What if your story was your most valuable business asset? In this episode of Build With What You Know, I sit down with @JoshuaTylerBerglan — the "World's Mayor" — to unpack his Media Company In A Box system and Sovereign Franchise model: a framework that helps individuals and organizations build self-owned digital platforms, create unlimited revenue streams, and stop depending on social media algorithms to survive.
We cover the mindset shift from charity to sovereignty, why authentic storytelling beats polished AI content, and how existing organizations — schools, churches, communities — can plug into a global media network without losing their identity.
🔗 Learn more about Joshua's work → https://www.joshuatberglan.com/
Subscribe for more conversations on online business, enterprise technology, and digital expertise.
#DigitalEntrepreneur #OnlineBusiness #MediaCompany #ContentCreator #SovereignMedia #BuildWithWhatYouKnow #YBDigital #DigitalFreedom #KnowledgeBusiness
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0:00
All right. Hello Joshua.
0:04
>> Hello sir. How are you?
0:06
>> Yes. Good. Thanks. Uh so I will be even
0:10
better when you will tell me more about
0:11
you. I'm very curious about your
0:13
concept. Uh I will maybe uh share my
0:18
screen unless you have something to
0:20
share. And I have your website open
0:24
here.
0:26
Okay.
0:30
I guess we can start uh here. So, what
0:33
is the world's mayor? Uh what do you
0:36
mean by by that? And um
0:40
and then I I will I guess I will have
0:42
more questions after. Okay, show my
0:44
screen.
0:46
>> The origin story of the world's mayor.
0:48
Actually, you can see a tab. It tells
0:49
the whole story there. But so I'll spare
0:52
everybody the details of how it came
0:53
about. But let's me focus on the
0:55
mindset. A mayor's responsibility is to
0:58
see people in their areas of strength
1:01
and then to position them together. So
1:03
if you think about like the Avengers,
1:05
like a group of superheroes, right?
1:07
Well, we were all born with God-given
1:09
gifts and talents and we're all have an
1:12
extraordinary gift. Every one of us,
1:13
whether we're disabled, mentally ill, it
1:15
doesn't matter. We all have a gift.
1:18
>> So my mindset is seeing pe I I see
1:21
people's strengths, their areas of
1:22
greatness. But what makes me unique is
1:25
that my ability to see how all of that
1:27
pieces together like a giant puzzle. And
1:30
I don't seek to take from people. I seek
1:32
to elevate and then position people's in
1:34
areas of strength and then get them to
1:36
collaborate to go on and solve some of
1:39
the world's greatest problems. So my
1:41
mindset is everybody gets to win. And I
1:44
have a win-winwin mindset. So, I'm not
1:47
seeking to take, I'm not seeking to own.
1:49
I'm seeking to partner, collaborate, and
1:52
work together so that we can solve the
1:54
world's problems, but also live in
1:56
harmony amongst all races, genders,
2:00
religions, cultures, and so on.
2:04
>> That's the short version of the story,
2:05
but if you want the whole meat of it, go
2:07
read it on the website.
2:09
>> Okay. Okay. Exactly. I'm mostly
2:11
interested about
2:14
um how it applies to um digital
2:18
entrepreneurs in particular. What what
2:21
what did it brings to to them? Well,
2:25
because the media system that I created
2:27
as an omnimedia architect in my system
2:29
called media company to box is is
2:32
essentially building our own sovereign
2:35
platforms where we monetize and have
2:38
endless revenue streams simply using our
2:40
gifts, talents, our stories,
2:42
intellectual property, our testimonies.
