1 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: People are traveling. That can be very anxiety producing. Have 2 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: a plan for your packing. First of all, roll your 3 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: items have separate packing bags. They could be zip block bags, 4 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: they could be actual packing cubes, but you could do 5 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: either by each each outfit goes in one packing cube, 6 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: or it could be all T shirts going to packing cube, 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: all underwear, et cetera. Try to pick a color scheme 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: when I travel. I'll decide I'm either wearing the browns 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: or if it's tropical the colors, or if it's skiing 10 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: or somewhere like urban like a city like Boston or somebody, 11 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: I'll pick black. I'll pick a hardware if you care 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: about your hardware matching, and wear the heavy things on 13 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: the plane with you or in the car with you, 14 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: and you're not gonna wear most of it, so cut 15 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: it out. You can wear the same shoes multiple times 16 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: at different outfits. Pick a color scheme because that means 17 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: that you need fewer accessories, bags and staples for that trip. 18 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: Just make your life easier today. My guest is Michael Caponi, 19 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: the founder and president of Global Empowerment Mission, and he 20 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: is a partner in my Be Strong initiative. Michael has 21 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: been at the forefront of disaster relief AIDS since the 22 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: late nineties, helping people around the world when natural disasters 23 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: strike and other issues too. Since being involved with ME, 24 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: other things that have been important to us. And this 25 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: is a different episode because um my friends at my 26 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: Heart suggested that I do something on my philanthropy on 27 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: Be Strong. I don't usually sort of promote the things 28 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: that I'm doing here. It's just not when I go 29 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: on other people's shows, I promote these things. But this 30 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: is something that always saves live So, you know, a 31 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: little self promotion I guess for Be Strong isn't a 32 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: bad idea because it any promotion for Be Strong just 33 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: means we're saving more lives, literally helping more people. Um 34 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: So today is a different show. It's talking about philanthropy, 35 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: which is really related to business. The show talks a 36 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: lot about business and how to get things done, and 37 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: philanthropy for me has been no different than business except 38 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: that goes to the effort. But the reason it's been 39 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: no different is that it was really hard to established 40 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: credibility in this space. It was really hard to execute. 41 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: I had a stop start up pop up where literally 42 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: in the very beginning, no one would give me flip 43 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: flops after Hurricane Harvey, just flip flaps as me and 44 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: people send me things for free all the time we're 45 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: used to. I couldn't get flip flops. I couldn't get anything. 46 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: I was a nobody, and nobody wants to give money 47 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: to a nobody to help people you're not trusted and 48 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: trust me, so many trusted charities are such scams and 49 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: take so much money for themselves that I got into 50 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: this space so I could really cut the bullshit, cut 51 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: the rubber chicken dinners, cut the oh come shopping and 52 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: buy something to get ten percent going towards a charity. 53 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: Like There's just so much scam and so much bullshit, 54 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: and I just wanted to get in here and cut 55 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: through the bullshit with all the transparency and just executing. 56 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: So that's the story about why we're doing a conversation 57 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: with Michael, because we work together and BE Strong. Hello, Hi, 58 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: how are you okay? So this is Michael Caponi, who 59 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: I have worked with on many different missions all over 60 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: the world on relief work with BE Strong. Uh So, Michael, 61 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: you have an interesting story in my opinion, which is 62 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: why I wanted to talk to you today, not about 63 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: just all of the work that we've done, because while 64 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: that's interesting, it can be a little bit tedious and 65 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: boring for people. And sometimes I have to tell you 66 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: that people aren't always in the mood to give, and 67 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: they have deal fatigue now because of all the crazy 68 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: stuff going on in the world. So I think, um, 69 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: sort of people getting an understanding of you and the 70 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: business of of philanthropy, which is really why I've been 71 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: successful at this, because it really is there's a business 72 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: aspect to it and execution and being organized, and it 73 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: feels like you're starting a new business, just not for profit. So, uh, 74 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: tell everyone what your business trajectory has been like. Well, 75 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: I met you years ago. I was I went to 76 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: some there was a girl whose father was a publisher, 77 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: Jerry Powers. I think he was the publisher of Ocean 78 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: Drive magazine, And I went with his daughter to like 79 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 1: a fancy party in Miami, like a very jet set, 80 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: fast crowd party in Miami at this big house on 81 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: the water. I don't remember where it was. You could 82 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: tell us, and I think it was your house. And 83 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: I remember meeting you and you were super standoffish and 84 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: really too cool, like a like a club promoter, and 85 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: I think that's what you were, So explain how I 86 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: came into that night and who you were then and 87 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: when that was. So my father was in the nightclub 88 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: business and I ended up in the nightclub business. So 89 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: the first part of my career from being a fifteen 90 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: year old to basically thirty something, I was at the 91 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: helm of nightlife in Miami Beach and opened up, you know, 92 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: lots of different nightclubs and learned the art of networking 93 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: and connecting the dots, which really was a great lesson 94 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: and teaching to what we're doing now with philanthropy, because 95 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: it's kind of the same thing. You have to get 96 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of really important people to come to 97 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: an event. Now instead of doing that, you're getting a 98 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: whole bunch of really important people or regular people to 99 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: donate to a cause. So it's the same part form, 100 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: it's just flipped. It's true because then you have to 101 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: figure out where jen pop is going in the nightclub 102 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: is they're important and they're your bread and butter, but 103 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: you want people to be spending money buying bottles at 104 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 1: the major tables, and you want to give them uh 105 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: extra attention and that's how we do it. Certain people 106 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: will donate three planes, and then we want to explain 107 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 1: exactly where those planes are going to go, which is 108 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: like saying exactly where your table is going to be 109 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: when you're buying a bottle and get you right or 110 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: what get you in right away? And you need to 111 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: understand what the whole rundown is going to be. And 112 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: then people are donating five dollars and we want them 113 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: to also feel happy and comfortable. So your dad, what 114 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: clubs did your dad own? I didn't even know that. Yeah, 115 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: my dad swim the English Channel, he had the World 116 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: Records for a while, and he opened up in Belgium, 117 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: where I was born, a series of like the original 118 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: jet set clubs. So my dad went out with. My 119 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: dad's girlfriend was Jane Mansfield. He was best friends with 120 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: Sean Connery, you know, virgim Bardo. All these people would 121 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: go to these places. Interesting, Okay, so what you were involved? 122 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: But you were friends with like major celebrities, right, you 123 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: were running in a really fast crowd. You were like, 124 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: you knew Madonna and Ingri Saras and all these people 125 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: would right. I mean, I think every celebrity on the 126 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: planet made it through Miami and it's Heyday, you know, 127 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: at some point or another. So they definitely ended up 128 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: in our in our spots. So um so, so now 129 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: you're running mt nightclubs, you're what's the existence like? What's 130 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: your life like? Is it fun? Is it vapid? Is 131 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: it superficial? Is it all of that? What's that story like? 132 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: I think when you're in it, you're caught up in 133 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: it and you're lost in a candy store of pleasure. 134 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: And I didn't like it anymore. And I was always 135 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: doing humanitarian work since. Actually it's when we first started. 