1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks. 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: And we continue now with part two of our conversation 3 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: with Jane Borkow, right after these brief messages from our 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: general sponsors. So you create an acronym. 5 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and when you talked about the heart in that story, 6 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 2: it's really we made an acronym, but we called it 7 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: hard because we were starting it from our hearts. 8 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: And yeah, the metaphor was not lost on me. I 9 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: don't think. Yeah, I get it for sure. 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 2: It turned out to be a terrible name for a 11 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 2: business because I will tell you. We open the doors 12 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: on a program February one of two thousand and six, right, 13 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: and we had a probably fifteen hundred square foot facility 14 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 2: that we were renting it myself. I had hired a 15 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 2: program manager. I hired a special education certified teacher. I 16 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 2: hired an aid at the. 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: Time, what'd you hire them with? 18 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: So we had gotten a grant from the City of 19 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 2: Houston to create this program. It was three hundred thousand 20 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: dollars for startup funds. We had been working on the 21 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 2: grant since two thousand and five. The idea was at 22 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 2: that time when we started that we were going to 23 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 2: be a continuing education program one because high school's over, 24 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 2: Like we talked about there twenty two. 25 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: A votech with people with special needs almost right, clind 26 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: to teach some type of job skills. 27 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: Right, and remember that, Yeah, job skills became two. But 28 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: one at that time was the twins were in college. 29 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 2: Bradley's the big brother and at that time, everything he's 30 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 2: saying to us every day is when do I get 31 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 2: to go to college? I'm the big brother, right, So 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: do I get to go? When do I get to go? 33 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: And there was nothing out there, so we said we'll 34 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,639 Speaker 2: have a teacher in. And here's the other thing, though, 35 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: how do they continue to learn? 36 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: Right? 37 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: We are lifelong learners. I'm a lifelong learner. My mom 38 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 2: was a lifelong learner. We talked about that. We can 39 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: take continuing education classes. We can watch the History Channel 40 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: instead of ET if we want to learn something, right, 41 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 2: we can pick up a book. 42 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: And like any human, when you quit learning, the option 43 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: then is the option? If you're not learning, you're aching, right? 44 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: And why that literally happens with people's special needs? 45 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: Why why do we assume that they're going to stop 46 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: learning just because they've aged out of high school and 47 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 2: they're twenty two. 48 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: I shouldn't. 49 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 2: There's no other time in our the way our world 50 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 2: is configured, right that they can continue to get education. 51 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 2: And so if no one's teaching them, how are they 52 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: going to learn? Bradley can't just read the back of 53 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: the cereal box when he's eating breakfast and learn something 54 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: new if we're or not taking that time to teach him. 55 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 2: But he wants to learn. He wants to learn more 56 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: words that he can read. He wants to be able 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: to write his name better even today. So that was 58 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: the first idea of heart, was that it would be 59 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 2: a place where these individuals could continue to learn even 60 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 2: after they were out of high school, that they'd have 61 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 2: a place where they could go and there'd be a 62 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 2: teacher there, even though it's not a school, right and 63 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: they don't get teacher retirement. They're just working for this 64 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: teeny tiny nonprofit organization in Houston. But we have always 65 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 2: since that day, had someone certified in special education actually 66 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: teaching individuals in our program. And then the second thing 67 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 2: was what you're alluding to, which is the jobs. Bradley 68 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: wanted to have a job, and I couldn't figure out 69 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 2: anyone that would ever hire him to paint pottery and 70 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: do those kinds of things. And so we were trying 71 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: to think about what were some jobs, some vocations, some 72 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 2: things that we could involve them in or teach them 73 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 2: that could lead to them becoming employed. And as I mentioned, 74 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 2: our family grew up and working in the restaurants. Bob 75 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: worked in the restaurants, the twins worked in the restaurants. 76 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 2: Bradley was always there. I was eating in the restaurants. 77 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: I never worked in the restaurants. I was I was 78 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 2: the taster. 79 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: I'll forget you fell in love because of homemade mushrooms. 80 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 2: Well, right, so, but Bradley would do things in the restaurant. 81 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 2: He would roll silverware, or he would, you know, help 82 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: out with different things. 83 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: Perfect And I. 84 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 2: Said to Bob one time, you know, could Bradley be 85 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 2: hired to do this? And he says, well, it doesn't 86 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 2: really make financial sense, right because the waiters who are 87 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 2: late to work, they have to roll the silverware. 88 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: For everybody listening. That's called side work aside. And if 89 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: you're a waiter and you're late or you do something wrong, 90 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: the manager will put extra sidework on you. But they're 91 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: not going to pay anybody to do. 92 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 2: It, exactly, It doesn't make sense. It's really part of 93 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: the job description side work exactly. You know, Bradley can 94 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 2: fold a pizza box. But if I call in to 95 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 2: order a pizza and I want it to be half 96 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: gluten free and half extra cheese and anchovies on this 97 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 2: side but not that side, and it is kind of tomato? 98 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: How's he getting right? And so, but a pizza place 99 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 2: has you know, probably three people on the staff, right, 100 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: the one that's doing the order, the one that's cooking 101 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: the food, and the one that's delivering everything. And so 102 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 2: where does Bradley fit in there if he's not able 103 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 2: to drive, if he can't take the order and the 104 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 2: order's too complicated for him to cook. 105 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: One time Ben stole his sister's car. No, no, what 106 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: one night? Do you not want a person with special 107 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: needs driving around a car? 108 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 2: Halloween? 109 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: That would be the night. Oh no, found him two 110 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: and a half hours later for counties northwest of here. 111 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 2: So he's a good driver. 112 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: Well he didn't kill anybody that night, so he's an 113 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: adequate driver. 114 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 2: Wow. 115 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, he wanted to go for Rod. So anyway, I 116 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: agree Ben does not need to deliver pizzas because he 117 00:05:58,880 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: could only take rights. 118 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 2: And look, there are lots of people with disabilities and 119 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 2: developmental disabilities who do drive bradly because of his seizures. 120 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: You know, even if he could learn to drive, because 121 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: sometimes he drives golf carts and things like that, obviously 122 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 2: we're not going to put we're not going to put 123 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 2: him behind the. 124 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: But but Ben did teach me one thing. Because he 125 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: can only literally he could only take rights, and he 126 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: could only take rights. 127 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 2: It sounds like when I learned how to drive. 128 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: Well, the point is, I'd go all around. 129 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 2: The neighborhoods of Brenham, Texas to make sure I never 130 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 2: had to turn. 131 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: Well, if he wanted to go left, he would figure 132 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: out how to take three rights. 133 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 2: Three rights is a left exactly. 134 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: And this guy figured out if he wanted to go 135 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: over there, he'd go up, take a right or right 136 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: or right a right, and then go across. 137 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 2: Good for him. 138 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: Anyway, we all almost had a heart attack, and we 139 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,359 Speaker 1: found him in the Lauderdale County Sheriff's office, and the 140 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: sheriffs were nice enough to bomb a big back. He 141 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,359 Speaker 1: was sitting in the hallway in a big mac. He 142 00:06:57,640 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: left the convenience store, and by the time he'd hit 143 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: the street from the convenience store parking lot, he was 144 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: doing about forty and a cop thought he'd just robbed 145 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: the convenience store because he was driving so fast out 146 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: and the car hit the curb and bounced up in 147 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: the air, and the sheriff pulled him over and he 148 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: said he was lost, and of course by then there 149 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: was an apb out for him because yeah, and so 150 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: they knew exactly was And when we got up there 151 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: literally was sitting in the hallway, grinned in her ear, 152 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: happy as a pig, and slot with a big mac 153 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: the shriff on him. There are a thousand ben stories, 154 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: but needless say, we're trying to figure out what these 155 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: kids can do and what you can train them in 156 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: heart and it's not going to be delivering. 