COPING 19

In this episode of COPING 19, I talk to Sam Liebman a very successful real estate developer in New York. He didn't have an easy start to life. He was raised in a very negative environment, and he had a lot of challenges. I wanted to talk to him about how his past helped him deal with the difficulties that the COVID-19 Pandemic brought. Also how COVID gave him the time to complete his passion project, which was writing the book, Harvard Can't Teach What You Learn From The Streets, which comes out next year in 2022.

INTRO: [00:00:06] Now that some things seem back to normal during this past year and a half, it has been something like out of a horror film. We are kind of all getting back to seeing a lot of people in person, having events like weddings, having concerts. It feels like a dream almost, that we're going back to what we knew before. So I still wanted to continue the conversation with entrepreneurs to see where is their business going now. And there's a new post-pandemic world as we start to get out of it. And what lessons did they learn throughout this tough time that they're going to carry on into their business for years to come? Joining me now, I'm Jennifer Lee for season three of COPING19. [00:00:54][47.5]

JEN: [00:01:00] Every day when I turn on Instagram or any type of social media or even the TV, I'm starting to see signs of life getting back to normal. I know we still have our struggles with this pandemic. Cases are going up in other countries. Cases are going up a little bit here, right in B.C., in Canada. But I think it's something that we're going to be seeing a lot. The pandemic is unfortunately not going to go away with just a snap of a finger, which I know we all wish would, but it is getting a little bit better. And one thing that I really liked this past week was the fact the Olympics started. I know there is controversy around that as well. In Japan currently, right now, their numbers are going up. So a lot of people feel that the games should not be taking place. But the one thing they say about the Olympics is it feels hopeful this year. It feels like we're getting a little bit back to normal. And it's so nice to see the athletes just doing what they do best. They already had to wait a year to show us their skills and to just see their pure determination even after the games is postponed by a year. It's amazing and it's so inspiring because we've all gone through this huge challenge, which, of course, is covid-19. And we could learn a lot from the athletes, just their mental state they have to be in to win the medals and to be so disciplined in their respective area. And it's so nice to just kind of watch all the footage from the Olympics. And I'm not just meaning the athletes but on a lot of the news stations. They're showing the families of the athletes on Zoom and other video chat software because obviously there are no spectators, no travellers allowed in Japan right now. So your family can't go with you to cheer you on. So it's just nice to see the togetherness. And they're showing full stadiums, especially here in Canada, of people that are cheering on their favourite athletes. And when they win, it's so exciting, like the whole room is like in up-roar. So it's so nice to have that togetherness and to see people overcome challenges to realize their dreams. And that's why I'm really excited to talk to my next guest, Sam Liebman, who is a very successful real estate developer in New York. He didn't have an easy start to life. He was in a very negative environment while growing up, and he had a lot of challenges. So I want to talk to him about how we overcome them. And even just in the past few years, did he learn anything from his tough upbringing that really helped him during the pandemic? Because a pandemic, just like it wasn't good for all of us, was also not good for him and his business. And we're going to get into that as well. He also has a really great book that's coming out in January. Twenty twenty-two. And it's Harvard. Can't Teach What You Learn From The Streets. And I love the name of it. So we're going to get all into that. But of course, everyone has a beginning and I love to learn where everybody starts from. So, Sam, tell us who you are and where it all started. [00:04:13][193.3]

