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Speaker 1: Like millions of people around the world, Hilly and I

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Speaker 1: spent a lot of time in the last couple of

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Speaker 1: weeks tuning into the Winter Olympics. As we cheered on

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Speaker 1: Team USA and marveled at the almost superhuman athleticism on display,

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Speaker 1: I was reminded why I love the Olympics so much.

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Speaker 1: If you've listened to this podcast at all, you know

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Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of sports and athletes of all kinds.

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Speaker 1: I admire their dedication, determination, hard work, and raw talent,

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Speaker 1: and they embody what so many people aspire to be

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Speaker 1: in their own lives. The Olympics puts that on display

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Speaker 1: on a global scale. As President, I had the opportunity

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Speaker 1: to celebrate many triumphs by Team USA and meet hundreds

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Speaker 1: of athletes who represented our country so well. It was

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Speaker 1: a special honor to be president when the United States

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Speaker 1: hosted the Games in Atlanta, and I'll never forget the

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Speaker 1: experiences giving the Olympic Torch a ceremonial sendal from the

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Speaker 1: White House as it began its journey to Olympic Village,

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Speaker 1: attending the opening ceremony with Hillary, where Muhammad Ali lift

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Speaker 1: the flame, visiting with athletes in the US, and several

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Speaker 1: other nations while we were there was in some ways

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Speaker 1: the most interesting thing of all. So why am I

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Speaker 1: telling you this? Because at their best, the Olympics symbolize

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Speaker 1: our world's potential for cooperation, for bringing people together, for

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Speaker 1: honoring the common humanity that unitess across old divisions of gender, race,

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Speaker 1: geographical borders. No one knows more about the Olympic experience,

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Speaker 1: of course, than the athletes themselves, and today I'm honored

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Speaker 1: to have two iconic gold medalists with me to offer

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Speaker 1: their insights on the Olympics, on the years of training

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Speaker 1: to go into qualifying, all the rigors of competing in

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Speaker 1: the Olympics, the ups and downs at all athletes faced,

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Speaker 1: and finding residience to keep going. Apollo On won eight

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Speaker 1: medals and short track speed skating across three Olympics from

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Speaker 1: two thou and two two thousand ten, America's all time

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Speaker 1: most decorated Winter Olympian in the process, becoming the face

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Speaker 1: of his sport and one of America's most iconic athletes.

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Speaker 1: Since retiring from competition, he's transitioned successfully into business, philanthropy, broadcasting,

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Speaker 1: and book rotting. His latest book, Hard Pivot, is out

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Speaker 1: this month. It takes us through this transition and offers

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Speaker 1: guidance for anyone facing big life changes, a subject especially

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Speaker 1: useful in these times, as so many of us navigate

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Speaker 1: uncharted waters. I've loved watching him throughout the years. I'm

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Speaker 1: glad I got the chance to meet him twenty years ago,

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Speaker 1: and I'm very grateful for the chance to speak with

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Speaker 1: him now. Apollo. Thanks for joining us, Mr President. It's

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Speaker 1: wonderful to see you again. Twenty years later. I was

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Speaker 1: thinking about you know, we have in our home that

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Speaker 1: picture of you and our family together in the Dominican Republic.

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Speaker 1: It was great. I remember that very very well. It

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Speaker 1: was it was an honor. I've been really impressed by

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Speaker 1: what you're trying to do and helping people manage transitions

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Speaker 1: in their lives and also supporting these athletes that are

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Speaker 1: under so much stress. I think it's I think it's

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Speaker 1: really good. The average person has no idea how much

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Speaker 1: mental stress of companies, the efforts you have to make

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Speaker 1: to be the best in the world, and anything I

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Speaker 1: agree and I do is overlaw of support. Yeah, it's

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Speaker 1: I think that that's that's why we all fall in

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Speaker 1: love with with the Olympics. Every time they come because

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Speaker 1: of the the kind of only limited three podium spots

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Speaker 1: that are available, but the thousands of athletes that have

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Speaker 1: dedicated a ten year or sometimes even a twenty year

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Speaker 1: UM path towards being their best, and we tend to

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Speaker 1: only celebrate champions the ones that they are standing typically

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Speaker 1: on top of the podium or receiving a medal in

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Speaker 1: some capacity UM. But it's not to say that those

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Speaker 1: other those others haven't done the work, they haven't put

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Speaker 1: in the time and the energy and that sacrifice and dedication.

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Speaker 1: And so what's interesting I think in today, at least

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Speaker 1: from my purview, is this transformation I think all of

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Speaker 1: us are are having around this transparency of talking about

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Speaker 1: the pressures associated with such high levels of performance, whether

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Speaker 1: that is in the Olympics for the athletes specifically, and

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Speaker 1: the other side of the coin of what's happening behind

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Speaker 1: the curtain, right what's happening between our own two ears.

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Speaker 1: And I think at the end of the day, although

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Speaker 1: we hoist many people up on pedestals because we aspire

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Speaker 1: and are inspired by them to to to be something

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Speaker 1: that semblance a little more like them, I think at

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Speaker 1: least what I've seen is Um, this ability to say, well,

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Speaker 1: that person is also human and he or she has

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Speaker 1: the same thoughts and the same struggles and the same

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Speaker 1: insecurities and self doubts. You know that I do. And uh,

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Speaker 1: just trying to help people manage that the best way possible.

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Speaker 1: You wrote this book that I think it's coming at

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Speaker 1: a very important time because everybody has undergone some chance

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Speaker 1: in their lives lately as a result of COVID, and

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Speaker 1: COVID has taken a pretty terrible tone, not only in

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Speaker 1: the lives we have lost and the people who have

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Speaker 1: been permanently impaired, but the fights were having over the

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Speaker 1: vaccine and masks and just the anxiety that people have.

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Speaker 1: It's it's it's unnatural to worry about going outside, walking

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Speaker 1: down the street, being with your friends, doing all these things.

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Speaker 1: So this book of yours is coming in an important time,

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Speaker 1: and uh, I'd like to talk about it a little

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Speaker 1: bit and why you think it's just as important for

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Speaker 1: people who aren't Olympic level athletes to read is for

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Speaker 1: people who are in high level competitions. Yeah, and and

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Speaker 1: you know this is the book it's called hard Pivot,

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Speaker 1: Embrace change, fine purpose and show up fully it's a

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Speaker 1: short book, it's a it's an easy read. And when

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Speaker 1: I started writing this book two and a half years ago,

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Speaker 1: it was actually and deeply rooted in kind of my

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Speaker 1: own struggles and tribulations around my reinvention or my transition

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Speaker 1: from this one identity that I had been married to

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Speaker 1: my entire life, which was Apollo oh no, Olympic champion

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Speaker 1: speed skater um, you know, fifteen years in the Olympic

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Speaker 1: path in space, and so I had. I had only

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Speaker 1: thought that that's what I was. I had no idea

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Speaker 1: other facets my personality. I was naturally curious. I was

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Speaker 1: interested in exploring different parts of business in the world,

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Speaker 1: but I still carried that business card with me. It's

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Speaker 1: really hard for me to figure out when I decided

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Speaker 1: to retire, what's next, Like what am I good at?

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Speaker 1: What am I passionate about? And will I ever be

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Speaker 1: able to replace the feeling that I once had representing

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Speaker 1: our country and competing in the Olympic Games and having

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Speaker 1: thousands and millions of people around this country cheer for me.

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Speaker 1: I had realized quite quickly that we always see things

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Speaker 1: for what they are in the moment. We stay so

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Speaker 1: zoomed in and we believe that this moment is the

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Speaker 1: defining moment, this is what's going to have the rest

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Speaker 1: of my legacy and chapter for the rest of my life.

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Speaker 1: And I think we failed to realize that it's just

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Speaker 1: one chapter. It's a part of all these different experiences

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Speaker 1: that make up the entire book. And so there was

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Speaker 1: this deep psychological process that I had to go through

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Speaker 1: in terms of who am I? What is important? My father,

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Speaker 1: who has been a huge um just just advocate and

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Speaker 1: support of my life, but also his philosophy on kind

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Speaker 1: of always prompting me to ask the internal questions, and

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Speaker 1: you talk about like how am I keeping score of

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Speaker 1: a life well lived regardless of what the external circumstances

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Speaker 1: are telling me as and and this book reminds me

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Speaker 1: to kind of ask life, right, what does Apollo want

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Speaker 1: from life? And what do I believe life wants from Apollo?

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Speaker 1: How can I engage in this path um knowing full

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Speaker 1: well that I'm gonna have failures, I will have multiple mistakes,

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Speaker 1: i will have missteps, but also making sure that I

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Speaker 1: am aligned with that true north so that I can

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Speaker 1: zoom out and also remain committed on that path. And

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Speaker 1: so the book is dedicated towards people who either during

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Speaker 1: COVID they were laid off, they decided they didn'ty don't

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Speaker 1: no longer want to pursue this career that they spent

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Speaker 1: twenty or thirty years in, and now they're stuck with

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Speaker 1: the same question of how do I do my best

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Speaker 1: in life to find my true north? How do I

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Speaker 1: keep score? And actually understand that the scorecard maybe was

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Speaker 1: the wrong scorecard from the beginning. Maybe I was living

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Speaker 1: a life in fear of other people's opinions versus what

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Speaker 1: I fundamentally believe is the most important thing for me,

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Speaker 1: my family and my community, etcetera. And I hope it

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Speaker 1: will help improve and change at least light the fire

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Speaker 1: within a lot of people. I remember, sometime around the

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Speaker 1: time I left the White Else might be a yours later.

