1 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: A drive in Caryville. There's not one payday long store 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: drive through Germantown, not one. The closer I get to 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: new direction, the matter I get because the closer I 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: get there, payday loan title loan places everywhere, and I 5 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: was just bad by the time I got to I was. 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: I get to where a new direction. There's two of 7 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: the best churches in Memphis right there, world overcomers, New directions. 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: I stand outside in the parking lot and there are 9 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: four predatory loan places that. 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: You can see from the parking lot with the church. 11 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: Yes, and so they literally go into the church to 12 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: pray and come out to get prayed over. 13 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 2: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. 14 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 2: I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father, 15 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 2: I'm an entrepreneur, and I'm a football coach and inner 16 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 2: City Memphis. And that last part it's somehow it's led 17 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 2: to an oscar for the film about our team. That 18 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 2: movie's called Undefeated. Y'all. I believe our country's problems are 19 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: never going to be solved by a bunch of fancy 20 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 2: people and nice suits using big words that nobody ever 21 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 2: uses on CNN and Fox, but rather by an army 22 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 2: of normal folks. Y'all. That is us. That's you and 23 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 2: me seeing a place in need and saying, you know what, 24 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 2: maybe I can help. That's what Travis Moody, the voice 25 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: you just heard, has done. Travis and his nonprofit Ford 26 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 2: Memphis are fighting to outcompete predatory lenders that are really 27 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 2: taking advantage of the most vulnerable Memphians. As you're about 28 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: to hear, this is not even close to just a 29 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: Memphis problem. It's literally everywhere. I cannot wait for you 30 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: to meet Travis right after these brief messages from ours 31 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 2: are general sponsors. Travis Moody's in the house, the founder 32 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 2: and CEO AFFD Memphis, Travis good Sie. You know, most 33 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: times I say how'd you get here? Because folks are 34 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 2: coming from Indiana or Chicago or Los Angeles or wherever. 35 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: But Travis Moody is a Memphis fella. So how you 36 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 2: got here is you probably woke up in your house 37 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,399 Speaker 2: and broke across town exactly right. Yeah, who you got 38 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 2: over your shoulder there? Who's with us today? Alex Oh, 39 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 2: this is Sherman, this is his building. I know, I 40 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 2: just wanted we got a guest I thought we'd say hello, 41 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 2: It's just it's this building. That's why I said, he's 42 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: your guest to the show. Here you are, what's up right? 43 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 2: That's right. Well, he's a guest to the show. We 44 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 2: may be in his building, but he's a guest in 45 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 2: this place, that's right. So that's it. So it's a 46 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 2: Memphis thing today, and Ford Memphis is something really near 47 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 2: and dear to my heart. And we're going to talk 48 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: about that. But first, Travis, you started here, been all 49 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 2: around the world and ended up back here. Kind of 50 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 2: tell us how you grew up in your track. Yeah. 51 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: I grew up actually not too far from here, just 52 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: right over the oh the highway off of Alsier Road, 53 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: went to Hamilton High School. Love Hamilton absolutely. My mom 54 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: still lives in the AlSi community, so I really love 55 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: that community. 56 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 2: So this is home. So you must have been all 57 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 2: right in football in high school. 58 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: I enjoyed playing football. It's fortunate to get a scholarship 59 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: to Georgia Tech to play football. 60 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. So what position were we? 61 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: I played nose guard? 62 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: You a noseguard, you were a shade or straight up zero? 63 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: Well then it was a straight up it was we played. 64 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: Because you're playing five man front. Yeah, so you're used 65 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 2: to taking on double teams. 66 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: That's that was my only job. 67 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 2: Split the double. 68 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: Just don't let the guys get out to the lineback 69 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: to keep them off the linebackers. 70 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 2: Split the double. That's that's it. Man. I spent thirty 71 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 2: years trying to find some kid that could do that, 72 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: and they're rare. So that means you're tough. That means 73 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: you're selfless, and that means you you'll take on two 74 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: on one to let your buddy behind you win. That's 75 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: the way I look at noseguards. So Georgia Tech's a 76 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 2: good school, man. I mean, what was your degree in 77 00:04:53,279 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 2: industrin engineer, Travis. I mean growing up in kind of 78 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 2: the inner city Memphis and back then, I think that 79 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 2: the community around Hamilton was still a pretty decent community, right, 80 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 2: And but you got at Georgia Tech got an engineering degree. 81 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 2: I mean, that's that's that's arriving. 82 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it was when I went to school. 83 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: I mean, Hamilton did a good job of putting the 84 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: emphasis on me academically because I just wanted to play football. 85 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: But the coaches talked about, you know, football is just 86 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: a way to get you a better life, and they 87 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: really focused on me getting a degree. And when the 88 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: colleges started to recruit me, the Georgia Tech came and 89 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: I had never heard of Georgia Tech. I never met 90 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: any engineer, but my teachers pushed me to say, you 91 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: know you're good in bath and science. We think engineering 92 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: would be a good fit for you. And all they 93 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: did was they took out a magazine to show the 94 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 1: average salaries engineers compared to other people, and I think 95 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: it may have been like twenty eight thousand dollars a 96 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: year and it was the highest one. I said, just 97 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: sign me up for that good. That's fine. So I 98 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: had never met an engineer, but I had good counselors 99 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: and good teachers that said, we think this would be 100 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: a good good fit for you. 101 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 2: So you weren't just a meatthead, nose guard and pretty 102 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 2: bright kid wanted to find the future. 