1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks. 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Let's continue with part two of our conversation with Anne 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: Mallam founder back on my feet right after these brief 4 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: messages from our generous sponsors. When we ended part one 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: of our conversation with Anne, she was explaining how she 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: didn't save any of their homeless runners. They had to 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: do the work themselves. I love that. When I coached football, 8 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: there were a lot of people that interviewed me and 9 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: they would say, you know, look at what you're doing 10 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: to save them. And I'm like, you guys are so 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: out of touch with reality. I'm not saving anybody. I'm 12 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: simply showing an alternative way to lead a life. But 13 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: it's they got to do the work. They can save themselves. 14 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm just giving him a roadmap to consider. 15 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: Well, And Bill, I learned through my dad because I 16 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 2: tried to save him. You can't force anybody, especially a 17 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 2: grown man, to do something because I wanted them to 18 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 2: do it. 19 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 3: There's no way. They have to want it, that's right. 20 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: And these guys, well, you can show them the way 21 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: to do it if they make the decision to oh. 22 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, listen, I'm fully aware and I again Maslow's hierarchy 23 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 2: and needs right above food and shelter. We have a 24 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: desire to be loved, appreciated, valued, cared for, cheered for. 25 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 2: And it was like, we're going to build an environment 26 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 2: that these guys want to be here. There isn't for 27 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 2: I didn't that. There was no I couldn't force them 28 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: to show up them that morning. I didn't provide food 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 2: or shelter for them. So it's not like they were 30 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 2: getting that they were getting. I feel good here. I 31 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 2: like how I feel here. 32 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: On the Maslow's hierarchy and needs, they were this bottom wrong. 33 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: They had they had a roof and food, but none 34 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: of the other peers above it were taken care. 35 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and take it to your own life. If you're listening, 36 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 2: think about when you've left a relationship, a friendship, or 37 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 2: a job. It's because you haven't felt good in that situation. 38 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: Either your boss is an asshole, you don't feel appreciated 39 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 2: or valued for the work you're doing, or your relationship 40 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 2: is not benefiting you in a way. The friendship you're 41 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 2: not getting something out of it. You know, without us 42 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 2: sometimes we can't articulate why we do things, but it's 43 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 2: that environment doesn't make us feel good. 44 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: So the press is there. 45 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 2: The press is there, and every newspaper, every TV station 46 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 2: is all of a sudden reporting on unlikely group of 47 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: runners leaving from thirteen twelve. 48 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: But they're not talking about the institution of homelessness now, 49 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: and they're talking about their individuals. 50 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: And they're talking about running, and they're talking about the 51 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 2: stories of these individuals and who they are, and they're 52 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 2: interviewing them and you're seeing their face and their smile 53 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: and their bubbliness. And I also think about those first 54 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 2: nine guys and how charismatic and likable that they were. 55 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 3: It's just again, it's like when your. 56 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: Life starts to piece together like this, when I'm like, 57 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: all of these things that had to happen. I'm not 58 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 2: a very religious person, but like I couldn't help but 59 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 2: kind of look up at this guy and be like, 60 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: I get it. 61 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 3: I know what I'm supposed to do here. 62 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 2: I fully get what's going on, and I will do 63 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 2: everything I can to create these opportunities for people when 64 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 2: no one else is. No one else was looking at 65 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: homelessness like this. They were looking at it as an 66 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 2: institution and trying to create the same thing you talk 67 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 2: about government. We need more jobs for X, we need 68 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 2: to like figure out the pologies. 69 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: More money, right, let's go, let's go spend more money, right, 70 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: and put together more breaucratic Programsocratic have never worked, but 71 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: let's do more of and oft that. 72 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly. 73 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: And I'm like, if someone is fifty three years old 74 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 2: ending up in a homeless shelter, what kind of life 75 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 2: do you think that that person has had? An upbringing 76 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 2: that they have had that put them in this place, 77 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: and you're missing that, You're missing all of the emotional components. 78 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: And what do you think they see when they look 79 00:03:55,840 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: in the mirror? Right? And man, I know exactly what 80 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: they're looking at when they look in the mirror, and 81 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: it's just them and them. Everybody does. Yeah, and yeah, 82 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: if you're fifty three and homeless, and that's it. 83 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 3: I mean, and you're a man, you know, as you're 84 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 3: sort of. 85 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: You're more than likely have left a child or two somewhere. 