're building a team around you.
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Because, you know, as you know, it's not just us.
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You know, we have an entire team of people that surround us
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that help us achieve our dreams and get the big idea done.
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You know, a spiritual advisor a spiritual coach
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that i have um who you know helps me uh do my energy work my spiritual work
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and and and and help sift through the noise and and and find those things and i think it wasn't until
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i had you know roles that challenged my spirit
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and myself in a real way that that that in the weight
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and where the attention was so loud
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that it was you know it was deafening and it was
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and and i couldn't you know um see clearly
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and you know these champagne problems you know i'm saying i you know you know
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that like you know we're blessed so but the weight is
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so heavy you know and people sometimes think
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and they see what we have or what you know are what we're you know what what we're doing and it's like, oh, just be grateful, you know,
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or just, you know, what are you complaining about, you know?
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And, you know, most people wouldn't be able to walk, you know, a block in our shoes, you know, with this stuff.
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And I think it was, and you have moments where you resent things and you're angry at,
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you know, the feelings that you accumulate for not being clear or not understanding, you know, why this.
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There's a lot of whys, and you're not going to get all the answers, but you want to, you know, be able to get to a place where you're clear.
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So to answer the question, when did I decide, when did I, like, you know, when did I feel like that?
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Maybe two years ago, maybe a year ago.
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You look at where your family has come from, and shit, look at your bloodline, you know.
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You look at, you know, your community, you're like, man, there's a cycle there.
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from generation to generation that happens when you get to yourself and you're like man
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can i stop this can i change this i could do
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this once you it's like once you once you know better
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you got to almost do better once you see it you can't unsee it
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and i refuse to ignore it i refuse to see it an opportunity
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that i had to change things and act like it didn't exist
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and i think that was the thing for me
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that was like nah i gotta i gotta if that's my purpose if that's my path
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is to just see it and i can see the pieces
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and if i can just continue to do this or
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if i stay down the pathway on that
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and i i might be able to make a big difference in my nephew's life
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or my my my future children's my future grandchildren's life i got to do
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that because there's still been so many people that might
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that didn't that that it wasn't the perfect storm for them to have
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that opportunity that's been something i've always felt since having the name michael jordan
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and understanding that there's another guy out there named michael jordan
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that was the best ever to do something and being teased
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and picked on about that and and and
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and made me for a moment not wanting to play sports
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but then it was like nah i'm actually going to make
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sure i'm competitive i'm going to compete at least i'm going
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to compete you're going to at least see me i'm going to be somebody that
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it's not going to be oh his name is this it's going to be oh no
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but he can play
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or oh no he can oh he yeah he has something about him something
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that is formidable that is above average that is
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that is unique to him and
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and i it gave me a healthy chip you know so
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so and i
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and for the the people who are listening who you know who do have you know
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that doesn't feel like they can change the circumstances with the way they think
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or they feel just hold on just endure endure you know
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uh look at things differently challenge yourself to look at things
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as the glass half full challenge yourself to think four steps
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ahead think your way through it like now we have so many tools We have so much information.
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There's a lot of misinformation out there, but there's so much information to be curious.
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Find something that does resonate with you, even if it's not in the world that you ever thought you would be in.
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Find something that you align with.
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Because everybody aligns with something.
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That's not an excuse I'm willing to take from anybody.
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Align with something and find your positivity.
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Find your intuition within that thing.
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And be obsessed about it.
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What have you been obsessed with lately?
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Like, what would you say is the thing you're most obsessed with right now
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or that you have been in the past couple of years that has kind of just attracted?
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I've been obsessed with getting my team right.
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I've been obsessed with getting the right personnel on the right brain frequency
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and getting everybody on the same page to accomplish these things
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that we need to go accomplish because I truly believe it's going to be better for everyone.
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I think it's really going to make an impact, you know?
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And so there's an obsessiveness that you got to have to over-communicate, to follow up, to be redundant,
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to be consistent, you know, that you need.
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And I'm obsessed about it, you know?