157 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 2: Pizzas, right, And so one of our teachers had this 158 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 2: idea of doing vending machines, and I know it sounds interesting. 159 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 2: Originally we didn't think this would be any type of 160 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: a job. She had the idea because what she found 161 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 2: when we started program is great. We know it's great 162 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 2: that we're going to continue to teach them and they're 163 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: going to get continuing education. Guess what, they're twenty two, 164 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 2: twenty three year old grown people that are kind of 165 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 2: tired of school. You know, I've been in school since 166 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 2: I was three years old, and I don't want to 167 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 2: count bunnies on a sheet of paper anymore. Right, And 168 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 2: so she figured out that if she told them we're 169 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 2: going to learn how to work, they would perk up. 170 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 2: And if she could teach them how to count laced 171 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 2: potato chips or snickers instead of bunnies on a page, right, 172 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 2: or if she could teach them. 173 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: What a great teacher? 174 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 2: How many actually a science exactly. And so if you're 175 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 2: filling a vending machine, let's say it's a drink machine, 176 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 2: and let's say you've got bottles of water in there, 177 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 2: and you need to figure out how many bottles of 178 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 2: water they drank, right, or empty, so that you know 179 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: how many, because you don't want to go to the 180 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 2: van and unload three cases of water and do all 181 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 2: that work, and you really only need how a case, right, 182 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 2: And so they have to do math, and they have 183 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,959 Speaker 2: to they have to learn how to do that. And 184 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 2: so for some of the people that were in the 185 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 2: Heart program, it was as simple as they couldn't read 186 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 2: it sprite, but they knew it was a green can. Okay, 187 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 2: so green cans go here, orange cans go there. For others, 188 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 2: they were learning how to calculate cases. We had some 189 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 2: that could actually take dollar bills and count them up 190 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 2: to one hundred and help get a bank deposit ready 191 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 2: because you know, you put products in the machines, you 192 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 2: take cash, money out of the machines, ask to go 193 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 2: to the bank. And we ended up as part of 194 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: the five oh one c three nonprofit Heart getting a 195 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 2: DBA for Heart vending. 196 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: And and we. 197 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 2: Had a couple of members of our board of directors 198 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 2: and parents who said their company would take a vending machine. 199 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,079 Speaker 2: Coca Cola gave us six machines to start out with 200 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 2: rent free is what they called it, up getting a 201 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 2: dozen the first year, and they were rent free leases, 202 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 2: so we didn't have to come out any money. They 203 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 2: put the machines there. 204 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 1: And you kept them stock and collect them. 205 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 2: Out and yeah, and we would do that. And so 206 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 2: that was also the entrepreneurship piece of it, because they 207 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 2: were involved with every aspect of the business, whether it 208 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 2: was you know, going to Sam's or Costco and buying 209 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: the products and then bringing them back again. 210 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: It has a bunch of those things. Yeah, and he 211 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: also owns some car washes. He tells me they're actually 212 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: really profitable. I mean, I bet y'all made decent money 213 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: doing it for the kids in the program. 214 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 2: That was the shocking thing. Now, back then, you're talking 215 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 2: two thousand and seven, we were selling cokes for fifty 216 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 2: cents a can and we were still making money. I 217 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 2: couldn't actually believe it because we were doing it as 218 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 2: a teaching thing. 219 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:51,319 Speaker 1: It really was no revenue source. 220 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 2: We put these machines out there because now we had 221 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 2: people that were trained to do it, and they wanted 222 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 2: to do it, and we had one little machine in 223 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 2: our facility, but they wanted to go and do it. 224 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, they want screw with that one. Let's go out 225 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: and do it. 226 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 2: And guess what, we were paying them all the federal 227 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 2: minimum wage, which at the time was five fifteen an hour. 228 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: I could afford to pay everybody minimum. 229 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: Wait for the hours they were working, right, so kidding. Yeah, 230 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 2: So we just started doing that, paying them the minuta. 231 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: Wait, you would drive them and then they would handle the. 232 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 2: Machines exactly, and we'd go with them and supervise them, 233 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 2: make sure if they had a seizure. You know, we 234 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 2: knew the protocol and everything, and we'd get them into 235 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 2: the lobby or the break room and I could tell 236 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 2: you all kinds of funny stories. 237 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: I want to hear a story about how a kid 238 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: with again celebal palsy or something that their dexterity with 239 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: their hands aren't exactly right. How do they fill a 240 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: vending machine? 241 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, So I'll tell you a story about about one 242 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 2: young man in particular, and we'll just call him La, 243 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 2: that's his nickname, and he's he's exactly as you describe. 244 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 2: He's a person who uses a wheelchair. He can't talk 245 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 2: very much, which is what we refer to sometimes as 246 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 2: being nonverbal. He can only use his left hand right 247 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 2: his wheels. His feet are basically just just there right 248 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 2: over the wheels of the wheelchair. In his right hand, 249 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 2: he's not really able to use. And we we thought that, 250 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 2: you know, how how are we going to teach him this? 251 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 2: And what we did was we developed teams. So everywhere 252 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 2: we went we would have a team. So if you 253 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 2: open up, let's say again a drink machine, you open 254 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 2: it up. If you've never seen the inside of a 255 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 2: drink machine. Right, it's just columns, and every column has 256 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 2: a different product in it probably so like once so 257 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 2: like if you're a customer to the button you push right, 258 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 2: and so in that column you've got cans or bottles 259 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 2: that are kind of stacked up in there so that 260 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 2: they'll you know, gradually go down. And so when you 261 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 2: go to refill the machine, some of them are going 262 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 2: to be really low if it's sold out, if it's 263 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 2: a product no one liked, or it was stuck. 264 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: Or something like that, because nobody likes. 265 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 2: It exactly exactly right, right, So we would. 266 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: Build teams just fill the whole machine with dot cot 267 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 1: that's for another go away. 268 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 2: Oh, I can tell you so many things about that. Well. 269 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 2: I So we'd have a team. So we'd have somebody 270 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 2: that was really tall and maybe somebody that was not 271 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 2: so tall. We'd have somebody that could maybe write and 272 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 2: help fill out the paperwork, and maybe somebody that reading 273 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:23,319 Speaker 2: and writing wasn't their jam. Right, we put together a team. Now, 274 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 2: that's not how you or I would start a any 275 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: machine company. We'd do it by ourselves. We'd load up 276 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 2: a truck, we put all the stuff, we'd hit ten 277 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 2: sites in a day, right, and and we'd make money. 278 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,439 Speaker 2: That's not the way Heart was doing it. Right. We 279 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 2: were taking three people plus a teacher who was also 280 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 2: the driver, right and show a further of them to 281 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,359 Speaker 2: the site and assist them with you know, doing the job. 282 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 1: Watching people with special needs feel fulfilled. 283 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 2: But when we figured out, after you know, a year 284 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 2: of doing this that yeah, we paid them all minimum wage. 285 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 2: They we could pay to repair the machines when they broke. 286 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 2: We still had money at the end of the year 287 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 2: to buy more machines and buy act so La on 288 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 2: the team. We took him out on the team and 289 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 2: I'll never forget this because it was the first time 290 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 2: that a local TV station came out to cover what 291 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 2: we were doing. Oh boy, and he really wanted to go. 292 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 2: We had a competition at Heart to see who was 293 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 2: going to get to go because we're only going to 294 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 2: take three people on the team, and so we had 295 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 2: a competition and we had vending machine Olympics, and so 296 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 2: they had to move the dolly around the little obstacle 297 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 2: course that we made. We did races to see how 298 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 2: fast that they could put you know, cans in or 299 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 2: ur chips or whatever. 