The Blessing Is In The Journey (w/ Tray Chaney)

And on this podcast, I have inspirational conversations with everyday people and celebrities just about life, love, relationships, dreams, goals, just shadow night on what it is and what it ain't. Now we get real because when we talk about shutting the light, that's on the good, the bad, and then different. Because if you want to be better and you want to do better, you gotta see better and you only can see better by actually stepping in the light and

doing you. Now, one thing that I always say on the Vitamin D Podcast is how you are your greatest asset, because this is all about putting a deposit in your life bank account, because if you look at it, you've got deposits and you've got things that are liabilities. It's about a balance and that's what this is so thank you for joining my dream, thank you for joining me on this journey, but more importantly, thank you for depositing

your life bank account. Now I'm excited today, Like coming up right now, I am going to share a conversation with you with the the gentleman name Trey Cheney. He starts in abouts TV hit series Saints and Centers. It airs Sunday's nights, nine eight Central. Now, the show is phenomenal. It's so much drama, it's rivening. And in this conversation, I am breaking down his character, Kendrick Murphy. It's a character that you love to hate, a character that you

can understand that in life has trials and tribulations. But trying to start with some new isn't that something with life? How you can sometimes allow your past to dictate where you are. But you know, years ago, when I lived in New York, I was talking to this gentleman, a Raphael Gordon, and he's sure a quote with me. He said, your location, it's not your destination. Let me say it again. Your location is not your destination. Where you are right

now doesn't dictate where you're going. But the key is you have to move and that's the entire thing this conversation about is with Track about the movement. You know, one thing that he spotlights that I just want to highlight in this entire episode is that he said, the blessing is in a journey. Can you catch it? The blessings in the process to keep moving forward? And that's what this conversation is about. When it's talking about facing your fears, when it's talking about taking the jump, when

it's talking about rewriting your future. Yeah, we're dickens e and it feels good. So I want to make sure that you understand the complexities of who you are. So let me stop yeapping and let's go straight through it. All right, So get excited because I too, So without further ado, it's time for your dose of vitamin D. Right with me and get excited. Hello done? How Mr Train? What's up? How are you doing? I'm good? But the question is I'm looking at you. You look fine, But

are you okay? I saw in your social media you got in an accident. Yeah, it was crazy. Done. I was on my weight to one audition UM Tuesday and I'm going through a green light and out of nowhere a car runs the red light and he was a drunk driver. So the impact of the car, you know, hit my car. DI did three sixty in a very very busy intersection of Atlanta. And you know, I wasn't I wasn't panicking. I just was like, Okay, God, if this is how this is gonna go, then okay. But

at the same time, I'm fine. I am on big rest. After I do this, I get back in the bid, you know what I'm saying. So then my body, my body been aching. But at the same time, I'm just, oh, really, did you go to the doctor. Oh yeah, I'm in thirty Yeah, the car is replaceable. But I'm just glad that, you know, God spared my life. And you know, my insurance. I got great insurance. My uh my people were taking care of everything. I probably have a brand new car

in a couple of days. I'm not really you know, God is good. You know what I'm saying that, I'm like and I'm like, yo, if this was everything is going so great right now. It's almost like that that Yan Yang effect, you know, And it's like when that when it's life, prepare for the darkness, but get through it at the same time. So I'm fine. You know what I'm saying today? What what are you trying to do today? What do we what do we listen? Because

I got chills all over my body. That's love. Yeah, um, so well, I guess let me just tell you because we're walking in the same vein right now. This is what vitamin D is all about. Vitamin DID is all about shedding light, and the light is gonna cut on the good and the bad. And it's designed so that you can live life on purpose and for a purpose, so that you can get excited about your life. That's

what's up. Welcome, Mr Tray and I did the research on with vitamin dse things for with Dawn Day And I said, you know what, I can't wait to talk to This's just you know what I'm saying, so we can really come. Yeah. Well, I'm excited to have you on, Mr Trey Cheney. We're gonna be talking about your show Saints and Centers. It's on Bounce TV. Yeah, amazing, the episode just premiered last night. There's a lot we need to talk about. But first, you know, tell me about you.

Now you from the DMV. Now I'm from Detroit, but I did go to Howard. So I was, I was over there in a little cluster moment. Tell me about who you are? You well, yeah, I, um, I'm Trade Cheney. You know what I'm saying. I'm from Forestville, Merlin, represent Washington, d C. Started in this business at a very early age, eight years old as a hip hop artist, as a dancer, you know, um, being affiliated with O G s like