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Strengthening my family, I'm obsessed over it, you know?
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To lead by example, you know?
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And break generational trauma and curses i'm obsessed over it um
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and i'm obsessed over every project that i uh lend myself to
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so this next movie that me
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and ryan's doing i'm literally you know i'm growing all my stuff out you know i mean my hair
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and stuff like now i'm becoming obsessed with it you know and that character and
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it's it's a it's an addictive feeling to have a thought
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and see it come to fruition to create something out of
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out of you know out of an from an idea yeah um
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and to be persistent and to see it
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and to manifest it you know uh manifestation i just love it you know what i mean it's cool
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so so that's something that i've been i've been really really um locked in with
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and i think it's also something
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that it's going to help people you know there's there's always a i don't want anything that's not multi-hyphenated.
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I want anything that I'm involved in, it has to have layers to it.
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You know, how do you help?
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How do you educate?
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What's the leave behind?
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What blueprint am I leaving for the next generation?
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You know, I got a nephew now, you know, that is looking up at me constantly.
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Yes, because of height, but also because of the example, you know, and he's mimicking everything i do you're mimicking anything i can
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say something do something like a citizen type of way oh snap he's doing it too crazy
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so it clarifies your intention when you do things
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because you want it to have you know purpose
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and intention you know um so those are the things
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and i'm obsessed with being the best version of myself
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and that's a daily thing you know um and some days are better than others,
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finding myself in a world where there's so many seen opinions about yourself
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when everybody's telling you who and what you are, you know, learning how to live, you know, growing up in it, like, and it's so wild.
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I've been doing this for 25 years straight, you know and that's a wild thing to think about
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but man more than half of my life has been my identity was been through the work
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that i've been doing and
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and growing up in with you know social media what didn't
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exist now it does at a point where i'm old enough to understand what
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that can do so i'm obsessed with finding myself now uh after and and not having to prove anything to
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other than myself and my family, you know?
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But really myself.
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And realizing that that is enough.
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You know what I'm saying?
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Like that, like giving your best is enough.
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And sometimes we lose track of that, you know?
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And yeah, so for anybody out there, you know, you're enough, man.
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How have you been able to learn how to sense or understand
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whether someone's on that same brainwave brainwave and as you said
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or brain energy as you are and and has
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that same value set that you have i think it's a a lot of conversations
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and and and sometimes trial and error uh i think my in my intuition
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and my gut is is the first you know litmus test
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is the first kind of line of defense you know
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that i that i have of like energy's vibe you know i'm saying like okay
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that that that
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that you feel on par how you know how you answer a question what are the things
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that you're saying you know um are you speaking from ego
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are you speaking about you know what what is the what
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is the thing you know you you know we're used to we meet
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so many people we have to use quick judgments
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and who gets our time you know um who do you open up to who do you not
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and i think
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when it comes to building into a team especially nowadays you're
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coming into something that's that's well oiled yeah you're coming into a machine already
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so you have to fit not just with me but you have to kind kind of fit with everybody.
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You know, you have to know how to communicate the things you need to know how to communicate to.
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You have to, the ego is something
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that can get in a lot of people's way when joining a team and joining something that's already really established.
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And I think, I think coming to a place of learning and listening is really important and not taking things personally.
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I think, I think, and then it's something to the people that's already been in the team to understand
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that there's going to be additions and there is a process of, there's an onboarding, There's a welcome, there's a thing that you have to,
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to bring people into the fold in a way to get the best out of them.
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So I think there's been, there's been those learning things along the way.
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That's really, that really helped me identify people who, um, that fit and work well within the circle, you know?
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Um, and, and, uh, yeah, I think that's been my, my kind of process thus far.
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Um, and then, yeah, I always want to create an environment where people want to be.
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Yeah.
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You know, you're not here for a check.
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Yeah.
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You're here because you believe in what we're doing and what we want to do.
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And I'm pretty transparent about those things, you know, so.
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So I think I think just being extremely transparent and forward with those things and and and know that there's nothing personal.
