1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: People want to do the right thing. I think most 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: businesses want to do the right thing. It's about how 3 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: easy can you make it for them to do it. 4 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: So a lot of it is just like, this is 5 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: who we are, these are your goals. I remember the 6 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: first couple of customers that I got for Gooder. I 7 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: literally would go on their website, look at their sustainability report, 8 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: look at their sustainability goals, and then say like, listen, 9 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: you're wasting a lot of food. Let me introduce you 10 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: to Gooder and this is what we do. And you 11 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: have a on your website it says you want to 12 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: cut food waste in half by twenty twenty five. Like 13 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: what you do, what you do on how you got started. 14 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: So a lot of times it was like finding kind 15 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: of the what's in it for them? So a lot 16 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: of in business school, they'll call it the with them, 17 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: what's in it for me? That's how you're selling, right, 18 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: So what was in it for a lot of these 19 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: companies is I was helping them reach these goals that 20 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: they had set for themselves. 21 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of butter Nomics. I'm 22 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: your host. Brandon Butler found in CEO of butter atl 23 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 2: And we are here with a special guest today, a 24 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: very special guest, Yes, because she's out here doing big 25 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 2: work in these streets, not just in Atlanta, but all 26 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 2: over the place. The one, the only Missus, Jasmine Crow. 27 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 2: How are you doing, Jazz? 28 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: I'm doing, Brandy. How are you doing? It? 29 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 2: Falls to me better? I'd be you. 30 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: Oh wow, he'd be Gooder'd be. 31 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 2: Gooder thinking a perfect transition. So, Jasmine is the CEO 32 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 2: and founder of Gooder. They do amazing stuff around Atlanta, 33 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 2: really all over the country around food and security. For 34 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: those that don't know Jasmine, just tell them a little 35 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 2: bit about what Gooder is. 36 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: It's so perfect. Gooder is a sustainable waste management and 37 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: food logistics company. We believe that hunger is not an 38 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: issue of scarcity. There's more than enough food out here. 39 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: It's really a matter of logistics. It's how do we 40 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: get this excess food to people in need, and then 41 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: how do we get food access to more people. So 42 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: we have started in Atlanta in twenty seventeen, which is 43 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: crazy to think about, with just this goal that we 44 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: could feed a million people. That was my original goal. 45 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: Now we're marching towards forty million. I feel really good 46 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: about the meals that we've provided, the pounds of food 47 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: we've kept out of landfill. And at the end end 48 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: of the day, we're trying to create a better world 49 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: in a better environment for you and I, but also 50 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: our kids. Can we breathe better? Can we make sure 51 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: that all of our neighbors are eating now? 52 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 2: I go to a lot of events jazz. You know, 53 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 2: I'm a micro influencer what they call it. 54 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: Oh, you're a big, big time influencer. 55 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 2: But I go to a lot of events. I see 56 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 2: a lot of stuff, and I'm sure you're going to 57 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: stuff too, Like, how did you get this idea? Because 58 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: you see this food that's you know, that's not being used, 59 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 2: Like how did the idea of helping people with this 60 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 2: excess food from you know, businesses and restaurants and events 61 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 2: come about? 62 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: You know, you're right, we all see it. So I 63 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: was feeding people through an initiative called Sunday Soul atl 64 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: I started it in twenty thirteen when I first moved here. 65 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 1: My sister was going to Spelman College. My dad knew 66 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: nobody in Atlanta was just like, oh, you got to 67 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: go there to like so she can have someone, and 68 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: it felt right to me. So I moved to Atlanta 69 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: from Phoenix, Arizona, believe it or not, and I saw 70 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: downtown Peachtram Pine at the time, just hundreds of people 71 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: experiencing homelessness, and something just moved me to want to 72 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: start cooking for them. So I created this pop up 73 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: restaurant series. A video goes viral on Facebook. I wake 74 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: up one morning millions of views, all these comments, and 75 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: as I was reading through on one of the things 76 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: people kept asking me is who donated the food, And 77 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: the truth was nobody. I was keep on in price matching, 78 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: cooking all this food myself, going to three and four 79 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: different places, and so I started researching food donations, truly 80 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: believing I was going to go to Google and get 81 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: a list of all the businesses that donate food that 82 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: would allow me to feed more people on the streets. 83 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: And instead I found out about food waste. And I 84 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: started to think, just like you, all the times I 85 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: had seen food waste, I'd gone to the gala and 86 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: there's three and four empty tables and they all are 87 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: already have a salad plate on them, right, And I 88 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: started thinking, there's just a lot of food going to 89 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: waste that could be going to people in need. And 90 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: so it was doing the work and then seeing in 91 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: the back end so much going to waste that could 92 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: be helping me do better. 93 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 2: Now, No, how does that work? Because when I don't 94 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 2: want people to get this, you know, misunderstood when you 95 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: say food waste, right, like these are real meals, excellent 96 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 2: excess food, But how does that work? Or you you know, 97 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 2: like for example, the gale of the event is over 98 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: what happens to that extra food that hasn't been used. 99 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: So there's going to be one or two things right now, 100 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: it's traditionally probably going into waste, and that means it 101 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: goes into landfill, it produces harmful me thin gas, it's 102 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: making all of our air worse and it's polluting us. 103 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: Or it could be composted, which Gooder handles as well, 104 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: so we can help them compost it, turn it into soil, 105 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: make the food that we grow better and fresher, and 106 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: keep it out of landfill. Or if it's never hit 107 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: someone's plate, like it's never been at a seat, which 108 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: is what happens a lot at these events. It's in 109 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: the hot box, it's backstage, it's still in a pan, 110 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: then that food could be transferred good or provides all 111 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: the packaging materials, the labels, the easy access to technology 112 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: they request to pick up, We get the food picked up, 113 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 1: and then we'll take it and donate it to a 114 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: local nonprofit in the city where that event is taking place. 115 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, so y'all have done that. You've started off 116 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: one to feed a million people, now you're at forty 117 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 2: million plus. Like, when you were doing this, did you 118 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 2: think there was a business opportunity behind it or just 119 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 2: want to do the right thing. 120 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: When I was feeding people on the streets, it wasn't 121 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: about business. It was really just about service and you know, 122 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: wanting to create a legacy of doing something good and 123 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: caring about people. And I just believe people deserve to 124 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,559 Speaker 1: be fed with more dignity. It wasn't about just giving 125 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: someone a sandwich and saying you're homeless, be grateful. But 126 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: when I was thinking about this, this idea, it was 127 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: a business case. And the reason why is because I 128 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 1: started looking into the waste industry, which is, you know, 129 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: a trillion dollar industry if you think about it from 130 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: a global perspective, and the reality was people were already 131 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 1: paying to throw the food away. So business is already paying. 132 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: If they're not going to pay good or to come 133 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: and divert it from landfill and get it to people 134 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: in need, they're going to pay Republic Services, waste management, 135 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: the city to throw it away. And then it creates 136 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: that vicious cycle that I talked about. So when I 137 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: saw that there was already money being spent, I saw 138 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: that there was an opportunity to create a business that 139 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: had a better outcome. 