Akil Alvin, August 17th, 2022

Akil Alvin, August 17th, 2022

In this interview, Akil Alivn talks about his business Digital Detroit Media also known as DDM which was founded in 2013.

Detroit Historical Society

Detroit Historical Society

en-US

Akil Alvin

Akil Alvin was born and raised on Detroit’s east side. Today, he runs his company DDM.

Lily Chen

Detroit, MI

8/17/2022

1:00:26

Taylor Claybrook

Lily Chen: Okay. We are recording. So today is Wednesday, August 17th at 1:35 p.m. This is Lilly Chen: and I am interviewing for the Hustle Project at the Detroit Historical Society and we're really excited to be interviewing one of our hustle nominees today. And so go ahead and go ahead and state your name. Spell it out and tell us your business name, too.

Akil Alvin: Awesome. My name is Akil Alvin spelled A-K-I-L. Last name, Alvin A-L-V-I-N. I own and operate digital. Digital Detroit Media. I'm better known as DDM.

Lily Chen: Awesome. And what year was DDM founded?

Akil Alvin: 2013.

Lily Chen: Okay. And obviously founded in Detroit.

Akil Alvin: Yes.

Lily Chen: Yes. Are you from Detroit, too?

Akil Alvin: Yes. Born and raised.

Lily Chen: All right. Are you east side? West side?

Akil Alvin: East side.

Lily Chen: East side. Okay. Used on the east side today?

Akil Alvin: Yeah. Downtown.

Lily Chen: Okay. Okay, cool. What's your neighborhood.

Akil Alvin: Currently?

Lily Chen: Either.

Akil Alvin: Okay. So currently I live in a riverfront area. Okay. So that's where I live. But you know, grew up on different parts of East Side, rather it's what you considered a hood, Mac and Buick to, you know, some more nicer areas as I got older. But ironically, we have travel. We had a stint on the West Side and we really made some things happen. So I'm really honored for this journey.

Lily Chen: Cool. And then what year? What year were you born?

Akil Alvin: I was born in 1995.

Lily Chen: Wow. Same as me also.

Akil Alvin: Awesome, awesome.

Lily Chen: What a good generation.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. It's the best. We got the best of both worlds. We got the cassette and we got digital. Yeah. You know, we we can help the older generation and look down on a newer generation because we got to navigate both prior to Internet and so.

Lily Chen: Yes. Um, okay. So tell me a little bit about your childhood growing up.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. So I grew up on a side of Detroit. My mom had me very young. She had me 15 years old. She had a a childhood that it almost was like us made for movies, for the things that she'd been through. My my family on my mom's side were are devout Christians like they pastor. We had to go to church every single day. My dad's side of the family were let's just say they're on marketing and sales, a home for the city of Detroit. So it was one of those things where my mom, they were like star crossed. Star crossed lovers. Yeah. And, you know, we were raised then, you know, things weren't always easy, but it wasn't bad either. You know, I was raised by a community of people because that's the norm in Detroit. You have, even in the words zip codes, you have the big mama or some neighbor who makes sure everyone eat, make sure everyone is home, make sure everyone is safe it was a community aspect. I grew up in what was considered in Detroit, one of the worst neighborhoods, the Martin Luther King Apartments, or better known as the King Homes. And from there it was, I thought, every reason why I shouldn't be at this seat today. It was prevalent. It was something that was normal. So at seven years old, because I'm a big guy and, you know, you can hear me breathe a little hard on this, Mike, but as a bigger guy, you know, your family say you have to play sports. You have to go play football. This is what it is. You're a big guy. The coaches would come to my house and say, Oh, we want him. And my friends are playing. So I'm like, okay, you know, I can play. Let's, let's see what it does. Let's see what happens. And I play for Detroit Pals. Who was practicing a month King High School, which is right up the street. And I hated it. Yeah, I wanted to play football. Like, football was cool, but I didn't know you have to run track and do sit ups and pushups that I didn't sign up for that. So one thing is I did at seven years old I was hide at my local library and with a park branch on the city of Detroit right there on Shane and McDougal, and it was eye opening. I saw a world of possibility, not just within the books, but through the technology, and no one was there. I was normally the only one there other than a few senior citizens who asked the same questions. Every time I'm there and I would hide at the library every time my mom would think I'm at practice.

Lily Chen: Wow.

Akil Alvin: And one of the things I asked the librarians over there was, can I produce my own program? Can I do some marketing for your branch? Because you guys are doing some amazing things. You guys have amazing summer workshops and field trips and all these things and no one is here.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: And to my surprise, they said yes. So at seven years old, I started producing my own program, helping them with marketing. I had my own desk. I was the unofficial person of the staff in. We turned that library to one of the number one libraries in a region in the city of Detroit.

Lily Chen: Wow.

Akil Alvin: And from there, in 2007, when WrestleMania WWE was in town, they sent some wrestlers to that library because it has so much traffic. I wanted to make sure that people knew what was possible and that my friends knew what was happening in that neighborhood. And these people who you see on TV and aspire to be are coming to see you, you know, and that is how you authentically impact culture, right? I knew I wanted to follow my dreams, but I didn't want to do the cliché way of following my dreams when I grew up, because I had friends that were doing everything possible to ruin their lives at a young age, from selling drugs to being in jail, to every single thing that you could think of. So I wanted to follow my dreams as I grew up. So at seven, when I made that choice to really do some things and follow this career path, it blossomed. And at ten, you know, we had Universal Soul Circus who would come to town every summer. And one summer, my mom took me. And, you know, like every other kids. Oh, Mom, I want to go back next year. I want to go back. I went back and I said, Mom, I want a job. I want to know how they did it. I want to make sure that this circus is here forever. You know, at that time, the circus only came for a weekend because of turnout in the city of Detroit. The following year, I asked for a job and they said yes, ten years out. So I became helping with promotions. And every time a news station would come, whether that's television or radio, I will be the kid plotted out the audience to say, Oh, how do you like the circus? No one in the city of Detroit realized it was the same kid on every station, every radio for multiple years. And it worked out. And they hired me, hired me when I became of age, really, you know, paid me make to happen. I became a producer for the Universal Circus and retired at 18. Right. So my childhood was all about possibilities and knowing that I can accomplish anything I wanted to do, and most importantly, knowing that I can follow my dreams as I grew up. And from 18, I started my own production company, a marketing house in. Here we are.