300 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: It was. 301 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 2: So we had all these you know events in the 302 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 2: vending machine Olympics, and then the people that came out 303 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 2: on top those were the three that got to go. 304 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 2: And La was one of them. I mean, he worked 305 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 2: really hard. He wanted to go, he wanted it to 306 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 2: be him. And so I went out there personally because 307 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 2: you know, we're going to to be on TV and everything, 308 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 2: and I was singing to myself, how is this going 309 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 2: to work? And the way we had trained them was 310 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 2: that La would fill on the lower sides. His wheelchair 311 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 2: could rise, got it, It had the pneumatics and so 312 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 2: it could rise, and so he would start out feeling 313 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 2: what he could fill. So somebody on the team hands 314 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 2: him the can to his hand that's that he's using, 315 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 2: and then he puts it in the machine, and then 316 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 2: they hand it to him and he pushed, so someone 317 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 2: else is bending over and doing the handing, and then 318 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 2: he's loading the machine and they're working as a team. 319 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 2: And then when it gets to the part that he 320 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 2: can't reach anymore after putting his seat all the way up, 321 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 2: and the next person comes in and does the rest right, 322 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 2: And we'd been doing that a lot of time, so 323 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: we get there and everything's going great, everything's going exactly 324 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 2: as we'd practice. The cameras are rolling, and he gets 325 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 2: to that can where that's the highest he can reach, 326 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 2: and he's really kind of struggling to get it in, 327 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 2: and so we say, okay, great, now it's this other 328 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 2: guy's turn, right, and he won't let go of the can. 329 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 2: He just won't let go of it. It's like clinched 330 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 2: and he won't let go of it, and he keeps saying, 331 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 2: doing like this, you know, he's making motions like he 332 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 2: wants to go higher, and we're sitting there going you know, 333 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 2: we're checking his wheelchair to see if it won't go 334 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 2: any higher, it won't go any higher, and he's refusing 335 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 2: to move. He's refusing to let go of this can. 336 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 2: He's refusing to let the other person do it, and 337 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 2: so he keeps saying, you know, he wants to go higher. 338 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 2: And so finally two of us get around his chair 339 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 2: and we lift him up. And this is a really 340 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 2: heavy motorized wheelchair. We get it barely off the ground, 341 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 2: but just enough that he could get that can in, 342 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 2: and then he was fine. 343 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: He wanted to finish the job. 344 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 2: He wanted to do the very best he could do, 345 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 2: he didn't want. 346 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: If that story doesn't speak to the innate humanity of 347 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,959 Speaker 1: the folks we're talking about that people so easily gloss 348 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: right over and just assume doesn't exist inside that body, 349 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 1: there's there's and I think there's such a lack of 350 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: awareness of the ability and what's going on cognitively in 351 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: these folks minds and heads and hearts and psychees. 352 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 2: And what is achievement and what is doing your best? 353 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 2: You know? And I think about that a lot when 354 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 2: we all have those moments where we feel like we're 355 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 2: out of energy, we're there's nothing more we can do, 356 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 2: We've done everything we can do. We you know, can't 357 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 2: go to work that day or can't face whatever's ahead 358 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 2: of us. And I think about La and everything that 359 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,680 Speaker 2: he had to go through just to be there, and 360 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 2: everything he had to overcome, and just him wanting to 361 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 2: do one more, And I think to myself, Yeah, I 362 00:17:57,800 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 2: can do I can do a little bit, real. 363 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: Loon, it's got to be worth the effort. Yeah, we'll 364 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: be right back. So you graduate from vending machines to 365 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 1: something else. 366 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 2: Right, So, after we realized we could make money off 367 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 2: of these vending machines not a lot of money. But 368 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 2: a light bulb went off where I realized, Okay, so 369 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 2: people who have vending machine companies are doing this for 370 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 2: a profit, and what we're basically doing is we're getting 371 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 2: a profit too, but we're spending that profit on all 372 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 2: of our additional costs, the cost of driving them around, 373 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 2: the cost of having the supervisor. And so I thought, well, 374 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 2: what if we could look at other businesses, you know, 375 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 2: think about a restaurant business, for example, and if we 376 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 2: could find a business that had, you know, enough of 377 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:56,360 Speaker 2: a profit if you will, that if it was run right, 378 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 2: we could use that profit to pay for the special 379 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:02,360 Speaker 2: education teacher and so on. At the same time, our 380 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 2: teachers were saying that they wanted to do more customer 381 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 2: service because even though the vending machine training. 382 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:09,719 Speaker 1: Was great, the human interaction was missing. 383 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 2: Right, what vending machine company was really going to hire 384 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 2: them at the completion of this training. That's a good point, 385 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,960 Speaker 2: and so we knew customer service, which was. 386 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: Back to the genesis of this. The forty six year 387 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: old parent going, what am I going to do? A 388 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 1: vending machine company's not going to harm because they can't 389 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: drop the they can't drive the delivery truck and all those. 390 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's a cool thing that Heart was doing. 391 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 2: And if you like the idea that Bradley and Ben 392 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 2: could work there, but you can get a gold watch 393 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 2: and retire, Hope was right. But are they going to 394 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 2: get a job outside of Heart, which was what we 395 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 2: were also working towards. And so we started out just 396 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 2: taking the same products that we would take in a 397 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 2: vending machine. And again I have to credit the teacher 398 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 2: for thinking of this. So we would take a Snickers 399 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 2: bar and a granola bar and you know, soda pop 400 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 2: and a bottle of water, and we'd set up a 401 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,719 Speaker 2: table outside of a grocery store and just teach them 402 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 2: how to, you know, sell consessions like Girl Scout cookies. 403 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 2: Everything's a dollar back then, so someone gives you five dollars, 404 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 2: how do you make change? How do you interact? You know, 405 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 2: how do you do all those things? And we had 406 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 2: a member of our board who saw that we were 407 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 2: doing this and said, you know, I'm a big golfer 408 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 2: and I'm involved out of the PGA tour in Houston 409 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 2: at the time was sponsored by Shell, so it was 410 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 2: the Shell Houston Open and they have charities at all 411 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 2: the holes during the tournament. You know, it's the Boosters 412 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 2: and the Knights of Columbus and everybody, and they're out there. 413 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 2: I wonder if they would let heart go out there, 414 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 2: but instead of it being the boosters and the money 415 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 2: going back to the organization, if you could do it 416 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 2: as an employment type of program and that could be 417 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 2: their job. So they set up the meeting. We talked 418 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 2: to them. Liability came up, all these things. It's outdoors, 419 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 2: it's an uneven terrain, it's on a golf course, it 420 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 2: could rain. It's Houston, it could be windy, it could 421 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 2: be cold, it could be hot, all these things, and 422 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:05,399 Speaker 2: finally we came up with the parameters of how we 423 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 2: would do it. They said, you have to follow all 424 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 2: the health inspection rules and everything. We said we will. 425 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 2: We'll wear gloves and hats inheritance and the whole thing, 426 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 2: and we'll be in there too, you know, we'll be 427 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 2: making sure this works. We had the highest sales of 428 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 2: any group out there for the entire tournament in the 429 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 2: history of the tournament, so much so that the guy 430 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 2: that owned the concession company personally came out to watch 431 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 2: what we were doing. Because he couldn't figure out how 432 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 2: we were making so much money out of a ten 433 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 2: x ten. And the next day he kicked whoever was 434 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 2: on the eighteenth and moved us to the eighteenth. And 435 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 2: that's where we've been ever since, is on the eighteenth. 