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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. I personally love a

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Speaker 1: good story about people helping each other, and that's why

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Speaker 1: I am so excited about today's guest. I've actually been

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Speaker 1: watching him on social media for a while now, which

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Speaker 1: seems a little bit creepy now that I'm saying that

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Speaker 1: out loud, But every time I see him post, I think,

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Speaker 1: this guy seems so cool and it's like so exciting

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Speaker 1: to me to watch what he does does to help

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Speaker 1: kids across the country. His name is Rodney Smith, Junior,

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Speaker 1: and he's often called a real life superhero for all

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Speaker 1: of his amazing and generous work in communities in need.

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Speaker 1: Rodney is the founder of Raising Men and Women lawn

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Speaker 1: Care Service, a nonprofit organization helping people in need one

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Speaker 1: lawn at a time. And Rodney, I just want to say,

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Speaker 1: for our listeners who have never heard of this before,

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Speaker 1: I see you post all the time, these kids that

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Speaker 1: are agreeing to mow lawns. But they're all over the country.

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Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. Yeah, So we have about five thousand kids

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Speaker 2: spread of the spread out to the United States of America,

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Speaker 2: moving free loans for the elderly, disabled, single parents, and

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Speaker 2: veterans and it's not just moving. We also include raking,

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Speaker 2: these and snowshoveling. And we also have kids in eight

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Speaker 2: other different countries, so you know, it started here and

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Speaker 2: it's just spreading.

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Speaker 1: I didn't know that you are international. So you are.

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Speaker 1: You were born in Bermuda, Is that right?

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Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am, so I was born and raised in the

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Speaker 2: island of Bermuda. Then I came to the United States

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Speaker 2: when I was about sixteen to ten. Small school upstate

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Speaker 2: in New York for kids with learning disabilities. It's a

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Speaker 2: small school named Maplebrook, and I spent two years there

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Speaker 2: and the best two years of my life. And that's

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Speaker 2: where my journey kind of began.

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Speaker 1: So tell us about how this began. Because you I

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Speaker 1: see you not only not only do I see you

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Speaker 1: posting pictures of children from across the country. You're going

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Speaker 1: across the country regularly and talking to these kids. So

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Speaker 1: what is that like to be able to help encourage

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Speaker 1: kids that maybe haven't had that in their lives before.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's always a good feeling to go visit the kids,

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Speaker 2: especially when they finish. So whenever a kid accepts off

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Speaker 2: fifty yard challenge, they make a sign saying I accept

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Speaker 2: the fifty yard challenge. In return, we send them a

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Speaker 2: white Raising Men or Raising Women's T shirt along with

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Speaker 2: safety glasses and ear protection. And it's like the Karate system.

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Speaker 2: So every ten lawns they mow or shovel driveways they shovel,

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Speaker 2: they got a different colored T shirt orange earns ten

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Speaker 2: green is blue, No. Twenty is green, thirties blue, footy

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Speaker 2: is red, and fifty is black. The ones they mow

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Speaker 2: fifty or shovel fifty driveways, I drive to where they

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Speaker 2: are in the country and I present them a brand

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Speaker 2: new more reed eater and blower. So whenever I get

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Speaker 2: the chance to visit these kids, it's really good because

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Speaker 2: you see them in the pictures when they submit their lawns,

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Speaker 2: but to see them and interact with them and their families,

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Speaker 2: it's really a special feeling because I know when I

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Speaker 2: was younger, I dislike moving lawns, But to see a

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Speaker 2: kid wanting to get out there and make a difference,

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Speaker 2: it's a beautiful thing.

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Speaker 1: So this is kind of a word of mouth thing

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Speaker 1: where people across the country watch what you're doing and

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Speaker 1: probably like me, see you on social media and say, wow,

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Speaker 1: this is amazing and then kids get involved and it's

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Speaker 1: called they're supposed to mow fifty yards. So that's why

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Speaker 1: it's the fifty yard Challenge, right yep.