Lily Chen: Yeah, well, it's amazing. I, um. I love your relationship to DPL at such a young age. It's so cool. Um. Do you still. Do you still visit library?

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. Absolutely. I am trying my hardest to get in now because it's like now that we have the connections. I have the resources. I know, like, give me the contract. Let's let's try some things around, because now we need to do it all over again to let people know how core deal is. Yeah. Rather than the main library, the local branch, like, let's, let's make some things happen.

Lily Chen: Yeah, I, I love DPL and I, and I, I want to see it flourish.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely.

Lily Chen: You know, I love that you're part of that vision. So the business gives me the kind of elevator pitch version of what the business is.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. Digital media or DDM for short is an ad agency that simply authentically impacts culture. So we work with corporations around the world from what Disney Company to Ford Motor Company to the city of Detroit. And we make sure that we show that people in marginalized communities, people of multicultural communities, don't have cookie cutter campaigns because so often when it comes to marginalized communities, you believe one campaign can fit everybody, like we're one monolithic group of people. And we come in and we really make it happen and we really authentically impact the culture internally and externally to show that representation matters within this corporate sphere. And it blew up from there. So we'refull service ad agency.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Do you have obviously you started as a one person team.

Akil Alvin: Actually 2.

Lily Chen: 2 okay.

Akil Alvin: When I graduated high school, I asked my high school teacher, I had a full ride to college and I asked my high school teacher, you know, what do you think? You know, I have this full ride. I know my mom would think I'll be the first one of my family to go to college, all of the things. And but this is what I really want to do. And he encouraged me to do it and became my first kind of employee investor and invested in all the equipment and took a leave of absence to help be my first employee and run the company. Until this day, he still works with production to the day and hasn't went back to Detroit Public Schools. So I started off as a two man team and that is that is what it is.

Lily Chen: Wow. And what's his name?

Akil Alvin: John Stallion.

Lily Chen: Okay. And he. He sounds like such an important figure in your life.

Akil Alvin: He is. He is. I tell him every day how much I appreciate him, how you know, he went, he always had a passion for radiography and different things and I think I lit the spark for him, relit it and with that I think that was what he needed to go purchase equipment and really follow his dream, his childhood dream. Because when I say follow your dream as you grow up as is not a number. You can be 50, you can be 26. You can be 18, you can be ten. Follow your dream as you grow up because we continually reinvent ourselves. That is what we do for corporations. Continually reinvent yourself and let's make it happen. We give permission to dream again, and that's what I've been doing all my life.

Lily Chen: So it started as a as a two person team. And how many people do you have now?

Akil Alvin: And it has blossomed to a 20 plus presenting?

Lily Chen: Wow.

Akil Alvin: We expand depending on the project with contractors, but the course my C-suite is amazing filled with 90% of women. Because one of the things I realize is when you empower a woman, everything can happen. Things. Things mysteriously change. I don't know how you all do it. I don't know how it happens. But I would not be here today on this podcast, on this recording, if it wasn't for the power of a woman. Right. Whether that's my mom, whether it's the librarians, whether it's all those women who said, yes, in my life, these women have done amazing, you know, really looking at my dream and saying, this is how we can take it to the next level. Right. It was times where I wanted to give up prior to obtaining a contract with Disney, prior to obtaining, you know, some things with Forbes magazine, I wanted to walk away, but these women saw something before I can see it. They saw it when I couldn't see it, and they encouraged me to keep going. And for that, I'm forever grateful for these women who came from corporate America in so many different sphere spheres. One was a master educator for so many years. One came from Ford Motor Company, an automotive industry. One was one of the top lawyers in the city of Detroit for government. Another was the number one sales rep in the country for pharmaceutical sales. But they came to come to this little ad agency and it blossomed and it's because they touched it, we are here today.

Lily Chen: Wow. It's it's so powerful to hear you say that. A in in my own life, like, you know, women of color have guided me every single day. Every single day they keep me alive. Um. Cause it's hard out there.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. Absolutely. It's so many times where they know how I feel. They can read my face. They told me never to play poker with them because they can honestly pick up my energy and say, okay, Kil, maybe you need to sleep. Maybe you're hungry, you know? So I mean, every aspect that the company, you know, we have my Roc here who oversees communications for the company. I mean, every aspect they make sure I'm good. So I'm honored to have an amazing team. I would not be anything without this thing.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Tell me about, um, you know, you're obviously you're, you know, very successful now, today.

Akil Alvin: Thank you.

Lily Chen: I'm sure it took. A lot to get there. Tell me about some of those bumps on the road.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. I think one of the things that I had to overcome, constantly and I still have to overcome today is being the youngest in the room. Right. I, I don't know what I had in me to say, that I wanted to follow my dreams as I grew up. But a lot of times that is not the norm in this culture. You know, I know so many people who get up every day to go to a job that they hate.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: That they are in pain. They have to do this. They have to on the way to work. They have to lose every aspect that makes them them. Yeah. Whether that's pressing out hair, whether it's talking different, whether that's okay, let me just in a way, let me listen to some different music because I have to lose me in order to be in this space. So when I wanted to follow my dreams, whether it was family or outsiders it wasn't encouraged. It wasn't encouraged. It was encouraged to work at Ford Motor Company. Yeah, it was encouraged to get a job a 9 to 5. And, you know, it was one of the things where I had to realize that I had to see things when no one else saw it. Right. Like my team is doing now, I had to do it and I had to encourage myself to just keep going because there was times when it was hard. We did in the early stages of the company, we did a video shoot for a rapper. She's a national rapper on a hit TV show right now. And we did a 22 hour straight shoot, 22 hours, and we're like, okay, so it's time to get paid. And they put out this wad of cash, aka it's has to be five in the morning wired of cash outside on Michigan Avenue, outside of some random strip club. Lot of cash and gave me and my videographer $36 to split.

