We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kent Speakman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kent below.

Kent, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

KNEKT®tv – I was looking for a word that would encompass the intention of what we do, which is to connect audiences with socially conscious content, to uplift and enrich their lives. So started with Connect as the principle word and was exploring different spellings and came across KNEKT – which was available as a domain as well as trademark, so I text it to a Norwegian friend and asked to get a voice note back, and it phonetically was the same as “Connect”, so that was a good fit. The other cool thing about the word is the meaning: Knight (professional warrior, especially of the Middle Ages) – the protector of the people.

So the intention is for the company to Connect people, and also to be a protector of them through sharing information, which takes the form of live events, documentaries, series, talk shows from thought leaders ranging from mental health and mindfulness, to indigenous knowledge, health, wellness and more.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

KNEKT® tv is a digital television network and video production studio with an award winning live production focus that creates engaging video content, connecting fans and followers with content that matters. From live shows with Jay Shetty, Shaman Durek, and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers to having been the official streaming partner for the Daytime Emmys, the United Nations, Rock to Recovery and more, we have over 10,000 + Videos, Series, live events and there is something for you!

KNEKT quickly became a market leader in live streaming to our OTT platform KNEKT.tv. Single shows have garnered Millions of live viewers, and we’ve reached over 10,000,000,000 views. In 2020 the pivot to virtual lead to 300+ virtual events including the official Kentucky Derby at Home, 320 Festival, Snoop Doogs Go Big NYE, Endangered Rangers with Josh Duhamel and more! We’re back now producing content globally and have new episodes premiering weekly.

KNEKT.tv is on Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Android and web apps worldwide since 2017, and in 2023 we have just launched our linear, (FAST) channel which has 24/7 live shows streaming on our platform and other distribution partners.

At KNEKT, we believe in thinking differently, challenging the status quo, and delivering results for our clients & partners through thought leadership and innovation.

We are also focused on doing things right, and differently – and have healthy revenue shares / with our content partners to ensure that the cast and crews are able to recoup the royalties and payouts that they deserve.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

This is an interesting question, because as I was recently re-watching some of the shows we had done in the beginning I started to realize how much I have learned from producing and directing the shows and videos that we have on KNEKT – I have learned a lot from being in the same room with so many of the amazing thought leaders, influencers, health and wellness coaches and mindfulness leaders. As we have helped them grow and reach more audiences, they have helped us and our team grow in the way we approach life, health, wellness and mental health.

Some other books though that I can recommend that have been a big influence in my entrepreneurial and mindset realm are:

Never Eat Alone – Keith Ferrazzi
A Dose of Positivity – Mike Diamond
Live Your Dreams out Loud – Brian Johnson
Spirit Hacking – Shaman Durek
From Good to Great – Jim Collins

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Prior to starting KNEKT®tv I had started to do some live streaming events for non profits and was approached by an investor to create another live events streaming company. It was well funded and we did a few very large live shows with some of the biggest music artists and talent on the planet, but it was a nightmare working environment.

It got so bad that I sold back my 1/3rd share of the company for $1.

I went from a 5 bedroom huge house with a giant pool and entertaining large parties to living with a roommate in a 2bd apartment, no funding or the full production gear and team we had to just me by myself.

I had the Make a Wish show contracted in New York City that summer. I rented the equipment and went out to do the show and ended up costing me more than we were paid to do that first show with KNEKT®tv, but that ended up winning the iMedia Campaign of the year. I bought one camera and encoder (the device that makes the camera talk to the internet) and started working with influencers for simple live shows, sometimes barely making enough to keep food on the table, and renting out the full production gear for the bigger events.

It’s been 7 years of slowing building up the production side and now we have far more equipment and capabilities than when I was with that other company, we’re doing amazing things on the technology side, Stuart Bishop and Ryan James both respectively have been a big part of making that possible, as we haven’t raised any outside capital to this point. Resilience has been possible because of them, and some other great people like Papa Joe Aviance, who recently passed away, Jesse Markley, Patrick Ellison, Elizabeth Recheis, Kevin Vanegas and other friends who have been on the KNEKT®tv journey as part of our team.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KNEKT.tv
• Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/KNEKTTV
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KNEKTTV
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knekt
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KNEKTTV
• Youtube: https://www.youytube.com/KNEKTTV
• Other: https://apps.apple.com/ro/app/knekt/id1194200017 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qbc.android.knekttv&pcampaignid=web_share

Image Credits
David Christopher Lee – Purple Photograph from Chaka Khan’s 70th Bday.