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Speaker 1: I had given a lot of thought to what I

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Speaker 1: would do in the rest of my life, but I

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Speaker 1: knew just vaguely how I wanted to do it. I

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Speaker 1: didn't I couldn't answer the how question. So first you

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Speaker 1: have to say what, then you have to say how.

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Speaker 1: And Uh. I read a little book by a man

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Speaker 1: named Spencer Johnson called Who Moved My Cheese? And It

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Speaker 1: was from a story about mice being trained in laboratory

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Speaker 1: experiments to navigate fairly complicated mazes to get to the

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Speaker 1: cheese once they found the cheese, and they had a

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Speaker 1: surprising capacity to remember complex roots until somebody moved the cheese.

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Speaker 1: And you know, you stopped speed skating and somebody moved

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Speaker 1: your cheese. You biology moved your cheese. All kinds of things.

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Speaker 1: You had to make that decision. And I think you're

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Speaker 1: still young enough that a lot of people much younger

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Speaker 1: than you know about you remember with great pride and

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Speaker 1: excitement what you accomplished, but are out there asking these

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Speaker 1: questions of themselves now because this is happening to people

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Speaker 1: at all ages. I have a lot of young friends

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Speaker 1: that I just see them asking these questions now, probably

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Speaker 1: twenty thirty years before they would have asked had it

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Speaker 1: out been for this total disruption of our lives in

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Speaker 1: in two thousand two, before the first Olympic Games that

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Speaker 1: I had competed in just six months prior was the

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Speaker 1: September eleven, two thousand one, um devastating attacks on on

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Speaker 1: this country. And you know, during that time, I was,

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Speaker 1: you know, I was eighteen going on fifteen I always

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Speaker 1: joke and uh, and I remember walking into the opening ceremonies,

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Speaker 1: you know, just a year six months after, you know,

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Speaker 1: the country was very uncertain in terms of travel. We

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Speaker 1: weren't we weren't entirely sure if we should be hosting

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Speaker 1: a global event on home soil. We didn't know if

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Speaker 1: it was an invitation to replicate what had just happened,

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Speaker 1: and so there was this uneasiness that existed, this uncertainty,

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Speaker 1: a lot of misinformation and disinformation that existed, and um,

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Speaker 1: people were unsure. For the first time in a long time.

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Speaker 1: We I think we as a country had been brought

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Speaker 1: to a niece, so to speak. And it was hard

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Speaker 1: to believe that, right. I think that the ethos of

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Speaker 1: being American was kind of always brashedly, always saying like

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Speaker 1: we're the best, We're number one, you know, uh, nothing

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Speaker 1: can can can take us down. And and it was

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Speaker 1: it was this time where I remember walking to the

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Speaker 1: opening ceremonies and you know, seeing the the you know,

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Speaker 1: the security and the Special Forces people were on top

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Speaker 1: of rooftops and they had their night vision goggles and

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Speaker 1: walking into the actual arena. And then at that point

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Speaker 1: in time, you know, this like reverberance of energy that

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Speaker 1: was like unified. They had walked in this flag that

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Speaker 1: was flown at the World Trade Center from New York.

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Speaker 1: One of my very close friends and teammates was a

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Speaker 1: part of that contingency that walked in the flag and

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Speaker 1: there wasn't a dry eye in the entire arena. But really,

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Speaker 1: and most importantly, um, there was this sense of community.

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Speaker 1: And you know, the Olympics was really powerful. It showed

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Speaker 1: that hey, we're going to persevere, we are going to continue.

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Speaker 1: Is there uncertainty, yes, is there going to be risk here, yes,

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Speaker 1: but we have to continue and pick ourselves back up again.

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Speaker 1: And that was at the moment for me in which

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Speaker 1: I felt like, Wow, this is this is way bigger

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Speaker 1: than this little sport of speed skating that I do.

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Speaker 1: This is something that is very representative regardless of outcome.

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Speaker 1: Here's an incredible opportunity in a chance to have unification,

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Speaker 1: to have common belief, to have Team USA and a

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Speaker 1: global arena for people to compete their absolute best and

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Speaker 1: showcase the utmost of the human spirit. And my very

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Speaker 1: first race, it was the two thousand two um Win Olympics.

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Speaker 1: It was a one thousand meters in Salt Lake City. UM.

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Speaker 1: I was favored to win the race. I was like

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Speaker 1: on all these magazines and um a mirror. Moments before

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Speaker 1: the finish line and I was in first place. At

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Speaker 1: the snap of the finger, another athlete crashed into me

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Speaker 1: and then all of us went spiraling into the paths

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Speaker 1: UM and my Olympic dreams of winning gold in that

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Speaker 1: race were almost over. And I scrambled to my feet,

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Speaker 1: falling again. But I thrust my skates across the finish

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Speaker 1: line in this like wild craze of just trying to

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Speaker 1: finish the race. That was my instinctual habit. I didn't

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Speaker 1: know what happened. I rush off of the ice. Um

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Speaker 1: I had just one silver. Uh, and I was confused.

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Speaker 1: I didn't know what happened. And and for for a second,

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Speaker 1: you know, like many others, I felt like, hey, this

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Speaker 1: was taken from me. I was deserving of that gold.

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Speaker 1: It was mine, it was someone else's faults. Those are

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Speaker 1: my natural human reactions and responses. And then in incomes in. Uh,

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Speaker 1: this this friend of mine who also our physio and

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Speaker 1: kind of slash doctor. He's got this crazy look in

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Speaker 1: his eye, and he looks at me and he says

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Speaker 1: Apollo that was the most incredible race in the world.

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Speaker 1: At the time, I had this huge gash in my leg.

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Speaker 1: I just cut myself and it's at that moment that

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Speaker 1: I realized it, Wow, this this was a gift. I

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Speaker 1: didn't get the color of the metal that I wanted,

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Speaker 1: but representative of that was this ability to get back

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Speaker 1: up and win that silver. And so I told myself

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Speaker 1: as I went out to receive the medals in the

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Speaker 1: in the metal ceremony, that I was going to celebrate

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Speaker 1: this silver as if it was the gold, because it

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Speaker 1: represented so much more than just the race itself. It

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Speaker 1: was We're going to get back, We're going to get

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Speaker 1: knocked down, and during those times is a defining component

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Speaker 1: of how do you get yourself back up, recalibrate and

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Speaker 1: continue on. And it's never easy, and oftentimes life doesn't

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Speaker 1: give us the entire result that we would like if

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Speaker 1: we were the ones holding the playbook and writing the script,

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Speaker 1: so to speak. But I think it's how we react

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Speaker 1: and respond to those life challenges that are at the

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Speaker 1: time are seemingly crushing and they can paralyze you in

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Speaker 1: a capacity that doesn't allow you be your best self.

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Speaker 1: But then later on life. We realize that that was

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Speaker 1: the most incredible blessing of all and that to this day,

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Speaker 1: out of the eight medals that I've won, was the

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Speaker 1: most significant, the most important, and the one that I

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Speaker 1: think is my favorite because of the life lessons that

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Speaker 1: I carry with me today, not because of the color

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Speaker 1: of the metal. I was watching that, right, I remember

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Speaker 1: the crash, and I remember being so proud that somehow

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Speaker 1: you got up and finished in you tried out for

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Speaker 1: the one or Olympics and you didn't qualify this right,

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Speaker 1: what happened? Then? How did you react? Did you ever

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Speaker 1: think for a moment about quitting? I did? I was confused. So,

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Speaker 1: you know, in the Olympic Games are going to be

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Speaker 1: held in not going to Japan, which is near where

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Speaker 1: my grandparents are actually from. And so my father was

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Speaker 1: a Japanese immigrant who came to the US um no

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Speaker 1: money in his pocket, you know, like incredible immigrant story

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Speaker 1: that just kind of fought tooth and nail and survived

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Speaker 1: to live the American dream, which was to pursue his

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Speaker 1: passion in this country. And when I was born, everything

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Speaker 1: changed and so you know, for his entire, my entire

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Speaker 1: life at that point, my father wanted me to do

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Speaker 1: something special, and here was the moment in which we

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Speaker 1: were going to come back to Japan. My dad was

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Speaker 1: gonna say, see, it wasn't for nothing. Look at we produced.