140 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, so what was it like in the beginning. Then 141 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: you start doing this, You're calling people up. They think 142 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 2: you were crazy. Where They're like, you know what, this 143 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 2: is a great idea. Like what happens, Hey, I want 144 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: your extra food. Don't throw it away. I want to 145 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 2: come get it. 146 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: Like people thought I was crazy. My parents thought I 147 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: was crazy. I mean, my dad hates when I tell 148 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 1: this story, but he used to send me jobs and 149 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: you know, you got to find something else. Like they 150 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 1: just really didn't think it could be and so and 151 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: companies thought I was crazy too. But what I did 152 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: is I went everywhere everywhere in Atlanta. I remember having 153 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: a meeting at like Mary Max one day, getting some 154 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: soul food and then I was at my Giano's like 155 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 1: three or four days later, asked them, what do you 156 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: guys do with your excess food? Everyone's telling me the 157 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: same thing, or we throw it away, we throw it away. 158 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: It all gets thrown in the trash can. So I'm 159 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,799 Speaker 1: thinking there's a lot of food here. So for certain 160 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: people thought I was crazy. But what I realized is 161 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: I had to solve for a lot of their fears. 162 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: And so people were like, oh, we never donated because 163 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,239 Speaker 1: if someone gets sick, we could get sued. And I thought, well, okay, 164 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: well what if you you don't donate it, then right, 165 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: you're giving it to Gooder and we'll provide all the 166 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: packaging materials, all the labels, just like a waste company 167 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: gives you a trash spin and we're going to provide 168 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: the logistics. We're going to come and pick it up, 169 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: and we're going to deliver it for you, and then 170 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: we're going to give you back all the data around 171 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: what's getting donated, who is it going to, how many 172 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: meals are you providing, how many pounds are you keeping 173 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: out a landfill, what that means for your carbon footprint, 174 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: And we'll have insurance and we'll make sure that it 175 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: gets there safely and fast, and so you just you 176 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: start building on like what is that solution? What are 177 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: they afraid of? What can I solve for? And at 178 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: the end of the day, the outcome was always great. 179 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: And I started Gooder fully believing that if I could 180 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: even just get to that one million. I remember I 181 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: was back in my being Mary Jane days. I had 182 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: like little post its all over my window, and I 183 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: remember having a post it that said, like, you know, Gooder, 184 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: We'll feed two million people and be worth two million dollars. 185 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: Just that was my vision back in twenty seventeen. If 186 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: I could just do that, and to have surpassed that 187 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: many times over as really an extraordinary win, right, And 188 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: I'm really proud of that because if Gooder doesn't survive 189 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: another day, I can always think of, like, we I 190 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: hit the goal many times over to help a lot 191 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: of people. 192 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 2: How different is it from your original kind of vision 193 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 2: of what you thought good Or was going to be 194 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: back when you you wanted, you know, two million and 195 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 2: a million people and two million dollars? Like now, like 196 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: how different is the business now versus what you kind 197 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 2: of originally thought. 198 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: It's way different. I mean at first, we were only 199 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: doing the food waste business, like the taking the excess food. 200 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: When the pandemic hit, all the businesses that we were 201 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: getting food from essentially closed their doors. We were super 202 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: busy the first two weeks of the pandemic and Atlanta alone, 203 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: Coca Cola and cr the NASCAR Stadium, State Farm Arena, 204 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: you know, getting all this excess food, getting it out 205 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: to nonprofits, working with the school districts. And then we 206 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: really kind of had a pivot. We started working on hunger. 207 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 1: So many of our neighbors were struggling with food access. 208 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: That what started as a tweet with me saying, listen, 209 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 1: if you guys want to send and donate money, I'm 210 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: starting to go fund me to deliver boxes of food 211 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: to families, and I raised i would say, in the 212 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: first couple of weeks from people like Sarah Blakeley and 213 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: Spanx and Pe and Coach k at Quality Control Music, 214 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: each of them putting up one hundred thousand dollars just 215 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: those two alone, just to go out for me to 216 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: go out and feed people. It created this opportunity for 217 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:19,599 Speaker 1: me to make sure I was getting people quality items 218 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: to their door. Because the thing about it is brand 219 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: is so many people don't know what it's like on 220 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,319 Speaker 1: the other side, and anyone who's in business should really 221 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: know that. Like so on the other side of my business, 222 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: there's of course the companies that I'm helping, but the 223 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: people that are getting served for a long time, that 224 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: cycle that they live in. If your food insecure is crazy. 225 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: You're going to this church on Monday. You go here 226 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: to try and get food. You're really trying to marry 227 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: meals together, just to make it. And I wanted to 228 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: every time someone came into contact with good or they 229 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: had good food, that was going to give them a 230 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: couple of days worth of food, like it can they 231 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: get through for a week? And so it changed into 232 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: now food waste and hunger and all with the same goal. 233 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: The mission changed. The mission was always to feed more 234 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,680 Speaker 1: on wasteless, on the feed more. I just took on 235 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: a bigger angle on hunger and on the wasteless, still 236 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: working on the food waste. 237 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's interesting, you know. I remember growing up my 238 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 2: dad used to volunteer at the food kitchen when he 239 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 2: was in back at our church, and he would take 240 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 2: me with him, especially during the summer, so I would 241 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 2: literally be at you know, our church down here in Atlanta, 242 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,079 Speaker 2: you know, helping you know, stock the shelves and helping 243 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: make food boxes. That was like a very big part 244 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,599 Speaker 2: of my childhood and I kind of saw at firsthand, 245 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: did you ever do anything like that or was this 246 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 2: kind of your first experience when you kind of got 247 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 2: into the gooder? 248 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: Absolutely not all the time. I mean I was doing 249 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: it when I was on the street, feeding people on 250 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: the streets, and then I was working in food banks, 251 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: and that's what really helped me shape how I wanted 252 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: the hunger solution to be different. Is I saw what 253 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: people were receiving that were in line for food banks, 254 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: and you know, your dad was just like me, I'm 255 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: just volunteering at the food kitchen, but I'm giving away 256 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,839 Speaker 1: what's coming in from donations, and I'm not thinking that, 257 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: oh wow, we gave all these people jelly, no peanut butter, 258 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 1: no bread everybody spaghetti noodles that have no process sauce, 259 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: no salad, no breadsticks, no nothing, like where are they 260 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: gonna make meals from? So that experience and volunteering at 261 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: a lot of different food banks and pantries one hundred 262 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: percent helped shake me and it made me want to 263 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: do it differently though. 264 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I saw the same thing. I mean 265 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 2: not you even say that. I even can think back 266 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 2: to that and remember, like, how are people gonna make 267 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 2: meals out of this? Because you give them Yes, it's 268 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 2: like you give them twenty can good Yeah, twenty can goods. 