1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning. 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 2: Breakfast Club Morning. 3 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 3: Everybody is thej Envy Jess, hilarious, Charlamage, the guy. We 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 3: are the breakfast Club, just as out lawn, the roaster Filline. 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 3: And we got a special guest in the building. We 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 3: got the good brother, Derek Lucon Lewis. Welcome brother, Good 7 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 3: on my brothers. 8 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 2: How you doing that? 9 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: How you doing now? 10 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 2: I'm doing great? 11 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: Excellent, excellent. Man. 12 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 3: Now For people that don't know who Derek Lewis is, 13 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 3: besides going to the greatest university and college. 14 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 2: In the world, Oh, which is that? Does State? Definitely 15 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: not Delawes. 16 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: State, Hampton University. 17 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: That's right. Breakdown who Derek Lewis is. 18 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: Derek Lewis is a inspirational leader. Grew up in Chocolate 19 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: City back in the sixties seventies, single parent, familyhood lifestyle. 20 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: Decided I wanted to be something different. I want to 21 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: dream big for myself despite the circumstances I was under 22 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: in the Chocolate City back at that time, and was 23 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: inspired by getting a great education, inspired by joining a 24 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: big company, inspired by putting that work in to coome 25 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: who I wanted to be, my best version of myself 26 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: to lead others be not only a go getter, but 27 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: also a go give her and strive for excellence. And 28 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: I was able to do that over a thirty five 29 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: year career at PEPSI. Since then, I've retired now and 30 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: I keep doing my work. I'm i'll sere released in 31 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 1: a book that launches tomorrow. Thank you for the opportunity 32 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: to talk about that today. And also I'm launching cheese 33 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: Steak restaurants in Orlando, Big Dave's Cheese Steak. So you 34 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: know brother Derek Hayes who azos. Yeah, I love him too, 35 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: So Ivins first franchise E. I'm bringing ten units to 36 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: central Florida. I've already opened up four locations, two in 37 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,479 Speaker 1: the Kia Center and two in Campbeld Stadium. We're off 38 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: and running. I got two brick and mortars that open 39 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: up at the end of marsh beginning of April and 40 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: the Sky's limit. I'm also obviously serving on boards. I'm 41 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: back of my alma mater, serving as a trustee and 42 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: putting in the work there more nonprofit boards, doing the 43 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: family thing. So life has been great, but I'm also 44 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: maybe we'll still contributing the ways that satisfied me and 45 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: my family. 46 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 3: Well, let's go back a little bit the way you 47 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 3: got your job at PEPSI. Break that down and explain 48 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 3: that a little bit. How you got that job and 49 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 3: how you grew from you know, starting off there to 50 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 3: damn running what you did at PEPSI. 51 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: Well, look, it was back in the late eighties. Job 52 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 1: mark was pretty good. 53 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: You know. 54 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: I was interviewing my second semester. Interesting enough, I had 55 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: PEPSI to come down, I had interview. I stayed up 56 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: late the night before, kind of party in came to 57 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: the career. It came to career fair and I failed 58 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,839 Speaker 1: the interview. I basically got a rejection letter. I want 59 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: to say a week or so later in the mail, 60 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: I was one of the most disappointing days of my life. 61 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 3: Why did they decide not to go with you? 62 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: At the time, Well, I think I was. I was 63 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: not my best an interview, and I think for people 64 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: having a lesson, when you're going in for an interview, 65 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: you need to be at your best, and I was 66 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: at my best. I took it for granted. I took 67 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: as though I can stay up all night and party 68 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: and not do all the research, and it's not be 69 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: buttoned up, you know, and so I went in probably 70 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: at a you know, one to ten, probably went into 71 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: five or six, and guess what, that's just not good enough, 72 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 1: not gonna be good enough for anybody, much less even 73 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: a PEPSI. So I sort of retooled. They were coming 74 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: back down a different sort of area was coming down 75 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: from Baltimore. I hunkered down, very disciplined, studied my butt 76 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: off that night, made sure I was as sharp as 77 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: I could be, wanted and nail that interview, got subsequent 78 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: follow up interviews, and got the job offer to start 79 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: in Baltimore, Maryland. Three weeks out of college. I was 80 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: a management trainee. Got out the car going into my 81 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: first day of the office and prayed to God and said, God, 82 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: I like for this to be the first day of 83 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: my next forty years, because at the time you think 84 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 1: it'll retire when you're sixty two, mid sixties whatever. And look, 85 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: I prayed in that parking lot. I got in my maximum, 86 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: my new maxim, I bought my advance, and uh, you know, 87 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: the rest was history. And the day I felt the 88 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: first day, I felt like I belonged there. I felt 89 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: like this was the place for me. I learned a lot. 90 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: I still wled a lot, but also if you read 91 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: the book, you'll learn how being a paysetter mattered in 92 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: that company, and showing early on that I'm willing to 93 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: be a paysetter. I have the courage to be a 94 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: pay set. I'm not worried about circumstances surrounding me. I'm 95 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: going after it. That was a catalyst for me to 96 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: really embrace the growth that came along the way throughout 97 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: the entire journey. 98 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 4: And you said you want you said, you said a 99 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 4: prayer to God to be there for the next forty years? 100 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: Were you there for forty I was a thirty five? 101 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 2: Thirty five? Wow? Yeah? 102 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 4: So what made you find what made you say, you 103 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 4: know what? Let me for golds last five? Like with 104 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 4: pivoty Well, I mean I was a good point. 105 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: Fifty five was the normal number. A lot of the 106 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: guys I came in with. The campus program was really strong, 107 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: robust at the company throughout the eighties and early nineties, 108 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: was really strong program in the company, and so a 109 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: lot of us that were there in my peers, fifty five. 110 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: Was a number. 