136 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: We were doing drives with the City of Miami Beach 137 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: for Kosovo. We did drives for nine eleven Katrina for 138 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: the tsunami. But I was always on the other side. 139 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: I was always the one just raising the money and 140 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: then I was giving it to Red Cross or different organizations. 141 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: I was on the executive board of the United Way 142 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: for a year, so I learned that side of it. 143 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: After the Hate earthquake, I formed our foundation Global empower 144 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: a mission. At the time, it was called Haiti Empowerment Mission. 145 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: All right, so you are running in a fast crowd 146 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: and are you making a lot of money are you partying? Like, 147 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: what's what's going on in your personal life? How old 148 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: are you when you decided to leave? So I started 149 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: nightlife literally when I was in high school. I was 150 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: a theater. I was literally passing out flyers for events 151 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: on my skateboard down Ocean Drive. How long the history 152 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: was by the time I was twenty one years old? 153 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: You know, I was literally like at the helm of 154 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: throwing all the most important parties in Miami. No college, No, 155 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: no college. Okay, so you're at the heyday of twenty one. 156 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,839 Speaker 1: When did you retire from nightclub life? Uh? Fully retired 157 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: like six years ago. Oh so that's not even that long. Okay. 158 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 1: So wait, so how many years were you doing it? 159 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: Twenty seven years or so? Okay, so you were doing 160 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: it for twenty seven years. So tell us about the 161 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: part of your lifestyle and that sort of life change 162 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: you made because you went from that and then into 163 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: real estate. Explain the toll that it took on you 164 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:13,239 Speaker 1: personally being in the nightclub space, spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially, 165 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: all of that. Explained that part of that. So I 166 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: went through by the time I was twenty one, I 167 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: was completely lost in excess. I UM, I got addicted 168 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,959 Speaker 1: to all different kinds of drugs and I completely crashed 169 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 1: and burned. I um had everything a twenty one year 170 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: old could ever want at that time, Abode and Mercedes, 171 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: the most beautiful apartment, best friends with you know, all 172 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: kinds of celebrities. Everything. At the time I was twenty three, 173 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: had gone to about ten different drug rehab centers. I 174 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: kept relapsing. I was so addicted, and I ended up, 175 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 1: you know, I was CouchSurfing on friends homes. I got evicted. 176 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: I had nowhere to stay anymore, and I literally went 177 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: to New York. I spent some time on someone's you know, apartment, 178 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: and then I basically ran out of the house. And 179 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 1: when I went into the projects to find some drugs, 180 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: I got arrested. And when I came back out, um, 181 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: it was the blizzard of and it was right around 182 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: Halloween and nine. You can google the temperatures there at 183 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: that time, but I believe it was like minus twenty 184 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: degrees and there was nowhere, there was no way to 185 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: get back to basically society at that time, you know, 186 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: And it was today. I look at it as the 187 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: most valuable lesson that I've ever gone through, and and 188 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: I encourage people have gone through really difficult situations in 189 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: life to try to transmute it and find, you know, 190 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: the real reasons. I wouldn't trade it for anything in 191 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: the world today. If you offered me actually a billion 192 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: dollars and said we can erase that, I would say, 193 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: no way. That's how like incredibly valuable it was. But 194 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: I did honestly spend from the time of Halloween two 195 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: New Year's Eve completely homeless in the streets of New 196 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: York in a blizzard. You know, I had literally a 197 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: garbage bag as a as a raincoat over me. It 198 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 1: was pretty hardcore. And there was subway tokens at the time. 199 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: I had to collect literally ten subway tokens just to 200 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,359 Speaker 1: trade them for a ten dollar bill and then basically 201 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: just to survive. And you're on this treadmill and it 202 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: was just this like endless treadmill, and you know, at 203 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: the time, you're looking up and you're you're like, you know, 204 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: you know, where is God? And why did this happen 205 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: to me? You're in in such a negative state that 206 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: you you can't see ahead of you. But this was 207 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: all I believe part of my destiny in my formation 208 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,439 Speaker 1: years for the work that we're actually doing now. I 209 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: was lucky. I had, you know, a good family, and 210 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: I was flown to Europe. They you know, put me 211 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: in the proper treatments. And I at that time or 212 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: prior to that, prior to that, and then right after that. 213 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: And but why did you go? Why were you homeless? 214 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: Because you had shame, You had a family that would 215 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: have pulled you out of this. Had you burned every bridge, 216 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: Like why what? Yeah, I think you burned every single 217 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: bridge at that time, and there's just there's just nowhere 218 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: to go. And I ended up in Belgium and from 219 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: that day on I never to this day touched the 220 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,440 Speaker 1: drug again, a recreational drug ever, not one single time, 221 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: and no rehab. You had been to ten rehabs, but 222 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: this time you did it just on your own. You 223 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: hit rock bottom, went to Belgium, and you didn't go 224 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: to meetings. You just not that. I'm not that there's 225 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: a reason to not go to meetings. Just your path 226 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: wasn't that you didn't go to meetings. Actually, what happened 227 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: is when I got clean, I think the universe had 228 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: one more big surprise for me. Um Then one day 229 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: I fell on a coma and I had a benign 230 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,199 Speaker 1: brain tumor. I was in a coma for like thirty 231 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: six hours. When I woke up, they basically told me 232 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: that I wasn't going to survive, and they told my 233 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: father there was no chance I could survive that, you know, 234 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: with all the things that are going on with me 235 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: and methodone and all this stuff. And my mother came 236 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: in and begged them to, you know, at least attempt 237 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: to try to save me. I underwent three UH operations 238 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: on a meningioma tumor, and the total three operations were 239 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: about sixty hours of brain surgery. Imagine after that, I 240 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: got meningitis, and that meningitis almost killed me in itself. 241 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: I had to stay on i V for like two 242 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: months basically, and you have so much antibiotics that it 243 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: basically gets rid of like all your white blood cells. 244 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,079 Speaker 1: I had a therapist giving me like one pound weights. 245 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: I remember, I couldn't even like lift a one pound weight. 246 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 1: That's how like deep in the dark tunnel, you know, 247 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: I was. And I made it through, and I understood 248 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: for the first time that, you know, there was a 249 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: reason why I had actually survived when nobody said, you know, everybody, 250 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: every doctor there said I wasn't going to survive. Unfortunately, 251 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: through the process, my dad had a stroke and then 252 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: he died while I was in the hospital, in the 253 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: hospital next door. So that was a very you know, 254 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: hard thing on me. And after that, I um got well. 255 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: I moved to the Caribbean. I surf for about a year. 256 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: I got my strength back, and then I went back 257 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: to Miami and then I got back in my life 258 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: because that's the trade that I knew best. But I 259 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: always knew that I wasn't gonna be in it for 260 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: you know, a very long amount of time. So this 261 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: time I was back in nightlife in a different Miami. 262 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: Miami had really changed in the early nineties. It was 263 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: this bohemian, sheet coolest place, and you know, by the 264 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,479 Speaker 1: time I got in ninety nine, it was much more commercialized. 265 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: It was very different, and my life wasn't as raw 266 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: and it wasn't as interesting. So I was always looking 267 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: for other things to do that would be, um, you know, 268 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: a better fit. So that's when I started um getting 269 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: into philanthropy and use utilizing all my contacts in Miami. 