February 25, 2022 • 49 mins
Truist Bank Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers talks with John Hope Bryant on how small changes can create big differences in life, finance, and the community.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Building the Good Life with John Hope Bryant is brought
to you by Prudential Financial. John, things are built in stages.
I mean we we always said in our relationship with Hope.
You know what we said, we wanted our goal to
be We weren't necessarily going to be the largest donor, uh,
but consistent with our purpose of our company now, which
(00:21):
is to inspire and build better lives and communities. What
we said is we wanted to be first. We wanted
to be inspirational. We wanted to do things that people
could follow. We wanted to be I'd say, a pebble
in a pond, you know you you said, not whether
you be a boulder and upon them, but that we
do things that create ripples. This is John Hope Bryant,
(00:43):
and this is Building the Good Life. I'm here with
Bill Rogers, the chairman and chief executive Officer of Truest.
Truest is last time I checked, sixth largest bank in
America and growing. Bill Rogers comes with an incredible pedigree.
He was prior to the as president at Truest as
a result of a merger. Before that, he was CEO
(01:05):
of sun Trust Bank here in Atlanta, which is where
I met him. Bill Rogers and I met in a
quiet conference room while I was talking to It wasn't
a quiet with his predecessor, CEO, Jim Wales, who was
introducing us. And Bill didn't quite know what to make
of the guy he was meeting, so he just sat
there quiet and let me run my mouth and figure
out to see. I's gonna run it myself into a bitch.
And somehow these two odd fellows became very dear friends.
(01:30):
And I really consider a Bill today a brother from
another month. It was just a lot lighter, that's all. Bill.
What was it? What did you see in that conference room?
And why didn't you run for the hills with your
feet on fire when you meet well, John, thank you,
thank you for than for having me here. It's great
to be with you friend. And we have had a
(01:50):
we had a long relationship which is fantastic. And you
described sort of the beginning of that relationship. You know
part of it, and you've sent this a lot part
of it. You come with someone's endorsement, right, so Jim
Will said, Hey, I want you to meet this guy.
So so it starts there. We all, I mean, that's
part of the you know, community that we live in
and the way that we have to build opportunities for
(02:11):
each other as make you know, make those introductions. And
then John, I think you know, in Fairnace, all the
conversation was always looking forward. It was never you know,
it wasn't backward looking. It was And I want to
condemn you for doing this, or I want to criticize
you for doing this, you know and banking, but I
want to work with you on how we can do
(02:33):
things moving forward. It wasn't about left or right politically,
you know, those things weren't important. It's just how do
we work together and how do we make communities better?
And you know, quite franking, that's just I mean, I
just was drawn to that. Uh. And then you know, John,
I mean you're you've got a little charisma and a
little you know, a little magic of magic dust about you.
(02:55):
And uh, you know that that's build over to I'll
admit that we've got a bit of a man crush
on each other. At least I'll admit my my part. Uh,
He's build is really a cool dude, which is really
interesting thing to say about a banker. Uh and a
bank CEO. That's maybe the first time and only time
on mainstream media that Bill Rodgers or any top ten
CEO has been called a cool dude. But I but
(03:17):
I will take that. Let me let me underscore that
that's not just some you know, soft soap statement. We're
gonna get into some real serious issues here today. And
I don't want you to understand how to build, which
means you need to figure out how to get some
money out of this guy and his bank to invest
in your your dreams that start a business, to uh
grow a business, to uh build a home, to build
(03:38):
a home, a home life to uh to grow your dreams,
and which means you need to understand how to access
um all the opportunities and assets that they've got. It
is institution, so you need to understand how the game
is played to be uh, to be blunt. So we're
gonna get into that. But before we get into I
(04:00):
think you need to understand why I love this guy
so much. We were a lot of wonderful moments. This
particular moment I didn't share with him, but I did
view how he handled it, and I think this says
everything about Bill Rogers. So, um, I got a call
one day said, well, we just figured something out and
(04:20):
we need to figure out what to do about it.
The legacy bank that they acquired, going back over a
hundred years ago, uh, maybe even a hundred and fifty
years look at the numbers, UM was involved in, as
was almost every bank in that era slavery. In fact,
there is a bank I won't name the name, it's
not true, it's uh that actually found out they owned slaves.
