Life Working At *COMPLEX NEWS* ft. Pierce Simpson -You Should Know Podcast-
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The You Should Know Podcast.

Hey everybody welcome to the You Should Know podcast. If you haven't already be sure to hit that subscribe button because it helps me get amazing guests like we have today. Our guest today is on-air talent at Complex Networks. You've seen him interview some of the biggest celebrities in the world from Kevin Hart, Nipsey Hussle, Lil Wayne, Pharrell and many more. Here to talk about his life and career at Complex it's Pierce Simpson. Pierce what's going on man? Not much man it's an honor to be here uh

Like I told you before we started rolling, I love what you're building. I love to see you build it from the ground up. And importantly, I've had that ownership. And that was a great introduction, man. So I really appreciate it. Oh, man. I have so many questions for you. So let's just get right into it. That's good with you. Perfect. Let's do it.

So going from policy production intern at an insurance company to being assistant manager at Hat World, where did broadcasting get into your life? And when did you decide that this is what you're going to do for a living? Man, that's amazing. First off, great question. Great question. So those jobs are, man, just trying to get me through college in the meantime. I remember I was a policy production intern in New York Life during the summer, just trying to do anything in my power to get Jordans.

And then I worked on the same thing during school, doing anything in my power to get Jordan. But honestly, transitioning to the broadcast world was definitely kind of falling forward and just by accident, so to speak.

Got out of college and went to Nice Kicks to intern after I graduated. And Matt Halffield was like, "Hey, you got a great voice. Have you ever tried this on-camera thing?" And I was like, "Nah, but, you know, I'm willing to give it a shot." And so I did that in 2014. And ever since then, I've kind of been at it. So it's been fortuitous. I thank God every day for the opportunity. And yeah, it's definitely been a whirlwind, but enjoyable. Well, it's great for you. You're doing great at your job.

I have a question. Do you think it's important or necessary for someone that wants to do what you're doing? Is it necessary for them to go to college? Great point. I'll put it like this. I don't think college is a necessary roadmap for everybody, but I will say college was a useful tool for me, not from the standpoint of just like scholarly things or just the book work as much as it was just like trying to figure out how to live life as an adult, everything in between the balance, the,

the continue to improve on relationships, all those different types of things kind of helped me excel. But like I said, college is not for everybody. I know plenty of successful people that didn't go to college and didn't even want to go to college. I think the main thing is just knowing what you want to do and going after that. And it wasn't always an easy road for you. Let's go back to April 29th, 2015. You received an email from Complex News after applying for their editorial producer position that read,

We've reviewed your background for our editorial producer position opening at Complex. And while you have some impressive experiences and skills, we have decided to pursue other candidates that we believe are a stronger match for our current needs. What did that mean to you at the time? How did it affect you? Honestly, in that moment, it crushed me because I remember where I got the email. I was literally doing a video outside with my guy Sid Ashford. We were about to record something. We're doing a series, a nice series called Gridiron Kicks. And I got that email and I was crushed.

And I remember he was just giving me some game about like how, you know, you never know where you end up. Just keep doing your thing. And at that point, I think Complex had told me no like three separate times. So I was kind of like feeling very defeated. But I understood that you got to push through and continue to grind and continue to go after it because...

you know, maybe it might not be right in that moment, but who's to say that it's only your skills that didn't allow for that opportunity to happen? I feel like the universe is always conspiring in your favor. And so I just felt like, you know, maybe one, I can improve my skills or maybe everything else around me needed to align before the opportunity to happen. And one year and one day after that email,

I made the move to Los Angeles. So it's funny how life works. That's amazing. And so going from rejection to interviewing some of the world's biggest celebrities, do you ever have like a what the hell moment? What am I doing here? Like a starstruck kind of moment? Yeah, every day, every day. And it's more so like, you know, being from Texas, things are a lot different compared to when you when you come out to Los Angeles, California. And so it was a bit of a culture shock for me to kind of get adjusted to an entirely different

part of the country, an entirely different type of culture. And for me growing up, I never expected to just move cross country like that. But

Every time I step out there and I interview people, I'm fortunate enough to be in the positions that Complex has put me in. It does kind of feel like a very, very surreal thing, especially considering I had Complex covers on my wall in high school. You know what I'm saying? Like I had that on my wall. So it's funny to see how life works out. And through that rejection, I was able to keep pushing and get to the point that I'm in now.