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Speaker 2: So they're supposed to mow fifty yards and they they

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Speaker 2: can also do raking leaves and snow shoveling and just

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Speaker 2: get out there and give back to the community. So

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Speaker 2: with it being mowing, raking leaves and snow shoveling, that

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Speaker 2: covers all the seasons basically, so it's a year wrong

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Speaker 2: way of giving back to the community. And what we

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Speaker 2: have seen is a lot of kids will go out

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Speaker 2: and they will complete the fifty yard Challenge and they

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Speaker 2: will also start a business on the side, but still

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Speaker 2: mow for those in need for free. So we're in

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Speaker 2: a way creating entrepreneurs in a way.

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Speaker 1: As well, because I saw a TV clip of you

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Speaker 1: giving a couple of kids mowers who had started a business,

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Speaker 1: so that I was wondering about that. So some of

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Speaker 1: the kids are just mowing for neighborhood folks and then

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Speaker 1: they add in those yards that they do for free

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Speaker 1: for people who can't do it. And I know, I

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Speaker 1: mean even in our neighborhood, we have people that are

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Speaker 1: reaching out and saying on like the neighborhood neighborhood Facebook page,

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Speaker 1: does anybody have anybody that can mow my lawn? I

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Speaker 1: can't do it. I mean, it really is something that

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Speaker 1: is so needed across the country.

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Speaker 2: It's definitely needed. And that's the goal is to continue

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Speaker 2: to encourage kids to take part in the fifty Yard

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Speaker 2: Challenge and eventually, you know, start chapters of the organization

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Speaker 2: in different states, and you know, get adults involved so

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Speaker 2: they can help growth organization as well. And what you

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Speaker 2: mentioned about the young men that that I gave lawnmower

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Speaker 2: equipment to that already were starting a business, we have

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Speaker 2: something where people can nominate a kid that's doing good

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Speaker 2: in their community with a lawnmower, and so they don't

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Speaker 2: have to be taking part in our fifty yard Challenge,

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Speaker 2: and we honor them as an honorary member of the

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Speaker 2: fifty Yard Challenge. So if someone even listening to this

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Speaker 2: and they know a kid that's in their community that's

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Speaker 2: doing great things and helping out with the lawnmower in

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Speaker 2: their community, they can nominate that kid as an honorary

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Speaker 2: member of our fifty Yard Challenge, and you know, that

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Speaker 2: kid can receive a brand new more Redia and blower

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Speaker 2: as well. So some of the kids that we have

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Speaker 2: given law Momoer too for the honorary members. It's one

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Speaker 2: kid that was moving for a family next door to him,

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Speaker 2: and that family had a daughter and the daughter was

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Speaker 2: going to cancer treatments far away, and he was taking

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Speaker 2: care of that lawn while that family was away. There

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Speaker 2: was another young man in Louisiana. He was doing some

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Speaker 2: great things with a lawn war So, hey, I went

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Speaker 2: drove down to Louisiana and I gave him a random

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Speaker 2: old Vidia and blower, and you know, I drive mostly everywhere,

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Speaker 2: so you know, I got the chance to see the

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Speaker 2: country and you know, these amazing kids.

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Speaker 1: How do you know, how do you decide what path

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Speaker 1: you're going to go on when you take these nationwide tours.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so for my nationwide tours, I actually started that

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Speaker 2: in twenty seventeen. This whole organization made me find my

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Speaker 2: two purpose in life, and that's helping people. So at

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Speaker 2: the time, I was graduating with a bachelor's and compeedter

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Speaker 2: science and I decided, hey, I need to help people.

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Speaker 2: So I went back to get a master's in social

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Speaker 2: work and doing my first semester of getting my Masters

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Speaker 2: and social work, I was on my lunch break watching

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Speaker 2: this video on Netflix of this guy that ChIL would

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Speaker 2: world on the acts of kindness to others, and that

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Speaker 2: gave me the idea of something called today fifty States

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Speaker 2: fifty Loans, where I'll travel to old fifty states and

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Speaker 2: moved loans for the ler, disabled, single parents, and veterans.

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Speaker 2: You know, it was geared to encouraging kids to sign

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Speaker 2: up for the fifty Yard Challenges as well while I

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Speaker 2: was out nationwide. So I'd done that like for the

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Speaker 2: first two times, and I realized, hey, I could start

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Speaker 2: moving for different causes. And then that's when I started

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Speaker 2: customizing more and mowers for different causes. And then I'll

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Speaker 2: action those law mowers off and today one hundred percent

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Speaker 2: of those proceeds to whatever cause I was moaning for.

