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The Daily Mess on ero dot net a r r
oe dot net. Enjoy your exploration, ny. I got to
tell you something about when when I saw the title
of the book and I started reading everything about bottom
of the pyramid. As as a martial arts instructor, as
somebody who's been in radio for forty six years, I
don't mind being on the bottom of the pyramid because
to me, that's where the security was, because they always
need someone to fill in somewhere. I'm that guy. I'm
on the bottom of the pyramid. Please pick me. Did
you go through that?
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3: I actually in the book, I actually talk about the people.
When you think about cheerleading, you know they have their pyramid,
and who's at the bottom of that pyramid? The strongest people,
the strongest people you need them or else there's going
to be no pyramid.
Speaker 2: So people at the bottom are important.
Speaker 3: As much as people will say that they're not important
or they're not needed, they are.
Speaker 2: Some people need to be at the bottom.
Speaker 1: And that's why this book is so important to more
than just people who are in dance or in gymnastics.
This is a business person's book because that we all
have these pyramids that are going on inside every walk
and wall that we get into that. And that's the
thing about it is that when when you finally find
your identity and you get it through this book right here,
all of a sudden, you start feeling better about yourself.
What was your experience?
Speaker 3: Yeah, Well for me, I think that I just I
just really wanted this book to be.
Speaker 2: A book about perseverance.
Speaker 3: Resilience, you know, my story. What I really wanted people
to take away from it is exactly what you said.
I wanted people to feel better about whatever situation that
they're coming from, because sometimes you can't control the situation
you're in, and it's important to.
Speaker 2: Make the most out of what you have.
Speaker 3: And in those moments, what I had was I had
my strength, you know I and I held onto that
strength the whole time and remembered who I was and
stay trued myself. And yeah, and it's hard sometimes whenever
people will tell you that you're not good enough, that
you shouldn't be there, that you're not you're you're not enough,
and you're not worthy. But you have to block it out,
you know, it's all noise. So for this book, in
writing it and just the whole thing, it really has
been a journey. It's taken a lot of self reflection.
And I'm just really happy that because I've seen it
firstan I hear people and I'm listening to them in
the reactions, and it's doing exactly that. It's helping people,
and that was always the intention of it.
Speaker 1: My god, you've got so much motivation in you. I
hope to guy that you're on a speaking tour because
when you're talking about perseverance and then you're talking about
moving through things and getting over walls and things, I mean,
it's so inspiring because the average person today doesn't know
how to spell perseverance. But you know what, though, here's
a way that they can test themselves. Every day, say perseverance,
and I guarantee you'll start understanding it and you can
put it in your own life, because I think that's
what we need right now. And from perseverance comes hope,
and that's what I feel in your book hope.
Speaker 3: Yes, there's a lot of hope in the book. Yes,
there's a lot of hope in the book.
Speaker 1: But at nine years old, Nia, you had to have
felt like you were already wearing adult shoes.
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
Speaker 3: I mean I started working at nine year years old,
and I think people forget that sometimes.
Speaker 2: The other day I was telling someone was like, oh
my gosh, I'm exhausted.
Speaker 3: They're like, you know a lot to be exhausted, you're young,
and I'm like, broll, you have no idea. I loved
a lot of for a twenty four year old. But yeah, no,
I but the thing is like, I really am grateful
for it, and I wouldn't change a thing. I'm a
hard worker. I love working too. But yes, it's a
lot for a nine year old to take on. And
I don't think people realize that, especially in entertainment. You
know you have these you know you have like the
child actors, but you know, this is something that's.
Speaker 2: Different because we weren't actors.
Speaker 3: This was our real life and it was being televised,
and it's a whole different dynamic, and at times it
became toxic. And you know, when you're growing and you're
changing through all these and you're making mistakes and it's
all out there for everyone to see, you know, And
I think that's the hardest part, is just feeling like
you're in a fish.
Speaker 2: Bowl and everyone has an opinion. Everyone.
Speaker 3: Wow.
Speaker 1: See, I don't know how you did it at such
an early age, and nor do I know how you
do it even today, because I mean, that's all I
hear about when it comes to doing the research, from
television shows to podcasting to radio shows. It's not about
about being funny anymore. It's about being real. It's about
being Nia. It's it's about being you know, out there
the way that you're talking about and and and so
people can live vicariously through you. So where do you
get that personal strength to say here, I am, my
name is Nia. I hope you're having a good day.
Speaker 3: I think I'm just I've always just kind of had it.
I think I get it from my parents. You know,
they're very ambitious. They've always you know, they've they help
so many people, and you know, their mentors to other people,
and like, I think it's just.
Speaker 2: I get that from them.
