Chris Chambers does more than PR for the stars

Chris Chambers’ clients include Erykah Badu, Usher, Mariah Carey, Naomi Campbell, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Future, and so many more.

He’s distinguished himself as the CEO and founder of The Chamber Group, a boutique public relations firm that he founded in 2006, by branching out beyond his music roots to fashion and entertainment.

Chris talks about how he started with dreams of becoming a journalist but found himself in love with PR, and then how he built connections in the industry before launching his own company  focused on lifestyle marketing.

For more information on The Chamber Group, go to https://thechambergroup.com or follow the company on Instagram @thechambergroup_experience.

Follow Chris on Instagram @chamberschris.

About Umindi

Umindi Francis is the CEO and founder of the award-winning global brand consulting firm UFCG. She has led strategy and marketing for some of the world's leading brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, and Bumble. Over the years, she has worked with celebrities and numerous brands, ranging from The New York Times to the United States Institute of Peace, as a business strategy adviser. Umindi has been featured in a number of publications, including Time, New York, and Vogue, and is the recipient of a United States Congressional Recognition for Business Achievement.

Follow Umindi on Instagram @Umindi360 and on Linkedin here and the podcast @whatsnextwithumindi.

Creators & Guests

Host

Umindi Francis

Founder and CEO of UFCG, a global brand consulting firm

What is What's Next Podcast with Umindi Francis?

What’s Next Podcast with Umindi Francis is a new podcast that explores perspectives from executives, creatives, and thought leaders at the intersection of business, marketing, and strategy in technology, fashion, entertainment, and more.

Umindi Francis leverages 20 years of business strategy experience and relationships as an entrepreneur, and executive for some of the world’s leading brands, to discuss insights, and the next frontier of business, from the people that move their industries forward. The podcast also highlights their path to success to deeper understand their journey.

Listeners will gain insights into how our guests drive innovation. They will also walk away from each episode encouraged and inspired to tackle their own professional goals in business. As a result of Umindi’s connections, listeners can expect marquee guests each episode.

Chris Chambers: I always look at the artist as bigger than sometimes they even see themselves.

And for me, as you said mm-hmm. It's about the whole brand. it's not so much just the album or the single or whatever, it's like, where are we trying to go? Are we trying to take over the world? Are we, trying to, rule the planet, be global, you know, dominate and to me it is beyond the music.

Umindi Francis: This is What's Next Podcast with Umindi Francis. We're talking business and entertainment today. Let's go.

Today we have Chris Chambers. Chris Chambers is a principal of the Chamber Group, a New York based public relations firm, that he founded in mid 2000. Chris Chambers has a distinct edge over the competition and has found his way to build a thriving enterprise. Welcome Chris Chambers, my friend.

Chris Chambers: Thank you, Umindi. How are you? How Chris, how are you?

Good. Thanks for being here today.

Thank you for having me. I mean, I feel quite special sitting here with you, talking like we never get to do and sharing

Umindi Francis: stories. I know we've lived together, so to speak, for a very long time.

Chris Chambers: For a very long time.

Umindi Francis: As colleagues and friends, but you know, ships passing in the night, always on the go. Yes. It's great when we have an opportunity to catch up and I'm so happy we found the time to sit and talk. Of course, because I'm such a fan of all that you do. Thank you. And I think you are one of the most iconic businessmen in the, in so many different industries. I can't, you know, pin down just one.

So I just wanted to take the opportunity to talk about that because I know your story and journey is so inspiring to so many.

Chris Chambers: Thank you. Yeah. Well, I mean you, you know, we've known each other a long time and it's really interesting when I look back on all of our journeys because we've come up in the business, over the years.

And again, even though I may be a tad older than you, where that, it really, you know, it, it, it's a journey when I look back and see what we've all accomplished because as a crew, as much as, as a crew, because even though. You know, we're talking about my story, and how I came up in the business. I feel like there've been so many of us, and thank God we, in terms of our little family in this business of PR and marketing and strategist, that we really have supported each other coming up, and I think that's, I look back and really am very thankful for that family that support, that camaraderie.