Lily Chen: What?

Akil Alvin: $36. And those times like today, I sit back and laugh because, you know, some people could be mad, some people can be upset. We were really shocked looking at it and we decided to just go to the one, Coney Island. Oh, we're hungry. Like, well, I won't see this footage. Oh, let's let's go get Coney Island and literally watch the sunrise at Detroit One Coney Island. And, you know, let's go back out tomorrow, because it was those times where people don't believe they didn't know your value. Right. Still to this day, I was the youngest in the room. And oftentimes when a corporate sphere, I'm my team is the only black people in the room. So no matter what successes that we have, no matter what they've heard, rather the validation from Forbes magazine, whether it's all these different things, millions, multimillion dollar contracts. We had a woman about a month ago. We were signing a multi-year deal with a huge corporation, Fortune 50 company. And she was like, okay, I have to ask what did, I see this video, but what did you do? I said we're a full service ad agency. We did everything. Okay, you're not understanding my question. So where did you all come and what did you outsource? We didn't outsource anything. We're full service. Okay. You're not understanding. Okay, let me try to think. Okay. So where did you have a subcontractor? You can tell me. We're cool. And she could not believe the quality of work that we've done, no matter who validated. Because I have the skin color that I had and because I'm young. Mm hmm. That is the thing that we constantly have to deal with, whether it's in the government space or corporate space. That is what we have to deal with, as well as corporations not knowing how to speak to minority communities. Right. They think they can only speak to minority communities during Black History Month or models game day or LGBT community during the month of June. They're going to turn their flag rainbow in as soon as July 1st hit at midnight. Not just not even midday. July 1st at midnight. All wiped away.

Lily Chen: Yup.

Akil Alvin: All wiped away. And they think that is fine. So it's always that is the hardest part coming in and have to stand your ground for people that are not in the room. Yeah. Because oftentimes there are people from those communities in the room, but their voices don't matter.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: We are the only ones that's coming in because of the backing that we have whose voices matter. So I have to always be unafraid to speak my mind, to speak truth to power, and make sure that I come as one or we come as five. But we have millions behind us that if we're the only one in the room and the only ones that come through those doors, I have failed my community and communities of color around the world. Mm hmm.

Lily Chen: So, I mean, I'm hearing I just first of all, I have to say, oh, my God, that June, my wife and I. Yeah, it's. And then now everything is like, not even about being gay anymore. Like yourself. Here's the rainbow.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. Absolutely. We just did a campaign for a corporation, and we did this whole ad. And it was, you know, people who look normal because corporations don't realize that gay people are normal. You know, they want it to be like, no, they don't look gay. Let's do like, where's the makeup? You know, rainbow wigs. And I'm like, you know, this, like, stereotypes of gay people.

Lily Chen: Right?

Akil Alvin: These are things that we have to push back on. You know, I have an executive for my C-suite who is married to a woman. She's gay. And we want to make sure that within my company, we're diverse. Yeah. Diversity of thought. You know, you hear that diversity, equity and inclusion so much now they just throw it out, throw it on thing. But we want to make sure that it's inclusion, diversity, because when you include voices from minority communities and different backgrounds and different stories, diverse is a given. Yeah. So we see it all the time with corporations. And we had a corporation, a big partner who had this whole campaign for their amusement park and. They were so excited to tell us what the name of this campaign is. And I don't want to say it because I don't know if it's out there yet. And I'm like, What is that like? Is that a warning? You're saying that black people are have is that like what do you. You know, it was it was so bad. It was so bad. So this is what we have to do. We have to we have to be firm and be honest. And now that same corporation calls us the North Star. The North Star, because we can make sure we guide you to the light that's progressive. Because the most progressive thing is corporations can do is allow people to authentically see themselves. Yeah, right. That is how you authentically impact culture.

