Episode 300: Faith Morris
“Shark Presents the 300th Episode with a Need for History and a Little Faith”
Conversation with Faith Morris, the Chief Marketing Officer of the National Civil Rights Museum.
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Transcription of the Episode
Transcription
****Please forgive any and all transcription errors as this was transcribed by Otter.ai.****
[intro music]
Kenneth Kinney 0:16
Welcome back and thank you for joining A Shark's Perspective. I am Kenneth "Shark" Kinney, your host and Chief Shark Officer.
Kenneth Kinney 0:22
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Kenneth Kinney 0:25
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Kenneth Kinney 0:50
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Kenneth Kinney 1:13
And now back to the show.
Kenneth Kinney 1:15
You would be hard pressed to find a more significant story in US history than race relations, and how they have impacted what we've come up with in this American fabric. And you'd be hard pressed to find a more significant location to study that or find a more impactful museum experience than the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King's words were significant then just as they are today. But how do you market that that message especially where he was assassinated? How do you get out the word even more? How do you show the message with a need for history and a little faith?
Kenneth Kinney 1:47
Faith Morris is the Chief Marketing Officer of the National Civil Rights Museum.
Kenneth Kinney 1:51
And on this special episode, we'll discuss marketing where history is happening every day, how we got here and how it impacts what we're seeing today and in the future, Dr. King's legacy, black CMO's and diversity in the workplace, George Floyd, starting with understanding, the freedom awards, DE&I, trying to look at equity from the view of offense, Mandela, Rosa Parks, Carter, Clinton, the Dalai Lama, ribs and catfish, Graceland, and a lot, lot more.
Kenneth Kinney 2:18
So let's tune into Faith and Shark on this 300th episode of A Shark's Perspective.
Kenneth Kinney 2:27
Faith thank you so much for joining us today on A Shark's Perspective. Tell us a little bit about your background and your career today.
Faith Morris 2:34
Well, I am from Memphis, Tennessee, and I'm now back in Memphis after 25 years. I love it here. It was really interesting coming back home and seeing how much had and had not changed. I went to Memphis State University so I stayed at home to go to school. My parents were just insistent on that because of some tragedy that happened in the family and I did not want me to go too far. I've been in a majored in English, which really served me well, um, my parents were educators, both of them have now passed. But I grew up with a book in my hand, I grew up writing and recite poetry and loving literature and, and reading and one of the things that my mom did, didn't realize the value of it that I thought it was punishment. But there was, I got to know Shakespeare better than anybody. She was about the only person I could talk to Shakespeare with. There's nobody I was hanging out with and trying to know anything about Shakespeare. But she also introduced me to black literature and black authors and black poets. And so I got to know many of their names and to me with their work and use their work examples, I still do have that point of view that perspective. I went from the university was midstate artist when I was the University of Memphis, but majored in English. My professor, they always told you to don't get into a professor's last name that was either an animal or color. thought if that made any sense, you know? Well, my English Lit, professor was Elizabeth white. Elizabeth white told me that black girls had no business majoring in English. And I took that to my English teacher Mama. And as to what she thought about that, now also, reason this came up is because I had just gotten a D minus on a paper with No marks. Now one thing I knew I could do was write that whether you believe the perspective that I have, but it certainly was not incorrect. But it had no instruction, it had no corrections, it had no anything, it was just that I had no business major than English. So we did take that to counsel at the school, and we took care of it. But it was just that mindset that kind of colored some things for me early on. It's interesting, you know, that I'm now at the National Civil Rights Museum. And I've had a great career in, you know, went from, from college to media, I was a reporter, and then anchor, and then news director, and then Public Affairs Director, and promotions, director, all of those things that I really found out that I really like being behind the scenes and, and making things happen, than being given stuck in my head to tell me what to say, that was cool for me. Went from that and decided that I really wanted to do my own thing. And I did, and started a consultancy. And then that grew into an agency had fabulous clients. I also brought my parents who were both at Memphis to Chicago, I was in Chicago, because that's where I raised my family and brought them both to, you know, Chicago, so I could take care of I was back and forth. to Memphis, it was just not easy for me to keep a business going and keep doing that. And brought them to Chicago. And they lasted. They had lasted a year and mom lasted two years. And Mom, interestingly enough, was was the sickest of the two. So anyway, after that, I decided that I really wanted to take a little bit of a break, and got a call from Memphis to come and be involved in something that I had been involved in for a while that I had chopped quite a bit, my dear friend babbling about coming to hit up marketing.
Kenneth Kinney 7:30
You got this call from our mutual friend, Beverly?
Faith Morris 7:33
Yes, I did. I did. And she wanted me to further position the museum globally. And just this was in 2013 2014. And museum we opened after about 18 months of the biggest renovation that it had in its history. And my job was to make sure folks knew what this local museum in Memphis was all about how phenomenal it is and how its role in telling the story of the civil rights movement is one of the most critical roles and you Sam can have which is immersed in the truth and facts and and part history.
Kenneth Kinney 8:17
Well in Beverly Robertson, being the former president, who is now the brand ambassador to the world is as the head of the Chamber of Commerce for Memphis is a firecracker on our own. And yeah, he's done a lot with you to help advance it. So what's it like to market one of the top tourist attractions and country especially one in the National Civil Rights Museum that has such historical significance?
Faith Morris 8:43
Well, do no, make it No, no doubt that this museum was phenomenal. Before I got to it. It had a rich history, it was one of the sites of national sites of conscious which very few museums in this this world are part of. But it also needed to, to have give people a deeper meaning of, of why this renovation happened and what was special about it, and what story, you know, was to be told and, and to help us understand that there was more than history than Dr. King, although he was the reason his assassination is the reason that the museum exists in the first place. It's it's on a historic site. It's where history happens. But it's also a place where history is happening every day. And that's part of our story. You know, it's the power of place. It is a place where people come from all over the world to understand better what happened during the historic move. That is really important for us to help folks understand that. Understanding history is an important thing for us to do. It's an important exercise. It's an important way to delve into how we got here. We need to take that and decide how it impacts what we're seeing now, because there is absolutely a new movement. And George Floyd was assassinated, murdered in May of 2020, you know, the country broke out in protests. folks were feeling fearful and lost and mad as hell. And just not understanding how something like that could happen in front of an audience. It made no difference. The protesters, the activists, they started or ended their marches and protests at the museum. And it's because we have helped them understand that we are a place where, you know, difficult conversations happen. We're a museum of protests, every episode that's in the museum talks about protests, and and how it was. But it also talks about civil disobedience training, which is what snick and that became, in, were all about understanding how to train for protest, making it strategic. And last year, frankly, was really my experience, first experience at any real deep way of them really going back to the historic movement, to plan for today's movement. They put very heavily on it this time. And these were young people, young people, and diverse. One of the things we let you see when you come to the museum is that it wasn't a black movement. It wasn't just black people trying to say black people, from all walks of life, every color in the right, every persuasion, and religion and culture, were involved. And we're seeing that again.