2:45
There's some people like me that all we
2:48
have is our story. Meaning I was
2:50
mentally ill, disabled. Um I say was I
2:53
mean technically I still am but I've
2:55
I've been my health has improved greatly
2:57
since I've been in Cameroon being away
3:00
from 5G towers and um my mental health
3:03
has improved. I was disabled because of
3:05
my mental health, but then I developed
3:07
frequency induced tremor. But anyway,
3:09
the system I created was simply use
3:13
utilizing all of the media tools
3:15
available, every form of media to create
3:18
endless revenue streams, but also
3:20
creating a platform that's sovereign
3:22
where we own our content, we own what we
3:24
create, not revenue. Now, some people
3:28
some people can't afford to self-host,
3:31
so they have to utilize the media tools
3:33
and, you know, like say they're
3:34
monetized on YouTube. Well, YouTube
3:36
makes money off of us. Um, if we publish
3:39
a book for free, the book publishing
3:41
platform, they make money off of us. So,
3:43
not everybody can afford to self-host
3:45
right away and have full ownership, but
3:47
it doesn't mean that we can't get
3:49
started. And at very at minimum, we
3:53
should be promoting our own platform. So
3:55
instead of promoting oh what's your
3:57
YouTube what's your Instagram what's
3:59
your ex we the only thing we should
4:00
promote is our website
4:03
>> yes
4:03
>> and because that's what we own that's
4:04
our digital real estate and in the same
4:07
way social media companies create all of
4:09
these different things to do on the
4:11
platform to keep us there all day we
4:14
need to be doing the same thing with our
4:15
own platform and that's what media
4:17
company in a box is the difference with
4:20
me is that not only am I not charging I
4:23
mean I do have services I charge charge
4:25
for, but I give my system away. In
4:28
Cameon, all of my services have been
4:30
free. I'm giving away free. Um, it it's
4:34
because I I'm here to help the
4:36
underserved. I'm not here to make the
4:38
elite more powerful. I'm here to help
4:40
the meek inherit the earth. Um, the
4:43
other thing that ties into media company
4:45
in a box is the sovereign franchise. And
4:48
that's the other thing that I'm
4:49
building. We're building media hubs all
4:52
over the world. Whether we're building
4:53
it from the ground up or we're
4:55
partnering with existing organizations,
4:58
bringing my system into it. Whether it's
5:00
a computer lab, a nursing college, a
5:03
computer college, a high school, a
5:06
ministry, a synagogue, a mosque, it
5:08
doesn't matter. I'll partner with
5:10
existing organizations and bring my
5:12
infrastructure there, giving that away
5:15
freely. But that system is designed to
5:17
help everyone earn money. everyone, the
5:20
teachers, the students,
5:23
everyone. So, it's the sovereign
5:26
franchise is truly about not about
5:28
ownership. It's about sovereignty,
5:30
protecting our culture or protecting the
5:32
cultures, protecting the identity of the
5:35
community, but at the same time having
5:37
the strength of a giant media media
5:40
network like a TV network, but
5:42
everything is intertwined but sovereign.
5:47
>> Okay. Wow, that's a very abroad concept.
5:52
>> No, it's also very detailed. I have the
5:54
books and the playbook and all the
5:56
details on my website also. There's a
5:58
lot of details
6:00
>> of course and I encourage everyone to uh
6:02
to check your website. Uh but I am
6:05
curious like maybe uh you have you you
6:07
can um quickly um um make a short demo
6:11
about your product
6:14
like if someone comes to you like how
6:17
does it how does it works work? What
6:19
happens when someone
6:21
>> I I just I'm actually releasing a new
6:23
certification program to create master
6:25
teachers um because I can't the the
6:28
amount of people that have signed on
6:30
this week to be a part of the franchise
6:32
is over I overwhelming in a good way um
6:36
because I'm not seeking to raise money
6:37
anymore uh to build buildings from the
6:40
ground up. these existing organizations
6:42
say we need what you have so we're going
6:44
in partnership so now I need to train
6:46
teachers but typically what happens if I
6:49
get called in to work with a an existing
6:52
business or an individual I take them
6:55
through a an exercise like my own
6:58
interview and my own interview basically
7:01
is pulling out what their main goals are
7:04
what their gifts are what their talents
7:05
are but also what's the biggest problem
7:08
or injustice in this world that they
7:10
want to solve. And I' I have a propriety
7:13
formula that I utilize when I meet with
7:15
people privately and then from there
7:17
they have a customized playbook and that
7:21
customized playbook is designed
7:23
specifically for them or if they have an
7:26
organization
7:28
I create it's basically a bunch of the
7:30
same plans
7:31
>> for the the individual but then there's
7:34
a giant plan for the entire
7:36
organization.