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This isn't it.
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You know, like I'm know, like I'm the best, I'm the guy that's always going to give you a great recommendation.
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You know what I mean?
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Like I want people to win.
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At the end of the day, I want people to win.
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And seeing somebody in their strengths, you know, and being like, okay, I can use that.
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This would be helpful in this way.
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And if that works out, it works out.
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And if not, then man, I want to see you do well.
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Yeah, I love that.
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Yeah, we I remember years ago I was listening to Eric Schmidt who is the CEO of Google for a bit.
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Yeah.
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And he was talking about how they were looking for smart creatives
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and I love that that they had two words that kind of summed up what they look for.
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They look for people who are smart creatives and for me it became humble champions.
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I was like, I want humble winners.
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I want I want the people who can who want to win
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and have that ambition but are able to put their ego aside
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because then we're going to speed up getting there because the thing that slows you down from winning is ego.
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But like the thing that stops you from passing the ball is ego or, you know, bowing out and saying it's your turn is ego.
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And so but but you still have to have that champion mindset because it isn't just about, oh, yeah, no, no, no. You do your thing.
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Like and that was a big thing.
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And then the other thing that worked for me was I was like, I need to work with people that I could go to breakfast, lunch or dinner with if we didn't work together.
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Yes, man.
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Do I actually want to go to breakfast, lunch and dinner with this person?
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Because I probably will be when I'm traveling or on the road.
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that means I like spending time with them, which means I'm happy to coach them.
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And I'm happy to learn from them.
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Exactly.
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Whereas if I don't want to, and initially I was like that.
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I used to just hire people who were great at what they did.
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We didn't really have chemistry.
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Like we didn't, we couldn't hang out.
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And that wasn't because they were wrong.
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It was also because I wasn't aware.
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Gotcha.
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And then of course, yeah, the mission, the purpose is, I mean, that's core and central.
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Because even for you, I mean, you're spending time from your family with, you know, your team becomes your extended family they are your family.
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You're eating, like I said, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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You know, like there's a part of you that, you know, it has to feel like I'm getting a little bit of my family here.
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And if it's not that, you know, it's really hard for me, you know?
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And obviously like, you know, you have a bigger company and there's employees and you're not going to be as personal with everybody within the company.
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You know, you're not having breakfast, lunch, lunch, and dinner with everybody.
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But there's a feeling of, you know, So I don't mind on a Sunday, everybody at my house watching the game,
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spending time, because that's when not the nine to five time to be creative
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or the nine to five time to do the job.
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That's the that's the extra mile.
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That's the oh, I had this idea and I was just thinking, oh, we're looking at something together and this would be great.
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The best ideas sometimes come from those just hangout moments
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and those moments where you're just spending time with people that you work with.
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So, yeah, I think that, yeah, you're right.
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That's really important.
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Yeah, for sure.
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Before the obsession point that came up, which was fascinating, I'm glad I asked you that and you went into it.
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You're talking about, like, you know, you live in an industry and you talked about social media where people have an opinion of you.
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People, even an opinion is that people have a lens because they've seen you in a particular light.
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and I was wondering like what do you think something
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that people get right about you and what's something
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that people sometimes get wrong about you like what do you feel like
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when it comes to
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that like I'll tell you mine like I feel like for me a lot of people think
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that I get like often because of what I teach
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and what I'm sharing
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and what I'm guiding it's like oh well Jay must get everything perfect all the time
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and like you know he's like super deep
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and like always just saying profound things and and that's not true obviously
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because as much as that is who I am and
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that is my heart i'm not always like
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that like i have i have bad days i have bad
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moods i have off days i have i have days
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when i'm not feeling that way right and so that's that's something
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that people get wrong about me sometimes in that perception because
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but i'm dedicated to this work i'm obsessed with it i'm obsessed with being better
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but that doesn't remove me from having flaws and weaknesses and and
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so yeah yeah you should do a blooper reel you should
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do a blooper outtake reel of those moments She has your team, catch you in these little moments, and you should put one out.
