409 DeVon Franklin on Finding Success in Hollywood Through Spirituality

"You are a co-author with God. He is the director." - DeVon Franklin If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/409 Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  This is episode number 409 with bestselling author Devon Franklin.

• 0:07Lewis Howes?

  Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin.

• 0:33Lewis Howes?

  Welcome everyone to the School of Greatness podcast. We've got a special guest on today. His name is Devon Franklin and he serves as the president and CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a new first look production company with Sony Pictures Entertainment. And as the former senior vice president of Columbia TriStar Pictures, Devon worked on a number of the studio's most successful films, including The Karate Kid and The Pursuit of Happiness. Now, in addition to his entertainment industry pursuits, Devon is a growing force in the media. He's made appearances on CNN, Fox News, he's been on Super Soul Sunday with Oprah, he's been on Oprah's Life Class,

• 1:18Lewis Howes?

  been on the Dr. Phil Show and many other media outlets. He's also a published author, a preacher, and a highly sought after motivational speaker. Ebony Magazine has named him one of the top 100 influential African Americans in America, and Belief Net named him one of most influential Christians under 40. We talked about a lot of different things today and he was similar to Jon Assaraf's interview for me in the fact that every other sentence I felt like was a highlight reel, like something was just so profound and innovative and inspirational. So for me, I was inspired and enthralled the entire time and I hope you are as well. But here are some of the highlights that we're going to talk about.

• 2:04Lewis Howes?

  How to think of your life as a movie and why that's useful. Also what Devon Learn from interning for Will Smith when he was in college. Why figuring out your spiritual foundation is essential to happiness. No matter how successful you are in life. And guys, I'm learning all about this spiritual foundation and spiritual vision throughout my meditation retreat right now. So I'm definitely a big believer in that. Why Devon and his wife, actress Megan Good, chose to wait to have sex till they were married. And the story behind that. Devon's experience navigating Hollywood as a man of color and so much more, guys.

• 2:45Lewis Howes?

  Make sure to give this some love, share it out with your friends, LewisHowes.com/409. Make sure to follow Devon and let him know what you think of this interview over on Instagram or over on Twitter. And watch the full video interview over on YouTube and again on the website, LewisHowes.com/409. All right, guys, I hope you enjoy this one and I'll connect with you at the end. Without further ado, let me introduce to you the one, the only Devon Franklin.

• 3:18Lewis Howes?

  Welcome everyone back to the School of Greatness Podcast. Very excited about our guest Devon Franklin in the house. Good to see you. Good to see you. So glad to be here. Thanks for having me. Yeah, I'm very pumped about this because a friend of mine, Dale Partridge, introduced me to you, to who you were a couple of years ago. And said, you gotta get this guy on sometime. And I think he actually made an email intro to either me and you or your publicist at the time or a while ago, a couple of years ago. Yeah. And you were busy or on the road, you might've had your book launching then or something. And so we never made it happen, but we finally made it happen. And I realized you're my neighbor. Yes, right. I live down the street. Right down the street. So I'm glad we made it happen. Me too. Thanks for coming in. Thanks for having me. For those that don't know who you are, and I think a lot of my audience probably doesn't know who you are.

• 3:59Lewis Howes?

  In, in one sentence, what would you say is your vision or your purpose? Wow. Okay, we're just gonna go deep. Get it there, man. We don't waste any time. What are you here for?

• 4:11DeVon Franklin?

  Um, you know, I'm here to, you know, basically through the media, you know, improve the lives of everyone in a way where if they watch a film that I've produced, they read a book that I've written, uh, they hear a lecture I've given or a sermon that I've preached. The thing that unites all of them is information, um, uh, perspective to motivate them to do something positive in their life. And that's ultimately the, the goal. And that's what I do. Uh, so if you've watched my films, you've seen my books, read my books, you see me on Instagram, that's, if you can go to my Instagram page right now, every post is not about me. It's about whoever's coming there.

• 4:53DeVon Franklin?

  What can I say? What can I post? What can I show to help them to motivate them to do something positive in their life?

• 4:58Lewis Howes?

  Hmm. Man, you're in the perfect place. That's what we're all about. You're the perfect place, man. School of greatness. I love it. Now, did I read that you're, how you got started early on? You were an intern for Will Smith?

• 5:09DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 5:09Lewis Howes?

  That's, yeah. How, how did that come about? And what was that experience like for you?

• 5:13DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah. I mean, it started, it started at 18 years old. I'm from Oakland, uh, California. Then I came down to here, Southern California to go to USC. I'm sorry, any, uh, Bruins that are listening. Um, there is a little more anointing on the Trojans. Yes, there is. Um, and, uh, I went to USC and I got rejected from the film school, but I got admitted to general admission to the, the school at large. And at first I wasn't going to go there and I went and visited the school and felt like that's where I was supposed to be. And as I got there and started this, I decided I'd major in business and minor in film, but the thing that was missing was real world experience because I always dreamed of being in Hollywood. I always dreamed of, you know, making films, making television and being a part of the entertainment industry. That was my, you know, goal from, you know, as

• 5:58DeVon Franklin?

  long as I can remember. At first it was playing football and right behind that, my fallback was entertainment. Um, football didn't work out.

• 6:04Lewis Howes?

  Did you play in high school?

• 6:06DeVon Franklin?

  Uh, I actually got hurt in the tryout.

• 6:08Lewis Howes?

  Oh, no way.

• 6:09DeVon Franklin?

  Yes, I did. Never made it. Okay. That was it. I got hurt in the first play. First tryout, I was out. And then decided, okay, Hollywood must be where God wants me to be.

• 6:18Lewis Howes?

  There you go.

• 6:19DeVon Franklin?

  So. When I got there freshman year, I realized that I needed some real world experience in entertainment to figure out exactly if it was what I thought it was. Because sometimes you have an idea of what you want to do, but until you have a real world experience, you don't actually know if it is what you want to do. So no point in wasting four years of your life. That's right. Getting an degree if you don't love it. If you don't love it. And I needed to put myself in an environment where I could actually figure that out. So, long story short, I went into interview for an internship at the management company and managed Will Smith. At the time, the company was called Handprint Entertainment. Then I went, 18 years old, you know, went through the interview process. And one of the things that was really unique about that interview was two things. One, I sent in my resume and had a picture.

• 7:03DeVon Franklin?

  It was a time when color printers were a new thing. What year was this? This was 96. 96, man. Hey, we going all the way back. That's right, 20 years. OG. And so I sent my resume and have a picture on it. And they were like, you know, the lady interviewing me, her name was Dale. She was like, you know, this isn't a modeling agency. And she had my picture crossed off. She's like, don't do that because there's some people in this town that mean to hire you based upon that and how you look. So I was like, oh, wow. You know, I was really frustrated and I was like, oh, my goodness, this is getting off to the worst start. It was my first interview in Hollywood. And after that, she started asking me, you know, well, why do you want to be in entertainment? And I said, well, I want to make change. And she said, well, you want to make money? I said, no, I mean, that's fine. No, I'm talking about changing the world.

• 7:48DeVon Franklin?

  And I said, I believe entertainment is one of the most powerful mediums in the world. And if I can be a part of that, maybe I might be able to affect people's lives in a positive way. And so she was like, oh, okay, wow, you know, cool. And then she got to the end of the interview and she said, is there anything else you, you know, need me to know? And in that moment, you know, I grew up as a Christian, but as a Christian, I also observed the Sabbath. So Friday night sundown, Saturday night sundown, you know, I was raised, you know, not going to school dances and football games and basketball games and, you know, really spend that day in church and in a day of observance. And so I told her in that interview, I don't work on the Sabbath. So if taking the internship would require me to work on the Sabbath, then I won't take it. And so she was shocked and she was like, okay. Um, and she was kind of quiet. She might know what to say.

• 8:35DeVon Franklin?

  We don't sleep in Hollywood. We work all day, every day. Exactly. But the thing that came out of that is that she said, okay, you know what? We're going to work around that. And so I got the internship and I started, uh, that first semester, uh, it was unpaid. And then they liked me, uh, and so I stayed on and then became paid and that became my job. And I did it, uh, my whole four years. Uh, Will ultimately got his own company with his, uh, producing partner, James Lassiter. They started Overbrook Entertainment in 1998. And I went to intern for them my junior and senior year. And then when I graduated, I became an assistant, uh, for James Lassiter, who's Will's producing partner at the company. So, yeah, all of my foundation in this industry, uh, comes from my time and training, uh, with Will.

• 9:18DeVon Franklin?