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Speaker 1: We produced this. You know, our our son, our family

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Speaker 1: is going to compete on Japanese home soil, compete for

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Speaker 1: the US. This is like the perfect story book. I

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Speaker 1: was fifteen years old. One year prior to that trials,

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Speaker 1: I was actually number one in the US. I was

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Speaker 1: ranked number one in the U S. I had this

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Speaker 1: incredible rise to um being technically the captain of the team,

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Speaker 1: so to speak, by performance, not by not by age,

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Speaker 1: of course, and uh in less than a year at

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Speaker 1: those Olympic trials, I finished dead last, sixteenth place. Actually,

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Speaker 1: I was kind of mentally defeated that year. I had

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Speaker 1: not gone um to the levels that are required to

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Speaker 1: be your absolute best. I went through the motions, and

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Speaker 1: my father saw this pattern that was starting to show

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Speaker 1: habits um in the way that I trained and approached

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Speaker 1: the sport. And so after I did not make that team,

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Speaker 1: was I defeated? Yes? And so my father took me

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Speaker 1: and we flew back to the Seattle area where I

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Speaker 1: where I grew up and I'm from and he drove

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Speaker 1: me about three and a half hours southwest of downtown Seattle,

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Speaker 1: and this area on the Pacific Ocean called the Palace Beach.

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Speaker 1: And at the time, you know, we didn't grow up

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Speaker 1: with a lot of money, and so whenever we had

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Speaker 1: the chance, my father would drive me to these nature

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Speaker 1: esque places um that we're somewhat nearby, and we would

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Speaker 1: we would we would sketch, and we would walk, and

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Speaker 1: he would talk to me about life and give me

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Speaker 1: lessons and and all these things. And so this was

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Speaker 1: the place that we had been many times. And there

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Speaker 1: was an old cabin there that was a part of

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Speaker 1: this um area. It was called Iron Springs Resort. Now

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Speaker 1: at the time it was very old, very run down

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Speaker 1: um and it was like a log cabin that someone

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Speaker 1: had built um in these woods that that that are

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Speaker 1: a part of the ocean. And my father drops me

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Speaker 1: off at this location and he says to alone, and

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Speaker 1: he says, you're not listening to anything that I've been

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Speaker 1: saying for the past year. You've thrown away an incredible opportunity.

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Speaker 1: And I'm not upset that you didn't make the team.

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Speaker 1: What is concerning to me is that you are throwing

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Speaker 1: away an opportunity to be your best and you have

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Speaker 1: second guests, and and told yourself subconsciously that, well, maybe

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Speaker 1: if I would have tried harder, I probably would have

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Speaker 1: made the team or committed or been more dedicated. And

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Speaker 1: these can potentially haunt you for the rest of your life,

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Speaker 1: this feeling of regret, this feeling of maybe I'll just

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Speaker 1: quit and and do something else. And so he says,

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Speaker 1: You're going to stay here for as long as it

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Speaker 1: takes for you you to understand and realize, like which

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Speaker 1: direction on life that you want to go and how

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Speaker 1: are you going to pursue that. So I'm fifteen years old, right,

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Speaker 1: So this is the time. I can articulate much better

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Speaker 1: today than I could back then. Back then, I was

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Speaker 1: very confused and angry at my father all these things.

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Speaker 1: I just I didn't want to be there. I was

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Speaker 1: I didn't understand why. I just want to hang out

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Speaker 1: with my friends in Seattle, Like I have no video games,

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Speaker 1: there's no cell phone, there's no social media, there's no

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Speaker 1: way to entertain myself. And so I'm just kind of

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Speaker 1: trying to figure out and I'm journaling every single day

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Speaker 1: and I come to this conclusion that I'm willing to

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Speaker 1: take the risk and take the gamble one more time, uh,

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Speaker 1: and pursue this wild, crazy sport of speed skating and

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Speaker 1: try to make the next Olympic team, which be four

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Speaker 1: years later, which in my sport is a very uncertain,

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Speaker 1: vaulatile environment. So I called my father. I let him

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Speaker 1: know the decision that I've made. He doesn't know which

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Speaker 1: decision it was. I just told me, I've made a decision.

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Speaker 1: He comes and picks me up. On the three and

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Speaker 1: a half hour drive home, I explained to him that

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Speaker 1: I'm willing to try us one more time. He's ecstatic

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Speaker 1: a because he wants to see me and he believes

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Speaker 1: that I have the talent skill to continue on. But

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Speaker 1: also um, he was happy that I actually came to

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Speaker 1: a conclusion that throughout this hardship, this tough love, was

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Speaker 1: this underlying light switch that was turned on for some reason,

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Speaker 1: and from that moment on, I harnessed the and leverage

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Speaker 1: the emotional trauma that occurred of not making that team

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Speaker 1: and the way that it made me feel, the chatter

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Speaker 1: that I heard in the other parents and coaches years. Oh,

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Speaker 1: he's just a low statistic. He can't handle the pressure.

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Speaker 1: He's going to crack under pressure. Those things were deeply

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Speaker 1: emotionally scarring, but they also were important to me to

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Speaker 1: harness the power of And that's how my career took

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Speaker 1: a real turn was when I decided to say, you

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Speaker 1: know what, the work is the shortcut. I want to

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Speaker 1: go somewhere and be there in four years, and the

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Speaker 1: only way through was by doing the things necessary on

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Speaker 1: a day to day basis that compound over time and

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Speaker 1: aligned with what I felt at that time was was

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Speaker 1: my purpose. I know that you have had spent some

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Speaker 1: time with other athletes having doubts, and only they can

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Speaker 1: decide what they want in their lives. And I think

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Speaker 1: you know one of the things your book will do

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Speaker 1: for people who are high achievers but at some tipping

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Speaker 1: point is to convince them not to make the decision

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Speaker 1: for anyone else, but not to make it out of fear,

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Speaker 1: because there is some dignity in the decision. Just to

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Speaker 1: keep trying. Handling these changes is a very big deal.

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Speaker 1: In handling setbacks is a very big deal. We'll be

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Speaker 1: right back. What do you think we could do to

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Speaker 1: pay more positive attention to the the enormous mental and

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Speaker 1: emotional and psychological challenges and pressures. A lot of athletes

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Speaker 1: are under and still continue to value competitive excellence and

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Speaker 1: recognize momentary victories. How can we strike the write balance?

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Speaker 1: I thought about this often. I think, Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: my own conditioning around how I can be my own

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00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:37,280
Speaker 1: version of a warrior has probably also transformed over the

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Speaker 1: past decade. And as we enter into an era where um,

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Speaker 1: we're being much more communicative around what happens between our

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Speaker 1: own two years and this connection and engagement that we

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Speaker 1: can create with our communities through social or wherever. The

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Speaker 1: good side is that we can actually show the human side.

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Speaker 1: You can show that side that that makes us more awesome. Um,

403
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Speaker 1: we can also exude the same type of qualities that

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Speaker 1: we want to see in Olympic athletes and in those

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Speaker 1: that we believe when we define the words strong. But

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00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:16,360
Speaker 1: I think the words strong now is encompassing and has texture,

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00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:22,200
Speaker 1: and that texture is associated with realizing and recognizing that

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00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:27,479
Speaker 1: you must have empathy, the vulnerability associated with seeking one's

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Speaker 1: authentic truth. It's actually incredibly strong. And so you know

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Speaker 1: my first reaction when I saw Simone Biles say that

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Speaker 1: she was not going to continue and compete in those

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Speaker 1: games might because of my own conditioning. I said, hey,

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Speaker 1: that that doesn't seem fair. That seems like she's quitting.

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Speaker 1: I think she's failing at what she's doing. That was

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Speaker 1: my first natural response, and then I said, wait a second, Apollo,

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Speaker 1: you don't know this person. Number one, You have no

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Speaker 1: idea what this person has gone through or what is

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00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,359
Speaker 1: feeling and seeing right now and an actual reality. To

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Speaker 1: say yes and continue on the same path that she

420
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:07,720
Speaker 1: had been on many many times before was actually the

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00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,960
Speaker 1: easy road. That was the road that was expected, and

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00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,240
Speaker 1: that was the road that she was conditioned to do,

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Speaker 1: regardless of how she feels and or what has happened,

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Speaker 1: or making a stand in some capacity, even if it

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Speaker 1: meant that she was not going to get a medal.

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Speaker 1: That's really hard to do. I'm not sure that I

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00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,080
Speaker 1: would be able to do that in full transparency. And

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Speaker 1: on the flip side, to go against the grain, against

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Speaker 1: what anyone else thought was acceptable and or um what

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00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:41,679
Speaker 1: we wanted to see happen. She said, I'm not going

431
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:45,960
Speaker 1: to compete because I'm not okay that has taken That

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00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:51,000
Speaker 1: takes so much strength to go against what what you know.