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That'll be fun.
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That'll be fun.
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That'll be fun.
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I like that.
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I like that.
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That'll be a good one.
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I like that.
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I think for me, it's like, I think I've intentionally stayed out the way
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so much where I'm not giving anybody anything to go off of other than what I want you to know.
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You know, I think that's been it for a long time.
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I've always had the approach of, like, not speaking on things and not giving them life.
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You know, there's...
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There's going to be perspectives and there's things about you that just aren't true.
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Do you care to correct somebody or not?
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Because most of the time, people's minds are made up no matter what you say.
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It is what it's going to be.
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Stay out the comment section.
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You get some great entertainment in there, but then you can get a lot of stuff
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that is just people who want to project the thing that's going to get the most attention.
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And the issue that I have with a lot of that is, they can be completely false.
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And we have an industry of, we were talking earlier, the lack of journalism, the skill of that, that will run with those things,
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knowing that there is no basis to them.
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But now that's a narrative that's attached to you, that you have to be strong enough and strong-minded enough to ignore knowing it's not true,
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or this human nature feeling of wanting to know no, that's not true.
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I want people to know this about me.
399
And I've always walked on that line of, you know, not caring, trying not to care,
400
and knowing that I'm enough, and knowing my truth, and the people who know me know me.
401
You know, I am about my community and my people, you know, wholeheartedly.
402
And a lot of the choices that I make and the things
403
that I want to do and be a part of is in service of that bigger picture, you know, of helping that, you know, my community in a big way.
404
So I think the biggest thing sometimes if they ever feel like
405
that they're not my top priority is maybe one of the biggest misconceptions.
406
You know, the love I have for my community, regardless of people's approach, I think everybody has a different strategy
407
and approach to how they affect
408
and make change everybody it doesn't all look the same um
409
and because it may not be typical or the average voice
410
because the package is different and the craft and my field is different
411
so i have a different set of boundaries that exist in my lane that I maneuver without in and out of.
412
Like I love playing chess.
413
I love, I love, I love strategy.
414
I love, I love reverse engineering and building things.
415
So I think, I think that's one of the biggest things.
416
And, you know, sometimes ignorance and a laugh or a joke or a like or a thing, we've, we've
417
encouraged the behavior of negativity and things and loudest is all is the thing and and
418
and that's just not what that's not what I'm into yeah
419
I'm into the love of things I'm into the the humanity
420
and bringing people together the best way and
421
but also I'm human yeah no I appreciate
422
that I mean I also think we've put a false pressure
423
on the definition of authenticity meaning you share everything with everyone
424
and i'm not sure i vibe with that definition
425
because i think authenticity by nature is you sharing what you
426
feel comfortable with each person like that's what it means to be authentic
427
and you could argue
428
that authentic just means being however you want to be in any given situation and
429
so i think there has become a false pressure of oh
430
you got to show you're authentic by showing every part of yourself
431
and i don't know if that
432
that triggers anything for you is like what's the definition of authenticity for you
433
or for me that's what it is
434
but what is it for you i think it's um
435
but then in hindsight there's a there's a piece of it
436
that not even just to go back
437
but there's there's also like maybe that's my insecurity framing what the loudness of the things
438
that I'm most sensitive of is this noise somehow yeah it
439
triggers us for a reason it you know I'm saying some stuff
440
that you just go oh yeah yeah whatever
441
but it's like man like why does that but why does
442
that bother me so much yeah like there's something there's something about
443
that that because I know what
444
that does in the bigger like I'm always thinking bigger picture it's very rarely that I really focus on the thing.
445
It's always about what's the cause of that in a bigger conversation, you know?
446
The authenticity to me is being able to sleep at night,
447
being able to go talk to my mom and knowing that the people that know me, every fiber of my being,
448
my intention, knows my heart through and through, that they see the same person.
449
They're able to connect with the same energy and the same vibe and the same spirit.
450
My energy has never changed.
451
You know, I think being authentic to that frequency is super important to me.