Lily Chen: Yeah, well, I heard you say something amazing, which is that. You know, as people of color, as women of color, like it is not only our job for to to try to flourish yourself, but it is like trying to lift up a whole community. Absolutely. I hear a lot of the ways that you try to do that, whether that's hiring people of color, hiring diverse voices, or even in the content that you create. So tell us more about, you know, what it is like to bring a whole community with you.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. When I think about bringing a whole community with me, when I go to these doors that are not normal for people like us that walk through them. Honestly, I can't lie. At first it was hard. Yeah, it was a time where we had a huge corporate contract. It was the first of its kind. We made history with this deal, with this corporation, and they literally sat us down and said, Listen. If you fail, we're going to go back to our investors and say, we tried. I'm like, Whoa. Like, I mean, that's pressure. Um, that we tried to work with a black agency. We tried to work with a black firm in especially after the George Floyd. Right. A lot of corporations clamored to just say, ah, put in their diversity equity inclusion report, their report that they did this for black people. We're going to give you this contract, but it really doesn't mean anything. I just want to put this on social media really quickly. And it's hard, right? Because. You can tell that our voice. Really? Is isn't value or the people that are in the room who are of color isn't value. Yeah. You know, there are so many times where we've had meetings where we say, okay. I'm not going to say it's racist, but it's inconsiderate. It's insensitive. What you're saying, what you put out, the campaigns, the name of it, all of this. And so often we have we get an e-mail. Hey, can I get a sidebar? Email? You send us you send me the zoom link cause I don't want to sit in front of corporate. Thank you for saying it. I've been saying that for ever. And we get that so often. Yeah. You know, because people of color have been in the wrong people are marginalized communities have been in a room and just not valued and not listened to. So but it's important as well. It is important to show that people of color can speak well, that they can follow directions, they can do what they say, they can hold their own. And not only that, but they can produce quality work. Yeah, right. I started very young, so I make sure I go back to my elementary middle school who has and Akila one day and now going to my high school who we're starting a debate culture academy that my communications team Michelle Perez on this running and I honestly just want to show representation to show that we can do it this show that you know this is what we've done. This is the trials that we came across. Because not only that, you're good, it's still not good enough in the eyes of so many different people. Again, I'm a Forbes 30 under 30 top ad agency executive in North America, all of the stuff that is honored in Africa and Australia. But somehow, some way I didn't do the work or it wasn't mine or all these different things which they don't realize. It's like that is really insensitive. Yeah, that is. Would you say this if I looked like you? Yeah. You know, so these are of things I have to go through. But however, if I go through it and I can see it was times where we had record and record number engagements on social media and different things for a client. And for some reason when we sent a report are these numbers can be made up on your the you know when they're the account managers and they can verify it themselves. They sent a city email out to everyone and said that it could be made up. And it's it's hard to have to go through these things because you're often devalued, you're often dehumanized. However, you have to keep going. You have to keep going. At times like this, being a Detroit Hustle honoree with this wonderful, wonderful establishment, this is brings proof the power to show that we are authentically impacting culture. And you're going to hear that a lot. That's what we do.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Tell me, what advice do you have? Like, you know. A lot of young business owners. You have to deal with this crap. All day, every day. And when you don't succeed, it's because of your race. And when you do succeed, it's despite your race, right?

Akil Alvin: Absolutely.

Lily Chen: Um. So any advice that you have for, you know, whether that's young business owners, business owners of color, underrepresented people?

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. I think the advice I would give to young business owners of color is to continue to learn. Did you stop it?

Lily Chen: Oh, God, no.

Akil Alvin: Sorry about that.

Lily Chen: No worries. The advice that you would give?

Akil Alvin: The advice that I would give to young business or business under color, period, is to continue to learn. Right. This world is ever evolving, especially the media, where that I mean, there's always new equipment. There's always new software. You know, I was literally looking at these mikes, I'm like, Oh, these are mikes. I was just looking and I think I want to buy these, you know, because everything is always something new coming out. So continue to learn. My team always laughed at me at two in the morning or three in the morning, I would send them a link. Look at this video. I just learned something. Let's talk about this in our meeting tomorrow, because I'm continuing to learn everything in equal life from anything, right? From a motivational speech, from a TV show, from this. You know, my team members now, because they know that about me, they will send me TV shows like Clutch Academy on BET with Rich Paul and LeBron James. Okay. I love this model. Look at this. This is how this work we look at different, whether it's the billionaires like, you know, Richard Branson or Steve Jobs, I mean, just all these different things. How did they do it? How did they overcome it? You know, Oprah Winfrey and so many others, you know, learning does not have a race to it. Right. Education, because that is the one thing that they can't take away from you. You know, they can take away because of your color, because of this. Because of that. But your mind and your branding, you're always evolving. You can never take that away. And I always encourage people to continue to learn. Continue to learn what you don't know and don't know something. Put someone in a room that does, right? I honestly say that my team is a wealth of knowledge. A wealth of knowledge, and they're there mainly because they're great at what they do. But also because what they're skilled that I'm not and I always tell people if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in a wrong room because there you have met your ceiling. You know, I, I was honored in Africa earlier this year for some work I've done in Forbes and all this different things. And I had a friend who, when I was telling him how long my flight would be. About 22 hours. Yeah. They were like, Oh, man, I thought flying was quicker. I wonder how long it take to drive? Yeah. And that silence. And it was like, okay, maybe I've met my ceiling here. Let's learn a lesson. Make this a teachable moment, but continue to learn. Continue to look at her circle. Continue to evaluate. Right. Because everyone doesn't have to be in a field at your end, because that's when the competition start happening. That's when people start to withhold knowledge. Because if we're in the same field, no, you can't get ahead of me because I need this deal. You know, but when you have people whose I have friends with a lawyer, a friend who's a teacher, a friend who so many other things, and we come together and pass knowledge that is sometimes applicable to their field in their industry. And we all become better men. We all become better citizens, better people. And that's how we grow.

Lily Chen: Yeah, it sounds like even though you've been doing this for a long time, you're still excited by new information. Absolutely. So tell me about the things that, um, just that you look forward to most in your work.