Kenneth Kinney 12:03
Well, obviously, when you go to any museum, you hope to learn something if I mean, the National Civil Rights Museum, is a powerful Museum, I've seen it several times. It's a different experience, though, it's not like going to the Louvre and seeing beautiful artwork. I mean, there's just such a difference in a story. There's a real story behind it. It's an act that happened to a man from another who acted in hate from just across the street. It's something that's affected this country for hundreds of years, and will affect for years to come. But there's so much for lack of a better phrase, that's history wrapped up in the museum, as the CMO, what do you want people to learn from a visit to the museum.
Faith Morris 12:47
You know, people come to the museum from all different persuasions, some know about the civil rights movement, international visitors absolutely know about it. It's amazing how immersed they are. And some of them have no idea about it, some of them are mad about it, some of them are not wanting to know anymore, because they feel guilty, and don't want to feel that guilt, don't want to feel that shame. You have history makers, those that were a part of the historic movement, coming to visit. And those are really interesting times to walk through with them. And they say, Oh, I knew that this happened, and I was there when that happened. Or I was a child when it happened. Or I marked, you know, with Dr. King all over the country. So there's so many different lessons you get. But I think the main thing is every exhibit, every episode that we talk about in the museum, there is a parallel to something today, we still buy a voting rights instrument still trying to get education equity, we're still trying to get fair housing, we're still trying to get fair health accommodations. We're still trying to get equity in our jobs in in, you know, salaries. We're still trying to get gender equity. So I wish I could say that, you know, everything is historical, and we can just revel in history. But we can't, we have to understand that it is is as appropriate to data understand what happened in so that you can connect the dots and what you're seeing now. They'll wonder why in the world, are we still going through the same thing? Why would people actually why would we be at a nation that actually stormed the Capitol? The way that happened January 6, well, if you understand your history, and if you see what we have seen over the past years, it was coming. We had every reason to think that something like this might happen. We have to pay attention. I know you've heard of being woke. Well, if you if you don't get woke, and stay woke, you're gonna miss it. It won't miss you though.
Kenneth Kinney 15:13
Yeah, I know one of the things that I thought was that's very impactful as seeing the Greyhound bus in the museum, the the one that was burned or in the firebombing, and you can walk through and see something like that and apply it to so many other different things. It's you don't feel just wrapped up in that one experience. It's there's so many different displays in there that you can look at and then apply to somewhere else that something happened in life. One of the things I wanted to ask too, because I think it's interesting, how did the National Civil Rights Museum and you handle the shutdown during COVID, any good museum needs good donors and benefactors. And obviously, this has been a continuing change and evolution for the museum. It also happened when George Floyd was killed, you didn't have the opportunity, quite the same way virtually. Although there were protests in the streets, including in Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum was closed at the time to visitors. And with COVID during that whole 16 months, shut down, I guess, or 17 months, whatever it's been, how did the museum react during such a tumultuous time.
Faith Morris 16:20
So we closed March 2020, we open July 2020. We closed again, December 2020. reopened again, March 2021. So we were closed for six months, over a year's period. What we found during that time, and thankfully, the museum is in good financial shape. A lot of firms are not in good financial shape, a lot of nonprofits period, are not in good enough shape to not be in business every day. So you know, thankfully we are but but still you're you're working on not having income. But we did have though, during those six months. And actually it started, especially after George Floyd. And because of the storytelling that we've had about the movement, and those people that made the movement, and that folks have an obligation to make some kind of impact to make this world better. Folks, we're giving folks we just people started giving small gifts, gifts, gifts, you know, they wanted to help, they wanted to participate. They wanted to show that it's important for folks to understand where we came from how we got here. What do we, you know, we had for MLK 50. Where do we go from here? We're still trying to figure that out? Where do we go from the air. So so we had a lot of benefactors that, frankly, had not been a part of our donor base before George floor, you know, and those that were already supporters of the museum continued. You know, we had, every year we do Freedom Award. And in 2020, we couldn't do Freedom Award. We couldn't do it because Freedom Award is a very social event. And no way you could have a socially distance Freedom Award and have the same impact. We're gonna figure it out this year, because who knows what's gonna happen in October this year, we've got more options than we have been. But we had donors that gave to an event that didn't happen at the same level that they sponsored when it did. So the Friends of the museum, new and old, really did show up. And it's because of that, that we continued our program. We never stopped. The museum being close has nothing to do with my department. My department works seven days a week I'm not waiting. Why does the weekend. Tell them you museum kept going the king, April 4, which is you know, King Day is our biggest we have you know, 10 to 12,000 people, you know, on our campus celebrating Dr. King's birthday, this birthdays of 15th. And whenever that official Monday is close to his birthday is when we celebrate, but April 4 is most significant for the exam because that's when he was assassinated. And 2020 we had to commemorate his assassination, and we did it virtually. And what virtual Did you know I always say that COVID is a blessing and a curse. The Blessing has been that we were forced to come up With a way of keeping folks engaged and involved and commemorating things that we needed to not forget. And that was the beginning of our really phenomenal virtual program. I've been doing it virtually ever since, and will probably pivot to hybrid, you know, once we're good with people coming back in big, you know, audiences to the museum. So that's how we coped. That's how we survived, during, you know, really sketchy times, Financial Times.
Kenneth Kinney 20:36
You mentioned the freedom awards. What has that meant to you? And who are some of the recipients that have been part of that I know, they're small names. nobody's heard of like Nelson Mandela and Joe Biden, small people like that. But talking about that amazing award ceremony in the in the kind of recipients I mean, you've had Rosa Parks, I mean, just amazing names, every one of them.
Faith Morris 20:57
So this is the 30th anniversary of the National Civil Rights Museum. It's the 30th anniversary of the freedom war. So when the museum opened on January on July 4 1991, the first thing that happened was to honor some folks that had been changemakers, 30 years ago, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, they were among the first recipients. We have honored folks that people had never heard their names before. And when they heard their stories, they were like, Oh, my God. Are you kidding me? And then there were names that you had to head. You know, CT Vivian, Benjamin Crump. Bryan Stevenson, Ava DuVernay, Jesse Jackson, presidents Carter, and Clinton. I mean, the list goes on. And I can't tell you that it's male, or female dominated. It's about half and half. We've honored the Dalai Lama. And hello, Robert Parish, Moses who just lost in one of the things about the Freedom Award, and the whole intention of it is to honor men and women who have contributed greatly, you know, to civil and human rights, who have risked their lives in many instances who have made it, you know, their life's work, to do good to make this a better place. For those that are disenfranchised. So pretty much anybody you can imagine, that has done anything that's critical, and the work goes on and honors Go on, you know, we've really tried to make sure that we honor them with the freedom.