452
No matter where I go, no matter how I evolve and have to mature and grow up, I want my energy to always feel the same.
453
That's why when you meet certain people and it's been years
454
that go by and you pick right back up where you left off.
455
It feels like no time is lost.
456
The energy is never, it's always the same.
457
And I love when people I haven't seen in a long time or come at me like, man, whoa, it feels, you know, it's the same.
458
And that just lets me know that I'm not losing myself.
459
I'm not losing track of, you know, who I am and where I come from.
460
And I am always gonna be an agent of change, Trojan horse or not, you know what I'm saying?
461
And yeah, and continue to lead by example.
462
You know, I know the path that I'm on isn't easy.
463
Sometimes it may look easy, you know, for the successes or whatever,
464
but it's behind closed doors, I'm doing the work.
465
So the future generations have it a little bit easier or have a little bit more tools to use.
466
And they can ask for certain things that won't be like, what?
467
It'd be almost standard for them, you know.
468
And, you know, from my vantage point,
469
I'm able to see a lot of the roadblocks that exist within systems,
470
you know, and paperwork. and precedence.
471
I've been chipping away at those where I can in places.
472
And there's so many, look, I say I a lot in this interview.
473
There's so many people out there that are doing that type of work, you know, that exist, men and women in these places that are breaking down door ears,
474
that are chipping away.
475
It's like Shawshank Redemption, you know, rock at a time, gravel at a time, you know.
476
Eventually, that hole's going to be open, you know what I'm saying?
477
Eventually, it's going to be open but just chipping away.
478
And unfortunately, everybody can't be the loudest one in the room.
479
You know, gotta be.
480
Sometimes you gotta be the quiet guy in the room.
481
Gotta listen and look and pay attention and move how you need to move.
482
The chess pieces, they have different rules and different movements for a reason.
483
You know, and they're on the board in different places for a reason.
484
And I know my place on the board.
485
And I think that's what it comes down to, right?
486
It's like, I appreciate you bringing out that point around how things
487
that trigger us give us somewhere to focus on within ourselves. For sure.
488
I feel like that too.
489
Like, I'm like, there's certain things that just don't phase me at all.
490
And I can look like the most detached guy and like, I'm bulletproof.
491
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
492
And there's something that gets through that vest.
493
It's just like...
494
And you know it's because there's a part of it that feels true.
495
And there's a part of you that you've allowed for it to feel true.
496
Because it could be that you are, there's a part of your self-esteem you haven't worked on.
497
There's something you took from your childhood and made true for you.
498
And now when someone else says it and you didn't even know where it came from.
499
But, you know, I was talking to a friend the other day
500
and we were talking about how one of his mentors was letting him down
501
and we discovered in
502
that i've been friends with this guy for like 20 years we're best mates
503
and it was like 20 years later we figured out
504
that he'd made his mentor his father figure okay
505
and he didn't really put two and two together until just now
506
and neither did i for him
507
and he was like wait a minute no wonder i'm feeling
508
so much pain with this mentor of mine
509
because i'd made him a father figure and gone through
510
that feeling of he's superman
511
and now realizing he's not even though though i'm a 40 year old man for him
512
and so it's just so interesting how the stuff
513
that gets under our skin yeah it can just be hidden there
514
and it gets stale and stuck and and then you don't look at it
515
because you're like oh no no it's nothing it's nothing
516
but at one point
517
when you feel safe enough you have to kind of like look under the hood
518
and go you know why is that there
519
but coming on to the point you were just making around paving the way for others
520
and setting an example and the responsibility that comes with
521
and like you said there's so many people doing
522
that i feel like how would you define your current purpose like how do you define with everything you're doing
523
because you talked about purpose being a big thing for you
524
and you talk about the mission of your company like what is the purpose of
525
that work which doors are you trying to open
526
which paperwork you're trying to shift what systems are you trying to affect i think i have my purpose right now
527
yeah that's what i mean yeah you know i think i
528
have a chapter 25 years acting um you know producing you
529
know being in front of the camera being talent learning
530
so much about the world about myself about the industry you
531
know i think being a representative from my community in a way that places
532
that a black actor hasn't gone you know um obviously you have the greats you have the Wills and the Denzels, you know what I'm saying, that I look up to in a big way that,
533
you know, that through their talent, the business and the craft has extended to a new height.