270 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: Every time there was a disaster and that's how we 271 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: built this up. You know, basically, something would happen, Let's 272 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: just say nine eleven would happen. I'd call the mayor 273 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: Nisson Kasten at the time, I'd say we should organize 274 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: the Miami citywide drive, and then he'd go on TV 275 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: and he would say, you know, all the fire stations 276 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: are collecting eight and everything, and then we would at 277 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: that time as just a private citizen. That's how I 278 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: got my feet wet with this uh experience. That's important 279 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: because people often reach out to me and say, how 280 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: do I happen? So people say I want to send 281 00:15:58,320 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: a bunch of clothes, and then I have to sort 282 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: of defeat them by saying, if you just send a 283 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: box of random clothes that you know aren't from a 284 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: big company in multiple sizes, we would have to sort them, 285 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: and then people aren't getting their size and it's demoralizing. 286 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: And so things that people traditionally think will help aren't 287 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: necessarily sorily helpful, which is why often money is helpful. 288 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:21,359 Speaker 1: But now social media, communicating and connecting and spreading awareness 289 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: is a tool, and that's how people have helped a lot. 290 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: But Michael's discussing that he was just a civilian who 291 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: wanted to help and he had a skill set because 292 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: of nightclub promoting, and he ended up building some houses 293 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 1: in real estate development. UM. And I've produced events in 294 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: my past, large scale events, and I have run a business, 295 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: and often the thing that you do in your normal life, 296 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: even getting your kids off to school or getting the 297 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: schedule or soccer or whatever it is in your household, 298 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: connects the philanthropy. It can help you with philanthropy. So 299 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: it seems like an inaccessible world to kind of get 300 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: in a meaningful way, but you just have to dip 301 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: your foot in. And the first time I tried to help, 302 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: nobody want to help me, and nobody would give me anything, 303 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: and no one would donate money because I was a 304 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,879 Speaker 1: nobody in that space. I was a somebody in entertainment, 305 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 1: but and nobody in that space. So you just kind 306 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 1: of gotta be organized, be transparent, be reliable, delegate, execute 307 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:30,920 Speaker 1: and get on the road and try it. What year 308 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: is what you're describing when you got involved, Like dip 309 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: your toe in Kosovo was so you know, there's a 310 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: good ten year track record before I actually had my 311 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 1: own foundation um of doing it. You know, with others 312 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 1: and and you know, sitting on the board of United Way, 313 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: an amazing organization. You know, you're you're looking at UM, 314 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: you know, a different type of structure. Right, there's fifty 315 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: people on the board. It's slow to make decisions, right. 316 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: And then the UH earthquake happened in two thousand ten 317 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: in Haiti, and I think that that was the you know, 318 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: I always say it was probably my biggest turning point 319 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 1: at the time. I was advised, you know, I was 320 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,959 Speaker 1: someone worked in my office. It's incredible. And they happened 321 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: to be best friends with UH. This guy Hassan and 322 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: his UH mother was like the sister of the president 323 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: of Haiti or something. So they wrote us, wrote me 324 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: a letter basically asking for help right after the earthquake happened. 325 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: And I gave that letter to UH Commissioner Gongora at 326 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: the time, and they requested for you know, significant assistant. 327 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: So I went and got permission to have the fire 328 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: department come with me in Haiti. So this was a 329 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: tricky thing because I was kind of a captain of 330 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: the mission, but I wasn't a firefighter and I had 331 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: never been to Haiti. But we had a lot of 332 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,479 Speaker 1: support from the government at the time. They gave us, 333 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: you know, a couple of big busses and we had 334 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: collected all kinds of supplies in Miami. We were there 335 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: right after the earthquake Halpen. We were on the first 336 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 1: teams there and that was the most you know, insane 337 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 1: experience that you could ever imagine. I mean, just to 338 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: give you an example, um, when we showed up at 339 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: a hospital where basically there was you know, five hundred 340 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: people there that were screaming the whole time. Most people 341 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: had a rock that had like fallen on their arm 342 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: and the arm was like hanging by a thread, and 343 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:36,719 Speaker 1: it had been like four days, and there was like 344 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: maggots in there, like blood, and there was no time 345 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: for anesthesia to evaluate everything. I think the the team 346 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: I brought, I can honestly say, probably amputated more than 347 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: like thirty limbs. In front of me. I held ladies 348 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: arms while they were like getting cut off. I was 349 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: watching I was pregnant. I was watching the average of 350 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: Haiti while I think I was six months pregnant. And 351 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: I remember George Clooney getting up and saying something And 352 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: this is what's scary that back then something like Haiti 353 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 1: the earthquake. It was a very big deal in the 354 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: news that would be on for weeks at a time, 355 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: and it was one thing that everyone was focusing on. 356 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 1: And I'm going to get into now. We have to 357 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 1: because the just the the way that this whole conversation 358 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 1: is flowing. We're gonna get into how we met. I 359 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: know that Michael ended up doing about ninety trips to 360 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: Haiti since then. But I remember watching on television kids 361 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: onlines from medical care doactly what you're saying, and it 362 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:37,640 Speaker 1: made me feel so helpless, and I wanted to get 363 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,199 Speaker 1: involved in helping children and charities because I was in 364 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: the liquor business. They didn't think it was a good 365 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: idea for me to be in a children's charity because 366 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: I'm in the liquor business and those two things don't 367 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: don't collide, and they were very careful about where I 368 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: spent my time because I wanted my partners to really 369 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,359 Speaker 1: get involved. That's how I later ended up getting involved 370 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: with Dress for Success, which is a great charity to 371 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,919 Speaker 1: to help women um get on their feet and get 372 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: jobs and help other people to get jobs. But that Haiti, 373 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: where you were, where your where, your tipping point was 374 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: that was what the first time I ever thought about philanthropy. 375 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,239 Speaker 1: I had never had any money, so watching on the 376 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: news about Haiti was the first time I ever thought, Wow, 377 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: I want to do something. I want to not just 378 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 1: donate money randomly or percentage of percentages of things that 379 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: I sell to go somewhere. I want to do something. 380 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: But I didn't know how to enter and what I 381 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: bring up that that was the biggest deal in the world. 382 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: Then now you'll be dealing with a hurricane at the 383 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: same time as a shortage of ppe in the country, 384 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: at the same time as a building collapses, and there 385 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 1: are three hundred people dead. Right now, there's a massive 386 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 1: homeless crisis in the country. But you just sent me 387 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: a text that we're still sending aid to Louisiana because 388 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: when the headlines fade, we're still finishing missions. So the 389 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: headlines fade after the Australia fires, but we've committed to 390 00:21:55,520 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 1: do relief work, so we're still finishing. So we'll get 391 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 1: into all that sort of but we're going to get 392 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: into how I met Michael. I had already done a 393 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: relief effort for Hurricane Harvey in Texas. I decided I 394 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: wanted to do something. I ended up raising three thousand 395 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: dollars in money and in kind, and it was impossible 396 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: for me to get this money and to get this 397 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: going was impossible. Nobody knew I was. Nobody cared um 398 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: and I give Tinsey Mortimer shout out, but she donated 399 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: ten thousand dollars at that time to an unproven charity 400 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: and that was a big bulk of the beginning of 401 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: the money. And it sort of put us on the map. 402 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: And me going there and getting all these pictures put 403 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:39,959 Speaker 1: us on the map. And I did that and it 404 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: was a one off. It was just something I really 405 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 1: wanted to help. It was this is actually a crisis. 