269 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 2: Because I think if you remember correctly, we would do 270 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 2: it based on the size of the family. So you know, 271 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,319 Speaker 2: if they had, you know, two adults and a kid, 272 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 2: it was like, okay, they get this much stuff, or 273 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 2: if they had something else and a lot of the 274 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 2: food too, was donated from food banks. You couldn't always 275 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 2: peak that the quality of some of the stuff. It'd 276 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:39,719 Speaker 2: be sitting back there for you know, however long. 277 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: And then you know what else too? Brand? And what 278 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: do you think about if people are allergic to this stuff? 279 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 2: Right? 280 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: Thing? Like you know, so you never even so with 281 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: good or it's like hey are you vegan? You are you? 282 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: Do you want almond milk? Do you want dairy milk? 283 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 1: Like just people getting asked those simple questions has been 284 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: life changing for them. I mean I've seen people literally 285 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: be like do you have you have almond milk? I need? 286 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: I love on the milk my son and is lactose like. 287 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 1: But when you're in need, no one ever asked you that. 288 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: It's like here, this is what we have. It's what 289 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: we have. 290 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 2: We're gonna take it. You know, I remember too. You 291 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: also mentioned that it also reminds me of when you 292 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 2: did the initiative last year with a Decatur City Schools. Yeah, 293 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 2: and you know, I know Butter kind of learned this 294 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 2: year that was the goodness That time was fine. Yeah, 295 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 2: and I remember, you know, you shared it and Butter 296 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 2: kind of helped amplify it. And I think, what was 297 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,599 Speaker 2: it you raised like over like eighty thousand dollars in 298 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 2: twenty four forty eight hours something like that. But what 299 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 2: was that experience like that made you want to get 300 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 2: involved in that? 301 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: Well? It was crazy because what I read in that 302 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: article and that that's a crazy story too, because you know, 303 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: I raised the money, I gave it back to everybody. 304 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 2: Because Arby's came in. 305 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: What they were going to do is the kids who 306 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 1: had a pass do balance. They were going to get 307 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 1: a cheese sandwich in the milk. And so that was 308 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: shameful to me because you're shaming these kids because everyone 309 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: else if everyone else has a chicken sandwich, you got 310 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: a cheese sandwich. Now it's like, oh, you don't have money, 311 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: your family's poor, you can't afford your food, And I 312 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: thought that that was insane. So it really was like, hey, 313 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: can we raise some money to make sure that we 314 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: pay this balance so that these kids don't have to 315 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 1: suffer this stigma. And so that was really how that started. 316 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 2: So you've built Gooder and started going off as you 317 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:27,839 Speaker 2: actually started turning this into a business, Like how did 318 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 2: you start to kind of like build out and scale 319 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,079 Speaker 2: that team. One of the things that we've talked to 320 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 2: a lot of entrepreneurs on the podcast, and a lot 321 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 2: of them they kind of talk about building that team 322 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 2: is one of the hardest things. But you're also building 323 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 2: a team that also, you know, has a social angle 324 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:41,959 Speaker 2: to it. You know, they want to make sure they're 325 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 2: aligned with you all. Like what's kind of your process 326 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 2: for finding people that you know not only want a job, 327 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 2: but also you know, believe in the mission of Gooder 328 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 2: and you know they can support you all like that. 329 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: I would be honest in saying, like, building the team 330 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: I think has been my biggest challenge. I think, you know, 331 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: because of us having to pivot and what happened in 332 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 1: the pandemic. When good Or first made our first millions, 333 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: we were super small. We were like a team of 334 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: four or five full time people, so it was like 335 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: really small. So then as I've scaled over the year 336 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,679 Speaker 1: up to thirty five full time employees and let's say 337 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: up to eighty to one hundred, you know, people part 338 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: time that work in our fulfillment centers, it's been tough. 339 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: You know, like you you have to hire sometimes so fast. 340 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: But I think the biggest thing is you have to 341 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: fire fast. And I think for me, I always ask 342 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: people like why did this matter to them? That's always 343 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: been part of the interview process. Even at in our 344 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: employee engagement surveys, one hundred percent of the people they 345 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: can say like I don't get paid enough, I don't 346 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: everything else, but one hundred percent will say they believe 347 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: in the mission of what we're trying to do it 348 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: good or I think the biggest thing is like how 349 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: do you keep them motivated on that mission when it's 350 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: hard when you're a startup and you're trying to make 351 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: it happen in some people, how do you as a 352 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: business owner decipher who's there for a paycheck and who's 353 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: there for the purpose, you know, because that matters. Like 354 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: if you ever have to make critical decisions and you 355 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: can only keep a couple of people, it's like you 356 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: want to keep the best people. How do you measure 357 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: people that are doing well? I mean I recently had 358 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: a split with someone at the company who have been 359 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: there for a long time. Minute it came to me 360 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: that it was just like, this isn't working, Like we're 361 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: not the same people that you get to ten million 362 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: with won't always necessarily be the people you get to 363 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: one hundred million with. And that's a tough pill to swallow, 364 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: but you got to be able to continue to look 365 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: at is this working for us, for them? Man for you? 366 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: And do you have the right people in place? Because 367 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: there's always we get so many emails that good are 368 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: like our career is inbox. I mean just people are like, hey, 369 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: I go to your website every week, you guys aren't hiring, 370 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: and I'm like, we're wait. You know, we're trying to 371 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: raise capital. We're going to fundraise, We're going to hire 372 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: more people. So a lot of people will want to 373 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: work with you. A lot of people will want to 374 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: come and work at Better, Right, A lot of people 375 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: will want to come and work at any big company. 376 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: I heart you name it, but you have to make 377 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: sure that it's working, not just their coming to work, 378 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: but it's also working. And so for me that's been 379 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: a challenge. But I've had some amazing and people work 380 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: with us and help build the company. And I'm really 381 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: grateful to everybody that's ever put an effort into good 382 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: or in anyway. 383 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 2: No, I feel that. I mean, yeah, to your point, 384 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 2: you know better, We've had a lot of people because 385 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 2: it's very well known around the city. People reach out 386 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 2: to me all the time, want to kind of work 387 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 2: with us. And you know, there have been times when 388 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 2: I've brought people in and it didn't work out. And 389 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 2: I don't think people always realize, you know, especially when 390 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 2: you're trying to run a business as an entrepreneur, right, Like, 391 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 2: hiring the wrong person can be cost you thousands of dollars. 392 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: Wow, it's it's a big way so money, I think, 393 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: And if you hire like ten wrongs now it's costing 394 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: millions of dollars. I mean, like you really think about 395 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: that sometimes of just like not only from the training 396 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: but then kind of the aftermath, like now you got 397 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: to go whatever customers they were working with, you got 398 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: to transfer people over, you got to just it's really tough. 