What is your everyday at Complex look like? Because, you know, a normal person, that's like, that's not a normal job. You know, that's a dream job for a lot of people. So what is it pre-COVID, obviously, what does an everyday look like? I would say just kind of always sharpening your tools. You kind of always have to stay in the know about culture. And so the beautiful thing at Complex is you're able to kind of

be cross-functional in a sense of like, okay, I can, I know I may interview an athlete. Let me stay up to date on that. I may interview a movie star. Let me stay up to date with that. So I think a lot of it, the day-to-day, as far as my position is just staying ready. So you don't ever have to get ready. You know what I'm saying? Just staying with the culture. And the beautiful thing is, is much similar to what we do every day, just being on Twitter and just kind of being fully immersed in it. So yeah,

That's been a blessing of it is just kind of being able to do things that's very much aligned to what I already do in my day-to-day life.

And how does the show system work at Complex? Are you coming up with these ideas or these shows? Because you were on Out of Bounds with Gilbert Arenas. You're the host of It's Bigger Than. And then you go to Givion's studio to interview him. Are you coming up with these ideas? Or do, like, the higher-ups, like, have these and they select you for it? Oh, man, we got a great team. I think it's all pretty much a collaborative effort. You know, I've been in situations where they give you leeway to come up with things on your own. And I've also been a part of situations where, like,

it comes from the top down. You know, I think that's the beautiful thing about Complex. There's a lot of great creatives there and you're able to get collaborative with different things. And so that's the great thing when it comes to like creating content and creating things like that. With that being said, how important is it for you to build your own brand and your own IP while working at such a big corporation like Complex? That's a great point. I think it's kind of like, it's kind of like if you had played sports, I think it's,

It's great to build up your own personal brand and do things like that, but don't let it get in the way of the team aspect. You know what I'm saying? So it's just trying to find that healthy balance, so to speak. You know, I try to build my brand in ways that fit me as much aligned to who I am as a person. I don't kind of want to get out of that scope. But at the same time, I still want to remain professional and put complex in the best light.

Because, you know, that is my employer. So it's just finding that fine balance of like professionalism, but also taking time to find out who you are.

You have some amazing pieces that went super viral, like "Why Do You Hate LeBron James?" and the amazing piece "Do You Understand Now?" that's about Colin Kaepernick and the home kneeling situation. How does it feel making those pieces and how does it feel after such a big reaction that they get? Man, it's a-- it's still such a surreal thing that I even think about. And I even hit up my guy Zion today, 'cause Zion, who is on the Complex Sports Podcast with my guys, Chops and Adam Caporello. You know...

With those two pieces, he just hit me up on a whim and was like, hey, I got an idea. You think you can kind of execute this? And I recorded it in my closet. And it's just funny to see, oh, just the idea that him and I, you know, that he had, that he related to me, that we executed became something so viral and was able to resonate with people. So in some ways, I'm still trying to digest it, but it's definitely a good feeling. And it definitely is something that

feels very, very rewarding, especially because of the topic at hand and what we're talking about and just capturing that moment. So it definitely feels good. And shout out to Zion because he deserves a lot of credit also. Definitely. And since you work at Complex, I'm going to take one of the show segments from one of your co-workers, Sean Evans, called Explain That Gram. So we take a deep dive into your Instagram and you explain the story behind these pictures. So I have some pictures here. I love the story behind them. And real quick, before we start,

with Sean. Sean is one of the hardest working people I've ever met. And you know, you see a guy at that stature to be able to do what he does with hot ones, not only from an intellectual level to be able to have these conversations with wide ranging guests to eat all those damn wings and just keep pushing it through is crazy. And I remember my first week here, I was, this was way back in like 2016. I was maybe about to interview Rob Gronkowski, I believe.