111 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: Because the grind the business is a very intense business, 112 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: hyper competitive, you know, going against our primary competitors and 113 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: other competitors, and so there is some wear and tear. 114 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: We traveled a lot. We moved eight times. It gets 115 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: to a point where you have a next chapter. I've 116 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: read the book Strength to Strength by author Brooks, and 117 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: it opened my eyes to say, there is life beyond 118 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: the thirty five years of the years, the time you 119 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 1: spent at Pepsi, and so I wanted to always be 120 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: an entrepreneur. I was talked about my book being an 121 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: entrepreneur when I was a kid selling Dorito chips to school, 122 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: selling Jolly ranchers and gum right as a side hustle. 123 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: I needed to do that because I need to put 124 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: money in my pocket, right, and so always had this 125 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: itch to be an entrepreneur. The authorship piece just came 126 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: from be retirement and kids and colleagues asking me, you 127 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: can't leave without you know, so you're gonna bollow us 128 00:04:58,560 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: up and take it away. You have to leave us 129 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: with with some insight. You have to leave us with 130 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 1: perspective on your journey. And so that's what I considered doing. 131 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: The book was really the January of twenty twenty three 132 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: and got with a ghostwriter and pace through publishing company 133 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: and the rest is history. And here I am today. 134 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 3: What was your title at PEPSI right before you the. 135 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: Last title, I was President of PepsiCo Multicultural North America, 136 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: So for the entire corporation, basically before D it wasn't D. 137 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: So I want to clarify the D and I there 138 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: it was D, and I had its own department. I 139 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: was all about focusing on consumer, culture and community, and 140 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: so I was primarily throughout my career, I was an 141 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: operating executive, so I ran the P and L. I 142 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: had billions of dollars responsibility. A one point, I was 143 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: running North America, and then we did a restructure and 144 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: I went I assume the South the South responsibility as 145 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: president and then at the tail in that run, which 146 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: is about three years, we delivered fantastic results and we 147 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: developed such a good playbook at the time because COVID 148 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: was involved in George Floyd, situations evolved and we had 149 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: developed such a good model on you know, culture, community 150 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: and company that the company asked me to step in 151 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: and create this big role for the entire corporation. Use 152 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: the best practices that we developed in sort of the 153 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: Southern United States and be able to start to implement that. 154 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 1: So that was the last role that I had had 155 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: in coming primarily throughout my career, I was I was 156 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: all putting sales and driving profit, driving market share. It 157 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: was getting after it in the trenches each and every 158 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: single day. 159 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 3: You were one of the first people, you know, corporate wise, right, 160 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 3: I graduated from Hampton a long time ago, so I 161 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 3: would go to all these different homecomings, but you would 162 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 3: probably want of the first to bring huge corporations to 163 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 3: all the HBCUs, right, not just the big ones, because 164 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 3: you know, it's easy to just to go to the 165 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 3: big ones where North Carolina A and T, which is 166 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 3: the biggest university as far as students are, you know, concerned, 167 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 3: or FAMU which is a big university. Why was it 168 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 3: so important to you to do that HBCU run and 169 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 3: to show up at those HBCU schools when other corporations weren't, 170 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 3: but they started following after you did. 171 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: Absolutely it's all about legacy, right, and so my SPCU 172 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: experience at Hampton was absolutely fascinating, incredible, and so to 173 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: be able to take that experience build that you know, 174 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: sort of legacy, not only through the corporate side, investing 175 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: not only just events, activational camps, but also recruitment. I 176 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: recruited heavily on HBCU campuses. I pushed hard to have 177 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: recruitment centers go down to these schools, not just in 178 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: called Mid Atlantic area, but also down throughout the Southwest. 179 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: I was responsible for setting up the Swack partnership that 180 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: we still enjoy today. That has been now a long 181 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: term partnership and agreement based on the schools that are 182 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: in Swack. Great schools, great campuses. Certainly the activation mainly 183 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: revolves around sports, but I took that and extend that 184 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: to recruitment and also community effort right and so me, 185 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: it's a whole sort of end to end proposition, not 186 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: just about the parties and social side. It's also about jobs. 187 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: It's also about what we're doing in the community. It's 188 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: also about setting up legacy for the future. 189 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 5: Will You in the open end of your book, you 190 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 5: talk about going through like all of the pandemic and 191 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 5: the riots that happened after George Floyd and my Ibbury, 192 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 5: and you realizing like, I'm not an activist, but I 193 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 5: do want to do something because I know what it's 194 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 5: like to not know what's going to happen tomorrow. 