399 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: So I think a lot of people don't realize that. 400 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: And and most founders that I've talked to beyond funding 401 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: like money, right, that's the number two, like the team 402 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: that there's some kind of struggle or culture. I mean 403 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 1: you see it all the time. You've seen like these 404 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: big expose as that will come out and you're like 405 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 1: thinking that company, like think of Google for exam. I mean, 406 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: there's so many that I could just think of where 407 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: something came out like they were, you know, discriminating against women, 408 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: or there were just things that were happening you just 409 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: as you grow. I think the founders of Google never 410 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: anticipated for that staff and right, but more money, more problems, 411 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: And I would add to that more people, yeah, you know, yeah, 412 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: because then they have their own internal problems. That's the 413 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: whole other conflict thing. So it's the bigger the company, 414 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: I would say, the more complex people get. 415 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean again, I can just think of like 416 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 2: so many examples. Some of the things that I've taught 417 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 2: myself over the years is I kind of have two 418 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: rules that I go by. One is, you can't work 419 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 2: for me until you work for me. And so you know, 420 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 2: I try to give people an opportunity as much as 421 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 2: possible to do a test project or something simple, something 422 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,360 Speaker 2: low risk. Yeah, because people come in all day long 423 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 2: and tell you how good they are, how dedicated they are, 424 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 2: the quality that work. But the only way you can 425 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 2: see how good somebody is to actually see the quality 426 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 2: of their work. So you know, don't you can't work 427 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 2: for me until you work for me. It's kind of 428 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 2: a big thing that I do. The other thing that 429 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 2: I do is I kind of think about people in 430 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 2: like three buckets. I kind of call it you either 431 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 2: a rock star, superstar, or individual contributor. And what I 432 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 2: mean by that is not rock star in the sense 433 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,360 Speaker 2: of like you're amazing. But when I say rock stars, 434 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,679 Speaker 2: like I know that if you join my company, you 435 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 2: have a desire, like every year you're gonna want to 436 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 2: get promoted. Every year you're gonna want to move up, 437 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:28,120 Speaker 2: You're gonna want to you know, a bump, Like it's 438 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,719 Speaker 2: important not just to have the role, but you know 439 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 2: the other things that come with that are very important 440 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 2: to you. The superstars. I'm sorry, that's a rock star. 441 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 2: The rock stars are the solid people. The rockstars people 442 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:39,399 Speaker 2: that you can depend on. You know, they're going to 443 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 2: show up every day, They're going to do the work. 444 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 2: They're not necessarily worry. 445 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: I have a couple of rock stars. 446 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're solid. That's why I call them right. They're 447 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 2: solid you can depend on, and they're not necessarily there 448 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 2: to get your job or to like, you know, run 449 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 2: a major department. Because for a long time in corporate America, 450 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 2: you know, you couldn't get promoted unless you actually manage people. 451 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 2: And so I've tried to separate those two things out 452 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 2: and say there's ways to grow without managing. So that's 453 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 2: the rock star of superstars when I talked about the 454 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 2: first time, where again, I know, if you're a superstar, 455 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 2: you're coming in like you want my job, you know 456 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 2: what I mean. You're coming and you want to move up, 457 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:09,160 Speaker 2: you want a bonus every year, you want to bump, 458 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:10,919 Speaker 2: you want to see that progression. And then you have 459 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,440 Speaker 2: people that are individual contributors. There are people that they 460 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 2: just do what they do. They might not want to 461 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 2: manage a team, but they're they're competent, They show up 462 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 2: every day and they do that. Do you kind of 463 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 2: have any tricks to hire end that you've learned over 464 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 2: the years. 465 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: I definitely, For if you're building a social enterprise, you 466 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: want to have someone that cares about what you're doing. 467 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: I think that's so important. The other thing that I've 468 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 1: really tried to focus on at Gooder and I don't 469 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: know if I've ever got it right, but I always 470 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: really try to focus on culture, like, you know, like 471 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: how can I want it to reward people? Because what 472 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: I realized is that we were all going to be givers. 473 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: Like we're in this business, we're like giving, We're trying 474 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: to help people eat, we're trying to make our environment better. 475 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: And a lot of times givers never received. And so 476 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,399 Speaker 1: what I tried to do is like make things like 477 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: I give all of my team members our full time 478 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: and plays each get two hundred and fifty dollars a 479 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: month as a fringe benefit that they can use for 480 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: like yoga classes, for groceries, for gas, like just thinking 481 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: things of that. We do the first Friday of every month, 482 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: we call it feel Good or Friday, and it's just 483 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: a day where the whole company is off for you 484 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: to kind of get right mentally and just have like 485 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: a mental health day. We have retreats where we go 486 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: on retreats and so, like I've tried to create like 487 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: this culture of appreciation. And you know, sometimes people will 488 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: still say, like, well, I don't want the June benefit. 489 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: You know, they should just give it to me as 490 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: in a salary. And I will say, well, if I 491 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 1: give it to you on your salary, you're going to 492 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 1: get attacked. You're not going to see the three thousand 493 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 1: dollars a year. Then it's maybe eighteen hundred, and now 494 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:39,679 Speaker 1: you know this is something that's coming back to you. 495 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: So I think I've had that effort. The trick is 496 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: to find people that care about the mission, make sure 497 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 1: that they're a culture fit. And that's the biggest and 498 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: it's ducky as it sounds to say. If they're not, 499 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,719 Speaker 1: you gotta fire fast. You should almost hire slow and 500 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: fire fast. For some of the best companies in the world. 501 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: I think I grew went to college in North Carolina. 502 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,719 Speaker 1: There's a company called SAS. SAS. Yeah, it's like a 503 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: math I don't know what they do, like some kind 504 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: of tech company, but no one leaves. It's like one 505 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: of those companies like you get in there golden hand. 506 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: You're saying, oh, yeah, like you're going to stay, and 507 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: it's so hard to get in there. It takes years 508 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: to get in there. I have a friend that right 509 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: now who's been trying to get at the CDC here 510 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. She was like, Oh, if I get at 511 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: the CDC, I'm going to retire from the C set 512 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: because it's kind of one of those it's she loves research. 513 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:29,640 Speaker 1: This is where she wants to be and that's her 514 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: dream job. You want people to want to stay and 515 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 1: just you want to be that company, and you want 516 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 1: to hire people that way, so slow to hire, fast 517 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: to fire if it's not working out. 518 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I mean, you know another point you just 519 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:45,360 Speaker 2: brought up again is they say culture each strategy for breakfast, 520 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 2: and so you can have the best strategy in the world, 521 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:49,479 Speaker 2: but if you don't have a culture inside of your 522 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 2: company that like supports that, it's not going to work. 523 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 2: And so I just want to kind of make that 524 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 2: as a call out to other people that are listening, 525 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 2: because I think a lot of people think when it 526 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 2: comes to running the business, you're just focused on, you know, 527 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 2: the money part. 528 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 1: Of it. 529 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, but the reality is you got to care about 530 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 2: all that stuff. There's so many other things that need 531 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 2: to happen in order for your business to be successful. 532 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:09,360 Speaker 2: Like even me right now, I've had to hire hr 533 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 2: people Like you're just at that point. Now you've got 534 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 2: to have certain things to help you scale the infrastructure 535 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 2: so that you can actually deliver that stuff. And I 536 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 2: don't think you know, people think about that, and you know, 537 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,959 Speaker 2: it pops up all the time. Now, you've all been 538 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 2: doing a lot of amazing work. You work with a 539 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 2: lot of amazing brands. That's all. You had a partnership with, 540 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 2: you know, Mercedes Benz, You've done stuff with Lows, Chick 541 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 2: fil A, Like, how do you all, you know, kind 542 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 2: of approach these partnerships and what's really important when you 543 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,919 Speaker 2: look for organizations like that to partner with, Well, I think. 