Porch and Parish The Podcast
Our mission is to make sure every Zachary resident feels heard and engaged! Host Mike Gennaro facilitates candid conversations with local leaders, influencers and innovators in Zachary, Louisiana and beyond with the help of producer Mike Holt. New episode every Monday at noon!
Porch and Parish The Podcast
Greater Works: Celebrating Artistic Creativity and Collaboration in Zachary
What role can a local gallery play in empowering a community? This week, we celebrate the vibrant spirit of Zachary with DeAndre Lee from Greater Works Gallery and Brittany McLean-Ray, Miss Louisiana Plus America for 2023-24. DeAndre offers a glimpse into his vision for fostering local artistry alongside his wife, while Brittany shares her inspiring journey and the gallery's pivotal role in her success at the national pageant in Texas. We also explore local favorites like LeBlanc's burgers and nachos and highlight dynamic networking events in Baton Rouge and Zachary.
Listen in as Brittany opens up about her commitment to promoting confidence and self-worth among women and girls of all sizes, drawing from her own experiences at the national pageant. DeAndre provides practical advice for fathers on how to uplift their daughters, making this episode both inspiring and relatable. We also touch on the significance of public speaking and community involvement, including impactful visits to schools and speaking engagements that aim to inspire the next generation.
Finally, DeAndre shares his journey from childhood dreams to a professional career, emphasizing the importance of creative entrepreneurship in shaping reality and emotions. He introduces exciting new Zachary-themed merchandise and discusses his experiences supporting students through creative projects. This episode encourages you to embrace unity, connect with cherished memories, and foster positivity throughout the community. Join us for an engaging and insightful conversation that celebrates community, creativity, and collaboration in Zachary.
It's Jesus Christ Superstar meets Sister Act! Inspired bt4 gospels of the New Testament!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I am DeAndre Lee.
Speaker 1:I am Brittany McClain-Wright.
Speaker 2:And this is Porch and.
Speaker 3:Parish the podcast. What's up, zachary? I just completed the office fantasy football draft. My kids are all in school, so that means fall is officially in the air, but the temperature has not acclimated to it yet. I just added some custom shades to our office. Thanks to Walt at Budget Blinds of Zachary, our inside temp is 72 degrees and shady. Today we're thrilled to feature two extraordinary guests. First up is DeAndre Lee from Greater Works Gallery, which has recently opened its doors in the Williamson Eye Center in Zachary. If you're grabbing a slushie at Sonic, you can give them a visit. What are your hours, deandre?
Speaker 2:All right, so we are Monday through Friday 8 am to 3.30 pm. All right, that's office hours, though.
Speaker 3:Office hours and we're going to share his contact information at the end of the podcast. Deandre, a former Zachary High School teacher, and his wife, miss Lee, who teaches English at Northwestern Middle School, have brought their vision for community and creativity to life. Joining him today in the booth is Brittany McLean-Ray, miss Louisiana plus America. I was struggling with that title earlier.
Speaker 3:And that's for years 23 and 24. She is a shining example of empowerment and grace and a proud client of the gallery. So there's the connection. Today they'll share their insights on art, advocacy and the local community. Let's get into this enriching conversation. Welcome, deandre and Brittany. We're glad to have you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having us. Yes, sir, appreciate you.
Speaker 3:You already know what we do. We bring you the best of Zachary and the Baton Rouge region through Candy Conversations every Monday from our headquarters right here on Virginia Street in beautiful downtown Zachary. This is Portion Parish, the podcast. Stay tuned. We'll be right back with the lightning round. Looking for a family outing off the beaten path? Trot over to Breck's Far Park Equestrian Center for a unique experience. Far Park offers guided trail rides throughout the fall. Starting on September 22nd, you and the family can enjoy the fresh air, beautiful scenery and quality time with loved ones, perfect for all ages. Follow the link to sign up. Spots are limited. All right, we're back with the lightning round. Everybody always laughs because it's like, uh, you're not hearing the commercials get inserted right right insert lightning crack, sound all right.
Speaker 3:So here's a little game I made up called what's greater, because last week we had jessica best of best in company and we played what's the Best. Now we're going to play what's Greater, hey, I'm with it. Yeah, if you have any better cues than I've made up, please feel free. But Louie's Diner or Raul's Fire Hamburger, what's greater?
Speaker 2:I've had neither, so I'm a great winner.
Speaker 3:Well, what's greater than?
Speaker 1:both of those then Homemade, oh, we's greater than both of those then Homemade, oh we talking about burgers, man.
Speaker 2:Nah, we talking about burgers. You gotta go LeBlanc's.
Speaker 3:In Zachary at least. Right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:LeBlanc's Diner. I mean you gotta get nachos with cheese and peppers while you're sitting waiting on your burger.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, so I'll agree with that their nachos are awesome oh yeah, I haven't had the nachos. I usually go to the plated section because I'm I don't like hot lunches for the hot lunch, because then you know it's right there I can get back to work in time okay, I feel like now look if you have.
