Pot to five point one.
Baby Crystal Renee Hazley my guest today in the Bell Day.
I'm so happier here.
I'm happy to be here.
We've tried to do this before and then the universe wasn't allowing it, and now we're here today. It's so you got like, I don't even know where to start with you. You have many hats that you wear to somebody who was just getting to know you, how do you introduce yourself? What is the moniker that comes first? Is it actress? Is it podcast? Or is it business woman? Okay, yeah everything.
I'm an actor first right now, but music was my first love. So I'm working on music now and then I have the podcast and I own a soccer team. It's just like so many different things.
How did you get to own a soccer team?
Shout out to Big Wes, who's also a Shawna's partner. He came to me with this amazing opportunity and said, I know you love sports. How do you feel about women's sports? And I said I want in. So it's actually the Women's DC Power in Washington, d C.
Wow, how's that experience?
Amazing?
Yeah?
Just growing?
Were you a soccer fan before that.
I'm a sports fan period. Just I just love going to games and just the energy. It's something about attending games and that energy from the fans. Yeah, you can't top it.
But but singing was the It started with the singing. So that was the first That was the first door.
Open, and it didn't really open. This is the pay thing. You think, like, you want to act, and you're like, I love music too, and at that time I was seeing a lot of like singers getting acting gigs, so I was like, maybe that could be my avenue. So I started with the music career and then that wasn't it. Acting ended up blowing up and now it's making room for the music.
Yeah, so you're a hustler. You seem like, by any means necessary type of girl in a good way, not any means, but like, but you also not like, no, it's not necessarily.
The end the answer exactly when I'm saying more with a Shina, because she does not take no for it.
Listen, because if you take no, then it's then it's over. Then where do we go from there? It's like, so sometimes people need to know that you care enough to push for it.
Yes, absolutely, you know what I'm saying. I think all the years I moved to Atlanta from DC in two thousand and nine and from two thousand and nine to twenty nineteen was the journey of getting my first big yes. And that was what Tyler Perry sisters. Yes. Yeah, so getting that yes, but it took ten years and then it's like I blew up, But I'm like, where did this girl come from? But it was although that ten years that really helped cultivate who you see to.
Yeah, but let's go back, because you were like you were with a PA for Tyler.
I was, I'm what the first show I worked on was having Have Not starting Ticket Sumter and Crystal Fix.
What does that mean?
In PA?
What are you doing?
You're getting coffee, getting coffee and running errands?
Does he even know who you are?
Are you no idea? Like not at all? Like I'm literally in the background, like getting coffee for other people. I wasn't even close to him, getting coffee, running errands, running close the set when things were forgotten, like you do whatever is as.
Yes of course and then how and then you opened your mouth and told him you wanted to act well not from PA.
So I worked my way through the costume department. First I started as PA, then became the background costumer where I dressed all the background, and then from there I became the A team's costumer. God so I was actually addressing Tasha Smith. I love Smith, I love it. She used to yell for me every day. First it was warde of and then finally she learned. I was like,
she knows my name, She's everything. I love her. And from there that's when Tyler got to know who I was and saw my work ethic, saw the energy that I brought him, always happy and dance, and he was like, who is this girl? And he just he was drawn to me and ended up calling me to be the costume designer a few years later, and then from there being his stylist for five years.
What is that? Because you know, people take I always well. When people ask me how to get started, everybody frowns on, like internships. Now they think I'm not working for free, And I get it, there's paid internships. But you got to find your way into a place somehow. But then when you find your way in, how do you make
an impact? How do you make it matter? How do you like just not delivered the coffee, and then your job is done and nobody cares, like, how did you find the way to matter in that space?
Space? That's a good question. And honestly, I'm the intern queen. Like right out of college, I intern on Capitol Hill and end up getting a job. So like everything, the way you treat your entry is the way people see and they're like, oh, she takes it serious. So I ended up getting called back for a job on Capitol Hill. And then the same thing with being a PA. I came in every day whatever you need, great energy. I'm
not coming here with an attitude. I'm positive on on time, on listen time, you're late, yeah, on time, and.
That's just matters. People got to take that into those things matter.
You're asking questions, showing people that you're interested, that you want to learn, and that you're invested in it and it's not just this is just to get by because people can read that energy too, like they knew that I wanted to be there.