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Speaker 2: And today I've raised about nineteen thousand dollars. And some

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Speaker 2: of the causes that I moved for breast cancer and veterans.

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Speaker 2: So let's say I went on a fifty state moving

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Speaker 2: tool for breast cancer. I would go to all fifty

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Speaker 2: states and move for those who have breast cancer, those

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Speaker 2: who have lost of loved one, for to breast cancer.

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Speaker 2: Those who have survived breast cancer moved the lawn. I'll

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Speaker 2: interview them and I would share their story online and

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Speaker 2: I would do that for whatever cause. So I moved

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Speaker 2: for veterans. I went to Old fifty States, and I

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Speaker 2: think veterans for their service. I moved for the police officers.

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Speaker 2: So I customized the lawnmower with a light bar, and

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Speaker 2: I invited police officers to come out and mo with me.

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Speaker 2: And the idea of that was to bridge that gap

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Speaker 2: between officers and communities and so they can have that trust.

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Speaker 2: And after that Fitty state tour, I talked to Touro,

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Speaker 2: one of the largest makers and lawnmower engines, and I

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Speaker 2: told them, hey, I want to make more of these

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Speaker 2: police mowers and donate them to the police departments across

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Speaker 2: the country. So they sent me ten lawnmowers that I

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Speaker 2: customized for different police departments across the country, and they

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Speaker 2: go in their community and they move free loans. And

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Speaker 2: I recently got a new order of lawnmowers in from them,

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Speaker 2: and I'll be making more police morris and donating to

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Speaker 2: more police departments across the country. So I found this

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Speaker 2: unique way of using free loan care and just touching

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Speaker 2: different areas and different causes and bring awareness.

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Speaker 1: You're obviously incredibly smart because people oftentimes think I can

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Speaker 1: do this, but they can't really make it happen. I

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Speaker 1: mean to be able to make this happen. So you

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Speaker 1: do the cops part. You have like separate group that's

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Speaker 1: called Mowing with Cops or something. Right.

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Speaker 2: Well, yeah, so if I, like say the LAPD they

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Speaker 2: wanted a lawnmower, they would just sign up and I'll

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Speaker 2: give them a law more and they just go out

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Speaker 2: and move and do whatever they can do whatever they

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Speaker 2: want in the community. And the other just to excuse me,

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Speaker 2: bring get officers out in the community. And I believe

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Speaker 2: when a kid sees a more and more that lights

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Speaker 2: up like a police car, that would start a conversation.

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Speaker 2: So a kid that normally wouldn't trust a police officer,

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Speaker 2: they may want up to police officer. Hey, that's a

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Speaker 2: cool law more and that's going to start a relationship

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Speaker 2: and that's going to stop building trust. So that's the

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Speaker 2: whole idea between that and then I moved for teachers.

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Speaker 2: One of my fifty state tours with a teachers, so

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Speaker 2: I customized a lawnmower that was in teacher related and

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Speaker 2: that mental figy states that moved for teachers and shared

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Speaker 2: their Amazon whistless because you know a lot of teachers

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Speaker 2: they struggle to get funding for their classroom and I

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Speaker 2: don't think that's right. So you just bringing awareness to that,

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Speaker 2: police officers who else autism and done a fifty state

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Speaker 2: tour for autism. I don't know a tool for childhood cancer.

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Speaker 2: Some of my fifty state tools. Next year I want

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Speaker 2: to do one for adopt on chops or like humane societies.

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Speaker 2: I want to do one for the Special Olympics. So

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Speaker 2: it's so many different causes I can move for and

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Speaker 2: just bring awareness.

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Speaker 1: Well, as a breast cancer survivor myself, I say thank

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Speaker 1: you for doing that. I appreciate that and I think

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Speaker 1: it means so much to people who have gone through

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Speaker 1: anything like this. But I know there are a lot

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Speaker 1: of families out there right now that feel like they

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Speaker 1: need theirs, their child to have something that they can own.

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Speaker 1: There's like there's a pride in ownership and there is

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Speaker 1: a there. It sparks something when you do something like this.

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Speaker 1: So how do you when you find these kids and

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Speaker 1: they want to get involved do you keep in touch

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Speaker 1: with them? Is there a mentorship that goes on there?