Kenneth Kinney 23:19
The shared community in history that we have in Memphis, I think is different than what you would have in Chicago, or Phoenix, or LA or New York. And there's a different experience. I think that people here get as being a part of Memphis in a very integrated community versus a lot of communities that are not very integrated.
Faith Morris 23:39
Memphis is majority black. Here's the thing. Memphis it's been over 50 years and Dr. King was assassinated here in Memphis, has been in mourning since its death. not gotten past the assassination has not been able to, to lift itself past it. You know, when we did MLK 50 in 2018, it was an opportunity for Memphis to not be the reason you know that the only story we tell is that Dr. King was assassinated here, but that we've taken what he meant to the city, and why he came here in the first place, which was for the sanitation workers, and see what has happened for them since then. So that this new story from Memphis can be one to be more proud of, instead of it, it only being reflective of what the most sad story is. And so that did happen. Well, we're finding that even though Dr. Kim's assassinated here, Dr. King spent his last moments here Dr. King had visited before Dr. King was on all over this country, we have folks in, in cities all over the world that shout his name out at different points of time based on what's going on in their world. We have little kids that come that have no idea about him other than what they were told what they've read what they've seen, it didn't live through what Dr. Kane was about, I was a child and I became this athlete, I didn't really think about that. So what's so amazing about him is that it's as if he's still here, he is the most well read. Everybody knows some quote, everybody has either seen a book, or heard a speech, or all the films about him, or those that were inspired by him. So it's hard to get away from them, and he's been gone this far. So Memphis has a special place. For Dr. King in the way we want to remember him, not just because he died, but because he met. And that's why it's so important for us to celebrate his birthday. That's why it's important for us to celebrate his assassination. But use that as the model for how we do better, and not repeat those apps. When young people come to the museum on Friday night, on date night, and want to be close to what this interpretation is, what this storyteller is, that tells you that something's going on. And so Dr. King really has made an impact on babies on the lives of so many different generations. And I don't see that there's any enter that any close, there's nothing that that shows me that that's kind of met up at all.
Kenneth Kinney 27:01
One of the things that has grown in importance, obviously, is diversity, equity, and inclusion that, especially with race is had a major importance as we grow in diversity, including in our workforce, I'm curious, I know that you have usually have a pretty large community in your network. But I was trying to think prior to this, how many other black chief marketing officers that I know or maybe that you know, even in this community, I have worked with brands all over the country, and I am heartened to see more people of color have all kinds of races show a larger predominance in the workforce. We still have a long way to go, but including and C level roles, you just you still don't see very many of them.
Faith Morris 27:46
But let's start with this statistic. Only 5% of black executives are in the C suite. That's a whole lot of work to do. There's a whole lot that needs to be done to fix that. One of the things that the museum is involved in is to look at that. And so we'll be revealing something about that soon. But what we know is equity is no there was this thing about equality, right? You know, that's what Dr. Kane was fighting for was equality. He just wanted to make sure that you got invited, he wanted to make sure that if there was a school, and it was decent that you got there, he wanted the doors to be open because he went from being closed to try and open them. We had to go pass back to you know, there's this image. And I think I might have given you this image before. But there's this image of this family standing down to look at a baseball game over a fence and there's a mom, there's a dad and there's a kid, the dad is standing there, he needs no box. The mom is on a box, and the kid is on the box. So actually, there's three boxes that take that back, the dad's on a box of kids on the backs of mom's on the box. Well, the dad is looking over the fence pretty easily. He really didn't need a box. The mom actually could use his box because she's just barely seeing over and the kid is looking at the fence she can see over the fence it off. And so until we have all the boxes that we need to see over the fence, we have no equity. Just because we're at the fits doesn't mean that we're getting what we need to get. You know, my daughter reminds me all the time. And of course I didn't originate this I just use it as my mantra. If you don't have a seat at the table, bring a seat that say bring the tape because you just can't be stocked and so it's important for those in power to understand that that Something has to be done, minds have to be changed. We have to stop worrying about what you lose, if you give. There has been so much damage done. There's been so much in theory of thought given to what is the best decision to make even on behalf of a corporation on behalf of the entity on who is the best candidate. So if the only folks you know look like you the chances are you won't find out who the best candidate is. All you know is who your candidates are, who your circle is. There's some mighty amazing people outside that range that you hang out.
Kenneth Kinney 30:47
Yeah, amen to that.
Faith Morris 30:48
And if you have somebody to your house, if you know if you've never had anybody black to dinner, then you don't know black?
Kenneth Kinney 30:56
Well, Faith, this is going to be the most non obvious twist on questions, but it's something I asked everybody who's been on the show. Okay, what is your favorite kind of shark and why? Or do you have a shark story?
Unknown Speaker 31:08
You're not going to ask me what kind of sharks
Kenneth Kinney 31:11
there's not a lot of sharks, you probably see more catfish. anywhere around here than than sharks on a plate.
Faith Morris 31:18
Well the only catfish I see is on a plate
Kenneth Kinney 31:24
Well, fair enough.
Faith Morris 31:26
And I think it's amazing that you swim with sharks. I see when you get your name, you upgrade. And you have nerve.
Kenneth Kinney 31:35
Part of that is the perspective I also bring from swimming with them and perspective as a scuba diver. I look at things from as many points of view to inform me as possible. Well, it's that special time in the show. Are you ready for the five most interesting and important questions that you're going to be asked today?
Faith Morris 31:54
Oh, my goodness. And we've not had those already?
Kenneth Kinney 31:56
No, these are these are fun to get to know you a little bit better. Okay. All right, number one. So you're bringing friends to Memphis and you only have one choice of where to take them because of a limited amount of time. And obviously that's after they've been to the National Civil Rights Museum. You're going to take them to either Elvis Presley's Graceland or Beale Street and I'll even add it as BB kings on Beale Street.
Faith Morris 32:29
Well, I'd say probably Beale Street. Although Elvis Presley's places place that folks really love to go. Yeah, it's
Kenneth Kinney 32:38
it's also I mean, it's totally different experience, but it is an experience you will not forget. Alright, number two. So you spent a lot of time there, Chicago, or Memphis?