Big Daddy, Kane, Rock Kim. You know what I'm saying, like some of those those guys that I still I'm connected with, d Nice, you know. And um, I want to say that continue the hip hop, you know, dancing and wrapping continued all over d n V and and in different cities. And then I want to say, at seventeen, lady by the name of Linda Townsend, UM, who was a talent agent out d C. She was like, yo, I could tell that you're not stage right, you know,

because you're getting up on stage, you're performing. You should think about becoming an actor. And my thing was, I always wanted to make the transition from hip hop artists to actor anywhere. So I said, I was already kind of like preparing. I was, you know, walking in that purpose. I was fulfilling my dreams on stage, which I knew would eventually turn into acting. So I told her that was something that I definitely wanted to do. I was interested in it, and I got my head shots done,

I got resumes. I started, you know, remembering monologues because as a writer, you know, I always look at scripts like songs because it has to flow, you know. So I'm like, Yo, this is what I'm gonna do. Um, anything that you sent me on, whatever I need, I can remember it like that. And she said, the first audition that I'm going to submit you for is the Wire. She said, The Wire is a it's an HBO pilot. If anybody else that is listening that, I don't understand

what the pilot is. It's not necessarily picked up yet, but it's on the verge of being picked up, you know what I'm saying. So I remember going in. That was my first audition, first job I ever booked as an actor. I went in the paper associates, I read for the character we bay got a call back David Simon, Nina Noble, Robert Colesbury wrestling piece to him who actually created my character poop Um. I go in, I read

the monologue. Three weeks later they were saying, you didn't get casted for we Day, but we cast at you for this character named Malik Kukar. So The Wire premier in two thousand two. That was the first time I had ever you know, the whole celebrity lifestyle, getting paid to show up at events. Um, I mean it was it was so fresh, and Newton was yeah. So so with The Wire, you know, I lasted on the show for all five seasons, um two thousand to the two

thousand and eight. And you know, from there, that was when I said, you know what, I'm already taking this serious. Then I took, you know to Tor Smith Acting Workshop, the Tesaw class, and I really you know, and and and it's funny because some of the students in there, they were like, what are you doing in here? Like you're on the Wire, And I'm like, in order to be the best, you know, I never could stop training.

I can't stop training. So I want to train as much as possible, because, like I said, in order to be the best, you gotta study, you gotta work hard, you gotta be dedicated, and you gotta have consistency. So, you know, after The Wire, then Streets with Meet Mill you know that premiere on BT. This was at the beginning of Meek's career when you know, before he became

the superstarter he is now. Um did that with Jamal Hill, then James E. Boy with James Woods being Rains, Murray, Louise Parker, Um, and then you know, just getting into the creative side of what I wanted to do as a director and as a producer, started putting out my own content. You know, during the time what people would consider these shows and these movies that I was on mainstream,

it was a time where they wasn't coming quick. So I said, you know what, I'm gonna create my own I'm gonna get out in the streets or Washington d C. I'm gonna shoot my own films. I'm gonna sell them off the trunk of my car. That buzz created the call from George Pierre, who cast me for Saints and Centers. So it was just you know, with me, it was always about being attached to the process because a lot of people don't understand the blessing is in the journey.

You know what I'm saying. You sound like my barber, do you know? Louis t Pal. The name sound familiar. He's a barber. He's from the DMV he you know, and not like everybody's gonna know everybody, but he has his family come from a line of barber's. But what he says, he always says. He says, the journey is the experience, and the experience is the journey exactly, because

that's what it is. You know, a lot of actors and a lot of artists, sometimes they get so caught up on the outcome, you know, and we have to eliminate the outcome and just do the work because I don't care how long it texts. As much as you do the work, the reward will eventually come, and it

comes in different forms. It comes in different ways. For me as an actor, when I read for almost every show that you might see on television, then if I don't get it, I'm not discouraged because something else, greater come come on. And it's so interesting. You're talking about the first project with the wire, and it's just how life, how you can come into one door, but God can lead you through the back door. And it just even reminds me of when I applied to go to Howard.

I did not even get accepted. But see, it's that go get her attitude that you know, picked you up to say, let me produce and do my own project. I want ahead and I wrote the school and because I'm a great student, whatever, the testing didn't happen. But it's that go to attitude that you talk about with your dream because I guess if you had a mindset that you're going to already arrive, then you don't have

to keep going. Hence we don't arrive until we die, right, and then it just echoes the whole sentiments of Michelle and Bond. We're consistently becoming. And that's why every moment, every day is the gift, because that's why we have to be so present. Wow, it's not ever presented. The energy is is trading off through this, through this, through this interview. You know, thank you for receiving me. I don't even look at this as an interview. You know

what I'm saying, we're just chopping it up. Is King and Queen reference. You know what I'm saying, right, Supreme, Yeah, I mean you came and I was like, but it's so interesting because sometimes it is that way when you gotta go through the back door, because sometimes you gotta see something that maybe everybody else can see, or that moment that you said, let me produce. You have to get this whole view so that you can actually see, encompassing with the vision that you have for your life.