(04:44):
So this is like a hundred and fifty years ago.
This is just disgusting part of our history. And every
banker I know who's who has discovered some association with
that past has run for the hills and tried their
best to ignore the topic, building run from it. He
(05:05):
ran into it and dealt with it. Why Bill, and
what what was it? What was going through your head?
And I thought your response was really quite honorable for
my ancestors, said so, thank you on behalf of all
those who came before me, and how you do But
what what did you do at that moment? And why? John?
(05:25):
Thank you? And I think you know, as we were
thinking about what the country was going through, particularly in
the aftermath of George Floyd, and you know, being purpose driven,
we had to think about what's our role. I mean,
what do what do we want to say? What do
we want to do not only within the four walls
of our company, but outside or how do we want
(05:47):
to represent ourselves and being you know, two financial institutions
that came together that were born in the South over
a hundred years ago. I mean we sort of start said,
you know the place we've got to start. We have
to acknowledge our history. You know, the benefits that our
company received, uh, you know, through the efforts of enslaved
(06:08):
people is just irrefutable. I mean that that just is
just there. I mean the businesses that we bank, the
communities that we served. I'm sure you know some of
the executives that let our companies. I mean just those
are just real things. And you know, particularly you know,
we sit here in Black History Month, it's important to
have that conversation. And we said, well, the first thing
(06:30):
we have to do is acknowledging. We have to acknowledge
that to our teammates, we have to acknowledge it to
our broader community. Uh. And then John, you were nice
enough to work with a you know, a group of leaders,
just fantastic leaders. Unbelievable that they would all say yes,
and we went and help us, help us talk about this,
and let's make sure we're thinking about things the right
(06:52):
way and looking forward, but looking forward and acknowledging our past,
and like everyone should learn from our past. And let's
aure out how to not make not I'm just not
gonna make that mistake again. But I don't we not
make mistakes again? And how do we move forward? And
as a result of that, you didn't just provide platitudes.
And by the way, for the listening audience, I don't
(07:13):
think you've ever heard a top ten banks CEO in
the history of America without fifteen handlers around them form
a sentence that had slavery in it and and not flinch.
That's Bill Rogers, he is um. Look a saint is
a center that got up. You want to find some
(07:34):
far with Bill Rogers, Yeah, you'll find it just as
his wife, who I know. You want to find some
fat with John Hopebryan, You'll find it as my wife.
I guarantee you She'll give you you. She'll give you
plea your father or ask my friends or my you
know whatever. We're none of us perfect, right. The question
is not what happens to you, But how did you
(07:55):
respond to it? And life is ten percent with life
does to you and nine percent you respond to it.
I'm always looking for the response because the problems are
gonna be there. Our history in this country is just messy.
I mean, it's just democracies are messy, capitalism is messy,
and free enterprise and it's messy. But but freedom of
opportunities should be assured and build responded with the bank
(08:20):
by making an incredible commitment to all things I believe
that matters. And massive investments in HBCUs. I'll let him
get into that, hopefully. And part of this conversation, massive
investments in institutions UH, not just a higher learning but
nonprofits community base who are making a difference around what
(08:44):
I call social justice to an economic lens in the
underserved communities. UM. A twenty million dollar investment for somebodys
I keep wanting to say, forty men, and maybe I'm
being an aspirational bill. A twenty million dollar investment in
Operation Hope UM to allow us to exp band the
Hope inside locations within the truest branch network. UM. We
(09:06):
will probably end up being half of all in half
of all truest branches. They have two thousand bank branches.
That means we'll be into a thousand branches. That's transformational. Um,
that's game changing, and in many ways, it's a direct
response from the banking industry to what Abraham Lincoln was
dreaming about with the Freedman's Bank in eighteen sixty five
(09:30):
March three, when he created a bank chartered to quote
to teach free slaves about money and Domassau their savings.
Now you may not know that history, but it exists.
It's been lost to history because Lincoln was killed the
next month. The free The vision for forty acres was
January eighteen sixty five. Looked that up field, Actually fifteen
a mule. We worked that lance hard. Secretary of War
(09:52):
Stanton General Sherman said, my god, there's so industrious day
African Americans. Give them a mule. It's like saying, invest attractor,
forty acres in a mule. January February ac five March
came the Freeman's Bureau Act, which was Hospitals and Institutions
of Higher Learning, which led to HBC use historically black
college universities, and the Freeman's Beer also created the Freeman's Bank. Unfortunately,
(10:15):
Abrahem was killed in April the next month, and that mission,
with that vision was lost for a hundred and fifty years.