436 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 2: The highest volume one that is lazy, because we would say, 437 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 2: you would walk up, what happens when you go buy 438 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 2: something out of concession? He said, oh, you know what, 439 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 2: I want a hot dog? 440 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: Hot dog and dot coke, and wear's the mustard and 441 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 1: they say nine fifty two, They throw it at you, 442 00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: take your money exactly. 443 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 2: The person behind you and the volunteers has to go 444 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: get the hot dog and then go get the soda 445 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 2: and all this kind of stuff. And then and then 446 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 2: you're gonna say, oh, I'm throwing a bag of chips. 447 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 2: So what did we do? We had a whole army 448 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 2: of people in there, right, an army of normal people 449 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 2: with disabilities, just there to focus on this activity. And 450 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:19,640 Speaker 2: so you come up and say I want a hot dog, 451 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 2: and we've got a guy in charge of hot dog. 452 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 2: He hears hot dog boom, there's a hot dog, right, 453 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 2: I want to do it's on right. And not only that, 454 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 2: but the hot dog team. They were actually preparing the 455 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 2: hot dogs. So the hot dogs come in, they put 456 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 2: it in the bun, they wrap it and foil. Right, 457 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 2: they're icing down, they're icing down. The drinks, you know, beer, soda, 458 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 2: whatever's in the booth. We even had a guy that 459 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 2: wanted to put Snickers in the refrigerator and let me 460 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 2: tell you, when it gets hot in Houston, that turned 461 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 2: out to be a big hit. We were selling out 462 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 2: of our cold Snickers for two dollars each. But you 463 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:56,439 Speaker 2: come up to the booth and you say, you know what, 464 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 2: I want a hot dog? Boom, it's there. Give me 465 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 2: a couple of beers. Boom, they're there, and brown sitting 466 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 2: there clicking the tops off of them. And we were 467 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 2: moving customers through so fast, and even though we almost 468 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 2: never had a line and all these other ones had lines. 469 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:11,400 Speaker 2: We were just doing more volume. And then word got 470 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 2: out and people were coming to our booth because it 471 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 2: was faster. 472 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: So you don't want to have to wait in line, 473 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: go to the eighteenth. 474 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was faster Heartbooth exactly. And not only that, 475 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 2: but our stuff was actually better quality because when you 476 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 2: sell the hot dogs, they have to bring you some 477 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 2: more from the commissary, so they're fresh, and when you 478 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 2: go through the beer it gets cold because you just 479 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 2: put it on ice. 480 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: Does anybody get an irony that the special needs people 481 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: were out working all of the quote normal folks. 482 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 2: It opened so many doors because after that we got 483 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 2: inside the Toyota Center, which is the NBA basketball arena. 484 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: They were the Houston Rockets. 485 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 2: For where the Houston Rockets play, and. 486 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: Got a concession standing there we. 487 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 2: Did, and from there we got one at the NRG Stadium, 488 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 2: which is where the NFL team and the Houston Life 489 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 2: Sock Show and Rodeo happens. And all of a sudden 490 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 2: we had a thriving concessions and we changed our DBA 491 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 2: to Heart Vending and concessions, and we were able to 492 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 2: employ hundreds of people through those enterprises, and many of 493 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 2: them have now gone on to be hired by Papa 494 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 2: John's Pizza, by Starbucks, by the venues themselves. 495 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: So ultimately it worked. 496 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 2: It is working. It's a challenge every day, and I 497 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 2: will say the thing that works the most that I've 498 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 2: learned in these years is really not the skill acquisition. 499 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 2: So what I mean by that is people think I 500 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 2: don't know if I could hire Bradley, because I don't 501 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 2: know if he could learn how to do the hot dog, 502 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 2: or make the pizza, or or do this or that. 503 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 2: But the real reason that they're not hiring him is 504 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 2: actually just because they don't know anything about him, and 505 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 2: it's a big unknown, it's a big unfamiliarity, and they 506 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 2: just don't know how they would teach him how right, 507 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 2: So by having them in these venues, working side by 508 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 2: side with the cooks at the Toyota Center or the 509 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 2: Papa John's employees. 510 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: I proved themselves. 511 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 2: They see them, and they see guess what, They're there 512 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 2: all the time. I never miss when Papa John's. We 513 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 2: did a partnership with Papa John's franchise locally during the 514 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 2: Super Bowl. They sponsored the Houston Super Bowl, and the 515 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 2: exclusive pizza that was sold at Papa at the stadium 516 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 2: during the Super Bowl was Papa John's. The owner of 517 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:29,640 Speaker 2: that franchise called me and said, Jane, how many hard 518 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 2: people can you give me? I thought we weren't going 519 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 2: to get to send anyone because everybody wants to work 520 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 2: at the Super Bowl. 521 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: You know, how many can you send me? 522 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 2: Yeah? And I said, well, how many booths can we have? 523 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: He said, you can have all of them. I would rather. 524 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: Have all of them. How many? 525 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 2: So there were probably over ten booths in the stadium 526 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 2: that were selling people, and each needed four or five. Well, now, okay, 527 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 2: if I were, if you and I were working there, 528 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 2: the two of us could run a booth hearts five people, 529 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 2: fifty people, because we've got one person folding the boxes, 530 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 2: one person that's just on pepperoni right, one person that's 531 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 2: working the oven right, one person doing cheese, and the 532 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:10,400 Speaker 2: supervisor right that's kind of making sure they're all doing 533 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 2: their jobs. And he said, I'd rather have heart than 534 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,399 Speaker 2: any of my other workers. And I said why, And 535 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 2: he said, I know you're going to be on time. 536 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 2: I know they're going to have the right uniforms. He said, 537 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 2: this is a marketing deal for me. I want those 538 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,159 Speaker 2: pizzas to look good for what I'm paying to be 539 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 2: at the Super Bowl. I'm probably not going to make 540 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 2: any money on selling an eight dollars pizza. But if 541 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,640 Speaker 2: Chrissy Tigan snaps a picture of the pizza and puts 542 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 2: it on Instagram and that pizza doesn't look according to 543 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 2: my brand standards, right, that's not good and the heart employees. 544 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 2: He said, I know they're going to make a perfect 545 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 2: pizza if they're like Ben. 546 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 1: If you say, Ben, I want a pepperoni every two 547 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: and a half inches around and you can only put four. 548 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: But they have to be in this area. Ben will 549 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: stare at that thing make sure those pepperonis or whatever 550 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: are exactly where they're supposed to be. He is like, 551 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: and he will absolutely just I could see him doing 552 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: it right now, how he would just imagine that's how 553 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: it is. 554 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 2: And they've gotten such positive reinforcements. So after they work 555 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:24,159 Speaker 2: event after event, game after game, and they've mastered this skill, 556 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 2: and then they see people come in and go, Wow, 557 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 2: that's a good looking pizza, a good job. They don't 558 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 2: hear that the rest of their lives. I can tell you. 559 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 2: I go places with Bradley goes everywhere I go, Nobody 560 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,400 Speaker 2: goes up to him and says, great job, what. 561 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: A good looking shirt, nice shoes. 562 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 2: But they go to work and they're really doing a 563 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 2: good job. 564 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: Real positive like actual reinforcement not just. 565 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,919 Speaker 2: From us, right, but from the Papa John's employees, by 566 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 2: the other people that are working there are telling them, Wow, 567 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 2: good job, that's really great. You know, you're working so hard. 568 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,120 Speaker 2: You look really sharp today. The same things you would 569 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,159 Speaker 2: tell any good employee, and they hear that and then 570 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 2: it makes them want to do better. So I will 571 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:06,199 Speaker 2: tell you there have been games where I'll go to 572 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 2: work and I'll be one of the supervisors in the 573 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 2: booth and maybe we fall behind right on the pizza 574 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 2: production and I'll jump in and I'll just try to 575 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 2: like catch us up, and the Heart employees will look 576 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 2: at me and say, miss Jane, that's not correct because 577 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 2: I'll just be slapping the pepperoni's on it trying to 578 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 2: get them in, and they will insist. You know that 579 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 2: that quality control happens, that the pepperoni have to go 580 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 2: exactly where the peppernini go and it bothers them if 581 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 2: they're not there, and so trying to catch up is 582 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 2: not going to work. We have to do it the 583 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 2: right way, and they enforce those standards and to the 584 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 2: point that the head of the franchise says, I trust 585 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 2: my brand to the people that work at Heart at 586 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 2: the super Bowl, one of the biggest events in the world, 587 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: I trust my brand to you guys more than any 588 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 2: of my other employees. And I think that just speaks volumes. 