I had to pick up the experience because you know, a lot of times it's a lot of people around us in our circles and even people outside of our circles who might not see like you said, we see, but we have to prove them wrong. We have to jump out here, even if we fall on our face. It's not necessarily falling on your face. Every experience is a lesson. You didn't fail, You just learned a lesson, and now you know what to do going forward and

moving forward. So for me, it's it's more like like I said, getting attached to the process and never getting emotionally attached to the end result. This business is full of emotions. People get mad over any little thing. If if you don't call an industry person back, they might feel some type of way. You can't you don't know what another person is going through in their life, you know what I'm saying. That's like the day we've been

on here. I'm still upbeat, even though with the cards and then with everything that went on, it was a reason why it happened because something else, greater is getting ready to happen. And I and I truly believe that. Even being on here with you, you know what I'm saying, it's it's it's amazing to connect with somebody who I feel like I've known for for years, you know what I'm saying, And and we trade energy and we're talking and we you know, chopping it up. Anybody's watching, they're

feeling that, you know what I'm saying. So we ain't doing nothing but inspiring and motivate because I mean, actually it's actually that's what we're designed to do. Just be a light and addify each other. If you think about it, if I addif you addify me, yo, we can all be done. But here's the thing. You got to realize that you gotta uncover some things. That's the light. And it coincidnes of what you were saying when you first came up and is joining you said, Hey, sometimes it

is the ending in Yang. It's the understanding that you gotta be deserted in order to get to the dessert. You gotta know how sweet it is when you get there. So after watching season premiere, I don't know why this word is on my spirit. I want to say that dichotomy. I want to just use it. And I don't even think he's gonna think economy of the situation. Right. The thing that's so interesting on what I love about your character, Um,

Saints and Centers. This is season five and your characters like Kendreck, Kendreck, Kendrick, I feel Kendrick and Kendrick I feel, well, let me let me back up. Okay, you are such a man who walks in authority of self, UM, and just checking out some of your pictures and videos on social media and just following you understanding the importance of family. There are some things that I can reflect in your life that I see in your character. So I wanted

you to tell us a little bit about Kendrick. Well, Kendrick. Kendrick is basically, Kendrick is broken. Now, don't get me wrong, He's a He's a broken guy, broken character that wants to build and have a relationship with his long lost family that did not want to have nothing to do with him. As you can see from season one, all the way up to now, which is people are going to see a lot in season five. The ease is

up a little bit. But at the same time, this man wants to have a relationship, like I said, with his family. And every time you think something is going right in Kendrick's life, it just takes the term for the worst. But at the same time, it's the lesson and the experience that Kendrick learns which still makes him

a main to just keep going. Now, for me, I've really got a shout out Nigel Campbell, the show runner, and the writer, and and and Courtney Miller because these guys, you know, Courtney is the director and the writer, and they capture elements of who Trade Cheney really is as far as family goes. Because of course, you know Patrice Fisher who plays Stay Shakunting Game, she plays my love interest on the show. And we we got a baby, right, we all gotta baby. Yeah, But at the same time

she's pregnant. You know, I'm thinking, you know what I'm saying, this my child. As you can see with the movie, he's seeing some of the stuff that was revealed. But my real life trade change. I've been married going on seventeen years to my wife on two amazing kids, my son Milec, my daughter Martine, and my granddaughter who's the new addition to the family, morocc. So with thank you.

So with that, it sort of helped me to understand Kendrick a little more in this season of you know, his development and him wanting to become a father and his happiness for his lady and and just I told him, I said, this was this, this this fifth season and some of my best work because y'all actually wrote who I am and I was able to put that in kindred despite all of the craziness that you still want to see with this character. So you know, I'm just

I'm honored. You know, it's something about the term season five because hold on before you reach and don't be trying to skip over Kendrick like that. Hola, hola, hola. So the part that I feel that, at least for me, that resonated really well. Um, what I received is that Kendrick is this loving guy at the core, and it was something that you know, I was talking to Jasmine about, you know, Christine, and you know, it reminds me of a song. You know, A saint is nothing but a

center who fell down and got up. That's the fact. And I can see it now as I'm looking at all the characters, because nobody is necessarily evil per se. But as you know, as Jasmine like to put it, you know, we are all here to be a lamp to alight, to edify God's life. So we're just encased in this and understanding that these things transmit through us in different ways. And it's like, I can see this with this brother who is trying to do right God, dog,

but he failed. What's going on? It's it's the cards that he was dealt, you know. And and sometimes in life, with a lot of times in life, I'm not gonna say sometimes, because we all are dealt certain cards on a daily basis that we have to, like you said in the beginning, understanding, we have to be able to steal every single emotion that comes with it. We have to be able to accept it and digest it and

then figure out how we can move on. So with Kendrick, you know, always thinking, you know that that he's on this right track and something just comes up and just hit him, you know, I mean, Kendrick has been buried alive, you know, by his own grandmother, He's been sad, he's been shot, you know. So, so going through all of these emotions to see what we're actually going to see this season is going to be, I want to say

the turning point. I mean, because you know, Niage and Cortney had me doing things on this season that I've that I've never done on screen, and I'm like, oh no, they challenged me this season like I got challenged. But at the same time, I stepped up to the plate and I stepped up to the challenge gym. I think we talked about earlier when I said, in order to be the best and get it my own, you know, this is this is what you're gonna see what Kendrick