I covered the history in my book The Memo, and
we're gonna get into a story in a minute. I
bet that Bill Rogers lost with me, I wondering if
we were gonna go there. But just the fear is
that finish this serious coment. They made this investment, just
(10:38):
in my example, into the Hope and Side network, which
is raising credit scores, getting people access to capital, letting
people start business and become homeowners who people look like
me and others. Uh to give them a hand up
and not a hand out. I believe in the James
Brown version of affirmative action. Open the door. I'll get
it myself. And then they invested also in the one
Million Black Business Initiatives one m b B, which is
(11:00):
a lead commitment from Shopify a hundred thirty million dollars.
They came behind it the Truest and said, let's create
new black business in America. So I think that this
is the rainbow after the storm, at least as relates
to how Truest has stood up. I want to see
other banks follow uh Bill's lead. Now, Bill, Uh, you
know I've had moments uh, one of which I don't
(11:24):
know if you remember. I think you dud jabbed you
about it. About a month ago. I was in your office. Um,
you were the first to give me a shot at
an institution, a major institution, putting hope inside in one
of your bank breaches. You told me initially not to
ask you for money, let you control the budget. I
thought you're being cheap by the way, uh and um
and you and to trust you. I trusted you. We
(11:46):
put five or ten locations in your offices, and then
we went from that to five and now we're looking
at a thousand. So that bet was right. But I
remember the first time I actually got some money, I
mean some real money, A million dollars. Do you remember that, Bill?
I do, John, Yes, And I came in your office
to get the check. This is back look at Mellon Dolls.
(12:08):
There's always a lot of money. But this is when
I've never seen a million dollar check in my life.
And I was coming to pick my check up for
operational million dollars. And I'm in Bill's office, and I mean,
I'm into Bill have a dream. I sounded like Dr
King Junior Junior junior. I had a dream of fake
not a very good doctor. I want to do this
I have do you, Bill? Do you remember what you
(12:29):
told me your John? You're gonna have to do it
on your own. Doesn't Bill want cop to this? I'm
running my mouth. I'm running my mouth, Bill city John
that we're friends. John, please take yes for an answer,
take the million dollars and get into my office before
I changed my mind. Don't talk past the clothes. This
(12:53):
is a good This is a good lesson for upcoming entrepreneurs.
Don't talk past the clothes. Get any It was like
I got another meeting, the checks, the check will clear,
but you got to leave my office. Why is it
important for you? Know? We're friends, and it was it
was joking, But that's actually a very good lesson for people. Bill.
(13:14):
Why less is less more important in business and in banking? Well,
I mean, John, things are built in stages. I mean
we we always said in our relationship with Hope. You
know what we said, we wanted our goal to be
we weren't necessarily going to be the largest donor, uh,
(13:36):
but consistent with our purpose of our company now, which
is to inspire and build better lives and communities. What
we said is we wanted to be first. We wanted
to be inspirational. We wanted to do things that people
could follow. We wanted to be I'd say a pebble
in a pond, you know you you said not rather
you'd be a boulder and upon them. But that we
(13:57):
do things that create ripples and use our company, use
our relationship to yeah, to get on the edge of
innovation and to do and look not everything we've done
is worked perfectly by the way we know that. I
mean things are done to sort thought, well, I didn't
work that great. Uh. And then other things that we've started,
we've learned how to scale together. And that's the that's
(14:19):
the magic of doing well. As anybody can innovate small,
that's that's actually not that hard. But innovating at scale
and innovating for purpose that's really really hard work. And
so your point of the point was there is don't
don't sell all the ripples. Let's get the pebble in
the pond first, and then let's figure out figure out
(14:40):
what they're doing, what are they creating? Right? And I
think also if you're an upcoming entrepreneur, a business person,
a dreamer. You start with selling this dream and you
you really all you have that moment is your mouth
and your hustle. That's very valuable. But when you're in
front of a banker, you have to understand. And they're like,
(15:00):
can if there's an end of this story, can we
please start there? I don't use twenty words when two
will do. You're gonna make the banker nervous. I'm serious,
like you, you'll you keep talking, you'll free bankers out
because the entrepreneur is like on going on fire, but
the banker is conservatives. The banker, you know, the entwinner
trying to drive down the road, the bankers trying to
keep you on the road. And if you start talking
(15:23):
so much and you're you're excited when you're hitting the roof,
you're you know, you're like you're on a controlled substance
or an uncontrolled one, you actually might talk yourself out
of a deal. The banker might actually because it's about
texture and and and and your you know, are you
and I only say stable, but are you? Are you grounded?
