Wine Down Wednesday: Suzette Burton

Wine Down Wednesday: Suzette Burton

Aired: February 23rd, 2022

Audio and Photo Source: Suzette Burton and Instagram

Episode Summary

She's lead actress, cast, crew, producer and director! We welcomed back one of our favorite TCTs, Suzette, to catch up on all her recent travels and creative projects. Suzette shared with us how she balances filmmaking and travel influencing, while recounting her adventures. Get your notepad ready, because Suzette gave us the inside scoop on how to get the best shots! Ready to level up your socials? Tune in! 

 

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Episode Transcript

Wine Down Wednesday: Suzette Burton

 

Orion Brown (00:00:02):

Hey, I'm late. Y'all I'm late. I'm sorry. I'm pouring though. You best believe I went to go sit down before I poured and I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no. We pouring, it's Wednesday. It's time to pour glass. A little Pinot noir. Hey. Oh my gosh. Hello folks. Hello? Hello. Hello. I love it. It is Wednesday. It is Wine Down Wednesday and I am your resident wine and travel conniseur, who also happens to be an entrepreneur. My name is Orion brown

Orion Brown (00:00:56):

And, and I am the founder and CEO of BlackTravelBox. Hey, fit lifestyle strategist. I hope it gets better! For those of y'all who don't know BlackTravelBox. We're a personal care products company for travelers of color. And I created Wine Down to find an Oasis in the, uh, pandemonium when I could not travel. Um, and just to create a space to talk about my favorite subject, which is travel life, food, beauty, all the things. Speaking of y'all look at the, the pop. I mean the curl pop is good. It's a little windswept but the curl pop is good. I feel like that's a decent pop. That's a good curl pop right there. I ain't mad at it. We popping look, we popping a a and for those of y'all who have been on my little big chop journey, y'all could see these roots it's coming back. But the other thing that I did was I went in, cause I had gone in with the bleach, but I just went in with overtone color and used their rose gold conditioner on it. So baby that's not, that's not the Delta. That's just all the curls. Let's see if I can grab my guest today. Sue Sue Sue, where is Sues?

Orion Brown (00:02:29):

Because We are good to go hold up. I'm a, I'm gonna tap my girl Jenique. Y'all get to see Jenique when we did our giveaways. How many of you guys saw the giveaway?

Orion Brown (00:02:45):

Um, the giveaway we did over this last week, Hey, her vibes. And we did an awesome giveaway of our eight ounce Body Balm. And y'all, I promise you it's coming to the site. This is,

Orion Brown (00:03:05):

It is not easy being an entrepreneur. And it seems, I feel like a few of y'all are entrepreneurs in here looking at your, looking at your, uh, your, um, screen names and yes, baby, everything. The to-do list, ooo child, we earned some red wine. We earned some red wine. Mm. Because it's been busy, but as soon as we get it out, we gonna tell you, so make sure if you have not tried our body bomb, number one, it has been described as crack. And while I don't love the association, I will say it any that wrong. It's it's it's the so, ah, happylifesuz. There you are girl. I was trying to find your screen name. I'm sorry, SIS. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm inviting you in my bad, my bad. Um, but yeah, this body bomb is crazy and all of our products are made to be either in sizes that work for TSA or in formats that do so like not liquid. Hey Sue.

Suzette Burton (00:04:11):

Hi.

Orion Brown (00:04:12):

Oh my gosh. And you're just like glowing and warm and I'm over freezing.

Suzette Burton (00:04:16):

I have the light, you know, the light.

Orion Brown (00:04:18):

Girl I have the lights on too. I'm cold. What you talking 'bout?

Orion Brown (00:04:24):

I love it. I love it. Well, before we get, we jump in and get you. Hey Jenique. Okay. Jenique came through that's that's my heart. She was over here. Keeping everything straight for me. Um, yeah, we gave away these, our eight ounces, cuz people are like going nuts being like, why don't you have larger sizes? And I'm like, it's for travel sis, look, it's for travel. You want, okay, you want more? So we have a limited stock and it's coming. I would, we just gotta get it up on the site properly so that we can make sure everybody gets fulfilled on time. Cuz that is a whole thing. Y'all supply chain. What kind of messes that I don't know who invent supply chain, but uh, Hey look, no wine. That's cool. But yeah, 100 on the business struggle. Hey so right. We need to jump into it cuz a I wanna sip my wine and two, I want to meet our guests.

Orion Brown (00:05:17):

I'm over here, like picking at the glass. You know, this is when you know you getting old.

Suzette Burton (00:05:20):

I didn't even get an wine. I'm like, should I get wine?

Orion Brown (00:05:23):

Go get some wine. I have one, go get some wine. Wait, I love those hoops. By the way, airline employees can take whatever size they want. Yeah, bet so. But the air airline employees don't make up. Not even a percentage of the people that's flying. I mean, I don't wanna have to get a job just to wear it, just to bring what I want, but we about to get into it. Y'all I just came back from Mexico, baby. I just came back from Mexico city. Never in my life. Did I imagine it's over here? I've gor my wine, it's right here. Uh, never in my life. Did I imagine how turned up Mexico city is like I was over here ducking Tulum cause you know if y'all been in anybody's comments or if you've been yourself, it's like Tulum is like a giant Black jungle club.

Orion Brown (00:06:11):

Like all the time. A thanks Jenique. Um, yes, we here with the globe, but the globe is also, you see it in my light. Yeah. That's that's the, the little lights I got going and a little bit of filter. Um, yeah cuz I got sun, but I didn't get that kind of sun, but baby Mexico city was popping. I did not go to sleep at a decent hour for like four days. I don't know how ? I'm like, I'm getting older, but we're gonna stay up later. I don't know how that correlates, but um, yeah, I'm gonna have to post some I'll post some highlights for you guys. We'll share 'em in the stories. And um, I got to meet some really, really dope people. So hopefully we'll have them on because I'm just gonna force my friends to do everything. Um, I'm just here for it. Sues do you have your glass?

Suzette Burton (00:06:57):

Yes. I put some something together. I mixed a couple things.

Orion Brown (00:07:00):

It looked cute though. It looked cute.

Suzette Burton (00:07:03):

Thank you.

Orion Brown (00:07:03):

And you guys, it's not about like, it doesn't have to be alcoholic. Believe me after this weekend I could probably go light, but

Suzette Burton (00:07:10):

Yeah, me too.

Orion Brown (00:07:11):

You could have cool-aid, You could have Pepsi, whatever, if you a Coke fan fine Coke. Put it in a nice glass. Put your pinkies up.

Orion Brown (00:07:21):

Cause we about to kick it. Miss. Miss miss tell us juice is cool too. Wait, how is a dentist saying that you prefer juice? Doesn't a Citrix acid make, make your teeth. I learned that from my dentist. I was so embarrassed. I told him, I was like, why do I have all these cavities? And I was like, I don't even eat that much sugar. Like, well it's not like you're you're sucking on lemons or anything like that. That's exactly my problem. Since I was a child, I'm just like, yeah. Suzette. Did you create your own drink? Yes.

Suzette Burton (00:07:52):

Yeah. I actually put together, I put like Mascato a little bit of Malibu and some passion fruit juice. Cause I, this past weekend my friends were here, so we had like some leftovers. So yeah.

Orion Brown (00:08:05):

Sometimes the leftovers be the best. Whether it be the food or the drinks, uh

Suzette Burton (00:08:09):

Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:08:10):

The mayhem and foolishness. I love that. Let's get you introduced to everybody. It sounds like you got some friends. All ready in here. But um, I always love to ask my guests. Yep. I love it too. I'm a little jealous. I'm not gonna lie. I don't have any mixers. I didn't have nobody over my house. I'm still trying to keep it. COVID free, but I'm going out. Isn't that crazy? Um, so tell everybody who you are, where you're from and where you live. If those are two different places. Um, okay. And how many stamps do you have on your passport?

Suzette Burton (00:08:44):

Rough? Roughly? Probably like 10 or 11. I'm not sure that's a rough estimate. I don't even, yeah. I don't know. I have to go and count, but yeah.

Orion Brown (00:08:58):

No, no, no. Don't do that. We'll just start with who you are and where you're from. And then we'll jump into some of those stamps that are a little bit more memorable.

Suzette Burton (00:09:05):

Okay. Yeah. So, um, my name is Suzette Burton. I, um, I'm a, I'm a traveler, but I also am a filmmaker and um, director producer camera operator. And I'm from originally, I'm from Nyack, New York in Rockland county, which is like a little bit above, um, New York city. So it's like considered the suburbs of New York city because a lot of people work in, um, who live there. They work in New York city. And um, what was the other question? Sorry.