544 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: We approach them with join us to do something better, 545 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: join us to do gooder, join us to make sure 546 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 1: we're feeding our neighbors. And people want to do the 547 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: right thing. I think most businesses want to do the 548 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: right thing. It's about how easy can you make it 549 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: for them to do it? So a lot of it 550 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 1: is just like this is who we are, this is 551 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: these are your goals. I remember the first couple of 552 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: customers that I got for Gooder. I literally would go 553 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: on their website, look at their sustainability report, look at 554 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: their sustainability goal, and then say like, listen, you're wasting 555 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 1: a lot of food. Let me introduce you to Gooder 556 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: and this is what we do. And you have a 557 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: on your website it says you want to cut food 558 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: waste in half by fifty twenty twenty five. Like what 559 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: you do and how you got started. So a lot 560 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: of times it was like finding kind of the what's 561 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 1: in it for them? So a lot of in business school, 562 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 1: they'll call it the with them, what's in it for me? 563 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 1: That's how you're selling, right, So what was in it 564 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: for a lot of these companies is I was helping 565 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: them reach these goals that they had set for themselves. 566 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: Like you're the one who wants to be carbon negative, 567 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: you want to be you're investing a million dollars a 568 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: day and you know being carbon neutral. I mean these commercials. 569 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: When I started seeing companies like Google and Amazon on 570 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: the Super Bowl talking about climate I was like, okay, people, 571 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: I got to make the correlation of like what food 572 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: waste is doing to our environment and how many of 573 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 1: our neighbors are going hungary. And these are all sustainable 574 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: development goals that we have for twenty thirty We're only 575 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 1: eleven percent of the way there. That's crazy to think. 576 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: If you think of the United Nation sustainable development goals 577 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,919 Speaker 1: of twenty thirty, which zero hunger, zero waste, all of 578 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 1: these are part of women's equality, whatever you want to 579 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: think of, renewable energy, all of these are goals. We're 580 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: only eleven percent there. H and we got five years 581 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: to get there. 582 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 2: Y'all need to do some work. 583 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 1: So a lot of people in the world. We need 584 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: to do work the entire world. Like food waste if itself, 585 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: if it was a country, would be the third largest 586 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: country in the world. That's a big problem. I still 587 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 1: have companies that will say, oh, we don't have a 588 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: food waste problem. I'm like, yes, you do. You have 589 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,959 Speaker 1: a you know, you have a stadium that feeds one 590 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: hundred thousand people on a Sunday. You know there's food 591 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: that's going to waste. Like just kind of letting people 592 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 1: know that that this problem exists. 593 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 2: Trust me. I was just at the stadium and there 594 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 2: was plenty of food left around. 595 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 1: Tons tons tons. Mercedes says, they do a lot of composting, 596 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: so we'll see. I think they do a good job. 597 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 2: They do a good job. I've been out there. I've 598 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 2: seen some of the stuff they do with the you know, 599 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 2: the farm they have outside. They kind of grow some 600 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 2: of their stuff in the guard and so you know, 601 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:57,360 Speaker 2: people are working on it. 602 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: They're working on it, but it's still a lot. Like 603 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: I mean, no matter what, there's still there's always waste. 604 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: And that's the thing too. When I was first building 605 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: good or people would think I would eventually put myself 606 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 1: out of business, right because if I'm helping businesses reduce 607 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: their waste, if I'm helping them diverted, I'm getting, you know, 608 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: helping them track it that at some point they don't 609 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: waste anything else. But the reality is there's always waste. 610 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: You can never if you have a party tonight, there's 611 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: no guarantee that all one hundred people show up. There's 612 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: just never a guarantee. The airport, you don't know if 613 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: flights are running late, everybody's going past your concession because 614 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: they got to make it to their gate. So now 615 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: all the food that shoot goes to waste. Like there's 616 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: just no guarantees. 617 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 2: Right, and everybody's doing stuff. Yeah, there's tons of people 618 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 2: out here too, so there's always opportunities. 619 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: You know. 620 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 2: I also see the work y'all are doing with you know, 621 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 2: doing these unique things, like you're putting grocery stores in 622 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 2: schools and you all have like a mobile of grocery store. 623 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 2: You know, just when it comes like innovation in general, 624 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,920 Speaker 2: like how do you kind of approach those kind of ideas? 625 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 2: What inspires you when you see those kind of things 626 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 2: and say, you know what, this school needs a grocery store, 627 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 2: Like a mobile food grocery store will be helpful. 628 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: You know what made me want to do the first 629 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: in store grocery store. I have been thinking about building 630 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,959 Speaker 1: a physical grocery store. Really all of twenty twenty, we 631 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: were doing a lot of pop up grocery stores. This 632 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: is heavy during the pandemic, so we're renting tables in 633 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,880 Speaker 1: tents and kind of creating like these in essence pop 634 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: up grocery markets that you could just come to and 635 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: drive through. And I realized that if my saying at 636 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: the company was that hunger wasn't an issue, of scarcity. 637 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,239 Speaker 1: It was a matter of logistics. The reason why more 638 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 1: and more people are going hungry. It was a logistics issue. 639 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: So I started thinking, where can I get people food 640 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: where they're coming every day? And so that's where the 641 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,199 Speaker 1: first school concept came to me. I realized, kids are 642 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: going to get on the school bus, so they're getting 643 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: to school every single day. If I could then get 644 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: food back home to these families of these children on 645 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: the school us, then I have now eliminated this logistics 646 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: problem that families have when they have food access. Plus 647 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: they also can't afford food. And you know, kids are 648 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,479 Speaker 1: measured on how they're performing in school, and if they 649 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,679 Speaker 1: don't eat, then what happens? Like you know, you're not 650 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: yourself when you're hungry, right, Think about that Snickers commercial. 651 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,439 Speaker 1: You're a marketing guy, you probably remember that. When I 652 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: think it was Danny DeVito and Betty Whitewood turn into 653 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 1: each other. How many students have never been themselves? And 654 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: so I had the idea I was pitching it. I 655 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:27,439 Speaker 1: would think at the time, I was pitching it to 656 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 1: the Atlanta Hawks and it just didn't work, and I 657 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: pitched it to Gunna. He wanted to do something for 658 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: back to school. And I was like, I have this idea. 659 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 1: I've always wanted to build a grocery store. And he 660 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:40,719 Speaker 1: was like that, and you know, his management team was like, oh, 661 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: we want to do a drip closet. We're gonna get 662 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: clothes and shoes to go in this store as well. 663 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: And so it became this concept which since then has 664 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: been like over twenty more stores have opened because of 665 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: one person saying, I believe that, you know, I'll give 666 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: you that the concept. I'll take your idea. Like sometimes 667 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: it's just you'll have the idea and you'll have the strategy, 668 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: but do you have the money to ex secured in 669 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 1: And from the time he told me yes, and I 670 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 1: came up with the budget, which I underbudgeted, but it 671 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 1: was my first time doing it. I got it right 672 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: later we had that store open within two weeks. Oh wow, Yeah, 673 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 1: I mean and I mean literally like calling the mayor, 674 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: getting on this phone with the principals, talking to the 675 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: school districts, like it was within two weeks plus building 676 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: out this store. So and then you just kind of 677 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: you replicate the model, you know, you flip it and 678 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: you do it in different schools. I look for Title 679 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: I schools where most students, if not all, students are 680 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 1: getting free breakfast and lunch. I look for schools that 681 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,120 Speaker 1: are in food deserts. We just opened one yesterday as 682 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, extreme food desert. 