Community Builder Spotlight: Talib Jasir

Author: Mehgaan Jones

You’ve heard it more than once, but it is the fact that we all must face. Our world has changed drastically. It will continue to transform so we simply have to adapt to the “new normal.” Although many shifts have occurred in the last few months, some things should remain the same such as the need to build the foundation of the podcasting industry and continue its growth in order to tell our stories.

Talib Jasir understands the importance of podcasting and believes that “it's very important to recognize how impactful and meaningful this medium is to our own record keeping and our own recorded history.”

Talib is the founder of Afros & Audio Podcast Festival & Vanguard Podcast Network (currently producing four shows which include a fiction series, a Biopic series and two storytelling series), a dual certified Life Coach and a founding member of Mastermind Connect.

We are honored that Talib was able to take time out of his schedule to chat with us. 

Why Podcasting?

I decided to get into this world because, well, firstly, I am a creative, I'm a writer, and I have been intrigued by fiction audio since I can remember. I think my first introduction to it was on the Christmas Story where Ralphie's sitting in front of the radio listening to the Orphan Annie radio show. And I'm looking at him like, wow, this is all they got right here. It's just this; this is their entertainment. I grew up in the DMV where Russ Parr, who's a radio personality up there used to have a soap opera that would come on in his morning radio show. I was a teenager, so it wasn't really for me, but it intrigued me. It made me say, "Wow, this is something that is really engaging; people love it." So, what I wanted to do from that point on was create an audio fiction series, but podcasting wasn't even a thing at that time. I wanted to create inside of the podcast industry with fictional series and storytelling series. I did a limited fiction series in 2017, a comedy series which was amazing [and] fun. 

When did you know that this is what you wanted to invest your time and resources in?

 I wanted to encourage people to do more fictional series inside of podcasting. And so, that's when Afros and Audio actually started from wanting to find community around my love which was fiction audio. The festival was never about the two days. It was really about the days after those two days where we were able to build that community and a collaboration with one another. I come from a really big community, where I know what support looks like, and I know what the shared resources look like. I know what genuine love, care and support looks like, and I wanted to create that side of the space.

What keeps you motivated to continue?

I just wanted to create a space for the community where we get to really build something that says that we don't need those opportunities to make this industry whatever we want it to be. We need those opportunities to get from this industry whatever we want to get because unlike radio or television, this is completely new. The barriers that are up are barriers that are up with Spotify or with iTunes. But we get to create in this space, we get to build our own table, we get to make the table and make the chairs and have them sit with us if they'd like, but we don't have to wait for anybody to do what we want to do inside of this industry.

What keeps you motivated to continue? 

It's really the responsibility of it all that keeps me motivated. I have opened this can of worms, so to speak. I've opened this space and opportunity, not only for myself, because again, I am reaching for community in doing this festival as well as bringing community together. So, it becomes a very real responsibility to do what it is I said I was going to do and to finish what I started and to make sure that the intention is real… the intention to build that community is real because people are here for it. People want it. People didn't even know they needed it, but they got it. Thats a huge responsibility for me that I don't take lightly. I don't know if you've ever seen that Homer Simpson meme where he goes back into the bushes. So, that's how I felt in a number of cases, like just slide back into those bushes. But, there was no way. It's here, and I raised my hand to find this and make it a thing. 

What are some of the biggest setbacks you've had on your journey?

Every setback that you can have. I'm so grateful for Blk Pod Collective. They were one of our sponsors, and then we had a few more. I'm not an independently wealthy man, and my daughter goes to Howard University so enough said. That's one of the most expensive HBCUs in the country. 

For the most part it all financially came from me. It came from every time I got a paycheck, it went into Afros and Audio. We lost the venue that we had a month to the day of the festival. I have a twin sister, and she gave me some great advice maybe two weeks before I didn't even know that I would need it. She said, "You very rarely allow the things that hurt your feelings or set you back to process. You just jump into solution mode and you don't feel, you just start moving." That's not the case. I actually am feeling, but I'm also in solution mode.

What advice would you have for someone looking to jump into podcasting?

The first thing that came up for me is just do it, get into it, but the second thing that came up to me is do your due diligence. And when I say that, it's just to say that one of the points and purpose of the festival is to be able to connect with one another in a way that we can collaborate and in a way that you understand that there are services provided for things that you may not have in your wheelhouse because sustainability is an issue. It's really about putting your heart and soul into getting your voice, your perspective and your opinion out there regardless of that tangible result that's going to come with your consistency and your passion and your want and desire to remain in this space. But for a lot of people, it doesn't come immediately. And if you're driven to fame and fortune in podcasting, then you're most likely in the wrong place because it's the long game.It’s not a short game.

Where do you see the industry going 5 to 10 years from now?

I see it getting even bigger and better, and I do see podcasting as a space where people are going to start to see it as something just alongside YouTube or television. I think it's really up to us as a community, as entertainers and as creators to build and envision what it is that we want out of this industry and make it happen. Make it happen!. Start those building blocks, create those foundations for this to grow. It won't grow being in isolation. It won't grow being a solo creative. That's why the community is important. That's why our listeners are important.In a hundred years from now, if we're all gone and we have podcasting to listen to, a black podcast creative and our voices, there's no one else that has misconstrued our perspective, our opinion, our voices and our lived experiences.

What can we as a community do to ensure that our stories are showcased?

It's valuable. Recognize the value. That's one of the things about our festival last year and every year to come. It's difficult to have had to postpone the second year because this is our sophomore year. Sophomore albums for any artist are important. I don't want anybody to think that this was a one-and-done. I don't want anybody to think that we're not working to keep our community together and to keep improving on this with or without me at the forefront. I want this to be something that moves well beyond me and that takes our community to do so.

Nothing goes without us. Nothing new and fresh would spark without us. We have to recognize how powerful we are inside of this space and any and every other space that we touch. But this is an industry where we don't gotta ask nobody for nothing. We had to knock down doors without knocking, and that's on us. It's on us to do that.

Despite the social distancing, rescheduling/canceling of events and the rearranging of lives, Talib Jasir passionately proclaims that regardless of obstacles, our stories need to be heard. 

I love Black Pod Collective for what they're doing, and I'm really looking forward to working more with you guys (Blk Pod Collective) and collaborating more as we move forward. I see Afros and Audio Festival, a podcast festival [being]very valuable to the community. So, it's just time to do the work and keep at the work. love on our people, and make sure that what we're contributing is really about what is wanted and needed for our community and doesn't center on any one person at all, because it's not necessary to do that. Even though the festival is not going to happen in June, and truly can't call it (when it will occur) at this point. But It's imperative that our community continues to grow and we continue to provide opportunities because if we don't do it for ourselves, we can hold our breath for someone else to do it, and that's not my style.