Akil Alvin: Oh, man. I think some of the biggest things I look forward to in work is tomorrow. And when I say tomorrow's, because no day is like the same. There's we've had meetings from. I can't say the names, but we have some massive, massive news coming out from the head of one of the biggest hip hop stars out right now. To someone on Los Angeles Lakers who we're working together, forged a partnership and we're announcing in October one of the megastars on the Los Angeles Lakers. And this is these are things that I look forward to, you know, the new because so often I'm not supposed to be here. You know, I came from the King Homes on the east side of Detroit. My dad was a, a drug dealer. My, my family didn't go to college. No one. I am not supposed to be here. Yeah, and to be honest with you, I'm constantly reminded, right? I am constantly reminded because you have what we call a black text where because you're here and you feel like you have to take everyone on. Everyone has a problem that only your money can solve. All of these different things that we go through as people of color when we become successful. And sometimes it's always it's the hate as well. Because you have exceeded a ceiling that someone has set for you on your behalf and you have exceeded that. And they're like, Why? Who do you think you are? Yeah. You know, type of thing, whether that's a former educator, whether that's a friend, a family member, a spouse, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, whatever it is. You know, I think it's one of those things where I look forward to what's next because I can't predict it. I can't. I'm. How about this? I'm done predicting it, right? One day, back in November of 2021, you know, we were in a meeting I had just ended a one year advisory partnership with One Media who owns HBO, TNT, so many different things. And it was right into that advisory agreement in November 2019, and it was a one year. But you know what happened in 2020? The pandemic happened and nothing happened. I was discouraged, like, this is what we needed. This is a partnership with the major networks, a conglomerate of networks. And I want to make this happen. I mean, cinema and Cartoon Network, all these different things, and it failed. So in November of 2021, I had just hired new staff. And, you know, we were preparing for a pitch competition, you know, and I was discouraged. I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to do it. We had just. It just everything's falling through. We had a contract that someone wanted a website. They were going to pay $70,000 and they were like, the check is ready now. And we had just came out of the pandemic, so all jobs were stopped. This was the one time where that clause act of God came in to effect. You know, I thought that was just like, Oh, this contract is divine and holy. Like, Oh, this is really going to make it. God is in this. But that was when that clause came and wiped out every contract we've had. And I was it was times where I really want to give up and I was emotional and and just mentally dumb. So when this job for $70,000 came off our website and they said the check was ready, I was ready to pick it up, but my team was like, No, Akil, let's get a contract. You know, let's get a contract with them. Let's, let's. All this happened when I told the client, Hey, let's get a contract in place. Let's do this. They stopped answering the phone.

Akil Alvin: And I was honestly, I was mad at my team because I was like, you don't know the bills that were packed up. You don't know the loans that were taken out for the company. The, all of these different things. And it's like we needed that. We needed that working capital things were about to close. And, you know, somebody called to say, hey, let's do this pitch competition and, you know, see what happens. And I didn't want to do it. I waited until the day before a video was needed or two days before to enter the pitch competition to tell my team. And without a doubt it was like, No, you have to do this. I didn't have a haircut or anything. My communications director came over my house, took some scissors and cut my beard, chunks out of my beard. I have the picture now. I want to get that picture framed. I want it to. It was not a it was not a good look. And so everything was going wrong. So I had to do this video with chunks out of my beard because I couldn't get a haircut. It was right after the pandemic. I went to the barber. Shops were open yet? Yeah. And I got in. And so we got in and we looking at some of the corporates that would be there and somebody on my team, a new person was like, Oh, Disney's here. Oh, so we going to work with Disney are we're going to do all this? And I'm like, Oh my gosh, here we go. Like, I just had an advisory partnership with Time Warner or Warner Media now, and it didn't work out. So I had the same excitement, whatever. Little do I know. Disney was one of the places to win those awards. A contract with Disney. And it was second place. And I'm like, oh, man, you know, we did a pitch competition, and they were like, We'll be back in 5 minutes. So we are waiting. It's all virtual and 15 minutes go past. No one came back. You know, it was Disney, Coca-Cola and another company. No one came back. You know, 30 minutes went past. No one came to the virtual room. Literally 45 minutes went past and were like, okay, what's going on? I come to learn that because Disney is second place and Coca-Cola was like $10,000, you get $10,000 first place. And the deal with Coca-Cola. You know, I'm just. I just. $70,000 want the win. I'm like, okay, $10,000. That can help. So the reason so much time went past is because. You know, Disney fought for me. And they were like, no, you know what? If he learns that he won $10,000 and they sued, you know, I don't want they have lawyers in Rome, all of these different things. And Disney was like, I got him and the rest was history. They got it from there. We have multimillion dollar contracts and Coca-Cola is now a client of ours and so many other things. So it's one of those things. It's the unexpected tomorrow that I'm so much so, so, so excited for because who knows what's to happen. So I guess that a long way of saying tomorrow again.

Lily Chen: Yeah I mean something that's incredibly important that I hear in that story is that there were so many things that did not go right.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely.

Lily Chen: And you kept your head up and said, I'm still going to face it. Absolutely. You know, and it's probably a huge reason why you are where you are today.

Akil Alvin: And when you say so many things that didn't go right, it was also times where I wanted to give up. Yeah, times where I wanted to walk away. It was times where I'm like, okay, I only want to be here no more because there is so much stuff that's against me. But it's this team that didn't allow me to give up. It's this team where my head was down. They literally lift your head up. We got you. You know, it's a team that I finally have that can carry something when I'm not looking. You know what I'm saying? It's one thing to, oh, we're on this forefront together. We're in this battle together. But you lay down in the back, let us push. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. And I, like I said, I wouldn't be here for us for this thing because I didn't want to do the pitch competition is so many things that I didn't want to do, but they saw something and when I was down they spoke life to me. So it's this team that I owe everything to.

Lily Chen: Yeah. It's so beautiful to hear you say. I think, you know. I've heard from a lot of people that it's not only the work that is driving them forward, it's the people around you.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely.

Lily Chen: You know, um, because you you love them and, you know, and they love you. And it shows. Chosen the business.

Akil Alvin: Yeah. Yeah, they do. It's a it's a big family. It is.

Lily Chen: Yeah. So we've heard, you know, about a lot of ups and downs and a lot of downs that went up. All of ups that were done. And, um. You know, as you reflect on that path that you've been on, what are some things that really surprised you or really kind of changed who you were?