  What would you say is the biggest, uh, lesson you learned from that intern experience, those four years? Um, you know, it's something that I, that I, I knew already, you know, again, growing up in the church. Uh, one of the things that, that was instilled in us, my uncle was the pastor, was all about service. All about service. I mean, we would go into the community, we, we pass out food, we pass out flyers. Uh, you know, we would get to the church at, you know, eight o'clock on, on Sabbath morning and not leave till eight o'clock at night. Wow. So getting to be an intern, uh, that training in service was the key to my success. Because as an intern, you know, no one came to me every day and said, here's your assignment. I had to go find work to do. I had to go, you know, say, hey, can I fax that for you? Can I file that for you?

• 10:02DeVon Franklin?

  And remember coffee orders, you know, go get dry cleaning, but also do it with excellence. Do it like it was important because sometimes those tasks we don't want. We want the office, we want the job, uh, you know, we want the title, we want the money. We don't want to do the entry level stuff. Yeah. And sometimes, you know, people that I've even hired and interns that I've worked with, they don't have any excellence in that work because they, they think it's a, they're above it. But when you put excellence on that and you serve it and you say, hey, this is as important as the job I want. People see that. So for me, it was applying service. How can I make everyone's job here better? And not just the principals, but the assistants as well. You know, the support staff, because if you don't have a relationship with the support staff, you're not gonna have a good relationship with the principals.

• 10:46Lewis Howes?

  Mm hmm.

• 10:47DeVon Franklin?

  And so that was my, my one lesson that I really learned is that service is king. And that service is the key to your ascension.

• 10:55Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 10:55DeVon Franklin?

  And, uh, and, and I can tell you that that lesson just keeps replaying itself at every level, just in different way.

• 11:01Lewis Howes?

  Right. You know, the, the last chapter in my book is about living a life of service.

• 11:04DeVon Franklin?

  Oh, cool.

• 11:04Lewis Howes?

  The greatest leaders in the world live in service.

• 11:06DeVon Franklin?

  They do.

• 11:06Lewis Howes?

  That's their mission.

• 11:07DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 11:07Lewis Howes?

  To serve others. It's my mission to serve others. And I think it also means we get to work on ourselves constantly to develop the skills and the tools to provide knowledge, information.

• 11:18DeVon Franklin?

  Yep.

• 11:18Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, be in greater service.

• 11:20DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 11:20Lewis Howes?

  Um, so that's cool that you talk about service and that early on, you recognize that from the principles and the foundation you had in the church.

• 11:28DeVon Franklin?

  Absolutely.

• 11:29Lewis Howes?

  I think there's a lot of people that don't have that foundation. I think now more than ever, people aren't going to church or it's, it's a loosey goosey.

• 11:37DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 11:37Lewis Howes?

  There isn't this foundation. It sounds like you had.

• 11:40DeVon Franklin?

  Absolutely.

• 11:41Lewis Howes?

  Why do you think that is? That so many of the millennials and the younger people in the world aren't, maybe in America, let's say in general, aren't doing that or don't have that foundation?

• 11:49DeVon Franklin?

  Um, you know, it's, it's a good question. I, I probably have a two-pronged answer.

• 11:53Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 11:54DeVon Franklin?

  Um, I think that one, just, I think it's, a lot of it has to do with the parenting.

• 11:59Lewis Howes?

  Uh huh.

• 11:59DeVon Franklin?

  And, and, you know, I sometimes feel like the millennial parenting is, it's like the parents of the millennial parents were harder on them than they are on the millennials.

• 12:08Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 12:09DeVon Franklin?

  And I think that, that, you know, in some instances and, you know, millennials that I have in my family and how their parents parent them, I'm like, wait a minute. You're letting the millennial be the parent. You're not the parent.

• 12:18Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 12:19DeVon Franklin?

  And I'm like, we gotta flip this dynamic. So part of it is that. Part of it, I think, is a parenting thing. And, and I also think that because, you know, uh, some of those parents, you know, who came up in church, uh, you know, were hurt. And they saw things and, and there was maybe a level of hypocrisy and there were things that, that they loved the word or they loved the message, but the experience, um, hurt them in some way.

• 12:41Lewis Howes?

  Human experience.

• 12:41DeVon Franklin?

  That's right. That's right. That's right. I mean, you know, churches are emergency rooms and there's a lot of sick people.

• 12:46Lewis Howes?

  Mm hmm.

• 12:46DeVon Franklin?

  And so I think that's Sometimes that creates a bit of, um, you get jaded. Yeah. Um, you know, sometimes you may get a little cynical potentially. Lose belief. Lose belief in the institution. Yeah. Not necessarily in God, not necessarily in the faith, but in the institution by which the faith was experienced. Right. The religious. Building and the people there and the experiences. That's right. And so sometimes if that has happened, then that's why it doesn't necessarily show up as rigorously as it, as it has in previous generations. With that being said, you know, in the ministry that I do, you know, outside of Hollywood and the many millennials that, that follow me and look to me for inspiration.

• 13:24DeVon Franklin?

  There's not, there's no lack of desire within the millennial generation for, for God, for faith, for inspiration, for motivation, for an understanding of how to live life spiritually. There's no lack of that. It's just finding a way that they can tap into and finding, uh, not just a message, because the message is the same to me. But it's finding an approach that makes it feel as relevant and as accessible as, as it has for previous generations. Yeah. Cause I, I'm a testament. People, you know, I'm 38 years old. I have my own company. God is doing amazing things in my life. And if he asks me how, you know, it's because I, I had a foundation, uh, spiritually and had a foundation practically.

• 14:04DeVon Franklin?

  And so I'm a very big proponent and a poster child of what can happen when you do have a consistent church going experience. When you do embrace faith at an early age and what that, what can do for your life, it can do amazing things. So I do whatever I can, you know, with this generation to motivate them and to say, listen, you know, it's really important. It's really important because the higher you go, the, in my opinion, the higher you go and the more success you have. If you have not figured out your spiritual walk and you haven't really tapped into what's going on in your soul, you're, you're not going to be happy, just not. Because there's these external things that we say will make us happy. They don't. Right. They don't. They only amplify whatever's there. Exactly.

• 14:45DeVon Franklin?

  So you may have the position and you may have a great office, but if you aren't filled and you don't feel at peace. You're you're gonna get in that office and say, I need a bigger office. Right. And you're gonna get a bigger office and say, I need a bigger office. I need a bigger house. And it becomes a perpetual cycle. So again, going to your question, I think a lot of it comes from experiences in the church, experiences with religion that that were painful. And so, and but I come across so many parents too, that, you know, through the books I've written and the things I see, they say, I want you to talk to my kid. Because the things you're saying, the way you're saying them, I believe in that. Or they'll see, you know, miracles from heaven or a movie that I've done, they say, I want my kids to have those values. It's just that I I'm losing trust in the institution. So. Yeah. Uh, again, it's that that may be a more simplified answer, because it's a very complex answer.

• 15:30DeVon Franklin?

  Um, but my hope and my prayer is that it's something that can be resolved. Yeah. Because I think there are so many, you know, young people in this generation that are searching. And they're seeking and they are desiring for God. They're just looking for him in different ways. Who uh, who brought these principles on to you early on? Was your parents or mentor? Yeah, I mean, it was a combination, you know, it's that African proverb, it takes a village. And it took a big village to raise me and my older brother, my younger brother. Yeah, yeah. And uh, from day one, my mother, um, my, my grandmother has seven sisters and one brother. And so my great aunts or my my mother was raised with my great aunts. Okay. So she was raised in the house almost as the eighth sister. Okay.

• 16:13DeVon Franklin?

  So when we were born, you know, we had these eight amazing women. Wow. That were a part of our life and. You were living with them or? We weren't living with them. We. They're all close. They were all close and and giving us information and and helping us. And I mean, so a lot of the wisdom, I mean, you know, six and seven, they were teaching us about life and what would really happens and all this kind of stuff. So I think a lot of that really instilled the values. And then my father passed away when I was nine, uh, of a heart attack. And so my mother was left to raise us on her own. And so my grandmother and my grand and my great aunts, and then my grandfather stepping in, my uncle stepping in. So it really took this village. But in my experience growing up, no one ever treated us like kids necessarily. I mean, we were treated like kids, like, yeah, go ride your bike, that kind of thing.

• 16:58DeVon Franklin?