Orion Brown (00:09:35):

And where you live now? Where you live now? Oh,

Suzette Burton (00:09:37):

Right now I'm in um, Newark, New Jersey. Um, yeah, but I used to live in Brooklyn for about like 17 years.

Orion Brown (00:09:44):

Wow. So you're really in Brooklynite. That's really what you're saying. Yeah.

Suzette Burton (00:09:48):

Yeah. I lived there for like, since I was 19 to like 37 ish. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:09:54):

37. Where 37 who?

Suzette Burton (00:09:57):

I'm 39 now I'll be 40 this year.

Orion Brown (00:10:00):

No you're not stop lying!

Suzette Burton (00:10:03):

Yeah. I'm getting up there. You

Orion Brown (00:10:05):

Black don't crack baby. I just turned 40 this weekend. So it is

Suzette Burton (00:10:10):

Happy. Oh yes. Happy birthday. I did. Yes. Cause of the giveaway and stuff. Yes.

Orion Brown (00:10:15):

Yes. I was trying to like, I was look and I'm over there. I was in Mexico when we were doing it and I was just like give 'em everything. I we'll just we'll figure out how to do it. Um, but I get stuff out. Uh, talk with Sora. Got you. She got your YouTube up. Happy life sues. She been everywhere.

Suzette Burton (00:10:31):

Thank you.

Orion Brown (00:10:32):

Aye!

Suzette Burton (00:10:32):

Thank you.

Orion Brown (00:10:33):

Girl, tell me so one its just so cuz it struck me when you started to say what you do, right. And you're like, I'm a, uh, you know, I do this, I do that. I'm a producer. I make films. I do this. I, I camera operate and it just struck me that when I talk to Black women, oftentimes we describe an entire team's worth of stuff that we do surrounding our business or surrounding our talents. And other people would be like, I'm an accountant full stop. Tell me a little bit of what got you into filmmaking and like where, where your heart is and all those hats that you wear.

Suzette Burton (00:11:15):

Yeah. So the way that I got into filmmaking, I always was like, when I was a child, I always looked at movies and I always wondered like looked at people, you know, I looked at the movie and I'm like, what's going on behind the scenes? Like how did they come up with this world? So, you know, from there, you know, I had like, I was always like, uh, well I don't know what I wanna be, but I always, in the back of my mind, I knew that I wanted to be a director. So I attended, um, Pratt Institute, um, for film. But first I attended for drawing and painting because I, I always consider myself an artist. I always like to draw and paint and I always like colors and stuff like that. Oh. So then I changed my major to film and video and that was like my real passion. And then it took off from there. And uh, I've been doing that for the past 15 years and I can say I that's truly, um, what I feel like I was born to do and travel the world. I've always wanted to travel when I was a kid. I said, I'm going to like travel like that excites me and making films excites me. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:12:18):

I love that. And I love that. Like you're clearly a creative at heart cuz you can do a lot of different things within the space, but it's the film piece. That's that's most impactful. How do you, so you also mentioned travel and seeing the world, how you been able to sort of integrate that into what you consider your day job?

Suzette Burton (00:12:39):

Yes. It has been, it has not been easy. Um, I, while I was working for John J college, I actually worked there for four years and I wasn't really traveling like that. Um, outside of the country, like I used to go to Miami for Memorial or day weekend, like in my twenties, I wasn't really serious how I'm serious now. And you know, um, then I quit John Jay and I got this one job that I was at for three years and I was working for, um, this company called one create and I was creating cooking videos for uh, bed, bath and beyond. But my schedule was very, very flexible. So I got to work from wherever, like remotely and be traveling at the same time. And then on the weekends I had to be on like on set and like for like a couple hours.

Suzette Burton (00:13:27):

So it didn't take too much of my time. And I got to really, really travel a lot of places, you know, then, uh, at the, at time. But now it's pretty tough because I don't work there anymore. So I'm, it's very crazy. My life is like a roller coaster. I'm directing a film. I'm in the process of a directing, a film that I've been working on for the past three years. So I've been trying to like travel in between, but like money wise, it's not easy, but I've also been trying to like partner with brands. It's just, it's a growing process, you know, becoming like a travel like influencer and like also trying to be a filmmaker. Sometimes it's like, I feel, you know, conflicted. Yeah,

Orion Brown (00:14:11):

Yeah, yeah. Cause you got all the hats and the thing is, is it is it's not easy when you know how to do a lot of things. Let's just be honest when you talented, when you got that magic and you can put it wherever you want to, but not everything gives back as much as you might need or might want. So like, I totally feel that I totally feel that. But to me it seems like being a filmmaker and a travel influencer is something that could converge together in a meaningful way. Cuz I feel like we as travel lovers and all the folks in the audience too, like as travel lovers, love to consume travel video and, and love to consume, um, you know, just experiencing other spaces in real time, the photos are great, but there's nothing like video. How do you even, like, how do you think of like your influencer piece? Like where does the filmmaking come in or like, are you thinking of that a little bit separately?

Suzette Burton (00:15:07):

Um, well the filmmaking, it came in like later on when I start to travel, um, I started a YouTube, uh, called the ultimate, well a YouTube web series called the Ultimate Vegan Brunch Tour. And I also have it as like on my IG, um, as well as a page. So I started filming more, uh, while filming that, um, web series and it's, I can say it's, it's weird because when you're doing all that you have to schedule, you know, okay. In the morning I'm gonna do this. You really have to schedule your time out or else you will not have time to relax. You'll feel like you're just working like while you're traveling. Mm it's cool. And everything, but I feel like there's a time to rest and then there's a time to, okay, let's get up and take photos and then let's take, um, video or whatever where we're gonna do.

Suzette Burton (00:16:02):

But it's not easy because it's preparation. You know, I have a drone, I have to prep that sometimes it's acting up, you know, my camera, like my camera of what shots are we gonna get? Yeah. You know, even prepping like which Airbnbs am I gonna stay in that look beautiful? You know, that are attractive to people. Um, like how am I gonna like showcase this place? And one day when I'm rich, I can be able to hire yeah. People to like accrue to do this right now. I'm the one like, you know, filming, editing everything, you know? So that can be, um, challenging. I could say

Orion Brown (00:16:41):

That is such a great reality check for people who are like influencers. They don't have real jobs. They are just enjoying themselves everywhere. Now one, I, I am personally an, what is it? What do you call it? An extroverted introvert or introverted? I don't know which one it is. I get tired after doing all the things I can do. All the things like a smile. I can be fun, but I need to pull it back. And so this idea that every time you show up in a video and you're doing something that you're just in the moment and having fun, is it entirely true? You're creating an experience to share with other people. And it's a whole lot of work that goes in that like a whole lot of work. I totally feel you

Suzette Burton (00:17:25):

It's a lot of work. I mean, I, I didn't, it's like, uh, I didn't know it was gonna be that much, but as I'm going and I'm doing it, I really wanted to do like you like how the people they do, like these long drawn out like travel vlogs and stuff, but it is really like to edit that. Yeah. I think I edited like one of them of me and, and me and B and it took me a while, like with music and to get the shots right. And all this stuff, it took me, it was like a editing, a documentary or a movie. Yeah. Like seriously, that's how I felt. And I'm just like between, you know, my work, you know, that's a priority, which is filmmaking. And then the, uh, travel, cuz like the filmmaking for me comes first and then the travel comes like second for me. But yeah, between that is very it, like I said before, it just conflicts. So I like to, it's great to bring it together cuz I like to see, um, what I can come up with and how creative I can be. Especially with the drone shots. I think the drone shots are so beautiful. Um, and they just like pump up the, the production value. You know, people are like, oh my God, like where were you? You know?

Orion Brown (00:18:38):

Yes.