Speaker 3: They're they're very accomplished, and I have I have an
amazing family. I have a really great family, so I
get it from them. They're great role models. So I
think that's part of it, you know. And I just remember,
you know, I just think about, you know, how many
people in my life have sacrificed things for me, and
you know, and and just how much it took for
me to even just get here, you know. So having
that gratitude along the way and remembering why you started,
I mean, that's that's how I do it. It's just
you I remember why I started, and it grounds me
and it reminds me of like my purpose. You know,
my name literally means purpose and fahi, so you know,
I was given that name for a reason.
Speaker 1: Please do not move. There's more with nia Su coming
up next, the name of her book, Bottom of the Pyramid.
We are back with Niasou. So here's the thing though,
the one thing that I've learned about being a creative person,
especially you know, I'm a third degree black belt, so
that means that we were doing our poum says my god,
Oh my god, what does that. Can you not feel
that inside his emotions and his walk in life, because
there's something about that even with you as a dancer,
there is a discipline that never leaves you.
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
Speaker 3: I think just athletes and dancers included in that because
I think that we're athletes. Yeah, it's you know, when
you are an athlete, you have a different mindsetef you
walk a certain way, different way. You know, you have
you have that energy, you have that grind, you have
that that fire and that hunger. You know.
Speaker 2: So I don't think that ever really leaves you. Yeah,
you just walk through.
Speaker 3: The world differently, and you know, you just always strive
to be the best, which also I'm a recovering perfectionist,
so yeah, but what but you know it's never going
to leave me, you know, that ambition because that is
part of me. You know, that's how how I grew up,
you know, just in the dance world. You know, that's
that's part of being in it, you know, to always
strive to be either the best, but for me my best.
You know.
Speaker 1: Wow, you must be reading my notes and the reason
why is because right here in big letters, it says
starring in your own life, what was it like to
keep your perfectionist at bay. I mean, he's like, oh
my god, you even went on that because it's a
tough cookie to follow, isn't it.
Speaker 2: It is? It really is. Well.
Speaker 3: Starting your own life is a phrase that my mom
would say to me during the show whenever I would
feel like, you know, I wasn't good enough, or people
weren't seeing me at my full potential, and and and
didn't really think much about me, you know. And you know,
I thought like I was like a side character in life.
You know, I was in the back left corner, you know,
like just always hidden somewhere. And she reminded me that
in my life, no one gets to be that star.
No one gets to be front and center in my
life because it's not their life.
Speaker 2: It's mine.
Speaker 3: So remembering that and taking that with me and giving
myself grace because it is my life and no one
gets to dictate my life except for me. See.
Speaker 1: I love that kind of language because that's where we
are right now. It just seems like there are more
followers than leaders, because you know, you have the power
to dictate your life, and you're going ah, too much work.
I need to find a binge watch and it's like, no,
you're doing it wrong here. But I mean, that's what
kind of a leader you are even today and beyond.
Speaker 2: Thank you. I appreciate it.
Speaker 3: You know, I try, and you know it's it's difficult
sometimes I'm not saying that, you know, it never gets
hard or I still don't have moments of doubt. But
you know, whatever thoughts creep in, you know I have
the tools to combat them, to to make them go away,
and to settle those those emotions because again it's it's
just noise.
Speaker 1: How have you handled the naysayers and the non believers?
And the reason why I bring that up is is
because I'm that guy that will slip off my shoes
when they're when they're doing a naysayer or a non
believing comment, and I'll say, put my shoes on. When
when you put my shoes on and you walk my journey,
now you can be a naysayer, what do you do?
Speaker 2: Okay?
Speaker 3: Well, for me one, I try, I genuinely try not
to listen if I see something that yeah, you know
what I mean, like if I try my best to
not like be in an environment where people are going
to say.
Speaker 2: Because also, like we were never meant.
Speaker 3: To hear all of this, all everyone's opinions, you know
what I mean, Like we were we weren't supost to
hear everyone's opinions about us, And people make it so
easy to access and to be me and to just
say whatever. But I think I think it's really just knowing.
It's like you have no like you have no idea,
and you don't even want to have like you don't
even want to make an effort to have any idea.
So why would I Why would I listen to what
you have to say? And a lot of the people
that are naysayers and non.
Speaker 2: Believers, they like, you know, they haven't done the same
things that I have done. That maybe they have done
things in their own life, they haven't done the things
I've done, you know.
Speaker 3: They think that's really important. I think that's really important
to remember that just because someone says something like almost all,
I mean almost all of the time, the people that
say something have never even been near your situation, you know,
or have never even done with things you have done.