Because as we know it, we came up in a time when there weren't many of us. You know, there were very few and very few that were shot callers that were decision makers. That,

Umindi Francis: And when you say few of us, you're referring to black executives, black executives in these, in these in season space. Entertainment, music, fashion.

Chris Chambers: Exactly. And you know, we, I think myself, with a lot of us, I came up in it and the traditional space. I attended NYU. I was a journalism major. My, I, of course, I thought I was gonna be a newscaster or work at the New York Times and, but being in New York, you know, it was very competitive. So the department there, we had to go through a workshop, a PR workshop.

And so that was my introduction into PR. And

Umindi Francis: Where did, where did you do the workshop?

Chris Chambers: Through the journalism department at NYU. Oh, at NYU you're talking about the CU Curriculum College. Right. Okay. Yes. And then from there I was, I believe like a sophomore and we had to start thinking about your first internship.

So of course, I wanted to be at a magazine, wanted to be at a new state, a broadcast station, but being in New York, extremely competitive. So they placed me in a boutique PR firm called Set to Run Public Relations. Never heard of it. Wasn't really interested, but I'm like I needed to do the internship. It ended up being the best thing for me.

Wow. The best experience I had was a small PR firm that worked with all the major music labels, Sony. Def Jam. Atlantic Records. You name it, they were working with them and this was a really boutique firm with no more than maybe six publicists at the time. So their internship program was really hands-on.

They had us learning how to write press releases, attending photo shoots, setting, and helping to schedule press days. It was like we learned a great deal. I mean, it was such an experience. And, the team, they're the owner of the company, Leyla Turkkan. She, she just knew everyone, you know, she was good friends with Russell, Russell Simmons, Leor Cohen, who ran Def Jam at the time, own it and ran it.

Mm-hmm. The heads of Sony music so forth. So, you know, she had a thriving business even though it was a boutique firm. And it worked because it was a boutique firm like it, we were at the time, almost the in-house team for these labels. So I, you know, I did the internship, but I still had a year or so left in school.

A year and a half later, they offered me a job. My parents were like, hell no, you're not gonna work. You need to finish school, get your degree. And so when I graduated from, or was graduating from NYU, they still had a job waiting for me. And I decided, you know what, why not? I mean, I don't have to look for a job.

It was a great entry level position. And that's where the career took off. In the end, I started out as a PR assistant to one of the VPs and before I knew it, I was working accounts like LL Cool J, Public Enemy. Russell Russell started his clothing line. If anyone remembers Phat Farm, I, how can we forget? I, I, but you know, for the younger generation listening, Russell Simmons basically was one of the early pioneers in that kind of urban fashion thing.

Yeah. You know, and, it was, it was such a great experience because again, here I am learning music PR 101, you know, working with these amazing talents. And then basically Russell came into the office, he's like, well, who you know who's gonna work this, you know, my clothing line. Nobody was interested in fashion.

Of course I was interested in, you know, I was interested in fashion, not really knowing what I was interested in, but I knew fashion as one. And so he's like, listen, go through my lo, my Rolodex. There's Veronica Webb, Beth Ann Hardison, call her, blah, blah, blah. And basically I was thrown into the mix of this world of his that included fashion.

He knew all the models at the time, and a lot of the editors and I launched Phat Farm with Russell Simmons.

Umindi Francis: And Chris Chambers got to work as Chris Chambers does.

Chris Chambers: And from there, you know, I stayed at Set to Run for maybe two years and then from there I went in-house to Poly to Polygram records where I worked like Vanessa Williams and, and, and, Brian McKnight and Black Sheep and, you know, acts like that. And it, you know, that was my first record label experience and stayed there as a PR manager for like two years and learned, continuously learning as I moved. And then from there I went on to. EMI Records where I worked with Prince, which was kind of the highlight of my career because I was not part of a huge PR team working with him.

It was myself and my boss at the time, Francis Pennington, and we would go back and forth to Paisley Park in Minneapolis. We learned about his world. He was so hands on and it was really the experience of knowing what a true artist is, right? That's where I was wowed in my career. Like, you know, I'm working with one of the most iconic music individuals of our time.