SAM: [00:04:14] My name is Sam Liebman and I was a Jewish kid from Brooklyn with empty pockets, grew up in a dysfunctional family. And against all odds, you know, I'm working hard, I'm the real rags to riches story. They told me, you know, basically, my father was just psychologically abusive, wasn't physically abusive, but he was mentally abusive. Just his favourite answer to anything I wanted was, I'm sorry, I can't help you. So I since 12, at least not before, I've always been on my own and I like I say, I'm the product of the streets of Canarsie, Brooklyn, which is like the mafia minor leagues. I mean, they wrote a famous book about some of my acquaintances and friends growing up called Murder Machine. You can get that it's out. And a lot of the people you know, I had a summer camp I called Camp Concrete, so it was a backyard at P.S. 114. And of the 25 kids that went there, I can name 18 that are in jail for the rest of their lives for murder or dead. It takes a certain time, especially being a Jewish kid and a little Jewish kid with a big mouth to survive that. There's a lot of things you have to learn, hold street smarts. And I'd use those street smarts through my entire career. And that's why I wrote the book. We can teach what you learn from the streets because to become successful, I believe you need street smarts. And the traditional education in that package is what made me successful. So, you know, I was a horrible student, not because I was dumb, but because I just didn't want to go back to my house. I was so ashamed of the house and the condition. I used to walk around the block till the kids left to go into my house. I don't want you to give me any issues, OK? But it was tough growing up. It really was and would make matters worse. My grandmother on my father's side had 13 grandchildren and they used to have family circles, like to get everybody together close, but all they did was have everyone antagonize everyone. I'll just tell you two quick things. You know, I used to want to go to my Uncle Jack and really look forward to it and ring the doorbell one time. And I heard here comes the shit from Canarsie. And, you know, all that negativity brings you down. But I had a lot of self-esteem. I was good at sports. And I always felt that if the next guy could do it, I could do it. And another time in school, I remember in 11th grade, my math teacher stopped the class and said, everybody, look at Sam Liebman. He's going to be driving a truck for the rest of his life and I deserved it. OK, but the irony is he quit teaching in a few years and opened up Tropicana routes. So I hope it influences decisions. And then, you know, in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. First, I was pre-med because it sounded good. I went to Brooklyn College and made sounds great to me girls, at least for the first year, you didn't have to be a doctor. You just have to say, I wanted to be a doctor. And that worked. And I was in psychology. Let's see computers. They said I had no idea. And at that time in the 70s, either you became a doctor, lawyer, accountant. Well, that's what you wound up being, basically. And I feel bad for kids now. And it's a whole new set of rules with the Internet. And kids are having a tough challenge, really learning what they want to do or expecting what to do in the schools. Do not prepare yourself for this. So in my sophomore year in college, when I took accounting one, I had my first epiphany, and that was due to a professor named Professor Robert Miners. And I give him credit for my academic call. It appears to me this guy was awesome. He was a stand-up comedian. He used to come into the lecture hall of about fifty kids. The first day he walked down, he had a sign underneath his briefcase and he put a sign on on the blackboard, said, fuck, now avoid the rush. Has anybody got a girlfriend? Raise your hand, get rid of her. You're not going to have time to see you got to study, study, study. But everybody knew it was a show. But with this teacher did was he would dictate a difficult concept with an example. And by writing it down, he used to say a little circle the room. OK, scholars write this down. And what it did was it made the knowledge go through your head. And I'd walk out of there with five to ten pages of notes and read them and reread them. And it replaced the textbook. And he was by no means an easy teacher. And he really enabled me to use that technique of writing things down to learn how to study. And again, I passed the CPA test, which is one of the hardest tests to do. Then I work in accounting firms for five years learning that which I think is a very valuable thing to do if you want to do it. And then I got a break in nineteen eighty-two. There was a very well-known attorney named Robert Liebe and he was starting a development company. It's now called Mountain Development Corp., a very big company in New Jersey. We started out I got hired with Bob, myself and a secretary named. Candy is in a small office in West Orange, New Jersey, and now he has like twenty-two million square feet in five different states. So at twenty-seven years old, I got what I call a Harvard education. So that's my story. [00:09:54][339.5]

JEN: [00:09:54] I could just listen to you because you're such a fascinating history. And I relate to so many things that you said because I know back in my day when I went to school, I had a tea

In this episode, I talk to Hector Bremner, Chief Executive Officer at Avricore. Hector has had a fantastic career; he has been in marketing, politics and now is working in healthcare. An important field that we need more than ever as we deal with COVID. Especially start-up companies like Avricore who are making revolutionary advancements in the medical technology field. 

In our discussion, we cover:

• How a start-up like Avricore dealt with COVID-19.

• What type of rapid testing does Avricore offer?

• We talk about their product Health Tab and how it will help the suffering travel industry.

• How the company was able to pivot during the Pandemic.

• What the Avricore team learned during the Pandemic that helped them to grow the company.

Follow Jennifer-Lee as she interviews Hector Bremner, in another episode of COVID-19.

COPING 19 is an optimistic look at entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What are small businesses and freelancers doing to pivot their businesses into this new world? Don't forget this is the time for business owners to be creative. There is no roadmap for this situation; the possibilities of how people run their companies are endless. Advances in medical technology have been tremendous during COVID-19 and will continue to grow after the Pandemic. Find out what Avricore is and how their technology advancements will help the general public as we head out of COVID-19.  

On May 5, 2021, there was an announcement that Broadway shows in New York, with guidance from Governor Andrew Cuomo, will resume ticket sales in May 2021 for Fall 2021 performances.

Fascinating news for the theatre industry because Broadway has been dark for over a year. The future for this iconic world attraction was looking bleak as time went by. No one was certain how or when live performance in New York would be back? The future of the performing arts has been uncertain in many parts of the world, even here in Vancouver, Canada. The film industry has resumed business as usual with COVID 19 health measures in place. However, live performance is still on hold until further notice.

My background before broadcasting is theatre, and I love watching and being part of a live performance. That's why watching the stories about Broadway going dark is a complex idea to grasp. Broadway in New York is the place everyone goes to see the top theatre shows and performers. When I went to theatre school, many students had an aspiration to be part of a Broadway Show. This iconic New York staple employs many performers, but also many businesses around the theatre buildings.