  But in terms of life, we were taught a lot about life at a very early age. And I think part of it had to do because of the tragedy we experienced. And the other part of it is they wanted to prepare us to uh, succeed. And did not want to withhold from us information that might help us uh, be successful. Who would you say is more, has been more influential in your life, your mom or your dad? Um, I mean, I think my, I think my mother, you know, I mean, cause she's been here. I mean, I think my dad in, in more of a,

• 17:28DeVon Franklin?

  you know, legacy, you know, standpoint of like, you know, my father, you know, he passed away young and certainly was able to glean a lot of lessons from him and, and even lessons, uh, you know, in his death, but I think my mother certainly would have had, has had the biggest influence. I mean, she's been there and consistent.

• 17:44Lewis Howes?

  The whole time, yeah.

• 17:44DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 17:45Lewis Howes?

  Who, uh, what's the biggest lesson you learned from each of them?

• 17:48DeVon Franklin?

  Um, you know, the biggest lesson I learned from my father was, uh, to not accept substance. Uh, I don't wanna say abuse, but don't accept, uh, you know, uh, what do you call it? Digesting or ingesting. So don't, don't, cause some part of culture is that, you know, the substances, whether it be alcohol, whether it be cigarettes, drugs or whatever, well, that's just a part of the culture. Right? I mean, you know, what's big, what, what difference does it make if you drink? That's just part of culture. And if you don't drink, then you're weird. So what I learned from him is that, you know, as someone who did drink and for someone who drank.

• 18:24Lewis Howes?

  He did drink.

• 18:24DeVon Franklin?

  He did.

• 18:25Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 18:25DeVon Franklin?

  And he, he was an alcoholic my entire life, um, which contributed to his early demise. And so what I learned from him was like, don't just buy into the status quo. You have to find what works for you. And there was a lot of pressure he felt in his job and didn't realize, you know, the severity of what alcoholism would do to him. And, you know, he was doing it and didn't, you know, thought, oh, it's just me just doing what everybody else does.

• 18:48Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 18:48DeVon Franklin?

  And everybody else goes out to drink after work and that's what I do and didn't realize that I was setting him up for, for some very tragic events. So I really learned from that experience to,

• 18:57Lewis Howes?

  Not to do that.

• 18:58DeVon Franklin?

  To not, not go with the flow, uh, just because that's where the flow is going. Have a point of view.

• 19:03Lewis Howes?

  If it doesn't serve you.

• 19:04DeVon Franklin?

  That's right.

• 19:04Lewis Howes?

  And others.

• 19:05DeVon Franklin?

  Find out what works for you.

• 19:06Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 19:06DeVon Franklin?

  It works for me. So that's one lesson I learned from, from him. And the other lesson I learned from her, you know, is, is really about discipline. I mean, my mother was, mother was, still is a disciplinarian. And she, you know, from we were young, I mean, from three and four years old, I mean, having to do chores and vacuum and wash dishes and take out the trash and keep our room clean and, and all of those things that at the time I hated. I value you so much now because they gave me a foundation that really helped me navigate, organize, lead, manage. So, you know, that discipline was something that she really instilled in us. And I think a lot of the success I've been able to have comes from her.

• 19:48DeVon Franklin?

  And her, you know, saying, look, I'm not going to let you guys just go and be wild. Say that's just how boys do it.

• 19:55Lewis Howes?

  Discipline is such a powerful thing.

• 19:57DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 19:57Lewis Howes?

  And being disciplined ourselves and having structure, I feel like. I've never been drunk my entire life.

• 20:02DeVon Franklin?

  Wow.

• 20:02Lewis Howes?

  I've been high or drunk.

• 20:03DeVon Franklin?

  Me either.

• 20:04Lewis Howes?

  And I made the decision in high school, when I was, I went to a private boarding school and then I was going off to college to play football. My siblings, my older siblings were like, you're going to be a drunk jock, just like all the other drunk football players. Like, we already see it. And I was like, I'm going to make a bet to you guys. I'm not going to have one sip of alcohol in college.

• 20:23DeVon Franklin?

  Wow.

• 20:23Lewis Howes?

  I went to so many college parties with all the football players, just like chugging and keg stands or whatever.

• 20:28DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 20:28Lewis Howes?

  And I didn't have one sip, but I never even felt like pressure personally. Like, people tried to pressure me.

• 20:33DeVon Franklin?

  That's right. Me too. Same thing. But I didn't feel it.

• 20:35Lewis Howes?

  Constantly wanted to.

• 20:36DeVon Franklin?

  No, I don't have a desire.

• 20:38Lewis Howes?

  Zero urge.

• 20:38DeVon Franklin?

  No urge.

• 20:39Lewis Howes?

  And then after college, I was like, why start? I've had a couple sips every now and then, but I've never been drunk.

• 20:45DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 20:45Lewis Howes?

  And never had like a full

• 20:47DeVon Franklin?

  Right.

• 20:47Lewis Howes?

  glass of beer or something. It's been like a sip. So, but I don't feel the pressure. And I feel like the discipline I've created

• 20:54DeVon Franklin?

  That's right.

• 20:54Lewis Howes?

  in that area. Now, I'm not perfect.

• 20:57DeVon Franklin?

  Neither am I.

• 20:58Lewis Howes?

  I've got my other vices, you know, and food and sugar and things like that. But, you know, I think we need to create structure for ourselves.

• 21:04DeVon Franklin?

  Great.

• 21:05Lewis Howes?

  To, to move forward and to progress.

• 21:07DeVon Franklin?

  I agree. I think it's an integral part.

• 21:08Lewis Howes?

  That's cool, man. I like that. So you've never been drunk either?

• 21:11DeVon Franklin?

  No, my man, no.

• 21:12Lewis Howes?

  I like it. Very few of us. Very few of us.

• 21:14DeVon Franklin?

  I know, I know.

• 21:15Lewis Howes?

  You probably haven't had sips either. I've had sips.

• 21:17DeVon Franklin?

  No, no. I remember when I was a kid, like, there was something in there. There was like orange juice in the refrigerator. I went in a cup and I went and took a sip. I thought, oh, orange juice. And then I was like, wait.

• 21:26Lewis Howes?

  That's not orange juice. That's something else.

• 21:28DeVon Franklin?

  There was something else in it. It was orange juice.

• 21:29Lewis Howes?

  It's something else. You've never consciously done it.

• 21:33DeVon Franklin?

  No, no, no, no desire.

• 21:35Lewis Howes?

  That's great. Now, something that was pretty cool that I read about you is you wrote a book. It was called The Weight? Or was it called Wait?

• 21:43DeVon Franklin?

  The wait.

• 21:43Lewis Howes?

  The wait.

• 21:44DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, I co-wrote it with my wife.

• 21:45Lewis Howes?

  Co-wrote it with your wife. And what is the essence of the book? You guys waited to do what?

• 21:49DeVon Franklin?

  We waited until marriage happened. And we wrote a book about the value of why we did it and the value of doing it. Uh, so that it can actually help your, your, not only just your love life, but your, your whole life.

• 22:00Lewis Howes?

  Hmm. How long were you dating or did you do each other before then?

• 22:03DeVon Franklin?

  Well, I started waiting in my early twenties. So I ended up waiting, you know, for a little over 10 years before, uh, before marriage.

• 22:10Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 22:11DeVon Franklin?

  And so we dated for a little over a year. I ain't got married.

• 22:15Lewis Howes?

  So you were dating other people before then?

• 22:16DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 22:17Lewis Howes?

  And you waited for, for them to?

• 22:18DeVon Franklin?

  Yes, yes.

• 22:19Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 22:20DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 22:20Lewis Howes?

  And then they just didn't work out for whatever reason after six months or a year or whatever it was.

• 22:24DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, yeah. Some cases longer.

• 22:25Lewis Howes?

  Some cases longer.

• 22:26DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 22:27Lewis Howes?

  And waited the whole time.

• 22:28DeVon Franklin?

  Waited.

• 22:30Lewis Howes?

  Talk about discipline. I love it. And so then you met, uh, your wife, Meghan. And you told her upfront, I'm assuming, hey, you know, I like you. This is cool. We should date, but I'm gonna wait.

• 22:41DeVon Franklin?

  Well, the thing about, it was interesting because we did a movie together. I was the executive on a film.

• 22:45Lewis Howes?

  She's an actress, right?

• 22:46DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, she's an actress, um, uh, called Jumping the Broom. A couple of years ago when I was an executive for Sony, uh, she was one of the stars of the film. And long story short, you know, we tell our whole story in the wait, but the wait is really geared towards the reader and to help them in their love life. And we use our story to do that. But one of the aspects of our story was that while we were getting to know each other as friends on set, you know, she would say to her girlfriends, like, oh, about me. Oh, he's the type of guy I would like to marry one day.

