Meet Anthony S. Goolsby Tray T.S. Deadwyler | Podcast Luminaries & Speakers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anthony S. Goolsby Tray T.S. Deadwyler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anthony S. Goolsby, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Tray D: we created the podcast because we were already discussing books together. It was a glimpse into our own personal lives and what we were doing already. I think that’s why it flows pretty well (the conversations) is because we were already doing this. We weren’t really new to talking about the things that we were reading, sharing those things, really dissecting the pages and the words, and then that allowed it to kind of move forward. So, the idea just came about like “A man we should record this.” And that’s what we did, so people are experiencing basically candid conversations that are no longer private and but are now for the public eye.

Goolsby: Right. I just wanted to read books and have conversations with people about them. I thought it would help me become a better thinker and communicator. Tray was the only friend within proximity that would have scheduled convos with me about books we were reading. It just made sense to share what we were doing with others.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Goolsby: I’m excited that we’re actually DOING it! I think there are alot of book clubs in America, but they’re normally in private spaces because of what may come up or be discussed. I think what sets us apart is that we’re brave enough to have an intimate conversation in public.

Tray D: I would say I’m excited or proud of being able to read a variety of different authors and their perspectives and still be able to say, “hey, what can I glean from this and what can I leave?” And I think I’m really proud of being able to say “Okay, I see where you’re going with that. I may not necessarily use it, but I see where you’re (the author) going with it” and I think that’s a good skill to have. We’re practicing discernment.

Tray D: I think the path that we’ve created, the journey that we’ve been on, hasn’t been easy. What I think we probably appreciate is that the diverse perspectives and experiences that we’ve had over the last 20 plus some some odd years have allowed us the agency and insights that we share as we read the books, and so I think that’s whats making us really successful is that we’re using also our lives and applying our lives to the books that we read or applying the books to our lives in some particular way.

Goolsby: That speaks for both of us. Yeah, one of the lessons that I’ve learned along the way is that you don’t stop. You get back up. You fall down seven times get up eight. You continue to move. You have to have something that you’re aiming for is what I’m really saying. What is it that you think you want? You at least need to choose that and when you get it you might say “Oh, this isn’t what I want, but maybe I want that over there. It’s a continual aim. I’ve also learned about grit. Doing the things you don’t want to do for a time to get to the things that you do want to do.

Tray D: The lessons I’ve learned in where you say, don’t stop I found on the other side to take some pause like do stop, but being intentional in the why I’m stopping. So that I can really have take time and really listen and be aware instead of rushing through the melee of what life can be. And so my lessons have been like, slow it down a little bit. Don’t stop but slow down. Well, I’m sorry, take pauses, but not fully stopped. So I guess I’m agreeing with you. Take some pauses so that you can assess where necessary and kind of move from there.

Goolsby: I agree with intentional pauses. Another big lesson: Slow down, you’ll get there faster.

Tray: Agreed.

Goolsby: What do I want the world to know about our brand, our story? That you can change. You can create your reality. You can create when you understand that you’re a creator.

Tray D: I think along that line of being creative or being creators, and then you start to realize how important it is. To have those outlets to create. There’s a lot of creativity that’s going to go to the grave with people because they haven’t secured an outlet for it. And so even if our outlet is just talking and running our mouths and telling jokes or whatever it is, that’s still a way for us to be creative. as well. I think the other part about the brand, is which I think is really important is the idea that you create everything through your thoughts and your thoughts are being infiltrated by the information that you take in through your gates. And I think that is why we read as much as we can to take in as much of the positive and even more the holistic of everything, so that we can have improve our holistic thought patterns as we move throughout our day and then more truthfully I think we can have a more holistic life.

Goolsby: You can tell your own story.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Tray D: Let’s start at Politan Row at Colony Square in the city. They have some good food spots over there.

Goolsby: We can then hit up the High Museum while we’re on Peachtree and grab a coffee and dessert at Cafe Intermezzo. If we’re going east we can head to Ponce City Market. My favorite spots over there are Modern Mystic and Sugarboo.

Tray D: There’s a secret spot over there that I won’t mention. You’ll just have to go and find out. If we were to go a little west, we could take you to the Upper Westside to the Works. Really good eateries over there, plus you got the 3rd spot. They have arcade games, drinks, and a slide.

Goolsby: I love the slide lol.

Tray D: Shoutout to my girl, Erica Webb at Bomb Biscuits off of Highland. Brian Furman BBQ…Depending on what you wanted to eat in the city. We could take you everywhere. We could take you anywhere. And there’s always good food in the city. So if it’s Epicurious travel, then we can go anywhere you like. So that’s where I’ll start. You know, I’m all about the EATING.

Goolsby: I’m about the PLAYING! Activate in Roswell is a dope place to play interactive games. I want to give a shoutout to Ground & Pound Coffee on Holcolm Bridge Rd. It’s run by veteran stuntwoman, Sophia Crawford. I know the entire staff: Shay, Niles, Gabriel, Sam, Sarah and Ronny Mathew to say the least.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Tray D: I would definitely give honor and am grateful to the grand architect for allowing this alignment to happen.

Goolsby: I wanna give a shout out to Corean Canty the CEO of Shift to Play for her influence and support. I’d also like to shoutout my parents, William & Barbara for creating me.

Tray D: Ha! We’d like to shoutout Dr. David R. Hawkins for his impactful book, Letting Go.

Goolsby: Really good book. Shout out to Jordan B. Peterson for 12 Rules For Life and Joe Dispenza’s Becoming Supernatural.

Tray D: Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power.

Goolsby: Brianna Wiest’s You Are The Mountain.

Tray D: Oh yeah, really good! Richard Rohr is also an inspiration.

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John Stephens