What a full circle moment for you. So then you like fast forward and you're like you're on Sisters, you're acting, you do a podcast and Tyler's a guest on your podcast. What a beautiy a full full circle moment that must have been.
For It's funny because so I styled tiling. That's when we got really close, being on the road with my You know how it is. You have your team and you get real they become family, of course, you know, so he I became a little sister.
He became my big You were like his personal silence.
Yes, traveled everywhere with him, so like every press tour, costume designed every single show, every movie, all his plays. It was from twenty fifteen to twenty twenty.
And then when he was dressing up and characters and costumes did uh.
Huh even if he was like in character like on the media movies. Yeah, I would costume design the entire movie and then I would have to go and set and get him dressed.
What's your best outfit?
Oh man, I would say it would be media family funeral. That was he played beyond. He did like a Beyonce with when she had the big hat. I remember that, So we put him in the hat.
It was crazy, We're going to find that picture and put it up sentence so we could put it up to see it.
Yeah, that was the fun actually getting that had made to fit his head and then like curating that big what that was? Y'all hate us coiny with that illuminant home coming. It was crazy and she lost it when when she yeah, that's fire. So then I love Beyonce, so it's always good to get her nod.
I'm like, yeah, so you Rolls. It wasn't like you went from internal PA to to this you you you rose with it and then work.
With him for all those times and even in that time a lot of people don't know that. When I started working for him, I wanted.
Way to go professional professional operation we got going on here.
I started working with Tyler at the studio as a p A. I was also auditioning, actively auditioning for for roles and getting no after no action no. So like I would be at work, my agent would send me a script I would have to look over and study and call the casting director at the study and say, hey, can I run down and lunch and put this on tape real quick. I would go to the costume department, find an outfit that fit that character, run downstairs, grab
lunch real quick. Everything was like, and then get right back to work in the same day. So it was a lot of behind the scenes grinding as well that people didn't see. And he had no idea that I was auditioning at the studio. Wow, Like I'm doing all these auditions, and then he caused me to be the costume designer. I'm like, this is a lot of responsibility. If I do this, I definitely can't do the acting thing.
And I finally I prayed about it and I said yes, And then from there for five years, I just literally has it been five years? It was five years from that time. Yeah, he was like he had no idea because I never said anything. I was like, I'm going to honor this. I think that's another thing that goes back to the internship. Just honor where you are. So with Tyler, when I became his stylist and the designer, I just honored where I was and I gave it one thousand percent.
Yeah, because sometimes people doing that to get to that, and then you don't do a good job at that moment because you're so worried about over there.
Yeah, don't worry about it. Be present where you are and honor that moment. And I had my fortieth birthday. He advice, Yeah, and he did a speech and he was like, he said, I had no idea that Kristen wanted to be an actor. And he said, I want to tell everyone in this room. It was like two hundred and fifty people there, and he's like, I want to tell everyone here that the way you are under
someone else's God will bless you. He said, people see where she is now, but they didn't see her running with my size fifteen shoes up in New York trying to get to Ryan and Kelly, you know, like back then. And he was like, they didn't see that. He was like, Chris was like, te what you need five eve in the morning, get you ready packing for the whole day to do press runs. He was like, nobody saw that traveling all over the world with me. And he was like,
and that's why I said I'm gonna bless her. And people were like, oh, because you can't forget the service part. People forget to serve and that's like, I have a heart of service.
But then you got to show up and deliver. Yes, it's one thing to be on hard working, but now you got to act and you gotta be good because he's putting all this, you gotta deliver. Yeah.
So when that came, I was like, when I got the guts to even tell him, like, this is what I did want to do. Let me pake the picture. I was literally he was on doing the media farewell tour. He's backstage, full media everything. Hey. I was like, what you doing? He' said none, sit backstage waiting to go on. I'm like, oh my gosh. I didn't realize y'all worked today because he had so many dates and the calendar was like this morning. I was like, oh, he off today.