Are you gonna leave that office and go buy a Ferrari?
(15:43):
And A three Bentley's and a and and go and
get on private jets and lose your mind versus being
mindful of your business plan. They want you sober, I
don't mean, I don't mean legally sober. They want you
to have sort of a straight ahead, unimpeachable, unshakable commitment
to what you told them you're gonna do with that money. Bill,
(16:05):
Is that right? I think I think that's right, John May.
But don't don't throw bankers out, you know completely, and
that we want to. We want to we want to
understand what the future is and what the vision is.
But our jobs also to protect the downside, you know,
and to understand, you know, how the foundations being built.
We want to hear what's going to be built on
(16:26):
the foundation. Absolutely, that's exciting. That's why we're in this business.
Part fact, that is why I love being a banker.
But we want to understand how strong the foundation is.
You know, if you want to build up skyscraper audit,
then it's got to be pretty darned strong. Uh, And
we need to understand that. But don't don't, don't throw
us out of the vision. Yeah, well, you know, but
(16:48):
Bill is a Bill is a bit of an outline.
He says that he really does want to hear, as
you just heard from his own mouth, your dreams. But
I've met enough of folks who are just they want be,
They want to be first and second place. They they
don't want to their capital is for them as a coward.
They want the safest place to hide. They And you know,
if if they've never seen an African American, in my case,
(17:11):
mail come in looking for big figures, big numbers, you know,
they may be looking at the nuances, the subtleties and
um and the little things and not just your you know,
your collateral and your application in front of you. And
so you've gotta be able to work the the magic
of what kind of culture you create in their head
(17:31):
that matches your business plan. And uh, don't just bank
on the on you're gonna meet a Bill Rodgers. Uh.
In fact, hope for the best, expect the worst, and
condition your mind for whatever happens. You know, Dcorne didn't
go to the mall and say I have a dream
that GDP will grow by two percent a year. But
that is that is what bankers have to hope for.
(17:53):
And so I think you've You've got to be able
to understand the role of everybody. And America would not
be America without banking. You can't grow communities without banking.
Uh So we need to understand what their criteria is
and their stresses and uh as you want them to
understand yours. I'll say this one last thing and we'll
(18:17):
get back to a couple of things I want to
share with the audience. But I remember a rapper was
complaining about, uh oh, this banking do it. It's bad
to me and you know, foreclosing on my stuff. Wait,
wait a minute. You weren't upset when you wouldn't got
the loan when they gave you the loan for the
mansion and toy gave you the loan for the car,
you know, But when you lost your money and then
(18:37):
pay the loan, all of a sudden, now the banker
is a bad person. Look, you don't pay me back,
I'm gonna be upset with you. So I think that
we have to understand the delicate role that banking plays
in society and understand how to make that system work
for us, which is why it operates. Hope, we're getting
credit scores up fifty four points working with. That's some
(19:00):
of the work we're doing together. Bill, by the way,
and getting in a hundred, it's at fifty four points
in six months, a hundred twenty points and twenty four months,
and nothing changes your life more than God or loved
the movie. Your credit score a hundred twenty points because
the banker cannot tell you yes for a dream for
small business below seven hundred credit score generally speaking, because
it's considered a risky credit. But then never tell you
(19:20):
that because bankers, you know, might get sued for nine
thousand things and regulations. But I'm telling you, you've got
to get to a point where the banker can can
afford to say yes to you, and truest is trying
to lean back in to say yes to you. By
the way, they're not a sponsor to this show them.
I'm getting nothing out of this. I'm just telling you.
(19:42):
I believe that they are walking their talk Bill before
we get into the mission and all that. I have
to rib you. We had a bet, were you done Mud,
(20:02):
would you like me to just just do it? John?