683 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: It's a military town, lots of people food insecure, and 684 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: that's probably one of our biggest stores. 685 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 2: The other one Stone Mountain, because my parents live out 686 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 2: there and the only thing they got out there is 687 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 2: chicken wings and liquor stores. 688 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 1: I will tell you by the time this comes out, 689 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: we should. I heard yesterday that we were on the 690 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: board kind of approval for the Cab County and so 691 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: thing goes well, we will be in a couple of 692 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: Decab County schools. We're looking right now, I think you're reading. Yeah, well, 693 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: I'm okay, good to know. Yeah, McNair, Cedar Grow, there's 694 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: a couple of them. So there's we're hoping to be 695 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 1: into Caab County. So we're in Fulton County schools, we're 696 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 1: in Cobb, we're in Clayton, and we're in Aps. So 697 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 1: we need to be into Cab like yesterday. 698 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 2: No, when it comes to innovation too, like The ideas 699 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 2: like the mobile grocery store and the you know in 700 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 2: stores are cool, but like, what else do you think 701 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 2: needs exist? As much as you can kind of share 702 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 2: their other ideas, you have to like innovate and put 703 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 2: and make food more accessible. 704 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I have so many. I want to do food 705 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: vending machines in my next lifetime. I want to have 706 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: a pay what you can restaurant where someone can just 707 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: come in and get access to food if they need 708 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 1: it and they can't afford it. Brandon, you maybe are 709 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: paying for someone else's MILLI you don't even know it. 710 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: I am really working on food is medicine now, building 711 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: what I'm calling good or they're going to be called 712 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 1: food care Kids. So I want to be able. We're 713 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: going to build some AI into our new app that 714 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: lets people If you have high blood pressure and you 715 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: come to a Gooder event, I'm going to give you 716 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: all the food to help you with your pre existing 717 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: condition so that you don't go to the hospital, so 718 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: that your blood pressure gets lowered. How can I help 719 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: you help yourself? How can I help more people get 720 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: out of hunger and all that comes with it? Because 721 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: food really is a huge social determinant of health. I 722 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 1: would argue it's the number one. And why I think 723 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: about why a lot of our kids have high blood 724 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 1: pressure as teenagers is because of the sodium. Because they 725 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: are living off of cereal, ramen, noodles and Chinese food 726 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: because that's all that's in their community. So there's so 727 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: many more places. I mean, we have our first grocery 728 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 1: store that we open with this city, which is at 729 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 1: the Hamilton E. Holmes Marta station. It's in a shipping container. 730 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: That is an extraordinary resource to put it at a 731 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: Marta station. Again, the logistics of it. People are coming 732 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: off the bus, they could get over there. I mean, 733 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: to see seniors Brandon in your city. You know, this 734 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: is Atlanta, and I think Atlanta is the mecca. I 735 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: think it's the I think it's you know, I use 736 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: BAM and them. It influences everything, right, Like, if we 737 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 1: could do it in Atlanta, we could do it everywhere. 738 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: To see seniors getting off of Marta with their little carts, 739 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: you know, coming to shop at our grocery store, it 740 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 1: really warms my heart. And I'm telling you they are 741 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: there like they you know, we open at nine am 742 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: on Tuesday morning. We have to be ready to go 743 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: because we have We'll have twenty thirty people there to 744 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 1: shop with us every Tuesday, and you know we're open 745 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: Tuesday through Saturday. The need is so crazy, I can't. 746 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: I mean, we'd be here all day telling just the 747 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 1: audience how many people are struggling, and it's it's sad, 748 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: and I take a lot of solitude and reflecting knowing 749 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: like I've done a lot, but there's still so much 750 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: more to do. So that's where that innovation that you 751 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: talked about it has to come. How can I feed 752 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:53,479 Speaker 1: more people? You know, the USDA's most recent report on 753 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 1: hunger just came out last week. Hunger has gone up 754 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: thirteen point eight million children are hungry, seven million people 755 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: are hungry. This is an increase from last year, like 756 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 1: it's continually going up. It's disproportionately affecting people that are black, women, 757 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 1: that are single parents. It's it's insane. Almost forty percent 758 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:16,240 Speaker 1: of women, our households raised by a single woman. Our 759 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: food and secure. That was one of the most recent 760 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: stats that came out. And these are our kids, you 761 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: know this, and they're struggling. So it's it's a lot 762 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: of work to do. And I do believe I'm someone 763 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 1: who could really solve it if given the opportunity. And 764 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:31,520 Speaker 1: I talk about that because you'll probably say, like, well, 765 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,959 Speaker 1: you have the opportunity. It's billions and billions of dollars 766 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 1: get spent to solve hunger. So for me to really 767 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 1: do it how I want to do it. And I mean, 768 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: we should have a grocery store in every city, right, 769 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 1: Why are we not in Stone Mountain yet? Why are 770 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,280 Speaker 1: we not everywhere? We should be in reading in high school, 771 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 1: we should be in every school because this is a 772 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: problem that's everywhere. For me to be able to do that, 773 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: I have to have the resources. So it's it's and 774 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 1: they're not easy to come by. The customers to partner 775 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: with you, the grands, the funding, you got to work 776 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: on all of it. 777 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 2: Well, no, that's amazing transitions. I was going to ask, 778 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 2: you know, in order to accomplish your goal, A big 779 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 2: part of that is capital and raising money. And you know, 780 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 2: as a black one founder, we know there are challenges 781 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 2: with that kind of stuff. What's been your experience of 782 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,520 Speaker 2: raising capital even with you know, a really important business 783 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 2: like what you're doing, It's been really hard. 784 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: You know, I think The reality is when you're raising 785 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,040 Speaker 1: from investors, they probably don't care about hunger, right, and 786 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: you're telling them like, hey, listen, forty percent of women, 787 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: single women are struggling. They can't feed themselves, they can't 788 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 1: feed them their kids. Like they're like, okay, how are 789 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:33,040 Speaker 1: you going to make me money? So I did have 790 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: to come in and really alter early on what I 791 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: was talking about. So it was really like, here's the 792 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: business case. Hey, all these businesses are wasting food and 793 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 1: you know they're paying to throw it away. I'm going 794 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: to come in. I'm going to help them get this 795 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: food not in landfill. They're going to be better companies. 796 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to get it distributed. I'm going to give 797 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 1: them back all these tax savings. So a lot of 798 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: that was kind of in their early business case. But yeah, 799 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: raising capital has been hard, and I think for certain 800 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: black women, for certain you know, I was talking to 801 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 1: Pinky Coal. We were on a panel a couple of 802 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 1: weeks ago, and she had, you know, a couple of 803 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: years ago, raised twenty five million dollars and you know, 804 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: I think someone asked like, would you do VC again? 