195 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 2: When did you get to. 196 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 5: A point of your career where you felt empowered to 197 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 5: be like, my activism is in the boardroom, and this 198 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 5: is what I'm going to do, because being like only 199 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 5: or like one a few in a big corporation like 200 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 5: a PEPSI, it's not easy to be like, you know what, 201 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 5: you all listening to me, This is what we need 202 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 5: to do, This is how we should get back, this 203 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 5: how we should help. 204 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: That's a great question. I think mid career I felt 205 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: that responsibility now because I was starting to really move 206 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: up in your organization, and there weren't many people at 207 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: the top, and so a lot of the younger associates 208 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: looked for me for a guidance direction, and so I 209 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: just started creating networks across. I moved around a lot, 210 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: so you know, when I ended up in the West Coast, 211 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: I would we would be at a national meeting and 212 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: it would not be uncommon for me to call all 213 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: the Black Associates to a hospitality event at the end 214 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: of the night and we would have like one hundred 215 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: people in the suite. I'd just go up and go 216 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: run a suite, going to everybody together and just talk 217 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: to them about their journey, what's going on, how I 218 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 1: see the future of the company. I'm a historian of 219 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: the culture at PEPSI. Going back to the forties, I 220 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: had a relationship with Alan mckeller junior. He was the 221 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,599 Speaker 1: first person hired in Corporate America as an intern in 222 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: nineteen forty two, along with Jeanette Mount. She went to Hampton, 223 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 1: he went to South Carolina State, so first two interns 224 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: of the corpor America. I had a relationship with him 225 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: up until you passed away into twenty eighteen. I spoke 226 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: at his homegoing service, which I was very honored to do. 227 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: A lot of his family did you know the impact 228 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: he had not only just the company, but in Corporate American. 229 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: So you got to think for generation out of generation, 230 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: the legacy of impact and evolution of the movement from 231 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: the forties of the fifties to the Civil rights era. 232 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,599 Speaker 1: You started seeing more and more investment in advertising for 233 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: the company did leaning and heavily. Wasn't all received well 234 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 1: because there was a lot of tension back then. And 235 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: you get to the eighties and you saw the Michael 236 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: Jackson endorsement that was obviously a big breakthrough for pop 237 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: culture and the company really saying entertainment music matters us. 238 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: You know, the Afrimaric Court is a priority cohort. You 239 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: got to the nineties of Elevator and the hip hop 240 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: it started transforming in then you get to twenty two thousand, 241 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: twenty ten, it became a core principle inside the company 242 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: that it flowed through all the businesses. So anybody, any 243 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: functional leader or any leader around the world basically had 244 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: to embrace Varas City as a core priority and principle. 245 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: And then you got to twenty twenty. I was right 246 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 1: in the middle of all that because I was the 247 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: top executive at the time to really sort of lead 248 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: that and guide that, insuring that one I'm looking after 249 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: the company, I'm also looking after the associates, I'm also 250 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 1: looking after the community. Right. That takes a hell of 251 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: a lot of courage because of the only time I'm worried, 252 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: I have my own concerns in my own life about 253 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: what's happening. But the time when someone leadership is needed, 254 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: it was time for me to step in and step up. 255 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 2: And I did that. 256 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: I did it honorably and gracefully, humbly, and I was 257 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: excited to do that. I was excited company gave me 258 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: the platform to do that, and I think it turned 259 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: out very very well for. 260 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 2: Everybody question did did did Michael Jackson? 261 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 4: I guess you could call it a controversy when he 262 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 4: got his head set on fire film the commercial. 263 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 2: Did that hurt help Pepsi? 264 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: I don't know if it did. Want to know, other 265 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: brought show, they brought a lot of attention. You know, 266 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: I brought a lot of attention, and sometimes you know, 267 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: when you get attention, that's that's really what matters. But 268 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: I can think about all the iconic commercials in media 269 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: that he did. When I think about, you know, choice 270 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: of new generation PEPSI generation, I think about him a 271 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: lot with that, and so that's what resonates for me. 272 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 1: That incident. While it does get talked about, I don't 273 00:10:55,320 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: think certainly overshadowed the the the the brilliance and sort 274 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: of the scale of his awareness and what he brought 275 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: to the company into one of the obviously our biggest 276 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: brand at the time. 277 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 2: The reason I asked is random as hell. 278 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 4: That's why when you brought up I was like, damn, 279 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 4: me and my guy glasses from alone, we were having 280 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 4: this discussion. 281 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 2: We were having it in the group chat. I got Sallas, 282 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:15,199 Speaker 2: djhad all of us. 283 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 4: We were talking about Michael Jackson and DJ head was 284 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,599 Speaker 4: I mean, hey, Glasses was saying, how after that commercial, 285 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 4: after his handcut on fire and everything, that's when Thriller 286 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 4: really started to take off. 287 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 2: And that's true. 288 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 4: So I wonder if it was the Pepsi campaign or 289 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 4: was it that controversy, Like what was it? 290 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:32,839 Speaker 2: I know what helped Michael. 291 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: I think it was all the above. I mean, obviously 292 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: he got a ride. We got a ride for it 293 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: because we were one of the first ones to really 294 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: get behind pop star of that magnitude, right, we signaled 295 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: that that's our thing. Again, he was black, and you know, 296 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: all the other cultural things that went around that surrounded 297 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: that were started to become beneficial to the company as well. 298 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: So there was just a series of statements made in 299 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: the evolution going back to the forties. That's deep, that's 300 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: rich history that I felt like I had to carry 301 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: that on. So answer your question. I felt from guys 302 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,839 Speaker 1: like Alan, hey, the torch got handed you. It's your 303 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: time now to step up like he did and others 304 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: did back in the forties. 305 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 3: I wanted to go back to the DEI conversation, slo 306 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 3: May mentioned with companies taking off the table, how will 307 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 3: that affect a company like Pepsi, How would that affect 308 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 3: those big companies Since you've been there and you've seen 309 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 3: whether they hired African Americans or minorities, how does that 310 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 3: affect that? And do you think it's a good idea. 311 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: I think they'll be fine because again, they're going back 312 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: to the history. The history is so strong, and the 313 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: torch passing from CEO to CEO has been really strong 314 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: and solid. So it's like runs relay erase that that 315 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: never stops, right, So I feel like they'll be in 316 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,679 Speaker 1: good shape. But I think for what I'm seeing now, 317 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: it's not Obviously it's unfortunate, but a the same time, 318 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: as I talk about my book a lot, it's an opportunity. Right. 