And so I, and I stayed at EMI where I also helped launch D'Angelo, which was also another monumental moment in my career. And of course a whole ushering of a new sound and a style and, you know, dealing with the media and educating them on this new wave of R&B. And, you know, cuz it was a whole movement with, with D'Angelo, it was him and Maxwell.

And you know that soul era. Exactly, yes. And, Erykah coming in later, a little later on. And so, you know, I have to say, in my career, I've had an amazing career because I worked during a time where the artistry and the business was still so creative. And people believed in the talent and the art of it, and nurturing talent.

Like, you know, that was a major part of it. Watching the development of, you know, an artist in terms of helping them tweak their craft and become these superstars, these icons. It, it, it was, it was amazing. I

Umindi Francis: mean, and as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop, you exactly. Your career blossomed in the midst of the height of that many of these artists that you launched and had the, the, the pleasure of working with.

We didn't know that hip hop would take it this far. No. Or that these acts could reach the level of success or, you know, business greatness that they have that they haven't achieved. Exactly. Exactly. Um,at this level, it's a beautiful thing to see that, you know, these careers Exactly. Are now spanning into new and pivoting new ways in 20, 30 years out.

Chris Chambers: Yes, yes. From that moment, I mean, and that, who would've thought that hip hop, speaking of, would be pop music today. Right. Popular culture. I mean, it's what dominates the charts. It's what dominates the fiscal cycles of these labels. You know, it's a major business. Yeah. Globally. Yeah. You know, and, and that's it.

It's such a pleasure to see what we thought was gonna be a trend. Right. Turn into a genre of music that globally is massive. Yeah. You know, um, leading the way for things to say Yes. You know, and working with a, as you, as you were saying, you know, working with the, the LLs, the, the OutKast, the, the, Tribe Called Quest, you know, these acts, I was a part of.

You know, their, their, their, their growth, their, their rise into pop culture, and it really, you know, it's, those are the memories that I look back on that I can say I, I'm, it makes me proud. Right. You know, because the experiences were such experiences. You know, and then from there, you know, as we were saying, I, I continued to move in the music industry and ended up at Interscope Records in early 2000s, and working with Jimmy Iovine, who is one of the most iconic individuals, in music and being, there was again, another moment because this was a time when Interscope, you know, when Jimmy signed Death Row, when, you know, there was Tupac there, there was Rough Ryders there, there was Eminem, there was, you know, Marilyn Manson, Wallflowers, Gwen Stefani, uh, you know, it was, I was in the midst of like this massive like pop machine and everything from Black Street to Eve to Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, all of that came through me.

Umindi Francis: You touched it. Yes. You touched it. And there's something so great to be said for experience. You know, when we met you were, I believe, senior vice president at Sony Music managing acts such as Usher, who you work with to this day. Mm-hmm. So, you know, how did you manage to maintain this high level of excellence throughout your career into this day? And I'm jumping ahead a bit because we still wanna know how you rose the ranks to Sony and how you transitioned from that into having the desire to start your own firm.

Chris Chambers: Well, I think for me, throughout my career, I've been fortunate where unlike a lot of us that had, that didn't have mentors and people that honestly wanted to be a part of your growth, your journey and journey.

Yes. Your journey. Somehow I was fortunate enough that I had that throughout my career. I mean, I had leaders and bosses that wanted to see me grow. They were pushing me to grow. They never tried to stifle my voice. They wanted to hear more of me. I never, as a black man in PR, I was never part of an urban department or, or relegated to only doing what we call black press, even though we don't even know what that is.

You know, I was, I was fortunate I was never boxed into a box, and I think that my journey really only happened because I had such great people behind me that believed in me.

Umindi Francis: Well, you know, to give you your flowers, it's a testament to who you are. Your tenacity, your hard work, and the excellent results that you, you know, accomplished and achieved along the way.

You know what it's like being an executive or principal in, in a business and seeing a star out of your, the crowd of individuals you wanna get behind that winning horse. Mm-hmm. And be the wind beneath the wings of someone who obviously has, you know, indelible talent as you demonst. And a passion and is, and is doing great work.

So I think that, you know, individuals in, in high places, so to speak, when you're younger, they tend to gravitate and help you find mentors. They come around you. So that's also a testament to who you are as a person. Thank you. And you do the same for so many today and always have, you know.

