WEBVTT - Wade Smith Full Interview 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:04.320 So it's everyone needs a great pair of wireless earbuds. 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:06.480 But before you go dropping hundreds of dollars on a pair, 0:00:06.760 --> 0:00:10.040 you need to check out the wireless earbuds from Recon. 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 Recon earbuds start off about half the price of any 0:00:12.840 --> 0:00:15.840 other premium wireless earbuds on the market, and they sound 0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:18.760 just as amazing. The company was actually co founded by 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:21.760 Ray j and celebrities like Stoop Dog, Melissy Athridge, Cardib, 0:00:21.960 --> 0:00:25.800 Brandy j R. Smith and Moore are already obsessed. 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So go to buy 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:54.960 Recon dot com slash I heart to get off your order. 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:59.680 That's by Recon dot com Slash I Heart for off Recon. 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:02.000 Why are list ear buds if you've been eyeing a parent, 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:04.360 now is the time to get an amazing deal one 0:01:04.400 --> 0:01:08.200 more time by raycon dot com. Slash my heart my 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:10.720 next guest, and he's on the phone. Is the executive 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:14.360 director of the Wade Smith Foundation. The foundation supports community 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:17.119 youth programs and the greater Houston and Dallas Fort Worth 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:21.440 metroplex areas and focuses on literacy and education. He is 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.759 the author of two children's book, Smitty Hits the Playbook 0:01:24.880 --> 0:01:29.559 and Smitty Tackles Budley Smitty Tackles Budleying. He is also 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:32.080 an ambassador for the Houston, Texas I'm sure he wasn't 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:37.080 happy yesterday in Houston. He is in the nighttime sports 0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:38.920 talk radio host which I do listen to this show 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:41.080 when I come back to Houston on a regular basis 0:01:41.080 --> 0:01:43.520 on Sports Radio six ten, The Smitty and Trap Show, 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:46.920 as well as a public speaker. He's on the show 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:49.559 today to talk about this foundation. Is two children's books, 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:53.000 Smitty Hits the Playbook and Smitty Tackles Bully Bullying. Please 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:58.200 welcome to Money Making Conversations. Wade Smith. How are y'all 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:00.800 doing to day? Pretty good man, A good way you 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:07.680 know you're in Houston right now. Now, you're an ambassador 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.280 to the Houston Texas Note in a row, nine in 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:13.919 a row. Now, come on, Oh, that's what That's what 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:15.840 we're gonna say. That's what we're gonna say. H that's 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:18.480 what the Atlanta Facon said to the New England Patris. Huh, 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:23.360 you can't win them all. You can't win them all. Definitely, 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:28.400 the one I'm disappointed one good, Well, I'm not. I 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:30.000 want to I want to slow you down with sports 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:32.480 man because, uh, you know you get that enough you do, 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:34.120 that's what you do. You've done for a living in 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:37.839 the NFL. All up, you've you have a wonderful show. 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:40.079 I was home in Houston. Do listen to your show 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:41.960 and have a home in Atlanta, So when I go 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:44.720 back to Houston, I always listen to your show because yeah, 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:47.119 but you know, sometimes you listen to guys they don't 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:50.119 have the right insight. You have the right insight. And then, uh, 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:53.440 and I think the accountability outside of your sports world 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:56.480 that that allows you to deliver you next a very 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:58.960 unique message. So so when you when you when you 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:01.880 start talking about your brand, what is the way Smith brand? 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.720 The Way Smith brand? Well, I would just say this, UM. 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:10.040 There's a lot of outside forces that people UM use 0:03:10.160 --> 0:03:13.520 for branding things that nature, But I just I approached 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:16.800 things from the standpoint that I really want to help 0:03:16.880 --> 0:03:19.920 children become better readers. I want them to understand how 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:24.720 important literacy and education is and understand that UM, whatever 0:03:24.800 --> 0:03:29.799 socioeconomic situation that they may be in, UM, their education 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:32.440 can can lift them out of that situation and get 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:34.720 them to where she takes some people with anybody around 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:38.920 the world. And so people understand that I genuinely I'm 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:42.240 hands on with all the things that I'm involved in, 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:45.480 all the programs that I'm a part of, and so 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:48.120 I see people see that genuine nature in me that 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.560 I really do care myself and I'm you know, there's 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:57.240 