Suzette Burton (00:18:38):

So yeah. And I'd like to just really inspire people, not only by the photos, but I feel like video just inspire people even more like, like you said, like moving image. And I think it's just really be even like when you meet the people, um, on these trips and I was in Ghana and I met these children on the beach and they just came right in my video and I was like, oh, okay. So I just started, you know, I was already shooting with my drone and then I made a video out of it, you know? So cool. And those authentic like moments even had. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:19:11):

And that's a, that's a, that's a hard balance. Right? Cause when you're in the moment, you're not paying attention to angle. Right. And lighting and can people tell, Jenique said even YouTubers have editors and crew. That is so true. I there's, and I can't remember the name of the couple, but there's a billion couples out there that do all their little YouTubes and their Instagram and videos and stuff. And now there was a point at which I realized there is a third person in the room because they're both sitting and this camera is moving around and they're getting all these quick cuts and wait a minute, this was supposed to be earlier today because they talked about something that happened last night. There's no way they got three kids. They didn't do that. They didn't sit down and do that themselves. You know, they got the backup and they, and, and they, you have to like build a team, but in order to build a team, you gotta have some cash to do it. So she said,

Suzette Burton (00:20:01):

No, like I'm doing everything mostly. Like, and then my, I have my friends, like who I travel with, but they have to be like, myEd because I think that if you go to who's like not on that wavelength. Yeah. They are just like, oh God, like, why are we doing this? But I, my best friend, she actually she's on it with me. Like she wants her photos and I want my photos. So like, she's like, okay, let's get yours and then I'll get mine. And then we go back and it's kind of like a bartering thing, you know? And usually that's what I do on vacation. I try to find someone who is like, oh yeah, can you take my photos? So I'll take their photos and then they'll take mine or they'll take like videos for my reels, little like, things like that. And um, but most of like the camera work stuff, uh, yeah, I've been doing myself, you know, um, the drone stuff, you know, I have to operate my drone. Like I can't, you have to know how to operate that thing. You know, I

Orion Brown (00:20:57):

Can crash a drone so quick and y'all play video games. So it's not like I don't have hand eye coordination, but you all south Paul with it, you go to turn down and it goes up and all kinds of crazy stuff. And you gotta manage the altitude. I mean, it's like flying only in miniature. Um, yeah. So my hat's off to you. Right?

Suzette Burton (00:21:17):

I know it's crazy. The first time I flew the drone, um, was in Bali when I, and I, and I had to have it because I stayed at this place called uh Jolo and it was so beautiful. And you know, the jungle was surrounding the pool was like, you know, it was just so beautiful. So I said, I need to have my drone for this. Like there's no way. And the thing it came late, I was so, but I had to go and pick it up somewhere else. But when I got home, it was there. Yeah. Like the one I ordered, but I was like, frantic, like, no, like I'm not gonna go to Bali without my drone. Cause it's funny. And I didn't care. I taught myself. Right.

Orion Brown (00:21:57):

B is gorgeous. Y'all if y'all, haven't been, Bali's one of those few places and I won't say there's few places in the world, but like when you're in the urban world, it's hard to find those moments of like beauty and all this stuff. B's one of those things you mess around and turn the corner and you're like, it's so beautiful. Oh my God. Um,

Suzette Burton (00:22:17):

Yeah. Yeah. It's beautiful. Like even though I got sick when I went there, but I, I got sick. Yeah. But I was, most of the time I was okay. Mm. But I definitely had to have that drone, like I said, there's no way cuz I have to get these shots.

Orion Brown (00:22:35):

Yeah. How did so, so let me ask you a really practical question. Since I came back from Mexico with like five photos, cuz a, I have no sense of direction or angle. I took a whole class on it and I feel like I failed, but two, um, I didn't plan ahead. Like I really didn't plan ahead. And I didn't think about like what monuments and stuff. I just needed a little bit of a break. So now I'm like, when I go back, I think I might take a drone cuz a drone makes everything look cool. So what should somebody be? Even thinking about if they wanna produce. And obviously we're not as skilled as you and you have yours as experie. So what's the dumb down Anisia nephews. Like, eh, how do I make my spring break look cool? Like what are some things that you would say we should look for in terms of drones, cameras or using our phones to like have the right equipment to capture some stuff?

Suzette Burton (00:23:24):

Yeah. So, uh, with the drone, I actually have a DGI, uh, Mavic mini it's, um, it's a smaller version, but it shoots in uh, two K and it shoots beautiful video. It doesn't shoot in 4k, the regular DJ DJ, uh, Mavi that shoots in like 4k. But I think with that one, this is what I heard. I I'm getting different stories, but with that one, you need a license to fly it because I think it depends on how big it is in certain countries. They won't allow you to fly the drone. So you have to be very careful cause you can get like a ticket that's 500. You don't know what, if you're in another country, you don't know the laws. You gotta be very careful. Um, I've flown the drone in Ghana, tum in Bali, in Joshua tree. And I didn't have any problems.

Suzette Burton (00:24:18):

I had one problem in Ghana, but it was, I was with like a crew. I was actually traveling there as a second camera operator. And um, we had like one slight thing, this like monument that was very like, well known. So they said, no, you can't do it. But for the most part I was flying it and it was fine. You know, I think if you're near airports, you cannot fly it like that. Cuz you know, that's, that's a big deal. I would say that that drone is great and it, it captures beautiful footage. Like it's beautiful. Like you don't even have to like color, well you can color correct it in editing. But for the most part, the image and the color is right there. Like everything's still for you. It's not like you have to go in and change all these things around you can, but don't necessarily have to

Orion Brown (00:25:07):

Have to. So you can, you can shoot something and presuming that you don't crash it, which you could, I guess pretty easily edit out. Um, yeah. You know, if it's just a crash, you just take, you just trim it, you just trim it. Um, but you can have something that you can work with and feel like you got something really great. That's awesome. You pointed out a really important fact because y'all these drones in some places are considered aerial vehicles, like as if you were flying a little plane. So dude make sure that you're being mindful of that. But it sounds like if it, it is a toy size, if it's smaller, then you probably have less of an issue with it as opposed to something that, you know, don't be like Tyler Perry with his mini planes, like yeah, he got them like six, eight foot spam. It's like, no, you don't need to be doing all that. Ask if you have any suggestions for solo travelers. Um, I guess to take photos other than selfie sticks. So like how do I get good photos of myself? And that looks funny going away with my phone. Cause that's another thing I'm paranoid about.

Suzette Burton (00:26:04):

Yeah. So I've done that when I was in Ghana actually, because like, because I was there for work, I didn't wanna bother anybody. I was like, these people are not here to take photos of me. Yeah. There was one woman who was, but like we were, like I said, we worked together, you know, she was like, take my photos. I take your photos. But yeah. Um, when I was, um, I found like designated areas, like on the beach to put up my tripod, I have a small tripod, but it like extends from best buy and it's pretty thin. And you it's like, there's a bag that you can get. It's very cute. It's very like, it's like, I can't really measure it right now, but it's small. And um, basically I, uh, you know, you carry it. I mean, you set it up and I have this, uh, piece that I put that holds my phone. You just screw it on the top. Um, and it holds your phone and you can like position your phone either like 16 by nine or like, um, like the regular in Instagram look or whatever. Yeah. Like you can do that. Uh, and no one bothers me like no one, well there was one guy like staring and stuff, which was very annoying. Like get out, like, can I just be by myself? Well, is

Orion Brown (00:27:13):

He just like, Ooh, new Queens?

Suzette Burton (00:27:17):

Yeah. Like, like, and you know, you kind of have to like move it cause people will start watching you, especially if you're in a swimsuit and then, you know, you're developed so their guys are gonna stare at you. Mm. You know what I mean? They're like looking and then it's like, you kind of have to like, just be like, Ugh, let me not pay that person attention. Yeah. You know,

Orion Brown (00:27:35):

I need you to look at me online, not look at me while I'm standing here trying to take the picture. Cause that's a whole day. It's creepy when you see the eyeballs.

Suzette Burton (00:27:42):

Yeah. It's really annoying. Like, and I, I, when I was in Ghana, I actually had, um, my cab driver. He took pictures of me. So we stopped. And then I think I paid him a certain amount to like, just go around and take photos of me. Oh, that yeah.

Orion Brown (00:27:59):

Good job.

Suzette Burton (00:28:00):

Yeah. And I, you know, the thing, the one thing that I use, like if people don't necessarily do, I like I'll guide them and direct them, but I use Lightroom to add presets and that makes the photo pop even more. I mean, I, I do like, I have to change the coloring. There's a lot, I got a crop here, you know, so I make it into what I need it to be from what they, whatever they do, you know,

Orion Brown (00:28:24):

That's actually really, so that's super smart. Like that makes me think I need to go back and look at some of the photos again and just crop out the stuff I don't like. And, and, and with that Lightroom, I do love a good preset, cuz I will stay in there playing with stuff all the time and have the stuff. I really don't know what it is. So I'm just playing with it. Y'all I'm not at all an expert. This is why we bring in the experts. But I love that. So you're like, yo dude, like, let me slide you some 20, go ahead. And just like hit me up with some photos and hear them later. Ooh, that's brilliant. That's a gym right there. And

Suzette Burton (00:28:58):

You know, of course it's like someone safe, you know, if you have like a driver, who's like part of the Airbnb D or connections. Yeah. Not just any, but you know, you'll get the vibe.

Orion Brown (00:29:10):

Was that in Bali? Was that in Bali that you did that? Um,

Suzette Burton (00:29:14):

I did that actually in, um, Ghana. Okay. Because I wanted to take pictures within the town and I didn't want to go alone cuz I, I was gonna set up my tripod. There was a lot of people and their staring at you cuz they know you're not from there. So they're looking at you like a celebrity you're walking and they're all like, you're like staring at you. So it's crazy.