7:37
So, my system is something that I teach
7:41
one-on-one because it's customized in
7:44
the books, in the certification program.
7:46
It's designed to help people figure it
7:48
out for themselves. But if I'm working
7:50
with you individually, it's way more
7:52
personalized because here's the thing,
7:55
you you can't put our gifts and talents
7:57
in a box. Ironically, the names media
8:00
company in a box, but our gifts are not
8:03
meant to be put in a box. We're not
8:05
meant to be put in a box. Screw our
8:07
labels, people. I mean, I have the
8:09
world's mayor nickname, but like screw
8:12
labels. By, straight, Jewish, Christian,
8:16
agnostic, Republican, Democrat,
8:18
independent. Screw all those names. All
8:19
they do is separate us. Like, I'm here
8:22
to bring people together. I'm here to be
8:24
a bridge. And and but with when our but
8:27
the only way that we can actually truly
8:29
unite. The only way is if we start
8:33
celebrating each other's uniqueness and
8:35
start start celebrating each other's
8:37
gifts and talents because they are
8:38
unique. And then when we are living in
8:41
our purpose and we're living in the
8:43
utilizing our gifts and talents
8:45
responsibly, I don't believe we have
8:47
time to be racist, homophobic,
8:50
judgmental. In fact, I I think we tend
8:52
to celebrate uniqueness more. So my
8:55
system is not just about revenue
8:57
streams. It's also about getting people
8:59
to live in the purpose they were created
9:02
for. And with AI and robotics taking so
9:05
many jobs away and people freaking out,
9:08
I would like to say congratulations that
9:11
you're losing that job you probably
9:12
didn't want to begin with. Now you have
9:15
an opportunity to be free. And there's
9:17
never been a greater time in history to
9:19
make our dreams come true than now
9:22
because media is the vehicle to make all
9:24
of our dreams come true. All of them.
9:27
You cannot be in business without
9:28
knowing media. And now media, the power
9:31
of media is in all of our hands. So the
9:34
old rules no longer apply. We don't have
9:36
to follow mommy and daddy's rules. We
9:39
don't have to go get the education of
9:40
indoctrination. Now we can truly be
9:43
sovereign and free. And I believe that's
9:45
what we were created to be. And so even
9:48
though it freaks people out that they're
9:50
going to lose their job. Well, guess
9:52
what? Now you have an even better
9:53
opportunity. Now, some people will get
9:56
excited about universal basic income and
9:58
all that, but to me, that's slavery. I
10:01
don't want that. I want to be free and
10:03
sovereign and have endless revenue
10:05
streams so I can travel the world freely
10:07
and live the life I was created to live.
10:12
>> Yes, I definitely agree and I actually
10:16
live by these rules there for sure. We
10:19
definitely meet. But uh so what is for
10:22
example your typical customer and
10:26
especially what kind of digital channels
10:28
they have? You mentioned before maybe
10:29
they have YouTube channel, maybe they
10:30
have an X, maybe they have a I think you
10:33
mentioned Facebook page, uh things like
10:35
that. So
10:37
>> well, so okay, there's two answers to
10:40
this question.
10:41
95% of what I do
10:45
is given away. I'm here in Cameroon
10:48
where there's a war that most people
10:50
don't even know about. There's been a tw
10:52
11-year crisis here. People here are 10
10:55
11 years behind on education. So, they
10:57
don't have the money to pay for my
10:59
services. So, I'm here to give them away
11:01
freely. Now, my international clients
11:04
outside of Cameroon are different. I
11:07
always regard I mean if they're if they
11:10
have the budget for it, I lean people
11:12
towards self-hosting everything where
11:14
they actually host their own content
11:17
>> where they only use social media for
11:19
clips and and really networking and
11:21
showing off their personality, but by
11:24
design their focus is driving people
11:26
back to the platform they own. But even
11:29
if they have to use the free tools like
11:31
YouTube and the free podcast platforms,
11:34
even if they have to do that, I still
11:37
encourage them to only promote their
11:39
website. Like you can host all of your
11:42
social media on your website. Why would
11:44
you promote Facebook if you don't own
11:45
it? Why would you promote LinkedIn if
11:47
you don't own it? And you don't
11:54
>> Yes. Exactly. So, are you actually
11:56
helping um your customers building their
12:00
own
12:01
uh let's say portal
12:05
>> self portal?