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Speaker 1: How does that work?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so working on in the mentorship of the organization

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Speaker 2: because right now it's basically just myself running the organization.

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Speaker 2: So I'm trying to hire a staff just throw the

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Speaker 2: organization because you know, I can't do everything by myself.

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Speaker 2: So yeah, so twenty twenty four going forward, you know,

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Speaker 2: I would like to know, build a team and have

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Speaker 2: them reach out to the kids that finish and encourage

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Speaker 2: kids that don't that are struggling to finish the fitty

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Speaker 2: our challenge find different ways to get them to finish.

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Speaker 2: And one of the ways I've come up with recently,

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Speaker 2: starting this year, we started suddenly called More of the Month.

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Speaker 2: So every month for this year, there was a kid

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Speaker 2: selected as the More of the Months and they will

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Speaker 2: receive a plaque that will receive a special More of

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Speaker 2: the Month T shirt, a backpack with Raising Men or

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Speaker 2: Raising Women logoing it along with school supplies, and we

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Speaker 2: also give them a brand new laptop. So each each

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Speaker 2: month so far we have given away these More of

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Speaker 2: the Months just a way of getting kids more active,

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Speaker 2: and I've come up with different ideas like the Boy Scouts,

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Speaker 2: Girls Scouts, they give away badges for different areas and

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Speaker 2: different ways. So I came up with that way of

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Speaker 2: you know, since we were your shirts, it will be different

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Speaker 2: T shirts kids can earn like good grade T shirts

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Speaker 2: doing the chos Wow, helping other ways. So just unique

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Speaker 2: ways of getting kids involved. In twenty twenty four, we

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Speaker 2: will be starting a scholarship fund for kids that take

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Speaker 2: on the organization and probably in the last two years

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Speaker 2: of high school they can apply for a scholarship. So

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Speaker 2: just you're looking for unique ways to get more and

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Speaker 2: more kids involved. And I also like to get more

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Speaker 2: school systems involved in the program as well.

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Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on

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Speaker 1: a Tutor Dixon podcast. And you've done this all by

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Speaker 1: raising money. Just you are raising money from individuals who say, hey,

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Speaker 1: I love what you're doing. And then Toro is obviously

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Speaker 1: they're donating these lawnmowers.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so everything's just by people generous people wrong the

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Speaker 2: United States of America that make this happen. We have

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Speaker 2: an Amazon whist list where people can go and purchase

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Speaker 2: these mommars, readas and blowers to safety goggles and they

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Speaker 2: will donate them to us and we give them to kids.

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Speaker 2: So whenever they sign up, they get brand new T shirts,

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Speaker 2: brand new ear plugs, and safety glasses, which is important.

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Speaker 2: We recently done a safety video. I had to get

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Speaker 2: that done because you know, safety comes first. But everything

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Speaker 2: is funded by good people around America. We don't get

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Speaker 2: any big grants or anything like that yet, but hopefully

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Speaker 2: in the future we can get some of those.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it sounds so amazing. I was talking to a

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Speaker 1: family a couple of weeks ago who started an organization

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Speaker 1: for teens. They're just starting it up, and it's kind

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Speaker 1: of a here's some guidelines for getting through anxiety. And

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Speaker 1: I know that coming through COVID, a lot of a

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Speaker 1: lot of teenagers felt like it was really hard to

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Speaker 1: be out of school then come back and everybody was

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Speaker 1: very anxious about not only the virus but coming back

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Speaker 1: to school and all of these different factors that are

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Speaker 1: way different than what I grew up with. And so

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Speaker 1: I think that we have to be aware that our

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Speaker 1: kids are facing totally different challenges than we faced as

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Speaker 1: young people. I imagine that what you're doing is helping

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Speaker 1: refocus and kind of bring back that personal ownership and

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Speaker 1: personal responsibility. Do you have any stories from kids who

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Speaker 1: were feeling like they were off track, feeling like they

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Speaker 1: couldn't kind of balance this foundation for them that made

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Speaker 1: them take off.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so there's been quite a few stories, but one

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Speaker 2: in particular was this kid named Wesley in Michigan. I

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Speaker 2: remember his mom telling me when he signed up, he

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Speaker 2: was a shy, quiet kid, kept to himself. And this

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Speaker 2: was before COVID, but you know, he signed up, kept

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Speaker 2: to himself, you know, never really hadn't much friends, didn't

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Speaker 2: feel like he had a purpose. But he started the

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Speaker 2: fifty yard Challenge and you know, he started opening up.