Speaker 2:On the other side of town, though, you got to go to the spicy nacho, because the spicy nacho has really good nachos I have heard my um very good maxos, my son Max just did a snowball.
Speaker 1:What is it.
Speaker 3:He did like a review on the different snowball deals around town and he also reviewed Spicy Nacho. I've got to get over there, but he loved that place.
Speaker 1:They're amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I don't know what it is, but they got it.
Speaker 1:It's love. It's love. Yeah, yeah, they got it. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, um britney, no you, you hail from the land of john eric right.
Speaker 3:Yes, home of the patriots, new orleans, yes, yeah. So I mean, what was your favorite uh place to eat growing up?
Speaker 1:jeans po'boys. Okay, I know you're from the area, but a good cornosaur.
Speaker 3:Every neighborhood has their own.
Speaker 1:A good cornosaur, po' boy will just melt your heart yeah that's right.
Speaker 3:Well said, well said. What kind of po' boy bread was that? Do you remember?
Speaker 1:Of course French bread. Yeah, Just like.
Speaker 3:The normal, the normal, whatever it is right.
Speaker 1:The New Orleans normal. I know it Because it's not the same everywhere.
Speaker 3:So you can get that. You can get that at LeBlanc's. It's not LeBlanc's anymore. What is it? Rouse's, leidenheimer, which is pretty close. I mean, that's pretty great stuff. Anyway, what is the greater network event you've been to lately? So networking events.
Speaker 2:So it's two that come to mind, one that I attended as a as a person, another I attended as a as a vendor, um, when the chamber had their event, um, this summer at mommy's restaurant yeah, that was. That was a pretty cool event. I got to meet um people that I didn't even know who were in business, like you know it was real dope. And the Business Besties Brunch in Baton Rouge. I did video for that event and it was real nice to see, like, so many women in Baton Rouge in business, corporate sector, private sector, just all kind of you know and they killing it, you know, they were crushing it sector, private sector, just all kind of you know, and they killing it, you know, they were crushing it. So that was a very dope event to be a part of because they had a wide array of professions, from you know people that make crafts to all the way up to you know people being CEOs and doctors, lawyers, real estate agents and all kinds of stuff. So it was real nice, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Right, so for me it's a couple that come to mind.
Speaker 1:Most recently I attended the OMG Girls Conference which is in Baton Rouge. They help young ladies, little girls, just empower themselves, help them with sexual health, try to get them self-esteem Just an all-around wonderful experience with that. Just an all-around wonderful experience with that. Also, Junior Cosmetology of Baton Rouge there is a cosmetologist named Dana Hayes that owns a cosmetology business, but she helps young girls who want to do hair yeah, she helps them perfect their craft. Cool, and I got to experience several sessions with her and the young ladies and the young ladies are phenomenal. I think I met the youngest girl. She may have been seven years old, yeah, and she was on stool doing hair. Amazing, and she did a phenomenal job. I even let them do my hair. I hosted their inaugural um fashion show, yeah, where they did hair, and I let them do my hair, yeah, I'm sure you get around to a lot of networking events.
Speaker 1:Yes, but for me, the important part is supporting my platform, which is helping young girls and women feel confident, so that I got to experience not only the kids but also interact with the parents as well. Seeing that they're young ladies, they can do anything that they put their mind to.
Speaker 3:Yeah, awesome, awesome, all right. Shout out to your families before we get into this.
Speaker 1:So I'll say hi to my husband, lamar Ray, and Lamar's prospect you can follow him as well on YouTube and all the social media platforms. Prospect you can follow him as well on youtube and all the social media platforms.
Speaker 3:my mom, my brother, my favorite little sister and all my nieces and nephews perfect deandre, you're yes, you're like following a professional all day here I'm telling you, man, my wife but, uh yeah shout out to the best wife for me man, frederica Marie Carter Lee.
Speaker 1:My little sister.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, got it. I didn't know that. Yeah, she's awesome, she's good people, she cool, she cool. You have any pets? Yeah, I got two. What what you got? We have a German Shepherd named Coco coco and we have a bully named puff. Yeah, you see what I did?
Speaker 3:yeah, that was yeah, yes, uh, I don't know, dogs don't elicit um like ideas of cereal for me, but I don't know why you did that.
Speaker 2:It was the colors okay, yeah, my back was against the wall. We had them. I had to think of something. Yeah, that's pretty good, that's good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, we have a more practical name for our Basset Hound. Her name is Puddles.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, so Puddle Coco and Puff is where you draw the line. Huh, yeah, no, yeah, puddles, okay, puddles.
Speaker 3:I mean you just. Anyway, all right, let's get into some serious questions here. So, deandre, what inspired you to open Greater Works Gallery in Zachary, and how has the local community responded so far, now that you've been open three days?
Speaker 2:All right so.
Speaker 3:What are your sales?