Orion Brown (00:29:36):

What's going on?

Suzette Burton (00:29:38):

It was crazy. So it was good to like have somebody who knows the area, knows the place where I'm at and then, you know, can like guide me and yeah. Like a protect, like protect me in a way. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:29:51):

So just like, you know, be a little, be your local muscle. Uh, no, I don't know if they be muscle, but just like be the lookout, be the lookout for you. And the reason I asked Bali, because I felt like I, I, when I went to Bali, I had a driver that we got for the day and he was great. Like he was very much like, don't go there. It's really expensive. Go here. These people are my friends now, but they're gonna give you a fair whatever. Or you know what? That beach is gonna be crowded. Do you want something quiet? Like, so people that kinda give you, you, they give you the vibe of, I want you to experience the place just as much as you wanna experience, it can be really great assets. Right. Really great assets. But I love that. You also said one thing that you mentioned, I don't think I've ever had anybody say on here and we've been doing these now for like a year and a half going to an African country. You are still foreign. I know that. It's like wonderful. We go back to the motherland. It's great to be around people who look like us. But by the same token, I think, I feel like we spend a lot of time talking about, oh, when you're in Asia, they point I'm like baby, they point anywhere. But you're American.

Suzette Burton (00:30:59):

Yeah. It doesn't matter. They could, they, they, they, they just, you, they look at you and they know. Yeah. They automatically know. I mean, when I went to China, they, they were taking, they couldn't stop. They were taking pictures with us and like, it was insane. I was just like, like we had a crowd of people around us. Yeah. Taking photos and like taking video. And they were like, I was just like, I really could probably make money out here if I just stand here and collect money for photos, you know,

Orion Brown (00:31:28):

Let's take a step back in, you know, as much as we have sensitivity about being fetishized as the people and, and, and it does exist. And I'm not saying it doesn't think about how many celebrities you see in random foreign countries. They're not from that country. And they be making bank y'all. Yeah. Like they go out there and they do. What was the, what was the movie lost in translation, bill? Murray's out there just to do a commercial or just to do a photo shoot with him, holding a whiskey. And it's like, I just saw Bruce Willis on a poster in Mexico. And I was like, what has Bruce Willis been in lately?

Suzette Burton (00:32:01):

Yeah. That's crazy. I know

Orion Brown (00:32:03):

There's something really exotic about the, the foreign aspect that, you know, make that money. I, I ain't say that, but you know, make that money.

Suzette Burton (00:32:14):

Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:32:15):

So, so in your travel, have you been able to, cuz it sounds like your travel and, and your work has kind of really intertwined a lot. Have you been able to do travel? That was not work? That was not influencing. That was just like a really great experience that you immersed in that really sticks out for you?

Suzette Burton (00:32:34):

Yes. I could say that when I went to South Africa, I wasn't heavy like shooting drone stuff, going to the hotel, you know, I, I, I went with a coworker of mine and she was, she is the type of person when she travels. She's like, we're going to safari every morning. We had to do something. So I was waking up at like three in the morning. Oh no. Okay. Waking up. She lost

Orion Brown (00:32:58):

At three.

Suzette Burton (00:32:58):

It was crazy, but it was nuts. But I did exp like, I like the experience of actually like doing these touristy type of like excursions and stuff like that. But I can say that she did take photos of me and I took photos of her, but we weren't like crazy with it. How I am now. Yeah. Now I'm like,

Orion Brown (00:33:19):

Africa's beautiful.

Suzette Burton (00:33:21):

Yeah. Oh my gosh. Like there's South Africa when I saw the penguins, that's when I truly fell in love with penguins. Like I wasn't in love with penguins and then I became obsessed with penguins. Like I was like, why am I upset? Beautiful. Like I never thought, like in South Africa you would see penguins. And when I

Orion Brown (00:33:40):

Y'all for y'all, I've never seen a pen, went outside of the zoo. These birds are in tuxedos kicking it,

Suzette Burton (00:33:45):

You know, it's like, it's beautiful. I was just like, we was amazed. And you know, we did this thing called sidecar and um, it drives you for eight hours through the coast of like Cape coast and, and on the edge. And we saw like OSTs and it was just the air, the quality of air. Like

Orion Brown (00:34:07):

It's just different.

Suzette Burton (00:34:09):

It's different. It's it's I can't describe it. Yeah. But it it's fresh. And it's just, it's like, why, why am I living here? Like I need to move. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:34:21):

And then they'd be the first ones to be like, yeah, we don't really give out visas like that. But

Suzette Burton (00:34:26):

Yeah,

Orion Brown (00:34:28):

You that, oh man, with the few words that you like, you were like, I can't really describe it, but having been there myself, I know exactly, exactly. I mean, going along the Cape. So if you're in Cape town, for those of you never been Cape town is just this beautiful stretch of coastline. They've got table mountain behind it, which basically looks like kid plays hair sitting over the city. Uh, which is dope. Yeah. And, and there's this really interesting mix of like urban city. It's not like super urban. It's not like Johannesburg is more like a New York. Whereas I would think a Cape town is like maybe more like a Chicago, not as cold. Um, but like it's a city. You can tell you're in a city, but it's much more residential. But on top of that, you still got things like ostrich is and penguins and monkeys y'all ever been to a city where there's like stray cats. They got straight monkeys. Y'all yeah. I'm never in my life. Forget driving down the road, coming along the coast. And there's houses built in the Hills along the coast. And they're not even like fancy, super beautiful houses, just like regular people's houses in the hill. And there are monkeys running from rooftop to rooftop and swinging from. And you could tell that the but little baby ones were getting in the, cuz like, right,

Suzette Burton (00:35:51):

Right.

Orion Brown (00:35:52):

You know, it's like some, a bigger monkey comes snatch 'em up. And they swinging from stuff of falling off or bouncing around. And I'm like, how did these people sleep?

Suzette Burton (00:36:02):

Yeah. It's incredible. I mean, it was incredible. I mean, I, we went to Johannesburg, but we, then we went to Cape town. Then I think we went back to Johannesburg. Yeah. I think that's how we did it. Yeah. But it was a, it was a great experience. And it was also eye opening because we went to Soweto and yeah, that was very, it was like, wow. You know, I just feel like everyone needs to travel because it just opens you up to new things and to get out of, you have to just get out of the United States and go places. Yeah. I mean, that's my opinion. Everybody likes to travel, but that's me. Cause I need to see

Orion Brown (00:36:41):

The world. Like it. I feel like you still need to do it. Cause it's just hard to understand. It's hard to understand that your world isn't the world until you see the world.

Suzette Burton (00:36:53):

Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:36:53):

You know, like when you talk about Soweto, I remember going, Tosto when I went into Soweto with a group, um, and several of my friends are Indian and they were like, oh, you think this is something you should see India. And my heart dropped twice cuz I'm like, and I seen some stuff, seen some stuff in like I've seen stuff here in the states. Um, but to see Soweto and you know, to sit and talk with somebody who lives there and they seem, and I hate to put it this way, but just as normal as anybody else, your cab driver, whatever, you know, right. He's got an Adidas shirt on and he's driving the cab, but he's presenting something. And he goes back home to a place that the light go out at nine 30 and he can't control it. And, and there's, you know, no runner water or whatever, you know, five people in a zinc, little zinc hut. And you just like how, and then you talk to people and they go, yes, this is gut wrenching. But also it could be much worse. And it's just like, Ooh.

Suzette Burton (00:38:01):

Yeah, yeah. That's true.

Orion Brown (00:38:02):

Meanwhile, I'm over here. Like why is the water hot yet? Like this is too cold. No, I almost got electrocuted. I will say in Kenya. I, I mean, I might be stretching it a little bit, but I was in Kenya and they have just like, I mean, it's, it's, it's sort of like Europe where they're like very mindful of electrical usage. You put the little card in the door, whatever it is to keep the lights on. If you're at a hotel and in the shower they had, I've never, I don't know why this would ever make sense anywhere. Like I just really think this is stuff, but they had a little electric box around the shower head that like that was the heater for the water.

Suzette Burton (00:38:42):

Oh, okay. That's interesting.

Orion Brown (00:38:45):

Yeah. It's real interesting when it started sparking and you naked it.

Suzette Burton (00:38:49):

Yeah. And unsafe. It

Orion Brown (00:38:51):

Was like mine shorted out while I was in the shower, sparks started flying and I was just like, this is how I die. Jesus. This is you going, do you gonna do me like this Lord? You gonna really do me like this. Um, but then he, you know, he was like, go ahead, just get out. You just open the door, you get out. And I was like, you right you right. I should stop complaining. Um,

Suzette Burton (00:39:13):

Like that was scary though.