Akil Alvin: Mm. When we talk about my journey and I look back on my journey, I think the things that really surprised me was my perseverance and how strong I am.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: You know. We say we're strong until we're faced with some obstacles that we have to be strong for.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: You know, it's. I didn't realize how much that I can take. And also I didn't look at the when I look back now, every obstacle that we talk about that we laugh about today, I thought that was the end. I thought I was out of here. When I tell you I was severely depressed. I had just in 2019 because the company was doing so well, just purchased this beautiful loft, downtown Detroit, all these different things. We were excited. I had moved in literally December 31st, 2019. Wow. And all these different things. And when the world. Collectively ended. Yeah. When, you know, corporate jobs stopped. I thought it was the end. I thought that there was no way I can get out of this.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: But then. Now coming out of it, um, I see how strong I was, and I see that 100% of the time I get through it. And that's what you have to look at. You know, it's so many things that we can look back on in our life that maybe other people know or maybe that we only know that we were dealing with in 100% of the time you got through it. Look, that's a hell of a track record, if you ask me. Because you did it. You did? I see it on your face like this thing is that you only know about that you like, wow. 100% of the time I got through it. Yeah, that is something that we don't give ourself credit for. We don't pat ourself on the back and really sit back and look and say, Wow, I did that. And I think that is the biggest thing that surprised me was. Wasn't me. Um. Like I said, it was times where I wanted to commit suicide. Right. And I thought I had seen the best of my life. Yeah, but if that would have been my ending till now. My life has been 100 times greater.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: Because I persevered through it. You know, we got through it. You will get through it. Whoever's listening to this. Whoever come into this museum and seeing this exhibit or hearing this audio, you will get through whatever you're dealing with. I absolutely love you and I'm proud of you. You know, stop sleeping on you. Please, you know, stop looking at every other hero and look at the hero and you, please, I love you. I'm proud of you. And let's get through this together.

Lily Chen: Yeah, well, I mean, it's it's so important to hear you say these things because so many successful people only share their success.

Akil Alvin: As the highlight reel.

Lily Chen: It's the highlight reel which is cool. But all of us, then when you're feeling low, you're thinking, I'm the only person that feels that.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely.

Lily Chen: But you're not. You're not. And when you. Especially when you're an entrepreneur or when you're a person of color. I mean, there's a lot to work through, perhaps a little bit.

Akil Alvin: At no fault of your own.

Lily Chen: Right? Yeah. Yeah.

Akil Alvin: It's one of those things where. You have to realize that you're human and you have to give yourself permission to have a human moment. Yeah, right. It sounds so. You want to cry, you want to you want to feel sad. All the things you have permission to do, that you have permission and give yourself 1000 second chances. You have permission to do that? No one else. You can do that within yourself and you can make it. I literally failed my way to success. Mistake after mistake after mistake. Failure at the failure. And I'm here today because I gave myself 1,000 second chances. Yeah, because I believed them. And I championed me in the mirror. And I allowed myself to cry. I allowed myself to grieve. I allowed myself to be mad. Not for long. But just to let it out. Let those human emotions out. As a black man, I let those human emotions out. That sometimes is not cool. It's not celebrated, you know, why are you crying? But that is why I'm here today, because I allow myself to be human. And I think so many others need to give yourself permission to do just that. I know it sounds weird to allow yourself to be human, but sometimes because of highlight reels that you're seeing on social media, you think no one goes through problems. You think no one poops because you don't see it and you don't think you know. It's those things that you have to do to realize that they put the pants on one leg at a time, just like for you. And that's, that's what I've been doing all my life.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Something that's, uh I'm hearing what's really important about your story. You are an incredibly resilient person and obviously you're also wildly successful. But you're I mean, you're an incredibly resilient person. And it and it makes me think about how often it is that people of color and Detroiters are so resilient. And it makes me think about how, you know. When especially when people of color and when black entrepreneurs are successful, people will say, oh, you know, that was, it's like somehow.

Akil Alvin: Affirmative action.

Lily Chen: Right? Like somehow that it wasn't.

Akil Alvin: Like, earned, you were given this because of diversity, equity and inclusion. Right. There's a tax break. Yeah, I've heard it all.

Lily Chen: Yeah, but the thing is, like you've succeeded because of all these experiences that you've had, right? Because it teaches you to be so resilient.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely.

Lily Chen: Yeah, I, I really admire, like so much of the story of everything that you've been through. But then also that the success that you've had.

Akil Alvin: Oh, thank you. Thank you. You know, but I thought it's because of Detroit. Right? Yeah. When you look at my company's website, the first thing you see is Detroit Hustle. That comes up. And it's intentional. It was intentional to say our company's name is Digital Detroit Media. Even when we shortened it to DDM, we're still digital Detroit Media because Detroit really made me who I am today. You know, Detroit has moved the world with the auto industry. You know, we made you dance with Motown. Yeah. I mean, everyone, no matter what corner of the world you hit, you know, a motown song. Yeah. You know, and not just that, but we saw what happened years ago. About a decade ago. Well, we made you believe because a lot of people thought Detroit was done, you know, the first of its kind bankruptcy and this ability and so much drama. I used to work for the city of Detroit within a city council during the times. And I was on a camera. I was a camera operator when the strike comment happened. And so many different things happened with city council, the fights and different things. And, you know, we made you believe because nothing stops Detroit. Yeah, that is what makes up audio. That is what makes up me. You know, I'm honored to say it. Every facet of what I just said from the move. In a world with the auto industry and Ford Motor Company, that's a client Motown major dance. That's a client in the city of Detroit. We have a multimillion dollar deal with the city of Detroit because that's who we are. We want to make sure we impact on them. I cannot go to no other community, no other country and impact that country of that community without doing something home. So whether it's the young people in the schools, whether it's the museums and DPL, whether it's so many other things we have to give back here, we have to make sure a percentage of whatever we make in revenue goes directly to impacting young people have to because we need to show them what it looks like to be successful. Yeah, this is what it looks like. This is what it looks like to to go and be in a room and be free and unapologetically you. This is what it looks like for a young boy to have so many different obstacles thrown at him. And literally he dunked everything that came to him. This is what it looks like for a black man to succeed and own a multimillion dollar ad agency. Yeah, this is what it looks like. So I'm on it for young black boys and girls to come to this museum, this institution, and see what it looks like, to have hustle, to have grit, to be proud, to be from the D. You know, I was intentional of wearing a hoodie that says Detroit versus Everybody today because it's something about Detroit. It's you know, it you know, you know, when you go out of town you say you from Detroit the respect that you get you know rather it's the oh you've been Eight Mile. Well yeah you know you know the movies that's cool. Oh God you know in so many others. But Detroit gets so much love because we're so resilient. Everyone, everyone who makes up this beautiful, beautiful mosaic, that we call Detroit. This is what we do. And I'm honored to be from the city and to be born and raised from this city. My company is I owe it to Detroit. I owe it. This is I I think one of the things we're going to do is a love letter to Detroit. Yeah, because I fell in love first with this city, and now I'm starting to see the city love me. And it's a wonderful thing.