Speaker 2:Well, first thing, what inspired the location of it is just the fact that we live here, but this has been a long time coming. The business has gone through so many different faces and names over the years and in 2017, I graduated from Tech, louisiana Tech, go Dawgs in 2016. And after working my first job like it sucked, like it was horrible Train wreck, and when I quit that job, I finally went official and put Greater Works on paper. I rebranded, I put it on paper, got the LLC and I just wanted, if I was to ever walk away from a job because I love working, but you know, but I was like man if I ever walk away from something or I get dismissed, my destiny is in my hands.
Speaker 2:There, you go, and so I played the long game of working a full-time job while doing this and then, after this spring, with teaching, it was just like, yeah, man, it's time Everything just really lined up for us to just go full-time, perfect. And um, as far as community reception it's been, it's been amazing. Um, a lot of support from chamber members, from my students and their parents. You know they've been very, very uh supportive and just um, you know, sowing good seeds on good ground and doing good business in the past, everybody's been, and just um, you know, sowing good seeds on good ground and doing good business in the past, everybody's been excited for us. You know we've been seeing the? Um, the evidence of our hard work that we've put in over the past seven years at greater works has been incorporated. So, um, it's just been a blessing. Everybody's been very uh supportive and you know the phone keep ringing.
Speaker 3:So that's, that's a good thing. Yeah, um, yeah. So I went to your ribbon cutting and it was, uh, just beyond my expectations for for what a ribbon.
Speaker 1:That was gonna be it was great.
Speaker 3:I mean, you had your family there um. Y'all did an excellent job on. You know just that we call it build out right right, right, just whatever the aesthetic of the place, yeah how you decorated right. So the funny thing is once we got the keys once.
Speaker 2:Once we um signed and we got the keys and you told us bye, like we man, we got straight to it. The um, the building was actually ready. It was like 85 complete by. We signed on a thursday and by that next thursday it was like 85 done. Wow, we were waiting on fedex yeah when I tell you that I've never been so pissed off with a, with a, with a corporation in my life. Oh my goodness, fedex dropped the ball completely.
Speaker 3:I thought that was just a like something you say, because I was like waiting on fedex. That's a really nice, oh no that's a good line.
Speaker 1:They were really waiting for fedex to deliver.
Speaker 2:They lost my music lyric they they lost my desk. I spent like a hundred something dollars on the desk and they just didn't deliver it. Yeah, and when I'd call, they'd be like oh yeah, we're tracking that now for you. I was like so where is that then?
Speaker 3:if you try usps it's not, not much telling you more to get excited?
Speaker 2:I never wanted to throw hands with somebody so bad in my life I was like man, the next person who knock on my door from fedex.
Speaker 3:We gonna, we gonna, yeah I used to be a furniture maker back in the day and I I was making these humidors. Um, it would just take me I don't know like three solid days to make this thing finish it, and it was beautiful. The finish on it was pristine and I put it in the mail. It doesn't really matter who I sent it to, right, I don't think it was FedEx this time. Something always go wrong.
Speaker 3:It went really, really wrong. Like the temperature was so hot in whatever truck and now, thank goodness, everybody has air conditioning right but uh, it like melted my, it melted the package onto this finish and I was really poor and just like oh what do I do? And that's crazy yeah, so I always get the insurance.
Speaker 2:Now, but right, anyway, we digress from I mean to mess up no future sponsorship opportunities from fedex. The opinions that are being expressed here are from are of deandre lee alone, not greater works, gallery llc or porch and parish.
Speaker 3:I just want to throw that out there well, well done, all right thanks for that disclaimer yeah, man, we needed it yeah I mean I don't, we don't quite have fedex knocking at our doors yet, but I mean, I mean we got some amazing sponsors.
Speaker 2:If they knock on your door, make sure they got your package. That's it.
Speaker 3:Where's his desk? All right, okay. So, brittany, what drew you to become a client of Greater Works Gallery?
Speaker 1:So Greater Works. Long story short, he was the photographer of one of the fashion shows that I participated in, and it took us how many years to figure that out? Probably about two or three years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because that fashion show was in like 2015 or 16.
Speaker 1:Right when he started his business and and his wife we started working together became really close. Um, I kind of adopted her into our family and her family took me in like a stray dog, yeah, so we've been friends ever since then.
Speaker 1:but, um, what drew me to them was their professionalism from day one. Even when I did not know Works, they did a phenomenal job at the fashion show and it was my first fashion show ever participating, so as a photographer, he made me comfortable. He didn't make me feel nervous. Although it was a lot of people in the place, he was the only person in the room and he got the shots and everything was amazing yeah, awesome, and so that started a journey for you, for you, that eventually led to this.
Speaker 3:This is your greatest, uh, professional accomplishment, right?
Speaker 1:yes, yeah, mrs louisiana, plus america yeah, so to tell us about that so, a couple years after the fashion show, my very great sponsor, greater Works Gallery, has sponsored all of my photos for every pageant that I've been in. He has done headshots, he's done magazine photo shoots. He has done a little bit of everything and he has done an amazing job. We won photogenic in the Miss Louisiana Plus pageant.