319 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 1: So while there, you know, looks appear to be a setback, 320 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,679 Speaker 1: there's times for now leaders, companies, cultures to step up 321 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: to the plate. I do think it's weak that when 322 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: you know there's bandwagoning and this student bodies, student body left, 323 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: student body right. I think all the knee jerk reactions 324 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: I think is not good. It's not healthy. I think 325 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: it's not the ideal leader you need now in this 326 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: era of time. So I do think that that, you know, 327 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: while companies are pulling back, they in my might haven't 328 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: articulated what they're doing with that right, So yes, I 329 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: agree that that D and I EI playbook needs to 330 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 1: have evolved. I think it was dated. I think the 331 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 1: circumstances in the sixty seventies are very different than the 332 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: circumstances now. Back then, we obviously had you know, extreme tension, 333 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: unlawful things happening. Social norms were accelerating very rapidly and different. 334 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: We're in a different era now, not that those things 335 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: still don't exist, but not certainly at the intensity level 336 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: they did back in sixteen seventy. So this agenda should 337 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: have evolved from where it is. It's it's a sixty 338 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: year old playbook. This playbook needs to be more comprehensive. 339 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: So it needs to account for the greater good, because 340 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 1: that's how the world is moving now. It needs to 341 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: be more collaborative. People need to work together more. Yes, okay, 342 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: so comprehensive, collaborat It needs to be compassionate. You need 343 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: to have an agenda where you are it's about people 344 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: and so even in this case where you're telling a 345 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: cohort that we're demphasizingself to deprioritize in, you haven't necessarily 346 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: come back with something you're doing to to offset that, 347 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: something in that revolves greater good, more collaboration, sort of 348 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: more sensitivity around things are going on. That's how you 349 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: treat people. And right, so that lack of sort of 350 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:12,719 Speaker 1: compassion that is being shown in the we're cutting it 351 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: and we're not talking about really anything else, I think 352 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: is just not good. So I think this is a 353 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: time for leadership to step up to the plate. It's 354 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: not hard to write this new play with by the way, 355 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: it should have been read a long time ago, at 356 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: least like myself could have done it. I saw, I 357 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: could almost feel in twenty twenty what was happening. It 358 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: was a more in your face moment. Everybody was going 359 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: to get on board because no one wanted to be 360 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: left behind or deal with the rash of being sort 361 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: of on the outside looking at And then obviously what 362 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 1: happens is time moves on, Things move on. There really 363 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: really weren't any call it scorecard metrics or calibration against 364 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: what you said and what you were going to go 365 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 1: do to now can anybody go back and even remember 366 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: what people said back in twenty twenty, right, So there 367 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: was always a question around sustainability of that effort. 368 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 2: I can't remember. 369 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 4: I can remember then plaguing all that money to them 370 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 4: qualifications and not delivering, right. 371 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, r a lot of money, a lot of checks written, Yeah, 372 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: a ton of checks written. But we're already a lot 373 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: of pleasures with checks exactly exactly exactly you had. You 374 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: had to happen too, right, And so you have people, 375 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: you know, in a quiet way, resisting or just reacting 376 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: instead of really reimagining what the new playbook be. So 377 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 1: we actually took the time to reimagine the old d 378 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: n I into something more modern that focused again on 379 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: being more comprehensive, certainly being more collaborative, and being more compassionate. 380 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: We can get there. That's not hard to do, by 381 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: the way, like that, it's not hard also to execute 382 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: that plan. What's hard is getting everybody on board. 383 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 4: But do you know I always said that the problem 384 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 4: I had a corporate DEI. It didn't feel for us, 385 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 4: by us like it should have been more. It should 386 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 4: have been black people right telling these corporations right, what 387 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 4: is needed right, not in these corporations saying Okay, here 388 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 4: is what we're going to. 389 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: Well, that's the difference with a PEPSI is that we 390 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: were always at the table, you know, throughout the history 391 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: of time, whether it was a black salesforce back in 392 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: the back in the forties or up until modern era. 393 00:15:57,760 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: I was at the table when these programs are being 394 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: developed and had a point of view and have perspective. 395 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: And I give all the cities credit to all the 396 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: CEOs who listened, who adapted, who empowered the executives take charge. 