Murphy is season. I'm giving him my own, you know what I'm saying. So, and that's and that, and that goes along with the different characters that I'm playing in scenes with me and Jacks, Jasmine Burke, Christie plays my sister. So the substitution for that is how much I really loved my sister changes changing, and how much I really love Jasmine Burke off screen, you know, with Clifton Pile playing my dad, you know how much how much you Rex, Rex, get out of Rex, Get out of my face. You

you know. And Vanessa Bell callaway, she come on, she's alleged. She just caught. She trying to be right, She trying to be right, she try and her mother gonna throw hard with the left hook like that. Secrets what Black families got? So many secrets? You know what? That's it. That's a real strong part of black familis like you said, we do, we do got we do got some secrets. But at the same time us coming together as black

families and and really understanding each other. It just keeps boiling down to how we understand things, how we handle things, and how we move forward with things. But see, let me come in and challenge you're here because I mean the things like there's gonna be that if you haven't watched to what are going to be revealed? As far as the secrets are things that secrets that I feel like a lot of families have. But it's this whole

idea of a protection. Now it isn't to say that you know, the intentions were to be negative, but it's like the results and while we do come together as families, I'm not sure if we have the kind of conversations that we need. And because we are used to having an exercise in that versations, a lot of things can be misinterpreted. And therefore, which I feel often had was happening in this uh the show, is that a lot

of people are held to unimaginable standards. Yeah, they held to unimaginable responsibility standards, and and and going off of wood, another character or somebody else, another individual expects from them. And and that's what that's what's going on today, you know, not just in families, but just in general. A lot of people sometimes they don't they don't walk in their

own purpose. They're walking in somebody else's purpose. They're looking at you know, Joe Blow over here, or this young lady or this young man over here, and they're saying, okay, since they're telling me to be a certain way, this is the way I'm gonna I'm gonna be a lot of people don't identify with themselves yet, and that's the problem, you know. But at the same time, you have people like Dawn Day, you had people like Trade Training. We identify with who we are, and we're the ones who

set in the tone for other people. To say, it's nothing wrong with yourself. Just be yourself, you know. Okay, So question go ahead, who who is want to see to his core? Who is this man? Kendrick. Kendrick is a loving man. Kendrick is a loving man who who was dealt a bad hang but at the same time still trying to turn his life around, which a lot

of brothers in today's society face. You know, he's he's this loving guy who who wants to turn his life around, and he walks in those steps of doing better, you know, even from getting a regular job, because you know his background, coming from the streets, you only end up did or locked up, you know, And that's just that's just the reality of these things. And one of those came true in season two when he was locked up. So it's you know, now being out and saying, Okay, I'm ready

to turn my life around. If I want to change, you know, if if if I want things to change around me, I have to change. Because at the end of the day, it starts with gentry. He has to change and that and that's who he is. He's on that that that fine line. It's a narrow pass on. I have to change regardless of my circumstances, my past. I know I was dealt this, this deck of cards. But you know what, I'm getting ready to slip this whole thing. And I'm getting ready to get serious about

my my girl. And I'm get ready get serious about my baby just on the way and I'm and and I'm a I'm I'm gonna pull through. But I see when you say that, but if you're just negating everything that you just said, because without without giving it away. Unfortunately, things just come up, you know that. But it's whatever the weather exactly, it's life. Things come up. You never know what direction this person is going, that person is going.

And then but you know what, you know what's so funny, don Things things come up two sometimes throw us off courts and God is he wants to see how we deal with it. Like I could have been anything could have happened two days ago with that accident. I mean, it puts you in the slump, But at the same time, it's like, Okay, it happened. I felt every motion, I feel it all over my body. But at the same time, I know I'm coming on here today to be a light,

to shine light with you, to to inspire people. So whatever whatever happens, you know, and and I keep relating this back to Kendrick because Satan Center season five best season. Yeah, best season out of all of them. I mean, that's just that's just what it is. You know. Every you better check it out about TV centers, shout out the Belch, shout out This World, film tol most definitely check out every say we're back on TV every week. We bought

the rent Vision. So it's all love. But no, it's interesting. You know. One of the things I study improv at the ground links and a lot of the things that you're saying right now, I think is what I got from improv, and it's the whole yes, and and it's just like one thing that you you've consistently said, is that despite anything and everything that can be happened, even just a couple of days ago, you got into this accident.