Speaker 3:That felt real good. You bet on the right person. Man, that felt really, really good.
Speaker 2:Not because it's some dope photographers that are, you know, because you have people from all different cities competing and to be able to get most photogenic. It's like man, you know, like we clicked on all cylinders with this one. My bad britney, go ahead yeah, but it was great.
Speaker 1:That's why you got a mic man you're fucking but he did an amazing job and he also sponsored me getting to the national pageant last year in texas. Although I didn't win the national title, it was amazing seeing almost 40 plus women from all over the united states competing in a pageant.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were all plus size women, everybody was professional, everybody had came from a different background, different walk of life yeah and just coming together and being a group of sisters was amazing, and having a dope photographer and dope pictures made it even better. Yeah, we got that title next year, though, of course. Oh y'all going for it.
Speaker 2:We're going yeah, we got that title next year, though, of course, oh, y'all going for it, we're going for it.
Speaker 3:We're coming home with the training.
Speaker 2:Last year was just a warmup. We we taking everything next year. All right, we taking it all next year.
Speaker 3:That's right. Um, yeah, we'll keep in touch with this. I want to Follow this journey. It's amazing. Tell us a little bit about your platform, brittany, and then I want to hear more about your platform.
Speaker 2:Andre Gotcha.
Speaker 1:So my platform is helping women and girls feel confident at any and every size, no matter whether you're size 2 or 32, you deserve to be celebrated. You are more than enough and you are worthy of everything that you want in life. I try to promote the young ladies and even the women that I encounter. I try to let them know that you're beautiful. Number one you don't need validation from outside. I feel like, as parents, as friends, as family, we should validate our kids, our mothers, our sisters. We should validate everybody ourselves, but they shouldn't look for the validation outside. So I try to promote that with the young ladies. Hey, if you see your fellow sister looking sad, ask her what's wrong If she's looking beautiful today. Let her know that Something just as simple as oh, I like your outfit, I like your jewelry it makes somebody feel a total.
Speaker 3:It makes them feel totally different they can turn their day around yeah, I mean okay for guys that you know like nobody tell us nothing, you know, nobody tells us anything but um, for me and my daughter, how, how, what are some ways that I can tell her, you know, to boost her up without sounding stupid?
Speaker 1:So, dad, dad, as a parent, we're going to sound silly anyway, but just do it. If she has a new shirt, dress, pair of pants on or you see something that's different in her, acknowledge it. Yeah, I like what you did with your hair today. It's nice. Yeah, like, come on maybe. Hey, I like how you put your outfit together. Can you help me put together my outfit? I want to be a cool dad today.
Speaker 2:Help me out. Sound like having two wives.
Speaker 3:No, that's good advice. I need it. You don't have a teenager yet, not yet. Thank the Lord, it's coming, it's coming. But the problem in our house is that my five-year-old he sees me get dressed up and go to work and uh, he, he always tries to dress me and I don't like he's really good at it, but he always wants me to wear a tie and I never, I never have the heart to tell him no. So I'm like I'll put on the tie and you take it off and take it off and he catches me oh, that's what I'm like, lying.
Speaker 2:That's nasty business, right? Oh man, like a church um, you know oh, you took a time they don't wear, no, so anyway, okay maybe put a tie on him see how he feels about it.
Speaker 3:Yeah and if it's not about me. He's bringing it back back to them. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Tell him, hey, how about you put on the tie today? If he said no, daddy, it's too tight. Yeah, son, it's a little too tight, we don't need to wear it. That's why I don't wear them we don't need to wear it every day, let's try something else, yeah.
Speaker 3:All right, let's take a break there. All right, thinking about my daughter threw me off my train of thought. Oh it's hard to be a parent. It is britney, did you say you have kids?
Speaker 1:yes, I have one bonus daughter. She is three years old and she is a spitballifier. Yeah, she is, she is. She will make faces. She will look at you crazy, but she's so lovable, even when she acts a fool it's like come on, baby.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Bebe loves you. Come on, and where's she?
Speaker 3:going to school.
Speaker 1:She is actually living in Texas with her mom, but she is in preschool out in Texas and she loves it. Yeah, we talked to her last night and she was telling us about her day and then how she watched Bubble Guppies and how she's a mermaid and just kids are amazing. They just are so lovable and innocent.
Speaker 3:DeAndre's got a timer set for something. It's all right.
Speaker 2:It was. You told me put it on airplay mode, thing was floating.
Speaker 1:I don't know what happened?
Speaker 2:I don't know what happened.
Speaker 3:Mike, I'm telling you you're fine you're fine, all right, uh, um, so now to your platform, deandre. What? So you tell me where greater works comes from?