Faith Morris 32:50
Oh, wow, you got from somebody who spends a lot of time still in Chicago. Just got back from Chicago. We'll be going back in two weeks. You know, that's a hard one because I entertain people in both places. But follow me back to Japan.
Kenneth Kinney 33:07
You got to pick your favorite child and look at least you did. You know you got COVID in Chicago, so
Faith Morris 33:14
No, I did not. I got COVID here. Okay.
Kenneth Kinney 33:17
So So pick your favorite child? Is it Chicago or Memphis?
Faith Morris 33:26
Oh my. That's such a political question.
Kenneth Kinney 33:28
Yes, in the political answer is the obvious one, considering where you are. And where you attract people to?
Faith Morris 33:37
Well, I'm gonna say Memphis because Chicago doesn't need any help.
Kenneth Kinney 33:41
Alright, number three. If you were going to another MLK exhibit, to really get a good experience when you were doing your travels, and you had a choice of one, would you go to the MLK Jr. National Historic Park in Atlanta or the MLK Jr. Memorial in Washington DC
Faith Morris 34:06
you know, you are so wrong for all of these questions, because I have strong links with both of them as well. And different reasons for sending people to both and I'm going to say it this way. If you want to understand how Dr. King lived and his heritage that still is there be authentic place that's an Atlanta if you want to see the history around Dr. King's life that's in DC
Kenneth Kinney 34:36
that's a very good I'll give you that one. That was a very good skirt on which way to go. Alright, number four. So we talked about this briefly before catfish or barbecue
Faith Morris 34:48
Catfish. Oh wait, hold on.
Kenneth Kinney 34:51
BBQ pork. You're in the you're in the barbecue pork capital of the world.
Faith Morris 34:54
Okay, but I love ribs. Yeah, my thing I love ribs. I'm going to always say barbecue.
Kenneth Kinney 35:01
Okay, all right. Number five. And the most important question that you're going to be asked today is biscuits or cornbread.
Faith Morris 35:11
Good cornbread.
Kenneth Kinney 35:14
Really? Okay. I expected someone in the south to say biscuits because of gravy and everything.
Faith Morris 35:22
You have biscuits everywhere but you don't have to good cornbread.
Kenneth Kinney 35:24
Cornbread goes well with barbecue ribs.
Unknown Speaker 35:27
Oh my. I don't eat biscuits with cornbread. I mean BBQ. That's for sure
Kenneth Kinney 35:31
Exactly. So, faith, where can people find out more about you more about the National Civil Rights Museum and more,
Faith Morris 35:40
go to civil rights museum.org and hopefully you'll come visit civil rights museum.org and I am on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, as is the museum. So hanging out with
Kenneth Kinney 35:58
Absolutely. Faith, it's been an honor. Thank you so much for being with us today on the 300th episode of a sharks perspective,
Faith Morris 36:05
300. That's hot.
Kenneth Kinney 36:07
It is indeed. It's been an honor. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 36:09
Thank you, Shark.
Kenneth Kinney 36:16
So that was my conversation with Faith Morris, the Chief Marketing Officer of the National Civil Rights Museum. Let's take a look at three key takeaways from my conversation with her.
Kenneth Kinney 36:25
First, I've always enjoyed museums of all kinds. In fact, I just got back from one of the Smithsonian museums in DC that even at a shark exhibit, but it's nothing like the experience you get when walking through the National Civil Rights Museum. I encourage you all to go at least once faith and team did a masterful job of helping tell the story doesn't matter what color you are, Dr. King changed, the world of the museum is just the start to where your eyes will open even more, and change can start to happen. It's a shared history in Memphis, where he was assassinated, but a birthplace as well for new understandings. A special thank you to faith for having that conversation with me, even as a fumble through most of it.
Kenneth Kinney 37:02
Second, we have a long way to go in the workplace. As she discussed, there isn't nearly enough diversity in the C suite. Only 5% of black executives are in the C suite often talk about even just the lack of diversity of thought with teams and brands and agencies, let alone race. Bringing people from other backgrounds together with their unique experiences, especially when those backgrounds are very diverse, can really help move things forward in society. And we need more of it. As she said, there's a whole lot of work to do.
Kenneth Kinney 37:31
Third, I will simply quote a portion of Dr. King's famous speech from 1963. at the Lincoln Memorial, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I say amen to that. And I hope that we can continue to have real conversations with each other without tearing each other down.
Kenneth Kinney 37:54
And a rare fourth, as I said at the time of the 100th show, the 200th, and now the 300th, please know that I am honored that people take the time to be a part of this show. I've been so lucky to have thoughtful discussions with some of the smartest and most influential people in business today. From a lot of diverse backgrounds. I hope you continue to earn your respect and trust which matters far more to me than being in a spotlight, likes, shares, followers, air or any of that. This show is not been about anything other than trying to help people to do better with their brands, educate and help businesses grow. And every once in a while, I get to talk about my weird passion for swimming with some of my fishy friends.
Kenneth Kinney 38:31
Got a question? Send me an email to Kenneth at a sharks perspective dot com. Thank you again for the privilege of your time. I'm so thankful to everyone who listens. Thank you to the amazing sponsors Invoca and Drips!
Kenneth Kinney 38:41
Would you please consider writing review and letting me know your thoughts on the show? I read all of them and it helps me create better content for both of us.
Kenneth Kinney 38:49
I'm pretty certain that I have at least another 300 episodes and me sharks live forever. Or at least this one will keep swimming in please join us on the next episode of A Shark's Perspective.
[music]
Transcription
****Please forgive any and all transcription errors as this was transcribed by Otter.ai.****
[intro music]
Kenneth Kinney 0:16
Welcome back and thank you for joining A Shark's Perspective. I am Kenneth "Shark" Kinney, your host and Chief Shark Officer.
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Kenneth Kinney 0:25
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Kenneth Kinney 0:50
Now let's talk about outbound. I hope that you'll take a look at Drips, the founders of conversational texting where they use conversational AI to help you reach customers where they're most responsive, and that's on their phones. And working with major brands like Three Day Blinds, Liberty Mutual, Credit Repair, and Ganesco, Drips is leading the way for some of the biggest brands in the world to improve engagement rates and outcomes for their prospects and customers.
Kenneth Kinney 1:13
And now back to the show.
Kenneth Kinney 1:15
You would be hard pressed to find a more significant story in US history than race relations, and how they have impacted what we've come up with in this American fabric. And you'd be hard pressed to find a more significant location to study that or find a more impactful museum experience than the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King's words were significant then just as they are today. But how do you market that that message especially where he was assassinated? How do you get out the word even more? How do you show the message with a need for history and a little faith?