534
So they've opened up doors for me that I didn't even know was possible.
535
Now it's like, oh, wow, now we have this and that.
536
Now I could do that and do that.
537
So they've kicked the door down in a way that's like, you know, internally grateful.
538
So like leading by example is a big purpose, you know, for people to be able to see it
539
because it was big for me to see it and think that I can do it too.
540
So there's that part of it.
541
There's the business side of things that I've got an opportunity to learn from investing your money.
542
You know, what do you do with the savings and the things that you do have?
543
I'm a big sports guy.
544
You know, I've always wanted to, you know, own a team.
545
I'm competitive.
546
I wanted to be involved in that environment, that energy, you know, of sports.
547
And I found a football team, you know, in Bournemouth.
548
and great part.
549
Soccer, as in football in my world.
550
Yeah, football your world.
551
Football in my world, yeah, yeah, yeah.
552
I've literally had to like, you know, bite my, I cannot say soccer anymore.
553
No, it's football.
554
It's football.
555
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
556
And great, great partner, you know, Bill Foley, he owns the Las Vegas Golden Knights
557
and really trying to turn that program around and just amplify it in a big way, but learning, you know, how to invest in those things.
558
You know, oh, there's gonna be a new stadium oh this opportunity to invest
559
in real estate oh wow now you invest in real estate
560
and something that's going to be around for you know however many year lease
561
and this and that okay cool i could take that
562
and oh wow uh investing in you know started a jv
563
for you know um underneath an umbrella company to have your own product
564
and then from there you can create another jv oh you can invest capital
565
or you can have a venture for oh oh snap okay
566
wow this is a whole other game this is a whole other nuance of acquisitions
567
and investment and capital that i never even knew exist i'm used to you know w9 forms
568
and taxes you know like you know what i'm saying on
569
that you know on on the talent side there's a whole other game to be played um
570
and and taking that information just the information that that exists and what
571
that would do to you know to to the next generation you know knowing what's available to him knowing
572
that there's other ways to maximize my my brand you know
573
your brand um creating things ownership of things um as streamers
574
and studios and there's there's so many other platforms
575
that you know people are content crazy you know podcasts you
576
know it's become a business as well you know a new you know a new venture that
577
that people would be able to monetize their own their own
578
following their own their own likeness in a real way retirement what does
579
that look like really you know do you know really a
580
will well we're leaving a will behind like what like i mean no i mean there's things
581
that you just don't get taught you know there's nobody you know
582
so so i've stumbled on it upon it these things within my and my intuition and my partnerships and my relationships.
583
But again, it goes back to like the why me, this one guy that has gotten access to all these things.
584
And my man over here, my guy over there, you guys would never know about none of these things
585
because of whatever your life path has taken you has not been in these areas
586
or nobody's had the opportunity to say those things to you.
587
So I put that on me as a purpose to be able to give
588
that information in a real way real way
589
and identify the you know people that are hungry enough
590
and you know that want it you know
591
that want it they got to want it
592
and they got to be then come on let's go figure
593
it out all right let me let me let me figure
594
out how to help set you up with the right people
595
so you got the right conversations you know
596
and then you also got to be careful who you help
597
too you know you can't you know you want to help everybody
598
but you can't help everybody um
599
but you can leave a blueprint for everyone you know sometimes that's all a person should need sometimes is seeing it
600
and being in in the thought then you got to leave
601
it on the person to do their their part of the work to lift
602
that part of the weight to put on that burden to go do that for themselves their family
603
their their their people within their their circle so yeah like is there a lesson that you learned recently that you're like, I wish I learned this one earlier.
604
I think being unapologetically honest with what you want.
605
And that goes across the board.
606
I was trying to think of something that kind of crossed the board.