406 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 1: That's how that started. UM. I was watching all these 407 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: celebrities linked to big bureaucratic charities that I you know, 408 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: people don't know where they're donating, don't know what these 409 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 1: people are doing. I later learned even more from Michael 410 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: about the percentage that actually goes. There are a lot 411 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: of scam is. There are a lot of legal scams 412 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 1: and a lot of illegal scams. But if you're putting money, 413 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: you need to know exactly where it's going. You're donating 414 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 1: money if it's a dollar, if it's a million dollars, 415 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: you need to know exactly where it's going. That's been missing. 416 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: So now I finished that, and then Hurricane Maria hits 417 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: and that's in Puerto Rico, and it's everywhere in the news, 418 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: and I have no idea how to insert myself. I 419 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,400 Speaker 1: don't know what to do. I'm texting all these celebrities 420 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: that I know. Plane, help me get a plane. Nobody's 421 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: flying in there. What do we do? The one thing 422 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 1: that was sure is that they needed aid and they 423 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: needed planes. Because of the Jones Act, boats couldn't go 424 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 1: into deliver aid, so would normally be a very easy 425 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: trip for us. We have a warehouse in Miami, which 426 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: Michael will get into. But this was now logistical difference. 427 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:51,439 Speaker 1: Each each disaster has some weird logistical difference that you 428 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 1: would never know. So no two disasters the same. You 429 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: don't use the same skill set, and then the next 430 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: time you know everything you call back to certain things. 431 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: But ppe Ma asks being missing is it was a 432 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: new world. Dust from volcanoes erupting was a new world. 433 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,719 Speaker 1: Surfside was a new world. People were under a rubble. 434 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: So Maria was a new world. Because they had the 435 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: Jones actors in place. You couldn't bring boats in. People 436 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: need a plane. So now I'm obsessed with finding a plane. 437 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: I finally decided, Okay, I'll spend my money. I'm going 438 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: to charter a plane and we're gonna fill it with 439 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 1: stuff from Costco. What do we do? How do we 440 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,160 Speaker 1: fill this plane? What do we do when we get there? 441 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: And one Puerto Rican woman who was very connected, and 442 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: that was sort of what I had going. She was 443 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: very connected, So we were going to fill this plane. 444 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:35,959 Speaker 1: So I started calling people about filling this plane. And 445 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,680 Speaker 1: then Jennifer Bell says, I know a girl who I 446 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: already knew what who was it? What was the girl 447 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 1: with the son mixing up her name? A girl named Eve? 448 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: And she says, I know a guy who has a 449 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,679 Speaker 1: warehouse filled with aid. So now enter Michael and myself 450 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,199 Speaker 1: on a group text with this guy Omar, and you 451 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: could take it away what happened from your perspective, my perspective, 452 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 1: I'm connected to you. You can help me fill this 453 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 1: plane so I don't have to go to Costco and 454 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,439 Speaker 1: fill this order that these children's hospitals had been giving 455 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: to me. By Twitter and by text you can help 456 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: me and you can help me distribute. So now enter 457 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 1: Michael in my life. Yeah. So at the time, we 458 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 1: we had borrowed a warehouse from Moishi Mana and it 459 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: was like a pop up and he just let us 460 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 1: operate out of there. And we were dealing with only 461 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 1: local community collection AID, right, people from Miami were just 462 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: dropping off stuff. So we had a whole bunch of supplies, 463 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 1: maybe two million pounds worth of UH supplies. You wanted 464 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: UH to fill the plane. So, you know, we agreed, 465 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:41,640 Speaker 1: and I think Violet and Omar and everybody um went 466 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:46,439 Speaker 1: with you. And ironically, UM, you know, I had been 467 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: I had seen before, you know, people and Kim Kardashians 468 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: and things like that, you know, go to Haiti, and 469 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 1: I didn't think it was going to have any impact. 470 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: And I remember in the beginning thinking in my head, 471 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: it's funny I could say now, because you've certainly showed 472 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,439 Speaker 1: yourself to be the exact opposite of that. But I 473 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: was like, oh, housewife wants to go to Puerto Rico. 474 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 1: I was like, you guys, take or I don't need 475 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: to go on this trip. It's just gonna be whatever, 476 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 1: you know. But you guys were praying for someone with 477 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: a plane. I heard Omar said, you were praying for 478 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: someone to come with a plane. Well, even more ironically 479 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: in my meditations, you know, it had like kind of 480 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: shown me that, you know, something really big was going 481 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 1: to happen and that you know, we were going to 482 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: play a significant role in the disaster. And I actually 483 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: remember telling my team before I met you. I was like, 484 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: it's interesting, the universe is basically telling me that we're 485 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:37,399 Speaker 1: gonna play this major role in this thing. And you know, 486 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,199 Speaker 1: there's like barely any funds and you know, and to 487 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: operate with. I don't know how we're gonna make a 488 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: debt in this. And then all of a sudden, my 489 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 1: phone started getting these Google alerts and I was looking 490 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 1: and it was like Bethany Frankel in Puerto Rico with 491 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: Global and our admission, and I kept getting them, and 492 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: then um, I noticed our you know, donation link was 493 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: starting to like buzz a lot, and there was like 494 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: donations coming in. You and I hadn't even really met yet, 495 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: and I was very impressed. I was like, wow, this 496 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: one really has some you know, amazing impact. So I 497 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: picked you up at the airport and then you were 498 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: very touched by Puerto Rico and you were like, oh 499 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: my god, I need to do more. I need to 500 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: do more. What can I do? And you know, and 501 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 1: I remember in the car, we were like, you know, 502 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:27,199 Speaker 1: she get on our advisory board and you could be, 503 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: you know, spokesperson at the time, and you know, really 504 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:34,120 Speaker 1: help us. And literally within a week you went and 505 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: told your Puerto Rico story on all these talk shows 506 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: from l En too. You know, I forgot there was 507 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,479 Speaker 1: so many, but every time you did that, you brought 508 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: an amazing amount of awareness and the warehouse we would 509 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: start getting emails that you know, what you and I 510 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,360 Speaker 1: had figured out is that we weren't the only ones 511 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: in Miami collecting aid. And that's the whole secret. That 512 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 1: there was people that had fundraisers and drives in South Carolina, 513 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: in Texas, in Ohio, all over, and we knew that 514 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: there was no way that this groups, these groups were 515 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: going to be able to actually execute that. So we 516 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,880 Speaker 1: started reaching out to them and because of the exposure 517 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: that was given, they started contacting us too. The next thing, 518 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,880 Speaker 1: you know, we inherited like ten million pounds worth of aid, 519 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: which is a lot so yeah, So with Michael saying 520 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: two things that happened, I went on the first trip 521 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: and did distributions and went over the State building and 522 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:33,959 Speaker 1: these guys in khakis were sitting there with coffees and 523 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: it was miles literally miles and minutes away from where 524 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: people were waiting on their roofs for water. They were 525 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 1: rationing insulin. I mean they were dying because no one 526 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: would go there. They had no electricity, no clean water, 527 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: no one would go. The President hadn't been there yet 528 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: and um and so people would just pull up to 529 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: this truck. Didn't matter if they got toilet, paper, diapers, 530 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: they didn't care. They were just waiting for hours and 531 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: hours and hours for water, for everything. So when I 