So in the next episode, I had to talk to someone who lives in New York and has worked on Broadway. I wanted to know the truth about what COVID has done to this beloved industry. So I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Morris, who is co-producer of the musical Prom.

Listen to her explain what is happening during the Broadway shut down and how it will eventually re-build. Find out in another episode of COPING 19.

In this episode, I talk to Victor Dolhai Film and Theatre actor about the current state of the arts during COVID-19

In our discussion, we cover:

• How have performers been affected during COVID-19

• As a theatre performer how Victor kept up with his craft during this unprecedented time.

• What advice he’d give to aspiring theatre performers during this challenging time?

• What was it like for Victor to be part of a film in a virtual film festival?

• What does he feel will be the future of the arts after COVID?

• What is a positive lesson he has learned during COVID?

COPING 19 is an optimistic look at entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What are small businesses and freelancers doing to pivot their businesses into this new world? Don't forget this is the time for business owners to be creative. There is no roadmap for this situation; the possibilities of how people run their companies are endless. New content on streaming services is what has got a lot of us through the pandemic. But we are missing one essential part of the art, and that is live performance. What will theatre and concerts look like after COVID-19 Find out in this next episode of COPING 19?

“The one thing I realized is theatre is not going anywhere. Theatre has been around for 1000 years, and it will continue to be around. Because basically theatre is storytelling and storytelling is at the core of who we are!”

I never thought I would see a world event that would put the art of live performance on pause. COVID-19 has changed the way we watch content we stream from the safety of our homes, but we are missing that live element. That is why it is essential to hear from actors like Victor that have made a living from the arts be optimistic about the future of theatre in the post-pandemic world. Theatre has been around forever and has lived through plagues, other viruses, and war. Theatre will come back when the time is right, and I think people will respect the art form more, knowing what it is like to live in a world with no live performance—also knowing that live shows can be gone in seconds. A world without live performance and creativity is a dull world, and I can not wait to see the ideas that have been brewing during this pause; and I'm excited to see new shows by different voices when the theatre reopens.

In this episode, I talk to Bernie, Florido CEO of Cocoflo Innovations.

In our discussion, we cover:

• What was Bernie's “ah-ha moment” when coming up with the idea for Cocoflo.

• How his background in law enforcement and construction lead him to create Cocoflo.

• What advice he’d give to aspiring tech entrepreneurs.

• What is a smart city?

• What it's like to have a relatively new business during a pandemic.

• What is a positive lesson he has learned during COVID?

COPING 19 is an optimistic look at entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What are small businesses and freelancers doing to pivot their businesses into this new world? Don't forget this is the time for business owners to be creative. There is no roadmap for this situation; the possibilities of how people run their companies are endless. Technology gives entrepreneurs chances to adapt their business to this new reality. One day we will take a step back and see the new ideas, new companies, new career paths that emerge from COVID-19.

City halls produce a lot of paper during a year—everything from parking tickets to building permits, etc. There is a lot of paper that goes in and out of our municipal halls. However, COVID 19 is starting to change that. Different digital solutions are on the rise to limit face-to-face interaction with city halls closed to the public. One up-and-coming tech company in the digital space of lessening city halls' day-to-day paper tasks is Cocoflo Innovations. Their app helps cities like Fort St John and others minimize the in-person tasks, like pay parking tickets and utilities, etc., allowing the residents to pay for municipal fines and documents over an app. 

"For the community having the convenience of being able to conduct any city hall business from your phone. You no longer have to get in your car and drive to city hall and line up." 

This company was created before the Pandemic and has been running for over a year. So it's still a new company, and I wanted to know how they are dealing with the Pandemic since they are still a relatively new business. 

"People are resilient; we adapt, we overcome, and people seem to re-access their priorities."

That's why I had to interview Bernie Florido CEO of Cocoflo Innovations. I wanted to know more about their revolutionizing software, and more about their journey as a new business during COVID.

I wanted to know more about their revolutionizing software and more about their journey as a new business during COVID.

COPING 19 is an optimistic look at entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What are small businesses and freelancers doing to pivot their businesses into this new world? Don't forget this is the time for business owners to be creative. There is no roadmap for this situation; the possibilities on how people run their companies are endless. Technology gives entrepreneurs chances to adapt their business to this new reality. One day we will take a step back and see the new ideas, new companies, new career paths that emerge from COVID-19. 