86 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 3: Totally, and you can't provide for yourself. I don't on 87 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 3: anybody else. I mean, the self. 88 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: Esteem everything is way down bottom of the totem pool. 89 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: And so and this is for anybody when you change, 90 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 2: you cannot change if you do not think that you 91 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 2: are capable or deserving of it. And these guys needed 92 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 2: to be put in a situation where they had people 93 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: rooting for them that wasn't going to judge them for 94 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 2: their mistakes, that just wanted to help them move forward. 95 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 2: And so if you can do that with anybody or 96 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 2: your own life and start to believe you are deserving, 97 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 2: that you are capable, that things are possible, that's when 98 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: you're going to start to make the right decisions. Otherwise, 99 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: you know, you throw caution to the or you throw 100 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 2: like it doesn't matter anyway. 101 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: So tell us how running at least started to change 102 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: their all that belief system for them. 103 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 2: So I was bullish on the idea that if we 104 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 2: can change people's identity of themselves, that they will be 105 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 2: able to change the direction of their life. 106 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: And say that again, if we can. 107 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 2: Change people's identity, how they show of themselves. 108 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: Self identity, self identity, if I can help provide tools 109 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: for a person to change their self identity, then. 110 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 3: Then they can make the progress and create real. 111 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: Change they can make for themselves. The progress they will want. 112 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 2: It, they will want more. They will realize they are capable. 113 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 2: More so, what I needed to do with this program, 114 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 2: Bill was change their identity from someone who looks in 115 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 2: the mirror and says I'm homeless, I'm nothing, I live 116 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 2: in a homeless shelter. I'm a loser, I'm an addict. 117 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: I'm this into somebody who's I'm a runner, I'm a teammate, 118 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 2: I'm disciplined, I have goals that I am meeting. I 119 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: needed to get them to think of themselves in that 120 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 2: way in order for them to not want to be 121 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 2: in the homeless shelter, in order for them to want 122 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: to contribute to their own lives and to the communities 123 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 2: around them in a different way and know what is 124 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,119 Speaker 2: possible for them. But I couldn't skip. It's like again running, 125 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 2: I told you I couldn't skip the first mile into 126 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,799 Speaker 2: the fifth mile. You can't take people living in homeless 127 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 2: shelters and just put them in homes and think you're 128 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: solving homelessness. You have to focus on the emotional well 129 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,600 Speaker 2: being of individuals and help them realize they are capable 130 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 2: and deserving of doing it on their own. And nobody 131 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 2: was doing that in this space. And I don't have 132 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: a background in social work. I don't have a background, 133 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 2: and I wasn't training any of this stuff. Yeah, I'm 134 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 2: twenty six, but I knew how I was going through 135 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 2: life and what made me feel good and when I 136 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 2: was at my top of my game, and it's when 137 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 2: I felt good about the decisions that I was making 138 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 2: for my life, the high quality decisions, and when people 139 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 2: around me were cheering for me and supporting me. And 140 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 2: it was like, these guys have none of that. We 141 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 2: need to create that and watch what happens. That's all 142 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 2: we need to do. So what happened over those next 143 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 2: few weeks. One, these guys were showing up every day, 144 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 2: not because of any me telling them, yelling. 145 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: At them the required. 146 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 3: They weren't required. They didn't want to they wanted to quit, 147 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 3: They could quit. They were showing up every. 148 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 2: Day because they wanted to be there, and voluntary behavior 149 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 2: is really important to pay attention to. The second one 150 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 2: was the reaction that when I tracked their miles every day, 151 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 2: big poster board names on the left. 152 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 3: Numbers on the top, and it was cumulative from the 153 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 3: names before. 154 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: So I have this sharpie, you know, next to everybody's name, 155 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 2: and these guys are like and uh, I ran three today, 156 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: not two and a half. 157 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, thanks letting me know. 158 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 2: And they wanted to see that progress and they were 159 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: so proud. And that's when again, it was just this 160 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 2: reaffirming gosh, this is the only way that these guys 161 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 2: are ever going to have a chance at a better life. 162 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: Oddly, it's goal setting. 