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Speaker 2: He started going to who he's supposed to become. And

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Speaker 2: one of the some of the people that he moved

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Speaker 2: for were a lot of veterans in his area. And

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Speaker 2: I remember his mom telling me that he would go

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Speaker 2: move the lawns and he would get the chance to

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Speaker 2: sit down with them, and you know, they would share

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Speaker 2: firsthand stories of what it was like being over there

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Speaker 2: in Vietnam and World War two and stuff like that,

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Speaker 2: and you really, you know, build a relationship with these

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Speaker 2: veterans and even other people that he was mooing for,

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Speaker 2: and sadly, some of the veterans would pass away, but

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Speaker 2: it really affected him. Man, you know, but hearing stories

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Speaker 2: like that and Wesley starting off as a shy, quiet

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Speaker 2: kid but opening up and becoming more expressive. You know,

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Speaker 2: We're hearing a lot of stories like that, and that's

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Speaker 2: from across the country, so a lot of kids are

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Speaker 2: just getting out there and wanting to do it and

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Speaker 2: taking that initiative.

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Speaker 1: That's something that I think is really important today is

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Speaker 1: getting kids out And this is what I like about

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Speaker 1: this is no matter where you are, you can do

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Speaker 1: this year round, because as I've seen your posts, I've

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Speaker 1: been like, oh gosh, you know, I'm in Michigan, and

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Speaker 1: in Michigan usually at this time of year there's a

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Speaker 1: lot of snow on the ground. And that's what I

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Speaker 1: kind of love that you can be. You can be

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Speaker 1: raking leaves, you can be shoveling driveways. And I think

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Speaker 1: it's incredibly important at this moment because as parents right

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Speaker 1: now were saying, how do we get our kids out

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Speaker 1: of the house, there's so much opportunity to not do anything.

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Speaker 1: And this is not only getting them out of the house,

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Speaker 1: but it's also getting them active. And I think activity

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Speaker 1: does a lot to boost your self esteem, to boost

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Speaker 1: your energy, and to make you more confident. That idea

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Speaker 1: of doing this is just it's just so incredible, and

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Speaker 1: I want The reason I wanted to have you on

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Speaker 1: is because I wanted people to hear that there is

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Speaker 1: someone out there who said I can do this and

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Speaker 1: I can get other kids involved. But how did this?

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Speaker 1: How did this? How are you raised that this is

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Speaker 1: how you decided to do this? Because obviously you came here,

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Speaker 1: you overcame some challenges, you have two degrees, you could

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Speaker 1: do anything. What made you decide to dedicate your life

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Speaker 1: to this?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So it's a unique story and I give old

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Speaker 2: glory to God because when I first I came here

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Speaker 2: for boarding school and I finished here and I wanted

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Speaker 2: to do something with computers. So I went to Footlauderdale, Florida,

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Speaker 2: to the ten Itt Tech and I was there for

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Speaker 2: about six months. And during those six months I had

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Speaker 2: a hard time adjusting. I was going from a small

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Speaker 2: school of about one hundred kids to an apartment by myself,

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Speaker 2: and I'll have to walk to school. And this was

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Speaker 2: not like a regular college, which is like I T

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Speaker 2: T Tech. You know, people have day jobs and school

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Speaker 2: they're out the scho the evening and stuff like that.

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Speaker 2: And I had a hard time adjusting. And I just

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Speaker 2: remember one night just praying to God asking him to

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Speaker 2: use me as a vessel. And after you know, praying

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Speaker 2: to God, I had a sensor relief, and you know,

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Speaker 2: I eventually, I think probably I ended up going back

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Speaker 2: home to Bermuda. And then once I landed in Bermuda,

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Speaker 2: my dad was like, look, you need to go to Huntsville, Alabama.

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Speaker 2: You have your sister. I have a sister who's American,

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Speaker 2: and my grandma and aunt were living here in Huntsville, Alabama.

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Speaker 2: He said, look, you need to go back out and

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Speaker 2: do skeet a degree. And so I went to Huntsville.