• 23:13Lewis Howes?

  The type of guy.

• 23:14DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 23:14Lewis Howes?

  Type. Why don't you just go marry him?

• 23:16DeVon Franklin?

  Right. Well, and again, she was, you know, I mean, she's Meghan Good, you know, you know, huge star, celebrity. Like, I'm not even thinking anything about that, like that. I'm like, you know, she's on a pedestal and I'm not thinking that way.

• 23:26Lewis Howes?

  Really? Okay.

• 23:27DeVon Franklin?

  And so.

• 23:28Lewis Howes?

  You didn't even think you had a chance?

• 23:29DeVon Franklin?

  No, it wasn't even thought.

• 23:30Lewis Howes?

  You were like, I'm working, she's working.

• 23:32DeVon Franklin?

  That's right. It's right. Like, oh, that's cool. It's good that we're having friends. That's cool. It's like, hey, who wouldn't want to be friends with Meghan Good? But that was the extent of it.

• 23:38Lewis Howes?

  You weren't even thinking about it?

• 23:39DeVon Franklin?

  No.

• 23:40Lewis Howes?

  Maybe like Fantasyland once or twice?

• 23:42DeVon Franklin?

  Like, no, I mean, no, even in the Fantasyland, it's like, no, it's not real.

• 23:45Lewis Howes?

  Wow, okay.

• 23:46DeVon Franklin?

  So while that was happening, we got a chance to know each other and then the movie wrapped. And, um, you know, nine months later, you know, we ended up talking at the premiere party. And that's when we started saying, hey, maybe we should go hang out. But what I didn't know what had happened before that, to answer your question, is that Right after the movie wrapped, she was getting out of a relationship and it was very difficult for a variety of reasons. She was praying to God, you know, please help me and help me understand what you want. And, and she says that in that prayer time, God told her that I was going to be her husband. Crazy. Yes. This was, this was, and again, I, her and I weren't even talking. We hadn't really communicated since the movie wrapped, anything. And then she said, well, what am I supposed to do? And God said, don't do anything. Just get, work on yourself.

• 24:31DeVon Franklin?

  And so as the months progressed and as she got stronger in this belief and what God told her, she started telling her friends. And one of her friends she told, said to her, well, you know, you know, he's, he, he's in ministry too. And she's like, no, I didn't know that. And then her friend told her, well, you know, he's celibate. And, and she's like, well, no, I didn't know that. But I'm, she's like, I'm celibate too. And then her friend said to her, well, no, he's really celibate. Yeah, she was celibate then, but not now. Right, right, right, right. And, and so when I went into the relationship, when we, when we started dating, she already knew that about me. Right. Uh, and so when we talked about it, I didn't know that about her, but it didn't really matter, to be honest with you, because I knew what I wasn't gonna do. Sure. So, yeah. So it's like, hey, you know what? She's either on board or not.

• 25:16DeVon Franklin?

  Right. I mean, it takes two to tango. So if I'm not doing it, then we ain't gonna do it. Um, and so it was cool to find out that she was on the same page. And I think that that really created a unity amongst us and a communication. And, you know, we dated for a year. We did four months of pre-engagement counseling. Uh, we talk about that in the book. And, uh, and then we got engaged in March. We got married in June. Wow. And, um, you know, we really believe in, in the value of waiting because it just gave, gives so much clarity. It gives so much understanding. And sometimes, you know, sex, it's just, it clouds so much. Does. And, and you can't see people for who they really are. You can't really necessarily decipher intention. And sometimes it's the physical need that, that is. Addiction. Yeah, completely. Connection. Completely. Intimacy.

• 26:01DeVon Franklin?

  Completely. And. That clouds you from other things that might not be aligned. Totally, totally. And then you get down the road and then you realize, wait, things don't work out and you wonder why. Uh, and I, and the book is really written for those that, that, you know, want to do something different and are looking for peace and are looking for hope and are looking for, for clarity and also just looking for, you know, value of self and saying, you know, I, I wanna, I wanna do right by me. And I wanna, I wanna help doing that. And we've, you know, people from all around the world have, you know, been getting the book, I mean, from Africa to, to London, to Australia. We've been doing book signings all year. We've sold over a hundred thousand copies.

• 26:37Lewis Howes?

  Amazing.

• 26:38DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, it's unbelievable. Thank you. Um, because people are really resonating with the message of waiting. It was so funny because Oprah had us on Super Soul Sunday and I had an event with her and she comes up to me, she's like, "How did you get a book about chastity to become a New York Times bestseller?" I just said, "Look," I said, "It's God." And I said, "Because also, people," going back to that millennial thing a little bit, you know, we're in a culture hungry for authenticity.

• 27:05Lewis Howes?

  Yes.

• 27:05DeVon Franklin?

  Hungry for truth, hungry for love. And if we can provide that in an authentic way, people are gonna gravitate to it.

• 27:13Lewis Howes?

  Absolutely.

• 27:14DeVon Franklin?

  And I think people really gravitate to the message of the wait and it's a blessing to see how well it's doing.

• 27:19Lewis Howes?

  So, and how long you guys been married now?

• 27:20DeVon Franklin?

  Uh, four years. We've been married four years. Yeah, five years next June.

• 27:24Lewis Howes?

  Now, would you say that marriage has been smooth sailing, like no problems because you waited? Or is there still challenges that come up and?

• 27:32DeVon Franklin?

  Oh, my goodness. Marriage is a daily, you know, challenge in some way, uh, but, but good challenges. But what the wait did was it gave us clarity on our foundation that we got together for the right reasons. We, you know, were unified about that. There's a strong foundation of communication that we stand on. So, whenever we've had challenges or things that we've talked about or conversations we had to really work through, it was about the issue, not about a larger thing of, "Oh, wow, did we make the wrong decision?"

• 28:06Lewis Howes?

  Are we right for each other?

• 28:07DeVon Franklin?

  Correct. We've always been clear on that.

• 28:10Lewis Howes?

  That's good.

• 28:10DeVon Franklin?

  Which really then helps us isolate the issue.

• 28:13Lewis Howes?

  Yes.

• 28:13DeVon Franklin?

  And deal with the issue.

• 28:14Lewis Howes?

  Doesn't make you guys right or wrong.

• 28:16DeVon Franklin?

  That's right. That's right. That's right.

• 28:17Lewis Howes?

  Good or bad?

• 28:18DeVon Franklin?

  That's right. That's right. And so, waiting really helped do that. And then also, waiting was, for us, a sign of unconditional love. Meaning, I want to get to know you for you, not for your performance in the bedroom, not for your body, for you.

• 28:40DeVon Franklin?

  And that unconditional desire to get to know and then the process of falling in love and now being in love for who the person is, I love you for you, you love me for me. And then in marriage, when we decide that we're having sex is just an outgrowth of the foundation of unconditional love that we have.

• 29:00Lewis Howes?

  Right, right.

• 29:01DeVon Franklin?

  And so for us, that was something that we talk about as some, as one of the major benefits in our marriage that came out of waiting was a real belief and confidence that she loved me for me and I love her for her.

• 29:14Lewis Howes?

  Hmm. Do you know others in, you know, cause Hollywood, it's hard to do that, I would think the pressures in Hollywood are challenging, more so than I think real world or anywhere else. Do you know any others, peers who have, who apply this in Hollywood in the business?

• 29:30DeVon Franklin?

  Well, I mean, you know, the ones that I know, I mean, are the ones in the media, Russell and Ciara just got married and they, and they waited.

• 29:36Lewis Howes?

  Oh, did you kind of coach them?

• 29:37DeVon Franklin?

  No, no, we know Ciara, but we don't know Russell.

• 29:42Lewis Howes?

  Right, right.

• 29:42DeVon Franklin?

  Can't wait to meet him.

• 29:43Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 29:43DeVon Franklin?

  Uh, you know, and.

• 29:45Lewis Howes?

  But it seemed to work for them.

• 29:46DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, definitely seems to have worked for them.

• 29:48Lewis Howes?

  Cool.

• 29:48DeVon Franklin?

  Uh, they, you know, they just got married, I think earlier this year. Um, I believe, you know, Tia and Tamara, you know, they waited and, and look what it's doing for their marriage.

• 29:56Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 29:57DeVon Franklin?

  So there's a few out there that are talking about it and there may be others who are doing it, but haven't talked about it in terms of, you know, the Hollywood.

• 30:04Lewis Howes?

  That's cool. Not saying that, uh, marriage isn't going to still be habitant challenges.

• 30:08DeVon Franklin?

