Everybody got a dream. That ain’t the problem. The real issue? Most folks don’t protect that dream before they go runnin’ around town tryin’ to sell it.

I’ve been in this game a long time — comedy, TV, radio, film — you name it. But I didn’t learn the real game until I saw how ownership works. I’m talkin’ about intellectual property. Trademarks. Domain names. Copyrights. Yeah, I know that don’t sound sexy, but if you got talent and no paperwork, you just gave the world a free sample. And guess what? They will take it.

Before you pitch your idea, before you hop on a call, before you DM somebody with a dream — LOCK IT DOWN. Get your name registered. Get your trademarks filed. Grab those domain names. Protect it. ‘Cause if you don’t, you’ll wake up one day and see somebody else cashin’ in on what you created — and you won’t even be in the room.

Let me tell you who did it right: Tyler Perry. That brother owns everything he touches. That’s why when he walk into Hollywood, he ain’t beggin’. He’s negotiatin’. And there’s a big difference between the two. I had to learn that the hard way. I remember back in the ’90s when I created Steve Harvey’s Big Time on the WB — I had the vision, but not the full knowledge of ownership. I should’ve protected more of that.

See, it ain’t just about talent. Talent without strategy is like a car with no gas — look good sittin’ there, but it ain’t goin’ nowhere.

If you’re out here grindin’, hustlin’, creatin’ — do it smart. Make ownership part of your blueprint. And don’t be afraid to speak boldly about what you believe in. Say it loud. Say it clear. You got talent, but make sure you got paperwork too.

That’s how you go from bein’ on stage… to owning the building.

WATCH NOW

— Steve Harvey