163 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: It's goal setting, and it's realizing that, like, this is 164 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: what I'm supposed to do with my life. There's a 165 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: there is a full fledged nonprofit program here that starts 166 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 2: with running, but it's running as the tool and the 167 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 2: vehicle and the impetus. I had no interest in creating 168 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: running clubs within homeless shelters. I wanted to use running 169 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 2: as an impetus to create self sufficiency within people who 170 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 2: are experiencing homelessness so that they could change their life. 171 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, but that's not a job. 172 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 3: Well I saw it as one. 173 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: No, I get it, but that's not a job. 174 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 2: Yeah yet, So when I started to think about this 175 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 2: is what I'm going to raise money, and I had 176 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,959 Speaker 2: worked in nonprofits my whole life, right, I'm like, I'm 177 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 2: going to raise money. I'm going to get a five 178 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:36,839 Speaker 2: O one C three, I'm going to get a board 179 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 2: and the goal of this program is to show that 180 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 2: we can take people living in shelters, start with running 181 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 2: and move them out through this program. And we're going 182 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 2: to have job training, employment partners. Like I had this 183 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 2: whole vision. 184 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: You know, I'm hearing it and twenty six year old 185 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: girl worked hard, graduated early, run around through Philly, helping 186 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: non guy. It's beautiful. I mean, it's beautiful, but I 187 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: mean it's a nice story. 188 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 2: But I mean, and there's novelty to it that everybody 189 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 2: I thought was going to wear off. 190 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: Well that's what I'm saying. I mean, whatever, how many 191 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: people are going to run with homeless folks? And how 192 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: are you going to make it all the I mean, 193 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 1: I love your dreams, but it almost sounds to me 194 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: like similar to the twelve year old's dreams. I mean 195 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: they're nice and pretty and they got a bow on them, 196 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: but are they really going to happen? And I can't 197 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: help but hear the story and have doubt, Well it 198 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: could ever ye go. 199 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 2: Well everybody had doubt, I mean anybody. So as a 200 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 2: twenty six year old, right, what do you do you 201 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:46,719 Speaker 2: look around for the adults in the room when you 202 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 2: look for their blessing, and I was looking for one adult. 203 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: To tell you got none. 204 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 3: Zero At first I got zero. 205 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: Well that's because it's a ludicrous idea and you're just 206 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: kind of an impetuous, immature girl who doesn't. 207 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 3: Know what you say and wants to do. And it 208 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 3: was admirable and people thought it was just so great, 209 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 3: but like, can't you just why do you? 210 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: I guess what I'm trying to do is I'm trying 211 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: to set up the condescending. Isn't that sweet? 212 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 3: Exact? Yeah? Pat on the head, isn't that sweet? Mind you? 213 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 3: I just took a big job at Comcast because I 214 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:17,439 Speaker 3: was so fed up with. 215 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: My which is huge for those who don't know. Comcast 216 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: is massive in Filly. Yeah, it's that's where they're based, 217 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: and it's and I got. 218 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 3: A big figure job stock options. 219 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: That canty six years old, six figure job. 220 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 3: And if there was. 221 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 2: Any part of Anne Mallem that wanted that life that 222 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 2: she said she didn't want anymore, this was the path 223 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 2: to get it. 224 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, I and I took it. 225 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 2: And when I took that job, I had six weeks 226 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 2: off and so I was like, I want six weeks 227 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 2: to get this running club up and going, And in 228 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 2: those six weeks is when I realized this is so 229 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 2: much more than a running club. 230 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: No, you quit Comcast. 231 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 3: I never even made it. 232 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: I never you didn't even go. 233 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 3: I didn't even go. 234 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: And you're looking for adults to support you when you're 235 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: walking away from a six figure job exactly. Nobody's going 236 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: to support that. Well. 237 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, so no one thought it was everybody thought it 238 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,199 Speaker 2: was an admiral idea, But like, why can't. 239 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: I just run I mean close to you. People are 240 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: thinking you've lost your mind. 241 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 2: Yes, and my mom, you know, my mom is just 242 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:08,319 Speaker 2: you know, she's a worry warts. 243 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 3: She's just so worried. How are you going to pay? 244 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 3: You know, what do you mean? 245 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 2: What do you mean? 246 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 3: What do you mean? And my dad, ironically is worried 247 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 3: about my safety, you know, all of these things. 248 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: You mean, the addict who is really, if we're honest, 249 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: the impetus behind your heart from all of this is 250 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: worried about your safety. 251 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, which I think as a dad, right, It's like 252 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 2: I'm in the middle of Philly, this gritty city, running 253 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 2: with men with men who are living in homeless shelters, 254 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 2: Like she can understand the addict part, but he didn't 255 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 2: identify him. 256 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 1: It just speaks to a little bit of self realization 257 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: of your newport. Yes, it's kind of funny. 