589 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 1: Says everything. Really I can't. I have to also imagine 590 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: that the fulfillment that the Heart employees, our people with 591 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: special needs Heart employees, the fulfillment they get from feeling 592 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: like they're doing something that contributes is significant in improving 593 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 1: their lives. 594 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 2: They get such pride when they put on that Papa 595 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 2: John's shirt or they put on you know, they're not 596 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 2: wearing Heart branded you know uniforms, right, They're wearing the 597 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 2: uniform of wherever it is that they're working. If they're 598 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 2: working at Starbucks, it's just, you know, it's the Starbucks 599 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 2: get up. If they're working at Papa John's, it's the 600 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 2: shirt and the hat. And when they can go to 601 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 2: people and say, I, you know, what do you do? Well? 602 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 2: I work at Papa John's. Because what do we do 603 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 2: in this country when we meet somebody? 604 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: What do you do? 605 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 2: What do you do? 606 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: Right? 607 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 2: Bradley never had an answer to that. Now he does, 608 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 2: and now he does, and so does everyone that participates 609 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 2: in the program. And some of these other employment programs 610 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:22,720 Speaker 2: that I've seen, while I think they're great, you know, 611 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 2: they're different from what we do. But they're not bad. 612 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 2: But they're not sort of jobs that are commonly known. 613 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 2: They're not household brands, they're not internationally known companies. And 614 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 2: so if someone has to say, well, my job is 615 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 2: putting the foam on the coat hanger at the dry cleaners, 616 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 2: you know, you start explaining what your job is. At 617 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 2: your family barbecue or picnic. 618 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 1: You don't have to explain I work at Papa John's, right. 619 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 2: But when you're at your family barbecue or picnic and 620 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 2: someone says, so, what have you been doing and you say, oh, 621 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 2: I work at Papa John's, and they light up and go, oh, 622 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 2: you work at Papa John's. 623 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: Which is even more positive rights. 624 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 2: And they feed off of that, that that acknowledgement of 625 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 2: oh you do that, or they watch TV and they 626 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 2: see them and I'm just the pole staying with the 627 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 2: Papa right, but just to stay with that example. But yeah, 628 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 2: they'll see it on TV and they and they identified 629 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 2: that's where I work, and whoever's watching TV with them, oh, 630 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 2: you work there, And it's something that that is real. 631 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: It's life changing, and it makes. 632 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 2: Them feel just included. 633 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: It really is life changing for their psyche, for their 634 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 1: for their self value and all of the all of 635 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: the top of the pyramid of Maslov's hierarchy, of Maslow's 636 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 1: hierarchy of needs. This reaches that for people who otherwise 637 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: would never feel that. 638 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 2: And all this time we've been talking about all of 639 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 2: the wonderful benefits to these individuals of having these opportunities, 640 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 2: and what have we not talked about? They get paid, 641 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 2: they get money, they give money, and it's significant. So 642 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 2: in this country it's still legal to pay people with 643 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 2: disabilities below the federal minimum wage. 644 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: What, yes, how did I not know that? 645 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 2: Well, I'm glad you don't know that, and I hope 646 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 2: a lot of other business owners don't know that. But 647 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 2: it is a law on the books. There is some movement. 648 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: Well, let me hold it. Let me digest what you 649 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: just said. I do believe there's a lot of stupid 650 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: stuff that goes on in our country, and it comes 651 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: from both sides of the aisle. I do also believe 652 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: the genesis of the vast majority of it is typically 653 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:34,920 Speaker 1: well intentioned. So let me be And this is first blush, 654 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: So maybe don't shoot me here. But I really didn't 655 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: know that, and I'm just thinking out loud. Maybe that 656 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: was a well intentioned thing in order that people with 657 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: special needs could get a job that they might set 658 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 1: up some businesses where their job is to do a 659 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: job that you wouldn't pay a full time employee to do, 660 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: but you might pay two or three special needs people 661 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: to do. And if you could pay them less than 662 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:08,200 Speaker 1: minimum wage, it allows you as a business owner to 663 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 1: support that. 664 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 2: I think you're right about the intention of it. 665 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: I think so speak to the fallacy of it. Right. 666 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 2: So, in the years that have followed, and what we 667 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 2: see in the employment data is that that's not how 668 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 2: it's being utilized. Right, So private companies that are employing individuals, 669 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 2: there's been a number of high profile you know, expose 670 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:35,479 Speaker 2: a's of basically exploitation, right. And what you end up 671 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 2: with is all these nonprofit organizations and really large ones 672 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 2: like Goodwill used to do this, for example, using these 673 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 2: to create work for people, but it wasn't ever work 674 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 2: that would ever really pay the minimum wage. So you're 675 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: not creating a job that is actually a real job. 676 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 2: You're creating kind of you know, like we're doing a 677 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,400 Speaker 2: busy work and they're getting this lower wage. And so 678 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 2: you have people that spend all day shredding paper, shredding 679 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 2: money and getting you know, pennies per day. There was one. 680 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: Stating what is the difference? Do you know? 681 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 2: So what you have to do if you're going. 682 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: To follow the difference in the yeah wage and. 683 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,239 Speaker 2: And what the individual gets it varies. So what you 684 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 2: have to do is what's called a time study and 685 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 2: you have to file it with the Department of Labor. 686 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,359 Speaker 2: And kind of how it works is if we say 687 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 2: minimum wage right now where I live is seven twenty 688 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:31,800 Speaker 2: five an hour, right, So if we do a time study, 689 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 2: and so I fill up a vnting machine and I 690 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 2: can do a whole vnting machine in an hour, okay, 691 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 2: So one vnting machine is equal to seven five And 692 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,359 Speaker 2: then you've never done it before, but you're just way 693 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 2: faster than me, and you could do it in half 694 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 2: an hour. 695 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:50,320 Speaker 1: So now you can pay them three eighty seven. 696 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 2: And then you get another person and it takes them, 697 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 2: you know, let's say two hours to do it. So 698 00:34:56,280 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 2: you average it together and you say, okay, the average person, 699 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 2: right can do x amount per hour. So then if 700 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:08,799 Speaker 2: it takes a person with a disability a week to 701 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 2: get it done, that can literally pay them like fifty 702 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 2: cents an hour. Sometimes they were getting eight cents an hour, 703 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 2: eleven cents an hour. 704 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 1: Oh see, now forget what I said about well intentioned 705 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: that is now abuse. 706 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 2: It really just depended on what the task was and 707 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:26,960 Speaker 2: how the time study was done, and then how the 708 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 2: people with disabilities were managed. Right, if you put them 709 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 2: in front of a TV and just say shredd as 710 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:35,400 Speaker 2: much as you can, how much are they really you know, 711 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:37,359 Speaker 2: they're just putting one sheet in at a time kind 712 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:41,240 Speaker 2: of thing, and so and so that's how it's been used. 713 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,359 Speaker 2: And look, there's other examples where I think people would 714 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 2: tell you, and parents would tell you that it does 715 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 2: still create a place where there creates a. 716 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 1: Place for folks to go that have no other options. 717 00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:00,920 Speaker 2: Right, and to have something meaningful that's not daycare, and 718 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:02,720 Speaker 2: it's not like a retirement place. 719 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: Right. 