Chris Chambers: Well, well, it is, it is. I feel like part of my job now is to nurture PR talents and to groom and to help others grow. I really do. I, as much as I have my own company at this point in my career and, you know, the business is what it is. But I do believe that my job today, honestly, is to develop those young executives and send them on their way and help them in their career path.

So that's to me, is what brings me the most satisfaction, honestly.

Umindi Francis: You are so much more than just a publicist. Which is a wonderful title to have. You're really a brand architect. I have witnessed you put Drake on his first cover. Today you represent what we are not even halfway through 2023 and already Erykah Badu has been on the cover of Vogue, Usher has been on the cover of GQ within the last, you know, couple of weeks.

And you are often seen, in paparazzi photos, in, in the shadows in at Paris Fashion Week, walking with your, with your talent, and you have such great connections with brands that you really have figured out a way to transcend just, you know, communicating a singular approach, but looking to see how all of these different facets of pop culture can be utilized to touch and move an artist, uh, just a ta, just a celebrity talent career and persona forward. you just, you are not in the box. You've always had this out of the box approach. Can you talk to us about your approach to branding?

Chris Chambers: Well, you know what, it's, it started honestly with just my personal interests.

Like I grew up around art. You know, I had a great aunt that was an artist in the fifties and sixties, and that's where I learned about fine art and that was always part of my interest, you know, fashion being raised by a mother who literally lived for fashion. And I would watch her go to work every day and she'd look like Diana Ross.

Thin and like, you know, the red Revlon lip and, and the boot and the, you know, and, and just what I came up in, translated into the career. It's like the personal interest I somehow weaved into my day-to-day responsibilities. So, you know, the fashion. Being inside the label, of course I was working closely with the creative department, so I was kind of, you know, introduced to, you know, more of the photography and the, and the video element and so forth.

And then, because I always watched and paid attention to what was going on, in fashion and, and, and the movements and the trends, and so forth, somehow, I don't really recall where it happened, but when I was working with LL and he, I remember he was preparing for a tour, somehow I got a meeting with Jean Paul Gaultier and like Jean Paul Gaultier was coming to New York and some, I don't know if he was interested in working with LL, bottom line is that's where it all started. Like for you in connecting celebrity talents to us. Yes. Like we had

Umindi Francis: Jean Paul Gaultier is not a bad start.

Chris Chambers: Exactly. I mean, but when I think back and LL Cool J. Exactly. But when I think back I'm like, how the hell did I even, because again, I was I'm sure maybe not even 30 yet or whatever it was, and somehow I got, I mean, this amazing, you know, a French designer to meet with LL Cool J, who had a great lunch, talked about his tour, talked about costuming, and that really was one of the first like things yeah, my entree into building these relationships. And you know, for me, I just see, I always look at the artist as bigger than sometimes they even see themselves.

And for me, as you said mm-hmm. It's about the whole brand. It's not, it's not so much just the album or the single or whatever, it's like, where are we trying to go? Are we trying to take over the world? Are we, are we trying to, you know, rule the planet, be global, you know, dominate and to me it is beyond music. It is in, it is incorporating, you know, art, fashion, architecture, like just everything.

Bring a lifestyle into it. And before the word, you know, lifestyle and, and, and that came about. I think I was just naturally doing it. Right. You know, I,

Umindi Francis: I think if you are cultured and being a New Yorker is exactly, you know, very, very, you're exposed, very easy to us. You also have this fabulous Caribbean background, you know, your family's Jamaican.

Yep. And, it all comes together. Yeah. And I think that what's beautiful about your work is how you manage, how you understand that culture is deeply connected to people. Yes. And, and, and what we wanna see, and you wrap that around exactly, you know, you create culture around the talent that you represent and you do it so beautifully and in a very organic way.

You had allowed talent, especially Black talent, where there were spaces and times where we would never see an Erykah Badu on the cover of Vogue. No. You know, And, and those are things that you made happen. I mean, your client roster reads like a who's who you work with. You know, Hollywood, music, fashion, right?