258 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 2: Yes. And so it was the day before I was 259 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 2: supposed to start my Comcast job, and I'm like, I 260 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 2: got I mean, I was traveling a lot. I had 261 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 2: to go to Vegas, I go all these conferences. I 262 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 2: was supposed to be like smoothing with political you know folks. 263 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 2: I was working in government affairs. 264 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: Oh so you're going to do the lobby side of things. 265 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 2: I was going to, yes, be working which makes sense 266 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 2: with the DC. Yeah, government affairs. And so I I 267 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: picked up the phone and I called who was FAMI 268 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 2: with the boss? 269 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 3: And I was like, you know, was that a deep broth? 270 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:13,079 Speaker 1: Was like I cannot believe I'm doing this. 271 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, And I sat on the floor and I'm 272 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 3: just like, thank you so much for the six weeks. 273 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 2: I have figured out what I'm supposed to do with 274 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 2: my life and I can't take this job. 275 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 3: And they were mortified and just so angry. 276 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: I was about to say, you said mortified, I'd imagine 277 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: they're just pissed. 278 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 2: They were waiting six weeks. And also the interview period 279 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 2: was very lengthy. You know, it took I don't even 280 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 2: tend to. 281 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: Probably passed on some really nice candidates totally totally, and 282 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: then you just ditched them. 283 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, not pleased that. 284 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 2: I mean the point of justice was years later they 285 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 2: became a massive sponsor of back them. 286 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: Back of course. Yeah, we'll be right back. 287 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 2: I went all in, and I you know, I just 288 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 2: sort of some of this stuff you don't realize where 289 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 2: it comes from, but I just I knew what to do. 290 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 3: I knew I needed a website. I knew I. 291 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: Needed you know, which you learned how to do in 292 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: your spare time with the ex master you worked for. 293 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I didn't build this particular website. I had 294 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 2: someone else do it for me. You knew, I knew, 295 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 2: I knew what I wanted. I knew what I needed 296 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 2: it to look like and provide the direction there and Bill, 297 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 2: I just started asking people for money and I got specific. 298 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 2: I was like, Bill, I'm asking for five thousand dollars, 299 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 2: and people got so like they were just they got 300 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 2: behind me. Because like if Anne walked away from that 301 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 2: job to do this, like how do you not support her? 302 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 2: Like she she really wants to help these individuals, and 303 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 2: and then and then the media really kicked up. I 304 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 2: mean national news was like, we want to come down 305 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 2: and do a story. So you've got CNN and CNN, NBC, 306 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 2: AB see national whatever. Exposure and money started kind of 307 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 2: pouring in, and we started expanding the program. We had 308 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 2: so many volunteers, so many people. I started to hire people, 309 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 2: figure out the structure of things, and surrounded myself with 310 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 2: people who are much smarter than I am, and we 311 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 2: just started building, growing, learning, screwing up so much, then 312 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 2: fixing those mistakes, then only to make another whole slew 313 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 2: of mistakes. But I think the important lesson for folks 314 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 2: when they're thinking about doing things, You're never going to 315 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 2: have it all figured out on day one. It's just impossible. 316 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 2: But you have to take the first step or two 317 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: to figure out what step three is even going to 318 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 2: look like. And there's nobody who you admire or respect 319 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 2: for what they've built who didn't have a day one, 320 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 2: who didn't have that moment of like, okay, now what, 321 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 2: And like trusting your resourcefulness, trusting your passion, your truth, 322 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 2: your intuition is like what helps you get to the 323 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 2: next step, and not like not being afraid of not 324 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 2: knowing how it's all going to play out, but just 325 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 2: knowing you're going to figure it out. 326 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 1: So from the nine guys in Philly on Vine. 327 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 3: Street, right, two thousand and seven. 328 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: Two thousand and seven, what is this organization today? 329 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 2: I mean, there's so much to say about that, but 330 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 2: I will say I ran it for six and a 331 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 2: half years. I grew it to six and a half 332 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 2: million dollars annual budget, all privately funded. 333 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: All one private donations. And that's an annual budget. 334 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 3: That's an annual budget. 335 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 2: I didn't want to get the government, you know, like 336 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 2: the same thing, the bureaucratic government, you know how many things. 337 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 2: I was like, we're not doing any of that corporation's individuals. 