  Oh, it always does. That's marriage.

• 30:10Lewis Howes?

  Right, right.

• 30:10DeVon Franklin?

  That's marriage. Welcome to the married life. Yeah. Hey, if you don't want challenges, don't get married.

• 30:15Lewis Howes?

  I'm not ready for it yet.

• 30:17DeVon Franklin?

  Don't be afraid.

• 30:17Lewis Howes?

  I'm not afraid, but I'm not ready for it.

• 30:21Lewis Howes?

  That's cool, man. Um, I'm curious, you know, you talk about your life as a movie, right? Did you mention this somewhere?

• 30:26DeVon Franklin?

  Yes.

• 30:27Lewis Howes?

  Tell me, what does that actually mean? Your life is a movie?

• 30:30DeVon Franklin?

  What it means is that, you know, when you look at your life as a movie, I think it gives you a, a perspective and a paradigm by which then to navigate success.

• 30:39Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 30:40DeVon Franklin?

  So when you look at every movie, okay, great. Every movie has a hero, a villain, a challenge and a victory. So, all right. So if I look at my life as a movie, it helps me understand, okay, well, first of all, I embrace that I am the hero, which is really, it seems simple, but it's a huge revelation that everyone needs to come to conclusion about because in our day to day life, we don't feel heroic. We feel beat down. We go to a job that we don't necessarily like. We work with people that don't necessarily value us. We work for a boss that doesn't see us the same way we see ourselves. And so many people go and live in existence that does not feel heroic at all. So owning the idea that I am actually the hero of my story is very empowering. So

• 31:23DeVon Franklin?

  once you own that and say, okay, this is my movie, I'm the hero. Now, what does that mean about the challenges I face? Okay, every great hero faces great challenges. There would not be a movie if the hero didn't go through challenges. Right. Didn't go through conflict. It'd be boring. No one to watch it. No one to watch it. And the hero would learn nothing. Yeah. So the idea of my life as a movie then gives me a perspective to understand challenges that I face. Okay, so challenges aren't there to push me down, they're there to build me up. Make it even more heroic. That's right. And sometimes the hero will never come out, the hero within will never arise if there aren't challenges that force the hero out. So you have to embrace

• 32:07DeVon Franklin?

  who you are. You have to acknowledge what you're facing and you have to know that you already have within you the power to overcome them. And then when you look at a movie, every hero has a villain. So the people that oppose you, don't get so mad about that. Actually, embrace it. Exactly. It's a good thing. So, you know, if Batman doesn't have the Joker, then No movie. There's no movie. And not only that, here's the thing, the level of the Joker is at the level of Batman's heroism, he just doesn't always realize it. Yeah. And so when you have great villains in your story, that's actually a sign that you are right where you need to be and you're going exactly where you need to go. Because why would the Joker oppose Batman if Batman's not a threat to the Joker? Mm hmm. He's only gonna oppose him if there's a problem. Right.

• 32:52DeVon Franklin?

  And so sometimes we're doing the right things in life, we're on the right path, and we face opposition, and we get discouraged, we get distracted, and we get frustrated. And the reason why when you look at your life as a movie, why I think that that reduces the frustration, is then you begin to say, oh, I get what's happening now. Okay, so the villain is opposing me. Okay, good. That means I'm doing the right thing. So now, how do I defeat the villain? So that's why I talk about your life as a movie. And I mentioned that I came up with that concept in the context of my first book, Produced by Faith, which was all about looking at your life as a movie.

• 33:21Lewis Howes?

  That's cool.

• 33:22DeVon Franklin?

  And then also what happens is, you know, having worked in entertainment since I was 18, and I was working as a studio executive for 10 years for Columbia Pictures slash Sony Pictures. In the book Produced by Faith and Looking at Your Life as a Movie, every movie starts in development. So that's what I did. As a studio executive, I would find great ideas. I would develop the script, get the script ready for production, oversee it in production, all the way through to distribution, marketing, so on and so forth. So when you look at your life and you say, where am I? Sometimes the reason why you're not in production in your life is because your script has to be developed. And so part of script development is answering notes, so constructive criticism. There'll be some things that people tell you you need to do, but you don't want to hear it. And then you wonder why your stories are moving forward because you're not listening to the notes you're getting.

• 34:06DeVon Franklin?

  Any script, any movie you see in the theater started as a script that people gave notes on. And, and, and any writer or director or producer that did not want to take notes, never saw their movie made. And so I gave, I started creating this concept to help people understand where they were in the development process, what they needed to do to get their life into production. And then once it was in production, how they could actually have a successful movie. And that's the idea behind Produced by Faith and the idea of, you know, looking at your life as a movie.

• 34:34Lewis Howes?

  What's the most powerful movie you've created that you think has made the most change? Because you said you want to make change. What's the piece of work you've created that's, you think's done that? Or has the potential through its message?

• 34:46DeVon Franklin?

  Um, you know, I think the film I just did, Miracles from Heaven, it was starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah, is a film that has produced some amazing change in the life of people that have seen it. You know, it's all about, it's a true story of a mother dealing with her sick daughter, who has an incurable stomach condition. And she gets it out of nowhere and she's in tremendous pain and suffers for a very long time, to the point where the daughter is ready to die and ready to give up. And right at that moment, she has this miraculous experience where she has an accident and she falls down the inside of a hollowed out tree. 90 feet, hits her head three times, gets trapped at the base of the tree. Fire department, paramedics, they come, they rescue her, took about five or six hours to get her out of that tree.

• 35:32DeVon Franklin?

  And when they airlift her to the hospital, they're sure that she will not only have broken limbs, but potentially paralysis. And once the emergency room doctor looks at her, he comes out of the room and says, I don't know how to describe this, but she's not hurt. She didn't have a splinter, she didn't have a bug bite, she didn't have a broken bone, she's fine. We'll watch her overnight, but you can take her in the morning. And when she walks out of the hospital, slowly but surely, she doesn't need medication anymore. Her stomach, the problem that she had made her stomach distended, it goes down. And the disease that she had disappears. And so it's this powerful story of, of, right. How?

• 36:11Lewis Howes?

  Go watch the movie.

• 36:12DeVon Franklin?

  And miracles and, and, but along the way, what the mother realized is that while she may have received the biggest miracle she could have ever prayed for, which is the healing of her daughter, that there were miracles all the way, all the way through. The miracle of her neighbor that could watch the kids when she had to take her daughter to the, to the hospital. The miracle when she had to go to Boston to take her daughter to the doctor, there was a waitress that did not know them, that befriended them and helped them. You know, the miracle of the different friends along the way. And so with life, you know, Einstein has a quote, you know, to those that believe everything is a miracle, to those that don't, nothing is. And this idea that miracles are all around us if we would just open our eyes and look.

• 36:50DeVon Franklin?

  And so that film has, has made a tremendous impact. And the thing that I love about that film, it just won the Teen Choice Award for Drama this year, which is fantastic. So many young kids, I, I, I've been traveling with the weight, but people come up to me and say, my daughter, Miracles from Heaven is her favorite movie. My son loves to watch this film. So this idea that a film like this not only can touch the adults, but can also touch the kids.

• 37:14Lewis Howes?

  That's cool.

• 37:15DeVon Franklin?

  And that to me is, is powerful and, and it's one of those, it's like, you know, as, as a mantra of what I do and why I do it, to see the impact of a film like that on people and how it has helped their relationship with their family members, how it's helped their relationship with God, how it's given them greater hope in the face of the adversities they face. I mean, that's, that's the greatest testament.

• 37:34Lewis Howes?

  That's cool, man. What's the, um, what's the script that's in development in your own life? For your personal movie.

• 37:41DeVon Franklin?

  Mm hmm. Oh, it's good. That's good. Um, you know, I think that the scripts in development for me is, you know, it's like when you look at all the different things that I'm doing, which are which are fantastic, you know, through producing films and television to, you know, writing books to speaking around the country and preaching as well and and having, you know, a great audience with social media. You know, I think the script is being developed as well. What's what's the next scene going to look like? And what's that all going to look like on the next level? And how's that going to to all coalesce? Because if all of this, let's just say, is a setup, let's just say it's the first act.

• 38:17Lewis Howes?

  Yes. What's next?

• 38:18DeVon Franklin?

  What's next? So that's the script that's in development.

• 38:21Lewis Howes?

  What is it?

• 38:22DeVon Franklin?

  Well, I don't know.

• 38:24Lewis Howes?

  If you could create anything you wanted, since you are the author of your own movie.

• 38:28DeVon Franklin?

  Yes.