Kenneth Kinney 1:47
Faith Morris is the Chief Marketing Officer of the National Civil Rights Museum.
Kenneth Kinney 1:51
And on this special episode, we'll discuss marketing where history is happening every day, how we got here and how it impacts what we're seeing today and in the future, Dr. King's legacy, black CMO's and diversity in the workplace, George Floyd, starting with understanding, the freedom awards, DE&I, trying to look at equity from the view of offense, Mandela, Rosa Parks, Carter, Clinton, the Dalai Lama, ribs and catfish, Graceland, and a lot, lot more.
Kenneth Kinney 2:18
So let's tune into Faith and Shark on this 300th episode of A Shark's Perspective.
Kenneth Kinney 2:27
Faith thank you so much for joining us today on A Shark's Perspective. Tell us a little bit about your background and your career today.
Faith Morris 2:34
Well, I am from Memphis, Tennessee, and I'm now back in Memphis after 25 years. I love it here. It was really interesting coming back home and seeing how much had and had not changed. I went to Memphis State University so I stayed at home to go to school. My parents were just insistent on that because of some tragedy that happened in the family and I did not want me to go too far. I've been in a majored in English, which really served me well, um, my parents were educators, both of them have now passed. But I grew up with a book in my hand, I grew up writing and recite poetry and loving literature and, and reading and one of the things that my mom did, didn't realize the value of it that I thought it was punishment. But there was, I got to know Shakespeare better than anybody. She was about the only person I could talk to Shakespeare with. There's nobody I was hanging out with and trying to know anything about Shakespeare. But she also introduced me to black literature and black authors and black poets. And so I got to know many of their names and to me with their work and use their work examples, I still do have that point of view that perspective. I went from the university was midstate artist when I was the University of Memphis, but majored in English. My professor, they always told you to don't get into a professor's last name that was either an animal or color. thought if that made any sense, you know? Well, my English Lit, professor was Elizabeth white. Elizabeth white told me that black girls had no business majoring in English. And I took that to my English teacher Mama. And as to what she thought about that, now also, reason this came up is because I had just gotten a D minus on a paper with No marks. Now one thing I knew I could do was write that whether you believe the perspective that I have, but it certainly was not incorrect. But it had no instruction, it had no corrections, it had no anything, it was just that I had no business major than English. So we did take that to counsel at the school, and we took care of it. But it was just that mindset that kind of colored some things for me early on. It's interesting, you know, that I'm now at the National Civil Rights Museum. And I've had a great career in, you know, went from, from college to media, I was a reporter, and then anchor, and then news director, and then Public Affairs Director, and promotions, director, all of those things that I really found out that I really like being behind the scenes and, and making things happen, than being given stuck in my head to tell me what to say, that was cool for me. Went from that and decided that I really wanted to do my own thing. And I did, and started a consultancy. And then that grew into an agency had fabulous clients. I also brought my parents who were both at Memphis to Chicago, I was in Chicago, because that's where I raised my family and brought them both to, you know, Chicago, so I could take care of I was back and forth. to Memphis, it was just not easy for me to keep a business going and keep doing that. And brought them to Chicago. And they lasted. They had lasted a year and mom lasted two years. And Mom, interestingly enough, was was the sickest of the two. So anyway, after that, I decided that I really wanted to take a little bit of a break, and got a call from Memphis to come and be involved in something that I had been involved in for a while that I had chopped quite a bit, my dear friend babbling about coming to hit up marketing.
Kenneth Kinney 7:30
You got this call from our mutual friend, Beverly?
Faith Morris 7:33
Yes, I did. I did. And she wanted me to further position the museum globally. And just this was in 2013 2014. And museum we opened after about 18 months of the biggest renovation that it had in its history. And my job was to make sure folks knew what this local museum in Memphis was all about how phenomenal it is and how its role in telling the story of the civil rights movement is one of the most critical roles and you Sam can have which is immersed in the truth and facts and and part history.
Kenneth Kinney 8:17
Well in Beverly Robertson, being the former president, who is now the brand ambassador to the world is as the head of the Chamber of Commerce for Memphis is a firecracker on our own. And yeah, he's done a lot with you to help advance it. So what's it like to market one of the top tourist attractions and country especially one in the National Civil Rights Museum that has such historical significance?
Faith Morris 8:43
Well, do no, make it No, no doubt that this museum was phenomenal. Before I got to it. It had a rich history, it was one of the sites of national sites of conscious which very few museums in this this world are part of. But it also needed to, to have give people a deeper meaning of, of why this renovation happened and what was special about it, and what story, you know, was to be told and, and to help us understand that there was more than history than Dr. King, although he was the reason his assassination is the reason that the museum exists in the first place. It's it's on a historic site. It's where history happens. But it's also a place where history is happening every day. And that's part of our story. You know, it's the power of place. It is a place where people come from all over the world to understand better what happened during the historic move. That is really important for us to help folks understand that. Understanding history is an important thing for us to do. It's an important exercise. It's an important way to delve into how we got here. We need to take that and decide how it impacts what we're seeing now, because there is absolutely a new movement. And George Floyd was assassinated, murdered in May of 2020, you know, the country broke out in protests. folks were feeling fearful and lost and mad as hell. And just not understanding how something like that could happen in front of an audience. It made no difference. The protesters, the activists, they started or ended their marches and protests at the museum. And it's because we have helped them understand that we are a place where, you know, difficult conversations happen. We're a museum of protests, every episode that's in the museum talks about protests, and and how it was. But it also talks about civil disobedience training, which is what snick and that became, in, were all about understanding how to train for protest, making it strategic. And last year, frankly, was really my experience, first experience at any real deep way of them really going back to the historic movement, to plan for today's movement. They put very heavily on it this time. And these were young people, young people, and diverse. One of the things we let you see when you come to the museum is that it wasn't a black movement. It wasn't just black people trying to say black people, from all walks of life, every color in the right, every persuasion, and religion and culture, were involved. And we're seeing that again.
Kenneth Kinney 12:03
Well, obviously, when you go to any museum, you hope to learn something if I mean, the National Civil Rights Museum, is a powerful Museum, I've seen it several times. It's a different experience, though, it's not like going to the Louvre and seeing beautiful artwork. I mean, there's just such a difference in a story. There's a real story behind it. It's an act that happened to a man from another who acted in hate from just across the street. It's something that's affected this country for hundreds of years, and will affect for years to come. But there's so much for lack of a better phrase, that's history wrapped up in the museum, as the CMO, what do you want people to learn from a visit to the museum.