All of these places. Erykah Badu, Naomi Campbell, yep. Drake, Lil' Wayne. Mm-hmm. On and on and on. Mariah Carey. Yep. You know, with aplomb and you, you really have done so many phenomenal things. So you founded, uh, the Chamber Group in 2006? Yeah. What made you decide to leave this amazing career at Sony where you're a senior vice president working with amazing talent to go on your own?

Many people stay in and, and that's fine. Yep. And I, people always glorify and celebrate entrepreneurship, but I'm like, listen, now it has its own bag trick. Yes. We'll get into that in a minute. Yes. But what made you decide to move forward?

Chris Chambers: So I was, and I'm gonna tell you it, it, it was a mixture of personal and professional what was going on in my career at the time.

I remember the summer before, so 2005, summer I was in, I was in Europe with Usher. We had gone to, we went to men's, the men's shows in Milan or whatever, and then we, oh, and then Mr. Armani invited us to, not Capri, but uh, somewhere on the Amalfi Coast. Yes. Where, and he has a home there, and I'm forgetting at the moment.

But anyway, so we're in Europe, vacationing for a few days because he wanted us to stay in Europe to attend couture. And as Okay. And if you know fashion, like there's men's shows, then there's couture.

Umindi Francis: And we're talking about the June end of his men. And it goes into haute couture for women. Exactly. And so some, some people don't know that there's literally like six or eight main fashion weeks.

Exactly. And it always goes on the circuit. People ask why I'm always on a plane. Well, that's why.

Chris Chambers: Exactly, exactly. As you know, it's like going from one city to the next. Yeah. London, Milan, Paris, you know, and so we were in Europe, a great trip. Went back to Paris for couture and then finally home. So altogether I was gone for like two and a half weeks or three, almost three weeks, with, with Usher. And, you know, I think a light bulb just went off. It was, you know, as Umindi as you were saying. At the time I was a senior vice president of media and artist relations. And I think I realized somehow on that trip that wow. I've really gotten to this place in my career within music anyway, where, how, where else am I going after this?

I don't wanna be a president of a label. I wasn't interested in having my own label. I felt like, wow, I really accomplished a lot, but what's next for me? And I came back and for whatever reason I spoke to Clive Davis and Charles Goldstuck, who were my bosses at the time at Sony. And I told them that I wasn't gonna renew my contract, which was gonna be up in 2006.

And I thought that they were going to let me go early. They were like, no, we wanna work with you so you'll work until the last day of your contract. The last day, the last day. And, You know, thank God they've been, they've, they've been so supportive. They were so supportive at the time that when my contract was ending and they saw that I didn't go in-house or wasn't going in-house somewhere, they asked if I would still consult with the company and whatnot.

And so they set me up with a great consulting situation and really that's how the Chamber Group was formed. I mean, I didn't have, you know, a staff, so I brought my assistant with me, the only person that was on salary and interns and, and freelancers. And really that's, that's where it started. I mean, I had started the company working with, you know, the, the, the artists that I worked with, that Sony, like Outkast and Usher and, Jill Scott was my first client outside of the Sony stuff.

Yes. Jilly from Philly. Yeah. And, and, you know, it, it wasn't, I can tell you this, I, it wasn't in my, in my own plan to start my own company. Everyone else saw it, but me, I was like, no, I don't want my own company. That was the same for me. I was, I mean, Steve Stout, who's a, a friend and, and another person that always you know, was in the background nurturing me, you know, as I grew in the whole music thing. He said one day, Chris, you're bigger than the artist. Like, why are you doing this anymore? Like, you're, you've outgrown this thing. Like you need to, he, you need to do your own. He was one of the first and it just continued, even though I fought it and fought it and fought it.

I was, at the time when I knew I was leaving, I was speaking to David Lauren at Ralph Lauren. I was talking to John Dempsey at Mac. I mean, it was interesting because the companies that were drawn to me then that I was entertaining at the time were not music and entertainment. They were completely different. But they saw that, what, as you said, that I was doing more than PR. Right. I was brand building, and they saw that.

And I think as those discussions were happening once, so. Give me this offer. I was just like, okay, let me, I'll try this for a few months and then I'll go home somewhere. But then 16 years, 17 years later, here it is, the Chamber Group. 17 years. Is standing and still standing and going strong. And riding.