Speaker 2:so, really to be honest with you, greater works comes from the bible scripture, where that was pretty much the last commandment jesus gave you know before he made his final disappearance. Uh, disappearance, I hate that I use that word, oh my goodness before he made his ascension before he made his ascension. I already sound stupid. It is what it is now, but um, you know that was the last command we don't have to submit this to the school board anymore.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's all good. Yeah, we good, or your pastor? Right? Yeah, who's your pastor? I need to talk to him.
Speaker 2:Oh man, uh, that's pastor eric williams. What church shout out to your church?
Speaker 3:beacon light it's in, uh, baton rouge beautiful the fact that you care it says a lot. His disappearance, all right.
Speaker 2:So back to your train of thought. But yeah, that was the final commandment that he gave the disciples and, you know, I think it's very bold of him to say yes, in all of my divinity, I did all these great things and you're going to do way better, you know. So, when I was thinking of a name because, mind you, I've went through so many brand names, like while I was in college, and then you know getting out the headspace you live in Right right.
Speaker 2:So being able to come up with something that was not only professional but also, in a way, was a, was a command. Also, it's like every time, every time I put a camera in my hand, my laptop or you know, whatever I'm doing, business related, it's almost like I'm telling myself and reminding myself hey man, you're gonna kill this, you're gonna do great, and so, um, my motto really is um. So I'm 31, I was born in 93 and, growing up, art wasn't something that you just did, you know. Um, when you, when people thought about art as a career, let's just be real, either you were like a super old white man who painted or you were like, you know, some quirky young person with glasses doing like etsy style art, like it wasn't, you know art wasn't what that is.
Speaker 3:There was no right ease to the creative scene exactly there is digitally now, right, right.
Speaker 2:So, um, you know, all my life I've been drawing, like from the time that I could write, I was drawing. And so, um, just being able to see the evolution of, like, how my mind always wanted to know, like when we were driving down i-10, man, how did they make that billboard? Like, and in my mind, in my nine-year-old mind, I'm thinking that somebody drew it in pencil. Then they went back with color pencil and marker and you know, like the, the concept of graphic just was, you know, so far beyond me, like I didn't know how any of that worked. So, um, my platform now and my goal in being in business is to, of course, make good work and give my clients a good experience and make sure that their vision come to life with whatever they're getting done.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but also to show to show kids white kids, black kids, anybody that the arts are a good career path you know that, um, you really have a lot of control over over the world being an artist, because everything is based on perception. Um, any, anything that we put on, anything that we any building we step into, anything that we pick up with our hands. Everything started off on paper as a sketch, as an idea, and then maybe it got drug into a program and made into like a 3d model and then actually fabricated and produced. Or you then maybe it got drug into a program and made into like a 3d model and then actually fabricated and produced. Or, you know, maybe it was sculpted or whatever, but, like, everything started off with a sketch. So, as an artist, it's like we have the power to really shape reality and we also have the power to, you know, shape people's feelings. I mean, that's all branding and advertising is.
Speaker 2:So my, my whole platform is being able to just show people and inspire people that, um, even if you're not an artist, you can. You can make your product, you can make your um, your product, your passion, whatever you have going on, you can make it look way more successful than it is if you take the time to just like, get out of your mindset. And you know, compete, put yourself in. Put yourself in a position like if it's somebody who's selling shoes, even if Take the time to just like, get out of your mindset and you know, compete. Put yourself in a position like if it's somebody who's selling shoes, even if you're all.
Speaker 2:If you sew shoes at home and you only coming up with, like where Nike can, you know, put out however many pairs they want to? If you only can make one pair at a time, you want to do it in such a way where people feel like they're missing out if they don't, if they're not the ones that have this one pair. Right, and that's what. That's what adequate photography and videography does, when you're telling your story and you're presenting things in such a way where, where it seems luxurious people feel like that, yeah people feel like they're missing out.
Speaker 2:So it don't matter how, it don't matter on what scale you're producing anything or what hours you're doing of your service. If you make people feel like you're adding value and it's exclusive, then you, you won.
Speaker 3:And that's that's my goal to just inspire and to be able to give back to yeah, yeah, speak um, speak to that young creative right now who's in Zachary um high and but it doesn't have to be in Zachary High, it can be any any high school. And they're feeling like you know what, louisiana's great and all. I love my mom and them, and but I think I might have to get out of here and go somewhere where there really is a scene you know.
Speaker 2:I tell you what the scene is, where you make it. The scene is where you make it. The scene is where you make, and, granted, we still have free will to choose. I could have forced my way anywhere, but just the fact that I've been able to be in this community, where I went to high school, and you know, just add so much value is important. And, um, my message is don't, don't feel like you have to get it all today. Yeah, you know, art is something that's ever-changing. Everybody has their market, some people gonna like it, some people not. Don't feel like you're competing with the next artist. I mean, right here in the heart of town, there's literally you have sonic, mcdonald's and burger king, like all on the same corner selling burgers. You know, like all three of them are selling the same thing. So it's like, let let people choose. Yes, one, one day they might have an appetite for you, one day they might have an appetite for somebody else. But it's like, you know, that's the, that's the power of, uh, capitalism, and that's where you have to get creative and say, okay, what am I going to offer different? What experience of you? Know the technical things? Yeah, and so many people are scared to compete that they, you know that they slack up on the technical things instead of thinking how can they enhance the experience. So yeah, man, young creatives, keep on doing your craft. Make your stuff look professional. If you can't do it, get with somebody who can. But definitely don't feel pressured to have it all right now. Things have to evolve.