Orion Brown (00:39:15):

Gosh, but it's also, you know, like, like you said, like going on the safari and stuff, although I'm not a fan of the morning safari, but that is when you'll see the giraffes cuz the giraffes be ripping. Um, my tip though is if you can go on the evening ones, like if you like, but I wanna go out to dinner, you don't have to wake up early for it. It gets dark. Everything starts coming back out again. Uh right. You know, go on one morning, one, if you haven't done it, but then don't do it again. Cause that's my policy.

Suzette Burton (00:39:48):

Oh it was torture. I was just like, cause my friend, she wanted to see the lions. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:39:52):

And

Suzette Burton (00:39:53):

You know, yeah. I like, uh, whatever I wanted

Orion Brown (00:40:01):

PBA from the lion king and I was good. Right. I was like, that's a ham sandwich and a weasel I'm straight. This is great. I love it. I love it. Yeah. So given that, cuz I know your friend was in the comics like she did everywhere. Like have you been to every continent? Like have you touched every piece of soil on the planet to some extent?

Suzette Burton (00:40:24):

Um, I don't, I, you know, south America, I mean I've been to Mexico, but like I really wanna go deeper into south America, like chill and like deep down, not just like Mexico in the top area and stuff like that. But yeah. Now, you know, I've been to, yeah. I've been to Bali, China, um, Africa, twice and Europe, uh, several times and Mexico, slightly south America, but not quite.

Orion Brown (00:40:55):

It's like, yeah, it's still north America, but it's warmer. So we consider it

Suzette Burton (00:41:00):

Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:41:00):

South north America.

Suzette Burton (00:41:02):

Yeah. So that's my goal is to go to like south America and go to, I really wanna go to Guatemala. There's a beautiful, um, there's a beautiful like hotel slash Airbnb or something there that I really wanna stay. I forgot the name, but I really wanna stay there in film some stuff. So I'm excited about, yeah.

Orion Brown (00:41:22):

And so given what we talked about earlier with this idea of separating, you know, the, your time to enjoy the space and like getting the shots and stuff, how do you think you'll approach those a trip like that differently? Or if at all, to like get the most out of it?

Suzette Burton (00:41:45):

You know, honestly I think like staying longer on trips, like more than a week. Mm. So that I could separate the days like today we're gonna get these shots. I have to make a schedule honestly. Like yeah. And that's what I did in tum because we stayed in four different Airbnbs and we only, we were only there for like five days. So we were like moving from like, it was crazy, but I needed to get footed of all those different type of Airbnbs.

Orion Brown (00:42:16):

Yeah.

Suzette Burton (00:42:17):

So, um, I just think staying longer and scheduling out like, okay, this day, this is what we're gonna work on at this time. Yeah. And sticking to it, you know, I know things happen, but like having that schedule is really important because cause like you don't wanna ruin your trip by like working the entire time. And I feel like sometimes when I'm traveling, I am it's work. I'm not even gonna it's it's a lot of work. It's work. And I come back and I tell people and I'm like, it was a lot of work. Like

Orion Brown (00:42:49):

You come back exhaust, you know? Yeah.

Suzette Burton (00:42:51):

Yeah. Changing outfits, posing to get the, I pose, you know, um, people see the pictures and they see the footage and they think like you just did it in 1, 2, 3, no. Like the outfit planning. I dunno what happened to life? I mean, I know that this is what I wanna do, but I'm like, I used to travel

Orion Brown (00:43:13):

To travel or post it, I wanna today or yesterday, a behind the scenes video or, and it was her like getting ready for all the shots. So it was like, she's getting dressed like under a shirt in the middle of the street so that she can that's me get the outfit on. I was like, I'm doing it wrong. I'm over here being like, but my outfit doesn't look cute cuz I've been walking in it for the last two hours and you know, and, and it's just like she threw on the shoes. There was one picture that she had and it was beautiful where it was like in some park and the uh, fall leads are falling and she's got this cute little, like, it is really the springtime dress. I didn't even didn't even occur to me that it was a springtime dress in a fall setting and like some cute little shoes. And so the little video clip was like her and real clothes getting some little dress like with the jacket and all that stuff, getting into the dress to take the picture and it's chilly out and it's like,

Suzette Burton (00:44:12):

Yeah,

Orion Brown (00:44:12):

Over here talking about, just come, you gotta come ready with a fist, Jimmy, please girl. I try. I, oh

Suzette Burton (00:44:19):

Yeah. I mean I changed when I was in Tulum. This was crazy. Like I didn't get photos like at a specific hotel. So I was changing in the car. My boobs were like everywhere guys were like, I was like, and it's like, I had to, it was a mess, but I had to

Orion Brown (00:44:34):

Change. We just gonna go for pasties and call it a day. Although dudes don't have to wear pasties. We get to see their little furry nipples all the time. But anyway,

Suzette Burton (00:44:43):

It was nuts. I was like, you know, I've changed in front of the, in the street before I've done. I, I, yes, because they there's certain spots. I had to go along. Um, when I went to Bali, my friend who went with me, she was like, we should have just brought a suitcase with us so we could change these outfits and just

Orion Brown (00:45:01):

Roll it with you.

Suzette Burton (00:45:02):

Right. And just go and like in the car and we did do that. We didn't,

Orion Brown (00:45:06):

That's not a bad idea,

Suzette Burton (00:45:08):

But we brought, like, we bought like a couple like, you know, outfits with us just in case there was like areas that we saw that we wanted to take pictures and stuff. So, ah,

Orion Brown (00:45:19):

So tell me a little bit about that. Like how do you, how do you pick your outfits? How do you know what you want to take? Like how do you make that decision? Is it things that look good on me? Things that fit things that are color coordinated with the place I'm going? Like, how do you think about that?

Suzette Burton (00:45:35):

Yeah. I like go with the vibe. Like for example, when I was, um, going to Joshua tree, we stayed at, you know, Joshua, tree's very boho and, but it's very like country in a way. Yeah. So, you know, I have several things here at my house that I put together, but I also ordered stuff. Mm. But I looked at where we're saying the desert, what would go well with that, my hair, what kind of style did I want? Mm. Um, you know, it takes some planning. Like it really takes planning. Like I, but months before I went to Ulum I knew I wanted to do my dreads with the blonde, but I knew I wanted to do that in a tropical setting. So I, I was like, okay, I'm going to, to loom, I'm gonna do that hairstyle. And then I had the turquoise dreads and I was like, okay, I'm gonna do that. Because like, B's tropical, like greens and stuff. Like my pictures will pop. Um, there's certain outfits that I have already here. But then I like there's little additional pieces that I have to order that, to add to those other outfits. But I also feel like the hairdo that you do changes the outfit. If you were it previously somewhere, you know what I mean?

Orion Brown (00:46:48):

Ooh, that's a gym right there. You guys that's a gym.

Suzette Burton (00:46:55):

Yeah. People

Orion Brown (00:46:55):

Will lose. People will be like, I didn't recognize you with that hair. And I'm not just talking about certain people. Lot of people will be confused, you know, just cuz you, it changes your accountants. If it's a cool color versus a warm color, if it's short and crop versus something long, it gives a whole completely different vibe. My girl I was hanging with then, um, that I was hanging with in Mexico when I met her, she had her hair in natural and then she went into locks. And when I tell you, she looks like the same person, but she looks like a completely different person. It is the craziest I've ever seen in my life. Cause she have the whole boho vibe that just sucked right into her just by her getting some locks and kind of adding some different colors to it. I love that. I love that thoughts of Monique. She said, I picked the outfit that goes with the places I'm going that day. I planned those things all on the same day, so I don't have to change.

Suzette Burton (00:47:49):

Yeah. That's a good idea. Just run

Orion Brown (00:47:51):

Around town.

Suzette Burton (00:47:52):

Yeah. So you won't have to change like that is a gr that's a great idea. Cause it's, it's exhausting. Like it's exhausting sometimes I'm like, Ugh, but I love it.

Orion Brown (00:48:03):

Oh, go ahead. I'm sorry.

Suzette Burton (00:48:05):

No, I was just saying that I do, I still love it, but it is like, yeah. I need to come up with certain tactics, you know, just like that. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:48:13):

Beauty is pain. Beauty is pain. You know what? It's funny though. It's funny that you, you talk about that and you also talk about your hair, planning your hair out ahead of time. How do you, well, one let's see like what you got going, you got like a little bun, little pull back in the back or what you yeah,

Suzette Burton (00:48:29):

Well, yeah, cuz I had the dreads in not too long ago, so I pulled it. I just took them out and then I just have like a little bun. Yeah. But yeah, nothing special. I'm trying to give my hair a rest because like those dreads, they like, you know, they pull out the edges and I don't wanna like take all my edges out. So we've

Orion Brown (00:48:47):

Seen it. We've seen the horror stories. We wanna keep our edge just so you, but it looks like you have natural hair and then you do like different protective styles. How do you, like, how far ahead do you start to plan what you're gonna do with your hair? Like, are you like at the time you're like, Ooh, I booked it. I'm going to B in six months. Let me make sure that I get go to the hairdresser three weeks before. Or like how do you even think about that?