532 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: came back, that was the first of like six trips 533 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: that I did. I, as Michael said, I was, I 534 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: was from talking about it. Ellen gave three planes, Steve 535 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 1: Harvey gave a plane, Elvis Durant gave a plane. We 536 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: ended up doing fifty three planes in and out. Each 537 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: mission was tailored differently. And as Michael's explaining, he was 538 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: amassing the aid all over the country because we were 539 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: using Twitter as a tool. Twitter was where I would 540 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: write this stuff, and then children's hospitals would say, hey, 541 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: we need at a B C d E and then um. 542 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: But but in Ohio a church would say we have 543 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: thousands of pounds. Because people around the country were inadvertently 544 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: just without a plan. And this is the point about philanthropy, 545 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 1: we have to get into amassing aid. They were doing drives, 546 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 1: taking uh convention centers in high schools and taking an AID. 547 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: It's a you can't just take an AID without a 548 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: distribution plan. So we were saving them because you can't 549 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: take people's donations without a way to distribute it. And 550 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 1: people have gotten into major trouble doing that in the 551 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: Australia fires. And you know, philanthropy is a serious business. 552 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: You can't just take in a to and not distributed. 553 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: So we were helping people saying, well, you gotta get 554 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 1: the aid to us. So around the country Michael was like, 555 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: promote this, talk about this, and I was telling it 556 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:10,960 Speaker 1: on Twitter, and then people were calling us from high 557 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: schools and convention centers and we would say get it 558 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: to get it to the dock in Miami and we'll 559 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: move it. What do you have? So I became the 560 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: switchboard and Michael became his operations person, and when he 561 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: picked me up at the airport, he scared the ship 562 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 1: out of me because he was like, you're gonna be 563 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: our our head whatever. I forgot, what the hell you said. 564 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: You'll be the head person and you'll be the faith 565 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 1: I'm like, whoa, No, I'm doing one relief work to Pari, 566 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: Puerto Rico. Relax, I have a business, I have a daughter, Like, 567 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 1: I'm not your everything. He had me introduced to everybody, 568 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: and he wanted me to be the face of this 569 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: whole thing. And I was like, take it easy, because 570 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:45,600 Speaker 1: Michael is very pushy in that way, and I'm very 571 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 1: like boundaries, and so I was like, I thought I 572 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: was doing one mission. Lo and behold. We've been to Guatemala. 573 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: We've been I was in Mexico. We've been to Australia fires. 574 00:30:55,640 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: We've been to California many times, in North Carolina, Louisiana, Haiti, 575 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: thirty countries, and and we did the We've done the 576 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 1: largest private relief efforts in the United States history, just 577 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: the two of us, literally with a small group of volunteers. 578 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 1: So lean because we don't have that bureaucracy and we're 579 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: not spending thousands of dollars wasting it. And Michael gets 580 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 1: so frustrated when he hears people donating their money to 581 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: these relief organizations that takes six months to get something done, 582 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: and that take for themselves, for their offices and their travel. 583 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: I pay for my own travel, I pay for my 584 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: own team, I pay for my own everything. So of 585 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: be strong donations goes. So we collided and we started 586 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: doing crazy stuff like everywhere, and Michael is operations like, um, 587 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: he's You've been amazing partner in and we've been through 588 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 1: serious stress. We've been through stress, we've been through corruption, 589 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: We've been through some crazy ship. But I'm always the 590 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 1: person who, you know, make sure that I have to 591 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: know exactly where the money is going, and I have 592 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 1: to control the message and what we're working on and 593 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 1: like because Michael wants to do everything in every place, 594 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: which is great, but I'll be like, no, now it's 595 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: time to pull the car out. We have to like 596 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: close this up because if we get into deep we 597 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: can't get out. So and Michael will be like, well, 598 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 1: we have to finish this up because we still have 599 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 1: to build these schools and we still have to, you know, 600 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: help these churches, and so it's a very good marriage 601 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 1: of me controlling Michael, Michael controlling what I'm saying. If 602 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: I'm saying something I can't be saying because we're dealing 603 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,479 Speaker 1: with a government and we have to be politically correct 604 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: and we have to play the game and be diplomatic 605 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 1: with them, because we are sometimes going rogue, meaning we're 606 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 1: not going and attaching ourselves to a government, otherwise we'd 607 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 1: be able to get nothing done. But we also have 608 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: to play the game at the government, otherwise they won't 609 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: let us fly our planes in or our boats in 610 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: or whatever we're doing, or our military in or retire 611 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 1: military in. So it's a it's a it's a serious situation. 612 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 1: I want you to talk a little bit about lack 613 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: of transparency in the world of philanthropy, like how people 614 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 1: don't know where they're donating to and how you get 615 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: frustrated when you see celebrities posting links and they have 616 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 1: no idea where the money is really going. I'd like 617 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: you to talk about that, and I will say that 618 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: you are a very uh we both started more naive, 619 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 1: you maybe even more naive than I did. But when 620 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: we got started on this level with this public sort 621 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: of awareness. I don't think you saw a lot of 622 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: the corruption coming, and I was like a step ahead 623 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: of you with that, being like, oh no, we've got 624 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: to keep our circles so tight because this is where 625 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 1: corruption lies. Because when it's a ship show and it's 626 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 1: a disaster and we're trying to help and everyone's trying 627 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 1: to help, we think everybody else is like us and 628 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 1: wants to help, and that's when the predators come in. 629 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: So let's talk about first transparency bureaucracy and how we 630 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 1: work on such a lean JIP based compared to other 631 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: people and um, and then talk about the corruption that 632 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 1: we've seen and how people really don't know necessarily where 633 00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: they're donating, no matter how famous the person is who's 634 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: doing it or you know that kind of thing. Yes, 635 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 1: So when we go back to the Haiti story, right 636 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:24,360 Speaker 1: where it all originates from, basically, you know, billions was 637 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 1: was hundreds of billions of dollars were raised for Haiti. UM. 638 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:32,239 Speaker 1: I was on the board of, you know, a giant organization, 639 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,880 Speaker 1: and I didn't have my own foundation, and you know, 640 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:37,000 Speaker 1: after a trip two we set up a intents city 641 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 1: and then all the whole time I was like, you know, 642 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: the big Organs are going to come in and basically 643 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,759 Speaker 1: just fix this and take it over. Will have just 644 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,919 Speaker 1: done that, And after about nine ten months in Haiti, 645 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 1: I realized that was never gonna happen and I owned 646 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,360 Speaker 1: this problem and the three thousand people I had in 647 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 1: my in tent city, there was nothing I could do 648 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: with them. I either just walk away and own that 649 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:59,239 Speaker 1: karma for life or I have to find a plan 650 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,399 Speaker 1: for them. And that led me to you know this, 651 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 1: basically you have the problem solved on every single thing, 652 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: So you're very correct. Every single disaster is exactly like 653 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: a new corporate startup. You have to basically have a 654 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,719 Speaker 1: new set of donors, a new master plan, a new 655 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: string of governments, new shipping routes right every sometimes as 656 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 1: by plane, by ship, by all different kinds of carriers. 