And there's a thing in life you gotta keep moving forward because until you've arrived, until you're your end date, you gotta keep moving. And it's like, in order to do that, which I felt like, well, encompass no matter whatever situation it is. It's the same thing as saying of knowing who you are and saying true to you. And that's why I said, well, who is Kendrick? You know? And my next question is gonna be who is Trade? Well, I'm I'm gonna keep it whanding with you. Trade Chinee

is a is a father. Trade Chinee is a husband. Trade Chinee is a grandfather. In trade Chinese contribution is love, peace and happiness, motivation and inspiration to every single person I come in contact with. It doesn't matter if I have a personal relationship with the person. It doesn't matter if the person is what we consider like an enemy or somebody that they really don't get down with. You know how positive I am, But that's who trade Chinee is.

I'm an inspirational, motivational brother. This I'll get. Trying to uplive our people is much Hold on, wait, let me come and this amendment real quick. You know I have I have life tattooed on my mouth, so I'm very keen on my words. Try. We we don't try. Do you want to say it? Let me see wow? But we can't try to do something you know what and

do it? Are? We don't try? We're pushing, We're pushing, and you know what, it's forwards and and and and I think I was quote at the moment just now when I use try, but I don't use try, bad, can't, or need. Those are four words that I don't use. It's try, maybe even have to get to is try, bad, can't, or need because everything is about us doing it. If we're gonna do what we're gonna do it, I don't need anything because I have everything already. Come on, you've

already equipped. You are on four what and nothing is bad? Everything is good as long as we're above brand. You know what I'm saying. Because it's a lot of people that didn't wake up today, they're not gonna get a change to see this. There's a lot of people that didn't wake up today. And then, like I said, try, bad, can't or need. Can't is another word that I never use because I'm gonna make it happen. If it doesn't happen right there or in that moment, it's going to happen.

It's not like I can't do anything. I could do anything. I can do anything you truly want. But why don't people realize that? What do you think it's in the way of why some people are successful, why some people aren't, why some people just simply doing, why some people don't, well, you know, it comes from um. For me, I'm somebody that always did so, you know, and even at a

young age. But I think for some people, a lot of people not fortunate enough to have a lot of motivation and inspiration around them, that could be one thing. Another thing is self doubt and self hey, like I said, dealing with whatever the circumstances that they might have ever went through. They always look back when the pass and I used to be somebody that did that years ago, you know. But you can't let certain things that happen to you dictate where you're going or where you're heading

in your future. You know. So a lot of people don't take that time to get to know self. They don't they like I said, they they're following somebody else's lead, you know, and they don't really take the time to really get to know who they truly are and how they can you know, elevate you know what I'm saying, and make things happen not just for themselves but for other people. Because this is this is what all of this is about. For me, Like I said, my contribution

is love, peace, happiness to to other people. I'm already set. God got me good. I'm already straight now and I and I truly believe that. But if I'm able to go and I'm able to you know, really inspire somebody who may feel like we're speaking about, they may have self doubt, they may paint themselves for stuff that they did in the past. You know that that's what it is,

That's what it's about. So you know, it's almost like being a mentor to to those type of people is being somebody who, like I said, not necessarily having to have a relationship all the way with them, but at the same time letting them know this is this is the past that you should be on, this is how you should walk, this is how you should do it. Well yeah, yeah, And I think it's just dedicating to just being true to self, like you said, um, and

that goes along like what I talk about. One of the main things on the Vitamin D podcast and I and every episode with us, and it's always reminding people how you are your greatest asset, because everything in life becomes an extension of who you are. And while it's so easy for us to understand finances, right, you know, what you put in, what you take out, what you got left. The same as life. If you value yourself that much, everything in the extension of you will either

prosper or won't. And it's based on you having that balance, because what are you putting in and what are you taking out? And here's the thing, unused accounts is just as bad as our as as what important as an unused account or a dead person, do you know what I'm saying. So things are constantly going in and out. It's just about where does the balance come in. But I think oftentimes if we find ourselves in one spectrum leaning on the other, we just forgot to check the balance. Wow. Yeah,

that's real. That's that's that's definitely an amazing point. Yeah, we just forgot to check in. We forgot to check the balance, and we forgot to check in with self to understand where we could possibly go where we're heavy. I feel you on that. So let me ask you this. So with Kendrick Um, do you feel this with all his backstory, all of his baggage, you know, some baggage and which we need to let go. Does he know where he's going, does he have you know what's up?