And Sean was busy and I'm kind of trying to figure out my way. I definitely was like thrown to the fire immediately. But he took time out of his day to review my questions and send feedback to me and kind of help me improve as an interviewer. And every time that I am crafting questions or I am trying to build out an interview, I still think of those moments when he sent that email back like way in 2016.

I think it's just a testament to who he is. And I just want to give him a shout out on that. Yeah, definitely. Because like last week, I had KJ Adams on and he was talking about how Blake Griffin helped him out. So it's always good to hear these people that are like these huge figures and you find out they're good people, too. It's always great to hear. But the story behind this. Tell us about that day. For sure. That was a really good day. I was a man. I think that was like September 2016. I had been in L.A. maybe four or five months.

And so that event also included a like moderation where Kevin and I was on stage and we're talking to a bunch of influencers here in Hollywood. And it was much of the conversation, like how to grow and build your personal brand. And so for me, I was like kind of nervous because I was like, damn, I just I pretty much just started this job. And I'm talking to Kevin Hart and I'm also doing this moderated like this is a this is a lot. But let's see if I'm up to the task. And so I always meet moments like that where I'm

you got one of two choices either you're gonna do it or you're gonna cower down to the moment and so i just feel like it's better to do it scared than ever back down from any situation so i would always say like if anybody's in a situation where you feel like the moment might be too big or you just trying to you might be nervous about something i would much rather you do it scared than cower down because chances are what you're fearful of isn't even that big and when i did that interview and i talked to kevin that's still an interview i remember dearly and it's one of my favorites and i

I really appreciate that moment. It's great to hear. And this one, great caption on this picture, by the way, it's you and Floyd Mayweather right there. Let me read the caption for the people watching. You said that's an $18 million watch. Meanwhile, I just want a Rolex. Hilarious, I feel that. And still to this day, I just want a presidential Rolex that's like 33 grand, but your man pulled out an $18 million watch. And all I'm thinking at the time is like, if I break this watch somehow,

I can't have this bill fall on me because I'm not going to be able to cover it. That's not going to happen. And so it was just, it was definitely, it looked very much the part of $18 million. I'll say that.

And yeah, it was quite the experience, but it was cool chopping up with one of the best ever from a boxing standpoint. It was a surreal feeling. So it was cool to chop it up with Floyd. - And on a side note, how do you feel about his upcoming fight with Logan Paul? How do you feel about that? - I feel conflicted 'cause it's like, this guy's arguably pound for pound the greatest fighter of all time. And then he's hopping in here to fight a YouTube star. Mind you, you know,

Anybody can get beat on any day. But there's no way I think Floyd is going to lose to this guy. It's obviously a payday. But, you know, I'm not going to hate on anybody getting the check. I guess the boxing enthusiast in me is a little conflicted. Are you watching the fight?

- Probably, I probably will. Yeah, why not? I always say, no, I'm not gonna watch it. And I ended up doing it. - Definitely tuned in. And this one, this is amazing. You've interviewed him a couple of times. It's you and Nipsey Hussle right there. - Yeah. - Tell us what those moments were like. - Oh man, the thing I always remember is the presence of Nipsey, you know, how he moves, you know, especially I remember that first time that particular picture we accomplished con.

And when he was walking in, you can just kind of feel the wave of energy as he was navigating. And then when you get there and you talk to him, he gives you so much respect as if you've known him for like years. You know what I'm saying? He's very professional. He's about his business.

And I just remember just having just good energy around him whenever I talked to him. So definitely rest in peace to Nipsey. I remember when that news dropped, how much I was hurt. I had to pull over in a parking lot and just kind of think for a minute because it was just such a heavy thing. But yeah, he was just a very, very, had a special energy to him. Right, right. And last but not least,

You, Dwyane Wade, Rick Ross. Great interview, by the way. I watched a full thing. It's amazing. How was that? Incredible, especially to be in a situation where you're interviewing two respective legends in the game at their craft, you know, at the same time. It's one thing to interview one in a particular moment, but when you're interviewing two at the same time, it's like a heightened type of thing.