12:08
>> Yeah, I do. I help I do. If I if you
12:11
hire me to do it for you,
12:14
>> then we're building your own portal and
12:15
it's private.
12:18
>> But but if I'm just teaching,
12:22
I'm going to be honest with you, man.
12:24
I'd rather teach people to do it for
12:26
themselves than me do it for them.
12:29
I I I make my money off of what I
12:31
create. I make my money through other
12:33
means. When it comes to this system, I
12:36
would rather give it away. I would
12:38
rather teach people to fish than fish
12:40
for them.
12:42
>> So, what are the best advice uh you
12:45
actually give to people when you let
12:48
them uh learn by themselves? when you
12:50
when you teach them when you show them
12:51
how to create their own portal.
12:56
>> Well, I give them my book for one. I
12:58
mean, my book is the ultimate guide to
13:00
doing that. And then I have the new
13:01
certification program, but advice.
13:05
Here's the thing.
13:07
I won't work with anyone that's not
13:10
ready to bear their soul.
13:13
I will not take on a client
13:16
>> that's looking to contribute to the
13:19
world's problems with more fake
13:21
What I mean by that is I'm
13:24
seeking people who are ready to lead
13:26
with authentic stories and truth. My the
13:29
whole purpose of my message really is
13:31
truth. It's not even about me media and
13:34
money. It's about truth because truth is
13:37
the ultimate superpower. Truth sets
13:39
people free. Truth sets yourself free.
13:43
And I want to see a world full of
13:45
authentic people celebrating our
13:47
uniqueness and our weirdness. Like we
13:49
all have weird things about us. All of
13:51
us.
13:53
>> I mean, how many times do we see these
13:55
people in media that they act like
13:58
everything's perfect and the preacher
14:00
that speaks out against gay people or by
14:02
people or whatever and then they get
14:04
caught having sex with little boys. Like
14:06
how many people politicians that judge
14:10
prostitution and then they get caught
14:12
with a prostitute? How many people that
14:14
speak out against drug addicts then they
14:16
get caught shooting heroin?
14:18
>> Like let's just be honest. How many
14:20
people live in shame or they they
14:23
stigmatize and they judge people with
14:24
HIV but they have HIV themselves? How
14:27
many you know what I mean? Like people
14:29
have all these things in their closet
14:31
and then they shame other people and
14:33
then what happens a little bit later?
14:35
They get exposed for being what they
14:37
were judging.
14:38
>> I want to set people free and start
14:40
telling the truth because the fact is
14:43
this, we all deal with trauma. We all
14:46
have trauma and that trauma affects us
14:48
and shapes us. It changes who we are and
14:51
the society has made it very very hard
14:53
for people to come out and be who they
14:55
are. And I think that that's the biggest
14:58
problem we that's the biggest virus we
15:00
have in the world other than Zionism. Um
15:03
that's the biggest virus we have. I
15:05
think we need to start celebrating truth
15:07
and create space for people to be honest
15:10
and so that we can start healing. We're
15:13
never going to heal without honesty. So
15:15
even though my systems media and
15:17
sovereignty and revenue streams, really
15:19
it's about healing. Really it's about
15:21
living in the purpose God gave us.
15:23
Really it's about truth. That's what
15:26
it's really about for me. I won't work
15:28
with anyone that's not ready to be
15:30
vulnerable and honest.
15:33
>> My internet connection is not
16:00
Am
16:07
I back?
16:09
>> Hello.
16:10
>> Yes,
16:12
>> I had to switch.
16:16
>> I just switched the Wi-Fi network.
16:18
Sorry, my connection dropped.
16:21
>> No problem. No problem. We're both in
16:23
We're both in uh areas with very bad
16:25
internet, so I completely understand.