433
00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,760
Speaker 1: Potentially I don't know a hundred million people in this

434
00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:58,520
Speaker 1: country would say that's not the right answer, um, And

435
00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,080
Speaker 1: so I commend her for doing that. And I'm sure

436
00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,440
Speaker 1: that that has not been easy. UM. I think that

437
00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:07,800
Speaker 1: as we entered this era where yes, there's a lot

438
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,200
Speaker 1: of challenges this country has. Yes, there's a lot of conflict. Yes,

439
00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,680
Speaker 1: there's all these things that sometimes we ask ourselves, I'm

440
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,600
Speaker 1: not sure if we're going to make it, um. And

441
00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:21,040
Speaker 1: I think the strength and the determination that exists when

442
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,720
Speaker 1: we define those words can live in the Olympic space,

443
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,479
Speaker 1: and so what can we do? I think we need

444
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,320
Speaker 1: to talk about it. We have to have the open

445
00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:34,359
Speaker 1: lines of communication to still hold to our truth of

446
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,320
Speaker 1: you can be incredibly strong, you can persevere and overcome

447
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:43,080
Speaker 1: the most devastating of situations circumstances, and uh, you can

448
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:47,280
Speaker 1: come out the other side incredibly strong, calloused in a way, right,

449
00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,480
Speaker 1: Douglas Douglas Mallock. Right, good timber does not grow with ease.

450
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:55,160
Speaker 1: The stronger wind, the stronger trees. That is the experience

451
00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,439
Speaker 1: that we can live up to. And then realizing the

452
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,200
Speaker 1: scars that we have in our life, the things that

453
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,480
Speaker 1: have happened are what makes us who we are today.

454
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,439
Speaker 1: But people don't know about those unless you are communicating

455
00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,520
Speaker 1: about them. And only through communication can we actually help

456
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,960
Speaker 1: those athletes proceed to be more wholesome, and I believe

457
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,320
Speaker 1: actually stronger, because then they own those things. They are

458
00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:22,119
Speaker 1: no longer held in this mental prison, being handcuffed to

459
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,320
Speaker 1: this idea that I will have to do what everyone

460
00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,560
Speaker 1: expects me to do versus knowing what is right and

461
00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:30,880
Speaker 1: what I need to do. Uh, And that's available. So

462
00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:32,640
Speaker 1: I think that I think we're on the right path.

463
00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:36,520
Speaker 1: I think the communication has to continue UM and then

464
00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:40,399
Speaker 1: for people who suffer UM on a chemical level, I

465
00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,800
Speaker 1: think that we're understanding so much more about the brain,

466
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,840
Speaker 1: and there are treatments and people and professionals that we

467
00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:50,399
Speaker 1: can seek to help us navigate through life's most challenging times.

468
00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:56,240
Speaker 1: Thank you, Thank you for not quitting when you've got

469
00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,680
Speaker 1: off the drink. I'll be honest, I've never really put

470
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:04,120
Speaker 1: a nickel's worth of attention two speech skating and those

471
00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:10,240
Speaker 1: smaller rinks until you came along, and slowly I saw

472
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,240
Speaker 1: first what skill it took, the second, what courage it took,

473
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,320
Speaker 1: third how it could be dangerous, and fourth how a

474
00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:22,200
Speaker 1: lot of Olympic sports are like this, but how often

475
00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,800
Speaker 1: in that sport you wind up being at the mercy

476
00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:29,720
Speaker 1: of who bumped who first and what happens and you

477
00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:34,040
Speaker 1: just seemed to lift yourself above it all Your head

478
00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:38,600
Speaker 1: was in a good place. Life is a complicated piece

479
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,560
Speaker 1: of work. But I think the one thing that it's

480
00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:46,359
Speaker 1: almost impossible to make people appreciate when they're young, it

481
00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:51,080
Speaker 1: is how fast it happens mhm, you know, and how

482
00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,600
Speaker 1: you you want to enjoy every phase of your life

483
00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,920
Speaker 1: and you want something you've given back, And I think

484
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,439
Speaker 1: that's really hard to think about when you're young. My

485
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,800
Speaker 1: father died before I was born, so I always was

486
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,440
Speaker 1: more aware of my mortality than most people. And one

487
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,720
Speaker 1: of my great goals in life, when Helen I got married,

488
00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,399
Speaker 1: I said, you know one thing I hope will happens.

489
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,280
Speaker 1: That will be old people one day sitting on a

490
00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:23,800
Speaker 1: park bench and the young people will walk by, holding

491
00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:27,560
Speaker 1: hands and laughing, and we will have no resentments and

492
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:32,640
Speaker 1: no regrets, just gratitude. But it's one thing to say

493
00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:38,200
Speaker 1: and another to live. That's what that wag said. When

494
00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,360
Speaker 1: all is said and done, more is said than done.

495
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:45,440
Speaker 1: You know what's you're like? To be that way you

496
00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,240
Speaker 1: want to be, and I think you've got a chance

497
00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,880
Speaker 1: here to have a really profound positive impact on people.

498
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,560
Speaker 1: Thank you, Thank you. This is this has been This

499
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,080
Speaker 1: has been amazing. I have a lot of life lessons here.

500
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:04,640
Speaker 1: My next guest is a former professional basketball player, four

501
00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:08,080
Speaker 1: time Olympic gold medalists, three time w n B A

502
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 1: m VP, and Hall of Famer. Lisa Leslie is currently

503
00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,240
Speaker 1: the coach of the Triplets in the Big Three Basketball League.

504
00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,920
Speaker 1: She led to the inaugural Big Three championship in twenty nineteen.

505
00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:24,920
Speaker 1: In addition to her pioneering basketball career, which includes being

506
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,360
Speaker 1: the first woman to dunk w n B a game,

507
00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:32,800
Speaker 1: Lisa's resume includes fashion, modeling, acting, sports commentary, and now

508
00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:35,840
Speaker 1: real estate. I had the honor to meet her when

509
00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,400
Speaker 1: I was president and she was a member of the

510
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,080
Speaker 1: women's national basketball team when they won those gold medals

511
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:45,320
Speaker 1: in and in two thousand. I've been a big fan

512
00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,280
Speaker 1: ever since, and I'm so glad to be speaking with

513
00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,600
Speaker 1: her today. Lisa, thank you for joining us. Yes, thank

514
00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,000
Speaker 1: you for having me, Mr President. I'm so excited. It's

515
00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,479
Speaker 1: a great one to see you. To hear your voice

516
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:02,400
Speaker 1: always warms my heart. I remember, UH, just me really

517
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,400
Speaker 1: getting into voting and focusing more on our country and

518
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,480
Speaker 1: our needs. UM, after having the pleasure of meeting you

519
00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:14,200
Speaker 1: and Miss Hillary and UM meeting you also on Beverly

520
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:16,520
Speaker 1: Hills at Rock the Vote. I don't know if you

521
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:20,320
Speaker 1: remember that. UM, thank you so much. It's always been

522
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,400
Speaker 1: a pleasure and I'm so happy to be on your podcast.

523
00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:27,280
Speaker 1: So tell us just a little about winning. How you

524
00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,560
Speaker 1: grew up, and how you became interested in basketball. I

525
00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,479
Speaker 1: grew up in Compton, California, which is the inner city

526
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:37,440
Speaker 1: of southern California. UM. I was raised by my mom,

527
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:41,200
Speaker 1: who's a single mom with two sisters, an older sister

528
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,480
Speaker 1: and a younger sister. I'm the middle child, therefore the

529
00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:47,280
Speaker 1: best child, who's most flexible, who gets along with everybody

530
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:50,000
Speaker 1: because I'm used to being told what to do. But

531
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,680
Speaker 1: I'm also used to leading and telling my younger sister

532
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,440
Speaker 1: what to do. So UM, I'd argue that the middle

533
00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,440
Speaker 1: child's the best. Of course, my sisters would argue something different,

534
00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,680
Speaker 1: but UM, you know, we just screw up. I come

535
00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:04,720
Speaker 1: from very humble beginnings. UM had so much love and

536
00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:08,320
Speaker 1: just positive affirmations from my mom for my sisters and

537
00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:10,680
Speaker 1: I to, you know, take on the world and do

538
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,640
Speaker 1: the best that we can do, be our best, and

539
00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,520
Speaker 1: do it with a lot of love and heart and integrity.

540
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,560
Speaker 1: But I gotta tell you, I didn't start playing basketball

541
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:19,880
Speaker 1: until I was twelve years old, which is really late

542
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,600
Speaker 1: considering all the success that I've had in this sport.

543
00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:28,240
Speaker 1: But basketball, for me, really was about an opportunity to

544
00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:31,960
Speaker 1: create change for our lives and for me to be

545
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:35,400
Speaker 1: able to go to college. That was the whole reason

546
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,200
Speaker 1: why I picked up a basketball because I recognize that

547
00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,600
Speaker 1: that was the one sport that because obviously I was

548
00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:43,760
Speaker 1: so tall. I was six ft in the sixth grade,

549
00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:50,120
Speaker 1: so crazy, right. I remember telling my mom that people

550
00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,720
Speaker 1: keep asking me if I play basketball, and she's like, oh, well,

551
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,200
Speaker 1: because you're tall. To be heard, you know, they associate

552
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 1: sports with people who were tall. And I was like, well,

553
00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:01,120
Speaker 1: I don't want to play that, and she was like, oh,

554
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:06,080
Speaker 1: you don't have to. So funny. Um, But I went

555
00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,200
Speaker 1: to middle school and there was a girl named Shay.