397 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: And I would do the same thing. I would ask 398 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: the employees instead of putting your head down with all this, 399 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: now you're empowered to do something about it. I believe 400 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: in the structure of erg's employee resource groups, and I 401 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: believe you have to have places to be safe where 402 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: you're if you feel isolated in the company, no matter 403 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: where you come from, you have to have a place 404 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: to go and should go. And so those things should 405 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: structurally stay in place. But it's up also incoming upon 406 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: those groups to lead a new agenda for the future, 407 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: not keep looking up going where we're going, where we're going, 408 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: guess gout you're looking up. There's nobody. There's nobody looks 409 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: like you up at the top. Okay, think about it. 410 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: CEOs right now fourteen five hundred less than two percent, 411 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: So how much progress is that really from the nineteen 412 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: sixties and now we have two percent less than two 413 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: percent of people running the top five run the companies 414 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: in the world. They're qualified people out there, there's all 415 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: doubt about I'm one of those qualified people are going 416 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: to run a forty five hundred company. So I'm not 417 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: trying to do that now. But I'm out here and 418 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: there's hundreds, if not thousands of people like me. There 419 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: are quality, but they're not getting the opportunities. So in 420 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,439 Speaker 1: some some regard, you can look at, did the d 421 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: I structure actually hurt progress from people over and because 422 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: of this perceived you're getting an express card, check the box, 423 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,239 Speaker 1: you know, a fast mover, you know, without sort of 424 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 1: having the merit and having the credential do that. I 425 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: think there were a lot of conservas and it actually 426 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,679 Speaker 1: held a lot of people back. So let's reimagine this, 427 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: Let's rebuild it. Let's not while we respect the ground 428 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,160 Speaker 1: and nature of how it was built, Let's evolve into 429 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: a way that is more comprehensive, more collaborative, and more compassionate, 430 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: and we get there everybody wins. You can't have winners 431 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: and losers in the space. You can't have mandates in 432 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:38,160 Speaker 1: the space. I was there. 433 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 4: I mentored, you know what you just said, true, it 434 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 4: can't just be a mandate, right, because a lot of 435 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 4: it was just pr for these corporations. 436 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, checked the b I mentored just as many call 437 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: it Caucasian h executives as I do block executives or 438 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 1: other executives for that matter, because they want to really 439 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: learn how to get this done. And so my teachings 440 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: were always more open to the greater good because I 441 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: as you teach people, especially where there's majority representation, they're 442 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: likely going to affect. They're going to be able he 443 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: effect change, and they feel like they're part of the process. 444 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 1: But when you're alienate and told you have to do this, man, 445 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 1: that resistance is high. People going, Man, I ain't doing that, 446 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: I ain't doing that. I don't have to do it. 447 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,399 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna go do it. It's the wrong thing 448 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: to do. It should always be about best talent, So 449 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: what are you doing? My book is all about what 450 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: are you doing to one better than yourself? What are 451 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 1: you doing to believe in yourself? And what are you 452 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: doing to be yourself? Right? That's been my mantra my 453 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: whole life. I'm investing myself. I have to get better. 454 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: I have to take risk. I have to invest myself 455 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: to get But I have to have discipline, I have 456 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: to have commitment, I have to dream big, and I 457 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 1: have to be authentic and stay authentic. And that's why 458 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: I try to roll model myself my entire life. And 459 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 1: all that book tells you about the lessons on maintaining 460 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 1: those disciplines and those principles. 461 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:51,120 Speaker 4: I want to ask you this right because I love 462 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 4: the title of the book, Survive and Advanced lessons on 463 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 4: living a life without compromising. It's rooted in the DEI think. 464 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 4: Right now, you have a lot of people saying they 465 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 4: want a boycott Target, right because they rolled back their 466 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,360 Speaker 4: di initiatives, which I. 467 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 2: Don't get it. 468 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 4: You know, it's a lot of different companies that roll 469 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 4: back the why just Target, But what they're saying is 470 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 4: they want to make an example out of this one company. 471 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 4: But then now people are saying, hey, let's meed, let's 472 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 4: do a compromise. Let's support the. 473 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 2: Black brands in target with boycott everything else. What do 474 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 2: you what do you think the best course of action? 475 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 1: I think the best course of action again is I 476 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: think I think leaders around the space, people who have experienced, 477 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: people who have you know, dealt with struggle in their 478 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: life like I have, who've been through a journey. I've 479 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,239 Speaker 1: been through HBCUs. You know, I have this experience. I 480 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,879 Speaker 1: serve a trust the HBCU. So people that have the 481 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: experience out there need to lead a new agenda, need 482 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: to lead a more modern agenda. That again, I go 483 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: back to these same three c's right, that is absolutely 484 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 1: more comprehensive going this this boycott angle and only supporting 485 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: this support and that that's not the answer. That's not 486 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: the answer. That's very short term. Uh yeah, it drives 487 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: a lot of engagement, but it's not the right answer. 488 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: You're going to increase even increase polarization to even a 489 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: greater extent when you do that. Our chance, our time 490 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: is now to look at this as a positive in 491 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: terms of change and creating new change for the culture 492 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: and do it in the right way that's going to 493 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: create sustatement. Doing these sort of side hustles and taking 494 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: these tactics that are abrupt, abrasive, temporary don't solve the 495 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: long term problems. I'm into solving the long term problem. 496 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: Let's solve the long term problem. Let's get people leaders 497 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: together with the corporation and say, hey, we want to 498 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: take a different cut at this, looking at it again, 499 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: looking at all your cohorts, looking at all the people 500 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: that matter, looking at all the things that you're going 501 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: to do, look at the money as you spent before, 502 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: and giving you opportunities and ideas of how to spend 503 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 1: that money a little bit differently, maybe to create programs 504 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: that everybody can win, to create programs everybody's working together. 505 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: Our uniqueness is the one thing that we actually all 506 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 1: have in common. Our uniqueness is the one that everybody 507 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 1: brings that to the table. If we use that to 508 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: our advantage, the teamwork will be unparalleled in this entire country. 