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Speaker 2: I came to hunts here in Huntsville, Alabama, and I

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Speaker 2: attended a technical college called j After a technical college,

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Speaker 2: and I, you know, I really liked it. I like

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Speaker 2: being here. And then I went across the street to

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Speaker 2: Alabama A and M University of four year of college

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Speaker 2: and I was my senior year and I was leaving

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Speaker 2: school one day and I came across this elderly man

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Speaker 2: outside moving his lawn and for some strange reason, something

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Speaker 2: told me pull over. Just pull over and help this gentleman.

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Speaker 1: Some strange reason.

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Speaker 2: Huh. Yeah, I pulled over and I helped this gentleman.

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Speaker 2: And it took me way back when I was in

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Speaker 2: the fall out of the floor that you asked God

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Speaker 2: to use you as a vessel. He didn't give me

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Speaker 2: an answer that day, not a month later, or not

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Speaker 2: even a year later. It happened a few years later.

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Speaker 2: At this point in time, I was in my senior

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Speaker 2: year of college at Alabama and University. And yeah, and

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Speaker 2: ever since that movement, I've been moving free loan. So

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Speaker 2: I asked God to use me as his vessel, and

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Speaker 2: this is the path he has led me on. So

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Speaker 2: I no longer do anything with computers, and so I

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Speaker 2: moved lawns all the time. Now I got a chance

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Speaker 2: to make up every morning and do what I love.

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Speaker 1: That's what I mean. That is so beautiful. And I

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Speaker 1: saw you quoted in saying, look, if you can do

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Speaker 1: what you love every day, it's not work. This is great.

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Speaker 1: And I'm like, that's amazing.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the famous quote. I forget who says it?

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Speaker 2: When you what's that? When you do what you love,

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Speaker 2: you never work a day in your life.

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Speaker 1: Right, So and you do this. I think the important

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Speaker 1: thing to say is that you have over a half

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Speaker 1: a million supporters worldwide. This is not a little movement.

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Speaker 1: How did it start? How did you grow this? Oh?

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Speaker 2: Everything's through social media. I'm surprised how it has grown.

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Speaker 2: You know what, everything's on social media just word of mouth,

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Speaker 2: people share posts. I think one post that went viral

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Speaker 2: in twenty sixteen has like four million likes on Facebook.

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Speaker 2: Excuse me, and that just google me. Once covid hit

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Speaker 2: for covid, we had about thousand kids. So but once

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Speaker 2: covid hit kids with whom from school and it's been

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Speaker 2: s a big increase. The website even shut down during

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Speaker 2: that time because kids were whom from school and parents

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Speaker 2: wanted them to do something safe and go out into

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Speaker 2: the community. So we saw a big increase of kids

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Speaker 2: signing up. But just growing from the internet, social media,

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Speaker 2: it's been a huge part.

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Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on

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Speaker 1: the Tutor Dixon podcast. That's funny when you follow what

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Speaker 1: God tells you, it just grows, right, it just organically grows.

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Speaker 1: I mean, so many people I love this story because

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Speaker 1: I always just asked recently, what do. I say to

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Speaker 1: my students who come to me and I asked them,

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Speaker 1: what do you want to be when you grow up?

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Speaker 1: And their responses, I want to be famous. And I

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Speaker 1: think that people see folks like you and they think, oh,

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Speaker 1: that's what famous is. But really, this is what it

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Speaker 1: is to be following God's lead and you've been able

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Speaker 1: to it's not I mean, the thing I love about you,

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Speaker 1: it's not about you. That's You've made it about all

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Speaker 1: of these young people. So what other countries are you

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Speaker 1: in that you're doing this in because I've seen this

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Speaker 1: in the United States, but you being in other countries?

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Speaker 1: How did that happen?

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Speaker 2: You're just word of mouth. There's kids in Canada, kid

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Speaker 2: in Bermuda, England, Australia, Germany, Japan, Sweden, one more place,

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Speaker 2: South Africa.

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Speaker 1: Wow, that is amazing.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, just word of mouth. I think some of the

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Speaker 2: kids that they are United States citizens but and the

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Speaker 2: parents are in the military. But yeah, they're just just

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Speaker 2: spread spread just word of mouth and people see it

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Speaker 2: online and that's how the world gets wrong.