556
00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:10,480
Speaker 1: They called her she and everybody's like Shay and she's

557
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,600
Speaker 1: so popular, and I'm like, why is everybody know her name?

558
00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:16,560
Speaker 1: And they said, well, she's on the basketball team, and

559
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,120
Speaker 1: so I think God just had that happen for me

560
00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,680
Speaker 1: so I can go, well, I want everybody to know

561
00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,240
Speaker 1: my name. So I tried out for the basketball team.

562
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,560
Speaker 1: I guess the rest is history. It's amazing, that's how

563
00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,680
Speaker 1: I started playing basketball. That's a great story. It's a

564
00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:34,360
Speaker 1: great sport. Yes, it's It's changed my life and it's

565
00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:36,800
Speaker 1: enhanced my life in ways that I would have never known.

566
00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,000
Speaker 1: Through all the hard work and dedication of picking up

567
00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,480
Speaker 1: that one basketball. In addition to your Olympic career, you

568
00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,920
Speaker 1: made a huge contribution, I think to building the w

569
00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,040
Speaker 1: n b A into what it is today. Talk about

570
00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,560
Speaker 1: what that was like starting the league, expanding it. I

571
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,480
Speaker 1: know that Kobe Bryant did so much for the n

572
00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,840
Speaker 1: b A. He supported it all much. A little about that, Yeah,

573
00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:05,320
Speaker 1: I kind of think back first, even going to high

574
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:09,360
Speaker 1: school and Title nine, Right, So Title nine played such

575
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:13,400
Speaker 1: a huge part and the opportunities that I've had even

576
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,000
Speaker 1: getting to the w n b A. Um, when I

577
00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,640
Speaker 1: look at Title nine and I remember learning about it

578
00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:20,600
Speaker 1: in high school in the ninth grade and just having

579
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:22,760
Speaker 1: the opportunity to be able as a female, to be

580
00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,000
Speaker 1: able to play sports, and recognizing that Hey, this is

581
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,960
Speaker 1: an opportunity that although it's a bill and a law

582
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,520
Speaker 1: that can go away at any time. And so I

583
00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,720
Speaker 1: think it was that understanding of the opportunity and the

584
00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:37,880
Speaker 1: urgency to play sports and not knowing if it was

585
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,479
Speaker 1: gonna last that really motivated me to want to to

586
00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,960
Speaker 1: be my best and to get after it. So I

587
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,560
Speaker 1: never took playing for granted. I went to Morningside High

588
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,120
Speaker 1: in Inglewood, California, and then I went on to USC

589
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,360
Speaker 1: and at USC, I played for a coach name Mary

590
00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:54,840
Speaker 1: Anne Stanley, and it was coach Stanley who gave me

591
00:33:54,920 --> 00:34:00,240
Speaker 1: that idea about, you know, representing our country and you know,

592
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:05,800
Speaker 1: understanding that there's basketball overseas. And from there, I have

593
00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:09,000
Speaker 1: to say that making my first USA basketball team in

594
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:13,520
Speaker 1: the eleventh grade was my first opportunity to travel the world.

595
00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:16,040
Speaker 1: And so what happens is sometimes we have kids that

596
00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:18,360
Speaker 1: play these sports, but you never get an opportunity or

597
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,080
Speaker 1: you don't see the big picture. By making my first

598
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:23,680
Speaker 1: USA team and going to Spain out of the country,

599
00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:26,040
Speaker 1: first time out of the country ever, my first passport,

600
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,560
Speaker 1: that was really what opened and brought in my my

601
00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:32,240
Speaker 1: horizons to the fact that other women in other countries

602
00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:36,759
Speaker 1: play basketball professionally, like there are more opportunities outside of

603
00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:38,560
Speaker 1: our state. And then I would come back to our

604
00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:42,320
Speaker 1: country and go, well, why don't we recognize or celebrate

605
00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,160
Speaker 1: women's sports as much as we do men? And so

606
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,960
Speaker 1: I knew that I had really um one of voice

607
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,520
Speaker 1: and a purpose, and my purpose was to try to

608
00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:55,040
Speaker 1: spend spread the word about women's sports and us playing

609
00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,000
Speaker 1: at this next level and us being even better. So

610
00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,920
Speaker 1: when you look at what we did in six it

611
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,600
Speaker 1: really started in when the USA team traveled the world,

612
00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:07,600
Speaker 1: playing everybody in their country and beating them. By the

613
00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,120
Speaker 1: time we got that gold medal placed around our next

614
00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,120
Speaker 1: we were sixty and oh and so that's sixty and

615
00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:18,319
Speaker 1: oh is really what elevated the idea that women can

616
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,160
Speaker 1: play professional basketball in our country. And so the w

617
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:26,000
Speaker 1: b A was then launched in um. I was assigned

618
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:30,440
Speaker 1: to Los Angeles and the w b A again a platform,

619
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:32,719
Speaker 1: an opportunity to be a role model for so many

620
00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:37,040
Speaker 1: young kids, boys and girls, signing autographs, taking pictures, um

621
00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:41,200
Speaker 1: doing community service because I knew we had to invest

622
00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,520
Speaker 1: in our fans and try to grow our basketball in

623
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,920
Speaker 1: our country. And so that really was the pivotal moment

624
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:53,040
Speaker 1: for me was just understanding the platform, understanding the importance

625
00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:56,400
Speaker 1: of networking, understanding the importance of you know, my appearance,

626
00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:59,120
Speaker 1: and you know I love being feminine and I love fashion.

627
00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:01,080
Speaker 1: So that for me was like, Hey, but I'm gonna

628
00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,359
Speaker 1: play basketball and they're gonna play as hard as I can.

629
00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:07,400
Speaker 1: I loved having those opportunities. And I would say that

630
00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:12,279
Speaker 1: our NBA counter parts, our guys, were our biggest supporters.

631
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:17,400
Speaker 1: And yes, Kobe Bryant was probably had done more for

632
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,680
Speaker 1: women's basketball and our awareness and a very short period

633
00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:23,480
Speaker 1: of time than anybody else in history when it comes

634
00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,440
Speaker 1: to a man that really loved what we were doing,

635
00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:30,600
Speaker 1: aside from David Stern himself and the late doctor Bus.

636
00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,200
Speaker 1: Tell the people who are listening, how long you played well?

637
00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,920
Speaker 1: I played professionally for UM. I'd say eleven years in

638
00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:40,960
Speaker 1: the w n B A UM, because I stopped and

639
00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,000
Speaker 1: I had my daughter, and I went back and played

640
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:46,000
Speaker 1: and played in my last Olympics. UM, but I've been

641
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,480
Speaker 1: playing basketball for over twenty five years. UM. I played overseaves,

642
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:54,040
Speaker 1: I lived in Italy, I lived in Russia. UM got

643
00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,560
Speaker 1: a chance to eat some amazing food and learned to

644
00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:01,040
Speaker 1: speak another language. Um, and bath sketball. Like I said,

645
00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:05,200
Speaker 1: picking up that ball in seventh grade changed my life forever.

646
00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,360
Speaker 1: I always say, you know, it was one thing for

647
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:09,680
Speaker 1: me to represent my city and even my state and

648
00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,920
Speaker 1: winning state championships in high school, but it's been the

649
00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,800
Speaker 1: biggest honor of my life to represent our country playing

650
00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:19,200
Speaker 1: for Team USA. At first, that's a beautiful sentiment and

651
00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:22,799
Speaker 1: I'm glad you feel that way still. So you won

652
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,080
Speaker 1: gold medals in two thousand, two thousand four, and two

653
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:30,560
Speaker 1: thousand night, anyone in particular stand out for you? Oh? Yes,

654
00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:34,759
Speaker 1: Mr President, it will always be for me. Um. If

655
00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:39,040
Speaker 1: you remember that, Um, which is not to put a

656
00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:40,719
Speaker 1: damper on it, but there was a bomb that went

657
00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:46,879
Speaker 1: off in at the in Atlanta at the Olympic, and

658
00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,759
Speaker 1: so um our men and women's team stayed across the

659
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:54,320
Speaker 1: street from that Centennial Park. That bomb went off outside

660
00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:59,359
Speaker 1: of my balcony window, and UM, that moment was sort

661
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,040
Speaker 1: of surreal because you know, things you saw on television,

662
00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:03,920
Speaker 1: but to be on our US soil and for that

663
00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,839
Speaker 1: to happen. In that moment, I think we were all

664
00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,239
Speaker 1: faced with the challenge of like, are we gonna move

665
00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,799
Speaker 1: in fear? Or are we gonna fight, And it was

666
00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:16,360
Speaker 1: a symbolism to me that you know, our country, our security,

667
00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,240
Speaker 1: everything stepped up right. We were aware and we were

668
00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,600
Speaker 1: prepared for anything. And that's the same thing we were

669
00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:25,120
Speaker 1: as a team Team USA. We had a talk and

