Why I love doing this podcast is because

I'm always having new interesting

conversations, especially here at Cannes

Lions. Lots of people people that I

haven't talked to before stepping up

onto our pier. One of them is a

professional BMX athlete Nigel

Sylvester. I've never talked to you

before, but I I just I love your work.

[laughter] Like I've been following you

for so long.

>> I appreciate you. Thank you so much.

>> So, what brings you here to Cannes

Lions? Like how do you spend this time?

>> Man, the energy

is electric.

Seeing all the people from all parts of

the world, the conversations are great.

Um getting to catch up with people I

haven't seen in a while, friends.

Um connect with brands that I may not

have a chance to

otherwise. So, I think there's so many

things that happens here that

it brings me out every year.

>> What What defines being a a professional

BMX athlete?

>> For me personally,

it's

being on my bike and

riding at the highest level possible.

Um

being a being a professional off the

bike as well. How I conduct my business.

Um how I create. Um

how I involve my community.

All of those things.

>> When did you start riding?

>> Man, I fell in love with bike riding at

4 years old.

>> Yeah.

>> In my grandma's driveway.

>> Uh-huh.

>> And I've been riding ever since. You

know, I fell in love with bike riding on

that day.

And I always say that the bicycle chose

me that day.

>> Interesting.

>> And um

it's been an incredible platform that

allowed me

that that has allowed me to see the

world, express myself,

um meet people from around the world,

and truly live out my imagination.

>> Can a lot of the folks on this busy

boardwalk, marketers, advertisers, you

name it,

do they really understand what you do

and why you do and why do do it?

>> I think nowadays people are

understanding more and more.

You know, like when I first started,

um

some of my family and friends didn't

understand it.

>> [laughter]

>> You know,

it took people a while, yeah. It took It

took people a while, man.

Um

but I've been at it for for a long time

now.

And I feel like the love and the

passion, the dedication that I that I

have for bike riding

um fuels my innovation, fuels my

creativity, and allows me to

come up with new ways to bring people

into my world. So, even some of these

marketers and marketers and advertisers,

you know, um there's different access

points to my brand now that has allowed

people to participate and appreciate it.

>> Is saying no one of the most powerful

tools in your toolkit?

>> 110%.

Saying no should be a powerful tool in

everyone's toolkit.

It allows you to stay true to yourself.

Um

it reinforces

that intention,

which I think is so important, being

intentional about what you do.

You know, um there's been times

throughout throughout my career where

opportunities may seem like it was the

right thing to do or seemed good,

and I had to walk away from it. Um in in

the

long run, it was the best decision for

me.

>> How do you know when to walk away from a

deal? Cuz I imagine that so many of

these people here want a piece of what

you're doing. I mean, you are your

content is amazing.

>> Mhm.

>> A amazing athlete. All these folks are

supposed to be here tossing checks at

you.

>> Um not all money is good money. You

know,

um opportunity could

could be there and and it's a great

check, but if it doesn't align with your

brand ethos, if it doesn't align with

the long-term vision, that's usually

when I say no to things.

You know, um

for me it's always been about longevity.

And

that power of knowing and and being

being strict, right? Um

being selective.

That that keeps what I do very pure.

Keeps it exclusive,

you know? Um and lets people know that

like I'm not just here for a check.

>> Sure. I- if if you know, we have a lot a

lot of younger viewers here at Yalla

Finance. I'm very blessed um to even be

able to say that. They love our

platform.

>> It's amazing.

>> If they see you, how can they replicate

first what you did on the bike? How do

they get started to be a professional

BMX athlete?

>> I mean, I don't think there's no

replicating what I do. But I feel like

people can do their thing in their own

way, you know? It's one of those things

like no one's going to replicate what

Michael Jordan has done, you know? You

can do it in your own way.

>> best. Now [laughter] you can look at me

now. I'm I'm sitting here interviewing

people on the pier.

>> But um it's one of those things you got

to just do the best at what you do, you

know? I think uh

for me, I would tell the younger

viewers, man, just find what you love

and and stay passionate about that. Like

dedicate yourself to it, you know? Put

those 10,000 hours in.

You know? You know? What is that

dedication look like on a week in week

out basis?

How often

even at this stage are you practicing?

I mean, it it's of course it's bike

riding, but it goes way beyond that. You

think about building a brand and

building a business, you know? Like

me on my bike is just part of that, you

know? It's about feeding my brain.