So it's like, you know, why would I listen to
someone that I don't even really necessarily want what they
have like, because it's different we're in two different worlds,
you know. And I think that helps a lot too,
because there are a lot of people, and I see it,
especially online, take videos from when I was from over
like ten over ten years I mean, well almost twenty
years ago. You know that's insane, you know, not twenty
but still but like a long time ago. And they
use those videos of me maybe missing a step or
messing up or making a mistake when I was twelve
years old, and it's like, you're gonna hold that against
me now in my adult you're.
Speaker 2: Gonna hold that against me. Wow, you know.
Speaker 3: But at the same time, it's like, well, were they
perfect at twelve years old?
Speaker 2: No, because no one was perfect at twelve years old.
Did you master your crowd at twelve years old? No,
you did not.
Speaker 3: So it's just like I think I when you put
it that way, you know, it's all about perspective.
Speaker 2: It's all about perspective, and that's what helps me.
Speaker 3: That's what gets me through it, because you know, you
have to see things like from that point of view,
because it's true.
Speaker 2: It's true, not it's people don't know me as.
Speaker 3: Much as I put out there and as much as
I let people into my life. There's still a lot
that they still don't know, and I just I think
as a whole, this is a different conversation, but as
a whole, I do think that we all need to
give each other more grace. You know, these are crazy
times and I think that everyone needs a little bit
more compassion.
Speaker 1: Well, you remind me so much of Peter in the Bible,
in the way that Peter would turn around and help
people up, because I mean, look at what you're doing
with R and D, the reflex neurovascular dystrophe, Because you
could have hidden away from the world and walked away
from the world. But know what did you do? You
bring it up and people learn through you they may
not have R and D, but they may have something
in their life where they need that perseverance to make
it through that wall.
Speaker 2: Right exactly exactly.
Speaker 3: You know. I brought that up because that is a
huge part of my story, and before the show even started,
I had gone through that. I already had persevere and
to really work hard to get to a place where
I could even just walk again, let blone dance.
Speaker 2: So it's it boggles my mind.
Speaker 3: That people, you know, they judged me at nine years old,
you know, for maybe not being able to keep up
at the same rate. But also I was going through
a lot and it's something that you know, like everyone
at the studio knew, but no one ever wanted to
talk about. It's it's difficult, but you know, I found
a way to make it my own and I thought,
and you know, I I take note of that, and
that's the reason why I share my my experiences in
my journey, because people didn't know, and it's time for
them to know and for them to it's not necessarily
like you know, say like whoa like it's it's not
an excuse, but it's it's part of my story and
it's the reason why I've I've been able to get
through all of this stuff because I've already been through
so much, even just as a kid.
Speaker 2: So and I know that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And like you said, there's a lot of people,
even if they don't they aren't going through R and D,
there's other people that go through other things. And just
to know that, you know, if when you have the strength,
you know you can you can find a way.
Speaker 1: Always there is somebody inside their car right now, inside
their classroom, or inside their house right now that really
feel misunderstood, overlooked, and they feel stuck, and you are
not embarrassed to bring that up inside your book. It's
almost like you're saying, I'm not gonna sit here and
push you, but I'm gonna show you away.
Speaker 2: Exactly, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3: I want it my book to be used as encouragement,
you know, empowerment, because that's why we tell stories.
Speaker 2: You know, we tell stories so that.
Speaker 3: The well, we tell stories because everyone's stories stories matter,
you know, and it's important for people to know that, so,
you know, make your story good.
Speaker 1: So how is it that you're able to tap into
your narrative only because through dancing, you know, that's where
your story is. You can emote, you can bring things
out and with the different moves you can make it sharp,
jagged to the point you can make it go down, low,
up and around. And then you have to put words
on a page. Oh my god, what was that transition?
Speaker 3: Like, it's definitely different. But I went to school for
American literature and culture, so I had been doing a
lot of writing and a lot of reading, and I
always have loved reading. I've always loved memoirs. So being
able to kind of write out my thoughts and to
be very honest with myself and vulnerable. It was something
that I looked forward to, and it was something that
was really therapeutic and definitely something that made me feel
some type of closure.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: It felt good to get that out because for so
long I was penting up this energy. I was keeping
it to myself. Didn't want to tell people how I
really felt because I didn't want to hurt people's feelings
and I didn't want to ruffle feathers. And at the
end of the day, this, like I said, this is
my life, you know, this is this is me, this
is who I am, and I'm allowed to talk about
what I went through. And I think that we'll forget
that if they you know, if they don't love the
way that you know, if they don't love what I'm
talking about, that they should have done better because it's
just it's my truth.
Speaker 1: Wow, you have got to come back to this show
anytime in the future. Twenty minutes with you is not
enough time.
Speaker 2: That's very sweet. Thank you so much. Well, you had
a great time.
Speaker 1: You'd be brilliant today. Okay, thank you.
Speaker 2: I appreciate it.