670
00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,040
Speaker 1: we were you know, shaken by that, but also it

671
00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:30,200
Speaker 1: was like, this is the point we have on this

672
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:33,000
Speaker 1: USA uniform. We are fighters, we work hard, we don't

673
00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,239
Speaker 1: give up. And that moment, for me, it was just

674
00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:40,799
Speaker 1: very symbolic because we had an opportunity to sort of

675
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:43,360
Speaker 1: power away or be like, you know, we're afraid, we

676
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:45,480
Speaker 1: don't want to go on with the Olympics or whatever,

677
00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:47,640
Speaker 1: and it was just like, you know, a second that

678
00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:49,880
Speaker 1: that comes in, it's like, no, we are we are USA,

679
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,880
Speaker 1: and no one's going to you know, stop us from

680
00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:57,399
Speaker 1: fighting for our country. And although again I love and

681
00:38:57,680 --> 00:39:01,440
Speaker 1: respect our military. My husband flew um, he went to

682
00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,480
Speaker 1: the Air Force Academy, he flew in Desert Storm and

683
00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,760
Speaker 1: Desert Shield, um as well as my you know, my father,

684
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,319
Speaker 1: my grandfather, and my uncle's my father in law. So

685
00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:15,040
Speaker 1: our military means so much to me that I understand

686
00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:17,160
Speaker 1: that they fight and protect us in such a way,

687
00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:20,560
Speaker 1: but that for me was just like I thought about

688
00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:23,399
Speaker 1: our our military and that you know, even though I'm

689
00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:26,440
Speaker 1: just an athlete in this USA uniform, we have an

690
00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:28,799
Speaker 1: opportunity to fight for our country and to still go

691
00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:32,800
Speaker 1: out there. And so the nineties Olympics um will always

692
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:36,480
Speaker 1: be my favorite just because we were on us soil

693
00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:40,239
Speaker 1: fighting for our country. Yep, it's a wonderful memory. Yes,

694
00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:43,600
Speaker 1: let me ask you a little bit about what you're

695
00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:47,840
Speaker 1: doing now and we'll come back to the Olympics. Not

696
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,680
Speaker 1: all of our listeners know about Big three basketball, and

697
00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,360
Speaker 1: you're a coach of a team and you've got some

698
00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:57,879
Speaker 1: pretty outstanding players. So tell people about just a little

699
00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,160
Speaker 1: bit about Big three basketball, how to get store the

700
00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:04,520
Speaker 1: who's behind it, and how did you get involved. Yeah. So,

701
00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:06,839
Speaker 1: first off, President Clinton, we have to have you at

702
00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:09,000
Speaker 1: a Big three game. You have a personal invitation in

703
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,480
Speaker 1: a court side seat because we would love to have you.

704
00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:16,640
Speaker 1: And this amazing league was started by ice Cube, Jeff Quasnet,

705
00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:22,200
Speaker 1: and Amy Trash, three amazing, brilliant people who came together

706
00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:25,440
Speaker 1: to start this league. And you know, ice Cube is

707
00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,640
Speaker 1: just he's really a genius in our time and so

708
00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:31,600
Speaker 1: amazing that he would think of three on three for

709
00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:33,840
Speaker 1: players who still have a lot in their tank, but

710
00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:36,319
Speaker 1: maybe you know, just they don't have a spot on

711
00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:38,760
Speaker 1: the NBA team anymore. Although a lot of our players

712
00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:41,480
Speaker 1: have been picked backed up by NBA team, So three

713
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:46,360
Speaker 1: on three or NBA men who um left the NBA

714
00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,040
Speaker 1: or retired and have an opportunity to play three on

715
00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:52,080
Speaker 1: three half court. We have an amazing game. That's the

716
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:55,239
Speaker 1: first team the fifty. You gotta win by two. We

717
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,759
Speaker 1: have three point shots, four point shots, uh, you name it.

718
00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,239
Speaker 1: We also have something called fireball that was at it

719
00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:04,520
Speaker 1: last year, which is also brilliant. So ice Cube decided

720
00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:08,520
Speaker 1: that if you want to challenge, you know, a foul call,

721
00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:11,600
Speaker 1: unless it was an offensive foul, you can challenge that

722
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:13,960
Speaker 1: call and then go one on one. So we call

723
00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:18,319
Speaker 1: that fireball, which is also so exciting. And we were

724
00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:20,719
Speaker 1: talking a little before the program started about real essite,

725
00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:22,560
Speaker 1: how did you get into the lap Yeah, well, you know,

726
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,160
Speaker 1: Mr President, having the opportunity to play in the w

727
00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,440
Speaker 1: n b A was really the first time that I

728
00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:30,799
Speaker 1: was able to make money, you know, and I have

729
00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:34,440
Speaker 1: also endorsement deals and so once I got there, I

730
00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,560
Speaker 1: was very lucky and blessed to have an uncle, two

731
00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:42,480
Speaker 1: uncles who aren't both um, they are both accountants, and

732
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,080
Speaker 1: so having them, I went directly to my uncle, who

733
00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:47,120
Speaker 1: you know, obviously was very well off, and I was like,

734
00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:49,800
Speaker 1: how do I keep my money? What do I do?

735
00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:51,799
Speaker 1: You know? And he was like, well, the first thing

736
00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:53,799
Speaker 1: we need to do is, you know, open up your

737
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:56,400
Speaker 1: corporation and you need to go and get some real estate.

738
00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:59,880
Speaker 1: So it really started in and having that advice, I

739
00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,440
Speaker 1: started to buy homes. I bought myself a home, then

740
00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:04,239
Speaker 1: I bought my mom a home, which I kept in

741
00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:07,080
Speaker 1: my name, and I started out like that really slowly,

742
00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:11,160
Speaker 1: and I'm about to launch the first national Black um

743
00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,600
Speaker 1: real estate agency across our country. We've never had one.

744
00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:18,400
Speaker 1: It's called Aston Rose. And the beauty of that is

745
00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:22,640
Speaker 1: that it's gonna be an opportunity for all of us

746
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:27,320
Speaker 1: to be very inclusive with investing in athletes as well

747
00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:30,480
Speaker 1: as entertainers and trying to not just help them with

748
00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:34,000
Speaker 1: their real estate, but also to educate them because sometimes

749
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,759
Speaker 1: in the African American community, we we miss out on

750
00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:40,960
Speaker 1: that educational opportunity of understanding how to keep your money.

751
00:42:41,239 --> 00:42:43,719
Speaker 1: And we know of so many athletes and people in

752
00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:48,400
Speaker 1: the past who had millions of dollars and have nothing

753
00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:50,919
Speaker 1: to show for it, whether after they retired in five

754
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,319
Speaker 1: years they have no money left or if they blew

755
00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 1: it all um just on things that really didn't appreciate.

756
00:42:56,680 --> 00:42:59,000
Speaker 1: And so it's it's time. It's time for us to

757
00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:02,239
Speaker 1: make that change. And I think for all of the

758
00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:05,160
Speaker 1: things that happened with the pandemic and the social unrest

759
00:43:05,719 --> 00:43:09,200
Speaker 1: really also gave us all clarity on the change that

760
00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:11,719
Speaker 1: needed to happen in our country. And so you can

761
00:43:11,719 --> 00:43:13,480
Speaker 1: either talk about the change or you can be a

762
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:15,799
Speaker 1: part of the change. And so for me, I felt like,

763
00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:18,600
Speaker 1: how can I be a part of the chain understanding

764
00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:22,640
Speaker 1: that you know, we've been in situations where minorities were

765
00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:24,840
Speaker 1: not allowed to live in certain areas or even have

766
00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:27,960
Speaker 1: access to certain schools, and so we have to change

767
00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:30,760
Speaker 1: that by how we invest and how we can create

768
00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:34,279
Speaker 1: generational wealth. That's not something that happens by accident. Is

769
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:36,399
Speaker 1: something that we have to educate. We have to come

770
00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:39,200
Speaker 1: together as a community to do that. The thing that

771
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:43,719
Speaker 1: I found interesting is that there are we're really there

772
00:43:43,719 --> 00:43:46,879
Speaker 1: are two different issues. One is you want to make

773
00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:51,359
Speaker 1: sure that all athletes are fairly paid. The second, once

774
00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:55,680
Speaker 1: they get paid that they you manage what they've earned

775
00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:58,719
Speaker 1: so it can be valuable to them over a lifetime,

776
00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:02,040
Speaker 1: long after they stop playing sports. And those are two

777
00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:06,000
Speaker 1: distinct problems, both worthy of pushing. I think so, Mr President,

778
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:10,920
Speaker 1: I think it's it's important to recognize that we don't

779
00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:15,080
Speaker 1: have that education and not that it's hard to have

780
00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:17,399
Speaker 1: the education about money when you don't have money. Let's

781
00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:19,439
Speaker 1: just say that. And when you come from the inner

782
00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:21,400
Speaker 1: city in the way most of us do, and a

783
00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:25,000
Speaker 1: lot of the athletes and entertainers, Um, we've worked hard