657 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: But there's case law that does help us, meaning it 658 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 1: is totally different. But there's some funk ups that you've 659 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 1: made or some stresses that we've had, so we wouldn't 660 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 1: make that mistake again, you know what I mean? Yeah, Well, 661 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 1: the you know, the biggest thing is that you know 662 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 1: we do not distribute aid unless you know we're doing it. 663 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: Ourselves or supervising a partner. Right, So like we just 664 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 1: pulled off right, Now, let's stick with Haiti. Those little 665 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: kids that were sleeping in that tent city in two 666 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 1: thousand and ten, we put them through college. Those kids 667 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,760 Speaker 1: are in college now, they're wearing these strong shirts. Now, 668 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:59,799 Speaker 1: they're fully educated. They speak English. They're at the poor 669 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: in a secret port where we have a four hundred 670 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,759 Speaker 1: foot ship come and literally delivered. The last load was 671 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,880 Speaker 1: five twenty nine palettes. I mean, think about how big 672 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: that is, just for someone to understand that that's twenty 673 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 1: two eighteen wheelers filled with supplies, right that we brought 674 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: to Haiti. And we didn't just dump it off there 675 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: and hope for the best. We were there for twelve 676 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: days at that port. We had sixty seven Haitian trucks 677 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: come from different groups and organizations and come pick that 678 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,799 Speaker 1: eight up and drive it to like every single part 679 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: of the whole South coast and three different zones or 680 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:44,319 Speaker 1: states or departments. That is a lot of managing and orchestration. 681 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:47,960 Speaker 1: At the same time, you have Americans that are kidnapped. 682 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: You know, the whole country has no gas, no nothing. 683 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:53,880 Speaker 1: But you know, we figured it out and we you know, 684 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,840 Speaker 1: succeeded on this and you know they're big accomplishments. Um 685 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 1: Hurricane Ida. We already sent eight eighteen wheeler trucks with 686 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,560 Speaker 1: our partner, you see group, and now we're gonna send 687 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: another ten of rebuilding materials. We're gonna have ten trucks 688 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 1: just flywood to rebuild in the Bahamas. We sent twenty 689 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: four barges. Imagine an entire barge that's you know, two 690 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:25,520 Speaker 1: d feet long with supplies stacks. So we've grown, you know, incredibly, 691 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:30,240 Speaker 1: and the mission we just didn't Haiti. And there's actually 692 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: an article about it right now. If the government would 693 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: have done that exact same mission, it would have cost 694 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:39,240 Speaker 1: taxpayers minimum fifty to sixty million dollars. We probably pulled 695 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 1: that off for three grand. That's what I want to convey. 696 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:45,360 Speaker 1: When I came into the warehouse of Michael I, because 697 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:47,480 Speaker 1: I'm very organized, as you all know, I wanted there 698 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: to be a system. I wanted there to be boxes, 699 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:53,320 Speaker 1: assembly line and things to be ready. Obviously didn't have 700 00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:54,879 Speaker 1: the money yet, but now we had the we had 701 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: the we had the awareness, the track record to have 702 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:05,080 Speaker 1: merchandized pet supplies, medicine, he's got plywood in there. You know, 703 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 1: Michael's always connecting the way he used to at nightclubs. 704 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 1: So now we have a warehouse that's fully staged at 705 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:12,800 Speaker 1: all times for anything that could possibly happen, from masks, 706 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: stands sanitizer to water to every feminine products, everything kind bars. 707 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 1: Goya has donated Delta blankets. Like we have real uh 708 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: connections now. So it's a great feeling once you are credible, 709 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: and like you said, they know that they're getting a 710 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,839 Speaker 1: better r O I because it's only costing you three 711 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: hundred thousand, not millions. I want to just tell a 712 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: couple of things I want to say. Number one, the 713 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 1: proof of this fact is that I don't want to 714 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,319 Speaker 1: name names, but one of these massive, the biggest org 715 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:42,919 Speaker 1: that you can imagine that is always linked by every 716 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 1: celebrity to donate to. I took two people, two very 717 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 1: famous A list people on missions to Puerto Rico on 718 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: planes missions will probably cost thirty to fifty thousand dollars. 719 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:56,400 Speaker 1: Because they went to that organization and said, Hi, we 720 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: see what's going on in Puerto Rico. We have money, 721 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 1: we want to donate a plane and fill it. And 722 00:39:00,719 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 1: they said that's not what we do. So you're talking 723 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:05,799 Speaker 1: about someone at the level of like you know, Demi 724 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: Lavado or arian on a grande, calling and saying I 725 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 1: have money, I have fifty dollars I want to play 726 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: and fill with aid. And they're going to the biggest 727 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 1: org saying can you help us? And they say, no, 728 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,880 Speaker 1: we don't do that. You should call Bethany Frankel. So 729 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:20,840 Speaker 1: these people are calling me, who the hell am I? 730 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 1: What the hell do I know? So I'm taking them 731 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 1: on these aids. One was to go to the elderly. 732 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:28,279 Speaker 1: I think it was the hospitals that had no generators. 733 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 1: Another one was just regular relief, to go through villages 734 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:33,719 Speaker 1: and bring aid to a bunch of different houses. And 735 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:36,600 Speaker 1: that's the point. So you know, just because it has 736 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: a name brand, if it's a purse, it doesn't mean 737 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: it's better than a bag that's much less expensive. And 738 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:43,440 Speaker 1: just because it is a name brand, if it's a 739 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:47,359 Speaker 1: relief org, you're probably paying for the markup. Just like 740 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:50,920 Speaker 1: in an expensive handbag. You're paying for the packaging, the 741 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:54,799 Speaker 1: real estate, the bureaucracy, the travel, the their literature, all 742 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,200 Speaker 1: the bullshit, their website, their social media. You're paying for 743 00:39:57,239 --> 00:39:59,759 Speaker 1: all that ship. So we are sort of like, we 744 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: don't do Rubbert Chicken dinners, we don't pay for table cloths, 745 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:04,799 Speaker 1: we don't pay for talent. It's the money from you 746 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: guys to the people. And I also want to say 747 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: you have played such an amazing role in helping us 748 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,759 Speaker 1: because you you tell us when the thing happens. We 749 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 1: may not even know off and Michael knows about weather 750 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:20,360 Speaker 1: patterns and disasters, but you let us know this is 751 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,480 Speaker 1: a problem. Look what just happened. I found out about 752 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:24,799 Speaker 1: Astro World from my assistant and then looked at social 753 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:26,440 Speaker 1: media and it was everywhere there from you, and then 754 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: I reached out to Michael and said, can we help 755 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:32,880 Speaker 1: these families? So because of you, things become important to us. 756 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 1: If so many people say it to us, it becomes 757 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,320 Speaker 1: important to us. Because of social media, I've had hospitals 758 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 1: reach out to us and say we need exactly this, 759 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:43,080 Speaker 1: and then we go to the warehouse and deliver it 760 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 1: to them. I send that message to Michael and then 761 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,839 Speaker 1: he executes it. If we can help, if he needs volunteers, 762 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: he tells me to put it into the to the 763 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 1: to the sphere, and then you guys reach out to him. 764 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 1: I mean, so social media has been literally the reason 765 00:40:57,760 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 1: that this has been so successful. So I need to say, 766 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: you have how much have they homeless crisis? Like because 767 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: of the homeless crisis now other people are talking about 768 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,360 Speaker 1: their cities. Michael was homeless for a brief period in 769 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:10,480 Speaker 1: his life. So this is something that became important to 770 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:13,279 Speaker 1: us and we get to execute it, um and here 771 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 1: what's important to you? So I just want to say 772 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,200 Speaker 1: that you have been amazing in this whole journey for us, 773 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 1: and I want to thank you too, because you know, 774 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,760 Speaker 1: we really wouldn't be able to do it without you, Bethany. 775 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:26,719 Speaker 1: And and I mean there's no chance. I mean we 776 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:30,800 Speaker 1: have I think we've distributed a hundred thirty million dollars 777 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:34,120 Speaker 1: worth of supplies since you and I've met, um substantial, 778 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:38,719 Speaker 1: you know. And I want to make a point, right, 779 00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: So you have the Amazon fires, and every single celebrity 780 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: and guru and spiritual person is you know, tweeting and 781 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,640 Speaker 1: posting about you know, stop the ams on fires. Right. 