Faith Morris 12:47
You know, people come to the museum from all different persuasions, some know about the civil rights movement, international visitors absolutely know about it. It's amazing how immersed they are. And some of them have no idea about it, some of them are mad about it, some of them are not wanting to know anymore, because they feel guilty, and don't want to feel that guilt, don't want to feel that shame. You have history makers, those that were a part of the historic movement, coming to visit. And those are really interesting times to walk through with them. And they say, Oh, I knew that this happened, and I was there when that happened. Or I was a child when it happened. Or I marked, you know, with Dr. King all over the country. So there's so many different lessons you get. But I think the main thing is every exhibit, every episode that we talk about in the museum, there is a parallel to something today, we still buy a voting rights instrument still trying to get education equity, we're still trying to get fair housing, we're still trying to get fair health accommodations. We're still trying to get equity in our jobs in in, you know, salaries. We're still trying to get gender equity. So I wish I could say that, you know, everything is historical, and we can just revel in history. But we can't, we have to understand that it is is as appropriate to data understand what happened in so that you can connect the dots and what you're seeing now. They'll wonder why in the world, are we still going through the same thing? Why would people actually why would we be at a nation that actually stormed the Capitol? The way that happened January 6, well, if you understand your history, and if you see what we have seen over the past years, it was coming. We had every reason to think that something like this might happen. We have to pay attention. I know you've heard of being woke. Well, if you if you don't get woke, and stay woke, you're gonna miss it. It won't miss you though.
Kenneth Kinney 15:13
Yeah, I know one of the things that I thought was that's very impactful as seeing the Greyhound bus in the museum, the the one that was burned or in the firebombing, and you can walk through and see something like that and apply it to so many other different things. It's you don't feel just wrapped up in that one experience. It's there's so many different displays in there that you can look at and then apply to somewhere else that something happened in life. One of the things I wanted to ask too, because I think it's interesting, how did the National Civil Rights Museum and you handle the shutdown during COVID, any good museum needs good donors and benefactors. And obviously, this has been a continuing change and evolution for the museum. It also happened when George Floyd was killed, you didn't have the opportunity, quite the same way virtually. Although there were protests in the streets, including in Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum was closed at the time to visitors. And with COVID during that whole 16 months, shut down, I guess, or 17 months, whatever it's been, how did the museum react during such a tumultuous time.
Faith Morris 16:20
So we closed March 2020, we open July 2020. We closed again, December 2020. reopened again, March 2021. So we were closed for six months, over a year's period. What we found during that time, and thankfully, the museum is in good financial shape. A lot of firms are not in good financial shape, a lot of nonprofits period, are not in good enough shape to not be in business every day. So you know, thankfully we are but but still you're you're working on not having income. But we did have though, during those six months. And actually it started, especially after George Floyd. And because of the storytelling that we've had about the movement, and those people that made the movement, and that folks have an obligation to make some kind of impact to make this world better. Folks, we're giving folks we just people started giving small gifts, gifts, gifts, you know, they wanted to help, they wanted to participate. They wanted to show that it's important for folks to understand where we came from how we got here. What do we, you know, we had for MLK 50. Where do we go from here? We're still trying to figure that out? Where do we go from the air. So so we had a lot of benefactors that, frankly, had not been a part of our donor base before George floor, you know, and those that were already supporters of the museum continued. You know, we had, every year we do Freedom Award. And in 2020, we couldn't do Freedom Award. We couldn't do it because Freedom Award is a very social event. And no way you could have a socially distance Freedom Award and have the same impact. We're gonna figure it out this year, because who knows what's gonna happen in October this year, we've got more options than we have been. But we had donors that gave to an event that didn't happen at the same level that they sponsored when it did. So the Friends of the museum, new and old, really did show up. And it's because of that, that we continued our program. We never stopped. The museum being close has nothing to do with my department. My department works seven days a week I'm not waiting. Why does the weekend. Tell them you museum kept going the king, April 4, which is you know, King Day is our biggest we have you know, 10 to 12,000 people, you know, on our campus celebrating Dr. King's birthday, this birthdays of 15th. And whenever that official Monday is close to his birthday is when we celebrate, but April 4 is most significant for the exam because that's when he was assassinated. And 2020 we had to commemorate his assassination, and we did it virtually. And what virtual Did you know I always say that COVID is a blessing and a curse. The Blessing has been that we were forced to come up With a way of keeping folks engaged and involved and commemorating things that we needed to not forget. And that was the beginning of our really phenomenal virtual program. I've been doing it virtually ever since, and will probably pivot to hybrid, you know, once we're good with people coming back in big, you know, audiences to the museum. So that's how we coped. That's how we survived, during, you know, really sketchy times, Financial Times.
Kenneth Kinney 20:36
You mentioned the freedom awards. What has that meant to you? And who are some of the recipients that have been part of that I know, they're small names. nobody's heard of like Nelson Mandela and Joe Biden, small people like that. But talking about that amazing award ceremony in the in the kind of recipients I mean, you've had Rosa Parks, I mean, just amazing names, every one of them.
Faith Morris 20:57
So this is the 30th anniversary of the National Civil Rights Museum. It's the 30th anniversary of the freedom war. So when the museum opened on January on July 4 1991, the first thing that happened was to honor some folks that had been changemakers, 30 years ago, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, they were among the first recipients. We have honored folks that people had never heard their names before. And when they heard their stories, they were like, Oh, my God. Are you kidding me? And then there were names that you had to head. You know, CT Vivian, Benjamin Crump. Bryan Stevenson, Ava DuVernay, Jesse Jackson, presidents Carter, and Clinton. I mean, the list goes on. And I can't tell you that it's male, or female dominated. It's about half and half. We've honored the Dalai Lama. And hello, Robert Parish, Moses who just lost in one of the things about the Freedom Award, and the whole intention of it is to honor men and women who have contributed greatly, you know, to civil and human rights, who have risked their lives in many instances who have made it, you know, their life's work, to do good to make this a better place. For those that are disenfranchised. So pretty much anybody you can imagine, that has done anything that's critical, and the work goes on and honors Go on, you know, we've really tried to make sure that we honor them with the freedom.
Kenneth Kinney 23:19
The shared community in history that we have in Memphis, I think is different than what you would have in Chicago, or Phoenix, or LA or New York. And there's a different experience. I think that people here get as being a part of Memphis in a very integrated community versus a lot of communities that are not very integrated.
