We were lucky to catch up with Zach Tate recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Zach with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I started working at seven years old because my afterschool baby sitter’s son was a pedophile. With no where to go until my mom came home from work, I walked six blocks to my uncles plumbing office where he made me hop on a van and, “Make yourself useful.” Growing up in that company I understood how time is money, entrepreneurism, and that out working others would always get me ahead.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
As the first American born to a Jamaican immigrants, I grew up in the South Bronx during the 70’s when Jewish landlords, got into agreements with Italian mobsters, to pay Latin arsonist to burn down Black neighborhoods to profit from insurance and to finance Long Island suburbs. This gave way to scarcity, a war zone and a heroine epidemic that later transformed into the government financed Crack epidemic. I’m not sure why people fault me for going to war while growing up in a war zone, but my pain didn’t come cheap, so not only did I jump into street entrepreneurism, but I excelled at it with viscous ambition. Where I’m from the weak animals didn’t survive, and I wanted to be king of the jungle. This destructive mindset led to 13 attempts on my life, multiple bullet wounds, war with corrupt NYPD officers and destruction of my peers with blood on my hands. My street career ended with a 20 to Life prison sentence. During that time, I transformed. I began reading, teaching and eventually wrote a best selling novel. Thereafter, I began transforming the lives of self proclaimed gangsters and street thugs by the hundreds, who now hold PHD’s and thrive as pillars of their communities. Currently I do speaking engagements, write self help books and do my best at 53 years old to add value to every room that I enter.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Resolving trauma through therapy. 2. Learning the power of thought and the catastrophic results of thinking negatively.
3. The attitude of gratitude opens more doors that the demeanor of entitlement.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
As a creative I innovate daily. My platform is to “Educate the Imagination,” through media. I want to collaborate with media production companies and show them how we can educate the masses through entertainment and be the most profitable at it. As a screenwriter, I under the power and responsibility of what the youth digest, and it’s time to give them a new appetite.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.greatzachtate.com
- Instagram: greatzachtate
- Facebook: Zach Tate
- Linkedin: greatzachtate
- Twitter: greatzachtate
- Youtube: greatzachtate TV
