Dr. Adriane Johnson-Williams

whoa, you're here, right?

And asking me where he was, I was like, oh, he sent me.

I'm representing him today.

And the dynamic in the room, the palpable difference in the energy, I think it was just like, oh, we're going to have to deal with her now.

It was like all of a sudden I had real power because I had his power.

And so that is...

That is sponsorship.

It is the thing where, and by sponsorship, I mean, quite literally, you know, when a NASCAR or in kind of soccer, you see the names of the, like, that is what it means.

When I show up someplace in a certain space, people know this person comes with this other person's

I have my own folks who I send out and people know, oh, well, if she's here, then Adrian's in her, then we probably need to engage with her a certain way, right?

And so you take the power you have and you literally stamp those people with your power and that is sponsorship.

And eventually, right?

I don't like my sponsors and earlier in my life, people don't know those people anymore.

They gave me what I needed to get to this next step.

I don't, you know, their sponsorship is still known to me.

It's not known to other people, but I couldn't have gotten where I am without them.

I am.

I think so.

All right.

So your favorite Memphis meal is... My favorite Memphis meal is... Vinegary collard greens.