782 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,680 Speaker 1: But action speaks louder than words, right, So what are 783 00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 1: you doing about it? Right? So what did we do? 784 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 1: We flew there immediately, right and we went where the 785 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:04,600 Speaker 1: fires were actually happening, and we spoke with all the 786 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 1: mayors on the ground with literally showing us with binoculars 787 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 1: explaining to us how it could be stopped. They said, 788 00:42:12,040 --> 00:42:16,040 Speaker 1: we have farmers everywhere and basically we can turn them 789 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: overnight into firefighters if only we had firefighter equipment for them. 790 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:25,799 Speaker 1: The mayor's told me this literally on Tuesday, just to 791 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,839 Speaker 1: show the donors how quickly we operate, and said, we 792 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:32,800 Speaker 1: need right now equipment to make three farmers firefighters to 793 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,640 Speaker 1: put out these fires right here. I flew back to 794 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 1: the capital of Bolivia, found a company that sells fire equipment, 795 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:43,320 Speaker 1: purchased it on this plot, and sent a couple of 796 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:47,399 Speaker 1: truckloads to the region. By Thursday, forty eight hours later, 797 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:50,759 Speaker 1: we were outfitting the farmers and they were going out 798 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:52,719 Speaker 1: there and they put out the fires. Yeah, and that's 799 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:56,040 Speaker 1: the thing about the transparency. What happens is we assess 800 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,600 Speaker 1: what's needed. Then I talked to Michael, we have a goal. 801 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:01,799 Speaker 1: Then I tell you what the goal is. I don't 802 00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:03,600 Speaker 1: say a hundred percent can get this done. I say 803 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:05,080 Speaker 1: what the goal is, and then I come back to 804 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:07,839 Speaker 1: you and then to say what we've executed. That's why 805 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:10,440 Speaker 1: it's always a mission update and some you know, I 806 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,480 Speaker 1: try to do that not too much because I don't 807 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:15,839 Speaker 1: want to badge your people with information or asking for money. 808 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:18,319 Speaker 1: It's becomes the boy required wolf. I asked when we 809 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:22,080 Speaker 1: really need to ask And just so you know, of 810 00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:25,640 Speaker 1: the money or probably now uh goes a d percent 811 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:27,759 Speaker 1: to the cash cards, to the people. All the aid 812 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: in the warehouses donated, So we're not going and buying 813 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:34,239 Speaker 1: rice with the money you're you're sending. It's it's all 814 00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:37,120 Speaker 1: in the warehouse. With the exception of if let's say 815 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: that Michael and I, let's say he finds fire equipment, 816 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:41,920 Speaker 1: then he has to say to me, can I have 817 00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:45,359 Speaker 1: permission to spend a hundred thousand dollars or fifty thousand 818 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:48,360 Speaker 1: dollars or fifteen thousand dollars to to to transport the 819 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:50,680 Speaker 1: equipment or whatever it is. But this is like literally 820 00:43:50,719 --> 00:43:54,239 Speaker 1: my accounts are involved. I'm involved. Michael asks me if 821 00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:56,760 Speaker 1: it's okay, do I approve it. There's a whole process 822 00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:02,160 Speaker 1: is if we have this corporate infrastructure. Um, so there's 823 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,080 Speaker 1: a whole thing that goes on behind the scenes, and 824 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:08,759 Speaker 1: did you discuss have been amazing and so the transparency 825 00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:11,160 Speaker 1: has been hugely important, and yes, you're right, people post 826 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:12,799 Speaker 1: what's important to them because they see a picture of 827 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:14,719 Speaker 1: a koala bear and then they give a link. And 828 00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:18,840 Speaker 1: it always is annoying to us because celebrities then drive 829 00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:21,320 Speaker 1: all this money or they themselves donate money, and Michael's 830 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:23,400 Speaker 1: hitting his head going, oh they're fucking giving to that, 831 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 1: and because what really goes like we get frustrated, we're 832 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:32,960 Speaker 1: passionate about it. So, uh, we've done amazing things. Uh, 833 00:44:33,280 --> 00:44:35,400 Speaker 1: the Ppe thing almost killed us. I mean that was 834 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:37,719 Speaker 1: insane and it was stressful and it was brutal, and 835 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:39,560 Speaker 1: there was corruption and there was stealing and it was 836 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:41,960 Speaker 1: bad and it kills me. And everybody around me has 837 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:45,600 Speaker 1: to sort of intervene because this is your job, that's 838 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:47,600 Speaker 1: not my only job, and everybody sort of feels like 839 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:48,960 Speaker 1: they have to pull me out because I can't get 840 00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 1: myself out. So I have to control myself and I 841 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:53,600 Speaker 1: have to control myself for my health and decide when 842 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:56,640 Speaker 1: to extricate and when we have to close things up 843 00:44:56,640 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: and not do everything. So that's been a big and 844 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:01,560 Speaker 1: not go to everything of thing. It's like an event 845 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:04,600 Speaker 1: I maybe I made, say I tried to fly to 846 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:07,480 Speaker 1: New Orleans. Remember all the flights got canceled, and we 847 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:10,399 Speaker 1: will raise more money if I am physically there. And 848 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:12,959 Speaker 1: we Have've been to the Bahamas many times, in Puerto 849 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:15,200 Speaker 1: Rico and everywhere. But I can't go to everything. So 850 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:19,239 Speaker 1: I've had to control myself in this process, otherwise I'd 851 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:20,920 Speaker 1: be killing myself. I used to go to Guatemala and 852 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,319 Speaker 1: Mexico and everywhere, so I can can't go every single 853 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:27,319 Speaker 1: place I go. I choose my spots. You're usually there 854 00:45:27,760 --> 00:45:31,680 Speaker 1: all the time, and you've done amazing things, and we've 855 00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:35,840 Speaker 1: been an amazing team, really like with business, sticking to 856 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:37,920 Speaker 1: the boundaries and sticking to the roles and sticking to 857 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,480 Speaker 1: what we both are good and sticking to our skill sets. 858 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:56,239 Speaker 1: How do you support yourself being a philanthropist? How do 859 00:45:56,280 --> 00:46:00,800 Speaker 1: you support yourself financially? So from the Global Empowerment Mission side, 860 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:04,799 Speaker 1: not the not the be strong side. I have a 861 00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:08,759 Speaker 1: BORD approved salary and that's how I run the foundation 862 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:12,120 Speaker 1: now and I've forfeited, you know, all my other things 863 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:17,120 Speaker 1: because this requires basically I work honestly, eighteen hours a day, 864 00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:20,440 Speaker 1: seven days a week. This is from seven am to midnight. 865 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:23,120 Speaker 1: There's no time for anything. You know, you have to 866 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:26,040 Speaker 1: track these things. You have to. If I I used 867 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 1: to surf and I still do, And when I saw 868 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 1: a big swell coming and you know, going to Barbados, 869 00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:35,560 Speaker 1: I would fly to Barbados, you know, because I knew 870 00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:37,640 Speaker 1: that swell I was gonna hit. That's how we operate 871 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,040 Speaker 1: today with hurricanes. I mean, the donors should know. When 872 00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:43,440 Speaker 1: Hurricane Ida was still off shore, we were voting our 873 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:46,120 Speaker 1: a team wheel or trucks with DUC groups. Same with Bahamas, 874 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:48,080 Speaker 1: we were flying when the thing was still happened. The 875 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:50,440 Speaker 1: thing was with Bahamas, the storm still happening. When I 876 00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:54,560 Speaker 1: was flying that we were doing recon you know, um 877 00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:58,120 Speaker 1: while the thing was still still twirling. So the name 878 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:00,160 Speaker 1: of the game today is like I said, it's like 879 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:04,240 Speaker 1: you you were always usually the first or second people 880 00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:07,839 Speaker 1: on the ground. Um. You know, world kitchens incredible, they're 881 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:11,560 Speaker 1: always there, you know early also and you know you 882 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:13,960 Speaker 1: get there and you assess. They have to assess, you 883 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:16,600 Speaker 1: know what they do and we do a different role, 884 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:18,920 Speaker 1: right and we have to assess that immediately. So you 885 00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:21,960 Speaker 1: fly into Abaco and you get a quick read. Okay, 886 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,200 Speaker 1: there's three hundred homes that are destroyed how many are 887 00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:27,000 Speaker 1: we gonna be able to realistically repair Let's take half. 888 00:47:27,160 --> 00:47:30,280 Speaker 1: But you got to assess the situation and then literally 889 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:32,160 Speaker 1: within twenty four hours, you got to come up with 890 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:35,799 Speaker 1: a game plan. Right, So it's effectively shark tank. You 891 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:37,640 Speaker 1: come up with your business plan and you then have 892 00:47:37,680 --> 00:47:39,840 Speaker 1: to present it because you're trying to get people to donate, 893 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:43,280 Speaker 1: you're trying you're you're distributing aid while trying to update 894 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:45,640 Speaker 1: your website. You're dealing with celebrities and they want a 895 00:47:45,719 --> 00:47:47,560 Speaker 1: deck and you're like, I don't have a deck on 896 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:49,439 Speaker 1: what's going on, par Rico, because we're creating the deck 897 00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:52,480 Speaker 1: as it's happening. So that's been great about me being 898 00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:54,640 Speaker 1: a person who's got credibility and business just being able 899 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:56,200 Speaker 1: to say I don't know, you want to help, or 900 00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:58,239 Speaker 1: you don't want to help, like you gotta get us 901 00:47:58,239 --> 00:48:00,960 Speaker 1: some money, and they just do that because now people 902 00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:03,719 Speaker 1: know that we're going to be first and furious and 903 00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:06,120 Speaker 1: we have a warehouse and that's the beauty of what 904 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:08,280 Speaker 1: we've done. So but we have to be very careful 905 00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:11,040 Speaker 1: at all times because and ship can go sideways. Anytime. 