16:28
Yes, I am on an island right now and
16:30
it's also very weather dependent.
16:35
>> Oh my gosh, sorry. Sorry about that.
16:38
>> Okay,
16:38
>> a video processed in the background and
16:41
started talking. I'm sorry.
16:46
>> It's okay. So, um
16:49
uh yes, back back to uh what you were
16:52
saying. Um coming back to truth actually
16:55
um I I resonate with this uh very much.
16:58
I always uh tried to at least with the
17:01
content I created to um to keep it true
17:06
and um because I I saw now AI came
17:11
different. I saw a lot of people mo most
17:13
interested in having everything
17:15
beautiful even if you know showing the
17:19
beautiful side of any story and uh
17:23
keeping out the not necessarily ugly but
17:26
less
17:28
uh uh how to say less um communicative
17:33
part of of a of of any story. And uh me
17:37
personally, I try to uh to keep
17:39
everything. And I think especially now
17:40
with AI actually staying true and
17:44
showing the real things is is more
17:46
important now than ever. It's no one
17:48
wants I think no one wants a really
17:51
beautiful images. They want the real
17:53
video with the real people with the real
17:55
events with the real stuff. Not the
17:57
beautiful good-looking.
18:01
>> Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. I preach this
18:05
sermon all the time. I even quit editing
18:08
my videos. I quit. I quit editing them.
18:10
I don't care anymore. I don't care about
18:12
graphics because I don't want to be
18:14
confused as AI. I just want to be me. I
18:18
love
18:19
>> Exactly. Yes. I I I always try to to do
18:22
that. I don't know if it will work or
18:24
not if it but
18:27
actually that's not really the point.
18:29
I want it anyway to to stay true to true
18:33
to reality.
18:36
>> Yes, I agree 100%. I agree.
18:40
>> Uh okay. Well, actually I kind of lost
18:42
the the pace now with this connection uh
18:46
change. But anyway, maybe it's time
18:47
maybe Yeah, it's already uh time to
18:49
conclude.
18:51
Um no problem. Actually,
18:55
if you if you want to say anything else.
18:59
>> Well, listen. Um, I'll tell actually I I
19:02
do want to say this.
19:04
>> I'm not Look, so the sovereign
19:06
franchise, which you can read about on
19:07
my website, we've changed direction.
19:09
Actually, we've added a new vertical to
19:11
it. We're now we're partnering with
19:13
existing organizations. So, we're not
19:15
even trying to raise money to build
19:16
buildings anymore. I mean we will do
19:18
that because eventually we are going to
19:20
do that but I I got tired of waiting
19:22
when I can start now and that's kind of
19:24
what's happening here in Cameon is that
19:27
there's people it's hard to get
19:28
investment here in Cameroon they're cut
19:30
off from the world. So now there's these
19:32
existing organizations I'm just plugging
19:33
my system into. So if you're in Vietnam,
19:36
anywhere in Asia, Europe, Mexico, I mean
19:40
North, I mean anywhere in North America,
19:42
it doesn't matter, Central America,
19:44
anywhere in the world, and you have an
19:46
existing organization and you're looking
19:47
to find ways to bring it additional
19:49
revenue streams to what you do, I have a
19:52
system for you. I have a system for you
19:54
that will absolutely dramatically change
19:56
the your the identity of your business,
19:58
help you become sovereign, and help you
20:00
start earning money where you don't have
20:02
to ask for donations anymore. I think
20:04
the charity model's dead. I think it's
20:07
dead. First of all, the global economy
20:09
is struggling right now. There's going
20:10
to be a new financial system soon.
20:12
There's a lot of changes coming to the
20:14
world. So, get away from the charity
20:16
mindset and get into the sovereignty
20:18
mindset. And if you're interested to
20:20
know more about that, contact me and I'm
20:22
more than happy to help.
20:25
>> Okay, perfect. So uh I invite everyone
20:29
to check your website
20:32
joshuatlan.com
20:34
and link is in the description of
20:36
course. Thanks Joshua.
20:38
>> God bless you. Thank you.
20:41
[music]
20:48
>> [music]
#Science