Does he know what's up? Because it's like part of me. I'm like, oh, but I'm like, you just need to get popped a couple of times. But just think, though, don You've just seen the first episode of five, so you you're gonna see you're gonna see a lot from Kinder. You're gonna say it's at the end of this when we come back and we talk again and we do another you know, great conversation like we have because this ain't no interview. This is this is references the King

and Queen chopping it up, just fun. And but when you see this season, I'm telling you you're gonna understand Kendrick's journey and where he's going. And I gonna like him. You're gonna love him. You ain't just gonna like him, You're gonna love him every the whole world gonna level. Now, are you saying that because you try and you playing Kindred or for real? Oh? No, I'm saying it for

real because I didn't like it. I didn't like him for real in season two and season three and somebody because I'm like, listen, some of the stuff that he was doing, and I had to portray that. But this season, like I said, he's more he's more level headed, that's for sure, and he wasn't level headed and all the other seasons, he's more level headed. He got a baby

on the way, he got a halt, y'all. He gotta listen, just okay, let me style because they need to they need to hurt, they need they got the babies on the way. Yeah, that's crazy. And it's like, here's the thing, because you can tell at his core, and I think that's all of us, at our core, what our values are, what our attentions are. But it's something about these circumstances and if we're in a situation that we cannot see beyond. And I think that's why the whole notion and the

importance of having the vision. And it didn't say like can't you see because listen, what I see is right in front of me. But the vision is so much great and this injured. Please don't forget the vision. And that's why I tell people all the time, like, don't forget the vision, because that's when you realize that your location is not your destination. You know what. And I'll make myself what I am. That's that's real. Don't forget the vision and like you said, don't don't look at

your location as the final destination. I understand that because, like I said, that goes back to a lot of your current situation. Like whatever you're currently going through right now, this doesn't dictate what might happen tomorrow. You're life to change tomorrow. I ain't even talking about in a month or year. We're talking about what if tomorrow is the life changing day for the positive, for the better for you.

It's always positive, right as long as you ain't staying the same, as long as you ain't staying the same, as long as you're evolving, as long as you're creating and creating the circumstances that we got going on now, Like I mean, come on Vitamin D with on day. I mean you you whatever you d whatever you created

to lead up to this point, you did it. Whatever I did to lead up to being a five season regular one boun CB Stral Center, I did he whatever wit Did you move down to Atlanta because of this show?

Or were you taking a chance when you went because that was you know he listen, I love somebody like to jump and you know, just checking out the social media said something like this is amazing that now I can bring my family down to Atlanta and how it started out as a dream, Like I don't know if people realize that if you dream of how you gotta take flight. Growing up in Washington, d C, Forsville, Merland,

my wife the same. Growing up in d C, I was content with staying there and traveling to l A, to New York to Atlanta. When Satan Centers decided that Kendrick was gonna be a character in the first season, they flew me out, they put me up. I was put up for two to three months at a nice,

nice place while I was filming. Then after we would rat, I would go back home to d C, where a lot wasn't really happening too much in our field, you know, and entertainment, it's it's more politics, you know what I'm saying. So with with that, I have to give the credit

to my queen, my wife. I used to because what happened was I'm sorry, How do you want to get content with saying, Okay, I'm getting ay leave for another four months for second season, for thirs season, for fourth season, and come back to d C. That means I'm leaving my family for certain months at a time. Yeah, they're flying back and forth. But it was my wife sit me down, and this was around the second thirsty and she said, so what do we what are we doing?

You're you're you're content with staying here because my whole families in DC, my mom, my dad, my sister, aunt's auncles. I gotta a big family. The change so and you know, sometimes it's men, we think we got it all figured out. And then that woman, that queen, that that feminine energy, she could say something and then you could you realize, Wow, So I am content with staying here. She said, I see the potential in you. I've been married to on

seventeen years. I know when you get around people, I know when you're getting casting directing meetings, and I know how you are. I have so much confidence and potential in you. We need to jump. And that's how it happened. Seventeen July we moved to Atlanta. When we moved, it was that I tell people, I don't I'm not afraid

of anything. I don't fear anything. That was the first time I ever felt fear driving into U hole ten hours from DC to Atlantic first time I wanted to turn around and go come and was it the best of the worst decision. It was the best decision that we ever made. Just for the new house two months from the ground up, homeowners, you know what I'm saying. Watched it be built, hustle through the pandemic, you know

what I'm saying. So so now every the decisions, the steps that we took from seventeen in July when we moved here, all the way up into today April, it was well worthing me even having this conversation with you about we jumped and then we I'm sitting in the crib and I'm like three months ago during the pain, not just a crib, your crib, Oh yeah, my crib. My wife's freed my son to be able to show my fourteen year old son. You know, men and your mother, Man,

your mother jumped out there. We we we worked hard, you know what, you know what, We've worked smart. I'll say that as a culture, we can say we've been working hard all our life, and we have. But when you work smart, and when you again, when you're committed to achieving a certain goal, that is reachable. You know how everything goes with the homeownership. They take you through a whole bunch you know, they take you through a whole bunch of stuff, and you don't even be understanding

what they're taking you through. Like they want to see bank staments, they want to see this, they want to see that, they want to know with a deposit came. We had to go through a lot with the process. But when we sat at that closing table and we signed the papers and we got some keys, this was well worth And I think that's what a lot of people. You just gotta make the decision. Like people often sounds like, well how do you become successful? How do you take

a chance on your dreams? Well, you gotta make a decision to say that you're worth it. And I think that's why. You have to know who you are, nor what you stand for and what you don't And you only know that by experience, You only know that by allowing yourself to be flexible. You only know that to say that, dang it, I'm worth it because the way my accounts sat up, I'm the most valuable thing in it.