720 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 2: They're doing something and they're probably learning a skill. The 721 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 2: cool thing about Heart though, being kind of a disruptor 722 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 2: and being kind of like the new kid on the block, 723 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 2: is that we just never did that. We just never 724 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 2: even applied for the DOL. We just started out paying 725 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,399 Speaker 2: minimum wage and we never stopped. A minimum wage kept 726 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 2: going up, and we just kept going up, and it 727 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 2: just worked. And now we don't even have anyone making 728 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:26,920 Speaker 2: minimum wage, they're all paid higher than that. 729 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:27,720 Speaker 1: That is phenomenal. 730 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 2: I mean the lowest person right now is probably making 731 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 2: eight an hour. Minimum wage is seven twenty five. But 732 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 2: we have people making fifteen, sixteen, seventeen. 733 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: And see, Alex, if this gig doesn't work out, maybe 734 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 1: hard to'll hire you because you make eight bucks an hour. 735 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: I mean it's better minimum wage, Alex. 736 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 2: We're not getting paid right now. 737 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:47,439 Speaker 1: So that's good. That's really good. Better what we're making. 738 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 2: Well, you can always come to heart. It's an open invitation. 739 00:36:54,520 --> 00:37:04,839 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. I cannot imagine that there is 740 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 1: not a parent that has a child that is a 741 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: person with special needs in the entire Houston area that 742 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:16,200 Speaker 1: does not want their kid into this organization. And there 743 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: has got to be a limit on what your organization 744 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: is able to do. Is there a waiting list? I mean, 745 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:29,400 Speaker 1: tell me what that looks like. 746 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 2: Sure, So as it's grown, we haven't been able to 747 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,440 Speaker 2: grow and keep up with the pace. The waiting list 748 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 2: just in Houston, not even Harris County right now, the 749 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 2: last time I looked, was over eleven thousand people waiting 750 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:45,799 Speaker 2: to get in, which, when you think about it, these 751 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:50,399 Speaker 2: are people who are adults who are not in school, right, 752 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 2: and they probably don't have any program at all. 753 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,359 Speaker 1: And so and it's a matter of having enough volunteers and. 754 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:00,880 Speaker 2: Teachers, right exactly. 755 00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:04,919 Speaker 1: And so call to arms Houston. I mean, how many 756 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 1: times have I heard I would love to help, I 757 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: don't know where to help. Well, a Heart could use you. 758 00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:15,320 Speaker 1: There's eleven thousand people in need waiting exactly. 759 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 2: And if you can be a volunteer and just give 760 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 2: some time, you know, we have volunteers that come and 761 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,799 Speaker 2: help out. For example, the Rockets game, it's five hour shift. 762 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 2: The Rockets play sometimes on Monday nights, sometimes Wednesdays, sometimes Friday, 763 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 2: sometimes the weeked game. 764 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,680 Speaker 1: If you go, if they play three nights. Well, let's 765 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: say an NBA team plays I think forty two home 766 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: games a year, right. 767 00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:39,799 Speaker 2: Right, you can look at that calendar about two hunds 768 00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 2: a year, or just pick one, pick one and get 769 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 2: your get your family or friends or people in your 770 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,200 Speaker 2: place of worship, get a group together of four or 771 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 2: five people and come and adopt the booth for one game. 772 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:53,439 Speaker 2: And by doing that the difference, right, By doing that, 773 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 2: you can make sure that five Heart employees have a 774 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:59,800 Speaker 2: job that night, because if we can staff that booth 775 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:02,799 Speaker 2: right with the people doing the jobs that the hard 776 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:06,320 Speaker 2: employees can't do right. Maybe they can't handle all the 777 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 2: credit card transactions fast enough at halftime, maybe they can't 778 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:11,879 Speaker 2: work the fryer. You know, we have some who can 779 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 2: and some who can't. So we build a team and 780 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 2: it's people with disabilities working right alongside people without disability. 781 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:19,719 Speaker 1: It volunteers. 782 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. We've also recently started a kind of a 783 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 2: quiet campaign. I don't know how quiet it'll be after 784 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:32,880 Speaker 2: this podcast, but to raise some money to grow our facility. 785 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,960 Speaker 2: So we've acquired a one acre piece of property. If 786 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 2: you're familiar with you Sin, it's in the Garden Oaks area. 787 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:41,839 Speaker 1: How many can you accommodate? How many? I guess we'd 788 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:43,160 Speaker 1: call them students, right. 789 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,399 Speaker 2: We usually call them trainees, Okay, and we think we'll 790 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:47,280 Speaker 2: be able to triple. 791 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,839 Speaker 1: Well, how many can you accommodate right now? 792 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:52,840 Speaker 2: Right now? So at the facility. Well, so let me 793 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,480 Speaker 2: just say, before the pandemic, I think we were working 794 00:39:55,520 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 2: with you know, almost two hundred every year over you know, 795 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:02,799 Speaker 2: a thousand people in the history of the organization, which 796 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,719 Speaker 2: is a young organization. And we think we'll be able 797 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:09,919 Speaker 2: to triple that in the new facility. We think so, 798 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:13,400 Speaker 2: and part of that is community partnerships, and part of 799 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,759 Speaker 2: that is getting people employed. So if people are at 800 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,800 Speaker 2: the Rockets games, they don't have to be at the facility, 801 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:19,880 Speaker 2: but they have to be at the facility for some 802 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,160 Speaker 2: point in time to get the training, to get to 803 00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 2: the game. And then once they're working side by side people, 804 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 2: someone's going to hire them because they're going to see 805 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 2: what a great worker is, how they're on time, how 806 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 2: they're reliable. And I'll tell you a partnership that we 807 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 2: just started and this is why we think we're going 808 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,200 Speaker 2: to be able to triple and that is in Texas, 809 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:44,840 Speaker 2: the Heart Program is now the first and only site 810 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:50,319 Speaker 2: for a CVS mock store. And what this is is 811 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,360 Speaker 2: it's an actual CVS store that CBS. 812 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: Is coming up with the pharmacy. 813 00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, CVS Health a pharmacy. They are building this 814 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:01,759 Speaker 2: in our facility, our new facility, no cost to us. 815 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,880 Speaker 2: They're coming in, they're putting up it's its shelves, it's carpet, 816 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:06,400 Speaker 2: same as what would be in a store. It's all 817 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:10,439 Speaker 2: the products, all to be a training site. And it's 818 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 2: the only one in the first one in Texas. Now 819 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 2: they have forty four of these around the country. There's 820 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,640 Speaker 2: never been one in Texas and we're the first and only. 821 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:20,120 Speaker 1: And it's for Heart. 822 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 2: It's for Heart. So around the country they build these 823 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:26,759 Speaker 2: mock stores, partnering with nonprofits. But it could be for anyone, right, 824 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:29,400 Speaker 2: It could be for at risk youth, it could be 825 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:31,879 Speaker 2: for people, you know, coming out of jails. It could 826 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:33,680 Speaker 2: be for people struggling. 827 00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:35,480 Speaker 1: With This is got to be the first one specifically 828 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:36,839 Speaker 1: for people specially right. 829 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,440 Speaker 2: They have some where some of the people with disabilities 830 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:41,920 Speaker 2: also are on the autism spectrum, for example, but this 831 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:46,879 Speaker 2: is dedicated right to developmental disabilities. And we're looking at 832 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 2: expanding it so that when Heart isn't using it, we 833 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:52,759 Speaker 2: might be able to open it up, you know, and 834 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:54,759 Speaker 2: have a high school come in and utilize it, or 835 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 2: have a church come in and utilize it, and then 836 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:01,200 Speaker 2: have them interact with our Heart and and trainees as well. 837 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:04,480 Speaker 1: So would it be an interesting training exercise to mock 838 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 1: up working there and then have students come and be 839 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:12,840 Speaker 1: mock guests and that and have that and teach the interaction. 840 00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 2: So it's funny you say that, because that's exactly what 841 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 2: we've been doing in the short time that we've had 842 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:22,040 Speaker 2: it sort of operational. We have a group, a cohort 843 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:25,799 Speaker 2: we call them, that are in this CVS training program, 844 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,239 Speaker 2: and then the other individuals that are in HEART. We 845 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:32,520 Speaker 2: open up the store, right they come in and their customers, 846 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,799 Speaker 2: so they might buy a magazine or you know, some 847 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 2: toilet paper or whatever it is that they want, and 848 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:41,759 Speaker 2: the other cohort is ringing them up, and so they're 849 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:44,840 Speaker 2: getting that real world practice. But what's really cool is 850 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 2: that CBS has pledged to give every single person that 851 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:51,400 Speaker 2: HEART puts through that mock store training program an internship 852 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 2: at one of their retail stores kid nope, And at 853 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,680 Speaker 2: the end of that internship, CVS gets the first right 854 00:42:56,760 --> 00:42:58,880 Speaker 2: of refusal if they want to hire the person, but 855 00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:02,839 Speaker 2: they're not required to work there. So Bradley could get 856 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:05,160 Speaker 2: hired by CVS and say no thanks, I'd rather work 857 00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:08,160 Speaker 2: at Target or Walgreens or Walmart or somewhere else, right, 858 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:13,279 Speaker 2: but they still get that amazing training opportunity. And we 859 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 2: started this program on a smaller scale, and now that 860 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:18,840 Speaker 2: we have the new facility, we're really taking it to 861 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:22,280 Speaker 2: the next level. And when we had our first group 862 00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:26,480 Speaker 2: of interns placed at CBS stores, we had, which is 863 00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 2: an unusual and Houston a hurricane, right, power goes out 864 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:34,560 Speaker 2: for over a day. You know, streets are flooded, everything's closed. 