Yes. And, and really proud of what we've accomplished. Because it it's, it's exactly what I envisioned, if I was to have my own company. And that was to work across the board, music, film, tv, fashion, sports. I mean, I, and it's not about conquering all, but it's really the things that move me.

Umindi Francis: It's just, it's organic.

Yes. And I completely understand that. Exactly. I, I think you touched upon a few really important things. One of my mentees is transitioning into something else and was ready to consult, and she's quite young and totally fine, but I think that a lot of people have asked me what led you to start a consulting firm and consult?

You get to a point where you feel like, what's next for me? Mm-hmm. Um, and it's an adventure coming up the ranks, but at a certain point, you know, your company has afforded you the freedom to truly explore all of your creativity, Exactly. Um,interest and pour it into your work, which just drives your passion on a daily basis and keeps you going.

And, and one of the reasons why your firm is so successful is because there's so much passion behind it and true joy in the work that you bring, and we really bring to the table.

Chris Chambers: And, and you, and you said it right there. We really enjoy the clients and the projects that we work on. It's as much as we're all in business and we're in business to make money and to, you know, maintain our lives. It's a pleasure to work in an atmosphere knowing that these are the things that you want to do, right? These are the projects that you want to be a part of. These are the things that challenge you and fuel you and feed your, your, that side of your brain, the creative side, and keep you interested. You know, and, and as much as we know being an entrepreneur comes with everyday challenges, the one thing that I don't regret is the fact that I have a business where I can decide who I want to work with.

What I work. And with that, it makes me want to get out the bed every day because I'm still excited and I'm still, I'm still interested and the passion is still there, you know, and you,

Umindi Francis: You chart your own path. Yes. And the ceiling, that many professionals of color have to deal with. There's a greater possibility for it to be removed.

Exactly. and there's so much more at stake for us. Yeah. In, in what we do. So we all know the adage that you have to work three times harder. Yeah. And I see that in our network of friends, our community, and how we support each other outside of, outside of the allies, you know, if you would call them.

But it's, it's, it really affords you the opportunity to be rewarded for your best. Exactly. And I, I know intimately that, you know, neither of us do what we do for money. It's really from a place of passion. Yes. And, and wanting to be successful for ourselves, for ourselves, make our parents happy and so forth.

But also success comes, there's results of that success. And I, and I think the fruits of that success, I will say.

Chris Chambers: Exactly. And I think, you know, seeing those results, and knowing that you were part of creating this thing, like creating is still such a big part of it too, knowing that you helped build Yes. A lot of times that's such a great feeling, you know?

That is what I think really still fuels me. It's like, I love to build. I, you know, so many times people make the mistake thinking that, oh, The Chamber Group only takes on, you know, the bigger, the biggest of the big and so forth. But no, we literally are usually there from the beginning when nobody really knew.

It's just that they see us now once the, once that situation

Umindi Francis: They see pops. They don't know all the, all the work behind the scenes.

Chris Chambers: Behind it and how would we go about developing a brand? Yes. Yeah. We were there and, and that's the fun part of the job for me still is. You know, myself and the team, it, the build, the, the helping to take something from nothing to this place is, is the best feeling ever still.

Yeah. You know, I think from a, from a career standpoint, I don't necessarily feel like I have to be the one doing the pitching and the, of course not. Yeah. And the media calls like that anymore. But what I do love is really creating the campaign, the strategy around it, the strategy and having the team help make it come to life, you know? And they enjoy that. And they enjoy that. Yeah. As they should. You know, and I enjoy being in the early stages of, you know, crafting and, and, and directing it, you know? Yeah. And seeing it pop. And even when they're roadblocks, it's like even figuring out how to get around those challenges.

I, I, it's still all a part of what I love to do.

Umindi Francis: So let's talk to our entrepreneurs, right? Yes. There are challenges that come with entrepreneurship that all entrepreneurs are aware of. Yes. But then we have this pandemic. You know what? How did that affect you, your business? And then in general, what challenges do you face as an entrepreneur outside of your passion, the core of the business? Mm-hmm. You still have to operate a business, and that's a common thread, whether you have a restaurant, Oh yeah, a consulting firm, a PR agency, a clothing line, a car company. Talk about it.