103 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: Yes, and and again I had teachers and people in 104 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: my life, the coaches that pushed me to they gave 105 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: me a vision for my life. 106 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 2: What did what did your neighborhood and high school in 107 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: the eighties? I guess this was the eighties. 108 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: Yes, I graduated in eighty five. 109 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:43,559 Speaker 2: Nineteen eighty five. Okay, you're in a the same age, 110 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: so what did what did that community in that world 111 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 2: look like in the mid eighties. 112 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: So we came I came in and in the bussing period, 113 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: so we were bussed out of our neighborhood in middle school, 114 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: so I was we were bussed to Whitdeal your high school, 115 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: and in that time the area in hick or Hill 116 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: Woodeale was still primarily majority white. So we had a 117 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: very diverse junior high school experience and really loved it. 118 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: You know, obviously it was a household getting up earlier 119 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: and getting on a bus, but uh, we had a 120 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: really good experience. Both my wife and I both were 121 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: bussed to Woodale Junior High. 122 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 2: School and then for high school you went to Hamilton. 123 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: Yes, my neighborhood of school was Hamilton, and again just 124 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: a really good experience. Then many of my teachers lived 125 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: in my neighborhood. I had teachers that lived on my street. 126 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: So if I didn't do right in school, you know, 127 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: the last thing I wanted was my teacher telling my parents. 128 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 2: So everybody, yes, you know, I know this is not 129 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: this is when I hear what you're saying, I do 130 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: actually think it applies to some of what we're going 131 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 2: to talk to with regard to Ford Memphis. But I 132 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 2: just it saddens me because I think we've lost a 133 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 2: lot of what you're talking about in our inner cities. 134 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 2: I just don't know that communities have kids going to 135 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 2: neighborhood schools with teachers and people working in and around 136 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 2: the community, living in the community, and kids and families 137 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 2: feeling safe to share experiences like that anymore. What do 138 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 2: you think? 139 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's well, one of the reasons why I like 140 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: the ass of community because I do see some. 141 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 2: Of that that's still going back. 142 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: Many of my classmates are moving back into the community. 143 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 2: Oh that's cool. 144 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 1: My mom still lives there. My mother in law lives 145 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: in the community. We have two properties in the community. 146 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: We're looking at how to move back. We have a 147 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 1: propit on the same street with three of our classmates. 148 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: And so we think that this, you know, we think 149 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: there's an opportunity that Memphis has that a lot of 150 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: places don't have, where there's a chance to really invest 151 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: in ourselves. We think there's a lot of people who 152 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 1: care about Memphis, and we think we're part of that. 153 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: We love Memphis, and we want to make it better 154 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: and we think there are a lot of people that 155 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: we can collaborate with. 156 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 2: I've done a lot of work in North Memphis. My 157 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 2: business is in North Memphis. I've coached for years and 158 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 2: years in North Memphis. And at one time, and for 159 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 2: those listeners not from Memphis, which is the vast majority 160 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:43,319 Speaker 2: of our listeners, North Memphis is you can't really go 161 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 2: west because you've got the Mississippi River. So you've got 162 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 2: North Memphis, South Memphis, and East Memphis, and then in 163 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 2: the middle you have downtown in Midtown and those I 164 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 2: would say are the five general areas of the city. 165 00:09:55,480 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 2: And then each of those areas have pockets. So in 166 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 2: North Memphis, three of those pockets are New Chicago, Smoky City, 167 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:10,319 Speaker 2: and Green Law, which is where my business is surrounded by. 168 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 2: And back in the seventies and eighties, there was Firestone, 169 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: there was Harvester, there were grocery stores, there were places 170 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 2: to shop, and there were all these really pretty good 171 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 2: playing paying blue collar jobs. And then due to a 172 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 2: lot of factors and including a lot of destruction that 173 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 2: happened in the early seventies after the assassination of Martin 174 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 2: Luther King, a lot of offshoring of blue collar jobs. 175 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 2: Companies like Harvester moved away or folded up, Caterpillar moved away, 176 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 2: folded up Firestone, which was massive, folded up, and those 177 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 2: that could left that couldn't had to stay. And three 178 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 2: decades later, what was once a really thriving blue collar there, 179 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 2: largely African American communities with a lot of pride surrounding 180 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 2: the schools and the neighborhoods, has just year by year 181 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 2: by year dilapidated, really, and you end up with food deserts, 182 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 2: work deserts, and when the money leaves, the support for 183 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 2: the school and PTA and so it's just this And 184 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 2: I don't think that's a Memphis story. I think that's 185 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 2: an urban story and a lot of cities across the country. 186 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 2: But what happens is people in those situations end up 187 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 2: financially desperate. And it concerns me because if we don't 188 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 2: redevelop those areas, re educate those areas, and help people 189 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 2: in those areas rise above those circle ccumstances, what happens 190 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 2: to our tax space, but what happens to our society, 191 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,439 Speaker 2: what happens to our culture? Do you see that in 192 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 2: the work you're doing. 