Lily Chen: Yeah, it is really wonderful. I mean, you have, um, you know, you have international success. You have huge reach at this point. Um, but you remain loyal to who you are, right? And who you're where you're from. That's beautiful to see.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. Um, because I can't be one who takes and leaves. Yeah, we've seen it happen so many times, but we want to make sure our headquarters were in downtown Detroit. Yeah. Not a suburb. Not. Oh, we're digital Detroit media based in Southfield. You know, we wanted to make sure that young people can see us, right? We want to make sure we have a presence. You know, when when school opens in a couple of weeks, I am going to a school on the first day of school because I want young people to touch me to see that it's real, to see the clients that you saw, everything on the news, you saw all these things. But I want you to touch me. I want you to have my email address. So whatever it takes, have my team's contact information. Because all you have to do is ask. You know, that's how I got here. It's asking, can I work? Can I help? Can I do this? And the answer will be yes. So I want young people to see that representation, right? Because so often we see only the hands of black people can only do one thing. And that's catching us shooting a ball. Hmm. And that's not enough. Because these same hands can own that team. These same hands can show you why you see that on TV. Because those are hands that's told those cameras and produce and say in action. Yeah. The same hands can be the producer of the record that you are rapping on. The same hands could be the doctor, the lawyer, the museum curator. That's what these hands can do of color. You are really you know, when we say people of color, we are the color of magic, because across the board, we have done some magical things. Yeah. And from this city. Oh, my God. We've done some magical things. So that's what this exhibit is all about.

Lily Chen: Yeah. I mean, something I love about Detroit is that we're from here and we stay here. Like, I'm not going to ditch this city or New York. You know, this is this is home.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. There was times I've literally been out of Detroit. I'm like, oh, my God, the water just tastes different. This water is terrible. You know, no matter how much I complain about potholes and I go to someone with a beautiful street, you know, you don't feel not one pothole. Something just doesn't feel right. This just feels fake. I don't like the food. The people feel phony. I just need to get home. There was a time a few weeks ago, I, you know, I was working with the embassy in Africa and we're like, Hey, meet me in Miami. Like, All right, cool. We can go. You know, I came to Miami and I'm like, okay, how long I got to be here team? Like, it's Miami. So some people would be excited. I'm like, How long do I have to be here? Let's, let's make this happen and let's get back. Every meeting since then, they've been to Detroit and they're like, Oh, let's keep all the meetings to Detroit. We'll come to Detroit. Is something different? Yeah, it's something different. I encourage everyone to see the world because you need to see the world. But also that because you saw the world, you appreciate so much more of the people, the grit, the nature. It's times where, you know, you go out of town and people are scared of everything you get, know, my God, that's nothing. I've heard that before. That's, that must be a muffler or something that sound like. Nah, no, it's not. It is what is. Oh, that's a dog with that pretty dog. Detroit is that just not afraid of anything or oh, that's, was that corruption? No, that's cool. We been there, done that. We got through it. It's okay. You got to be in there. It's okay.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: So.

Lily Chen: Yeah, I spend all day complaining about the weather in Michigan, but people are like, well, then leave. I'm like, No, no, absolutely no.

Akil Alvin: And I predict with the next 10 to 20 years, people are going to flock here because we have multiple seasons. You know, we are such a unique place with a clean body of water, multiple seasons. I mean, you think my journey was a roller coaster? Detroit season is a roller coaster where, you know, you can go from 100 degrees to -20 and it's like, what is going on right now? However, I love it so much. I can't be somewhere that's consistently hot. I can't be somewhere that's consistently cold. And I am so used to the seasons. I love it. I mean, maybe one day I want to experience a Christmas somewhere else, but I don't think it will feel right. I need the snow, but yeah, let's make it happen.

Lily Chen: Yeah, I, um here. You associate? Like Hustle with Detroit. And I feel that way really strongly that this project really has to be tied to the city. You know, people hustle everywhere, but there's something really unique about Detroit.

Akil Alvin: Yeah, Detroit. Hustle harder.

Lily Chen: Mm hmm.