Faith Morris 23:39
Memphis is majority black. Here's the thing. Memphis it's been over 50 years and Dr. King was assassinated here in Memphis, has been in mourning since its death. not gotten past the assassination has not been able to, to lift itself past it. You know, when we did MLK 50 in 2018, it was an opportunity for Memphis to not be the reason you know that the only story we tell is that Dr. King was assassinated here, but that we've taken what he meant to the city, and why he came here in the first place, which was for the sanitation workers, and see what has happened for them since then. So that this new story from Memphis can be one to be more proud of, instead of it, it only being reflective of what the most sad story is. And so that did happen. Well, we're finding that even though Dr. Kim's assassinated here, Dr. King spent his last moments here Dr. King had visited before Dr. King was on all over this country, we have folks in, in cities all over the world that shout his name out at different points of time based on what's going on in their world. We have little kids that come that have no idea about him other than what they were told what they've read what they've seen, it didn't live through what Dr. Kane was about, I was a child and I became this athlete, I didn't really think about that. So what's so amazing about him is that it's as if he's still here, he is the most well read. Everybody knows some quote, everybody has either seen a book, or heard a speech, or all the films about him, or those that were inspired by him. So it's hard to get away from them, and he's been gone this far. So Memphis has a special place. For Dr. King in the way we want to remember him, not just because he died, but because he met. And that's why it's so important for us to celebrate his birthday. That's why it's important for us to celebrate his assassination. But use that as the model for how we do better, and not repeat those apps. When young people come to the museum on Friday night, on date night, and want to be close to what this interpretation is, what this storyteller is, that tells you that something's going on. And so Dr. King really has made an impact on babies on the lives of so many different generations. And I don't see that there's any enter that any close, there's nothing that that shows me that that's kind of met up at all.
Kenneth Kinney 27:01
One of the things that has grown in importance, obviously, is diversity, equity, and inclusion that, especially with race is had a major importance as we grow in diversity, including in our workforce, I'm curious, I know that you have usually have a pretty large community in your network. But I was trying to think prior to this, how many other black chief marketing officers that I know or maybe that you know, even in this community, I have worked with brands all over the country, and I am heartened to see more people of color have all kinds of races show a larger predominance in the workforce. We still have a long way to go, but including and C level roles, you just you still don't see very many of them.
Faith Morris 27:46
But let's start with this statistic. Only 5% of black executives are in the C suite. That's a whole lot of work to do. There's a whole lot that needs to be done to fix that. One of the things that the museum is involved in is to look at that. And so we'll be revealing something about that soon. But what we know is equity is no there was this thing about equality, right? You know, that's what Dr. Kane was fighting for was equality. He just wanted to make sure that you got invited, he wanted to make sure that if there was a school, and it was decent that you got there, he wanted the doors to be open because he went from being closed to try and open them. We had to go pass back to you know, there's this image. And I think I might have given you this image before. But there's this image of this family standing down to look at a baseball game over a fence and there's a mom, there's a dad and there's a kid, the dad is standing there, he needs no box. The mom is on a box, and the kid is on the box. So actually, there's three boxes that take that back, the dad's on a box of kids on the backs of mom's on the box. Well, the dad is looking over the fence pretty easily. He really didn't need a box. The mom actually could use his box because she's just barely seeing over and the kid is looking at the fence she can see over the fence it off. And so until we have all the boxes that we need to see over the fence, we have no equity. Just because we're at the fits doesn't mean that we're getting what we need to get. You know, my daughter reminds me all the time. And of course I didn't originate this I just use it as my mantra. If you don't have a seat at the table, bring a seat that say bring the tape because you just can't be stocked and so it's important for those in power to understand that that Something has to be done, minds have to be changed. We have to stop worrying about what you lose, if you give. There has been so much damage done. There's been so much in theory of thought given to what is the best decision to make even on behalf of a corporation on behalf of the entity on who is the best candidate. So if the only folks you know look like you the chances are you won't find out who the best candidate is. All you know is who your candidates are, who your circle is. There's some mighty amazing people outside that range that you hang out.
Kenneth Kinney 30:47
Yeah, amen to that.
Faith Morris 30:48
And if you have somebody to your house, if you know if you've never had anybody black to dinner, then you don't know black?
Kenneth Kinney 30:56
Well, Faith, this is going to be the most non obvious twist on questions, but it's something I asked everybody who's been on the show. Okay, what is your favorite kind of shark and why? Or do you have a shark story?
Unknown Speaker 31:08
You're not going to ask me what kind of sharks
Kenneth Kinney 31:11
there's not a lot of sharks, you probably see more catfish. anywhere around here than than sharks on a plate.
Faith Morris 31:18
Well the only catfish I see is on a plate
Kenneth Kinney 31:24
Well, fair enough.
Faith Morris 31:26
And I think it's amazing that you swim with sharks. I see when you get your name, you upgrade. And you have nerve.
Kenneth Kinney 31:35
Part of that is the perspective I also bring from swimming with them and perspective as a scuba diver. I look at things from as many points of view to inform me as possible. Well, it's that special time in the show. Are you ready for the five most interesting and important questions that you're going to be asked today?
Faith Morris 31:54
Oh, my goodness. And we've not had those already?
Kenneth Kinney 31:56
No, these are these are fun to get to know you a little bit better. Okay. All right, number one. So you're bringing friends to Memphis and you only have one choice of where to take them because of a limited amount of time. And obviously that's after they've been to the National Civil Rights Museum. You're going to take them to either Elvis Presley's Graceland or Beale Street and I'll even add it as BB kings on Beale Street.
Faith Morris 32:29
Well, I'd say probably Beale Street. Although Elvis Presley's places place that folks really love to go. Yeah, it's
Kenneth Kinney 32:38
it's also I mean, it's totally different experience, but it is an experience you will not forget. Alright, number two. So you spent a lot of time there, Chicago, or Memphis?
Faith Morris 32:50
Oh, wow, you got from somebody who spends a lot of time still in Chicago. Just got back from Chicago. We'll be going back in two weeks. You know, that's a hard one because I entertain people in both places. But follow me back to Japan.
Kenneth Kinney 33:07
You got to pick your favorite child and look at least you did. You know you got COVID in Chicago, so
Faith Morris 33:14
No, I did not. I got COVID here. Okay.
Kenneth Kinney 33:17
So So pick your favorite child? Is it Chicago or Memphis?
Faith Morris 33:26
Oh my. That's such a political question.
Kenneth Kinney 33:28
Yes, in the political answer is the obvious one, considering where you are. And where you attract people to?
Faith Morris 33:37
Well, I'm gonna say Memphis because Chicago doesn't need any help.