He's like, no, on backstage, what's going on? I said, well, I'm reading the scriptual sisters and I'm producing it with them. So these are my stories, my friend's stories. I was like, Tyler, I want in. I said, you don't know this, but I want to act. And these stories are jumping off the pages at me. I feel like this is the time for me to ask you. He said, I'm gonna call you when I get off. He hit me immediately, text me write it with me. He's like, I love
this idea. Let's talk later. And that's when Fatima was created, and then from there got my own spin off because I did the work even after the opportunity. Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, but sometimes I was always I was scared to ask because you see so many people asking. But then I had to remember all the work that I had put in for those years to have the guts to say, you know what, let me just tell him, this is what I want to do. That's amazing.
Do you get special treatment on set?
No? And the cool thing is is that because I started off as a PA, Like, it's so much love like that the whole studio everybody, Like even when people are making mistakes, I'm like, hey, I've been where you are. Just tighten up, like we're all everybody. We're moving at a very fast face the face if you know how Tyler shoots like, we shoot fast. So I'm like, I get it. You know, I've been where you are. And I love that journey because I have a better understanding
of every single role. So dope, Yeah, thank you.
I love the name of the podcast too. It's so good. If you haven't, if you haven't checked out, keep a positive SWEETI you absolutely should. Tyler's actually one of the one of the big episodes you had. But the name is so good. Thank you, and it makes me wonder if you keep it positive all the time.
I do like it now, try to find that, yeah, because my thing is life is too good and it's too short. Yeah, to be negative. You know, there's so much negativity in the world. Why add to it, you know? And that's what I try to push. I don't like anything, no matter how bad it is. I'm like, all right, guys, what's the lesson in this? How can we redeem it? Like, let's figure it out, you know, not saying I don't get upset, but like, I'm not a negative person.
Yeah, it's a good time, it's a good it's a good thing. It's a good title. And but the world right now, do you feel the podcast world is like.
I don't know.
I feel like everybody on every street corner has a damn podcast.
Honey, they do they do? Do you love it? I do? I love it because what I feel is a tribe. And I'm sure you can attest this to when you build your community and people that support you. Yeah, it's nothing like it. And it literally has like people have changed their life from like working on the relationship with God to like fixing the relationship with their mother. For me, talking about my own personal things, and I was such
a person that didn't want to be open. You know, I just kind of like, let me just do it. I do my job, y'all don't need to know my business. And I finally got to the point was like, I do need to talk. And it's been therapeutic for me as much as it has been for them.
Every time you put your stuff out there. I did a memoir years ago, and I was like, I'm gonna write it all and then I'll just delete what I don't want people to know. But once you get it out, you're like, no, they need to know.
You just take it, take it, and then you see so many people that see themselves and you're sure, yeah, yeah, not for sure.
So they had a little we were talking about the idea of keep it positive, yes, and can you always keep it positive? So there was some scenarios that my little team over here came up with.
Se be honest with you in said scenario, Okay, this is how does one keep it positive?
You like, this was a good game. Okay, is it really a game? I don't know if it's a game, but we're gonna all keep it positive. Okay, how do you keep it positive? Crystal. When you catch your boyfriend cheating on you start off strong. We start off strong.
Strong. You keep it positive by knowing that there's something better for you and it's his loss. If you didn't see the value in so you out out.
Oh yeah, yeah, I can't stay in it and stay positive because if I stay.
In it, it's gonna get negative fast.
How do you keep it positive when they run out of tequila at the bar?
Are you a drink? So you go out? You had a long day, You go to the bar there out of tequila. How do you keep it positive?
Oh man, we gotta go somewhere else next.
Let's see how do you get How do you keep it positive when you get trolled on the internet?
Oh? Man, you know what? This used to be really tough for me, Like when people were like saying stuff and I would take it personal.
Have you figured it out?
Yes?
You have, like all the time, and some times they.
Don't know you. Yeah, Like when people are trolling you and like making like judgment on your life and who you are, you have to realize these people are either miserable or they don't know you. Because like if if somebody I really know said something something about me. I'm like, dang, that's how you feel. But then once people you don't know, it's like you don't know me, Like I can't put their energy into that.
That's a good keep it positive? Yeah, I'm gonna give you the grace because you don't know me. What if it is somebody who knows you and they're trolling you?
Oh, how do you keep it positive? Yeah, we're gonna have to have a conversation about it.
It's called the it's called the block button.
Baby, it's for life. Like we're done. Yeah, that's yes. It's tough when the's people, you know, it's it's it's hard. I know, the internet is my business. I'm like, that's tough. Let's see.