865 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 2: I had a manager of one of the CBS stores 866 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 2: call me and say, if it hadn't been for the 867 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:43,160 Speaker 2: heart employee, he wouldn't have been able to open. People 868 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:45,720 Speaker 2: wouldn't have gotten their medicine and their essential goods because 869 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:48,239 Speaker 2: the only employee other than him that showed up to 870 00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:50,520 Speaker 2: work the next day was the heart employee. 871 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:51,640 Speaker 1: Unbelievable. 872 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:57,120 Speaker 2: And this is somebody that doesn't drive right. Had to 873 00:43:57,120 --> 00:43:59,439 Speaker 2: figure out a way. So while all the other employees were. 874 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:02,440 Speaker 1: Saying, you know, although other parts were figuring out reasons 875 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:03,200 Speaker 1: they couldn't they. 876 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:06,960 Speaker 2: Couldn't come, these folks, we're going to great links to 877 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:09,480 Speaker 2: figure out how to be there. And that person was 878 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 2: helping him throw out all of the you know, things 879 00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:15,400 Speaker 2: that got damaged and the hurricane or or were spoiled 880 00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:18,520 Speaker 2: because of loss of power, and basically cleaned up the 881 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 2: entire store and got them ready to open. 882 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:28,280 Speaker 1: Have you taken the time to step back and realize 883 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 1: what you've done? 884 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:36,919 Speaker 2: I don't know because there's so much more to do. 885 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:39,720 Speaker 2: I get that it's never ending. 886 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 1: No, I get that. But who donated those first rent 887 00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:47,160 Speaker 1: the vending machines? 888 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,520 Speaker 2: Co Cola Yep, it was Coca Cola. 889 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 1: How many did they? 890 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:53,520 Speaker 2: They ended up giving us twelve rent free when we 891 00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 2: got started and then. 892 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 1: Which is pretty cool. I especially when you were like 893 00:44:57,600 --> 00:44:59,880 Speaker 1: ground four and really weren't doing anything. 894 00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:02,319 Speaker 2: Oh, I'm telling you, it was great. But we had 895 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:04,279 Speaker 2: to figure out how to get the snack machines. And 896 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:06,880 Speaker 2: I ended up buying the first snack machine off of 897 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:10,320 Speaker 2: Green Sheet, which is like newspaper. I paid seven hundred 898 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:11,360 Speaker 2: and fifty dollars. 899 00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:13,520 Speaker 1: We used one somewhere from Oh yeah, I. 900 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:15,480 Speaker 2: Wrote a personal check and bought a used one off 901 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:19,040 Speaker 2: of somebody, and that thing almost never worked and it 902 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:21,520 Speaker 2: was terrible. I mean they really cost upwards of a 903 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:22,480 Speaker 2: thousand dollars each. 904 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:26,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, they're expensive, all right, So we're just going to say, 905 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 1: from twelve free drink machines that are now you're leasing 906 00:45:31,239 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 1: and one crappy broke down snack machine to the height 907 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:42,640 Speaker 1: of the food service that is heart vending and concessions, 908 00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:49,239 Speaker 1: how many vending machines? How many concession stands. What is 909 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,279 Speaker 1: the scope of this thing at this point. 910 00:45:51,480 --> 00:45:55,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we grew to where we were servicing almost 911 00:45:55,840 --> 00:45:59,320 Speaker 2: one hundred different vending machines, so it was a good sized, 912 00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:03,120 Speaker 2: you know, small to medium sized business. We have Anheuser 913 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:06,880 Speaker 2: Busch Brewery as a customer, Yellow Cab as a customer 914 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:10,040 Speaker 2: at all their sites. We have hospitals, we have the 915 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:12,279 Speaker 2: Houston Food Bank, believe it or not, has our vending 916 00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:16,359 Speaker 2: machines for their employees and schools and other customers. And 917 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:19,760 Speaker 2: on the concession side, I think the last time we looked, 918 00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:23,480 Speaker 2: we were doing well over one hundred and fifty events 919 00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 2: per year. When you think about three hundred and sixty 920 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 2: five days in the year, right, pretty much every other 921 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:32,839 Speaker 2: day we're somewhere somewhere, right whether it's a Monster Jam 922 00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:35,360 Speaker 2: or Disney on Ice, or a PGA tournament, or a 923 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:37,719 Speaker 2: Rockets or a Texans or we're going to be at 924 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:41,560 Speaker 2: the Taylor Swift concert all nights with Final four in 925 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:42,800 Speaker 2: Houston will be there. 926 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:49,279 Speaker 1: So that's unbelievable. From twelve vending machines to that and growing. 927 00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:52,600 Speaker 2: And that doesn't include our partnerships with CVS Health and 928 00:46:52,719 --> 00:46:56,480 Speaker 2: getting folks in internships that doesn't include a vocational program 929 00:46:56,560 --> 00:46:58,360 Speaker 2: we're doing now with the Houston Food Bank. We have 930 00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:01,760 Speaker 2: a partnership with the Universe See of Houston Downtown where 931 00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 2: we're getting folks in that college setting. We have a 932 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:08,319 Speaker 2: partnership with Houston ISD where we're trying to get kids 933 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:11,319 Speaker 2: who are still in high school this training before they 934 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:14,239 Speaker 2: turn twenty to and graduate, hoping that they'll be on 935 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:16,520 Speaker 2: a faster track to then one day get a job 936 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:20,000 Speaker 2: and maybe not even need heart right if they can 937 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,040 Speaker 2: go straight from high school into a job by us 938 00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:25,160 Speaker 2: intervening with some of our training strategies while they're still 939 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:30,080 Speaker 2: in high school. So it's definitely grown much larger than 940 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:32,680 Speaker 2: I ever thought it would in two thousand and two 941 00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:36,680 Speaker 2: when we just filled out the paperwork and send it 942 00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:38,200 Speaker 2: to the high I think I'd speak. 943 00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:39,720 Speaker 1: For everyone when I wish you'd quit screwing around. 944 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:43,720 Speaker 2: I know we have so much more to do. That's 945 00:47:43,760 --> 00:47:45,520 Speaker 2: the thing. There's so much more to do. The need 946 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:48,640 Speaker 2: is so great, the opportunity is really great. And here's 947 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:51,840 Speaker 2: the thing. Right now is such a huge opportunity because 948 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,520 Speaker 2: businesses are hurting for employees. They're hurting for employees, and 949 00:47:55,680 --> 00:48:00,200 Speaker 2: I've got potential employees that are desperate for these jobs. 950 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:04,480 Speaker 2: These jobs for them as a dream come true. For me, 951 00:48:04,719 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 2: it would be that first rung on the ladder. 952 00:48:06,840 --> 00:48:09,600 Speaker 1: It's a stepping stone for most and this is it's 953 00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 1: a difference in a stepping stone and a destination. 954 00:48:11,960 --> 00:48:14,399 Speaker 2: Right, So if we can just connect that dot, if 955 00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:17,799 Speaker 2: we can connect this potential workforce to these businesses that 956 00:48:17,840 --> 00:48:20,160 Speaker 2: are desperate for the workers, all it takes is training. 957 00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:22,719 Speaker 2: That's really all it takes. And that's what heart does. 958 00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:25,520 Speaker 2: So we're trying to ramp up, We're trying to do more, 959 00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:32,480 Speaker 2: We're trying to get it done. 960 00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:45,600 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. An army of normal folks is 961 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,239 Speaker 1: about normal people seeing a need and filling it. But 962 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:53,880 Speaker 1: I think you've surpassed just quote filling it. It is phenomenal. 963 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:57,759 Speaker 1: What you've done is we're only in Houston at this point, right, 964 00:48:58,320 --> 00:49:01,600 Speaker 1: That's right. But it's scalable to any city. 965 00:49:01,680 --> 00:49:04,680 Speaker 2: Yes, I think so, because every city has people with 966 00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:09,160 Speaker 2: intellectual disabilities, and every city has a stadium or has 967 00:49:09,560 --> 00:49:12,600 Speaker 2: you know a pharmacy or has you know a pizza? 968 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:14,440 Speaker 1: Everybody's got a popultry. 969 00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:17,799 Speaker 2: Part needs a vending machine. So to me, it does 970 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:20,880 Speaker 2: seem like it should be scalable and that should be 971 00:49:20,920 --> 00:49:24,160 Speaker 2: something that you know, maybe someone listening to this will 972 00:49:24,160 --> 00:49:26,520 Speaker 2: have an idea of how how we could do that. 973 00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:28,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, for goodness sake. So if you're listening to this 974 00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:31,160 Speaker 1: and you're in Houston and you're asking yourself, I wonder 975 00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:34,680 Speaker 1: where I can help out all Heart exactly. 976 00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:37,600 Speaker 2: We'd love to have you. We've got you know, social media, 977 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:40,400 Speaker 2: Facebook and Instagram and Twitter and a website which is 978 00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:43,279 Speaker 2: just WHW dot Heart Program dot org. 979 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:45,360 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I think I spoke over it, say on 980 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:45,799 Speaker 1: more time. 981 00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:49,640 Speaker 2: So it's the website is www. Dot Heart Program, which 982 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:52,640 Speaker 2: is just spelled H E A r T program dot 983 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:56,040 Speaker 2: org org. And you can get connected to our YouTube, 984 00:49:56,120 --> 00:50:00,200 Speaker 2: our Facebook, our Instagram. So it's different on different one. 985 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:03,320 Speaker 2: So at Facebook it's at Heart Program h G A 986 00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:06,960 Speaker 2: r T Program. Twitter's the Heart Programs with a THH 987 00:50:07,160 --> 00:50:09,400 Speaker 2: in front, and I think Instagram might have dots like 988 00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:11,120 Speaker 2: H dot E dot A. 989 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:13,120 Speaker 1: Go to the website and get to one. 990 00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:14,799 Speaker 2: You'll figure out. You'll figure out the rest. 991 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:20,200 Speaker 1: Sure. One of the things we do is I give 992 00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:23,640 Speaker 1: out my email address. Alex gets out here is all 993 00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:26,120 Speaker 1: of our guests gets out. We we we want to 994 00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:28,880 Speaker 1: tell stories. We want to we wanna we want to 995 00:50:28,920 --> 00:50:33,359 Speaker 1: explore the difficulties of all of the work that our 996 00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:36,440 Speaker 1: guests do, plus the redemptive stories of what they've achieved. 