Akil Alvin: I mean, seriously, it hustle artists. We I mean, think about some of the things that happened in the rap industry now, where there's an artist right now just created a diss track for Eminem. Eminem, don't mess with nobody. But, you know, when someone is that great at what they do, that top tier, you have to send out this track so you can get the recognition, the marketing in the promotions, you know, and it's one of those things like, wow, Detroit really birthed that Detroit birth, Detroit birth, all these I mean, think about births. Detroit birthed that institution that feeds the world. Yeah. Sweet Potato Sensation. Who, oh, my God, those lemon chess pies are to die for. I've had that nowhere else in the world. You know, the sweet potato cornbread muffins with the soup. It is, I am so in love. But that's what Detroit births, it births hustlers. Hustlers that literally had to sweat, had to shed some tears, had to go to Los. But it made us resilient. Yeah, it made us hard, like I said, to try to move the world. We made you dance. We made you believe in so many different people. And the people that are on this list that my fellow honorees made you believe, because I'm sure their stories are similar. Their stories are ups and downs are similar. The stories of trying to find funding as a black person to Detroit. Yeah, trying to get the capital, trying to get the building over here, trying to make it happen. Trying to allow someone just to please believe in me. You know, I'm doing this. You know, I do pottery and clay, but I want you to make it happen. I want you to see what I can do. This is not it may not be Powabic pottery, but I promise you, if you just give me a chance to show it, we can make some things happen. That is what Detroiters do. We are a collective of dreamers, elevators and innovators in this city. And it's crazy. It's we're overflowing with we had there so many displaced CEOs on a street catching a bus because no one to listen, no one gave them an opportunity to shine. And that is what I do. The light that comes on me from all these international contracts, from Forbes magazine, I make sure I shine the light on so many different people, these young people, these older people, this everyone here, because again, you can follow your dreams as you grow up in Detroit has filled. Eternally, immensely with so many different dreamers. Yeah, you know, that is what we do. So. Yeah.

Lily Chen: So, um. Three ending questions. One is, what does the word hustle mean to you? Okay.

Akil Alvin: When I think about the word hustle. It means grit, it means passion. It means never giving up. It means allowing things to happen organically. But having the faith that you would get through it. Yeah. You know, so many times we want to prevent things from happening. We want to put this up to block it. But allowing things to organically work itself out or allowing you to have human nice moments. But while you haven't human moments, whether that's shedding a tear, whether that's being angry, whether that's being sad. Knowing that you can also be the superhero, that marvel like superhero that can make it happen within the snap of a finger. When we think about black women who made it happen and win the national, you know, elections and if there's a nature yeah, that's hustle that you can be human and superhuman at the same damn time. Yeah, that is what it means.

Lily Chen: What about the word hustler?

Akil Alvin: When I think about the word hustler, it means not taking no for an answer. You know, so many times that we go through dead ends and we hit roadblocks and some people were just out there and a plane hit the phone multiple times. Why is my GPS not working to success?

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: Hustlers, get out. Oh, we got to walk the rest of the way. Oh, we got to turn around. Beep, beep. Let's walk. Drive on the sidewalk so we can get around. Hustler would never stop because the hustler knows that they have a dream. And they have a dream. And they have a dream. They have a dream. They have a dream. And it's needed. Their voices need it. Hustler would never stop a hustler will sell this company. Everyone would say, Oh, this is so fast. You just sold our company, got acquired and start another company the very next day and say, Oh, I'm back at square one. That is a hustler. Hustler. We have honorees down in the eighties. That is a hustler. Some people dream to be retired, but nah, I have a dream. And my dream needs to be fed. And nobody can touch the dream. Like I can touch the dream. Yeah, that is a hustler. And I'm honored to be in the city full of that.

Lily Chen: Yeah, this one's a fun question. So your hustle is now your successful career. So what's your new side hustle?

Akil Alvin: Hmm. I never thought about the. My new side hustle would be. Hmm. Hmm. That's a good question. I like this. My new side hustle would be, I would say mental or acting. Okay, I said before I went to the School of Performing Arts, I was an actor. I won a lot of awards. I did some movies. I did Sparkle with Whitney Houston, our last movie. I did some few things. So I think that's the sign. I think that's always that passion of mine. Like, Okay, I need to get back to the stage. I need that instant reaction because that is what I love about what I do today. I can make anyone feel how I want them to feel. Whether I said happy, want them to spend money, want them to stay in. And when you're on the stage, you can get that instant reaction by how much you wave your arms, how your face looks. I would say my side hustle was acting and acting in the theater. I miss it. Now you're making me want to get back to theater. I need to find a way to do this.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Akil Alvin: You invited by the way.

Lily Chen: Thank you.

Akil Alvin: You're welcome.

Lily Chen: People. They are so dynamic. You're never going to find someone that's into just one thing. Oh, no. You know, so it's so cool when people. Because obviously your passion has turned into this huge career. So of course you have to have new things that are.

Akil Alvin: Absolutely. Yeah, because one of the things we will ask is your dreams and your passion have lives attached to them. Yeah. So your dream. Your passion, that's putting food on the table for families. Yeah. Is. Is, you know, holding a roof over someone's head. So sometimes you need something to fill you up, because what you're doing is you're charging families and generations that you probably will never meet. Yeah. So I need that side hustle to fill me up. And I think that's the idea. And I'm literally thinking, how can I make this happen? Now you got you got me a task. So my communications manager need to, you know, put a play together.

Lily Chen: For the record, she is rolling her eyes.

Akil Alvin: I need to make this happen for the holidays. I want to do The Wiz again and be the lion. I don't know.

Lily Chen: Well, you are such a joy to talk to.

Akil Alvin: Thank you.

Lily Chen: Yeah, just. Just such a joy. And we're so lucky to have you as one of our nominees.

Akil Alvin: I'm honored. Thank you so much. I can't wait to see the exhibit and bring some kids to really see this, to show that it's real. You know, so often we look in museums and we see people who are dead. Yeah. Or see people who were here long before. Or have been here and left. Yeah. And that is somewhere you can't touch. You can't feel. I am honored to be here. And I honestly, if you need someone to polish it, or if it is that nature, that can be a side hustle. So I can polish whatever happens if my pictures up somewhere, make sure it's not dusty and shiny and be security. I will be a, you know, a live curator or whatever we need to do to make sure, you know, I'll be one of them old people. Just give me a stoop or something and I'll make it happen.

Lily Chen: Sounds good. All right, I'm going to hit this button.