Suzette Burton (00:49:11):

I actually do my own hair most of the time. Okay. Like I do my own dreads, my braids. Cause I don't have money to be paying people all the time. Like it takes me like two days or three days to do my hair. So sometimes like recently, um, like with the turquoise dreads that I had when I was in Bali, I ordered those off of Amazon. I, and they're different than the typical Folo they're more of like they're dreads, but they're like, uh, crochet, but you have to do it a certain way. And um, yeah, those took me a while, but then I bought blonde dreads to go with the turquoise. So I reuse the turquoise ones. Oh, um,

Orion Brown (00:49:50):

Like salt separative, but with blonde or blue.

Suzette Burton (00:49:53):

Yeah. Like I put the, I made like, I had like a, kind of like an ombre where the blue was like the green blue was in the back and then there was like brown and then the blonde was on the top, like light blonde. So create

Orion Brown (00:50:08):

Meanwhile, no, if I had to tried it, I would've been over here, like, okay. I got that first layer and then I've been like, Y my arms are tired.

Suzette Burton (00:50:15):

Oh. Cause the,

Orion Brown (00:50:16):

On the top and a bun.

Suzette Burton (00:50:18):

Yeah. Cause I'm like the hairstyles that I want. I know they're gonna cost and I can't right now. I can't pay PE. I can't do that right now, financially. Yeah. So I usually do my hair and I plan it, like I'll order the hair or I'll buy whatever. And then, um, I'm like, okay, I'm going here. This is the hairstyle I'm gonna do. Even if it's like two weeks in advance or like sometimes, you know, planning, it can be like a week. Yeah. And then I'll just have to rush and like do the hairstyle or whatever, you know? But yeah. That's, what's up. I usually, I usually wear like braids and dreads and stuff. Cause I don't wanna be bothered with my, my natural hair cuz it's like the products and stuff you gotta bring. It's just a lot like,

Orion Brown (00:51:01):

I mean, I'm just gonna say, this is why BlackTravelBox is. Exactly,

Suzette Burton (00:51:06):

Exactly.

Orion Brown (00:51:07):

up in these hotels and right. You know, like one of the things like I cut my hair, not for convenience, but just, you know, God y'all, I turned 40 some in life is changing. I figured, you know, let's just do something different. But even just with having my hair shorter, I have to wear it natural. Like I have to wear while I, and go, cuz otherwise it's not really cut for anything else. I ain't gonna lie. It just ain't really cut for nothing else. Um, and, but it's been a lifesaver to be able to have my conditioner bar. I swear. I wasn't trying to just sell it. I'm just telling out I took the conditioner bar to Mexico city and I used it as a co-wash. Cause I didn't wanna push you in pool my hair every night. Although I did have my shampoo bar because y'all they still smoke in Mexico city, like cigarettes inside places. Wow. And you're like, I haven't smoked like a tray in eight years. What happened?

Suzette Burton (00:52:00):

Right.

Orion Brown (00:52:02):

I was, I mean, and I'm not ashamed. I'm not shady. I may have had somebody's cigarette, but um, cause it's but it's been a while you, I was just one of those things it's like is somebody smoking? That was my first night. If somebody is 15 people smoking at once. Right. So I had to wash that out, but I used a co-wash bar to co-wash in between and to condition and to style. So when I had some spots that wasn't trying to, wasn't trying to act, right. I was gonna say, I licked the bar. I didn't lick the bar. I wet the bar. I ain't lick you don't you don't wanna lick it. Don't do that. It taste. Right. But I wet the bar and just kind of put it in those spots so I could get, you know, some of these, like my roots don't wanna curl. My roots are like, I don't, I don't, I don't work for you. And I'm like, but you do. I major, major. And so, So going in with the conditioner and I'm like using it as a styling product, as well as a conditioner that stuff's handy. Cuz I got the bar and I didn't have to have no fights with TSA or have any crying fits.

Suzette Burton (00:53:05):

Exactly. Cause they

Orion Brown (00:53:06):

Will snatch your stuff and they ain't even finding no criminals. I said it. I said it.

Suzette Burton (00:53:14):

Yeah. It's like

Orion Brown (00:53:17):

Something about, can we make it delicious? Stop it. No, leave me alone. You're not supposed to eat it. You're supposed to make it cute. We'll see. That's that's gonna be in the vacation set. Ah, um, the edible items. But no, we, we just, we gonna keep it to, to functional right now. I love it. I love it. So, so I know we've oh God, we've already been on for hour. I, I love talking to you. Come back.

Suzette Burton (00:53:41):

Oh,

Orion Brown (00:53:42):

You come back. Um, so just so just one question and then we'll, we'll come to and share where everybody can find you, but I'm really curious because you've, you've been to so many places and you've filmed so many places. What is the one that stands out to you as like the most moving? Whether you caught it on film or you didn't, what was the place that you were like, Ooh, could have had a, in my heart that, you know, if you had to say you don't really like traveling, you need to at least go to this place, cuz it's gonna change you.

Suzette Burton (00:54:16):

It's tough. It's pretty tough. I mean, between Bali and Ghana, those two places, Ghana was so, you know, cause I went to the, I filmed at the castles and um, it was just very moving and you know, you know, you stare at the beach and then you're like, it's beautiful. But then you think about the history and what happened. And it's very like, I think, you know, going there, it's very important. Yeah. Yeah. It's important cuz it's overwhelming in a way, but it's, it needs to be done. Mm. Like we need to go, we need to go there and experience that. And um, I can say Ghana, Ghana's beautiful. B and Ghana actually remind me of each other because like they're both like tropical, like the plants look very similar, the tree, the Palm trees. But I noticed that the Palm, the, the Palm trees in, um, in Ghana they're very dense. Like it was a weird, like really dense. I was like, whoa, I don't know. I'm like not the

Orion Brown (00:55:25):

Umbrella layers.

Suzette Burton (00:55:27):

It's like the leaf is like dense, you know? You think like, no wonder Black people just are so like vibrant. Like, and then the trees are it's in the

Orion Brown (00:55:36):

Soil, baby. It's in the soil. You

Suzette Burton (00:55:38):

Know? Like I noticed that I was like, why are the trees? So like, they're kind of like darker than the ones in Bali. I don't know. It's I think it's a climate, but You,

Orion Brown (00:55:50):

Because they Black.

Suzette Burton (00:55:51):

Wow. Very interesting. So, but they Remi like even the people, um, remind me of each other the way they treat you the way they talk and stuff. Just the, the overall they both, both, both places. Remind me of each other. Yeah. And I could say that those were, that like the experience in those places were just beautiful. I could say like, I mean, I love tum too. I'm not even gonna lie. Like I did love tum I love South Africa. Like it's hard.

Orion Brown (00:56:23):

What this is, this is the face of a passionate traveler. Y'all where you go places. When I tell you, there are times that I could go to what would be considered the most mundane places and still have those moments of beauty, of humanity, of those things that are like, oh, this place is special. It has a spirit. It has a history. It has, you know, it has human beings that are just human beings, trying to figure their lives out and do what they gotta do. Um, right. Those moments can be very moving, but you have to be to some extent, well, one just be open to it and understand that the world isn't here to entertain you or anything like that. And I'm not in a condescending way. It's like once you let go of the expectation that it's supposed to bring something to you, everything comes in, everything comes in and it could be the most, I mean the most basic stuff.

Orion Brown (00:57:16):

I love talking to people about food and travel, going to South Africa. And yes, I saw all the animals and it was beautiful. And Stellan Bosch. I all the why, but y'all going to KFC. And South Africa will stay with me for the rest of my life. Yeah. Because like, it was just, it was funny to interact with the people at the counter. It was fun to see that they, they give you loaves of bread instead of biscuits. And it's just, there's just these little moments where you go. Y'all why haven't we been eating bread this whole time. We've been eating biscuits for not cuz you know, the biscuits have gotten dry over the last. I say 20 or so years. You're so dry. They used to have moisture. They don't have moisture anymore. It's like, give me some Hawaiian bread, then go ahead. Knock me out with like a real old potato loaf.