Speaker 2:Because in school, when I was at Louisiana Tech at Louisiana Tech, I was the only kid in there without a MacBook. I had an old HP computer that ran super slow. That thing was a dinosaur. And on all of my projects I mean I didn't even know how to download fonts Everybody was looking at me crazy for every project because I'm using the default fonts that's installed on the computer. And one day, you know, during a critique, my professor asked like man, like why don't you go and search for fonts? And I was like I don't know how, and everybody chuckled and it's just, and it's crazy because it's like you know what, what you think people should know? People sometimes just actually don't know, right, you know so, so, um, so yeah, I took, I took those college years to be as creative as I can, to learn as many different mediums of art as I can, because I never knew what I was going to use when I like I said when I started out I was just drawing.
Speaker 2:And when I got to college, I was like, okay, I can't major in drawing. So that's what graphic design came, yeah, and so I was like a B and C student, everybody else getting A's on everything because they knew how to design. They did that in high school, whereas Zachary hadn't gotten to that point yet. So, you know, I took the time to really experiment and I didn't want the small little. I didn't want the small mental victories of like, oh, I got an A on this project, good job. I wanted to actually be a student of the craft and learn like, okay, I got a C on this, why? Because, okay, my typography was off, I didn't align everything, I didn't have margins and bleeds around this, I didn't, you know the technical things and, as fate would have it, I'm probably out of my class of 20 something.
Speaker 1:I'm probably the only person that's still designing and doing anything in art but I also think as students, or encouragement for students, sometimes you have to start where you're at yeah once you start, that's the hardest part you got something to build on exactly you can always become better and definitely improve your craft, even with greater works. Your photos from day one to now you can see the tremendous improvement don't show nobody your pageant photos from from from years ago.
Speaker 3:Keep those in the vote. I was just gonna say the first one's gonna be on file they were.
Speaker 2:They were amazing at the time, oh man.
Speaker 1:But you just have to start where you're at and you're going to continue to grow and continue to get better, yeah, day by day now.
Speaker 3:I'm curious. So I'm a student of public speaking, so I'm an only child, very sheltered. Just year it took me years and years, and years to be able to talk to anybody comfortably. I don't know, right, um, if anybody out there listening feels the same way. But I'm a toastmasters uh, competent communicator graduate, all right, hey I dropped a bomb effect, right right yeah, right there um, so my man is competent, but yeah uh, and it's still just average.
Speaker 3:No so, britney, how did you become a public speaker? Because that doesn't come naturally for everybody to a friend talking to a family member, like we're talking today face to face.
Speaker 1:Good evening. How are you doing today, ladies, gentlemen, judges, right, we're just, they're just people. They're not on this big platter or pedestal. They're just people.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You still talk to them like they're people, a large group of people, but I feel like it's easy. If you are comfortable talking to your family, do the same thing yeah just kind of block out all the hundreds of people behind them I get so technical about it.
Speaker 3:It's like all right, where, what person am I going to look at right now? I get like really in my in in my own brain. So how do you handle that? You're looking at hundreds of people. Do you find one person that's connecting with you out there and just make eye contact?
Speaker 1:Believe it or not. With all the lights you can't see anybody you cannot see. I thought you were going to just say imagine them without their pants on or something I don't know.
Speaker 2:I feel like imagining 100 plus people without pants is way harder than just being up there, and speaking, it would definitely be way more uncomfortable, way more distracting.
Speaker 1:I'm telling you but I try to find my person in the crowd. When I competed in the state pageant, there was a young boy named Kyle who over the course of pageant week he would come up to me and he was my best friend. Yeah, so he may have been six years old. Okay, perfect On the night of my pageant I was nervous on stage and Kyle was on. He was in the audience and he was just waving and good job.
Speaker 1:Thumbs up and I'm like the baby is rooting for me, like that I I found him and I connected with him and he was the person who I spoke to the entire time.
Speaker 3:That might be something that that we can all take away from this. I mean that that's a great swing key at. When I talk to my kids, I brighten up automatically, my eyes are shinier, everything. There's like love in what I'm saying yes you know, not the older ones, just not the teenagers. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1:Sometimes they get that, but uh, that's excellent yeah, just looking in the audience seeing somebody proud of you, seeing their eyes light up, yeah, it makes you do a better job. It makes you push for your best yeah now, do you take that?