338 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 2: We created our own events, all of that stuff. And 339 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 2: I grew it to twelve markets around the country with 340 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 2: an incredible team. Yes, twelve cities, and we just build 341 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 2: the infrastructure. 342 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: And like, what can you just tell me what those 343 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: twelve cities are? 344 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, let's se if I can do it. 345 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 2: Philly, Baltimore, DC, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Indy, Atlanta, New York, Austin, 346 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: Los Angeles. 347 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 3: And I'm forgetting one Champ Francisco. 348 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 2: No, I mean that I think they're in San Francisco today, 349 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 2: But I forget the other orders. 350 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:12,119 Speaker 3: The other one, did I say, baltim. 351 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, major metropolitans. Yeah, and not just in the eastern 352 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: sabol yeah, country, yeah exactly. And you you have how many? 353 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: How many homeless people running? 354 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 3: Oh will? 355 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 2: To date, we've helped seventy five hundred people move out 356 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 2: of shelters into independent living and get jobs. So Marriott 357 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 2: is the biggest employer of Back on my Feet. 358 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 3: You know, we knew we had to build job partnerships 359 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 3: and bill what we got. 360 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: What we were able to do is say like we weren't like, oh, 361 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 2: we're a charity, can you hire one of our guys. 362 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 2: It was like, hey, this guy has showed up for 363 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 2: the past six months five point thirty in the morning, 364 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 2: hasn't missed a day, hasn't even been late, has done 365 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 2: everything we've asked of him, drop training, financial literacy, like 366 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 2: this is somebody really good. 367 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: I mean, one of the biggest problems is people being 368 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: absent tardy from work, and you, through your organization can. 369 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 3: Pre revetted them. 370 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: These people have the ability to show up and be 371 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 1: there when they're supposed. 372 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 2: To be yeah, And we told them that. It's like, 373 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 2: as we track all of these stats because what we're 374 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: trying to do is give you opportunity, and if you 375 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: can't show up here, we're not speaking on your behalf 376 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 2: and ruining relationships with our partnerships. 377 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: So when you go to a homeless shelter now and 378 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: you say, hey, do you want to run and the 379 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: pool of people who say yet, yeah, I want to run, 380 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,400 Speaker 1: against the pool of people who actually make it through 381 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: the program and end up having a home and a job. 382 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: What's the uh, what's the rate of. 383 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 2: Success when I was running it and I don't know 384 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:46,719 Speaker 2: exactly where is today because I've been so removed from 385 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: the organization. From a CEO standpoint, it was a forty 386 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 2: six percent, which is actually pretty high. 387 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: Okay, So I read that, so I knew the answer 388 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:57,640 Speaker 1: for asked. 389 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 3: It, Okay, but testing me again, I. 390 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: Love that number, and I'm going to tell you why 391 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: I love that number. So many organizations love to do 392 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: the something in the high eighties ninety thing, and that's 393 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: what they'll claim. And the reason I love this, especially 394 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,639 Speaker 1: for this podcast, is forty six percent is less than half. 395 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: If you get a forty six on a test in school, 396 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: you fail miserably. If you get a if you're if 397 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: you're forty six percent in election, you lose. Forty six 398 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: percent is by most metrics, just a losing number. But 399 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: something I've always said is that in a lot of 400 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: the circumstances, a lot of cases, when you go into 401 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 1: underserved areas and you decide you're going to give of 402 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: yourself and try to make a difference, you have to 403 00:18:56,400 --> 00:19:03,360 Speaker 1: understand that any level of success is a because that 404 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: percentage of forty six percent is zebra. 405 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 2: If you're not there, yep, and exactly that's yeah, And 406 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 2: you need to understand what you're up against, right, And like, listen, 407 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 2: we were never we're not here to eradicate homelessness. This 408 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 2: program's not going to do that, right, So we're we're 409 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 2: dealing with, you know, the individuals who again didn't have 410 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 2: the upbringing that that that I had, right even though 411 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 2: I had some disruption, I had some stability there. 412 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 3: And we always forget to sort of when we look 413 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 3: at adults. 414 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 2: I think we can think that like you've always been 415 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 2: an adult, You forget that that that adult was a 416 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: child and the household that they grew up in and 417 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 2: how most of our childhoods have impacted our adult behavior. 