Now we have all been in this for a year, and I would like to know the answer to this question: how are parents with busy careers still coping with COIVD? Many parents have to change the way they do their jobs and the way they parent their children. We have learned so many things about ourselves about our jobs and close contacts. Let's face it; this has been a learning curve for everyone. We are adjusting to new restrictions constantly, and then we have the added pressure of our jobs and families. So how does one person handle their job and family being home all the time because of the pandemic?

That’s why I wanted to interview my next guest, Pam Bhatti lawyer, mother and wife. I wanted to know how she deals with the pandemic and what it is like to do her job from home. A lot of industries have changed how they have conducted business through COVID-19. How has COVID-19 affected the sector of law? I find all this out in the next episode of COPING-19.

Real estate is always a hot topic in Vancouver. Even before the pandemic, this was the number one topic everyone talks about. Real estate is continuously featured on the news. Now that we are a full year into the pandemic, Vancouver's real estate has not slowed down. The market now is HOT! HOT! HOT! So if a pandemic can't topple the real estate market in Vancouver, then nothing will. This was a topic that I had to have a discussion about. So that is why I talked to Brandon Blue from the Rennie Real Estate Group. He is a very experienced realtor that knows how to guide his buyers and sellers through this crazy market. I wanted his opinion about the real estate market during COVID. What trends is he starting to see, and what type of practices are he and the other real estate agents putting in place to keep clients safe. Join us for this hot topic that everyone is fascinated by in another episode of COPING 19.

After being in the pandemic for over a year, many different industries have had to adapt and develop creative solutions. Film festivals are events that can not happen in person at the moment. Too many people grace these global stages, so there has to be a different way of hosting these significant events for the time being. I'm so glad we currently live in a technology era where many of these industries can continue to go on. For film festivals, they have held their film festivals online, which is great because people can still witness beautiful independent films. I know online film festivals are not the same as being there in person and seeing a crowd react to your creative work. However, as we move into a post-pandemic world, there will hopefully be a combo of in-person and virtual because virtual film festivals allow more people to see these beautiful films created by very talented people. So it's very nice to have both options to include more people in the world of film festivals.

I wanted to learn more about the online film festival world and know what the future looks like post-pandemic. In this episode, I talk to Shanyn Maguire, former Broadcaster turned Film Producer. She is President of Pendulum films and her fantastic team, and they have a short film called PLATONIC gaining a lot of buzz. The new film is directed by the very talented Krit Komkrichwarakool. Please find out more on their Instagram @pendulumfilms

TikTok exploded during COVID-19. People became more and more interested in creating a podcast or video YouTube Channels during the Pandemic. In this episode, we explore content creation mediums. I brought in video marketing expert Rami Mikhail who is the owner of Rami Films. He has a self-serve YouTube Studio where business can record their videos. He also produces and edits videos for various companies. We discuss how he pivoted his company during COVID-19 and how technology continuously improves, and more people become their own videographer and editor. Does he worry he will lose business? Because if people can do it themselves, they might not need his services. His answer will surprise you!

During COVID, many people created videos and podcasts because they had the time, and it kept them going during restrictions and was a form of entertainment. How does someone like Rami generate a business around these creative content endeavors and keep it going post-pandemic? We find out in the next episode of COPING-19.

Rami and I examine how social media continues to change our lives and influence how we market ourselves and companies even during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Social media is here to stay and will continuously evolve. We will all adapt to the various new ideas and technologies as the world continues to figure out the virus and re-build after the Pandemic is over.

As we all know, the Summer Olympics 2020 in Tokyo didn't happen. This large global event is to occur in July of this year. As we get closer to the summer months of 2021, the big question is whether they will happen. The answer right now is yes. Today March 9th, it was announced Tokyo is going ahead without any world spectators. Which makes sense because we know a lot of countries are only allowing travel for essential reasons. Even though there is a vaccine, it's probably not a great idea yet, to have a whole bunch of people travel into one country for an event. At least it looks like the Olympics are going ahead. I know Florida was willing to help out if Tokyo could not host them this year. Many possible solutions were being looked at so the Olympics didn't have to cancel.

I feel watching sports is something we need in our lives right now. We need something to look forward to; there is only so many Netflix and other streaming services you can binge. Sport is much more than just watching a team or individual compete, it's about crowds coming together and supporting those athletes. That is a major simple thing we haven't been able to do during this pandemic is to gather. Without crowds, let's face it the Olympics won't be the same. But at least it's a solution for now until the world returns to some state of normal.

In this episode, I talk to Mark Hatton UK Winter Olympic athlete, about what it's like to be a part of the global event, what he feels will happen with these upcoming summer games and the future of this world sporting event post-pandemic. So many questions to ask, and I'm fascinated by this topic because, in my life, I have never have witnessed an event of this magnitude be postponed. After seeing an Olympics in my hometown of Vancouver, I have been hooked on the games ever since. I have so many questions for Mark, and I know this will be a great episode.