So what you saying you're not worth your dreams You're not worth whatever piece you have, You're not worth abundance. Exactly what do you want? Go give it? Go go one to So then I gotta ask what does Kendrick Grant want in Saints and Sanis? What does he want? Kendrick wants to Kendrick wants to have a happy family atmosphere with his with his lady and his new baby on the way Ken? How is it? Isn't it terest How is he gonna be able to get a family together?

And this whole back story his family has been checked up. Well again, that doesn't dictate. Come on, you better postpit it back out its circumstances whereafter he comes from his background. That's like when you hear people say I don't have no millionaires in my family, but guess where I'm gonna become a millionaire of my coming you know. So, my my nephew l J. He said he's gonna be a million I sent him the video of the four instance. I said, you need to know who the top five

people are. I said, and you need to know who the top like and uh black female and male are because you gotta know what you wanna be. Wow, amazing you gotta open your mind set. No, no, no, you're good, but that that dictating where he's at now to where he's going and what he wants to be. And oh, you know what he wants, Peach because because you know, the the turmoil and and everything that he's been through his back his bagas his background, he definitely wants peace

and happiness and he wants to be accepted. He wants to be accepted by his parents. You know it is his sister loves. Jasmine Burke, who plays Dr Christie John, she loved, but grandmother changed standon well she currently because she got so much stuff. She had so much stuff in her closet. I'm surprised nobody has smelled anything just yet because it's more than skeletons in there. But you're gonna see some skeletons this either you're gonna you're gonna

see some stuff come out that closet. You it's gonna shock you. You're gonna call me to be like my mouth was dropped. Once the episode ended, I was just like, that was it. That was it, the whole thing. And you know what, I like what you said too, because even and I think it's in life too and that's why you cannot um allow somebody's perspective, their viewpoint, to dictate who you are, because even in myself and I think it happens and we all forget that we're all human.

I came on his podcast and I'm like, yo, a part of me, you know, wants to love Kendrick, and I think everything is possible for the future. Then fast forward thirty minutes later. Now I'm up here telling you like, oh, if he hasn't had it, how was he going to acquire it? Even? And I think, oh, I just hope that people show grace. And it's so interesting. Even the title of this project, Saints and Centaers the bridge is grace, and I think we forget that it's the grace that

strings them together because they're always connected. I don't think you're not gonna get one without the other. And I just hope that's a reminder of somebody else, whoever has it, whoever doesn't. Whatever happened to you, you still got the pen to write your life. Of course, you still got the pin to write your life. You still and and it's no age limit, it's no it's no age limit on when, and it's nothing wrong with starting over. You could start over every single day. We do start over

every day. You know, when we get rest, we get up and we gotta start all the way over. And and happiness is you know, happiness is not something that's always happiness joy. It's not something that always comes when we wake up. We gotta fight for you know. So I put up with post over the day I said, anybody there, it's in the bid this morning. It is fighting with not waking up. But you woke up anyway.

You you, you shower, you brush your teeth, you put your clothes on, you major day, and then you went out there to provide for your family, male or female. I commit you because that's that's happy at You know, a lot of people don't even want to get up out of big don't even want to get up, and it's it's you know, and I want to say on one part is unfortunate, but it's just the whole idea of it's just life, and it's just about knowing that that sometimes to get down, it's for the get up

because it just makes it that much sweeter. You know. It's kind of like the same thing as you said, why you have to save with the journey. You gotta understand why the up is up because sometimes I think we're just functioning. I think I think that's the difference. You know, when people are just functioning in life. You know you don't have anything to lose, nor do you feel like you have anything in the game. So what are you moving for? Yeah? What are you going towards?

But see, if you've been a situation, you've been down and had to taste up, you know how sweet or how that other side looks. And then now rather than being mad on society, being mad on what could have genetically been in your system and your body, you have the decision. You make the decision of what you want and how you want to create the narrative exactly exactly. So what's the rest of the narrative for you? What's coming up? From Mr trade Cheney? What we need to know? Well,

Secret Society. I'm in a film called Secret Society. They just dropped on Amazon Prime and Miyasha Kobe Royalty. She's a brilliant writer. Rich Coleman is the executive producer and Jamal Hill, who I work within Streets, is the director. Biblica Fox is in it. Erica pinkett Is in it. Rain of Love is in the journey, meeks Um in this, Yeah, journeys in that's the home. Yeah, and look at you throw that much. Yeah, in this film. He works in mysterious ways. Okay, I'm done. This film is uh, it's

totally different. I had to step out of my comfort zone as an actor to level up as far as an actor and really challenge myself again. But the Rave reviews from the movie dropping not even a week ago, like April second, they dropped April second. We charted at number eighty seven, then we charted at number thirty, and today we're number twenty. So this thing has headed to

number one. You know, so just to be a part of some independent black owned production company um our own soundtrack, you know, like like we didn't go to majors for anything, and we're showing the major's look at what a self funded black owned production company Nyasha coman Rich Coleman. Look at what they did without anybody and that were charging.