some people that are parts of charities and foundations and philanthropy, 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:03.839 some topic as X and it's more of a name thing, 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.240 like I put my name on things, and or maybe 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:08.640 it's a money thing, And all of those things have 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:12.440 a place because the name can bring attention to a 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:17.320 very worthy cause, and money can can help can definitely 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:21.320 help UM fund many worthy causes. But I think my 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:24.520 thing is that I generally want to be hands on 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.479 and on the front lines with with making things happen 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:31.479 and to understand having children to understand that they can 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:34.920 be successes in life. And so I would consider that, 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:38.159 you know, a brand in itself. So what age group 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:42.560 are you talking? Um, it's it's it's moly, we'll see. 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:45.160 I have two different programs. One of the programs I'm 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:48.880 reading with the protests elementary age reading. It's reading at 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:54.240 grade level bias third grades. And Smitty tackles bullying as fun. 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:56.640 Am I right? Yeah, both of the children's books are 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:01.080 are specifically for that age group u UM basically from 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:03.760 kindergartens the fifth grade all elementary school students. And then 0:05:03.839 --> 0:05:08.040 also have a scholarship program UM that's for outgoing seniors 0:05:08.040 --> 0:05:11.200 here in Houston and Dallas, and so it hits you know, 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:14.120 the foundation and then also it helps kids get over 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:17.320 the hump to to not allow like I said, their 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:21.880 social economic situation to preclude them from going to college 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:25.560 and getting a secondary education. And so UM, that's really 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:28.599 where we are with it. So with that being said, 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:32.480 you know, uh, a lot of people when they start foundations, 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:36.200 they you know, they either get its relative or best friend. 0:05:36.640 --> 0:05:38.400 How did you set up your foundation? Because a lot 0:05:38.440 --> 0:05:41.000 of people require about the show, whether the rules of 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:43.720 setting up a foundation, who should be involved in helping 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:46.120 set up the foundation? What? What? What? You know, you're 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:48.160 an athlete. A lot of people I'm sure approach you. 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:50.719 Your agent may have recommended, how did you set up 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:55.719 your foundation? Well, I would say this my foundation. I 0:05:55.880 --> 0:05:59.000 learned a lot through trial and error. UM. I did 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:02.800 start off my foundation when there was one specific person 0:06:03.000 --> 0:06:06.839 that they approached me about wanting to help me start 0:06:06.880 --> 0:06:09.719 my foundation, and and she did a really good job 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:12.520 of helping set up UM, you know, setting up beating 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:14.960 the five and one C three and setting up a 0:06:15.000 --> 0:06:19.920 website and UM start my initial fundraiser. UM. But through 0:06:20.000 --> 0:06:23.640 trialing area, through time, you know, I gradually UM set 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:26.919 up my board of directors and grew that number. Started 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:29.600 off with just three and then it went to five 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:33.320 and now it's seven board members. And we've had board 0:06:33.400 --> 0:06:36.200 members go in and out over the years, but for 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:39.200 the most part, we've had a solid set of five 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:41.400 board members that have been there since the beginning. And 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:43.800 it's it's one of those things as you go you 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:46.400 learned that you want to have your board b is 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:49.640 UM diverse as possible. You want them to be able 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:54.880 to hit varying aspects in um, the professional realm, just 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:58.760 in all different aspects of when you need people that, like, 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:01.440 you know, I have a lawyer, or to have two 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:03.520 lawyers on my board, and so they help you with 0:07:03.560 --> 0:07:07.120 a lot of the legal aspects trademarking, copyright, all of 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:10.000 those type of things. UM, But you want to have 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:13.080 a diverse board when it comes to their profession as 0:07:13.120 --> 0:07:16.440 well as what their background is as well. UM. You 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:19.440 want to have a board that is not just an 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:22.800 agreeable board. You want them to understand your vision, but 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:24.520 at the same time, you want them to be able 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:27.840 to challenge you, um with some of the decisions that 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:30.200 you're making, so that you're making sure that you don't 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:34.080 have a bunch of yes people are Absolutely because it's 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:35.920 important to you. That's why I wanted to bring that 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:38.320 up way because you know, I have another break. I 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:40.400 want to really break down and talk about the books, 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:41.960 but I want to just talk about your journey a 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:44.240 little bit. And when you start talking about the foundation, 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:46.440 people just pop them into a foundation. You have to 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:49.400 record keeping. And also when you talk talking about your board, 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:52.239 every board member has to bring something to the table. 