784
00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:27,080
Speaker 1: for where we are, Like, we're working as hard as

785
00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:29,680
Speaker 1: we can. But where were you going to get this

786
00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:32,800
Speaker 1: education about financing? I mean, I went back to school

787
00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:36,120
Speaker 1: to get my master's in business and that was probably, um,

788
00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:40,080
Speaker 1: the first understanding and infrastructure of just like economics, you know,

789
00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:42,160
Speaker 1: in general on a micro level, on a macro level,

790
00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:45,040
Speaker 1: just understanding like oh wow, and things that are depreciating

791
00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:47,919
Speaker 1: or understanding the stock market. That's a whole another level

792
00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:51,879
Speaker 1: of education that is not necessarily provided. So where would

793
00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:54,880
Speaker 1: they know how would they know? You know, they don't,

794
00:44:55,160 --> 00:44:57,520
Speaker 1: but they know that they're hard work and their talents

795
00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:00,480
Speaker 1: is getting them a check. But now what do you

796
00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:02,759
Speaker 1: do with that? And so there's uh. You know, we've

797
00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:05,680
Speaker 1: been able to see some athletes do amazing things and

798
00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:08,640
Speaker 1: be able to reinvest and get smarter about their money,

799
00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:11,279
Speaker 1: but we've seen a lot who have no idea what

800
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,200
Speaker 1: they're doing, and after that retirement, within five years, statistically

801
00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:18,480
Speaker 1: they're broke. We have to change that. I agree with that.

802
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:22,879
Speaker 1: I think the goal of almost all social policy and

803
00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:28,080
Speaker 1: economic policy should be empowerment. Yes, we should be. We

804
00:45:28,120 --> 00:45:31,839
Speaker 1: should empower other people to live their best lives so

805
00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:34,480
Speaker 1: that it may not be what you would do, it

806
00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:38,120
Speaker 1: doesn't shouldn't be. We have a more interesting society if

807
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:40,799
Speaker 1: we don't make our own decisions, but you have to

808
00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:43,799
Speaker 1: be empowered to make them. And I really appreciate what

809
00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:46,960
Speaker 1: you've done on that. I think it's important that we

810
00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:51,440
Speaker 1: as African Americans in our country, our system had been

811
00:45:51,480 --> 00:45:54,360
Speaker 1: so broken for us to be broken and separated apart,

812
00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:57,200
Speaker 1: that we have to learn to come back together and

813
00:45:57,200 --> 00:45:59,080
Speaker 1: we have to learn to invest in each other, and

814
00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:02,200
Speaker 1: we have to be edgy catd um and educate each other.

815
00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:04,360
Speaker 1: And so that's a part of the change that I

816
00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:07,400
Speaker 1: want to be a part of. That's my new endeavor

817
00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:21,360
Speaker 1: for sure. More after this, if you ask any casual

818
00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:24,960
Speaker 1: sports fan, what are some of the main storylines and

819
00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:28,200
Speaker 1: all kinds of athletics over the last year or two,

820
00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:31,800
Speaker 1: one of them would certainly have to be the freedom

821
00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:35,719
Speaker 1: with which athletes have become to discuss the mental and

822
00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:40,160
Speaker 1: emotional tensions and stress they feel, particularly those who are

823
00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:45,280
Speaker 1: in dangerous sports. But we've seen that from Simone Bile

824
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:50,759
Speaker 1: through Naomi Osaka, Jamie Anderson that games, and and of

825
00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:55,720
Speaker 1: course MICHAELA. Schiffern has been unusually and I think appealingly

826
00:46:56,040 --> 00:46:59,400
Speaker 1: straightforward about how she just sort of blocked out on

827
00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:03,520
Speaker 1: her first events. And the thing I really liked about

828
00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:06,439
Speaker 1: her is she said, I feel that I still feel

829
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:08,799
Speaker 1: like I failed, and I'm so touched that people are

830
00:47:08,840 --> 00:47:10,400
Speaker 1: so nice to me, but I don't feel like I

831
00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:13,560
Speaker 1: earned it. I mean that she's sort of caught in

832
00:47:13,760 --> 00:47:18,799
Speaker 1: mid term with the challenges all people involved in great

833
00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:24,200
Speaker 1: endeavor's face. But almost all great contests are at bottom

834
00:47:24,719 --> 00:47:27,640
Speaker 1: head game that is. I mean, you know, you had

835
00:47:27,640 --> 00:47:30,600
Speaker 1: certain advantages playing basketball, you were taller than most people,

836
00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:32,880
Speaker 1: but there was some other people who were pretty tall.

837
00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:38,080
Speaker 1: I mean, if if given a fair distribution of effort

838
00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:45,399
Speaker 1: and ability contests are mental battles, I think, So, what's

839
00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:47,480
Speaker 1: your take on it. Is it a positive thing that

840
00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:51,319
Speaker 1: we're getting more open about mental health? And how do

841
00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:55,360
Speaker 1: you talk about these things in a way that doesn't

842
00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:59,840
Speaker 1: necessarily make the paralysis worse. I believe it's it's a

843
00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:05,480
Speaker 1: real topic that people who feel that they need help

844
00:48:05,719 --> 00:48:09,200
Speaker 1: should have access to that and not be looked at negatively.

845
00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:12,360
Speaker 1: I do believe that there are things in life that

846
00:48:12,440 --> 00:48:15,200
Speaker 1: we can do to even help with mental health, and

847
00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:17,680
Speaker 1: that is giving people the tools to deal with it.

848
00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:21,720
Speaker 1: I remember a long time ago, I used to work

849
00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:25,400
Speaker 1: with volunteers, probably the better work because I didn't get paid,

850
00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:31,400
Speaker 1: but I worked with or volunteered to help UM Foster Boys,

851
00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:34,279
Speaker 1: and I was working with the boys a lot, and

852
00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:38,319
Speaker 1: I found that one on one UM talking to the

853
00:48:38,360 --> 00:48:41,960
Speaker 1: boys and creating that relationship was amazing, Like I loved

854
00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:44,760
Speaker 1: each of them and just had so much fun hanging

855
00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:47,279
Speaker 1: out with them. But I also realized when we got

856
00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:52,120
Speaker 1: together there were times where if you date one was antagonized,

857
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:55,359
Speaker 1: or if they were challenged, they would become very aggressive,

858
00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:58,560
Speaker 1: possibly fight. Like it was just a change, and I

859
00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:02,520
Speaker 1: was interested to understand, like the chemical imbalance at times

860
00:49:02,560 --> 00:49:08,200
Speaker 1: that would happen, it's because they didn't really understand how

861
00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:11,759
Speaker 1: to deal with their emotions. And so I believe that

862
00:49:11,760 --> 00:49:13,799
Speaker 1: that's a real thing and things maybe we need to

863
00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:18,520
Speaker 1: look for in children younger that may have behavioral issues

864
00:49:18,560 --> 00:49:22,960
Speaker 1: sometimes or maybe seem sad more than others. Are paying

865
00:49:22,960 --> 00:49:25,760
Speaker 1: a little bit more attention to the emotions of children

866
00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:28,920
Speaker 1: and then finding ways to get them help. Now as

867
00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:32,799
Speaker 1: we move more into the teens and the you know,

868
00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:36,160
Speaker 1: young adults, yeah, I believe. I believe it's real. Listen,

869
00:49:36,239 --> 00:49:39,960
Speaker 1: we are older looking at them go through social media

870
00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:45,960
Speaker 1: and you know, cyber bullying and a pandemic, and problems

871
00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:50,160
Speaker 1: being canceled in college, opportunities being canceled. Like, they are

872
00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:53,359
Speaker 1: going through a lot. It's very heavy for them, and

873
00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:55,840
Speaker 1: no one could have prepared them for all of these

874
00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:59,400
Speaker 1: negative things that are happening to them all at one time.

875
00:49:59,560 --> 00:50:02,800
Speaker 1: Then you add on that the possibility of not being

876
00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:05,600
Speaker 1: financially secure or even knowing where your next meal is

877
00:50:05,640 --> 00:50:09,320
Speaker 1: going to come from. I'm not sure you can't afford

878
00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:12,239
Speaker 1: to have certain clothes or you know, there's a lot

879
00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:16,080
Speaker 1: of elements that these young people are dealing with, um

880
00:50:16,080 --> 00:50:18,880
Speaker 1: that maybe some of us are we passed that threshold

881
00:50:18,880 --> 00:50:20,839
Speaker 1: where we're not even thinking about that. But if I

882
00:50:20,880 --> 00:50:24,640
Speaker 1: take myself back to my nineteen year old self and

883
00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:28,240
Speaker 1: not knowing, you know, having five dollars to buy a burrito,

884
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:30,600
Speaker 1: and half my burrito I ate in the morning, and

885
00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:33,280
Speaker 1: then my other half I ate, you know, before practice,

886
00:50:34,160 --> 00:50:36,799
Speaker 1: just to have enough food. I remember those days. I

887
00:50:36,800 --> 00:50:40,279
Speaker 1: couldn't imagine you adding me trying to figure out how

888
00:50:40,320 --> 00:50:42,120
Speaker 1: to where I'm gonna find my mill while I was

889
00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:47,239
Speaker 1: at college or in high school, and a pandemic, you know,

890
00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:51,640
Speaker 1: and some people in some close quarters dealing with COVID nineteen.