Let's see. These will all seem too easy. To keep it complic, to keep it po Okay, your go to karaoke song is retired? Do you have a go to karaoke song?
My go to carryo is so funny. It's a random song incomplete by Cisco that is super random, Like I love every little ad lib it's so funny.
But yeah, how do you keep it positive when somebody says they're going to do something and they.
Do not you know, what just I value people who are about their word and stand on it. And if you that that's I didn't put that as my pet peeple, that should be another one, Like that's another pet peeple mine, Like just stand on it. Yeah, And when people show you they are, just believe them, you know, And I know I can't depend on you now, so take.
It as a blame. I can see who you are the same thing as another one. How do you keep it positive? Because this is one of my pet peeves? Oh god, what is it? It was too I don't like a liar, yes, but a lot of people lie. So you have to learn how to manage. You'll have to learn how to keep it positive. My biggest pet peeves are a bully or somebody who a manipulator. People try to manipulate people by being smarter than them or
more having or or feeding you. You know. I hate somebody trying to manipulate me, or somebody trying to manipulate or me watching somebody try to manipulate someone else, which is like also like bullying. Very hard for me to keep it positive in that moment.
And I feel like there's a time for everything, you know, there's sometimes whereas everything doesn't even be met with Okay, let's steal with this in a nice way. Sometimes you gotta you.
Don't want to go high. You don't want to go high.
Every time I'm being honest with you, like, there are sometimes where I'm like, we're gonna have to let you know so this doesn't happen again, because then people think you're a pushover.
You have not you have I won't always keep it positive, it's in there. How do people check the positive? How do people check out the podcast? And what do you want them to know about it?
Yes, for early view and you can subscribe to my Patreon, you get all the bts. They're gonna actually get to see this interview, like the behind the scenes of us, they get early viewing of that. But you can also watch on YouTube on Tuesdays and you can listen to it on every podcast platform super dope.
Yeah, and then what about the music you said this music studio, what's happening? Yea working on and you have people behind you? Are you signed?
Are you gonna sign or you know if I'm gonna sign anybody right now? It's all independent, But what kind of music like Yeah, R and B I'm a nineties girl, so like you know that, I wanted to bring back that feel, keep it still relevant, but like the feel of what I grew up to, which is like Monica and Brandy and Shy and Tea, you know. So it's like I want to I want to have that when you play because they're like, well, there's really not a space for that, and like, but every time you play
those records, everybody was like, oh, that's my song. So it's got to be a space for it.
It's got you know, space for it. Oh yeah, listen this good music is always a space.
For the music. That's how I feel.
All right, we'll be listening for that. What else do people need to know?
SISS is on right now Wednesday nights on BT at nine to eight centrals. The Teama comes on Thursday nights at twelve am Pacific time three am Eastern time, so you can catch it. We do have people that set their clock for like two fifty nine am in the morning on the East Coast to watch it.
One of the one of the Sisters fans like they die hard. That's what I'm saying.
I know both shows, probably SIS and Entertainment.
It's like both of them, right, they are die hard.
Yeah, we're the number one show on both platforms. So it's like that's amazing.
Yeah. So people rolling up to you saying what doing Fatima?
I knew that was you. We were in the airport this morning and like can I get a picture? Like they're so sweet, and it's I mean, the community we build, even with our fans, has just been beautiful. It really is. We're blessed.
Yeah, sure, well you totally are. So you're just trying to check every box and every category.
I am. Listen, there's a saying we ain't leaving no money on the table. Is all the good money? You know what I'm saying. We're gonna get it.
We're doing podcasts, We're doing albums, We're doing TV shows, we're doing owning teams, all the talents.
Everything is the more. Yeah, the music, the podcast the acting, the teams. Yeah, building brands and businesses. We're doing it all. I feel like everything that God has given me I want to use. I don't want to leave any talent on the table, so I want to try to use everything.
How do people support you? Where do they find you all at? How to what do you? What do you, what do you? How do people you know what I mean, get behind the Crystal track.
Yes, you can have a website www dot Crystaline Hazel dot com. And you can also follow me on Instagram at love Crystaline and that's l u V all right.
In the meantime, you can watch the shows and we'll wait for the music. Yes, and you check out the podcast.
Everything, Just check out everything. There is Crystal Day. Thank you, thank you, no good