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:54.720 You know, if you're a very low level, they should 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:57.480 be a graphic designer, if they should be a salesman, 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.720 they should be able to get you, get you relationships. 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:04.120 It should be a relationship person and all everybody on 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:07.000 that board shouldn't just be I just like you, I'm here. 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:12.120 They have to bring something substantial to the organization. Are 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:15.200 the are the calls that you're trying to grow and 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:19.680 to bring your bring our financial recognition to as assistance 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:22.360 to and also brand recognition. And that's really the key, 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:25.080 and that's what use referencing that these board members have 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:27.360 to bring something to the table other than I like 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:29.239 you as an athlete or I like you as a person, 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:34.040 no question. And you know a lot of people the 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:37.800 thing you run into is when you have UM athletes 0:08:37.920 --> 0:08:40.600 or people that are trying to start a foundation, a 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:43.480 lot of times the people that they want to do 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:46.240 the foundations with them are people that they trust. And 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:48.840 so that's why a lot of times you'll see UM 0:08:48.960 --> 0:08:51.960 family members that are part of the boards are part 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:56.679 of you know, starting the organization. But there's I don't 0:08:56.720 --> 0:08:58.560 think there's anything wrong with that as long as, like 0:08:58.600 --> 0:09:01.440 you mentioned, they bring something to the table, like my 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:08.520 my mom, uh is the treasurer and secretary for the board. Well, 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:12.320 she's been in banking. I'm thirty seven years old. She's 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:14.839 been in banking in my kind of life, whether it's 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:18.400 being started off as a bank teller too. Now she's 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:22.520 an auditor of you know, multimillion dollar company. So when 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:26.480 you have you have family, remember somebody that the combination, 0:09:26.559 --> 0:09:28.440 somebody that you can trust, that can tell you about 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:32.520 yourself and also that is uh, it is confident in 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:35.040 what they're doing. That's kind of the right formula to 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.680 be a success. I think. Yep. I'm on the phone 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:41.400 with with the Ray Smith. He's u NFL vetteran. He 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:44.640 has the Way Smith Foundation that it really focuses on 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.320 in the Dallas area Dallas fork Worth Metroplecator, which I'm 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:50.880 very familiar with, and as well as the Houston text area, 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:52.760 which I was born and raised in. And when you 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:54.400 come back, we're gonna talk about two of the books, 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:58.439 Smitty Hits the Playbooks and Smitty Tackles Bullying. His The 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.480 Tackles Bullying I find very relatable and I'm gonna share 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:05.080 my story to let you know how a simple, a 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:08.120 simple statement can change the where your whole life thinks. 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:11.600 And this tackle's bullying is about public reading a renout loud, 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:14.600 and this young man in this story was affected by 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.720 it as I was affected by it in middle school, 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:18.880 and they changed the way I approached my life. And 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:20.880 that's why I wanted wait on the show to say, hey, man, 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:25.480 keep doing what you're doing. All right, welcome back to 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:28.680 money making conversation on the phone. Is um the executive 0:10:28.720 --> 0:10:32.319 director of his own foundation, Wade Smith Foundation. Uh the Way. 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:35.280 Smith Foundation provides community support for youth programs in the 0:10:35.320 --> 0:10:40.600 areas of education, literacy, health, fitness and nutrition, summer summer 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:43.760 healthy mail programs, Richards and Independent School District that's up 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:48.040 in Dallas, mentorship program and annual scholarship programs. Tell us 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:50.080 about these two books and why did you write them? 