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Speaker 1: I love it and that's why I wanted to have

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Speaker 1: you on today because I think it's such a feel

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Speaker 1: good story. Obviously this time of year, everybody loves to

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Speaker 1: hear a feel good story. But I think that we

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Speaker 1: need to hear more about this because the world is

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Speaker 1: so divided right now and this, for you, is really

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Speaker 1: just about love. And that is so heartwarming to see

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Speaker 1: someone who is focused on love and helping and mentorship.

434
00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,880
Speaker 1: And a lot of these kids they need it. I mean,

435
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,200
Speaker 1: they need what you're providing for them. Yeah.

436
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,160
Speaker 2: It keeps them out of trouble too, you know, keeps

437
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,439
Speaker 2: them on a positive path knowing that they're doing something

438
00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,840
Speaker 2: that benefits their community. I hear from parents all the

439
00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,600
Speaker 2: time that some kids light up when, you know, the

440
00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,440
Speaker 2: elderly person who is struggling just says, thank you so much.

441
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:38,800
Speaker 2: It means so much for moving my laan and it

442
00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:40,920
Speaker 2: brightens them, makes them feel good and makes them even

443
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,679
Speaker 2: want to go out and continue even more loans, so,

444
00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:44,080
Speaker 2: you know.

445
00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:48,199
Speaker 1: And it invertently forces them to have a conversation with

446
00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,200
Speaker 1: the older generation, which is kind of a lost art

447
00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,359
Speaker 1: these days. We don't have a lot of kids that

448
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,040
Speaker 1: are sitting down with their elderly neighbor and this is

449
00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:58,399
Speaker 1: forcing that. I love that.

450
00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,919
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know, one of the ladies that I

451
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,239
Speaker 2: moved for miss Gibbs. I probably started moving alone at

452
00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,399
Speaker 2: the start with the organization. I think a year and

453
00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:09,000
Speaker 2: a half ago. She sadly passed away, and I will

454
00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:10,800
Speaker 2: always move her long and she will come out. We

455
00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,439
Speaker 2: sit on a push together. She asked me about my

456
00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:18,880
Speaker 2: family and stuff, and she's like an adopted grandmother. And

457
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,640
Speaker 2: the scholarship fund that we will be starting next year

458
00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,120
Speaker 2: will be in her name, so the Mary Gibbs h

459
00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,399
Speaker 2: Scholarship Fund, And you know, so I'm very excited to

460
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,360
Speaker 2: announce that real soon, I think.

461
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,119
Speaker 1: And that's the beauty for kids that don't have grandparents.

462
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,879
Speaker 1: There are grandparents out there. Family looks different in different ways,

463
00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,399
Speaker 1: and you can find family. And I think that it

464
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,440
Speaker 1: sounds like you've connected a lot of people to an

465
00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,119
Speaker 1: unlikely family that they have become. I want to before

466
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:49,239
Speaker 1: I let you go, You've you've had this journey, this

467
00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:53,399
Speaker 1: nationwide tour seventeen times. What's next?

468
00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:58,400
Speaker 2: Continue to grow an organization, start chapters with organization. I've

469
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,480
Speaker 2: been to Old fifty stage seventeen times. I'm going to

470
00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:03,720
Speaker 2: start a worldwide tour and I'm want to move on

471
00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,040
Speaker 2: each continent and I think doing that, you know, get

472
00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,760
Speaker 2: the world, out across the world about kids signing up

473
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,399
Speaker 2: for the fifty yard Challenge and getting out and making

474
00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,359
Speaker 2: a difference in the community because there is grass everywhere

475
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:16,359
Speaker 2: across the world.

476
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,640
Speaker 1: That's true, that's true. Awesome, So tell us again how

477
00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,640
Speaker 1: people can help you out. Tell us where, because I mean,

478
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 1: you've done it's not just lawns. You're expanding this, Like

479
00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:32,160
Speaker 1: you said, you've done lawns for causes, You've helped out

480
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,120
Speaker 1: with local animal shelters, all kinds of things. I mean,

481
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,240
Speaker 1: you are just a guy who's always there to help.

482
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,119
Speaker 1: So tell our audience where they can find you and

483
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,040
Speaker 1: how they can help you to help others.