509 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 1: But instead we look at it only in the basis 510 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,199 Speaker 1: of really gender and race, that's how we sort of 511 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: measure uniqueness. Really, we need to look at a cross 512 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 1: the spectrum. Everybody has different lived experiences, everybody has different backgrounds, 513 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: everybody thinks differently. We need to celebrate that in a 514 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 1: very different way where everybody at the table is being represented. 515 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: That's going to give your greatest output. That's going to 516 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,439 Speaker 1: give your big greatest culture. That's going to give you 517 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: the best results. It's proven when you have people that 518 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: celebrate you uniqueness or really value uniqueness at the table, 519 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:17,679 Speaker 1: it drives the best business results. So you have this 520 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: triangle where you got consumer, if you're a brand company, 521 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: you got sole the consumer, you sort of got the company, 522 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: and you got the community. 523 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 2: Right. 524 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 1: That's the sort of three legg of stool inside that 525 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 1: is culture. Get your culture right, you focus, you spend 526 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,679 Speaker 1: the right money against the consumer to drive the behaviors 527 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,880 Speaker 1: you need and to sales you need. You focus on company. 528 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,159 Speaker 1: You're getting representation right. You just look like the market. 529 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: There's some markets aren't going to look like every market. 530 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:39,919 Speaker 1: Every market is like go to look the same. But 531 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: you're looking like the market you operate in and you 532 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: represent right, that's going to be different. And then you 533 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 1: obviously have the community. We want to lift all the 534 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: communities out. We don't want to just be sort of 535 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 1: separate and discrete and carve out and say we only 536 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: care about these communities we only care about these black 537 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: brands in these stores. We want to make sure we're 538 00:21:57,640 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: evolving the greater good and everybody gets go along for 539 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: the rock. That takes real courage, that takes real strategic leadership, 540 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: that takes real sort of collaboration and maturity to to 541 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: pull this off and not look at it with your 542 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: head down, look at what your head up on. What's 543 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: the future look like in the space and having people 544 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:13,919 Speaker 1: to ta able to do that, we'll get us to 545 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: the right space. 546 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 547 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 3: I want you know, I wanted to talk about you 548 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,959 Speaker 3: your first paying job for people that don't know, what 549 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 3: was your first paying job and who gave you that job? 550 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: My first paying job was under leadership of Mayor Marion Barry. 551 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 1: The legend, the legend you know, daddy was in the rehabit. 552 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: Marion Barry wasn't Jesus Danian South Carolina. Marion Barry was respect, 553 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,879 Speaker 1: struggles mad respect. That guy is a is a legend 554 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: for the DC culture. Legend. He's a legend. To me, 555 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,239 Speaker 1: I realize that it's not about the mistakes he made. 556 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:49,640 Speaker 1: We're all making mistakes. But he cared about people, man, 557 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: He cared about kids. He knew the risk of kids 558 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: venturing off and not having time filled in throughout the day. 559 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: So he created this sort of summer program every kid 560 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,679 Speaker 1: for we're teening up, guaranteed the summer job. I just 561 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,199 Speaker 1: got to fill out the paperwork. So I had my 562 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 1: first paying job at fourteen. I was making three thirty 563 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: five an hour. I was getting on the subway. I 564 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: was excited every day I got to go up and 565 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: go to I'm going to work every day, get on 566 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: the subway and go to Brooklyn. And I was going 567 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: to school or administrative place in filing papers. I mean, 568 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: it wasn't like I was doing a lot of you know, 569 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: strategic and heavy lifting work. But I had a job 570 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 1: I was taught to be. I was already responsible going that, 571 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: by the way, so it wasn't a matter Derrick Lewis 572 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: understanding the role of having a job. I was already 573 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: like the dad have the house and the big brother house, 574 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: you know, when I was ten years old. But this 575 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: was important to me now because it really defined and 576 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:36,160 Speaker 1: started elevating the sort of professional and as you're gonna 577 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: be working with other people, you be working for people 578 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 1: this and just the side house. Are you cutting grass, 579 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: washing cars, cleaning houses, selling doritos at school like you were. 580 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: This is now a professional job and sort of really 581 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,199 Speaker 1: shape my mindset around what I wanted to go do. 582 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 1: I thought I was going to be a government worker 583 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: up until I went to Hampton, and then I was 584 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: able to dream bigger when I got school, saying all 585 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: these companies come down here and they offer these kinds 586 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,080 Speaker 1: of moneies. And because all my family was the government jobs, right, 587 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: so I thought that was my path. I dreamt I 588 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: was going one day make one hundred thousand dollars, live 589 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: in a single family home and be a happy guy. 590 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 1: And that was at my age. Now you know, guess what, 591 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: life took a very different circumstance, God have my back. 592 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: Circumstances were very very different. As a child growing up, 593 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: I knew I would to be have a different life 594 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: for myself. I put a lot of faith in him 595 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: and took that journey. And here I am today and 596 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,439 Speaker 1: still now you know, much more into go give her 597 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: mode than go get her mode. For years I was 598 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: go get her, I mean hyper go get her because 599 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: we didn't have much. So I was never going to 600 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: let something go by because of performance. And now my 601 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: mindset is really shifted as I've aged and matured, and 602 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: I've grown to paying it forward. So I was in 603 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 1: pay it now for mode for many many years. Now 604 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:41,439 Speaker 1: I'm in pay it forward mode and I'm having the 605 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: time in my life doing that. Hopefully this book will 606 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: inspire many others. You know, whether you're a child going 607 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:48,639 Speaker 1: through the struggle as I did, if you read the book, 608 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: a lot of struggles, a lot of dark days. There 609 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 1: a lot of days where I didn't know if I 610 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 1: was going to make it out to becoming you know, 611 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 1: one of highest ranking executives in corporate America in a 612 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: very recognizable organization that had my back. I had their 613 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 1: It was a great run. 614 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 3: Create a lot of I want to talk about your 615 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 3: your You come up with your wife as well. 616 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, how long you've been married. We've married thirty 617 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: two years. 