Orion Brown (00:58:01):

I'm good. Um, but just having those moments, it's just so important. And even as you were talking about like I can't pick one, people ask me where my favorite spots are and there's places that I have based on what you want. Like if you wanna stay someplace long term, I am a big fan, spend a summer in Croatia. It's inexpensive. It's beautiful. And there's a lot of variety and stuff. You get history, you get nature, you get all of these things. But like, but there's still, it's really hard. Like I'm like I was in Nairobi on a river or not on a river, I'm sorry. In a lake that had like 2,500 hippos in it, hippo, hip, whatever. It was a bunch of hippo in there. And nobody was take that experience for me. There may be parts where I don't remember all the conversations on the boat and all that stuff, but I will never forget seeing them little ears pop up outta the water and the smell of the air and right. The cloud cover. Like it's, there's just something beautiful everywhere. It wasn't not nearby. We just rolled across the, and then that was it. We got back on the bus and kept going.

Orion Brown (00:59:11):

Yeah. So I say all that to say it is hard to pick a place, uh, Mon said, that's why it's hard to pick a place. Every place has a moment that contributes. Yes.

Suzette Burton (00:59:22):

Yeah. Yes. Seriously. And there's so many places I still need to go to like, like Kenya, like I, you know, Ethiopia, you know, different, uh, Namibia, I plan on going to different parts of Africa. Like I'm missing out. Like I feel like there's plenty of time, but I feel like I, I lot to cover, you know, I still haven't been to like, uh, career, not Korea. I was about say, um, like Japan and you know,

Orion Brown (00:59:50):

So dope. I love it. Sorry. I love it. I love Japan so much.

Suzette Burton (00:59:54):

I still need to go to those places. So I have a long list, you know, and I don't know how that's gonna have been with everything I got going on, but

Orion Brown (01:00:03):

Grace to God, grace to God, I, you know, when you talked about being younger and like dreaming of traveling, I forgot that I dreamt of traveling as a kid. I really did forget it. I didn't think about it. Life had its own stuff and it wasn't until like I got to Bali and we got to the monuments and I'm like, I remember seeing that in national geographic when I was like eight and remember looking at it and being, and having that want to go, but not having the presence of mind to wish for it. If that makes sense. Right. It's like so beautiful. But I wasn't like y'all and y'all know. I love a good old movie, George Bailey and in the, uh, Christmas, uh, what's the Christmas, ah, it's a wonderful life. George Bailey is a wonderful life. You see him young, he's looking at all the places.

Orion Brown (01:00:48):

He's like, I'm gonna go here. I'm gonna go there. I was never that kid. I was just like, let's get through this week. Let's get through this week is see how it goes. And to find myself in the places and to only remember them by standing there, y'all grace of God, I, whatever you believe, you can believe whatever you believe. But grace of God, I have the most spiritual grounding when I travel the world because I realize this place is bigger than me. It's beautiful. People will come and go. Life will happen. Things will ebb and flow. But I tell you what, if you go sit at the tip of Cape new, hope it in South Africa and you see the Atlantic ocean meet the Indian ocean and the clouds roll back. And the, the electricity in the air of just that place and looking out and knowing that there is nothing for thousands of miles out, you gotta believe in something, something bigger than you. And I think that's nice. Cause if your day and your whole life revolves around who you are and what you're doing at any given point in time, it will get so small and so lonely and so frustrating so quickly.

Suzette Burton (01:02:03):

Yeah.

Orion Brown (01:02:03):

Um, anyway, that's my soapbox, but I, when you said it was hard to pick, I felt that because there's so many places, um, and, and not just around the world, I went to Tulsa, I went to go pick it in Tulsa, Jan and I, we went and had brunch. I went to oh, nice Black wall street. And it's a small place. No, it's not like, you know, it's not super exciting. It's not, but I also think Vegas, isn't that exciting, cuz it's really only like a mile and a half strip then that's it. But there's things to find there's things to find. And I really love going on Black wall street and I really loved walking around and I, I passed an arcade and I, I swear, I'll stop talking y'all after this. But for those of y'all who were sci-fi nuts, if you remember the never ending story it like, oh yeah, I love that. So you love, um, was it as, no, it wasn't Asland. That was from, uh, lion, which in rose, whatever, the white, the big white guy, somebody gimme name,

Orion Brown (01:03:01):

I'm walking down the street in Tulsa trying to get to Black wall street and out the corner of my eye. I see that there's a beer can, which, by the way, I love video games. Cause I'm a 12 year old boy and I'm okay with it. And I was like, Ooh, video games. And I look and they had this giant white, long dog and I was like, it's it's and they weren't even open their door was open, but they were like cleaning or something. And the guy, guy poked his head around and he was like, yeah. So and so, and I was like, yeah, yeah. A trays dog, a trays dog. That is something that when I'm 80, I'm gonna be like, you remember this? I was this, this one time I was in Tulsa. Right. Because you have these moments, Jan, somebody it's a hell sleepy city.

Orion Brown (01:03:42):

It is, but there's still something special. There's a spark and there's a spark everywhere. So yeah, I'm gonna get off my soapbox because I've got this much wine left. So I already know I'm soapboxing y'all lady. Tell us, tell us where we can find you and where we can find pictures of all these haircuts that or hairstyles that you said you had. Cause oh yeah. I wanna see I'm like she be herself with locks O like, um, and where we can find all your content and like where we can hook up with you in your, your, your movie endeavors. Like we wanna be able to support.

Suzette Burton (01:04:18):

Oh yeah, sure. Um, well, um, my Instagram is, uh, happy life SOS, but I also have, um, the ultimate vegan brunch tour where I travel to like different vegan restaurants throughout, um, the world base. Well, mostly like New York city. Uh, I've done it in, um, California as well as I did it in Bali, Ghana. Uh, so other places, uh, what was, what is it in Tulum? So I have like a whole, I have like two seasons on that page right now. What? And yeah, it's like eight episodes each, you know, that's

Orion Brown (01:04:57):

Look there's TV shows that only make it to four season. Like Luther. I'm still looking for if just to come back. It was only like three episodes of season. So you out cheer?

Suzette Burton (01:05:07):

Yeah. I it's like me eating in front of the camera talking about like, you know, how good the food is at the restaurant promoting the restaurant. Um, I'm still working on like, you know, the way I talk on camera, cuz I say the word somebody complained. I was saying the word like a lot. So I was like, uh, see I say it so much that I can't even help it. But uh,

Orion Brown (01:05:29):

You have not said like I would say, and I would notice cuz I've done like the stupid media training where you supposed to you, you have not said that this whole time, so oh

Suzette Burton (01:05:39):

Really

Orion Brown (01:05:40):

Don't even if you did, it was maybe once or twice and it was probably in context.

Suzette Burton (01:05:45):

Okay.

Orion Brown (01:05:46):

People, can I just take a second? Y'all y'all out here judging how we speak and what we do. We are just regular. Like you get online this, like it's, it's hard. And look, the reason why I have wine here now, the same reason I had wine, the first time I did it, cuz I was nervous to get online. I was nervous to get in front of people and just talk and be me. And anytime you're trying to do something structured, like she took us behind the scenes and was like, you gotta change clothes and you gotta be in the back of the cab and all that. It hit a lot of work. Give each other grace, give yourself grace. Cuz often the times the stuff that we complain about for other people is cuz we feel a certain kind of way about ourselves. And I say that being a person who does it, cuz all human beings, do it, give yourself grace, give everybody else. Grace. They trying. And if they being, they don't know how to be better. Just let it go.

Suzette Burton (01:06:42):

Yeah. I know somebody commented up the other day on my YouTube channel, but um, yeah, I have those episodes on YouTube as well and my YouTube is happy life sues and uh, I have like different page. Like, you know how a lot of people have different types of pages is, but I also have, um, another, uh, short film I'm working on that's in progress called beyond the blue night sky. But then I'm also working on a feature documentary that I've been working on for the past three years. And it, gosh, it's a

Orion Brown (01:07:16):

Lot passion project. It sounds like something you're really passionate about,

Suzette Burton (01:07:20):

But I'm, I've been applying for funding for it for three years, but I finally got accepted into a fellowship and they're giving me $30,000.

Orion Brown (01:07:30):

I love to hear it.

Suzette Burton (01:07:31):

So I'm happy. Yeah. I'm so happy. Like this is the first time as a director that I got, you know, into a fellowship, uh, you know, about something that passionate about. And um, it just took a lot of work in writing and there's so many people that were a part of this. So it, you know, I could say the creative world, you know, I thought like, oh I'm just gonna open up, like take my camera out and film. Yes. But there's so many different aspects to these things. It's like practicing, uh, writing and you know, even doing my reels on, um, my page, like I had to sit there and make a list of different types of reels that I need to make that yeah. Go with the themes of my page. Yep. And I'm still not done with that list, but even filming those here in my living room it's I, you know, people know these things, it takes like a lot of work, you know, just to like, I have a lot of plants. I do like videos of my plants and stuff just to do that. It's like I have,

Speaker 4 (01:08:30):

I love plants.