906 00:48:11,080 --> 00:48:16,400 Speaker 1: We experienced treacherous conditions in Ppe, I remember you said, Bethany, 907 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:18,399 Speaker 1: you got to fucking lay off at the pressure because 908 00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:21,040 Speaker 1: I'm going to jump off a building. Because that one situation, 909 00:48:21,080 --> 00:48:22,840 Speaker 1: which was touch and go, it ended up being written 910 00:48:22,840 --> 00:48:28,719 Speaker 1: about in the New York Times, the PPE fraud and corruption. Remember, 911 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:30,440 Speaker 1: we didn't know what was going on until we were 912 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:32,839 Speaker 1: in the middle of it, meaning I started to stay 913 00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:36,319 Speaker 1: to Michael, something's fucked up with these people. And we 914 00:48:36,320 --> 00:48:38,359 Speaker 1: were in the middle of something where people were trying 915 00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:43,360 Speaker 1: to scam us using literally state governments. People were being 916 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:46,120 Speaker 1: investigated everywhere, and we were like right in the middle 917 00:48:46,120 --> 00:48:47,840 Speaker 1: of it because everyone knew that we were working on 918 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:50,040 Speaker 1: us and we were getting into warehouses and getting aid 919 00:48:50,239 --> 00:48:54,040 Speaker 1: that no governments were getting. So we were a target 920 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:58,200 Speaker 1: and we had to identify that really quickly. And it 921 00:48:58,239 --> 00:49:00,319 Speaker 1: was scary because we had we had come it too, 922 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:05,040 Speaker 1: getting PPE to hospitals and to uh states and people 923 00:49:05,080 --> 00:49:07,040 Speaker 1: were trying to scam us at the same time. You remember, 924 00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:10,040 Speaker 1: like how bad that wasn't You're freaking out? It's crazy 925 00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:14,040 Speaker 1: And we realized that we realize now that like we 926 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:17,560 Speaker 1: have to know that people are coming to scam during 927 00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:21,080 Speaker 1: times of disaster. As soon as the pandemic happened. You know, 928 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:24,880 Speaker 1: you've got a hundred or so groups that basically hijacked 929 00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:27,680 Speaker 1: all the existing ppe and just sat on in different 930 00:49:27,719 --> 00:49:30,360 Speaker 1: warehouses and and marked it up, and then the hospitals 931 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:33,080 Speaker 1: couldn't get to it. So we were forced to negotiate 932 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:35,960 Speaker 1: with some of them and and and buy through them. 933 00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:38,480 Speaker 1: And some were legit and some were illegitimate, but we 934 00:49:38,560 --> 00:49:41,399 Speaker 1: didn't know that immediately. We didn't know what the deal 935 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:43,800 Speaker 1: was worldwide with masks, we didn't know what the deal was. 936 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:46,000 Speaker 1: You're learning, you're flying a plane while you're building it, 937 00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:48,400 Speaker 1: so you've got to be sort of watching for everything 938 00:49:48,440 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 1: that could happen. Because while it's happening, you can't wait. 939 00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:55,040 Speaker 1: You can't like vet something, you can't do a research 940 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:58,000 Speaker 1: project on something. That's what disaster relief is. That's why 941 00:49:58,040 --> 00:50:02,279 Speaker 1: it's scary, because the people people are dying. People were dying, 942 00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:04,000 Speaker 1: Doctors are dying, So you had to sort of be 943 00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:09,160 Speaker 1: figuring out the equation and the enigma and where the 944 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:13,919 Speaker 1: scams are while doing it. Time isn't on your side. 945 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:15,719 Speaker 1: That's the one thing. It's different than a business because 946 00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:18,359 Speaker 1: you might you can't create a business plan when people 947 00:50:18,400 --> 00:50:20,080 Speaker 1: are dying. I mean we did. You know, we did 948 00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:23,680 Speaker 1: incredible things that we sent PPE to seven hundred and 949 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:28,040 Speaker 1: fifty different institutions including you know, maybe five hundred hospitals, 950 00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:33,160 Speaker 1: two hundred nursery homes, and had ten ten eighteen wheelers 951 00:50:33,200 --> 00:50:36,320 Speaker 1: of just asthmat suits to New York City alone. And 952 00:50:37,120 --> 00:50:39,760 Speaker 1: you know, we we had a purchase at the time 953 00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:42,640 Speaker 1: Ppe because there was nowhere to get it. But ironically, 954 00:50:43,360 --> 00:50:46,920 Speaker 1: in uh the end of two thousand twenty and especially 955 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:52,399 Speaker 1: two thousand twenty one, now these same people that were 956 00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:54,440 Speaker 1: trying to sell it to us, they got stuck with 957 00:50:54,560 --> 00:50:56,960 Speaker 1: it and now they wanted to give it back and 958 00:50:57,120 --> 00:51:01,480 Speaker 1: donate and we probably received this you're alone, about thirty 959 00:51:01,520 --> 00:51:05,120 Speaker 1: five million dollars worth of donated pepe. Can you imagine? No, 960 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:08,200 Speaker 1: it's crazy. It was a stock. It was a stock surge, 961 00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:11,640 Speaker 1: and it was the stock was up through the roof, 962 00:51:11,960 --> 00:51:13,960 Speaker 1: and we were trying to buy that stock when it 963 00:51:14,040 --> 00:51:16,680 Speaker 1: was at the peak. So we were trying to figure out, 964 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:20,480 Speaker 1: how what's more important money than our time? And governments 965 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:23,080 Speaker 1: decided and we decided that money was less important than time. 966 00:51:23,400 --> 00:51:25,680 Speaker 1: We were set mask up to seven dollars and fifty 967 00:51:25,719 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 1: cents in certain crazy states when they should be fifty 968 00:51:28,160 --> 00:51:30,920 Speaker 1: nine cents, and we were trying to deal with that 969 00:51:31,120 --> 00:51:34,080 Speaker 1: and then try to also get masks wants to stop crash, 970 00:51:34,160 --> 00:51:35,759 Speaker 1: and then everybody was trying to deplete. It was a 971 00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:39,320 Speaker 1: crazy scam situation. Same thing with the has met suits. Anyway, 972 00:51:39,480 --> 00:51:43,319 Speaker 1: we're inside baseball. Um, you have been amazing and done 973 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:47,440 Speaker 1: amazing things, and you've dedicated your whole life to helping people, 974 00:51:47,760 --> 00:51:52,280 Speaker 1: and um, how many years ago do we mean? Six now? Almost? 975 00:51:53,200 --> 00:51:56,560 Speaker 1: It's been extraordinary. It's been extraordinary. It's been really extraordinary. 976 00:51:56,960 --> 00:51:59,960 Speaker 1: Nobody else is like you, nobody. You can get things 977 00:52:00,160 --> 00:52:03,239 Speaker 1: done that nobody else can do. It's it makes sense 978 00:52:03,320 --> 00:52:06,200 Speaker 1: that used to do real estate development, it makes sense 979 00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:10,360 Speaker 1: used to do nightclubs. You really can figure out crazy stuff, 980 00:52:10,680 --> 00:52:16,600 Speaker 1: dealing with corruption, with crime, with hijackers, with different You're 981 00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:19,080 Speaker 1: very good dealing with different You know, you've had we've 982 00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:22,360 Speaker 1: had the police, Republicans, Democrats, the Christians, the Jews. Like 983 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:26,359 Speaker 1: riding the line, knowing the political landscape, what to say, 984 00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:29,399 Speaker 1: what not to say, it's been excellent. It's been a great, 985 00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:32,960 Speaker 1: great ride, not without bumps, but no businesses and it's 986 00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:35,879 Speaker 1: been amazing And I'm really grateful for it. I'm really 987 00:52:36,080 --> 00:52:38,520 Speaker 1: we're really grateful for you. I really think that you 988 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:43,520 Speaker 1: have you know you we have made it. You know, 989 00:52:43,719 --> 00:52:48,160 Speaker 1: you really have. Um. Every single time I go to 990 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:51,600 Speaker 1: a place, it's problem solving, and that's the mind has 991 00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:54,040 Speaker 1: to understand how the problem solve. You have to go there. Okay, 992 00:52:54,080 --> 00:52:56,960 Speaker 1: what's the situation, what's the need? And then aren't the 993 00:52:57,080 --> 00:53:00,160 Speaker 1: obvious to come back? And how can we get this 994 00:53:00,440 --> 00:53:03,040 Speaker 1: need to this place for the least amount of money 995 00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:05,480 Speaker 1: in the quickest amount in the shortest amount of time. 996 00:53:06,239 --> 00:53:10,239 Speaker 1: That's that's business. So that's why. Yeah, and that's why 997 00:53:10,520 --> 00:53:12,759 Speaker 1: every time there's a California fire, a truck is there 998 00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,520 Speaker 1: two weeks later, Ida, we had trucks forty eight hours later, 999 00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:18,880 Speaker 1: you know, St. Vincent, we were the first ones there. Um, 1000 00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:23,120 Speaker 1: all right, Michael, it's been amazing. I'm so grateful and 1001 00:53:23,600 --> 00:53:25,600 Speaker 1: I'm glad that. That's why in the beginning I wanted 1002 00:53:25,600 --> 00:53:28,000 Speaker 1: to people to hear your story because it's connected to 1003 00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:30,200 Speaker 1: what we're talking about. You know, people need to want 1004 00:53:30,239 --> 00:53:31,719 Speaker 1: to hear like a person story because you might be 1005 00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:35,320 Speaker 1: just like them. So if you want to donate Bethany 1006 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:37,200 Speaker 1: b E. T H E. N and y dot com 1007 00:53:37,320 --> 00:53:42,879 Speaker 1: slash be strong, and we are transparent in what we're 1008 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:44,920 Speaker 1: working on, what we have worked on, and where the 1009 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:47,640 Speaker 1: money goes. And Michael is integral in that process. So 1010 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:50,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to talk about giving back and sort of 1011 00:53:50,880 --> 00:53:55,360 Speaker 1: our process much like a small business in how we 1012 00:53:55,600 --> 00:53:58,040 Speaker 1: get these things done. So thank you so much for 1013 00:53:58,640 --> 00:54:02,400 Speaker 1: being here with us. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed 1014 00:54:02,440 --> 00:54:05,520 Speaker 1: that conversation because I like to bring everything back to business, 1015 00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:09,400 Speaker 1: which philanthropy, if done properly, is very much like a 1016 00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:12,799 Speaker 1: small business because you have to be lean and watch 1017 00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:18,680 Speaker 1: costs and execute in an organized, transparent manner. Michael's had 1018 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:20,600 Speaker 1: an interesting story. I thought it was important to give 1019 00:54:20,640 --> 00:54:23,400 Speaker 1: you the whole story, his trajectory from where it started 1020 00:54:24,000 --> 00:54:27,320 Speaker 1: to where it is now, because that is instrumental in 1021 00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:29,600 Speaker 1: all the work to we've done. So you might be 1022 00:54:29,680 --> 00:54:31,840 Speaker 1: a philanthropist and not even know it. If you have 1023 00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:36,200 Speaker 1: these skill sets, you know if you have this these attributes, 1024 00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:37,879 Speaker 1: And I just want to thank you all so much 1025 00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:43,200 Speaker 1: for helping, because you've helped immeasurably with our relief missions. 1026 00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:46,440 Speaker 1: Even if you've donated, you've helped, if you've connected, if 1027 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:48,960 Speaker 1: you've communicated, if you've spread the word, if you've let 1028 00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:51,320 Speaker 1: me know where something is happening, if you've given me information, 1029 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:53,439 Speaker 1: you have helped so Thank you so much,