Kenneth Kinney 33:41
Alright, number three. If you were going to another MLK exhibit, to really get a good experience when you were doing your travels, and you had a choice of one, would you go to the MLK Jr. National Historic Park in Atlanta or the MLK Jr. Memorial in Washington DC
Faith Morris 34:06
you know, you are so wrong for all of these questions, because I have strong links with both of them as well. And different reasons for sending people to both and I'm going to say it this way. If you want to understand how Dr. King lived and his heritage that still is there be authentic place that's an Atlanta if you want to see the history around Dr. King's life that's in DC
Kenneth Kinney 34:36
that's a very good I'll give you that one. That was a very good skirt on which way to go. Alright, number four. So we talked about this briefly before catfish or barbecue
Faith Morris 34:48
Catfish. Oh wait, hold on.
Kenneth Kinney 34:51
BBQ pork. You're in the you're in the barbecue pork capital of the world.
Faith Morris 34:54
Okay, but I love ribs. Yeah, my thing I love ribs. I'm going to always say barbecue.
Kenneth Kinney 35:01
Okay, all right. Number five. And the most important question that you're going to be asked today is biscuits or cornbread.
Faith Morris 35:11
Good cornbread.
Kenneth Kinney 35:14
Really? Okay. I expected someone in the south to say biscuits because of gravy and everything.
Faith Morris 35:22
You have biscuits everywhere but you don't have to good cornbread.
Kenneth Kinney 35:24
Cornbread goes well with barbecue ribs.
Unknown Speaker 35:27
Oh my. I don't eat biscuits with cornbread. I mean BBQ. That's for sure
Kenneth Kinney 35:31
Exactly. So, faith, where can people find out more about you more about the National Civil Rights Museum and more,
Faith Morris 35:40
go to civil rights museum.org and hopefully you'll come visit civil rights museum.org and I am on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, as is the museum. So hanging out with
Kenneth Kinney 35:58
Absolutely. Faith, it's been an honor. Thank you so much for being with us today on the 300th episode of a sharks perspective,
Faith Morris 36:05
300. That's hot.
Kenneth Kinney 36:07
It is indeed. It's been an honor. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 36:09
Thank you, Shark.
Kenneth Kinney 36:16
So that was my conversation with Faith Morris, the Chief Marketing Officer of the National Civil Rights Museum. Let's take a look at three key takeaways from my conversation with her.
Kenneth Kinney 36:25
First, I've always enjoyed museums of all kinds. In fact, I just got back from one of the Smithsonian museums in DC that even at a shark exhibit, but it's nothing like the experience you get when walking through the National Civil Rights Museum. I encourage you all to go at least once faith and team did a masterful job of helping tell the story doesn't matter what color you are, Dr. King changed, the world of the museum is just the start to where your eyes will open even more, and change can start to happen. It's a shared history in Memphis, where he was assassinated, but a birthplace as well for new understandings. A special thank you to faith for having that conversation with me, even as a fumble through most of it.
Kenneth Kinney 37:02
Second, we have a long way to go in the workplace. As she discussed, there isn't nearly enough diversity in the C suite. Only 5% of black executives are in the C suite often talk about even just the lack of diversity of thought with teams and brands and agencies, let alone race. Bringing people from other backgrounds together with their unique experiences, especially when those backgrounds are very diverse, can really help move things forward in society. And we need more of it. As she said, there's a whole lot of work to do.
Kenneth Kinney 37:31
Third, I will simply quote a portion of Dr. King's famous speech from 1963. at the Lincoln Memorial, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I say amen to that. And I hope that we can continue to have real conversations with each other without tearing each other down.
Kenneth Kinney 37:54
And a rare fourth, as I said at the time of the 100th show, the 200th, and now the 300th, please know that I am honored that people take the time to be a part of this show. I've been so lucky to have thoughtful discussions with some of the smartest and most influential people in business today. From a lot of diverse backgrounds. I hope you continue to earn your respect and trust which matters far more to me than being in a spotlight, likes, shares, followers, air or any of that. This show is not been about anything other than trying to help people to do better with their brands, educate and help businesses grow. And every once in a while, I get to talk about my weird passion for swimming with some of my fishy friends.
Kenneth Kinney 38:31
Got a question? Send me an email to Kenneth at a sharks perspective dot com. Thank you again for the privilege of your time. I'm so thankful to everyone who listens. Thank you to the amazing sponsors Invoca and Drips!
Kenneth Kinney 38:41
Would you please consider writing review and letting me know your thoughts on the show? I read all of them and it helps me create better content for both of us.
Kenneth Kinney 38:49
I'm pretty certain that I have at least another 300 episodes and me sharks live forever. Or at least this one will keep swimming in please join us on the next episode of A Shark's Perspective.
[music]
Connect with Faith Morris:
Shark Trivia
Did You Know that a Giant Shark Prowls the Mall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History….
….where a 52-foot-long model of a female mega-toothed shark is suspended above the new dining area? This model shark weighs over 2,000 lbs.
….and its scientific name, "Carcharocles megalodon," means “glorious shark, big tooth”? This extinct fish is often called simply referred to as “megalodon” for its giant teeth.
….and was once the top predator of its day devouring small baleen whales, seals, sea turtles, and large fishes in shallow seas around the globe? The Megaladon likely even swam in the Chesapeake Bay region, where the Museum is now, back when much of Washington, D.C. was underwater.
About the “Shark” and Host of A Shark’s Perspective
Kenneth "Shark" Kinney is a keynote speaker, accomplished marketer, lead generation driver, and business growth consultant. He is passionate about leveraging data in omni-channel strategies and known for driving growth in Digital Marketing and Advanced and Addressable TV. He's led national campaigns working with brands including Acxiom, Citi, Chase, Target, GM, American Express, FedEx, Honda, Toyota, TD Ameritrade, Panera, TruGreen, and over 50 colleges and universities. He has also been an on air host and producer of TV and Radio programs.
Connect with me:
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Conversation with Clint Pulver, an Emmy Award-winning, motivational keynote speaker, author, musician, and workforce expert.
Episode 298 - Sue Kruskopf
“The Wisdom of Truth in Agency Life” (Listen)
Conversation with Sue Kruskopf, the CEO, Founder, and Queen Bee of Kruskopf & Company (a.k.a. KC Truth); and she is also the co-founder of MyWonderfulLife.com, a Shark Tank TV-show featured site where you can plan your own funeral.
Episode 297 - Judson Laipply
“Is Viral a Strategy?” (Listen)
Conversation with Judson Laipply, a keynote speaker, emcee, author, and the world’s first YouTube celebrity with his hilarious viral video of him dancing in an evolution of dance mix that explains how life is change.