193 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, what we see is many of those communities are 194 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: have people under financial distress, and so those are the 195 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: very people that get prayed on. Communities you talked about 196 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: is where all of the payday loan, the predator lending happens. 197 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: I mean, it doesn't happen in Caruville to Germantown. 198 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 2: They're about you fill in Germantown or suburbs of Memphis 199 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 2: that are very affluent. 200 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: This absolutely there's not one payday loan store in either 201 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: of those communities. 202 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 2: Okay, so we'll get to that. So Georgia Tech, then 203 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 2: you go to do can get your NBA right, I mean, dude, 204 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 2: Georgia Tech undergraduate and the duke NBA. That's impressive. I 205 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 2: mean you were on the way. 206 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, I think that was. I had a lot 207 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: of good mentoring when I One of the reasons why 208 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: I went to Georgia Tech was and I thought it 209 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: was a great place to grow. And and again I was, 210 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: you know, coming out of South Memphis that was very 211 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: rough and a lot of things I didn't have exposure to. 212 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: So but it was a great start. And you know, 213 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: we had had a good coach and when they recruited me. 214 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: One of the reasons why I went because again I 215 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: wanted to play big time football. But at the time 216 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: the coach there knew that there were some other things 217 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: that you know, wasn't that were important to me. He 218 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: had the the mayor at the time, the mayor of Atlanta, 219 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: to call my parents and that was a big selling 220 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 1: point because he was Scyning Andrew Young. He was part 221 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: of the Civil rights movement, so my parents knew him. 222 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: He was second to Martin Luther King and as far 223 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: as leadership in the civil rights movement, really he became 224 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: an ambassador and later and at this time he was 225 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: the mayor of Atlanta, uh and very well known in 226 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: the black community. And so when he called my parents 227 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: and said, well, if you send your son to Atlanta, 228 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 1: I'll take care of him. 229 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 2: Well, gosh, what else do you want? 230 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 1: That was a great and uh and so that I enjoyed. 231 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: It was a you know, and being around and he 232 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: and he did he he took me in I would 233 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: you know, he would take me into his home and 234 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: be around him and his family, and you know, I'd 235 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: had an internship in his office and but man, it 236 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: was just great exposure. 237 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 2: So you ever heard of a guy in Memphis named 238 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: Robert Hill. Yes, I know Robert. So Robert spent a 239 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: guest on the show with with the thing he's doing 240 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 2: called Friends after Five. And when when you said, I 241 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 2: grew up in South Memphis and there were things I 242 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 2: just never heard of, I'd never been exposed to. What 243 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 2: Robert's doing with Friends after Five is he thinks access 244 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 2: and exposure is the are the two greatest limitations to 245 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 2: the growth of the black middle class, Because how do 246 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 2: you elevate yourself if you don't have access to the 247 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 2: elevator or exposure to people who, if you do good work, 248 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 2: have the ability to help you elevate yourself. 249 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: Yes, I agree with that one. 250 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 2: All right. So what he does with Friends after Five 251 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 2: is he sets up meetings after five and he brings 252 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 2: in young black graduates and professionals from HBCUs and all 253 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 2: over Memphis. And he does it. He's doing it many 254 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 2: other cities, not just Memphis. And then he convinces both 255 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 2: black and white middle aged business owners and they simply 256 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 2: gather for two and a half three hours somewhere and 257 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: they just get to know each other, just friends after five. 258 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 2: And then what it does is it opens folks eyes 259 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 2: to the opportunities and the possibilities that exist outside of 260 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 2: in your case, South Memphis. Right. What it also does 261 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 2: is opens the business world's ideas too. These are some 262 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 2: whip smart, young, aggressive, bright professionals, and if we just 263 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 2: give them an opportunity, they're gonna thrive and through friends. 264 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 2: After five, he says he can help grow the middle 265 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 2: class just by no freebies, no nothing, just exposure and access. Right. 266 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 2: And when I hear you say I grew up in 267 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 2: South Memphis, I don't know nothing about Georgia Tech. I'd 268 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 2: never met an engineer. That's exposure and access, I say. 269 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 1: Just I'll tell you. So when I got to Georgia Tech, 270 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: I took my you know, because again I want I 271 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: wanted to be an engineer, and I signed up. One 272 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: of my first classes was this computer class, programming basic computer. 273 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: That's what it was called. Well, I thought basic computer men, 274 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: that they were gonna teach me basic. I had never 275 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: seen a computer in my life, so I thought, they're 276 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: gonna teach me what a computer is, how to turn 277 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: it on? And the professor said, how many people have 278 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: written line programs or lines of a hundred and you know, 279 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: people raise their hands and how many written a five 280 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: hundred lines? A few of other people raise a hand. 281 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: I was waiting for him to say, who don't know 282 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: how to turn. 283 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 2: On the computer? 284 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 3: That never happened, And there quiet, I've sitting there. Everybody's 285 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 3: staying with up for me, So let me ask them. 286 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 3: Did that make you feel insecure? 