• 38:28Lewis Howes?

  What is it you want to create?

• 38:29DeVon Franklin?

  However, while I may be the author to a degree, in the book, I talk about you're the co-author with God. And that God is the director.

• 38:37Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 38:37DeVon Franklin?

  And.

• 38:38Lewis Howes?

  You wanted to play football, but.

• 38:39DeVon Franklin?

  There you go.

• 38:40Lewis Howes?

  It happened.

• 38:40DeVon Franklin?

  That's right. He had a different plan.

• 38:41Lewis Howes?

  Something else.

• 38:42DeVon Franklin?

  That's right. So so if I kept writing football into my script. But it actually supposed to be Hollywood. I would have messed it up.

• 38:49Lewis Howes?

  Sure, sure.

• 38:49DeVon Franklin?

  So with the next chapter.

• 38:51Lewis Howes?

  Let's say you're being led in the right direction already.

• 38:53DeVon Franklin?

  Then, you know, it's just going to be continuing to build on, you know, the voice that I have.

• 38:59Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 38:59DeVon Franklin?

  The platform and using media as as the platform for the platform, so to speak.

• 39:05Lewis Howes?

  Sure, sure.

• 39:06DeVon Franklin?

  And using entertainment as a way to continue to do that. Through all the things that I'm doing, um, you know, which are all united by this desire to inspire. So what that looks like, I don't know. But.

• 39:17Lewis Howes?

  More movies, more books, more.

• 39:18DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. More, but it's also continuing to find the right vehicle for my voice, you know? And and what I mean by voice is that independent of producing a film or writing a book, you know, I have the ability to speak and to motivate to inspire. And so, you know, I think the next level is going to be an even more significant opportunity and consistent opportunity like you're doing with the podcast. It is brilliant. It's like you have a you have a vehicle for your voice. And and people know your voice and they understand your voice and you have a platform which you can grow. And so, you know, I don't yet have that platform.

• 39:51Lewis Howes?

  Have you thought about doing a podcast yet?

• 39:52DeVon Franklin?

  I've thought about it. It's it's just a lot of work.

• 39:56DeVon Franklin?

  And I don't want to just take something on just to do it. I want to do it.

• 39:59Lewis Howes?

  You gotta be committed.

• 39:59DeVon Franklin?

  I want to do as well as you can, as you do it. And so, that's the thing, whatever the next level looks like. And maybe it's television, you know, but that it's gonna be, it's gonna be every, you're making movies and TV and books and all kind of stuff. But it's also gonna be harnessing the power of my voice with a really consistent vehicle in the mainstream.

• 40:18Lewis Howes?

  I see a podcast could be a good potential for you. Do you know Rob Bell?

• 40:21DeVon Franklin?

  I don't know him, but I know he is.

• 40:23Lewis Howes?

  He launched his about a year and a half ago. He's been, become a good friend. He lives down the street too.

• 40:27DeVon Franklin?

  Oh, he does?

• 40:27Lewis Howes?

  And he, he said the podcast for him has changed his, everything, his business, his life.

• 40:33DeVon Franklin?

  How?

• 40:34Lewis Howes?

  You know, he's been doing like this world tour. He was on tour with Oprah, I think, a year and a half ago, and he's been doing his own thing. Writing two books a year, putting it out there. And he said, I'm able to do it all myself in terms of direct reach. You know, if I'm gonna speak somewhere, I just mention on the podcast and it sells out in days. If I'm doing a book signing, it sells out. He does shows here all the time, sells out, courses, workshops, whatever it is. Before, he didn't have the social media following or an email list or a podcast where people are listening to. He had to do more, more traditional outreach through like, radio and print ads and stuff like that. But now he's building it and he's got people that want to hear. And he'll interview people and also do his own little sermons on there and mixes it up. So I think you could talk about anything. You could do stuff with your wife on there. You could do stuff

• 41:19Lewis Howes?

  about movies, about the next book, your sermons on there, life lessons, you know, you could do it once a week to start. So it doesn't seem like too much work. And feel it out.

• 41:29DeVon Franklin?

  Okay, all right.

• 41:30Lewis Howes?

  Talk afterwards.

• 41:31DeVon Franklin?

  Louis is converting me, man. I like it.

• 41:34Lewis Howes?

  Converting you to the truth.

• 41:36DeVon Franklin?

  I like it. I like it.

• 41:39Lewis Howes?

  Cool, man. I wanna, I wanna finish with a couple, couple of questions, cause then we're gonna bounce out of here. What are you most grateful for in your life recently?

• 41:47DeVon Franklin?

  Recently, uh, wow. I mean, you know, my, my wife and my family, uh, you know, two days ago, I came back from Oakland and my cousin, thirty seven years old, died. Yeah, she died. Um, yeah, but you know, very, you know, suddenly, totally, you know, unexpected. And so being there for the funeral and I had to do the eulogy. It was just a blessing, uh, you know, for, you know, to have family and we did it at the church that I grew up in. And, and so being there, you know, with my family and being there with the church that, you know, my, you know, like my community, you know, since I was eight years old and, you know, just being back home. I was so grateful. I was so grateful for the experience. I was so grateful for, uh, having this type of upbringing

• 42:29DeVon Franklin?

  and having this type of family and this type of church community and then to have my wife there with me. It was just a moment where, uh, I had perspective on what really mattered. And, uh, and that was making sure that even as things happen and, and success continues to come, staying connected to where I came from and who I came from is very, very important. That's cool. Yeah. What's the most inspiring thing about your wife for you?

• 42:56DeVon Franklin?

  There are so many things. Uh, the most inspiring thing about her is just, you know, she is just this amazing positive energy. It's almost like I didn't marry a person, I married an energy. And, and just her optimism, her innocence, her, um, her perspective, her joy. It's just like every day I get up, man, and it's just like, cool, I'm, this is great. I'm gonna be good no matter what, uh, because, you know, she just has that, that light. And so it's like I literally have married a light. And so that is just, yeah. And it's, man, listen, it's, it's powerful and it's a blessing and, and I respect it.

• 43:37DeVon Franklin?

  And I'm so grateful for it because I know that marriage is hard and so many people don't, it doesn't always work. So I'm just grateful for, you know, having an amazing wife in, in that. And what I believe, you know, now I'm trying to convert you, man, you know, you, it's like having the right woman. Yeah. It just, if for a man, it just, it, man, I, I can't tell you enough what it will do for your life. Because, you know, I was like you and, and before getting married and conquering the world and excited and not looking and not ready and boom, then she showed up. In my not ready state. And so I had a choice. Am I gonna reject her? Am I gonna reject love? Because I wanna go conquer the world? Or am I gonna embrace love? And by embracing love,

• 44:21DeVon Franklin?

  everything that I was trying to achieve, I've done that in more sense.

• 44:26Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 44:27DeVon Franklin?

  And life is better. Because you don't, you don't, you're not as stressed. You're not as worried. You, cuz you know, at the end of the day, no matter what, I can go back home and I got her. And so, again, that's a long answer to your question. But these are the things I appreciate about her. Is I don't have to be anybody else but me.

• 44:42Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 44:42DeVon Franklin?

  And that light that's in her and that love that's in her just keeps me peaceful.

• 44:47Lewis Howes?

  That's powerful. Where do you think you'd be if you weren't married?

• 44:50DeVon Franklin?

  Oh dude, I don't know, man.

• 44:51Lewis Howes?

  I just think you'd still be doing the work you're doing at the level.

• 44:54DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, I would be doing the work that I'm doing. Would I be doing at the level that I'm doing? I don't think so. I don't think so. I, cuz I think that there's something that happens that shifts in a man. When, when he gets married and he commits to love. Uh, and I think the world sees it and they feel it. Um, and that, and that there's just, it's, it's weird. It's like, you know, you get married, especially when it's the right marriage. It's, it's like, life opens up to you in ways that are, are indescribable.

• 45:20Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 45:21DeVon Franklin?

  So I know that I would still be successful. I know I'd still be doing what I'm doing cuz this is what I'm created to do.

• 45:25Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 45:26DeVon Franklin?

  But, uh, would it have the same impact? I don't know that it would. Not as fulfilled either, yeah, I don't, I don't think so.

• 45:32Lewis Howes?

  You guys gonna have kids?

• 45:33DeVon Franklin?

  Uh, you were waiting on that, yes. Yes, the answer is yes, but not, not anytime soon.

• 45:37Lewis Howes?

  I don't have to.

• 45:37DeVon Franklin?

  No.

• 45:38Lewis Howes?

  You haven't embraced being ready for that.