618 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 3: Now, Explain how that is having the right partner by 619 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 3: your side. It's been everything. It's been me and showing 620 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 3: me talk about it all the time. With the right 621 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 3: partner that keeps you out of trouble. I'm doing foolish 622 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 3: and sometimes she got a smack in. 623 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 2: The back of your head. 624 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 3: So talk about that journey about having that right partner 625 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 3: on your side to make sure that. 626 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 1: You yeah, I mean, it really has been the key 627 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 1: to the success I've had. And I talk about this 628 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: a lot, especially recently. We've been talking about a lot 629 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: is our line shared vision on how we want to 630 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: do liberal lives. Now. The story at Hampton, you know, 631 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 1: it was volatile. 632 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 2: We met. 633 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: I was a senior, she was a freshman. Things didn't 634 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:41,879 Speaker 1: work out. They worked out great at the beginning, but 635 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: as you know, those things are temporary down there, didn't 636 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 1: work out. I moved on. I wanted to be this 637 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: Go get my job, go establish some income, go buy 638 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: my first house. Before I started taking relationship seriously, it 639 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: was a big mistake that I'm glad didn't cost me 640 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,159 Speaker 1: because I wouldn't be here now if if she was 641 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,360 Speaker 1: a part of my life. But we reunited, Tom take 642 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,160 Speaker 1: Tom Heels. I matured, I came back. I saw the value, 643 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,640 Speaker 1: true value, she brought to the table. And I knew 644 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 1: all along that our vision on family, our vision on career, 645 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 1: our visional community, our visional faith were so aligned that 646 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: it was it was obvious for me to say, hey, 647 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: we need I need to lock this down right because 648 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: I knew that the place I wanted to go go. 649 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 1: I absolutely had to have a partner that was willing 650 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 1: to go along with that ride, and that that ride 651 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:27,479 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna have lumps to it. The rod has had 652 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: lumps to it. But we've been there for each other 653 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: the whole time because we never wavered on the share 654 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: of vision. You know, she had to quart her job 655 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: when we had our third child. That was not an 656 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: easy time for her to do that. I talked into 657 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 1: doing that, but it was it was again, it was 658 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: a tough time. We adjusted to it. Obviously have come 659 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: out fine with that, but that was the time where 660 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: I had to really sort of lean in with her. 661 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 1: There's times she had a leaning with me. We moved 662 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 1: around a lot of new communities. Can imagine how sisters 663 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,719 Speaker 1: are going to place like Portland, Oregon, where it's two 664 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: percent block and trying to find a place to get 665 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: your hair done. You know, you get the town. Well, okay, 666 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 1: we're here now, Where I get my haircut? Where do 667 00:26:57,960 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: we get our hair done? What're we get nails done? 668 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: Where are we socialized? What do we do to sort 669 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 1: of relax and become ourselves in the culture. We found ways, 670 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: we found places, We eventually would make our way around there. 671 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 1: But then by the time we got comfortable, it was 672 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: time to move again and again and again again. So 673 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: a lot of sacrifice that we had, but we've built 674 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: the family we wanted to build. We call ourselves Team Lewis. 675 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: She's the co captain or she's actually the chief household 676 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 1: officers I would tell it, would say to her, and 677 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,919 Speaker 1: been an ogal part of all that. But shared vision 678 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: has been the absolute focal point of our success. Leaning 679 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: on each other, trusting each other, grinding each other. She's 680 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: made me better. I would like to see have made 681 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: her better, but she certainly has made me better in 682 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 1: this whole journey. 683 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 2: And there's a. 684 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 5: Point in the book. Sorry, there's a point in the book, 685 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,879 Speaker 5: not the statistic, and this point in the book just 686 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 5: talking about your wife and leaning on her. You talk 687 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 5: about like your journey with like finding out that you 688 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 5: had a cancer's mass, and just things you overlooked because 689 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 5: you were working and just you know, just in day 690 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 5: to day and the title of the book survived in 691 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 5: advance you talked about feeling like you survived and you 692 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 5: got away from a lot of things you didn't have 693 00:27:57,320 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 5: to worry about, what was going to happen next to 694 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 5: your life, and then you're successful and then cancer comes 695 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 5: and your wife is there any families They're like, can 696 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 5: you talk to me about, like what that journey was 697 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 5: like for you? Yeah, all the way so that you're 698 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 5: still you kind of get emotional. 699 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, that was great. That was It was a 700 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: tough time, right. I mean, I'm retired now, I'm playing 701 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: a lot of golf and I'm having the time of life. 702 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: And then I started seeing blood in my stool. And again, 703 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,120 Speaker 1: sloppy for me, undisciplined for me. I never had a kolonoscary, 704 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: you know, And so here I am fifty six and 705 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 1: every year I go get my executive physical, check in 706 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: the box and doctor's like, hey, Derek, is you over 707 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 1: fifty hours? Time to get your colonoscar. I'm like, I 708 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: got you, I got you, I got you. But I'm 709 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: going back to the grind. I'm going back to grind. 710 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: I'm focused on people. I wasn't scared. I just ignored. 711 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: I deprioritized it. I made it feel like my executive 712 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 1: physical was good. I'm feeling good. The boxes were. 713 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 5: Checked, said you had all the best doctors. 