287 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: It made me realize this was gonna be a lot 288 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: harder than I thought, and I needed help. I knew 289 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: I needed uh the great thing in the athletic department 290 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: had tutors available, but I didn't. I had to work 291 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: a lot harder. It was, and it was no way 292 00:17:57,880 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: around it. I just had to work harder because I 293 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: was It wasn't I wasn't smart enough. I just didn't 294 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: have the exposure as my classmates had computers in their 295 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: dorm room. I'd never seen a personal computer. I had 296 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: to learn. But I so that hard work exposure. It 297 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,440 Speaker 1: really helped me to kind of prepel. 298 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 2: For and now a few messages from our general sponsors. 299 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 2: But first we've launched a new written series called Normal 300 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,439 Speaker 2: Folks Wisdom. I think Alex came up with that. Did 301 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 2: you come up with that? And an army of Normal 302 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 2: Dead Folks. 303 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: People have strong feelings on that one already, so we'll 304 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: see what they think about this. 305 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 2: I don't know about these titles, but anyway, we've got 306 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 2: this thing called normal Folks Wisdom. Come on, you like it. 307 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 2: I do like it, Actually I like it better than 308 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 2: dead folks. But whatever. What normal Folks Wisdom is is 309 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 2: it's the heroic normal folks we interview and when they 310 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 2: share poignant, cutting, practical, and oftentimes hilarious wisdom with us. 311 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 2: So we want to make it digestible for Army members, 312 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 2: especially if you don't get a chance to listen to 313 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 2: every single episode with shame on you, you should or 314 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 2: all the way through. So we think everybody can find 315 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 2: it valuable. The best way to start getting normal Folks 316 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:43,639 Speaker 2: wisdom is to follow us on Instagram at Army of 317 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 2: Normal Folks or by signing up to join the Army 318 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 2: at normal Folks dot us. As we're going to start 319 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 2: emailing these things out as well. There's some fancy folks 320 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 2: with some wisdom, but normal folks got a whole bunch 321 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 2: of it and are often overlooked. I hope you'll check 322 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:24,120 Speaker 2: it out. We'll be right back. One of my very 323 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 2: dearest friends in the world is named Mike Ray. Mike 324 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,880 Speaker 2: Ray played at Arkansas State for Larry Lacewell. If Mike 325 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:32,880 Speaker 2: had a little bit bigger size, he would have played 326 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 2: the NFL. He was one of those guys that was 327 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:41,360 Speaker 2: an undersized tackle but was very effective. Right he helped. 328 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 2: He was my offensive line coach for four years, and 329 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 2: dear friend. His children and my children remained dear friends. 330 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 2: They done to each other's weddings and all that. When 331 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 2: Mike started coaching with me at Manassas my third year, 332 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 2: his first year there, about halfway through the season, really 333 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 2: started to recognize deficiencies in what we would consider basics. 334 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 2: So one day he asked a couple of players, Hey, man, 335 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:23,679 Speaker 2: how much do you think so and so's grandmama's house costs? 336 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 2: And folks twenty thousand dollars? He said, okay, how much 337 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 2: do you think my car costs? And he drove a 338 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:45,479 Speaker 2: five year old suburban ten thousand dollars. All right, how 339 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 2: much do you think my house costs? And now he'd 340 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:51,159 Speaker 2: taken all his offensive linement at his house, swim in 341 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 2: the pool and heat. He did it all the time 342 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 2: he invested in him. Now his house was in Germantown. 343 00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 2: It was sixty three hundred square feet thousand. 344 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: I want to buy that house me too. 345 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 2: I'll line up by ten of them. But the point 346 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 2: was five twenty thousand and thirty thousand. They knew the 347 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 2: house was more expensive the car, and the bigger house 348 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 2: is more expensive the smaller house. They could not. They 349 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 2: had absolutely no idea what things cost in the world. 350 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 2: Then he did another thing, and he said, if I 351 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 2: give you two hundred dollars, and for the week, you 352 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 2: have to do these things, and you want these shoes, 353 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 2: and these shoes cost one hundred and sixty dollars, and 354 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 2: I give you two hundred, can you afford them? Yeah? 355 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 2: Heck yeah, I can afford those shoes. I got two 356 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 2: hundred one sixty. Well, that leaves forty. Can you eat 357 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 2: and provide basic necessities for yourself over the week with 358 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:04,439 Speaker 2: forty dollars? I don't know. You know. The point is, 359 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 2: if it's in your pocket, you can afford it. But 360 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:13,640 Speaker 2: you're not thinking about anything else. And through those two questions, 361 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 2: Mike grew to understand and tell me Bill, we got 362 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 2: to start teaching basic financial literacy. These kids, they have 363 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 2: no idea how money savings through work interest, anything works 364 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 2: and it's because their parents didn't know and they were 365 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 2: never again, they never had access or exposure to a 366 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:48,119 Speaker 2: savings account, a checking account how things worked. And it 367 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,920 Speaker 2: was devastating to me. I'm a I'm a football coach. 368 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 2: I don't I don't teach in the school. And we 369 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 2: started trying to have these conversations. But it was devastating 370 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 2: to me because what happens even if these kids do 371 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 2: reach so level of success, how are they going to 372 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 2: maintain it when they don't even know how to act 373 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 2: with money. 374 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: Well, what we find is that, man, there's a different 375 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: mindset when it comes to poverty and middle class values. 376 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: And I didn't know that until we As we start 377 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 1: coaching people who are in that came out of poverty, 378 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: even if they have high income, there's still a poverty 379 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: mindset that we have to help. 380 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 2: Overcome. 