Um it's about building out an amazing

team.

Um

so, identifying the opportunities that I

want for myself and applying myself to

that, you know? Putting myself in those

positions to have certain conversations

and to attract certain brands or certain

opportunities, right? So,

for

feel like for athletes nowadays like

it's way if you want to be

one of the greats if you want to one of

the ones to really shift and move

your sport and the culture

you have to be really good at more than

just one thing.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah, you have to be a true like

multitasker.

>> I had a I had a fun conversation with

snowboarder Scotty James and I asked him

like what is the

gen- genesis of of a trick on a

snowboard? Like where do you where does

that inspiration to try something on the

bike come from?

>> Curiosity first and foremost.

>> Mhm.

>> You know, you have to be you have to be

curious and I'm forever curious. All

right, so I can be walking down the

street or

driving in my car or in the crib just

chilling I'll think of a trick and be

like oh that'd be a really cool trick to

do.

Right? Like that like that's where it

starts, right? And if there's part of

that trick that I don't know how to do I

need to go learn that part.

>> Do you take your bike out immediately?

>> Yeah, you go go take the bike out go to

the skate park.

>> Yeah.

>> Learn that part and then you put it all

together. So for me like I like doing

combos, right? So it's usually three or

four tricks in one. Right? So having

each part of that combo down first and

then putting it together. Um

and that's usually like the hardest part

is putting it together.

>> It's like a great musician, you know,

they hear a note they hear a song in

their head. Is it hard is it ever

possible to turn off that sound in your

brain to not want to try something?

>> I'm always thinking about bike riding.

>> Yeah.

>> Right? Especially the type of bike

riding I do being a BMX athlete and my

preferred discipline is street riding.

They're like

can ride on anything and everything. All

right, like the world is truly

>> It's like a canvas.

>> my playground canvas exactly.

So I can be walking down the street or

again if I'm driving in the car or

something or I'm

at dinner and I'll see a stair set or

I'll see a handrail.

The first thing I'm thinking about is

how can I ride that thing?

>> Yeah.

>> You know, um so that's how my brain

works and I love that it works that way

and I don't I don't ever want that to

turn off.

>> When you

what are you seeing with the youth in

all things BMX? Do you see that next

generation rising up and how are they

different compared to what you how when

you came up?

>> Of course, the the next generation

they're hungry.

They're resourceful, they're creative.

You know, um

when I was coming up before I turned

pro, like social media wasn't what it

was now.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, um we were still

shooting videos and putting it on DVDs.

>> [laughter]

>> Right?

>> to hold I used to hold up my I don't

know, I think my my answering machine to

my radio.

>> Right.

>> Yeah, like [clears throat]

>> Now, you know, kids are filming content

and going straight to social media.

>> Yeah.

>> You know,

um

for me, like when I was when I was

coming up my early days, like

you were taught in the world of BMX to

just ride your bike and like just do

that, you know? Um I had

ambitions way beyond just doing bike

tricks, but nowadays, kids are coming

out the gate and they want to not just

ride, they want to build a brand. They

want to create content, they want to

travel the world, they they want to they

want the bicycle to truly be a vehicle

to allow them live their dreams. Um and

I love seeing it. I love to see the

evolution um where kids are coming up

now, like they truly consider themselves

athletes where

back when I was coming up, like

that wasn't really the case. It was like

you just like a bike rider.

>> [laughter]

>> Yeah, you just like a bike rider. Yeah,

you also happen to be able to do tricks

on a bike.

>> do some tricks, but now it's like kids

are looking at it as a legit business

and that's awesome to see.

>> What What advice do you give them?

>> Man, create your own lane.

You know, create your own lane cuz when

you do that, there's no traffic.

>> Mhm.

>> You just

cruise at your own pace and do what you

want to do.

>> I um

You know, as you look

toward the next chapter of your life and

career,

what

will garner the most of your attention?

I mean, you've done Look, frankly,

you're going to be the coolest person

all week here on my pier. Like,

>> [laughter]

>> it's not even it's not even close. Like,

we have some amazing people. Like,

you're the coolest person. I think

you're really

I mean, you've set the trend in a lot of

different ways, especially on content.

I've seen what you're done doing on

YouTube. Like, what's the next iteration

of that?