891
00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:54,920
Speaker 1: So I could think that there are a million things

892
00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:57,160
Speaker 1: right now that young people are dealing with that they

893
00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,440
Speaker 1: cannot process the way we as adults can step back

894
00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:03,120
Speaker 1: and go, well, listen, we have to be thankful that

895
00:51:03,160 --> 00:51:05,000
Speaker 1: we we can afford to be here. We have to

896
00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:07,000
Speaker 1: be thankful that we have a house in the space.

897
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:08,960
Speaker 1: You know. There's so many things that we look at

898
00:51:09,320 --> 00:51:11,080
Speaker 1: and we're just like, well, you've got to be thankful.

899
00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:14,320
Speaker 1: But it's tougher for them. And I think it's important

900
00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:19,400
Speaker 1: for us to have the conversations. It's more real again,

901
00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:25,359
Speaker 1: giving us clarity in so many areas. Mental health is

902
00:51:26,480 --> 00:51:28,480
Speaker 1: something that we have to be aware of and we

903
00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:30,880
Speaker 1: have to check in on people and see how they're doing.

904
00:51:31,520 --> 00:51:35,400
Speaker 1: We are also a country that we believe in being first,

905
00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:38,280
Speaker 1: you know, we we are a country that drives people.

906
00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:41,040
Speaker 1: We were it's like second place is not acceptable. And

907
00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:44,359
Speaker 1: we have that mentality in our workplace. We have that

908
00:51:44,400 --> 00:51:47,839
Speaker 1: mentality in our sports, we have that mentality. You know,

909
00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:51,760
Speaker 1: even you and country, our country as a leadership that

910
00:51:52,080 --> 00:51:57,000
Speaker 1: you know, we will not be second place. That's tough

911
00:51:57,080 --> 00:51:59,600
Speaker 1: to live up to. That's a lot of pressure. And

912
00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:03,040
Speaker 1: then let me just add social media. Social media for

913
00:52:03,120 --> 00:52:05,319
Speaker 1: what it does to these young people and what they

914
00:52:05,360 --> 00:52:07,719
Speaker 1: see and all of these again material things and how

915
00:52:07,760 --> 00:52:10,920
Speaker 1: people are living makes them feel less than because they

916
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:13,239
Speaker 1: don't have it and they don't have the access to it.

917
00:52:14,000 --> 00:52:18,560
Speaker 1: So I believe it is real. It's just more to

918
00:52:18,640 --> 00:52:22,680
Speaker 1: the forefront because this millennial generation, if you will, and

919
00:52:22,719 --> 00:52:27,279
Speaker 1: even this younger generation, they are dealing with things that

920
00:52:27,480 --> 00:52:29,640
Speaker 1: we did not have to deal with and they are

921
00:52:29,760 --> 00:52:33,799
Speaker 1: not capable all the time of being able to process

922
00:52:33,840 --> 00:52:38,320
Speaker 1: it and then go, hey, let me take a moment

923
00:52:38,400 --> 00:52:43,080
Speaker 1: to meditate, let me be happy with myself, let me

924
00:52:43,239 --> 00:52:47,120
Speaker 1: stop and learn to love myself. Let me be thankful

925
00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:52,560
Speaker 1: for the blessings I have you. You have become a

926
00:52:52,600 --> 00:52:55,200
Speaker 1: wise woman. Thank you wisdom. I pray for wisdom. You

927
00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:57,920
Speaker 1: probably always were now, but I always pray for wisdom

928
00:52:57,920 --> 00:53:00,759
Speaker 1: and discernment, you know, to just to to be able

929
00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:03,360
Speaker 1: to understand. I think my spiritual gift is my ability

930
00:53:03,360 --> 00:53:06,400
Speaker 1: to speak. That's what God's blessed me with. Maybe someday

931
00:53:06,440 --> 00:53:10,480
Speaker 1: you'll coach the Olympic team. All right, Mr President, I

932
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:13,400
Speaker 1: really thank you for having me. It's an honor again

933
00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:16,319
Speaker 1: to you know, be in your presence to talk to

934
00:53:16,360 --> 00:53:19,040
Speaker 1: you than you and I know that it's you probably

935
00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:22,200
Speaker 1: hear this all the time, but some of you presidents

936
00:53:22,239 --> 00:53:26,960
Speaker 1: have such a voice that rings in our minds and

937
00:53:27,000 --> 00:53:32,000
Speaker 1: our hearts, that gives us hope and stability and calm

938
00:53:32,040 --> 00:53:35,000
Speaker 1: even during the storm. So it's great to hear your voice.

939
00:53:35,920 --> 00:53:38,480
Speaker 1: God bless you. Tell ms Hillary, I said, hello, and

940
00:53:38,560 --> 00:53:43,640
Speaker 1: thank you please as well. Thanks. Why am I telling you?

941
00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:46,400
Speaker 1: This is a production of our Heart Radio, the Clinton

942
00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:50,520
Speaker 1: Foundation and at Will Medium. Our executive producers are Craigmanascian

943
00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:55,920
Speaker 1: and Will Malnadi. Our production team includes Mitch Bluestein, Jamison Katsufas,

944
00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:59,880
Speaker 1: Tom Galton, Sir Harrowitz, and Jake Young, with production support

945
00:54:00,120 --> 00:54:04,680
Speaker 1: from Liz Raftoree and Josh Farnham. Original music by What White.

946
00:54:05,520 --> 00:54:08,840
Speaker 1: Special thanks to John Sykes, John Davidson on hell Orina,

947
00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:13,280
Speaker 1: Corey Ganstley, Kevin Thurm, Oscar Flores, and all our dedicated

948
00:54:13,360 --> 00:54:21,120
Speaker 1: staff and partners at the Clinton Foundation. Hi, this is

949
00:54:21,160 --> 00:54:24,600
Speaker 1: Bill Clinton. I hope you're enjoying whin I telling you this.

950
00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:28,240
Speaker 1: I started the Clinton Foundation on the belief that everyone

951
00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:32,560
Speaker 1: deserves a chance to succeed, Everyone has a responsibility to act,

952
00:54:33,280 --> 00:54:36,759
Speaker 1: and we all do better when we work together. In

953
00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:39,600
Speaker 1: the more than twenty years since the Foundation first opened

954
00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:43,160
Speaker 1: its doors in Harlem, we've brought people together across traditional

955
00:54:43,239 --> 00:54:46,360
Speaker 1: divides to address some of the most complex and pressing

956
00:54:46,440 --> 00:54:50,919
Speaker 1: challenges of our time. The need for cooperation has never

957
00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:54,480
Speaker 1: been more urgent than it is now. The COVID nineteen

958
00:54:54,480 --> 00:54:57,360
Speaker 1: pandemic has ripped the cover off long standing in equities

959
00:54:57,360 --> 00:55:01,359
Speaker 1: and vulnerabilities across our global community and here at home.

960
00:55:02,080 --> 00:55:05,719
Speaker 1: The existential threat of climate change grows every day and

961
00:55:05,920 --> 00:55:09,000
Speaker 1: all around the world. The forces of division are tugging

962
00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:13,279
Speaker 1: at the fabric of our common humanity. That's why this

963
00:55:13,360 --> 00:55:16,840
Speaker 1: year we're relaunching the Clinton Global Initiatives Annual Meeting in

964
00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:20,480
Speaker 1: New York in September, bringing together heads of state and

965
00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:25,920
Speaker 1: other government officials, leaders of NGOs and philanthropic organizations, prominent

966
00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:29,440
Speaker 1: voices and business, labor and finance and youth leaders, and

967
00:55:29,480 --> 00:55:34,560
Speaker 1: grassroots activists to drive progress on inclusive economic growth and recovery,

968
00:55:34,840 --> 00:55:39,120
Speaker 1: climate resilience, and health equity. While the challenges we face

969
00:55:39,200 --> 00:55:42,360
Speaker 1: our steep, our work has always been about what we

970
00:55:42,480 --> 00:55:45,800
Speaker 1: can do, not what we can't do, and by bringing

971
00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:49,120
Speaker 1: diverse partners together to take action and achieve real results,

972
00:55:49,760 --> 00:55:52,680
Speaker 1: we can create a culture of possibility in a world

973
00:55:52,800 --> 00:55:56,400
Speaker 1: hungary for hope. I hope you will take a moment

974
00:55:56,440 --> 00:55:58,560
Speaker 1: to share your thoughts and ideas with us and learn

975
00:55:58,600 --> 00:56:01,480
Speaker 1: more about our work by is a ning www dot

976
00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:09,880
Speaker 1: Clinton Foundation dot org, slash podcast. Thank you, m HM.