And so it was fun, man. Once we got in there and we got settled, it was like talking to two of my homies, two of my friends. And that's a conversation I definitely remember for a while.

What's your relationship like with Dwyane Wade? Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I see like y'all comment on each other's Instagram. So it seems like a little more than like an interviewer-interviewee relationship. Do you have any kind of like personal relationship? No, nothing like too vast personally. I think it's just respect on either side. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for him, just the legendary player that he was and just watching him throughout my teenage years and seeing him become the Hall of Famer that he is.

And I think he just has some respect for me from the interview standpoint. So shout out to D-Wade. All the respect in the world for that guy. And so, yeah. How does your preparation differ from personal interviews and then those ones where you're interviewing somebody in front of a stadium of a thousand people or ComplexCon and stuff like that? I try to keep it the same either way. Even if I'm interviewing somebody and it's just...

us two in the room. I'm going to treat it the same as if I'm interviewing Dwyane Wade and Rick Ross on the stage. It's just that repetition. You know, I never want to cheat the game. I never want to cheat who I'm talking to. So I'm just going to always put that effort and that time into it. And I think a lot of it is seeing the talent that, you know, we have internally here at Complex because I know that they're going to do the same thing, whether it's like Speedy Mormon or Joe LaPuma or Sean Evans, you know, or the people that came before like Jinx and Indeska, like

they put in the time. So I just want to do my part too and make sure I keep that standard high. And yeah. Out of all the legendary interviews you've had, all the great work you've done, what's your favorite interviewing moment? Man, I think there's a lot of them for different reasons. Like, of course, the Nipsey one will always be close to me because I got a chance to interview him a few times, I think three in total. And it was all great energy every time I talked to him. And it's just something I always, you know, remember for a while.

But I think for me, the second Pharrell interview was probably personally a vindicating moment for me because the first time I interviewed Pharrell, I felt like I had personally failed at that time. I felt like I didn't, you know, I didn't do the interview the way it should have gone. And then it kind of drifted to have some like internal conflict that happened. And so that was something that was always on my mind. And that happened my first, like maybe my first month at Complex. And I was like, all right.

if I ever get a chance to talk to this guy again, I'm going to make it right. I'm going to make it worthwhile. And I always kind of relate things to sports analogies because it helps me understand it a bit better. And so I always lose that moment like Kobe's air balls in Utah. I was like, I'm sure that aided him all summer, but he got to a moment where he's able to defy that adversity and become one of the, you know, one of the goats in the game. And so I,

When I got that opportunity to interview Pharrell again, I was locked in and I was focused. And after we wrapped the interview, I kind of told him that story. And he was like, man, you did a hell of a job. And it eventually got tweeted by Kanye West. So that was just a cool, like, full circle moment for sure. That's amazing, man. And going into 2021, what can people look to see from you? What's coming up? What can you tease for us?

Yeah, I think just continue growth. It's bigger than we're, you know, hoping to continue that. We had a successful season one. I feel like the commentary and the insight I've gotten from people who watch has been really good. So hopefully just try to continue to build on that. And then also just try to continue to build on me, you know, on, you know,

Definitely don't feel like I'm a finished product in any way, shape or form. Nor should anybody else feel that way about themselves. And I just want to continue to grow, continue to evolve. And so I think 2021 would just be a continued elevation of me, you know, hopefully a more refined, hopefully a sharper me. And yeah. Pierce, thank you so much for coming on, sharing these stories, man. I'm a big fan of you. Hopefully we get to work together more in the future.

I love what you do. I love what you're building. I love the questions that you provide and man, you're only going to get better. And I'm excited to see that growth. And before you know, you're going to be one of the best in the game. So I'm excited to see. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. I appreciate that everybody that's Pierce Simpson. This is the, you should know podcast. Be sure to subscribe. If you haven't already, I'll see y'all next time. You should know podcast.