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:54.760 Mr Smith is, well, I've always wanted to write my 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:57.600 own books and so ever since I was a little kid, 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:00.480 and since my reading. With the proch program, We're going 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:03.280 we go into elementary schools all over Houston Dallas, like 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:05.360 you mentioned, and talk to the kids about the importance 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:08.680 of reading and how cool it is. I thought, what, uh, 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:11.040 the next step to that would be too, is to 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:13.840 actually tell the kids like and show the kids that 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:18.040 reading is extremely important, but also taking the next step 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:22.679 to writing is even a bigger deal, and and and 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:26.360 something that you can definitely um something you can participate in. 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:29.920 And I think the best way of UM getting at 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:32.760 across is not by just telling kids them, but actually 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:35.360 showing them and being able to discuss the ways that 0:11:35.520 --> 0:11:37.720 you know you go about doing that. And so I 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:39.959 think that both of the books have a really good message. 0:11:39.960 --> 0:11:42.200 I think so many hits to play books is is 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:45.520 a story that talks about a little kid that his 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:47.720 mom would let him play sports at all, would't let 0:11:47.760 --> 0:11:49.640 him play football, and she thought he would get hurt, 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:52.120 and he begged and pleaded for her to give him 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:55.040 a chance to play, and once she did, she finally relented. 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:57.280 He got the bright idea that he was going to 0:11:57.360 --> 0:11:59.880 stop doing his homework and paying attention in class because 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:02.800 he was going to be a big time football player. 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:07.040 So who needs Yeah, who needs sports? Who need who 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:08.959 needs school? For that? You know? Who needs to particie 0:12:09.000 --> 0:12:13.480 in classes? He learned very quickly that um, that's not 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:17.240 the right. You have to prioritize your education before for anything. 0:12:17.280 --> 0:12:20.040 If you want to have some of those, Um, those 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:22.520 goals that you wanta to achieve and if you want 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:24.720 to live out your dream, your education as a foundation 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:28.040 that's gonna get you there. And so um, it just 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:31.160 talks about how Smidy dealt with that, that that adversity 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:33.680 that hit and how he's able to overcome that. And 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:37.959 then the Smity tackles bullying book. Um, he talks about it. 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:40.360 It's still the same Smitty character, but it talks about 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.960 his friend that um is struggling with read. He's trying 0:12:42.960 --> 0:12:45.160 to get out of reading. Any chance that comes up 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:46.800 for him to read, he tries to get out of it. 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:49.880 And Smithy doesn't know why. It's come to find out that, 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.360 you know, his his his friend was getting made fun 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:57.240 of while reading because he struggles reading. And so it 0:12:57.360 --> 0:12:59.440 talks about how Smidy was able to help his friend 0:12:59.480 --> 0:13:02.760 overcome that as well. And and it's it's a story 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:05.600 that I wrote because when I was a kid, I 0:13:05.760 --> 0:13:08.000 was that kid in class that loved to read. Every 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:10.680 chance I got to read in class, I raised my hand. 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:13.320 I wanted to read. But I had a certain group 0:13:13.360 --> 0:13:16.200 of friends, you know, a handful of guys that when 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:18.480 it came time to read, they always would do something 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:20.800 to get in trouble. They would act up in class, 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:22.720 they make jokes and something and get sent to the 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:26.720 principal's office. And back then, as a kid, I'm just thinking, 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:29.880 you know, hey, you know, my my friends are really funny, um. 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:32.920 But come to find out that they all struggled reading. 0:13:33.040 --> 0:13:35.040 You know, handful of that they struggled reading, and they 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:36.800 were embarrassed and they didn't want to read in class 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:38.800 and they want to be made fun of, and so 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:41.880 they did things to avoid it. And I've since seen 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:45.040 now where you know, some of ended up. Some of 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.040 them are no longer with us, some of them are 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:49.480 in in jail, some of them are kind of dead 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:52.160 in situations. And I wanted to kind of write this 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:56.000 story to let kids now understand and know that if 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:58.480 you're struggling with reading, if it's hard for you, if 0:13:58.480 --> 0:14:00.880 it's difficult, it's okay to be that way, but it's 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:03.560 