Chris Chambers: Yeah. I mean, that was such a very. Interesting time for all of us. I, I, I mean, no one saw this coming and beyond just being, I think, emotionally shook by this thing.

It was, it was a moment of. Well, how are we, how are we gonna survive? Like, how are we going to live? Because it, you know, it is, it's like they started off where, oh, we are gonna be locked down for two weeks and then it ended up being months and, you know, so a lot of businesses were just halted.

Umindi Francis: The last place I went was when you had a house party.

Before the pandemic for Dr. Rose. Oh, yes, yes. And our dermatologist, our, our fabulous dermatologist. Yeah, exactly. and that's so true. And then it was like, that was the last time we saw people. Yeah, that was it.

Chris Chambers: That was it. And I mean, for me, I think the business, we were just like, okay, what do we do?

Do we? Do we lower our fees to kind of make it easier on the clients because they're not gonna be working and moving around? Do we, you know, let certain staff members go just to kind of try and stay afloat? But I don't know how, and I'm being really honest, I don't know how we did it, but we were busier than ever.

And I didn't have to let anyone go. And, we survived. And you know, I really, it was such an interesting time for the company because again, this was something that no one saw coming, so there was no plan. But for us, we were fortunate where a lot of our clients were busy because they had finished projects and after a few weeks, of course, everyone started to figure out virtual, oh, we'll try and do a virtual press day.

Oh, we'll do a virtual photo shoot. Oh, TV like Tonight Show, you know, Colbert, they switched it up where recording from home, recording from home, and the clients were basically, Making videos, giving it to us to send to the bookers and the producers. I mean, we figured it out. And I'm telling you, we were busier than ever on 600 Zooms as a group with clients, and not leaving our homes. But we were able to maintain the business.

Fortunately, I didn't drop off, I didn't really have any clients, because as I said, many of our clients, I don't know how it worked this way. Many of our clients had projects that studios or, or, or the labels were gonna try and release. Yeah. And we just figured it out every day.

It was a new method. Oh, let's try this platform to usher in, you know, the journalists and, we'll, you know, through Zoom and, and Google Meets and so forth. I, I mean, it was, it was an interesting time because you are also learning. If you didn't know technology and, and you're gonna learn today, oh, you'll learn. You learned quickly.

We learned and, and, um, you know it. Yeah.

Umindi Francis: And then I think the cream rises to the top. We talked about this, I think that it was radio silence for about a couple seconds. Yes. It felt like a bomb went off. Yes. Yeah. Silence. Or we lost hearing. Yes. And then the phone started ringing like crazy. Yeah. And when you are known for doing a great job and excellent at your work, and even if you have a boutique company, people want an expert at that moment.

Mm-hmm. When. All else is failing or going wrong or there's uncertainty. You wanna be with the expert. And so, yeah, busier than ever. I'm sure you picked up clients during that time.

Chris Chambers: Which was again, it is so funny that you say that Umindi.

Umindi Francis: Not pleasant, but a surprise.

Chris Chambers: Yeah, no, but as you said it, it was a surprise because even the fact that we did pick up business during that time was such a blessing. But also we were so shocked because we, again, did not think that we would be in that position. Right. So, you know, it was, it was a learning moment. It was a.

Umindi Francis: What? What did you learn about business from that experience?

Chris Chambers: I didn't realize that we pretty much could survive anything after this. I think it really showed us how resourceful we were and that we were not afraid to try new things, as well as, as well as learning to, to, to be a little bit more self-sufficient. You know, I, I mean a lot of us, you didn't have your assistant beside you. You didn't have your colleagues in the next room.

You literally were at home being self-sufficient, self-sufficient, and making it ha no, you had to make it happen.

Umindi Francis: Do you feel you have balance at this time in your career? I do know it isn't often possible to have balance. Either way, what do you think about that? Let's talk about it.