418 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 2: My dad grew up with two addictive parents. Used to 419 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 2: take him to the bar. You have to sit in 420 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 2: North Dakota, sit in the car well. His parents would 421 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 2: be in the bar getting drunk in winter, in winter, 422 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 2: you know. And my dad's dad, they still don't know 423 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 2: if he killed himself or he accidentally shot himself. His 424 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 2: mom died of you know, liver a varian cancer from 425 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:12,159 Speaker 2: smoking in cigarettes and smoking and alcohol. And it's like, 426 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 2: it's no wonder my dad ended up the way that 427 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 2: he did. Right now, it's our responsibility as adults, if 428 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 2: we especially have the resources and what not, to do 429 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 2: the work and try to be better and not make 430 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 2: our past define us in ways that we don't want 431 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 2: it to. But we forget to look back and ask, 432 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 2: like what was your childhood, like what was your upbringing? 433 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 3: Like what did you have or not have? 434 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 2: And to think that that didn't play a massive role 435 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 2: in somebody's state today, it's just ignorant. 436 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 1: And there's no way to your point that running is 437 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: going to cure all of those altments. But if running 438 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 1: can show somebody discipline, commitment, you can't cheat your steps, 439 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:04,160 Speaker 1: and they have inside of them a desire to improve. 440 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: Then you're using tools to give an opportunity to teach 441 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: somebody who maybe has never even experienced utilizing those tools 442 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: in their life, an opportunity to save themselves. And when 443 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:22,880 Speaker 1: you do that, you get a forty six percent success rate, 444 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: which is a failing grade in school, but it's at 445 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 1: forty six percent, it's one hundred percent more than what 446 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: it would have been. And it's important that people that 447 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: hear this podcast, as you know, look, somebody may be 448 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: energized by this idea for their community, and they may not. 449 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: That's okay, and they may be energized by another podcast. 450 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: But the point is something we haven't spoken about enough, 451 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: and I think it's really important because your story really 452 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: illuminates it. Is any success is a huge win because 453 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:07,959 Speaker 1: when you go into the most poverty stricken, most disenfranchised, 454 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 1: most most lost parts of society to try to exact 455 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: some measure change, the failures are probably largely going to 456 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: outweigh the successes. But whatever successes there are are one 457 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: hundred percent better than that they would have been had 458 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,639 Speaker 1: it not been for your efforts. Yeah, so when you 459 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: get forty six percent, you got to feel like a 460 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:27,959 Speaker 1: million bucks. 461 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm super proud of that number. 462 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 2: And and I agree with you. It's like, oh, forty 463 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:34,959 Speaker 2: six percent, and we're like, listen, that's the reality. And 464 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,479 Speaker 2: we know that this is frankly good in this in 465 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 2: this space, and there's no reason for us to be 466 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 2: like how do we get I mean, we always want 467 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 2: to get the number higher, but we're not going to 468 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 2: not share that number. 469 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 3: And you need the context behind it. 470 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 2: And I think Bill, what you said earlier about like 471 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 2: you know, this might not resonate if you're a runner, 472 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 2: but make it applicable. I've had a guy ask me once. 473 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 2: I'm like, and I'd really love to help you know, 474 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 2: underserved communities with music. 475 00:22:57,119 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 3: And I'm like, then go do it. And people think, oh, 476 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 3: I don't I need funding it. I'm like, no, you 477 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 3: don't go find The great question is, well, how do 478 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:04,880 Speaker 3: you do it? Yeah? 479 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 1: Well here's a do it. You walk across the street, 480 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: you walk in the door and say here, hi, I'm 481 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 1: here to help. 482 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 2: Right, and like, find somebody who wants to learn and says, yeah, 483 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 2: I would love to learn how to play guitar or something, 484 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 2: and then again because people are like, oh, well then 485 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 2: what then what? 486 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 3: I'm like, you won't know what until you do it. 487 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 2: You have to do the first step for you to 488 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 2: figure out what the second step is because it's not 489 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 2: what you think it is, and people do. People just 490 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 2: talk themselves out of it so often, oh well I 491 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 2: need finding out what if it doesn't work? And then 492 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 2: this and then that, Yeah, that's not really worth it. 493 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 2: It's just like, if you want to do it, just 494 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 2: go go help somebody and see how it feels and see. 495 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 3: What comes from it. 496 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. And you're not in a white 497 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: house and I don't see a big, tall husband run 498 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: around here in any kids. You know, Are you a success? 