805 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 1: And she was like, you know, it's just one of 806 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:16,919 Speaker 1: those things like it is so hard because you're you're 807 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 1: marrying people that there are somewhat investing in your vision, 808 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 1: but they can change it, you know. So what has 809 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: been good about me not raising a lot of capital, 810 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: specifically the capital that I need, is I've maintained a 811 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: lot of ownership of my company. So I'm still the 812 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,279 Speaker 1: largest shareholder, largest owner of the company, even though I've 813 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: had some investors come in, and so that's helped keep 814 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:40,279 Speaker 1: the vision there. What's been hard about it is it's 815 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 1: been hard to scale it to where I feel like 816 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: it should be. And I feel like any business owner 817 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: should want their business at another level, right, you want 818 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:49,279 Speaker 1: to be able to take it. I wanted. I think 819 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 1: we should be everywhere. There's not it. We're in twenty 820 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 1: six markets right now, thirteen states. We should be in 821 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,399 Speaker 1: fifty states. We should be in every country. We should 822 00:34:57,440 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 1: be everywhere. So in order to do that, it takes 823 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,640 Speaker 1: so much more that I just haven't had the access to. 824 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: And I've had a lot of people say, like, you know, 825 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: if you were a white man, you were this boy, 826 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,200 Speaker 1: you'd be you'd be throwing money man, you'd be a 827 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,759 Speaker 1: presidential Someone said, you would have got the Presidential medal. 828 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 1: I like, don't say that, but like that's what they said. 829 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: Like they'd be throwing money at you, cause you'd be 830 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 1: like a savior. Yeah, And I'm trying to work and 831 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: help people you know that look like me, and it's 832 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 1: it's been harder than I think it should have been. 833 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's interested too. Just even when you 834 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 2: think about, you know, the type of people that even 835 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:31,959 Speaker 2: you know, our vcs. I've kind of said this before, 836 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 2: but especially in a city like Atlanta, Like I kind 837 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,480 Speaker 2: of compare Atlanta the Silicon Value, right Like in Silicon Value, 838 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 2: you think about folks like the PayPal mafia, right like 839 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 2: there there are these groups of individuals that were at 840 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 2: a company. They had a great liquidity moment, you know, 841 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 2: they were able to spin off. Everybody became millionaires overnight. 842 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 2: I've talked about this before. I have a friend of 843 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 2: mine whose wife were to the Airbnb and customer service 844 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:54,799 Speaker 2: and she became a millionaire when they went public. Wow, 845 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 2: And we don't have a lot of those down here, 846 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 2: specifically in Atlanta, you know, And I think that's may 847 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 2: more and we should have so many more. I think 848 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 2: that's one of those things that you don't really notice 849 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 2: it at a high level when you really kind of 850 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 2: take a step back, just Atlanta hasn't had that many companies, 851 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 2: Like even with Mailchimp, you know, they sold a couple 852 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:10,360 Speaker 2: of years ago, right, but they were still privately a 853 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 2: lot of millions. No, they were privately owned. You know, 854 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 2: the Banda still loans the majority of that company. I 855 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 2: think it was a small group of people that had 856 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,360 Speaker 2: some level equity, but that was like one hundred million 857 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 2: dollars sale. And so you just think about even if 858 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 2: one hundred million dollars of that had went to one 859 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 2: hundred different employees, fifty different employees, and now all of 860 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 2: a sudden they could pull together and say put ten 861 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 2: grand in here, twenty grand in here. Now you'd have 862 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 2: people from the culture in the culture that could actually 863 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:34,719 Speaker 2: contribute back to it. So I think, you know, those 864 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 2: are the things people don't always notice too, right. 865 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's interesting. That's why I was talking to the 866 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:41,800 Speaker 1: atl Tech and I think we're trying to get into 867 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 1: the top five in Atlanta. You know, of even that 868 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:47,479 Speaker 1: because there's there's San Francisco, there's Boston, there's New York. 869 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,640 Speaker 1: I think Austin, Texas is another one that you could 870 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 1: kind of just raise a lot of money, and these 871 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 1: kind of liquidity events are happening. Maybe at Seattle, I 872 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,719 Speaker 1: think is another top one because the same thing that Microsoft's, 873 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 1: Amazon's people have, you know a lot of money millionaires overnight, 874 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: and yeah, we should be able to help ourselves a 875 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 1: bit more. I do think about that A lot of times. 876 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,880 Speaker 1: People say, well, like, didn't you get any celebrities to 877 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: invest in you? I'm like, no, like you know these 878 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: like it. It's not because I think that's what people 879 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:16,719 Speaker 1: think of Atlanta, right, like, oh, you know, you know, 880 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: go and get I do dry three thousand to give 881 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: you three thousand? You know. I remember one time my 882 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 1: dad was like, you need to call Tyler Perry, and 883 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: I was like, dah, I don't know Tyler Perry. But 884 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:29,880 Speaker 1: that's our When you think of where the wealth could 885 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 1: come from and the investment can come from it, you 886 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,040 Speaker 1: think of Atlanta. Sadly, you're probably thinking of entertainment because 887 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:38,359 Speaker 1: that's what we've been known so much for. So even 888 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:39,839 Speaker 1: for my own dad to be like, yeah, you need 889 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:41,800 Speaker 1: to call Tyler Perry, I'm like, Dad, that's just not 890 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:46,439 Speaker 1: the reality for a lot of us. I don't know him, 891 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 1: and then even if I did, I can't just be like, listen, 892 00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:50,839 Speaker 1: this is what I need for my business. So we do. 893 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 1: It is on us and I'm really I'm trying to 894 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: build more businesses that get to eight figures and nine 895 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,600 Speaker 1: figures and support. I've been teaching lately at the Rice 896 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:05,279 Speaker 1: the Rustle Center, so teaching like the next group of entrepreneurs, 897 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 1: really loving them and just seeing them come up and 898 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: they have such great business ideas and the acumen is there. 899 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:13,920 Speaker 1: It's just like, what opportunities can we create? But at 900 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:16,000 Speaker 1: the end of the day, I don't care the idea. 901 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: You've got to have money for it. Yeah, I mean, 902 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 1: I mean that's just the reality of it. The idea 903 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:24,239 Speaker 1: could be amazing, someone has to invest in you for 904 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:26,919 Speaker 1: it to I mean, you couldn't have started better without something. 905 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 1: You got to have the website, you gotta have the 906 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:31,319 Speaker 1: you got to be developing the content. Who you got 907 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 1: to pay someone to shoot the content, to design it. 908 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 1: I mean, there's money and it's you. It takes money 909 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 1: to make money. 910 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 2: It takes money. I mean, look, I remember very vividly 911 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:41,239 Speaker 2: building that out. That was one of the biggest things 912 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 2: that we had was. You know, that was one of 913 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,440 Speaker 2: the first times I'd had a chance to build money, 914 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 2: build a business with like some real investment behind it. Yeah, 915 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 2: And it's just so much easier to get things out 916 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 2: the gate. It's so much easier to get the team 917 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:53,239 Speaker 2: that you need to kind of buy in early. Because yeah, 918 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:55,719 Speaker 2: you know, I always say great, at least in my world, 919 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:58,279 Speaker 2: great content takes a business model. Yeah, And you know, 920 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 2: people look at you know, content and all this stuff. 921 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,239 Speaker 2: I think it's all simple. I'm like, no, you got 922 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:06,640 Speaker 2: to have you know, videographers and you know, copywriters and designers. 