>> Man, um

I really want and I really and I and I

will

to remain creative.

And like I said, like I'm truly living

out my imagination. So, whether it's

creating on my bike, whether it's off my

bike, whether it's in a shoe design or a

T-shirt, or space, um

so, as long as I'm able to continue to

create

from the heart, that's going to keep me

happy.

You know, like

I had wrote I had used to like write

these messages on my hand and I post

them on IG.

I wrote this message

like a couple years ago. It said uh

"Create dope and the money will

follow."

>> [laughter]

>> That's a cool one to write on your hand.

Makes sense.

>> So, that's the that's the mindset for

me.

You know?

>> How is social media changing the content

you create? Every day there seems to be

a new aspect to X that I didn't know

about.

>> I mean, for me, like I'm not really

big on following

social media content trends. I just stay

in my lane and do what feels right to to

me. You know?

Um

I don't I don't I don't want to get

caught up in chasing those trends. And

not saying that's wrong. Not saying it's

bad.

Do what you do. That's what That's what

it is that you do.

Do that. But, for me personally,

I just stay true to myself and create

from my heart.

You know? So, when it comes to like

content and whatnot for me next, man,

it's

whether it's a I'm doing a commercial,

whether I'm doing like a short doc or a

short film

as as I'm getting to tell authentic

stories that matter to me like that's

what keeps me happy.

>> I mean your platform on YouTube was the

go series?

>> go series game changer.

>> With over a hundred million views?

>> Yeah, game changer.

>> just called you?

Here here's a big number we're going to

pay you just give us this and what do

you I mean you got to take that call

right?

>> [laughter]

>> But they should though.

>> Yeah, they really should. What are they

doing? They're they're growing their

podcast series. I mean they have a took

out a whole freaking hotel here.

Why not give you a call? Is that is that

do you see yourself at some point

selling your catalog of content?

>> Of course. I could definitely see myself

like licensing off that catalog

also partnering with some of these major

streaming platforms and creating

something completely new.

You know

opportunities are endless which is what

I love about the space right now. You

know like

if you have an idea and it's and it's

and it's amazing enough you can

go sell that figure out how to get it to

the masses.

>> How did Michael Jordan end up wearing

your sneakers?

>> I mean these sneakers right here?

>> Yeah,

>> [laughter]

>> I thought I saw a picture of him wearing

those.

>> Um hold on quick.

Um [snorts]

I mean listen I so I've been signed to

Nike for

quite some time

but I end up signing to Jordan brand in

2021.

And that was a game changer for me.

You know getting Michael's blessing and

being brought into such a tight knit

family over at Jordan brand.

And we started to cook up product you

know and

we did

the Nike Air Ship. It was a friends and

family shoe that came out in 2023.

And that was the first time the world

seen Bike Air on a shoe.

And it was such a pivotal moment because

people have watched me in Nikes

my entire career.

So when they seen Mike air,

they they knew instantly what it was. It

was didn't have to explain it. You know

what I mean? It's Nigel in the air on

his bike.

>> [laughter]

>> You know what I mean? Like

Like

>> Did you get to meet Michael?

>> Yeah. Yeah. So,

so to answer your question,

um I won Sneaker of the Year

last year.

And to celebrate went down to Florida

and and we hung out for a for a minute.

Um and that was super cool. You know,

like getting one-on-one time with MJ.

Exchanging stories.

Getting just career advice, life advice.

And um this is prior to this shoe coming

out. And I gifted him the shoe just as a

thank you. You know, like

just for this opportunity. Welcoming me

to the family. And um

when once he seen the shoe, like he like

like this is super cool.

>> Yeah.

>> And I told him the story behind it. I

told him the can brick after brick story

behind this AJ4 and he loved it.

>> [laughter]

>> And once And once I seen his reaction, I

was like, "Okay, we got something

serious on our hands." And a few days

later,

um a photo got posted on on Instagram

and caught like wildfire, man. And

internet did what what it does with with

with with things that are nature, man.

It was so dope to see

um

this shoe that the team and I like

worked on for

almost 2 years. To see MJ put it on and

rock it, you know, it's one of those

things where it's like he can wear

whatever shoe he wants. You know what I

mean? So, to know he put them on it

means that he really like liked the

shoe. He really enjoyed it. Um

so, it was it was dope to see that. And

it was the beginning of

the brick after brick journey, which

these shoes came out about a month ago

now.

Um today's the 23rd, right?

>> Yeah.

>> A month Yeah.

>> track. I don't know. I'm already

sunburned.

>> They came out of a month ago from from

from from yesterday, actually. Um But

yeah, it it was it was just a dope

journey Um that we were able to like

tell this story touch people's hearts

like around the world. Um and the

reaction was overwhelming in the best

way possible.

>> Isn't that what a lot of those I just

hearing your story

isn't that what a lot of marketers are

missing that authenticity? Uh they just

want to attach their product to amazing

athletes such as yourself. But here you

have a personal story with these shoes

and these sneakers that you developed.

Like

>> Yeah, I mean like

storytelling authentic storytelling is

the most important thing nowadays. You

know, like we're inundated with so much,

right? You're scrolling on Instagram

feed on a a TikTok feed and there's so

much going on, right? And it's hard to

process all that information. But the

things that do cut through, the things

that people do share um and then people

reference is that are the the content

pieces, the product that have that

authentic storytelling.

And for me like I that's the spot that I

sit in like when I'm doing a

collaboration or doing a product or

teaming up with a brand it's like

what story are we telling here? And

making sure that it's from the heart,

making sure it's from a real place. To

make sure that it's going to cut

through.

>> As someone that we both grew up watching

Michael Jordan, when you're face to face

with him, what do you ask him about

business in the limited time that you

have to talk to him?

>> Uh

I mean, listen, like

certain things are general, you know?

Other things are more specific to to

certain moments. Um

but just overall, just just checking in,

you know, like just making sure that

the things that I'm doing um

are one, aligned with the brand

to make sure that the like the

partnership is as fruitful as possible.

Um

and then and then two, just as just as

an athlete who

um

carving out my own lane, right? I'm I'm

doing my own thing and I think

a lot of things that he's done

throughout his career was was just that.

He was the first one to do a lot of

things.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, so just getting advice on

that, you know, cuz for me like I'm I'm

operating in this unknown space often,

right? And and and I'm moving with blind

faith. Right? Of course I'm taking

educated and calculated guesses on

certain things. Um but certain things

I'm like I'm new to it, right? So just

making sure that

when I do have that time to speak with

him

that I'm asking questions that would

would help me throughout that process.

>> Nike I I really do think needs more of

your cool or like across the whole

platform. Like what will you

to the extent you can share, what else

will you be working on with them

in the future?

>> Um

>> Or what would you like to work with them

on?

>> I mean, listen like

with things that Jordan Brand and I have

done in the past

3 years has been

monumental.

You know, um

from

the Air Ship

and and and the world seeing my gear for

the first time

to my grandma's driveway release

which was two AJ4 RMs and it's a global

release

to the Brick by Brick, Better With Time,

Brick After Brick like

these are products that people like have

in their like homes, right? And people

put on every single day like that's

powerful, you know, like for someone to

wake up and then choose to wear

one of my shoes or to wear a shirt that

I that I designed or a pair of pants,

you know, um that's very powerful.

And I don't take that lightly. So when

it comes to the partnership between us,

just about continuing to make product

that we believe in

continuing to

challenge

uh the like the status quo and like the

norm.

>> Yeah.

>> You know? I think we have a very special

opportunity

with Bike Gear It's like to really

um

just change cycling forever.

>> Mhm.

>> You know? And that's what we're focused

on.

>> If we're having this conversation, we're

back on the pier 10 years from now, what

is who is Nigel

Sylvester the businessman? What will

have you achieved?

>> Everything that I set out to.

>> Mhm.

>> Simple as that.

>> Mhm.

>> You know, like

I can't give you like a a laundry list

of boom boom boom boom boom, but again,

like as long as I continue to create

dope the money will follow.

>> That's [laughter] good. That's like

you're holding your hand. It's true. And

by then like Net- Netflix will be

licensing all of your freaking content

as they should.

>> exactly.

>> know what happens. Maybe Amazon too, who

knows? Either one of them. Like I'm not

>> Maybe Yahoo.

>> Yeah, maybe Yahoo. Maybe Yahoo. Like you

are in the right place. Um it was real

treat to spend some time with you. I

thank you for doing this. I'm a really

big fan, really. Honestly.

>> you.

>> All right, that's it for this episode of

Power Players. Appreciate you tuning in.