499 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 3: Yeah? I really love my life. 500 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 2: And one of the things I've learned through and we 501 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 2: you know, listen, I've had a huge life after back 502 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:11,880 Speaker 2: on my feet. Also, you know, I've got this company 503 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 2: that I've built. I'm starting another company, the blandthraphic work 504 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 2: that I do now. So I have I have learned 505 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 2: to really embrace living life on my own rules and 506 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 2: marching to the beat of my own drum. And I 507 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 2: think that it's actually when I think. 508 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 3: About sort of what my purpose is today. 509 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,199 Speaker 2: That's a big part of one of the buckets that 510 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 2: I'm trying to show and teach people by leading example. 511 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 2: Like I'm forty almost forty two years old. Everybody back 512 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 2: in my high school has either been married, divorce, has kids, 513 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 2: you know, has the house, has these things, and I'm like, 514 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 2: that's just that's not for me. 515 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: Which that's the whole irony of it is to me, right, 516 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: is you've spent the first twenty five or six years 517 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 1: of your life chasing this thing that you thought you 518 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 1: were supposed to be and as much as you've done 519 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: for homeless folks in Philly and now the country, look 520 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: what they taught you. 521 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 2: As you said, I got so much out of that 522 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 2: program and just being an entrepreneur and that being my 523 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 2: first thing and learning like, oh, like I can create 524 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 2: my own rules. I can create the life that I want. 525 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 2: And I mean I've been engaged twice. I called both 526 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 2: of those engagements off. I have really made the decisions 527 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 2: and I have pivoted, leaving back on my feet to 528 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 2: start Solid Core. 529 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: Solid Core is AND's innovative workout studio that's grown to 530 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 1: over eighty five locations in the country. I guess it's 531 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: not much surprised she did that, and her new fitness 532 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: and wellness company is called Ambition. 533 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 2: And then last year I stepped down as CEO from 534 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 2: solid Core to make sure that someone else was coming 535 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 2: in after me and that I was taking care of 536 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 2: my company and not making it about me. Now I'm 537 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:00,400 Speaker 2: starting something out. 538 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: The point is that I'm just trying to make is 539 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: you really do get more out of the effort than 540 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: you give. Almost always, it's almost universal. Everybody I talk 541 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: to has learned more about themselves and been more fulfilled 542 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: by their work than any fulfillment that they've given out. 543 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: And that's kind of the payoff to the hard work. 544 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, And if you know, if you're looking for the 545 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 3: destination to be the payoff, it's really not that exciting. 546 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:30,639 Speaker 3: You have to enjoy. 547 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: It's not worth the trip. 548 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 3: It's not worth the trip. You have to enjoy the 549 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:34,360 Speaker 3: day to day. 550 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 2: People always say the journey, But like the ins and 551 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 2: outs of building and who you're working with, what you're doing, 552 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 2: and it's still like the best part when I hear people, 553 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 2: you know, the guys will someone times reach out to me, 554 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 2: you know, volunteers, people who work at back on my 555 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 2: fet people who take solid core and just like how 556 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 2: much it's meant to their life. 557 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 3: And you ask who I am? Who I am. 558 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 2: And what I feel like my gift to the world 559 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 2: is I love creating and building experiences that make people's 560 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,439 Speaker 2: lives better. And that is what I'm good at. I 561 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 2: get so much out of it, and that's where I 562 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 2: put my addictive entrepreneurial efforts into things that are going 563 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:16,120 Speaker 2: to improve and enhance people's lives. 564 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: How many volunteers? Oh my gosh, do you know the number? 565 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 3: I do not know the number? 566 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 1: Have you ever ballpark? 567 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 3: Thousands? Thousands, thousands a part of Back on my Feet? 568 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 1: Ye, that's the reason I'm asking. I'm going to say 569 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: it is another irony I've learned is when I first 570 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,479 Speaker 1: started coaching football, it was me and another guy, and 571 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:43,640 Speaker 1: seven years later I had nine volunteer assistant coaches and 572 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: twenty volunteer staff cooking food for the team. And one 573 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: day we had like bikers for Jesus show up with 574 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,879 Speaker 1: rakes and like eighty of them showed up with rakes 575 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 1: to fix the field. And the point is hundreds of volunteers, right, 576 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: and what happens is philanthropic efforts somehow become contagious. Yeah, 577 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 1: and the volunteers community can grow. 578 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. 579 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 3: People, I mean people didn't show up back on my 580 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 3: feet hating it. They wanted to be there. 581 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 2: They got to take their love of sport and share 582 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 2: it with somebody else who they know could make their 583 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 2: life better. Like, it doesn't feel like you're donating your time. 584 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: It's it's where you want to be. 585 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:25,679 Speaker 3: It's where you want to be. 586 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: Do you have a guy, a runner guy or gal, 587 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: homeless person that's your favorite story. 