484
00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, So the best way to help help the organization

485
00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,040
Speaker 2: is go to a website that we are Raising Men

486
00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,080
Speaker 2: dot com or Raising Men and Women dot com and

487
00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,520
Speaker 2: there's different ways that they can donate. You can also

488
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,879
Speaker 2: share the fifty r Challenge with a kid in your

489
00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,800
Speaker 2: life and encourse them to sign up and make a

490
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,960
Speaker 2: difference one on a time with us. And it's just

491
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,520
Speaker 2: a simple, easy process. You can find that information on

492
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,280
Speaker 2: our website. If you want to contact me directly, you

493
00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,240
Speaker 2: can go to Twitter at i am Rodney Smith. On Instagram,

494
00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:14,040
Speaker 2: it's Rodney Smith Jr. On Facebook. Is the same thing

495
00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:16,879
Speaker 2: Rodney Smith Jr. And our website again is we all

496
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,920
Speaker 2: raisingmen dot com or Raising Men and Women dot com.

497
00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,600
Speaker 1: And I encourage anybody who's listening to follow you on

498
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,639
Speaker 1: all of those pages because it's just like this moment

499
00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,359
Speaker 1: as you're I mean, I guess we call it what

500
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,280
Speaker 1: doom scrolling scrolling through the internet and seeing all these

501
00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,080
Speaker 1: terrible stories year posts, and I'm like, there's good in

502
00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,040
Speaker 1: the world. It's so sweet. You see these kids from

503
00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:41,720
Speaker 1: all over the country and they're all so excited. The

504
00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:43,919
Speaker 1: best part about it is when they hold up their

505
00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:47,320
Speaker 1: little sign, because that's something they make a sign that

506
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,800
Speaker 1: says I've accepted the fifty yard challenge and then you

507
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,479
Speaker 1: post their picture. They're so excited about it, and it's like,

508
00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:56,000
Speaker 1: that's what we want to see out of kids today.

509
00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,200
Speaker 1: We have kids that are bombarded with so many negative messages.

510
00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:00,639
Speaker 1: I love that you do this.

511
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,520
Speaker 2: Thank you, and that's that's I'm glad you brought that

512
00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 2: up because I mentioned different ways to get kids involved.

513
00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,120
Speaker 2: One of the T shirts we want to give kids,

514
00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,640
Speaker 2: as you know, different like the boys culture, girls cultures.

515
00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,199
Speaker 2: If they make a creative sign. So if they make

516
00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,320
Speaker 2: a beautiful sign right off the bat, they can earn

517
00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,680
Speaker 2: a T shirt right away just making a beautiful, creative sign.

518
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,840
Speaker 2: Because there's been a lot of kids that really put

519
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:24,960
Speaker 2: a lot of details and a lot of thought into

520
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:26,680
Speaker 2: their sign. So they do.

521
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,760
Speaker 1: I think that's so cool. I mean, they had I

522
00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:31,639
Speaker 1: love when you post because that's the best part is

523
00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:33,800
Speaker 1: that they're so excited about it. You can see the

524
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:35,560
Speaker 1: creativity and their signs.

525
00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,159
Speaker 2: It's awesome, real colorful and some you know, wow, I

526
00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,040
Speaker 2: was like wow, with some thought into that one.

527
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,040
Speaker 1: And they did they do? Yeah, well, I hey, listen,

528
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,879
Speaker 1: we are excited about what you're doing. Anyway we can support.

529
00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,840
Speaker 1: We are there. I'm encouraging our audience to go out

530
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,280
Speaker 1: and check out your website, make sure they support follow

531
00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,439
Speaker 1: you on social media. Rodney Smith Junior, thank you so

532
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:57,280
Speaker 1: much for coming on.

533
00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,119
Speaker 2: Today, Thank you so much for having me, and thank

534
00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:00,560
Speaker 2: you all.

535
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,720
Speaker 1: For joining us on the Tutor Dixon Podcast. For this

536
00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,959
Speaker 1: episode and others, go to tutordisonpodcast dot com. You can

537
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,600
Speaker 1: subscribe right there, or head over to the iHeartRadio app,

538
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and join

539
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,480
Speaker 1: us next time. On the Tutor Dixon Podcast, Have a

540
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,080
Speaker 1: blessed day,