Speaker 3:out with you into the community, like when you're just shopping at the grocery store in zachary, or I mean you're, you're in baton rouge, proper, right she shop here too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you shop at whatever else is here. I think so. I think it need to be noted that britney severely understated the level of relationship that her and my wife have. All right they when I tell you I I seriously think that if me and my wife divorce today, her and britney will get married, because man they just roommates.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you like uh, she's actually um our middle son's middle son. Like we got three sons, our middle child's uh, god, mom, so and she's the auntie to all three of them so yeah, like that's how.
Speaker 3:That's how close they are so we'll see around town, huh oh you're gonna see me, just not with the crown every day not every day do you, you bring that around often, I don't bring it around.
Speaker 1:Often I feel a little uncomfortable with all the publicity wearing the crown.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because when you go out in public oh, tell me about your title or you see kids. Hey, can we take a picture? I love seeing the little kids light up, but it's like I'm shy. What is this?
Speaker 3:Right, right. Do you ever get out into the schools?
Speaker 1:Yes, I do. Most recently I got out to Port Allen Middle School and High School and I had a couple events with the Butterfly Society, with the girls there. One day we had an evening where I was a speaker to the middle school girls. The next event that I went to, we had a just get together chill night where we ate food, watched movies, kind of talked, had a little round table girl talk and I enjoyed doing something simple like that, just talking to the girls, letting them know hey, you can get to where I am. The only person that you're in competition with is yourself. You're not in competition with the person sitting next to you You're not in competition with is yourself. You're not in competition with the person sitting next to you. You're not in competition with your sister, your friend, your classmate. You have to be the best version of yourself. You're only in competition with yourself well said, deandre.
Speaker 3:You have anything to add?
Speaker 2:um cut that oh yeah, we're gonna have to, no yeah we're gonna cut that mic, it's all right
Speaker 3:we, we buzzed them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hey, we're you gotta ask me a specific question all right andre, look, let's take it out with this.
Speaker 3:Can you um describe any upcoming projects or events at greater works gallery that the community can get involved with or, um you know, get? Just tell us what you're going to be up to in the next month all right is one thing that I can't say anything about, because I'm well.
Speaker 2:Two things that I can't say nothing about just yet. Yeah, but um, we are in the process.
Speaker 3:I can't share this we got the contract, not yet now.
Speaker 2:You know what, though, after reading after reading Phil Knight's book underdog, I think I think I could take him, I think I think I, I think me and Phil will probably be, uh you know, eating lunch at the top of a skyscraper, both laughing and how we how we made an empire, you know, selling shirts um so, on that vein, um, we, we are actually finally gonna start launching our um our clothing nice, so um tell us a little bit about what you have done too yeah, oh, okay.
Speaker 2:So some of the collaborations with yes yes, so during my time as a teacher, my whole thing was, you know, being supportive of the kids. If you go out into their element and, you know, support them, yeah, it makes for a way, better class environment, like attending a basketball game, right, right, and it wasn't just limited to basketball games. I went to plays, I went to tennis matches, I went to swim meets theater theater, yeah, not not only the big sports like every.
Speaker 2:If I had a student in my class who said hey, mr lee, I got a basket weaving competition on thursday at eight girl, hey, I'm in there and I'm taking pictures for you, yeah, so, um. So, out of that, you know, we I was able to uh be fortunate enough to do some collab projects, like when, when the uh bronco bells won nationals, I did, I did their uh national, their official national championship t-shirts disney you in Disney World for that?
Speaker 3:Oh no.
Speaker 2:Oh no, no. I had to stay here and get this money. I couldn't go to Disney, but I did their official championship shirts after they won and the shirts that they wore to warm up. I made those. I did some good designs for the basketball team as well. All last season, last school year, I did the football team's hype videos. That was a very successful endeavor because we were getting like 20,000, 30,000 views a week on those videos.
Speaker 1:It was crazy yeah.
Speaker 2:And then I did media day for the basketball teams, the girls and boys yeah, the girls and boys. Yeah and um, those pictures that because I made like this board with a bunch of graphics on it that were, uh, in in the school's colors, but with all kind of like different sayings and quotes on it, and it was like real good, so basically like what you would see when you're going to get recruited by a college something like that so I did one of those and we shot the pictures and that was very successful.
Speaker 2:Same thing for the baseball team as well, but cross country the least attention of cross country, they take off and you don't see them for three hours you get like five pictures at the starting line and then that's a wrap. You, you get out there at 80. You ain't gonna see nobody till 4 30 it's guaranteed.
Speaker 3:Run around in the woods and catch them at just the right spot.
Speaker 2:I'll be on a golf cart trying to catch everybody, but it's, but it's been awesome to just uh, support the students and get you know, like, help them to be able to have something to be hype about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so um you taking on any nil projects or anything like?
Speaker 2:that, so that. So. So, with this first line that we're dropping, it's gonna be, uh, zachary themed stuff. It's, it's gonna be all zachary shirts like and not just like related to the school of sports, but like the community at large. So these shirts are going to be for purchase at the gallery, but also we'll ship them, and my goal is to be able to Via UPS.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely, because we're not doing. Nah, fedex ain't getting these shirts.