923 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,279 Speaker 1: Design the color you're going to use, the fonts that 924 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: you're going to use. I mean, people don't think that way. 925 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: I think. You know, even when I first thought about 926 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,719 Speaker 1: building an app for good or this is you know, 927 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 1: this is twenty sixteen. When I first started thinking about 928 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: this at the day at the at the beginning of 929 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:22,399 Speaker 1: the company, it was going to be called super because 930 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:23,719 Speaker 1: it was going to be kind of like an idea 931 00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 1: of like a soup kitchen on wills was kind of 932 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:28,759 Speaker 1: the concept that I was thinking. But again everyone was 933 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:30,560 Speaker 1: telling me I was crazy, But I thought it was 934 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:32,279 Speaker 1: going to be so cheap to build like. This is 935 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:36,640 Speaker 1: how I would say ignorant. I was in a sense 936 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 1: of what it would take to build this company because 937 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:40,720 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I'm going to build app, thinking 938 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 1: it would be almost like building a website. Oh, I 939 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 1: had no idea that this is. You know, you're gonna 940 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 1: spend millions of dollars building real efficient technology, between paying 941 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: for engineers, paying for ux Ui designers, hosting servers, like, 942 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:54,880 Speaker 1: you're spending a lot of money. And I would have 943 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:56,719 Speaker 1: never known that. So I think that's one of the 944 00:39:56,719 --> 00:39:59,800 Speaker 1: things that people will think sometimes is like, oh, it's 945 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:01,360 Speaker 1: so easy, I can start this tomorrow. 946 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, but it takes a look as a person that 947 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:04,640 Speaker 2: was on the other side, I'm telling you people, don't 948 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 2: people significantly underestimate if you knew how many people came 949 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 2: to me wanting to build the next Facebook with five 950 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 2: hundred dollars. Oh yeah, I'm sorry all this. 951 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just it's a tough situation. Yeah. I mean 952 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:21,120 Speaker 1: I had someone who came to me pretty recently and 953 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: said something similar like, you know, they got they they've 954 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,839 Speaker 1: got a billion dollar idea and they just need they 955 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:28,879 Speaker 1: just needed a thousand dollars to get it going. I 956 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 1: was Like, what is a thousand dollars gonna get you? 957 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:32,760 Speaker 1: Because even if I if I give you the thousand 958 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:35,719 Speaker 1: dollars for your billion dollar idea, I can promise you 959 00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: you need at least a million like to get it. 960 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:39,719 Speaker 1: I mean, there's just by the. 961 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 2: Simple thing, just just to get the LLC file and 962 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:43,520 Speaker 2: get your time. 963 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:45,840 Speaker 1: That's gonna get you. That's I mean, that's not going 964 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:48,400 Speaker 1: to get you there, like it's And that's the tough 965 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 1: part that sometimes people I don't think want to hear. Like, 966 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:53,160 Speaker 1: you know, you have to invest. And so even if 967 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: you want to start your own company, you want to 968 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:56,839 Speaker 1: start something, have some of your own money to put 969 00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 1: in towards it as well. I think that's the smart thing. 970 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:02,319 Speaker 2: You mentioned you're doing work over Rice and all the 971 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 2: amazing stuff Jay shot all them over there, Like you know, 972 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 2: what advice would you have for other people that kind 973 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:09,760 Speaker 2: of want to build businesses at this intersection of social 974 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:11,920 Speaker 2: impact in business in general? 975 00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:15,680 Speaker 1: One, you know, you have to care really deeply about 976 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:17,800 Speaker 1: the problem that you're trying to solve, and you almost 977 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:19,719 Speaker 1: have to be an expert at it. And when I've 978 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 1: been when I could talk about being an expert, I 979 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,520 Speaker 1: remember days going out feeding on the streets and then 980 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: thinking like, oh my god, like I didn't put nothing 981 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:29,600 Speaker 1: to the side for myself, like having been hungry friends 982 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:32,840 Speaker 1: and family experiencing hunger, feeding people that I knew, didn't 983 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 1: know where their next mill is coming from. So be 984 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:39,040 Speaker 1: deeply connected to it because that connection and that purpose connection, 985 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:41,279 Speaker 1: you're going to need to keep going because it's really 986 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:44,400 Speaker 1: hard as a social entrepreneur. You're you have to balance 987 00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,879 Speaker 1: evenly purpose and profits, and that's a tough tough thing 988 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:50,479 Speaker 1: to do because a lot of times it's like, oh, wow, 989 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 1: you know, I really want to feed more people, but 990 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,239 Speaker 1: my budget's only this, and you know, I got to 991 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 1: stick here so that everything else works out. So you 992 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,760 Speaker 1: have to be able to be connected to the cause, 993 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:05,200 Speaker 1: to be able to easily and meticulously balance have a 994 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:08,759 Speaker 1: fine balance between purpose and profit, but also develop a 995 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 1: business plan that for every dollar you make, their's impact 996 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,520 Speaker 1: tied to it. And that's what's really been exciting for 997 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 1: me with Gooder, and you know I hope will continue 998 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: to grow is as we make more money, we have 999 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:23,239 Speaker 1: more impact. And that's like an incredible feeling to be 1000 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:27,279 Speaker 1: able to speak to it, and you know, consider other 1001 00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: sources of funding. If I could do it all over again, 1002 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:32,800 Speaker 1: I don't know if I would go with venture capital 1003 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:34,920 Speaker 1: right out the gate. I think what attracted me to 1004 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,480 Speaker 1: venture capital from a social impact standpoint is the model 1005 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 1: of VC is like fast, grow, grow, grow, and best 1006 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:46,120 Speaker 1: you know, learn fail fast. And I realized that because 1007 00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:48,600 Speaker 1: I had the money to the impact standpoint, that I 1008 00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 1: would make as I grew faster and it was making 1009 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: more money, I'd make more impact. But had I looked 1010 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:57,000 Speaker 1: at it differently and like maybe went after like large 1011 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,840 Speaker 1: scale foundations that cared about hunger, maybe I could have 1012 00:42:59,880 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: had more patient capital, and maybe it wasn't about doing 1013 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:05,960 Speaker 1: it fast, but doing it really well, really right. So 1014 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:08,279 Speaker 1: we've done a little bit of that, but I would 1015 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:10,439 Speaker 1: get really good at whatever it is that you do 1016 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:11,399 Speaker 1: and then go deep in. 1017 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,040 Speaker 2: It absolutely well. Look, I know you got a million 1018 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:15,520 Speaker 2: and one things going on, So we're going to wrap 1019 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:17,839 Speaker 2: this up. Before we do, please let everybody know how 1020 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:20,640 Speaker 2: can they support good or how can they get in contact? 1021 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 2: How can they get involved? 1022 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:25,720 Speaker 1: I love it well. On social media, we are gooder 1023 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: co and that's goo d r COO. That's also our website, 1024 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:33,320 Speaker 1: gooder dot co. We are the gooder co on Twitter 1025 00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: x whatever you want to call it. I'm Jasmine Crow 1026 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:38,640 Speaker 1: on everything. The biggest thing you guys can do to 1027 00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:41,560 Speaker 1: support us. If you know a school district we should 1028 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:43,720 Speaker 1: be working at, you know, places where there are people 1029 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:46,399 Speaker 1: that are going hungry, then they shouldn't be reach out 1030 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:48,359 Speaker 1: to us. Who are the companies we should be reaching 1031 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,240 Speaker 1: out to the mayors. I'm trying to find one mayor 1032 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:53,520 Speaker 1: in this country that says nobody in my city is 1033 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:55,759 Speaker 1: going to go hungry and come and work with Good 1034 00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:58,279 Speaker 1: or we have a plan we can build solutions to 1035 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:00,920 Speaker 1: in hunger in any city. If you work at a 1036 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:03,879 Speaker 1: company that's wasting food, you know, sign up with Good 1037 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:06,160 Speaker 1: or let us get this food to people in need. 1038 00:44:06,239 --> 00:44:09,400 Speaker 1: But your prayers and your support, whether that's on social 1039 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,239 Speaker 1: likes and your prayers at night, whatever it may be, 1040 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:14,120 Speaker 1: it's it all goes to help us. And so we're 1041 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:15,399 Speaker 1: really grateful well. 1042 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 2: Jazz and congratulations and all the amazing work you're doing 1043 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:20,080 Speaker 2: in the community. It's so much needed. We wish you 1044 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 2: nothing but more success. And that's the part. You've been 1045 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:27,240 Speaker 2: listening the button nomics and I'm your host, Brandon Butler 1046 00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:29,520 Speaker 2: comments feedback. Want to be a part of the show, 1047 00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:33,160 Speaker 2: send us an email today at Hello at butterdomics dot com. 1048 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:36,520 Speaker 2: Butter Nomics is produced in Atlanta, Georgia at iHeartMedia by Ramsey, 1049 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,600 Speaker 2: with marketing support from Queen and Nike. Music provided by 1050 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:42,760 Speaker 2: Mister Hanky. If you haven't already, hit that subscribe button 1051 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 2: and never missed an episode, and be sure to follow 1052 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:47,800 Speaker 2: us on all our social platforms at butter dot atl 1053 00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:51,880 Speaker 2: Listen to button Nomics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1054 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:53,480 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts.