This feature is one of a two-part series that pulls back the curtain on the daily grind of some of Complexās most popular hosts. Inspired by Java Monster, we find out what fuels their hustle and helps them power through each day with a take-no-prisoners attitude.Ā Ā
Anyone whoās been following Complex for the past few years knows Speedy Morman. From Jobs Unlisted and Donāt Believe the Hype to Complex News and 360 With Speedy Morman, the intern-turned-online host has been one the most recognizable faces of the brand since 2015. And even if youāve been living under a rock and donāt know the name, you definitely know the work. Case in point, that 2019 interview with Ray J that went viral after the R&B star had his sunglasses snapped like a twig moments after claiming they were unbreakable was a Speedy Morman interview.Ā
Over the course of his career, Speedy has asked the tough questions and gotten your favorite actors, athletes, and musicians to spill the beans. More recently, he even added former President Barack Obama to his long list of interviewees. Genuine and affable, Speedy approaches each on-camera interaction more like a conversation than an interview. He also does a ton of research.
"I feel like a lot of people are okay with just getting by and a lot of people are comfortable in mediocrity. Iām not one of those people."
āI watch every interview the person has ever done,ā Speedy explains. āIām listening to their music if they are a musician, watching their movies if they are an actor, watching their games if they are an athlete, and then I figure out what they are excited to talk about.ā The end result is usually internet gold that earns Speedy props for his attention to detail and natural gift for gab.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
In years past, Speedy lived his life on set and on the grindāwriting, producing, and conducting interviews all across the globe. Now, the New York native is making it work from home. āIāve pivoted to not doing interviews and shoots on set, but instead doing them in my living room. Iāve kinda brought the outside world into my home by virtue of a MacBook webcam,ā he shares. āIāve also gone from flying 100,000 miles to flying, like, 100 miles this year.āĀ
Just because his frequent flyer miles have slowed down that doesnāt mean Speedy has. The 26-year-old rises before the sun and works past sunset, living up to his name by staying busy. We got him to slow down for a bit to get a glimpse into how he gets it all done in 24 hours or less.
How would you describe who Speedy Morman is to someone who didnāt know you?
Iām an authentic guy from Queens, NY who doesnāt let success change me. Iām a journalist and host and a person that is unapologetically themselves and always comfortable.Ā
Okay, so how do you start your day?
I have to be up at 4:30 in the morning every day, which I very much do not like [laughs]. My alarm goes off at 4:28 and then once Iām up, Iām reading through the news or checking trending topics on Twitter.Ā
Getting up that early, you must be a big coffee person then?
I normally donāt drink coffee because Iāve never found the right flavor combination. But I recently tried this Mean Bean flavor of Java Monster and it was delicious... You wouldnāt expect a drink to be as flavorful as it is useful.
Once you're up and working, what is it that keeps you motivated?
This rent [laughs]! At the end of the day, you eat what you kill so if I'm not out here putting the work in I'm not eating. Also, I have a lot of people watching me and IĀ canāt set a bad example or precedent. I have a lot of people to make proud.Ā
Youāve accomplished so much at such a young age, Iām sure your family is extremely proud. How close are you with them?Ā Ā
My family and I are very close, and what keeps me happy is still having the same relationship that Iāve had with them pre-pandemic and mid-pandemic. We generally spent a lot of time together, [and now] we FaceTime. Iāve pivoted from giving love to my family in person to giving it via Wi-Fi.
"Iām an authentic guy from Queens, NY who doesnāt let success change me."
By the time noon hits, youāve already been up several hours. Are you working non stop or do you carve out any time for yourself?
Something new that Iāve brought into my regimen is I run a mile a day. Thatās always difficult because I damn sure do not like running or working out, but I do it. I come back home and then itās back to work. Iām most likely prepping for a shoot, researching for interviews, or speaking with producers.
I have very small windows of time for myself. When I do get those windows, I lean all the way in. Weekends for example, I donāt have to be up early. So Iām staying up irrationally late and sleeping until my eyes open the next day. Then Iām watching disgusting amounts of foreign reality TV in the form of Love Island.
Thereās something about people finding love because itās kind of enjoyable watching people who donāt usually exist in front of a camera like that. Of course itās a different medium, however there are similarities. Watching people who are really bad on camera and people who are really good on camera is enjoyable and also a potential teaching moment.
So how does your typical workday end?Ā
[After being up all day] I just find solace in the fact that Iām mere hours away from being on cloud nine. Iām still researching and shooting in the evening, but when thatās over, I gotta eat. During quarantine I started cooking and I watch maybe half of an episode of Love Island. Then, I go to sleep. I feel like a middle-aged father in the body of a 26-year-old because thatās usually like 9:45 PM [laughs].Ā
Gotta respect that commitment. Is there any personal mantra you have that helps you power through the day?Ā Ā
Itās not like a one-line, itās just that I feel like a lot of people are okay with just getting by and a lot of people are comfortable in mediocrity. Iām not one of those people. I always try my best to not fall into that comfortability of getting by. My mantra would be āget to the bag now because youāll thank yourself later.ā