• 45:41DeVon Franklin?

  But I embrace the first step.

• 45:42Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 45:43DeVon Franklin?

  Don't resist it, man. Well, hold up, man. You can't get me on that. You gotta start with the first step. Let's go. All right, we'll start resisting if you don't.

• 45:52Lewis Howes?

  Uh, you can hold off for a while.

• 45:53DeVon Franklin?

  Okay, okay, thank you, thank you, thank you.

• 45:58Lewis Howes?

  My question now, I forgot I was gonna ask. Uh, the question is, what are you most proud of that a lot of people don't know about you? Maybe you don't talk about that much. Maybe it's not out there in the world. It's not in your books. But it's something you're really proud of. It could be something small or it could be something big. Just something that.

• 46:15DeVon Franklin?

  Oh, proud of, man, that's a, that is a good, tough question. I don't know, that's a good one. What am I proud of? Um, shoot.

• 46:26DeVon Franklin?

  I don't know, man. I gotta think about that. I mean, you know, I never really think of, you know, uh, in terms of being like myself, like doing something that I'm proud of.

• 46:36Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 46:36DeVon Franklin?

  Cause I think sometimes you just that that feels a little too, um, self, you know, like oriented.

• 46:44Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 46:44DeVon Franklin?

  It's like, I'm only proud of myself. Like, no, no, I'm proud of others.

• 46:47Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 46:47DeVon Franklin?

  You know, I'm proud of what others do, but for myself, I don't think that I've really embraced that perspective. Maybe I should.

• 46:53Lewis Howes?

  Maybe a discipline that you have or a.

• 46:55DeVon Franklin?

  Um, one of the disciplines that I have, which, uh, you know, I guess maybe I am proud of myself is, is working out, you know, and staying consistent in that.

• 47:02Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 47:02DeVon Franklin?

  When I was in my early twenties, uh, you know, had a bit of a health scare.

• 47:05Lewis Howes?

  Really?

• 47:06DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, I was, you know, overweight and not really taking care of myself. And yeah.

• 47:10Lewis Howes?

  You're like the fittest person.

• 47:12DeVon Franklin?

  Well, you know, that's, that's thank you, but that's years, years, years in the making. And so coming out of that experience, uh, you know, I just made a decision that I gotta really take care of myself.

• 47:22Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 47:22DeVon Franklin?

  And so, you know, with all the things that I'm doing, the way that I'm able to handle and manage it is, is by consistently working out.

• 47:29Lewis Howes?

  That's cool.

• 47:29DeVon Franklin?

  And it's like, dude, you know, sometimes going twice a day, depending on what's going on and, you know, just not miss if I'm traveling, I miss a day, I'll pick it up when I get back. But just taking care of the temple.

• 47:39Lewis Howes?

  That's cool.

• 47:39DeVon Franklin?

  Has been something that is really.

• 47:41Lewis Howes?

  You know, health is in my mind, the most powerful thing we can work on. It's, it's like our duty to stay healthy. And whether we like it or not, our, our body is a symbol to everyone else of how we take care of ourselves and how we treat ourselves and how we love ourselves.

• 47:57DeVon Franklin?

  That's true.

• 47:58Lewis Howes?

  And how committed we are. When you look at someone physically, even though if we're thinking about a spiritual world here, and we're not trying to put emphasis on the body.

• 48:04DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 48:05Lewis Howes?

  But when you look at someone, you can tell right away if they're a hard worker.

• 48:08DeVon Franklin?

  Yep.

• 48:08Lewis Howes?

  If they're committed.

• 48:09DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 48:09Lewis Howes?

  If they, uh, you know, follow a game plan, if they're, and some people are more genetic freaks than others.

• 48:15DeVon Franklin?

  That's true.

• 48:16Lewis Howes?

  But in most senses, you can be like, I know that person is a hard worker.

• 48:19DeVon Franklin?

  Yes.

• 48:20Lewis Howes?

  Like, and you trust that person a little bit more in a lot of ways.

• 48:23DeVon Franklin?

  It's true.

• 48:24Lewis Howes?

  Consciously or subconsciously.

• 48:25DeVon Franklin?

  It's true.

• 48:26Lewis Howes?

  And, um, the energy you have by being healthy, you can create so much more in the world.

• 48:32DeVon Franklin?

  Absolutely. Absolutely. You can create, you can manage, you can. And you can digest, you can process. I mean, it makes such a big difference.

• 48:39Lewis Howes?

  Not saying that all fit people are able to do these things.

• 48:41DeVon Franklin?

  Yes.

• 48:42Lewis Howes?

  But in general.

• 48:42DeVon Franklin?

  But in general, it gives you the, a platform.

• 48:45Lewis Howes?

  Yes.

• 48:46DeVon Franklin?

  By which those things are probably more accessible and achievable than if you don't have a healthy platform.

• 48:51Lewis Howes?

  Exactly.

• 48:51DeVon Franklin?

  And I can't be one of those guys, you know, I just can't be a person that's out there telling people about, you know, how to have a healthy spirit without a healthy temple for it to reside in.

• 49:01Lewis Howes?

  Absolutely. I like, I love your commitment, man. I love it.

• 49:04DeVon Franklin?

  I'd say committed.

• 49:05Lewis Howes?

  I love it. This is a question I ask everyone at the end called the three truths.

• 49:10DeVon Franklin?

  Oh, boy.

• 49:10Lewis Howes?

  Three truths.

• 49:11DeVon Franklin?

  Okay.

• 49:12Lewis Howes?

  And I did not prep Devon on any of these questions. So, um, so this is the, the last day for you many, many years from now. Right? Many, many years. It's the last day for you.

• 49:21DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 49:22Lewis Howes?

  But everything you've created, all the media you've put out in the world, which is going to be a lot, has been erased.

• 49:27DeVon Franklin?

  Okay.

• 49:28Lewis Howes?

  No books, no nothing of yours.

• 49:30DeVon Franklin?

  All right.

• 49:30Lewis Howes?

  And it's an incredible celebration. Everyone's there, but your last day. And someone hands you a piece of paper and a pen and they say, we don't have any of your content left. So can you write down the three things you know to be true about everything you've learned in life that you would pass on to us? The three lessons. What would be your three truths?

• 49:49DeVon Franklin?

  God is real. Faith works. Jesus saves. There you go.

• 49:54Lewis Howes?

  Drop the mic. See you later.

• 49:55DeVon Franklin?

  You got those. You good. I promise you.

• 49:58Lewis Howes?

  I like it, man.

• 49:59DeVon Franklin?

  That's what I would say.

• 50:00Lewis Howes?

  I like those truths. Um, is there any question that you wish people would ask you?

• 50:08DeVon Franklin?

  Is there any question I wish people would ask me? Oh, wow. I would probably say, you know, so many times, you know, people talk about the Hollywood thing and, and, and that's cool. But I think that, um, you know, very few people, you know, ask about like, okay, you know, as a, you know, young man of color, you know, how is it different or not? You know, navigating the world of entertainment or navigating the world of success. And that's something I don't think people really, you know, touch on because a lot of times, you know, people want, you know, and say, oh, it's colorblind. And I'm like, well, to degree, to a degree, but, you know, being of color in this world,

• 50:49DeVon Franklin?

  specifically in Hollywood and endeavoring to have success, you know, i- is a different experience. It's a precursor too. Yes. Oh, my goodness. And just, and just being in the world, you know, I mean, you know, and I think that it's unfortunate right now, you know, all of the, the racial tension that's happening because I feel like, you know, as a country, you know, we, we gotta come together and, and recognize, you know, all that's going on and that there are, that people of color, you know, are disenfranchised at times and don't always have an equal seat at the table. And, and that's not a knock on anything other than history and where we are. And sometimes, you know, being of color and being in this industry and trying to be successful, uh, it's a challenge. And so sometimes people don't ask me that question. Okay. Uh, cause I think sometimes, you know, it's not, it doesn't come to mind or they think, ah, I don't wanna, I don't wanna make it a racial thing. Right, right. Well, I'm black. Guess what?

• 51:34DeVon Franklin?