714 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, your cognitive skills were good. Your motor skills the 715 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 1: highest they've ever been. You know, your blood comes back fine, 716 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: you're good. So I'm like, I'm good man. I got 717 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: to get back to the grind, and I ignored it was. 718 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: It was a terrible, terrible decision. I don't want anybody 719 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: out there that is fifty or over and has not 720 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 1: had a coldonoscary. Now a matter of fact, you need 721 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: you start getting younger. Now, starting to get a lot younger. 722 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 2: I think it went down to forty five. 723 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: Depending on your family history. A lot of it has 724 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: to do with your family history. But the earlier the better. 725 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: So there's no there's no such thing as an early 726 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: start with checking out your checking out yourself in that regard. 727 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: And so it was. It was a terrible decision. It 728 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 1: would have cost my life. It would have cost my life. 729 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: But the beauty came out at all my relationship. That 730 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: we sat in the car, this was the story I found. 731 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 1: I had the tumor. We got in the car and 732 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: we're looking for like the the basically the doctor was 733 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: basically very store because like, hey, you have a cancer. 734 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: As a cancer's tumor, I suggest that you look into 735 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: an on collegist. Now, you made need surgery, made need radiation. 736 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: Here's a recommendation we give you guys that down the street. 737 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: You know, you can pop in there. Here's your paperwork. 738 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: I hope to see you a year from now. That 739 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 1: was really the conversation. 740 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 5: That's how it is. 741 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: So we get out of there and we go walk 742 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: down the block to go see the guy because obviously like, hey, 743 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 1: I needed like set something up. My urgency is you 744 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: know high right now. And it's okay, it's like three 745 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: o'clock closes. We get in the car and I could 746 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: feel that moment where like it's silenced for like a 747 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: minute or two, trying to collect everything, like ourselves, like 748 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,040 Speaker 1: what's going on here? And so I taught called a friend. 749 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: I had a friend phone, a friend who I know 750 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: and had gone through cancer, and boy, she bailed me out. 751 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: And by that time, three or four hours later, I 752 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: was on the phone the chief medical officer of the 753 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: advent Health Network, my eventual surgeon, an oncologists, all within hours, 754 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 1: uh to talk about my problem. Get them the paperwork. 755 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: They died. They did early diagnosis over the phone. They said, hey, 756 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: it's serious, but it's not like we can fix this. 757 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 1: So you need to have the faith. We got you, 758 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: We got your back, and so I never got scared. 759 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: I never had that moment. I'm like, Okay, it's like, 760 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: is this a six month thing? Is that? Am I 761 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: on o'clock? 762 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 2: Now? 763 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: Like? 764 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 2: Really? 765 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: Amoun o'clock? Because I had so much in front of me. 766 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: God has sent me a lot of signals about what 767 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: I was going to do in my next chapter, and 768 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: I feel like, you're not gonna You're not gonna show me. 769 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 1: All have to take that away from me. But this 770 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 1: is a chance to reset your life. We set your health. 771 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: Prioritize your health to your health needs to be prioritized 772 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: because I didn't prioritize it the way I needed to. 773 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 1: And I would tell everybody, everybody, make sure your health 774 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: is the number one thing. If you can't be the 775 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:10,400 Speaker 1: best version of yourself, you can't be there for everybody else. 776 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: So how in the hell can I become a hypocrite? 777 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: I'm out out, I'm out here for everybody, but I'm 778 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 1: not here for myself. And so self care is really 779 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: elevated in my life in a big, big way. And 780 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: obviously the health part of that, not only the physical part, 781 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: but the mental part and emotional part very important for 782 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: me now and it's given me the foundation now to 783 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: do things I actually haven't done before in many, many years. So, 784 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 1: but my wife was fully behind me. She took it 785 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: actually hard, and I did. We talked about that a lot. 786 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: You know, She's like, Derek, I'm going through this too. 787 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: You know, when I would get short with her, I'd say, 788 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: it's okay, trying to not make it a big deal. 789 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: But it was a big deal and needed to be 790 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: talked about. But she was a rock of strength for 791 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: me in ways that I would never ever forget. You know, 792 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: I know if it was reversed, I'd be there the 793 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 1: same way for her, and God forbid it. It gets 794 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: that way, So let me take all that pain for 795 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: the family to keep the family going. But she was 796 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: the rock and this whole thing and wouldn't have got 797 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: through it in that at that level if it wasn't 798 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: for her and her support. She came through big time, 799 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: and my network came through big time. And it was 800 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: one of the most incredible experiences. I say, I say 801 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 1: in the same breath it was the hardest lesson I learned. 802 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 1: It's also the greatest lesson I learned the same time 803 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: because I got a lot of runway left, and that 804 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: you just motivated me now for the next thirty some 805 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:19,880 Speaker 1: years of my life to go after in ways that 806 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,480 Speaker 1: I haven't gone before. It refueled me and re energized me. 807 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: It put me in a different space and again this 808 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: whole notion of going being a go giver. Man, I'm 809 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: in that space and I see the vision of what 810 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: the future holds for that. 811 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 3: That's right, all right, Well, pick up the book his memoir, 812 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 3: Survive and Advance Lessons on Living a Life without Compromise. 813 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 3: It's out right now, Derek Luis. 814 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 1: We appreciate it. Thank you, thank you so much for 815 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: what y'all do. 816 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 3: Man, it's the break good morning, wake that ass up 817 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 3: in the morning. 818 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 2: Breakfast club.