Suzette Burton (01:08:33):

Yeah. It's like, it takes a lot of work. So, but um, yeah, those are all my, uh, like what I'm working on now. And then I have like miscellaneous freelance jobs. I'm working on a, I'm a production coordinator. Very, very part-time on a documentary, um, about Whitney Houston, but it's gonna be coming out. I'm not sure in, but I'm, I am the production coordinator like working with the company and stuff. So

Orion Brown (01:09:00):

Yes, when it starts, promoing make sure you tag us and we'll share it.

Suzette Burton (01:09:04):

Yes, definitely. Seriously.

Orion Brown (01:09:06):

That's so awesome. And obviously I, my, my eyes lit up because you know, Whitney's famous, but I know like all of the projects that you're working on, I can tell you're creative and you have a sense of beauty of the way you see the world. And I just love that and I know all of it's bomb. So to make sure you tag us on everything, we will share it because we wanna big up our sisters there's room for all of us to eat anywhere where I have a platform, you know, I've, I've got a platform for you guys, but I love that. Definitely.

Suzette Burton (01:09:38):

Definitely. Thank you. Definitely. Definitely. Yeah. It's uh, I don't know when it's going to, you know, come out, but eventually, you know, it'll be, you know, it'll happen. These pro these films, you know, like my, my last film I did with a company, it took us five years to make so yeah.

Orion Brown (01:09:59):

Wow. But that's the labor of love, right? When we get to sit down and watch something and sometimes, you know, the big productions that come together, easy, cuz they got all money, the right people. But even with those, I will say, people have been talking about 'em for the last 10 years or five years they've been having, you know, they may have been doing the Oxford parties and late night, you know, whatevers, but it, these things don't just come up overnight, the ideas germinate, they have to develop, you have to get the right people, you gotta get the right opportunity. You gotta get the right timing. And it has to actually release at the right time so that people can receive it. So I, I honor all the work that you put into what you do. I really, really do. Um, oh, I love it. You have to come back. We gonna kick it anymore. This was so, so much fun.

Suzette Burton (01:10:51):

Yes it was. And thank you so much for inviting me. I know I had to reschedule a couple times and then it's like, I was like, I don't know. I was, I had forgot. I was like, oh shoot. You know, but

Orion Brown (01:11:02):

We ain't gonna put you on the no, no list. Now we got a boo boo list. So for those of you who I oh

Speaker 4 (01:11:07):

Really?

Orion Brown (01:11:08):

Oh, I got a boo list. Here's why just as much as it takes. And this is not a slight by any two, but just as much as it takes a lot of practice and stuff to put together, putting, you know, these prerecorded things out there, right. Putting together something live like Jenique knows. I have given that girl a nose bleed more than once, but she I'm like find somebody else, somebody

Suzette Burton (01:11:31):

I know the last minute.

Orion Brown (01:11:33):

Yeah. And it it's hard. Cause then we're, you know, our social media person is like freaked out. Cause she's like, oh, but I already posted their information and they not answering and I've been trying to get them and

Suzette Burton (01:11:44):

Right.

Orion Brown (01:11:45):

But by the same token, you know, I've definitely had times I've literally just hopped on here and been like, you know what? I got, I got stood up for my date tonight. So who are y'all wanna come on. We've had people come on just outta the audience. Wow. And kicked it. Yeah. So, um, so yeah, there is a boo boo list, but that's just for me to keep my sanity, but

Suzette Burton (01:12:03):

You are not. Yeah. I don't blame you. You should, you know, you should have one because people need to be held accountable, you know? And so that they know, and that's why, you know, when that happened, I was like, oh, okay, next Wednesday. For real, like I have to like for real, you know,

Orion Brown (01:12:18):

I appreciate you though. And I'm so glad, you know what though? I also think things happen for a reason and I'm not the person that's like, you know, every stub toe and all of this stuff has this big existential. But I will say that the doing Wine Down has exposed me to an amazing set of women. People who have reminded me of who I am, people who reminded me, who I could be, people that I just admire. I'm like, girl, I couldn't do that. That's you, that's all you. Right. And I really love and appreciate you for coming on and telling us about your life. You've been very vulnerable. You've talked about things that like aren't necessarily the most comfortable and you've treated me like a friend. And I appreciate that. And I love that. So thank you so so much.

Suzette Burton (01:13:06):

Thank you. Thank you. And you're welcome. I appreciate, you know, even just being on here and getting to this level in, uh, you know, as a travel influencer to get attention from, you know, a company like yours and um, additional companies, you know, are pages that have reached out to me and

Orion Brown (01:13:23):

Go ahead, send in this video.

Suzette Burton (01:13:25):

Yeah. I know. It's like a process and I've been on Instagram since 2012. And to go from just posting, like regular, like nonsense to, you know, um, now it's like strategic. Like I'm like, oh no, this is not looking good. Doesn't go with the themes. Doesn't you know what I mean?

Orion Brown (01:13:45):

You're doing something you're a artist though. Right? Like I'm waiting to see when people start making their Instagrams into like NFTs where they're like, this is my whole, you

Suzette Burton (01:13:57):

Know what I mean? Think about that. Cause you're putting

Orion Brown (01:13:59):

Was together. Yeah. Right. Girl, tell us, do that too. Tell us when you do that,

Suzette Burton (01:14:04):

I wanna do that with my videos actually. You know, I was thinking about that, but I have to, you know, I feel like sometimes I'm

Orion Brown (01:14:11):

Like, did y'all see the moment she got sleepy when she thought about the list of things that she had to do. I do the same thing. I'm like, Ooh, suddenly I'm so tired.

Suzette Burton (01:14:20):

Um, I know right now, like after I get off this, I have to like work on a grant that's due Friday and I'm just like, eh, you know, and then I have work, you know, I have work. It's like never ending,

Orion Brown (01:14:32):

Take care of yourself. I'm saying this to tell myself my therapist. I talk about having a therapist all the time is the best thing that I've invested in. She reminds me that I have to have good sleep hygiene, which means I, I, even if I feel like I have to stay up, I can't, I just can't because I won't get anything done properly. I will be cry. I will be focused. I won't do my best, getting sleep, eating, getting exercise, and doing something frivolous. That makes me happy. So I pass that to you. I hear you on the grant. Thank cuz everything has money tied to it. And you're like, oh, I have to do I have to have to do. I got some stuff I have to do. But I also got some stuff that I'm like, Hmm y'all might get that the more, because, uh, there's only so much time in the day, but I wish you all the most wonderful things, uh, all the best. Let us know how stuff is going and definitely come back. I wanna talk more. We didn't even talk about food. We didn't talk about meat and

Suzette Burton (01:15:27):

Food. I know there's so much. Yeah.

Orion Brown (01:15:29):

There's so much more to talk about. So we gotta do this again.

Suzette Burton (01:15:32):

Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

Orion Brown (01:15:34):

Awesome. Thank you so much for joining and for all the folks y'all been in the comments waving saying, hi, laughing, throwing in your comments. I love you. If you enjoyed this, please share it with a friend. So one, share it with a friend two, make sure you are following both of us. Okay. So we got happy life sues, who is our, our guest today. And you've got BlackTravelBox, which is your house. And we do this every Wednesday. Y'all I only miss a Wednesday if I am sick or if I'm sick. Yeah. It's pretty much been just if I'm sick or if I absolutely positively can't cuz something has gotten in the way, not cuz I'm a workaholic, but because it's important to me that we have these great conversations. So thank you so much for being a great audience. Thank you so much, Susan, being a great guest. I can't wait to talk to can girl we glasses and we're gonna kick it.

Suzette Burton (01:16:28):

Yes. And I still have some I know, right? We're gonna,

Orion Brown (01:16:32):

This is why you get these long on out. Go box for me, but um, enjoy, enjoy your concoction. It looks very good. Maybe one day we will meet in too long who?

Suzette Burton (01:16:43):

Yes, I would love that. My God, I would love to meet wherever you go. Like one day. Hopefully, you know, I'm praying that that can happen. I'm that would be great.

Orion Brown (01:16:52):

Look, I'll put, I'll put the prayers in too. We'll put 'em to get that. We touch and agree. Uh, Instagram, Instagram didn know was made for that. Uh, we're gonna do some things. I'm gonna let you go. It's late. Thank you so much. Thank everybody for joining and we'll see. Thank you for on IGT so you can find us later. Bye bye. Have a good night.

 

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