Speaker 2:Never again for us. So we want to. The same way, zachary has been kind of like a front runner with, um, you know, having its own school district and you know just the whole community aspect and the you know Zachary's been a model. So, um, I want to, I want to echo that sentiment with these shirts and with this merchandise and just have the community, you know, have something that they can feel connected by. So it's gonna be, it's gonna, it's gonna be dope, it's not just, no, you know, writing zachary out in a nice font and putting it on no vinyl. Like this is actually carefully thought out, sketched, you know, like very detail oriented. Like this is actually curated and designed.
Speaker 3:That's perfect you know, um, I do have to say this it's very rare to find a graphic designer that can draw lights out. You know what I mean. A lot of people are just good at graphics. So when you have that, I've found. You know, I have my person. You know that I kind of found out there and she's done some interesting illustrations for us in the past and all that.
Speaker 3:But it expands your creative capacity so much Like it does even take a brick old, dilapidated building. You could draw something, put that on a vinyl and then somebody will install that vinyl on that brick and you can have it doesn't have to be hand painted on there If you have somebody like you in the corner.
Speaker 2:So right, right I mean the possibility is endless, and I don't think it's a coincidence that God gave me the ability to draw first, and then I learned how to screen print, then I learned how to graphic design, then I learned how to do the photos, and I know how to do videos Like it's, like everything bred out of drawing and it's you learn you learn the basic.
Speaker 3:You can just expand saying exactly yeah, you approach it the same way as you, as I would approach a drawing, and and it and it all is all relative, you know. Well, I think that's a good place to leave it for today.
Speaker 3:Uh, you know, we're, we're done, just waiting on fedex now so that's it for this week's episode of pmp catches on all local newsstands or on the world wide web at porchandparishcom. Make sure you spell the and Immense thanks to all our sponsors who make this content free to you. So please go out and support them when you see them. What's your contact information for those who may want to know?
Speaker 1:So I can be reached by cell at 504-481-2014. I can also be found on all social media platforms at Brittany McLean Ray or Mrs Louisiana Plus America. I'm there. You can find me, all my contact information and upcoming I'll be having a YouTube channel started. My husband is forcing me to do it, so I'm looking forward to being an influencer Nice can't wait.
Speaker 3:Alright, what's up, deandre?
Speaker 2:So y'all can find me at GreaterWorksGallery On YouTube, facebook, instagram, tiktok. Greaterworksgallerycom Is the website where you can view our work and view our price list. Greaterworksgallery at Yahoo, the website where you can view our work and view our price list. Greaterworksgallery at Yahoocom is the email address. We try to keep everything very consistent. 225-306-8877 is the phone number and proud to say that our location is 5233 Main Street in Zachary, louisiana, in Suite B.
Speaker 3:Nice man. You know what? You're actually my last commercial lease deal that I ever did oh, you know that that's great, I'm not in the sales and leasing world anymore wait, so when?
Speaker 2:if I renew, what is this you?
Speaker 3:can still send checks to generic commercial realty gotcha all right gotcha just staying alive. Just can't be in the game anymore.
Speaker 3:Sales and leasing, but it was an honor it was an honor to have have you all here at the Porch and Parish headquarters, which is aka our house, yes, so see you all next time.
Speaker 3:Now, as you breathe, naturally, visualize yourself moving through the vibrant heart of Zachary, feel the connection to the ground beneath you and imagine it linking you to every corner of our lively community and, with each breath, focus on the spirit of Zachary. What is that you say? It's our shared spaces, local heroes and the warmth of our neighborhoods. Let the rhythm of the music remind you of the dynamic energy that binds us all together and, as the track flows, think about the exciting events happening in Zachary the excitement of the football games, the balloon fest, the Chamber of Commerce get-togethers, the PTO, the energy of the cross-country meets and the band's joyful practice in front of the high school. Feel the pulse of our community's vibrant life and the joy it brings.
Speaker 3:Now, allow the beat of the music to guide you to a peaceful place within. Focus on your breath. Let the rhythm help any tension melt away. Embrace a sense of calm and balance as you relax, as you reflect on something you cherish about Zachary. It might be a person, a place, a cherished memory, a country, road, a cup of coffee with your favorite person, or your dog or your cat. Imagine sharing this feeling of appreciation with others, spreading positivity and warmth throughout our city. Positivity and warmth throughout our city. Envision this shared positivity growing into a giant wave of unity that connects everyone in Zachary to other cities all around us. We're one community. We all will feel embraced and valued, thriving together with harmony and strength. Take one final deep breath, feeling invigorated and linked to Zachary and to Baton Rouge. When you're ready, gently open your eyes, carrying the sense of unity and peace with you into the world, and maybe you'll be whistling this tune for the rest of the day. We love you.