607
If you can communicate your truth and not worry so much about how somebody's going to react to what you say,
608
because a lot of times the fear of how somebody's going to react
609
to what you really want to say is what stops you from saying it sometimes.
610
And you find another way or you put it off or you don't say it.
611
And then maybe the situation doesn't change and you get frustrated
612
and upset about why this thing doesn't change
613
because you kind of maybe might not have said it the way you wanted to say it.
614
You know, and I think there's a, you know, a way to be unapologetically and still be respectful and speak your truth.
615
If I think I would have done that earlier.
616
I would have been further along in relationships
617
that I have with people I care about and and
618
and not intimately I mean I mean I mean across the
619
board like work relationships business family female friends you know whatever
620
it may have been I think being honest with with with where you stand
621
and how you feel it's really giving another person an option an opportunity to be as honest with you.
622
And whatever your fear of that is, of that outcome, is never really as big as what you make it up to be.
623
You know, it's really not that.
624
So I would say maybe just being honest and living with the results, you know?
625
And tomorrow is not promised to anyone.
626
But time will move on.
627
You know, you will move past it.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Michael B. Jordan on Being Loved Isn't Enough to Make It Work”. This video has 627 sentences and 7965 words to shadow. The speech runs for 42:09. The speaker talks fast, about 189 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| obsess verb | /əbˈsɛs/ | To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion. |
| hindsight noun | /ˈhaɪn(d)saɪt/ | Realization or understanding of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred. |
| authenticity noun | /ɑθɛnˈtɪsɪti/ | The quality of being genuine or not corrupted from the original, of having the same origin (or attribution, commitment, intention, etc.) as claimed. |
| authentic adjective | /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/ | Of the same origin as claimed; genuine. |
| intuition noun | /ˌɪn.tjuːˈɪʃ.ən/ | Immediate cognition without the use of conscious rational processes. |
| audition noun | /ɑˈdɪʃən/ | A performance, by an aspiring performer, to demonstrate suitability or talent. |
| vibe noun | /vaɪb/ | An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing. |
| humble adjective | /ˈhʌmbəl/ | Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming. |
| blooper noun | /ˈblu.pɚ/ | A blunder, an error. |
| blueprint noun | /ˈbluːˌpɹɪnt/ | A type of paper-based reproduction process producing white-on-blue images by means of a photosensitive ferric compound, used primarily for technical and… |
| brainwave noun | Any of many rhythmic fluctuations of electric potential between parts of the brain, especially those seen on an electroencephalogram. | |
| generational adjective | Of, pertaining to, or changing over generations. | |
| mimic verb | /ˈmɪm.ɪk/ | To imitate, especially in order to ridicule. |
| resonate verb | /ˈɹɛz.əˌneɪt/ | To vibrate or sound, especially in response to another vibration. |
| unapologetically adverb | In an unapologetic manner; in a manner that withholds or refuses to offer an accompanying apology for having said or done something that causes actual or… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| bring out verb | To elicit, evoke, or emphasize (a particular quality). | |
| chip away verb | To reduce or weaken bit by bit; often used with at. | |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. | |
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
| back up verb | To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You know what I'm saying?
- What have you been obsessed with lately?
- You know, how do you help?
- What blueprint am I leaving for the next generation?
- You know what I mean?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been doing · I've been chipping |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've been loved · they've always provided · i've definitely made |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being told · were laid · was raised |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who could · person who started · people who are |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 234 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: authenticity /ɑθɛnˈtɪsɪti/, authentic /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/, pathway /ˈpæθˌweɪ/, strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: intuition /ˌɪn.tjuːˈɪʃ.ən/, audition /ɑˈdɪʃən/, accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, obsession /əbˈsɛʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: authenticity /ɑθɛnˈtɪsɪti/, intuition /ˌɪn.tjuːˈɪʃ.ən/, internally /ɪnˈtɜːnəli/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, inadequate /ɪnˈædəkwɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like obsess, hindsight, authenticity.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.