381 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: And because every financial success is based off of middle 382 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: class values. 383 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 2: We talk about it all the time. These folks that 384 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 2: do make it athletically and are paid millions of dollars. Right, 385 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 2: people don't understand there is income tax. In most of 386 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 2: the states, there's a state income tax that agent's pulling 387 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 2: three twelve percent, and a guy that's that comes from 388 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,439 Speaker 2: an area where he has no financial literacy. Maybe he 389 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 2: does sign a twelve million dollar contract and get a 390 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 2: six hundred thousand signing bonus, and he feels like he's 391 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,440 Speaker 2: got to help his mama. And the cousins show up, 392 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,640 Speaker 2: and everybody wants a new car, and everybody wants shoes, 393 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 2: and then everybody's hanging around him, and then we go, 394 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 2: look at this idiot. He's twenty eight. He had all 395 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 2: that money and he's broken. What a dummy. And it 396 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 2: disgusts me when we talk about guys like that because 397 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 2: nobody came alongside, or very few come alongside to help 398 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 2: support what to do with that wealth, and people don't 399 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 2: understand what comes out of it before it ever gets 400 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 2: to him in the first place. 401 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, I smile when you say that, because that's really 402 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: how I got into this area, is because I was 403 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: that person, you know, after you mentioned it, Georgia Tech 404 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 1: Engineering Duke NBA. I was making a six figure income, 405 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: all of the things that you were supposed to have 406 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 1: in life, had this huge house, you know, five thousand 407 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:20,479 Speaker 1: square foot home, beautiful neighborhood, tennis court, swimming pools, all 408 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: of those things on the problem was I couldn't afford 409 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: and we were We had over one hundred thousand dollars 410 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 1: in personal debt. 411 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 2: Let's get to that. So after you left, do you 412 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,719 Speaker 2: work for a series of big companies? Who you worked for? 413 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: Yeah? So my first engineer job was with a company 414 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: called Procting Gamble. Great, great company, had great experience, and 415 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: each each one took me gave me different exposure because 416 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: even though I had an engineering degree, again, I was 417 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 1: still very rough. I hadn't been exposed in a corporate setting. 418 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: So it was very a very good place to learn 419 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: and grow. And then I went back. That's I went 420 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: back to Duke after that. So I spent six years 421 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: as an engineer. Then I went my NBA went full time. 422 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: When I finished Duke, I went to Seattle to work 423 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: for a company called Warehouser. 424 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 2: Warehouser is the behemoth of the forest products industry. 425 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: Yes, great company again, And it allowed me to see 426 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 1: how companies operate, you know, because I worked directly with 427 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: the CFO and the CEO of a fortune one hundred company. 428 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: Very very good experience. Basically I was doing mergers and acquisitions. 429 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: I was buying companies and selling off parts of a company, 430 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: doing the analysis for it, and really learned a lot. 431 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:47,639 Speaker 2: And you also there had to have learned valuations. 432 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,199 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, so and again I was I was. I 433 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,159 Speaker 1: was good at numbers and math to science, and so 434 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: this was a really a good chance to use it 435 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: in a practical and business environments. And really after a 436 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 1: few years of that, thought, man, I can do this 437 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: for myself. And that's that's when we left that company 438 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: to go and buy a company in Atlanta. That's that's 439 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: how we kind of started the financial journey. 440 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 2: So what was that company? What was the business that 441 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 2: you wanted to buy? 442 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 1: It was a phone and card and company. You know, 443 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:25,400 Speaker 1: they eat boxes for churches, chicken and Dunkin donuts and 444 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: cereal boxes. It's a good company. There was all kinds 445 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: of reasons why it was a bad company to buy, though, 446 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: but I ignored them. I saw all of the things 447 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 1: that we all see. I thought how I was going 448 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: to make millions of dollars and again without having making 449 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: some of the mistakes that are you know, looking back out, 450 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: I shouldn't have. So you're married to this time, I 451 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: was married about two years. 452 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 2: To your school. Yeah, age, sweetheart. Yes, it's Carol, Carol, Yeah, yeah, 453 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 2: and you have three kids. 454 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: At that time. We had three kids. 455 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 2: That's right, all right. So Hamilton, Georgia, Tech, Rocter and 456 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 2: Gamble NBA do Seattle for one of the one hundred 457 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 2: largest companies in our country doing mergers and acquisitions. You 458 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 2: have made it. Yeah, and you say I've learned all 459 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 2: these I'm going to make money for myself. You go 460 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 2: to Atlanta, you decide you're going to buy this company. 461 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: On top of it by a huge house with at 462 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: the same time, how big a house five thousand square 463 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: foot homes where this was in Marriott the U in 464 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: cop County Ackworth. It was an Acworth, Georgia. 465 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, big place, big. 466 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 1: Place, you know, mother in law suite. You never had 467 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: a guest in that house, in that suite, two. 468 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 2: Kitchens from I know. 469 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: I'm still mad about that. So it still. 470 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 2: Sat, big house house and everybody's saying, man, you have 471 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 2: made it. And I read where your wife looked at 472 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 2: you one day and said, everybody sees all this thing. 