You know, So when you started charting and you know, these major started looking at you, and then you got Biblica fox Like I said, Germany meets Raining Love Erica Pinkett Trade Chain. You know this is this is getting heavy, you know. And then I had Truthless, which is my directorial debut on Amazon Prime right now. It's a short film and I got inscribed by New Jack City. I got inspired by Nino Brain when I got inscribed by Boys in the Hood, and I said, you know what,

and it's twenty minutes. I just wanna create this balance and I want to act crazy through the whole film, and I would be gangster. I'm gonna go hard because I wanted to just creative balance and I wanted to do it, and I did it, and it's on Prime right now, doing very well. And I was just happy to direct it and starting and I said, you know what, this is what it is? Yes, yes, I love that well.

I want to definitely keep pushing all that great energy in your way to keep succeeding, to keep pushing, to keep doing all that that is. That is amazing. And I guess for those who've been listening and watching, who've had a chance to absorb some of your amazing energy and as well as your story, um, could you leave us with a dose of Vitamin D, words of inspiration and maybe a quote A thought or anything. Something to inspire someone, well, something to inspire someone from from shape,

from Trade Chain. When when we're gonna here with my sister Dawn day is never give up. Never give up. Um this business and just in life in general, it's gonna throw you curve balls, you know, it's gonna throw you certain things that you got to jump over, but never giving up an understanding that putting God first is the key. And then just if you have a dream, sometimes a lot of times it's great to detach yourself from the dream and throw it out into the universe

so the universe can work. It's magic and everything could come back to you full circle. So that that's my that's my message, you know on viteing d you know what I'm saying with with you know, yes, I love that. Um. Now, after everybody has heard amazingly what you said, where can we kept up with you? How do we follow you? On social media? Well, Instagram is dedicated for the series page.

Don't tell me why so long, but Mr trade Chain, my very five page I had, so I had my backup page dedicated father series page, all positivity, all you're gonna get this great energy on there? On Twitter, is at trade Chaine in the correct spelling t r A y h A in e y and then Facebook trade poop Change because poop is sort of like a pay homage to the wire. You know, That's that's how people recognize who I was from the beginning. So trade poop

training on the wire. And I'm approachable, you know what I'm saying. My fans, my supporters, they always hit me up on all these social media platforms. I'm always responded back. Every day is going to be a great word shared, you know because a lot of people they follow and they watch and and they want to they want to be inspired. And I just feel like, like I said, that's my purpose. I'm here to motivate and inspire and encourage as much as I can. Well, thank you so much,

thank you. Wow. I know that right there. That's trade training, inspiration, motivational. I mean a brother that is truly walking in dominion. And then also the star of the show, Satsan Center. It's on Bounce TV Sunday nights nine eight Central. Make sure you check it out and remember the key nuggets here. Remember how important it is to take the jump, Remember how important it is. It's just to keep moving forward and understanding that every day above ground is a blessing.

So are you ready to be blessed? Are you ready to move into the life of your dreams? Because I'm telling you you're worthy and you're gonna have to take a chance. And just like Tray said, you gotta get out there and put yourself out there. Understand that everything is a slow bill. So whether it's his situation that he gets in a car accident as he us on his promo wrong for a season five of his show, what was your head? What was ya? Get down that dictator?

You'll get up, you know, as Les Brown says, if you can lick up, you can get up. So what do you say? Did you cut on the lights? Welcome to Vitamin To. I want you to remember this if you are fearful or having some hesitation of anything in your life, understand that fear is not meant for you to run away, but it's something that's meant for you to run towards. If the blessing is in the journey, the question, because what are you willing to discover? Hey,

now listen. If you enjoy trade chainey just as much as I did, make sure you follow on social media on Instagram at dedicated father series page show him some love. The brother is full of inspiration and motivation. If you didn't catch enough on the conversation already, all right, and if you want some more Vitamin D in the meantime, make sure you follow me at Dawn day Speaks on

all social media. And also if you'd like to be a guest on the show or if you'd like to submit your own advice letter for me to give some of my response, to make sure you email me vitamin D at dawn day speaks dot com. Okay, all right, well, it's time to get out of here, and until next time, I want you to always remember you are your greatest staus at