588 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 2: I mean the person who I was closest to unfortunately 589 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 2: had a heart attack last year. But his name was Mike, 590 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 2: and Mike and I were so close, like he was 591 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 2: one of just a. 592 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: Great You mentioned Mike and Philly, which the first guys. 593 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,239 Speaker 2: So Mike, Mike and I you know, went through a 594 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 2: lot together. And I know his family, well, I know 595 00:28:57,640 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: his mom. They live in Wilmington. I was there last 596 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 2: summer at a barbecue. Like anyway, Yeah, Mike made it 597 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 2: back to Wilmington with and lived there and had a 598 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 2: new girlfriend and was working in the art community and 599 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 2: really close to his family at home. 600 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, just he became an adjusted adult in society. 601 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 602 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 2: And and Mike was so so creative and so talented 603 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 2: in that community, and like had a really great relationship 604 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 2: with his daughter, like came. 605 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: None of which would have happened had you not looked 606 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: over at twenty six years old and said, I think 607 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna take those homeost people running. 608 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, what does. 609 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: That do for your soul? 610 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 2: I mean it's it's, like I said, it's like fills 611 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: me up so much to know that the things that 612 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 2: I'm putting time and energy out into the world are 613 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 2: enhancing people's lives. So like that's yeah, it's it's amazing. 614 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 2: And Mike has ran two marathons. He ran I should 615 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 2: say two marathons, you know, ran a half marathon not 616 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 2: even six months after the first day of starting this program. 617 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 2: And he was how old was Mike was in his 618 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 2: mid forties at the time. Shape, a lot of a 619 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 2: lot of abuse of his body, drugs and alcohol over 620 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 2: the years, and you know, he just cared about everybody 621 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 2: around him. 622 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 3: He was so wealthy. 623 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: One of the old football sayings is it's not how 624 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: you start us, how you finish. Yeah, of course, right, yeah, 625 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: and Mike he finished, well. 626 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm really glad that we had connected you know, 627 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 2: and I got to see him and his family. 628 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 3: In the last couple of years. Here's to Mike, Here's 629 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 3: to Mike. 630 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks Elliman, and here's to you. What an what 631 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: an amazing story. And and if there's I say it 632 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,960 Speaker 1: every week and I'm in awe of the people that 633 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: I get to talk to. But just normal folks doing 634 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: extraordinary things in their community to make life better for 635 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 1: someone else and then of course themselves as a result. 636 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: And you are absolutely a member of the army of 637 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 1: normal folks. And even though even though later in life 638 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 1: you know, we're not going to get into it here, 639 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 1: but I know your CEO of company and you're starting 640 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 1: another one, and you've had your serial entrepreneur and you've 641 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: had lots of success, and I'm sure we'll continue to 642 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: have lots of success. That wasn't your reality at twenty 643 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: six when you started this. It's just a normal kid 644 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: jogging around, chasing away her own demons, and in doing 645 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: so has helped change the lives of thousands. And I 646 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: think that is a a is an amazing story, and 647 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: I'm in awe of it. And I just appreciate your 648 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: story so much. 649 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 3: Thank you. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to 650 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 3: tell it always. 651 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: And now I'm going to go enjoy the rest of 652 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: the day in New York. 653 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 3: How's that are You're not going to go for a. 654 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: Run, I'm going to run to the I don't know, 655 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 1: I'm not going to say that. Yeah, I'm I'm going 656 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: to run. I'm going to I'm going to run down 657 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: to Little Italy and get some meatballs. 658 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 2: Okay, Well you know what went in New York. Yeah, 659 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 2: you might as well joy out the great food Senior's Yeah. 660 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 1: Great time with you, and thank you, thank you so much, 661 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: and thank you all of you for joining us this 662 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: week to join an Army of normal Folks. Go to 663 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: normal folks dot us and sign up to become a 664 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: member of our movement. And I'd love to hear what 665 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: you're doing in your community. If there's stories you know 666 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,719 Speaker 1: that you think we ought to tell, write me anytime 667 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 1: at Bill at normal folks dot us and we'll tell 668 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: the stories. And if you enjoy this episode, rate it, 669 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:32,280 Speaker 1: review it, share it with friends on social all the 670 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: things that will help grow at Army of Normal Folks. 671 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: I'm Bill Courtney. I'll see you next week.