473 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 2: We made it, and I can't even go to Walmart, right, 474 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 2: and you. 475 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: Know, so we're struggling, uh, spiritually, are marriage for the 476 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: first time and financially, so we just went through a 477 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: period of just a year of tough. 478 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 2: I had him been dark man. It was were you 479 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 2: questioned yourself? 480 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,719 Speaker 1: I was, yes, I was questioning myself. I was questioning 481 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 1: my faith. I you know, I've been going to church 482 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 1: and hear how everything's going to work out, and then 483 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 1: this didn't seem to be work out. So mad at God, 484 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: you know, I was. I was just I was just struggling, embarrassed, 485 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:38,479 Speaker 1: you know. I didn't want, you know, people to know. 486 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 2: So it was so then if you're embarrassed with people 487 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 2: to know, who do you reach out to because you 488 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 2: don't even want to talk about it? I guess. 489 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 1: So my wife had heard about a class at church. 490 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: She said, we need to go to this class learn 491 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 1: about money. And I didn't want to go. I thinking, 492 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: first of all, I'm the head of the finance commedee 493 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: at church and I got a duke NBA. All they 494 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 1: gonna tell me is I need the tithe and that's 495 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: that's not working. But she drug me to that class 496 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 1: and I learned that even though I had a duke nba, 497 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: I've been to church all my life, no one ever 498 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 1: taught me how to handle the ninety percent. The only 499 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: thing I knew was what to do with ten percent, 500 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: and the ninety percent is what got me in trouble. 501 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 1: So we went through this path of applying those principles. 502 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 1: I mean there were I didn't know the Bible we 503 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: had talked about the first, find your investments and not 504 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: co signing for somebody's loan. I didn't know that the 505 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: Bible had talked about that. But we went through that 506 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: process and over three years we paid off the one 507 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars in debt. What about the big old house. 508 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: We sold the house. 509 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 2: We'll be right back. 510 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: You downsize a home, and really we downsize to a home. 511 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: We moved to Carryville. We downside at home to a 512 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: three thousand square foot home. So nice place. 513 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 2: Carryville. Again, for everybody here, that means you moved back 514 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,239 Speaker 2: from Atlanta, because Carryville is a suburb of Memphis. So 515 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:25,959 Speaker 2: what year was that? 516 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: That was two thousand and one. 517 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 2: Okay, so about twenty three years ago. You go through 518 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 2: this terrific period where you decide you're going to buy 519 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 2: a business that doesn't work out. You've hopped up credit cards, 520 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 2: you bought this big house, and you got humbled. But 521 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 2: then you fight and fight and pay off the debt. 522 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 2: You move back to Memphis. For what purpose do you 523 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 2: move back to Memphis at this? 524 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: So they a warehouse. It actually hurt me back, got it, 525 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: and they moved me to run a facility here in 526 00:32:58,320 --> 00:32:59,720 Speaker 1: Memphis area. 527 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 2: Okay, so you've got your formal education and now you 528 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 2: have your life education. 529 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, God hit you in the mouth with yes. 530 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 2: Right, and you're in Caryville. So this is twenty years 531 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 2: ago or so? How are you now? Where you are? 532 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 2: Unfold what happened? 533 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: So after that period with Warehouser, I actually went to 534 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: work for Target in Arkansas, managed in the distribution. I 535 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: was an executive with their in their distribution center, and 536 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: that again moved forward. We downsized again. We thought, man, 537 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: if we downsize our home again, we can get out 538 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: of this debt within the last next year. So we 539 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,640 Speaker 1: paid off. We finished paying off the debt in two 540 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: thousand and four. We moved to Arkansas, a great company again, really, 541 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: I mean really three good, good companies. But there now 542 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,479 Speaker 1: we've paid off our day that we're living off very 543 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,880 Speaker 1: high income, but we're living off for half of it. 544 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: We're making progress and our goals. But I wrote my 545 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:13,800 Speaker 1: first book, Financial Breakthrough, to really share my story on 546 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: how we paid off one hundred thousand dollars in debt 547 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: three years. Why did you write the book? I felt 548 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: a calling to write it. I didn't want because I 549 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: was I didn't want anybody to know I was embarrassed. 550 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:31,879 Speaker 1: But I felt I needed to share our story. And 551 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 1: I thought I didn't think anybody would buy it. I 552 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,240 Speaker 1: thought maybe I knew my mama would buy it. I thought, 553 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 1: you know, yes, I thought maybe four or five people. 554 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,919 Speaker 1: But when it came out, the first people who called 555 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 1: me were my friends on Wall Street that went to 556 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:49,080 Speaker 1: Duke with me. Said, man, I thought it was just 557 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: me struggling financially. 558 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 2: You're kidding, So it was. Now that's interesting. Yeah, you 559 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 2: had friends that you went to school with at Georgia 560 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,239 Speaker 2: Tech that are on Wall Street now and they are 561 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 2: also dealing the same dealing with the same thing. The 562 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 2: name of your book is Financial Breakthrough, subtitle God's Plan 563 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 2: for Getting out of Debt, Winning The Guide to a 564 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 2: Life of Peace and Purpose. Can I ask you was 565 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 2: this specifically for people who had your experience or was 566 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 2: it just for anybody? 