Chris Chambers: I'm so glad you asked me that question because it is something that you and I speak about all the time, and I do believe in balance. I think it's absolutely necessary to, I think, have a successful, healthy life. There has to be balance. I think you can work and be focused on your career, but then just the same energy you put into, you know, building a career or building your business, this is the same energy we have to use in our personal life.

And it is easier said than done. And of course, living and working in an environment like New York. Everyone is so much about their careers and getting to a certain place. I also believe that we are living in very heavy times and it is important to listen to yourself, check in with yourself, uh, be connected with yourself and understand.

You know, as much as we put so much into our careers, having whatever that personal life looks like or personal time, just making the time. Right. You know? Right. So, and I'm very, that's something that's really important to me at this point in my life.

Umindi Francis: Yeah. So, for me, your legacy has been cemented in the industries you've touched, especially after hearing all that you have accomplished and the careers you've touched over the years.

Those who know, know. You know, what does legacy mean to you and what would you like your legacy to be?

Chris Chambers: I hope that after I am done that The Chamber Group will live on. And, which it will, and I want people to just always look when they think about the Chamber group and even what I've created and accomplishments that they see that it came from like a, a very honest place and that they recognize the work.

Not so much me, because I've definitely always been that person that I, I. For me, I'm more, I always hope that people see and understand my work because I think if you look at my work, then you do get a glimpse of who I am, and just to, I think

leave, not leave, but I want my legacy to be synonymous with respect.

Umindi Francis: I think you've earned that.

Chris Chambers: No, I, I do. I feel like.

Umindi Francis: I know you've earned that.

Chris Chambers: Well, I, I know. You know, as I said in the beginning, I'm fortunate because I have a support system, but as we know, being a Black man in this business, Black man, Black woman, a person of color, it's, it's just challenging in 2023. The fact that I'm even still saying that is, it's annoying because we have accomplished so much, but you're, you're constantly tested and sometimes those tests make you doubt yourself and you know, we have to always remind ourselves how, you know, of our own greatness and, and looking at our accomplishments and tapping ourselves on the back and not waiting for validation. But it's not always easy. And I think, you know, I want my legacy to, to live and, and for people to respect what I've built and what I've done. And, and really that's, that's, I think would be the icing on the cake for me.

Yeah,

Umindi Francis: Well said. Well said. Chris, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Chris Chambers: Thank you. I mean, I'm so proud of you. I am, and yeah, I'm always, I have to say, I'm always in awe of you, because you've always been a person that to me, has shown us that there is no ceiling and you've always pushed yourself and you've always strived for a lot and that has rubbed often influenced many of your friends like myself. And you know, I'm just grateful that we have both a professional and personal friendship and relationship because you are such a monster in this whole thing and you, you push us all and you protect us, and you're always. in front of us and behind us, and, and we really do love and appreciate you, Umindi, I mean, honestly, I, I don't know if you even understand the influence, but you do, you, you move us in a way that I don't know if anyone else does and could.

Umindi Francis: And this is why I love Chris Chambers, and he's a dear friend of mine because, uh, excuse me. The same could be said for him. I mean, Chris has always supported me.

He started his firm in 2006. I started mine in 2010, and the minute I told him that I wanted to start considering consulting. We flew to Los Angeles and he basically babysat me for, took me to the GQ Man of Year party, and put me on the stage. He's always been there, always providing support, always my business advisor, always showing me the way, and here he is saying it's which.

But guys should be honest. It's really the other way around. But thanks.

Chris Chambers: No, but it's, it's true. And I just, you know, I'm, I'm thankful that in my life I have you and others that are just so great and, and supportive in ways that we just don't see from a lot of people. A lot.

Umindi Francis: We're, we're, we're solid. Yes. And it's really a blessing. And you know, even though we have our own entities, we absolutely work together. Yes. Always. as much as possible. Yep. In, in all different ways. And it's a beautiful thing to see. That all our paths have really aligned on one road and we're all in this together. Yeah. And I'm, I'm happy to be embraced by the support and love and the friendship and camaraderie and the family and, you know, till the wheels fall off.

Chris Chambers: Yes, definitely.

Umindi Francis: Well, thank you again. My name is Umindi Francis, and we are What's Next Podcast with Umindi Francis. Peace.