not okay to stay that way, UM, ask for help, 0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:08.240 you know what I mean, and whether it's your mom, dad, teacher, brother, 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:13.000 a friend. And also but also puts across the aspect 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:15.960 that if you are somebody that really enjoys reading yourself, 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:18.440 and you're good at yourself and you maybe noticed a 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:20.680 friend of yours is somebody that's struggling with it or 0:14:20.760 --> 0:14:23.040 doesn't like it as much, to reach out and help 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.000 them as well. Because I wish, you know, if I 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.080 knew now, Um, if I knew then what I knew now, 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.320 I would have said something to my buddies, canna put 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:31.760 him to the side and try to help him, because 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:34.880 I I just know that without that foundation, is very 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:38.400 difficult to achieve and become what you want to be. 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:40.480 In like, if you don't have that foundation to read, 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:44.000 it's really amazing. I I'm older than you, and uh 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:46.920 in middle school, I was a very talented reader, and 0:14:47.040 --> 0:14:49.720 my teacher used to always call on me. See bullying 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:52.720 is It's really interesting how people don't understand that and 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:55.520 people talk like like bullying just started. You know what 0:14:55.600 --> 0:14:59.120 Bullying has been around the beginning of time. Anytime somebody 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:03.880 cri size you publicly, have pushed you or physically dominated you, 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:07.440 made you anything, made you do anything you didn't want 0:15:07.480 --> 0:15:11.160 to do, it made you feel constantly uncomfortable. That is uh, 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:14.680 both mentally and physically, that's bullying. And I remember in 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:17.760 my middle school, my teachers always call on me to 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:20.720 read Roshan, could you read out aloud? I will hop 0:15:20.800 --> 0:15:22.760 up and I read. And then finally one days, a 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.320 little girl go, I'm tired of him reading. I go 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:28.840 was my little class we said, and and I'm tired. 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:30.400 And then a couple of most students, we're tired of 0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:34.200 him reading too, go and and it and it bothered 0:15:34.200 --> 0:15:40.000 me so bad and that I intentionally started changing the 0:15:40.040 --> 0:15:44.000 way I talked. You know, I started using broken language. 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:46.240 I started because I was I was typing. I was 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:49.000 really athletic, and so when I would play basketball in 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:51.640 the court, I wouldn't use file language, and I would say, 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:53.880 if you filed me, I would say something like, uh, 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:56.560 is it necessary to use that type of force. That's 0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:59.200 how we talk on the basketball course, and so and 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:02.040 so and so and so when when when she when 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:05.320 they attacked me, they attacked me, and my mind, my 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:09.200 mind just flipped. I went h and my mind forced 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:12.040 me to like dumb down everything so I wanted to 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:17.040 fit in. And so at that moment, that attack calls 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:20.160 me many years to not recover from that because of 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:22.680 the fact that when I when I when I dumped 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:25.120 it down, it seemed more people like me and that's 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:27.680 not fair. You should be like based on who you 0:16:27.720 --> 0:16:30.120 are and what you're accomplishing in life. You should not 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:34.160 be liked because you're you're fitting in or you you're 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:36.640 fitting in because you want people to like you because 0:16:36.640 --> 0:16:39.080 of the fact that you're different than walking a certain 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:42.640 certain role in life. And that's what your book is about. 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:47.040 Your Your book is about articulating yourself and your strength. 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:49.080 Both books I was following relatable. I remember when I 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:52.240 was in the sixth grade. Uh, I jammed my neck 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:54.400 playing football and my mom was, so, you can't play 0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:57.600 football ever again? Ever again. Mo'm gonna play football. Nope, 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:00.480 you would never play football again, never play football. So 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:03.080 so injuries and and and and and and then when 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:06.080 I look at social media now with I found that 0:17:06.160 --> 0:17:09.400 relatable in playbook because the fact that that's the next 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:11.640 book you getta right, you gotta write that social media book. 