Just yes, I would. Actually, I've got to own the
fact that I would. I would because of the sixth
largest I'll own it. So, um, John was telling me
about this vision of the Freedman's bank. Uh and and
look in furnace. I had to go look in history
(20:23):
to the Freedman's back, so you know. But so the
concept was just fantastic for the Freedman's back. And John,
you really, um, you know, I had a vision for
how to talk about this from that concept. So I
spent a lot of time trying to understand. And uh.
And then you told me you had this plan that
you were going to get a building at Treasury named
(20:44):
after the Freedman's back. Well, I've worked a lot in
d C. And I know how things work, and I
know the speed at which things go. And um, and
you had a timeline up on which you're going to
do this, and I just told you you couldn't get it,
and that you really shouldn't go spend your time doing
some all the things. And you know you're tilting the
(21:05):
windmills and it is just sadn't gonna be helpful. And
I bet you a full dollar about I want my dollar.
I've given you your dollar. And there's two I always
been uh and uh, not only did it happen, Not
only did it get named and I and I also
(21:25):
promised you that if it happened, I would go whatever
celebration there was, whatever that I that I would that
I would be there. But I remember not only that
it happened, that was fantastic, but the meeting that that
you and I were able to go to UH with,
you know, to two of my heroes, UM C. Vibian
(21:46):
and sit there with you know at the time Secretary
lou and we went all through the formal stuff. But
the you know, the point you and have on this
before the PhD class though, that I got at the
civil rights movement and the only time in my entire
life I've heard John Bryant not to have a word
to say was when you and I came back and
spent time with those two fantastic leaders, and both of
(22:10):
us just sat back and listened to them, and John
in terms of, you know, probably the most impactful whatever
it is, three hours of my life that that might
have been it right then. So the dollar bet with
you was interesting. The Freedman Bank part was fantastic, But
just to have a chance to sit at the you know,
(22:30):
the cradle of the civil rights movement and understand not
only what happened, but was what was going to happen
with the future, was and you know, trying to develop
some personal ownership and what those rape men got started. Amen,
and am bashl Young and Guy Risis Soul, Reverend CT Vivian. Uh,
(22:51):
we're literally right there for the second um reconstruction the
civil rights movement in this country. I think we're in
the third reconstruction right now, which I believe is social
justice to an economic lens. But they were, they were
part of the architectural framework for this country, and we
owe them a debt. And thank you for recognizing UM
(23:11):
their contribution. Bill and what you just said, I think
it's instructive for listeners on building a family raising children
because you didn't just pat me on the head and
give me platitudes. You said what you believe. I don't
think it's gonna work. You're wasting your time. Love is
not always pat somebody on the head and telling them
what they want to hear. Now, you put more fuel
(23:33):
in my my belly to go get it done. By
the way, by saying that, so you were actually helpful.
But we have to understand that I read much rather
people respect me to learn to like me than like me,
and never respect me. And that's the role of a parent.
Your kids may not like you, that's okay. They may
not like what you're saying to them, that's okay. You're
doing it for their best entriest. You're giving them the
(23:56):
tools they need to succeed in society. And Bill gave
me good instructions on what he thought. And by the way,
he was right on how Washington works. So I went
into Washington knowing that all odds were against me, and
knowing I couldn't go to the front door write letters
and do a petition, and all of a sudden, I
had to find another business plan to become the only
(24:18):
person in American history to rename a building in the
White House campus. And so even in Bill telling me
that I couldn't do it, he was being a friend
and being a mentor and being an advisor. So don't
I learned to take no for vitamins, That is what
I'm telling Also, John told you I'd be there if
you got it, dun and you and you kept your commitment,
(24:39):
and you showed up and I got a free I
got a free ride in the jet. Me and me
and Red bashelor young and c in ct in ct
VV and we all had a wonderful time. Listen, A
lot of what I think Bill your character comes from
comes from your parents. And if I remember right, your
grandparents and people. This perception that old Bill is a
(24:59):
c old is big, one of the largest banks in
the world. He's wealthy, he's never had a problem in
the world. That's just not true, isn't right? But Billy,
your your grandfather was I think of either are pharmacists
or at a shopkeeper in Atlanta? Is that right? Well? Actually, uh,
John in North Carolina, North Carolina, Okay, I grew up
(25:21):
in I grew up in Durham and actually only knew
one grandparent. My mother's parents passed before before I was born,
and my grandfather actually died when my father was ten.
