We recently connected with Hurricane Dave Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Hurricane Dave, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?
I have at least five people who are part of the educational system: my daughter, my wife, and my in-laws. I will say that educators are underpaid and underappreciated. The problem I have is not with the teachers. It’s the curriculum being taught in school. Not much has changed since I was in high school, which was a long time ago. When I look at my nine-year-old, we talk about what she’s learning in school. It’s things that she will never utilize.
It feels like we’re teaching analog in a digital world. I bet you can think of at least one or two people who graduated from college but can’t find a job in their field of study. We need a strong focus on emerging technologies like AI and machine learning. I keep hearing about how AI is going to eliminate jobs. Most of those jobs will be from people without any idea what AI is.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve spent the majority of my life in the Radio Broadcasting business. I’ve programmed more number-one radio stations than anybody currently programming. Twelve number-one rated radio stations. I’m also proud to say I have directly poured my knowledge and experience into ten individuals who have become successful executives and leaders in the broadcasting business. One of them owns two radio stations. When God gives you a gift, you share it. You can find out more about my radio career at HurricaneDave.com.
I’m the president and CEO of Brand It Live, a technology company. I acquired the company a few years ago. It started as a high-quality video and audio streaming from printed materials company. I’ve always been fascinated with Technology. As a kid, I would take my toys apart to see how they worked and then successfully put them back together again. Today’s world is about Technology, and I couldn’t be happier. We offer AI-powered employees. (aipoweredemployees.com) we create several chatbots that can handle frequently asked questions, read 5000 pages of documentation, and become your customer service department. We’re currently working on a Chatbot that could become a sales agent to help you acquire new clients. That’s just one facet of Brand It Live.
Of course, we also offer the standard landing pages, SMS, and Email Marketing. We can build a custom contact management system to help you harvest your followers on social media and more. We call that social media harvesting. Find out more at BrandItLive.com.
I’m also pleased to serve as the Area Director for Toastmasters International. I have four clubs in greater Atlanta, Georgia. Also after being inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame. They made me a National Board Member and Chairperson for the Nominations and Induction process.
It’s truly an honor to add that to the list of 15 accolades I’ve received and be honored with induction into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame. I am also blessed to be a member of the Living Legends Foundation, an Icon Award winner, and recipient of two Businessman of the Year awards. In 2023, I received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Biden.
I’ve also had some difficult times and challenges. The saying “everybody loves a winner” is one of the greatest lies ever told. It creates envy and jealousy. I had that as well, but my undying faith knows that, in the end, everything is happening for my good.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
That is an excellent question. Thank you for asking. I’m a licensed NLP Coach. (Neural Linguistic Programming) Walking away from the radio business was one of the most challenging decisions ever. Who walks away from a six-figure job programming an iconic radio station in Los Angeles while working from home in Atlanta. Either the person is crazy or has incredible faith in themselves and God. I’ve wavered a few times on that one. Lol. But seriously, feeding your mind with positive and impactful books is essential. Very few small business owners make over $100,000 a year. Here’s my top five books.
1. Who moved my cheese? Spencer Johnson, M.D.
2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Robert T. Kiyosaki
3. 10x is Easier than 2x. Dan Sullivan / Dr. Benjamin Hardy
4. Magnetic Marketing. Dan Kennedy
5. The magic of thinking BIG. David Schwartz
I’ve read hundreds of books. I also start daily with positive affirmations and meditation, followed by an inspirational YouTube video. I do this every single morning, seven days a week. It’s essential to inject positivity and spirituality into your daily morning. As J. Cole would say, it’s a cold world out there. Mindset is everything.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I love this question because resilience is my middle name. I have been counted out so many times that I stop counting. I’ve been lied to, falsely accused, and fired four or five times. Pushed through the miseducation system (School system), my high school radio instructor told me he would ensure I never made it in the radio business. I was inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame, so I don’t think he achieved his goal. Even before I was born, my mother had her tubes tied yet. I still survived and was born healthy and blessed.
Let me be a beacon of hope to anyone going through any challenge. If you get the proper mindset coaching, you will be unstoppable. I could’ve quit many times, but I believe God has an anointing on my life. If you do any research. You will find the most successful resilient people are those who have come back numerous times when people have counted them out. If that’s you, my friend, kick back, smile, and know you’re in good company. When I look back upon my life, I never had a loss, I had many lessons of what not to do in the future.
I know it’s an old saying, but it’s true. The only person who can stop you is the person you’re looking at in the mirror. Anything else is BS.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.branditlive.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hurricanedave
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089707398176
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hurricanedave/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/canesrules
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hurricanedavetv
Image Credits
I retain 100% rights to these photos. No worries here.