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:15.200 And how has effects uh these kids nowadays? And how 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:18.080 how that that cyber bully? And so I just felt 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.119 when I read both of your books, I felt, Okay, 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:22.960 this guy, go write more books, because you're tapping into 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:26.600 two lanes right now that I personally experienced many many 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:30.160 years ago that are even more are relevant today because 0:17:30.200 --> 0:17:31.840 of the fact that you have social media, you have 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:36.520 such a digital footprint out there that allows individuals to 0:17:36.520 --> 0:17:41.679 to cause a greater degree or wider degree of harm. Correct. Yeah, So, 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:44.199 like my third book is actually in the works right now. 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:46.560 I'm in the process of right now. And what we're 0:17:46.600 --> 0:17:50.600 doing is we're seeing Smithy kind of come avad that character, 0:17:50.680 --> 0:17:53.680 Smithy come avat and so as he gets older, they'll 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:57.399 he'll be running up against various different adverse situations and 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:01.720 different um topics that are are relevant to two kids 0:18:01.760 --> 0:18:05.160 today and messages that um they can kind of draw 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:07.800 from and understand because of the way it's it's I 0:18:07.880 --> 0:18:11.080 try to make it as relatable as possible. But in 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:13.800 the first two books, Smitty is like in the third 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:16.720 fourth grade. So maybe when when Smitty gets to about 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:19.240 six or seventh grade, that that social media aspect and 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:21.920 come in, because hopefully he didn't he didn't have an 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:24.639 Instagram or Twitter, Karry yet at this semi you know, 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:27.040 I know way you know, you know, you're you're you're 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:30.480 an entrepreneur, You're a creative content producing guy. You know, 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:32.960 this is just the early stages. I'm a writer, and 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:36.359 writing is neaty two and sitcom and writing films. So 0:18:36.400 --> 0:18:39.399 I know about content producing, I know about talented people, 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.199 and I know that your force. You know, the artwork 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:45.440 is really good, the storytelling was really good. I felt 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:48.119 it very relatable. I'll just let you know that what 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:50.920 you're talking about just moving up, just moving you moving 0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:52.960 that right up to high school, because that's right, that's 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:55.520 right there. Think that you really think you will get 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:57.080 a big head, get a big hit in high school 0:18:57.320 --> 0:18:59.320 and think that I think that you can just stop 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:01.679 studying and you're gonna go to college, and then you 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:03.760 and then you go to college and you just flunk 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:06.320 out and so because you don't know the basic technique. 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:07.960 So I just felt that the book that you wrote 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:12.199 at that age group was very transferable to the middle school, 0:19:12.400 --> 0:19:17.160 was very transferable to high school and not you know, hey, 0:19:17.480 --> 0:19:20.159 you you've been successful without me. I'm just telling you 0:19:20.240 --> 0:19:22.760 from a brand guy, from a guy who does mark up. 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:25.080 I like to call myself a marketing expert because just 0:19:25.080 --> 0:19:27.760 look at my resume. You got it going on, my friend, 0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:31.280 and just know that, just make them older because it's relatable. 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:33.600 And when you make it relatable, then more people will 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:37.680 be engaged because your brand. Know this, those kids, they're 0:19:37.720 --> 0:19:40.040 growing older and you gotta you gotta go with them. 0:19:40.040 --> 0:19:41.800 Two ways. You gotta go with him. You can't. You 0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:43.880 just can't have an element. You got to go find 0:19:43.920 --> 0:19:45.919 them again in middle school because they gonna they whatever. 0:19:45.960 --> 0:19:48.280 Got some of them good, those good lessons you taught them, 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:51.200 and you gotta go find them again in high school. Okay, 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:55.399 another question about another question. I will be doing so 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:57.439 and I and I really want to appreciate you know 0:19:57.760 --> 0:19:59.520 you're coming on my show because of the fact that 0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:01.560 how can we if we want to make a donation 0:20:01.800 --> 0:20:04.159 or do you have any galos coming up anything on 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:08.080 the calendar that I can support you in. Well, first 0:20:08.080 --> 0:20:10.240 of all, you can always go to uh wat Smith 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:13.440 Foundation dot org some if you want to pit on there. 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:16.600 Um there's the tab on there that you can just 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:19.560 do a donation of general donation. We also have our 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:23.280 Both of the books are available for sale at Wastemith 0:20:23.280 --> 0:20:26.920 Foundation dot org. But books also available at Amazon and 0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:30.320 different outlets like that. But all of the money from 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:32.800 the sales of the book go to the foundation, and 0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:37.000 so when we sell them directly from our foundation website, 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:40.480