567 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: So the first book financial breakthrough is really for anybody 568 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:29,359 Speaker 1: who's dealing with financial pressure, anybody who's dealing with debt 569 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 1: and how to get out of it. That's what that 570 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 1: first one. 571 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 2: Well, you just to find ninety six percent of people 572 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 2: living in the United States today. 573 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,239 Speaker 1: And so that's the reason why my friends from Wall 574 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:42,839 Speaker 1: Street were calling. But also I kept getting calls from 575 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: churches here in Memphis, pastors saying, Hey, can you come 576 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:47,320 Speaker 1: and teach this at my church. 577 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 2: That's interesting. 578 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: That's when I really felt that there was a calling 579 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:52,560 Speaker 1: for me to come back to Memphis. 580 00:35:52,640 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 2: So pastors of churches recognized this financial literacy among their parishioners, 581 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 2: and they reached out to you to teach their congregations 582 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 2: basic financial owners right. Yes, that had made you feel 583 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 2: great that now you can share your experience in a 584 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:14,919 Speaker 2: positive way. 585 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought this was a great way to really 586 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:23,399 Speaker 1: pour back into to my community in Memphis. And I've 587 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: always had a heart from Memphis, and I realized the 588 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 1: first time I felt the weight of being in from 589 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: Memphis was when I went to Atlanta for Georgia Tech 590 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:38,239 Speaker 1: and my freshman year, Andy Young was a mentor. He 591 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:41,399 Speaker 1: was he was very close with the King family and 592 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 1: the first time I met Marty King. You know, just 593 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,440 Speaker 1: the normal question, Hey, where are you from? And I 594 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:50,760 Speaker 1: had answered this question a thousand times, but when he asked, 595 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: I said from Memphis. And it was when it came 596 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:57,120 Speaker 1: out of my mouth first time I recognized, Oh, this 597 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: is Marty King, and he was this. 598 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 2: Is where his father was. Heascinated. 599 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 1: He didn't make me feel guilty, okay, but I just 600 00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: felt the weight of Memphis is different. 601 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 2: Can I ask you a question, say, now this is 602 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 2: one of the squirrels. Are you saying because you were 603 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 2: talking to Martin Luther King's son and Memphis is where 604 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 2: his father was assassinated, that you felt the weight of 605 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:27,840 Speaker 2: that guilt? 606 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 1: Not guilt, but I felt Memphis has a history, boy 607 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 1: does it? And also I felt Memphis has an opportunity. 608 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,879 Speaker 1: So one of the things. And as I look back, 609 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: I thought, I think Andrew Young was always developing me 610 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:48,799 Speaker 1: for activists. Really, yes, it's because he would He made 611 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 1: a comment he said one time he said, you know 612 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: he was he always told stories about Marto King and 613 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 1: the civil rights But he said the reason why the 614 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 1: civil rights movement was successful because one it was a movement, 615 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:06,480 Speaker 1: it was lots of organizations getting together to push in 616 00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 1: the same direction, he said. But the movement he did 617 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: on Montgomery, it wouldn't have happened without Montgomery being the place. 618 00:38:16,239 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 1: He said on Montgomery needed a Martin. Martin was just 619 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 1: a local leader. He was not somebody coming from the outside. 620 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: And so I think the whole time he's telling me 621 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: these stories. 622 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:29,840 Speaker 2: But as I look. 623 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:33,480 Speaker 1: Back, he was grooming me to be a local leader 624 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: in my community. And he felt he kept saying, Memphis, 625 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:43,480 Speaker 1: it's the right place. And so I appreciated all of 626 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:45,319 Speaker 1: that even more so. I mean, at the time, I'm 627 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:46,839 Speaker 1: just a twenty twenty one year old. 628 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 2: You don't even know what's being planted in you. 629 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: But as I look back, he was grooming me the 630 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 1: whole time, and he would have me over and and again. 631 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:58,440 Speaker 1: I did most of the grunt work because I'm you know, 632 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:02,920 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm driving him around, helping him to cook, cleaning, 633 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:05,719 Speaker 1: you know, picking up laundry. I'm just doing grunt, you know, 634 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: whatever he asked me to do. But the stories that 635 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:13,480 Speaker 1: he shared and the lessons and they still they stayed 636 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: with me to even to this day. 637 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:16,960 Speaker 2: What did Martin say when you said you were from 638 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:17,720 Speaker 2: some curious. 639 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:19,000 Speaker 1: It was just I mean, we were just it was 640 00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:21,719 Speaker 1: shooting basketball. It was just it was just it was good. 641 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:25,919 Speaker 1: That was all great, It wasn't he he didn't respond anyway. 642 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 2: Just the King family. Do you know if the King family, 643 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:34,320 Speaker 2: what does Memphis mean to the King family? 644 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 1: I can now I can answer that. I just I 645 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:41,239 Speaker 1: know they Again, I'm a young kid just around. They 646 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 1: were older, and Bernice was older than me, so all 647 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:44,400 Speaker 1: of them were older. 648 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:47,799 Speaker 2: I just know when the when the National Civil Rights 649 00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:50,720 Speaker 2: Museum was opened, the Coreta Scott King and the family 650 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 2: came here and they were really proud of that place, 651 00:39:54,440 --> 00:40:02,319 Speaker 2: I believe. So, yeah, all right, so you moved back 652 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 2: to Memphis write this book. Now pastors are calling, yes, 653 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 2: so what now? 654 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 1: So I told my wife I really feel that I'm 655 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 1: called to be to help people in Memphis financially. I 656 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:17,919 Speaker 1: don't know exactly what it looked like at. 657 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 2: The wife looking at your cross eye. 658 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:23,360 Speaker 1: Well, this is the third time I've had this conversation. 