  So, hey. There's a fact. That's a fact. You know what I mean? So what? I'd embrace it and, uh, and, and talk about it and own it and, and, uh, cause it's a part of the story. Was there anything you'd like to share or answer to that question? Well, it just that, you know, I think that it's really, really important, um, you know, for people that, that are not of color to, to recognize that it is sometimes a different experience for people of color, uh, when they're in industry and trying to progress, uh, you know, as, as, as a black man in Hollywood, you know, if I did not have mentors, if I did not have, you know, people that were ahead of me that helped me understand the business and helped pull me up, I would not be here today. And that's really important. And that there sometimes is a language in industry that people of color don't always get access

• 52:18DeVon Franklin?

  to the dictionary and, and, and the syllabus of like, okay, here's how it runs and here's what you say and here's how it works. Yeah. And I think that that's something that, that's important that we begin to break down, you know, the codes of success in industry so that it's accessible for everyone. And then let everyone have the opportunity to apply it for themselves and see where they end up. Uh, but sometimes based upon how you look or even based upon your gender, you aren't, you aren't given access to those codes. Right. So my hope and through what I'm doing and talking about and answer questions like this is that we can say, look, you know, we do have issues in this country, but these issues are solvable.

• 52:51Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 52:51DeVon Franklin?

  They're solvable. Uh, when we, you know, come together and, and say, okay, what can we do to resolve and fix it? And not look at it as like, oh, you know, it's for those people. No, it's for all of us. Cause we all benefit when everyone has an equal opportunity for, for experience.

• 53:06Lewis Howes?

  Absolutely. I love that. You should write an article about this.

• 53:09DeVon Franklin?

  Okay.

• 53:09Lewis Howes?

  About your experience.

• 53:10DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, that's a good idea.

• 53:11Lewis Howes?

  Hollywood Reporter or something like that. I think you could agree.

• 53:13DeVon Franklin?

  I wrote a little bit, um, last year when they had the whole controversy over the, over the Oscars.

• 53:18Lewis Howes?

  Right, right.

• 53:18DeVon Franklin?

  Just from that perspective, but it's a good idea.

• 53:20Lewis Howes?

  I think it'd be cool.

• 53:21DeVon Franklin?

  Thank you.

• 53:21Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. I like that. Well, thank you for sharing.

• 53:23DeVon Franklin?

  Of course.

• 53:24Lewis Howes?

  I'm glad I asked you.

• 53:25DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah.

• 53:25Lewis Howes?

  Um, before I ask the final question, uh, where can we connect with you? What's the, how can we serve you and be in support of what you're doing?

• 53:33DeVon Franklin?

  Well, I'm on social media, you know, so you can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. My handle is at Devon Franklin, D E capital V O N Franklin, F R A N K L I N. And then I also have my website, uh, Devon Franklin.com, uh, which has all the stuff that's, that's going on and updates and all that good stuff. So

• 53:51Lewis Howes?

  Awesome.

• 53:52DeVon Franklin?

  Social media and my website are probably the best places to, uh, to come find me.

• 53:55Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 53:56DeVon Franklin?

  And I do respond. So if people, you know, write comments, you know, I do my best to, to hit back.

• 54:01Lewis Howes?

  Where do you hang out most? Instagram, Twitter, Facebook?

• 54:03DeVon Franklin?

  Usually it's Instagram, Facebook and, and Twitter adjacent.

• 54:10Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 54:11DeVon Franklin?

  Meaning like, you know, I check in with Twitter and it, you know, it kind of does its thing, but you know,

• 54:15Lewis Howes?

  Instagram's your jam.

• 54:16DeVon Franklin?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm pretty more, I'm very immersed in that. And, um, you know, my biggest following is on Facebook, then Instagram and then Twitter.

• 54:23Lewis Howes?

  Okay, cool. Awesome. Well, before I ask the final question, I want to take a moment, Devon, to acknowledge you.

• 54:27DeVon Franklin?

  So thank you.

• 54:28Lewis Howes?

  For the incredible inspiration you are in the world, for the message that you share, for your commitment to your foundation and your principles.

• 54:37DeVon Franklin?

  Thank you.

• 54:37Lewis Howes?

  Because there are so many people, especially in Hollywood, who don't have that. And for you to be so true to yourself, be true to your faith, be true to your message and to not just preach it, but actually be it. Is such an amazing example for myself and so many other people listening and watching.

• 54:55DeVon Franklin?

  Thank you.

• 54:56Lewis Howes?

  So I want to acknowledge you for constantly stepping up to the plate in a powerful way to be in service to others.

• 55:01DeVon Franklin?

  Thank you.

• 55:02Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 55:02DeVon Franklin?

  Appreciate that, man.

• 55:03Lewis Howes?

  You're welcome.

• 55:03DeVon Franklin?

  Appreciate that.

• 55:04Lewis Howes?

  You're welcome.

• 55:04DeVon Franklin?

  It's a blessing.

• 55:05Lewis Howes?

  And the final question is, what's your definition of greatness?

• 55:08DeVon Franklin?

  Oh, boy. Man, now that's, that's, that's the wow. Okay, so the, my definition of, of greatness, and I'll try to be succinct.

• 55:18Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 55:20DeVon Franklin?

  But, you know, it fundamentally, you know, comes down to a, a personal determination to harness not only the power within, but to fulfill the divine destiny on my life, or on your life, regardless of obstacles, regardless of shortcomings, regardless of excuses, that there is a commitment made between you, yourself, and God, that I am going to be everything that I was created to be, and I will not rest until I see it come to pass.

• 56:04DeVon Franklin?

  And I will pursue excellence, and I will study, and I will research, and I will work, and I will work, and I will work, and I will work. And I am not going to let myself wallow in self-pity. I'm not going to let myself look in the mirror and get so discouraged that I stop. But that greatness comes from seeing the vision of your life, seeing exactly who you are, because I believe that all of us have, if we had time, and we took the time, just to do a personal assessment, we have a vision in our life of who we are and what we want to do. The problem is, the vision of who we are and what we want to do doesn't line up with what we see.

• 56:46Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 56:47DeVon Franklin?

  So we sometimes tell ourselves that the vision of who we really are, and what we want to really do, is impossible. So we push it out, we drink it out, we sex it out, we smoke it out, we work it out, because we don't ever want to embrace that, no, the vision is realistic, but in order to achieve it and to become great, you must commit to it and pursue it. So I believe that when we have that vision of who we are, and what we're supposed to do, and we pursue it.

• 57:18DeVon Franklin?

  Pursue it every day. That is the thing that leads to greatness. When you look at the greatest of the greats, and I'm blessed that I've been able to not only meet some of them, but know them. I can tell you that this commitment to their own personal development and the fulfillment of the call in their life is the thing that sets them apart from others that have been in their field, but have not had that level of success they have. It's not their talent. It's not their looks. It's their commitment. And that to me is greatness. You cannot have greatness without commitment. You can have a moment, but greatness is eternal. We still talk about the greats, because they were great and they made an eternal impact on this earth. So that's what I believe

• 58:03DeVon Franklin?

  it is. That when you see it and you know it, you commit to it. And you have, because it's so hard. It takes so much grit. It takes so much determination. I mean, but that's why you gotta be obsessed. You have to be obsessed and possessed about what it you're called to do. You have to.

• 58:20Lewis Howes?

  It's true.

• 58:20DeVon Franklin?

  You have to. And people can look at you crazy. They can talk about you good. Let them talk. Give them something good to talk about. Please. You need villains. You need them. Okay. And tell them to get their whole, you know, get their whole henchmen. Come get you. Because so many times, we allow what people say to get in our ear, to get in our spirit, and then we stop, or we alter. And I believe greatness is that determination. I know who I am. I know where I'm going. And let's see who's there when I get there. But I'm gonna get there.

• 58:52Lewis Howes?

  Devon Franklin.

• 58:54DeVon Franklin?

  My man. Appreciate it. Thanks, dude. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me, man.

• 58:58Lewis Howes?

  Yes, yes, yes. There you have it, guys. If you enjoyed this, make sure to share it with your friends. LewisHowes.com/409. Connect with Devon on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook as well. We've got all of his social media handles back at the show notes. LewisHowes.com/409. Also, guys, we are almost at 100,000 subscribers over on YouTube. That's why we put a lot of time and energy and resources into creating greatness. Great video content with these interviews. So if you have not subscribed yet, make sure to go to youtube.com/LouisHowes, click that subscribe button. Let me know what you think. Comment on a few different videos and make sure to share this one out with your friends as well.

• 59:41Lewis Howes?

  Really enjoyed connecting with Devon and having him on, and I hope to bring him back on with his next book. My question for the day is this. What was the most inspiring thought that Devon talked about that you never thought of yourself before? Or maybe something that you heard of a long time ago, or had an idea of a long time ago, but now how he said it reconnected you to that idea, and now you want to implement that in your life? Let me know what resonated with you the most. Tweet me at Lewis Howes and let me know. And as always, guys, you know what time it is. It's time to go out there and do something great.