997 00:50:36,480 --> 00:50:39,560 Speaker 1: But we also want to inspire and encourage people to 998 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:42,880 Speaker 1: get involved, either in your organization or an organization or 999 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:46,239 Speaker 1: something in their communities. And we want to say we're 1000 00:50:46,280 --> 00:50:49,080 Speaker 1: available if you have questions, and I just would you 1001 00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:52,279 Speaker 1: mind selling sharing your email address. So if anybody hearing 1002 00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:55,879 Speaker 1: this is interested in either getting involved in Houston or 1003 00:50:55,960 --> 00:51:01,800 Speaker 1: starting this in another city and want to get Jane Pointers, 1004 00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:03,200 Speaker 1: how do they reach you? 1005 00:51:03,400 --> 00:51:07,360 Speaker 2: I would love pointers. My email address is my first 1006 00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:09,680 Speaker 2: initial of my first name and then my last name 1007 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:13,759 Speaker 2: at Heart Program dot org. So it's j Borakoff at 1008 00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:17,640 Speaker 2: heartprogram dot org. So it's J b O r O 1009 00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:22,239 Speaker 2: C ho f F at h E A R T 1010 00:51:22,600 --> 00:51:26,120 Speaker 2: Program dot org. And if that's too complicated, you could 1011 00:51:26,160 --> 00:51:29,520 Speaker 2: also email contact at Heartprogram dot org and it'll get 1012 00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:30,960 Speaker 2: to me too perfect. 1013 00:51:31,160 --> 00:51:37,200 Speaker 1: And we also have folks listening who may be inspired 1014 00:51:37,239 --> 00:51:39,680 Speaker 1: by what you're doing, but not be inspired to get involved. 1015 00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:43,759 Speaker 1: And any organization like yours, if anybody wants to give 1016 00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:46,520 Speaker 1: to it, they reach out to you on the website. 1017 00:51:46,520 --> 00:51:49,920 Speaker 2: Again, absolutely, you can email me. There's links to donate 1018 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:54,000 Speaker 2: on our website and any donation is impactful. So right 1019 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:56,640 Speaker 2: now with our campaign, with our facility, we're looking for 1020 00:51:56,800 --> 00:51:57,840 Speaker 2: very large gifts. 1021 00:51:58,040 --> 00:51:58,960 Speaker 1: How much chage you raise. 1022 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:02,000 Speaker 2: We probably need to raise almost ten million dollars to 1023 00:52:02,040 --> 00:52:04,800 Speaker 2: do the whole construction, the whole renovations. 1024 00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:07,200 Speaker 1: Well, we have timby and listeners, so if everybody gives. 1025 00:52:06,960 --> 00:52:09,640 Speaker 2: A dollar, well there you go. But we're the kind 1026 00:52:09,680 --> 00:52:11,919 Speaker 2: of organization where you know, if you can donate seven 1027 00:52:11,960 --> 00:52:14,400 Speaker 2: dollars and twenty five cents, you've underwritten an hour of 1028 00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:18,479 Speaker 2: pay right for somebody with an intellectual disability. So any 1029 00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:20,560 Speaker 2: donation really makes a huge impact. 1030 00:52:20,560 --> 00:52:22,560 Speaker 1: We highlight a lot of amazing stories and a lot 1031 00:52:22,560 --> 00:52:26,520 Speaker 1: of amazing organizations, and none more deserving than heart. So 1032 00:52:27,160 --> 00:52:30,160 Speaker 1: I hope you guys will have a heart and reach 1033 00:52:30,200 --> 00:52:33,400 Speaker 1: out if you're inspired, or at least give a little 1034 00:52:34,080 --> 00:52:36,760 Speaker 1: if you if you think the work that Jane Stewing's worthwhile, 1035 00:52:36,800 --> 00:52:42,520 Speaker 1: which obviously is. I want to ask you a question. 1036 00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:51,160 Speaker 1: My family talks about what are your fears for Bradley, 1037 00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:55,240 Speaker 1: because you're not twenty three anymore. 1038 00:52:55,040 --> 00:53:04,560 Speaker 2: Right, it's really a toss up between being terrified of 1039 00:53:04,560 --> 00:53:06,760 Speaker 2: what will happen to him if I'm no longer here 1040 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:11,719 Speaker 2: and Bob's no longer here, or if we somehow, you know, 1041 00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:14,360 Speaker 2: getting a car crash on the way home or something together, 1042 00:53:16,640 --> 00:53:24,080 Speaker 2: and being terrified that will outlive him. I don't think 1043 00:53:24,160 --> 00:53:26,240 Speaker 2: any parent wants to think about that. 1044 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:35,400 Speaker 1: Although unfortunately for people like Bradley and Ben, that's more 1045 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:39,480 Speaker 1: than likely just statistically a reality. 1046 00:53:41,239 --> 00:53:45,080 Speaker 2: And like your family, where you guys stepped up and 1047 00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:48,080 Speaker 2: your kids will step up, and I think the same 1048 00:53:48,160 --> 00:53:50,279 Speaker 2: is true in my family. I think the twins will 1049 00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:54,560 Speaker 2: step up. I think, you know, my brother will step up, 1050 00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:57,799 Speaker 2: and others in our family would step up, but we 1051 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:01,560 Speaker 2: don't want to burden them with them. 1052 00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 1: My mother in law has used those exact words that 1053 00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:13,240 Speaker 1: she doesn't want to burden us, and no reassurances are enough, 1054 00:54:14,840 --> 00:54:18,279 Speaker 1: but we always say it is not a burden, it's 1055 00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:18,960 Speaker 1: a privilege. 1056 00:54:19,239 --> 00:54:21,799 Speaker 2: I'm guessing they did everything they could possibly think of 1057 00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:25,000 Speaker 2: to make sure that your wife could achieve anything she 1058 00:54:25,080 --> 00:54:29,040 Speaker 2: wanted to achieve, right in spite of despite of her brother. 1059 00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:31,400 Speaker 2: And it's the same thing that we try to do 1060 00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:33,520 Speaker 2: with the twins is kind of shield them in a 1061 00:54:33,520 --> 00:54:37,400 Speaker 2: way from what we're doing for Bradley, so that they. 1062 00:54:37,280 --> 00:54:39,359 Speaker 1: Can experience their life, have. 1063 00:54:39,320 --> 00:54:41,719 Speaker 2: Their lives and go to college and marry who they 1064 00:54:41,719 --> 00:54:43,480 Speaker 2: want to marry, and have kids and live wherever they 1065 00:54:43,480 --> 00:54:46,360 Speaker 2: want to live and not have this hanging over their heads. 1066 00:54:46,640 --> 00:54:49,319 Speaker 1: But the things we're talking about are what thousands of 1067 00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:55,799 Speaker 1: family across this country are forced to talk about and 1068 00:54:55,840 --> 00:54:58,880 Speaker 1: then go out into public and often have to deal 1069 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:05,880 Speaker 1: with shameful responses to their existence. And if anybody listening 1070 00:55:05,920 --> 00:55:13,719 Speaker 1: to us has ever had those inclinations, I hope you 1071 00:55:13,760 --> 00:55:21,120 Speaker 1: hear our voices. These are just human people who have 1072 00:55:21,160 --> 00:55:25,000 Speaker 1: been born with disability that are to no fault of 1073 00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:33,080 Speaker 1: their own, and there's a soul and your reaction to them, 1074 00:55:34,719 --> 00:55:39,600 Speaker 1: even though many of families like ours actually have the 1075 00:55:39,920 --> 00:55:41,960 Speaker 1: kindness to ignore you. 1076 00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:49,880 Speaker 2: We see in our faith we say God doesn't make mistakes, 1077 00:55:51,239 --> 00:55:55,239 Speaker 2: and they're here for a reason, and we don't know 1078 00:55:55,280 --> 00:55:58,759 Speaker 2: what that reason is, but they have a purpose. And 1079 00:55:59,080 --> 00:56:03,040 Speaker 2: to your point, they haven't made any mistakes, they haven't 1080 00:56:03,040 --> 00:56:06,920 Speaker 2: made any wrong choices that led them to where they are. Right, 1081 00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:10,200 Speaker 2: that's how they came. 1082 00:56:11,719 --> 00:56:15,680 Speaker 1: And we are called to serve the most disadvantage among 1083 00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:19,239 Speaker 1: us and what greater calling could there be to me? 1084 00:56:19,400 --> 00:56:21,120 Speaker 2: I think this is one that we should all be 1085 00:56:21,160 --> 00:56:25,000 Speaker 2: able to rally behind. You know, people may disagree about 1086 00:56:25,080 --> 00:56:27,960 Speaker 2: how to help people who are unhoused or facing homeless, 1087 00:56:28,040 --> 00:56:31,040 Speaker 2: or you know, what to do about people facing addiction, 1088 00:56:31,239 --> 00:56:33,040 Speaker 2: or people who've gotten in and out of jail. There's 1089 00:56:33,080 --> 00:56:35,440 Speaker 2: lots of different arguments you can have about you know, 1090 00:56:35,520 --> 00:56:37,920 Speaker 2: the right ways. But why are we Why are we 1091 00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:41,560 Speaker 2: not all you know, unified and saying that these people 1092 00:56:41,560 --> 00:56:42,880 Speaker 2: are deserving of our support. 1093 00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:44,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we need to have a heart. 1094 00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:47,600 Speaker 2: Now. That was a good plug. 1095 00:56:47,760 --> 00:56:50,440 Speaker 1: Thank you very much, Jane. I want to tell you something. 1096 00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:56,320 Speaker 1: I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together, and I told 1097 00:56:56,360 --> 00:57:00,480 Speaker 1: you offline before the audience was listening in that I 1098 00:57:00,520 --> 00:57:05,319 Speaker 1: was really looking forward to this conversation. But I had 1099 00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:08,879 Speaker 1: not yet revealed to you that my family and your 1100 00:57:08,880 --> 00:57:12,600 Speaker 1: family are not that dissimilar. And it is for that 1101 00:57:12,680 --> 00:57:14,600 Speaker 1: reason that I couldn't wait to meet you after reading 1102 00:57:14,640 --> 00:57:20,840 Speaker 1: your story. And I say it with really all the 1103 00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:26,400 Speaker 1: admiration and the world for you. It is phenomenal what 1104 00:57:26,440 --> 00:57:30,640 Speaker 1: you have done for countless families and countless human beings 1105 00:57:30,680 --> 00:57:34,080 Speaker 1: in Houston, and the work that you, guys, continue to do, 1106 00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:36,960 Speaker 1: and I pray people in Houston are listening, and you 1107 00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:47,360 Speaker 1: get forty phone calls tomorrow for volunteers and folks. Middle 1108 00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:50,640 Speaker 1: income girl who, in her own words, grew up on 1109 00:57:50,960 --> 00:57:54,720 Speaker 1: literally on the other side of the tracks, with a 1110 00:57:54,760 --> 00:57:58,320 Speaker 1: mom who's a PhD but going to school and a 1111 00:57:58,360 --> 00:58:02,520 Speaker 1: father who ran an upholstery business and two siblings and 1112 00:58:02,640 --> 00:58:07,160 Speaker 1: a normal household, to a girl who graduated college just 1113 00:58:07,200 --> 00:58:09,480 Speaker 1: trying to make it through life, fell in love, saw 1114 00:58:09,520 --> 00:58:13,320 Speaker 1: a need for her husband's son and filled it and 1115 00:58:13,360 --> 00:58:17,480 Speaker 1: in the process has changed lives. And that is the 1116 00:58:17,520 --> 00:58:21,800 Speaker 1: story of an army of normal folks. And you are 1117 00:58:21,800 --> 00:58:25,640 Speaker 1: certainly a member of that, my friend. And I just 1118 00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:27,200 Speaker 1: can't thank you enough for joining. 1119 00:58:26,960 --> 00:58:36,080 Speaker 3: Me, Thank you for having me, and thank you for 1120 00:58:36,200 --> 00:58:37,520 Speaker 3: joining us this week. 1121 00:58:38,360 --> 00:58:41,680 Speaker 1: If Jane Borkov or another guest has inspired you in general, 1122 00:58:41,800 --> 00:58:45,720 Speaker 1: or better yet, to take action by volunteering or donating 1123 00:58:46,240 --> 00:58:49,400 Speaker 1: with the Heart Program, by starting something like it in 1124 00:58:49,440 --> 00:58:54,240 Speaker 1: your own community, or something else entirely, please let me know. 1125 00:58:54,760 --> 00:58:57,280 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear about it. Guys, you can write 1126 00:58:57,360 --> 00:59:01,640 Speaker 1: me anytime at Bill at Normalfolks dot us, and I 1127 00:59:01,760 --> 00:59:05,960 Speaker 1: promise you I will respond and if you enjoyed this episode, 1128 00:59:06,160 --> 00:59:10,080 Speaker 1: share it with friends and on social subscribe to the podcast. 1129 00:59:10,160 --> 00:59:13,800 Speaker 1: Please subscribe to the podcast, rate it, review it, become 1130 00:59:13,800 --> 00:59:17,160 Speaker 1: a Premium member at normalfolks dot us. All these things 1131 00:59:17,160 --> 00:59:21,040 Speaker 1: that will help grow an army of normal folks. I'm 1132 00:59:21,080 --> 00:59:23,040 Speaker 1: Bill Courtney, and I'll see you next week.