659 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: So but but good. Fortunately she was on board with it. 660 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 1: And yeah, so, but I had there was a friend 661 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:37,759 Speaker 1: that we had. They actually we heard of each other 662 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,480 Speaker 1: in high School's guy named uh David Lenore he used 663 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:44,759 Speaker 1: to be became this it's a trustee at one point. 664 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 1: But David called me and said, hey, let's meet up. 665 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:53,080 Speaker 1: I think we know each other from football, and he. 666 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 2: Had David David played at Alabama and I played against 667 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:59,200 Speaker 2: him in high school ball. So okay, I know David 668 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:01,759 Speaker 2: very very well. His kids and my kids end up 669 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:04,399 Speaker 2: playing high school ball together too, so I know David well. 670 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:05,919 Speaker 2: David's a great guy. 671 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:07,080 Speaker 1: David is a great guy. 672 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 2: And so he did. He ended up being the Shelby County. 673 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 1: Trustee and he just joined our board. Great guy. But 674 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:17,200 Speaker 1: David said, man, I think we have the same passion 675 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 1: to help people financially. So we met up on get 676 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:23,759 Speaker 1: well at at McDonald's and just had a really great 677 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 1: conversation and he convinced me to come back to Memphis. 678 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:35,880 Speaker 2: Really yeah, David did. Wow. Okay, So Robert Hill of 679 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 2: Friends after five worked in the trustees' office for David. 680 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:41,440 Speaker 2: It's like old homes. I met Robert. Yeah, that's it 681 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:42,440 Speaker 2: there it is, okay. 682 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 1: So I actually I went to school with Robert's brother too. 683 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:47,600 Speaker 2: All right, so go ahead, so there you are. 684 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:51,480 Speaker 1: So we so we moved back. Really just a passion 685 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:56,360 Speaker 1: to help people move forward financially, and we started teaching 686 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:02,920 Speaker 1: financial principles helping people get out of debt. And ironically, 687 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:06,239 Speaker 1: when I came back, I thought I would get most 688 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:10,360 Speaker 1: of the calls from uh Inno City churches, black churches, 689 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: but you know, I was getting calls from Bellevue and 690 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:14,279 Speaker 1: Second Press. 691 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:19,600 Speaker 2: Those are the large, family, wealthy churches in town because you. 692 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:21,600 Speaker 1: Know, they were teaching it as well, which was which 693 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:26,560 Speaker 1: is great. It took a while to get the momentum 694 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: in the black communities. But man, I don't know, you know, 695 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 1: I think I think those I'm not sure you know, 696 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:38,600 Speaker 1: but I but I knew that there was several churches. 697 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:43,040 Speaker 1: Some of the black churches responded quicker, like Brown Baptists 698 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:49,960 Speaker 1: and Missispi Boulevard, some of the large progressive Black churches 699 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,040 Speaker 1: responding faster. 700 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:56,520 Speaker 2: So when did you found for Memphis? 701 00:42:56,880 --> 00:43:00,760 Speaker 4: So, uh, I guess about because you're doing this work, yes, 702 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:03,000 Speaker 4: but you're right now, you're just a dude doing some 703 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:05,839 Speaker 4: work at the beginning, right, You're a dude that wrote 704 00:43:05,840 --> 00:43:08,960 Speaker 4: a book, has a heart for the city, and you're 705 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,440 Speaker 4: just saying, you know, let's work together to try to 706 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:13,760 Speaker 4: teach a financial literacy where it needs to be taught, 707 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:15,840 Speaker 4: but you don't. 708 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:17,959 Speaker 2: Only have a thing yet. 709 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:22,959 Speaker 1: So I've been helping churches for about ten years and 710 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,439 Speaker 1: doing well at that and I got a call from 711 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:28,600 Speaker 1: New Direction. I was going over to meet with their team. 712 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:29,600 Speaker 1: So I'm leaving a church. 713 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:31,479 Speaker 2: A New Direction is another church. 714 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 1: I'm leaving Carville, an affluent area, and I'm driving to 715 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 1: Hickory Hill, which is a area with a lot of 716 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:45,880 Speaker 1: pay day long stores, a lot of distress communities. So 717 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,440 Speaker 1: I'm driving down Winchester and again I drive in Caryville. 718 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:52,640 Speaker 1: Is not one pay day long store, drive through Germantown, 719 00:43:52,719 --> 00:43:56,880 Speaker 1: not one. The closer I get to New Direction, the 720 00:43:57,040 --> 00:44:00,879 Speaker 1: matter I get Because the closer I get it. They're 721 00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:05,440 Speaker 1: payday loan title loan places everywhere. And I was just 722 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:08,120 Speaker 1: bad by the time I got to I was. I 723 00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:10,840 Speaker 1: get to where where a New Direction. There's two of 724 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:15,120 Speaker 1: the best churches in Memphis right there, world Overcomings New Directions. 725 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:17,799 Speaker 1: I stand outside in the parking lot and there are 726 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:20,360 Speaker 1: four predatory loan places that. 727 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:22,560 Speaker 2: You can see from the parking lot with the church. 728 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:25,640 Speaker 1: Yes, and so they literally go into the church to 729 00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:29,279 Speaker 1: pray and come out to get prayed on. I was so, 730 00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:32,880 Speaker 1: I was so mad and angry that I could barely 731 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:34,080 Speaker 1: talk with this deed. 732 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:38,240 Speaker 2: Wow, Travis, that is a great line. They go into 733 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:41,239 Speaker 2: the churches to pray and they come out of the churches. 734 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:44,719 Speaker 1: To get prayed one So I walked away saying, we 735 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:48,880 Speaker 1: got to do something, and I started talking to I 736 00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:51,360 Speaker 1: called David Leonora, called friends, and said we got to 737 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,480 Speaker 1: do something. And we went through a lot of conversations 738 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:58,680 Speaker 1: and landed on you know, how do we get the 739 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:04,359 Speaker 1: banks involved? Because these payday predator loan places are baff 740 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:11,880 Speaker 1: of banks, They're baff for the community, they baff for everybody. 741 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:16,240 Speaker 2: And that concludes part one of my conversation with Travis Moody, 742 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:18,600 Speaker 2: and you don't want to miss part two. That's now 743 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:21,160 Speaker 2: I've able to listened to as we're about to dive 744 00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:24,920 Speaker 2: deep into what Ford Memphis is doing to address this 745 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:30,200 Speaker 2: massive problem of predatory lending. Together, guys, we can change 746 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,640 Speaker 2: this country, but it starts with you. I'll see in 747 00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 2: part two.