But I know I got to see and John, you
asked me about this. I'm not always comfortable talking about
my own personal history because this is all about teams
and not about one person. But I when my father
(25:44):
passed away, um a little while ago, and I got
to I got to look him through. I knew the
history and I knew, you know, how hard he worked
and you know, having lost his father ten years old.
But but he gave me a picture album and it
just brought it home to me as I saw this
flipping through these pictures. And you know, before he passed away,
(26:06):
he married. When he was older, he was w War
one veteran, very successful pharmacists. They you know, they were
the local pharmacist. That was the big deal in town.
And uh, you know, all the pictures of beaches and
parties and you know, trips, and then all of a
sudden they just stopped and there wasn't another picture. Uh,
(26:26):
And that was just a you know, an awakening that
in the you know, in your concept of building the
good life, there wasn't There wasn't planning. There wasn't financial planning,
there wasn't by sell agreements there well, they didn't do
insurance and all that stuff. So they went from living
a really good life. My father and his and his
two sisters too, you know, they had nothing. Yeah. My
(26:48):
grandmother was a emergency room nurse and um at the
VA hospital and they took in borders and everybody got
a job and you know, life changed. And you know
this is the message that you know, John an Operation
to Hope has been talking about is it's not it's
not about having the good life. That's building the good life.
(27:09):
And then there's a second sequel which is protecting the
good life, right, you know. And that was just a
strong visual for me that that's an important part of
this part of this context. And and clearly this is
about teams that truest and what you do this way,
you role, what I understand that you you I can't
(27:30):
find anything where you've been out front taking credit for
anything is going to drag you, gonna drag you to
the spotlight because I think the world needs to see
people like you. It always frustrates me billing all the
all the loud people are idiots. I mean not all
of them, but I mean all the all the mean, nasty,
mean spirit, angry lead so called leaders. They're allowed and
(27:53):
they're good in marketing. And then all of the great
guys and ladies they're sort of meek and understated and
they want to the way to see them. And and
I think, I really think we need to flip the
script here. We need need some good guys and ladies
who take the point and say, no, look, here's another
business plan of what works, hope wins and rainbows follow storms,
(28:16):
and the universe is backing hope and love and compassion
and empathy and and joy and belief hope. I mean,
the universe is backing that. And your story. Granted, Dad
had um hit a wall, the family had to pivot,
(28:36):
but you you, you, you believed in the universe, backed
that belief and you ended up okay. And I think
you have empathy and compassion for others because of that.
Am I right about that? Well? Yeah, John, But I
also recognized they also worked denied access to anything, you know,
so you know, so you know it was tough. But
(28:58):
by the way, know the color of their skin, the
places they were helped, you know, so they were able
to get an education, They weren't deny a job, they
weren't denied access to something. So you also have to
recognize that too. I think these this, you know, it
goes together. There's a lot of learning and everything. I hope,
I hope the listeners can play back. I hope you.
(29:21):
First of all, he swerved off the road when they
just hurt this very prominent man acknowledge his privilege. Um,
he didn't say it in that way, but that's this
is this, this is what he said, is being Caucasian
helped his family? It was, it was it was a
credit card and a credit line that was articulated. Whereas
(29:42):
if you're black or your brown, or your woman or whatever,
the struggle was harder. The struggle is real, you know,
And he's acknowledging that that's also part of leadership, This
sense of decency. How important is that for your how
(30:03):
you lead? Bill? I mean, John, I think the whole
concept of you know, for us leading a leading a purpose,
lead company. You know, we we use the words trustworthy,
we use the words care, we use the words one team.
I mean, those are all synonymous for decency. Is you know,
(30:24):
you've got to be a good citizen of the world
as sort of a starting point. I mean, you can't
you can't. You know, you can't affect change if you
don't come at it from a you know, a core
value system. We had our company, John, I mean, we
ask everybody to articulate their own personal purpose. You know,
we have a company, we have a company purpose, which
(30:46):
inspired Bill better lives and communities. But we asked everybody
to talk about their own purpose. Why are they here?
What's their why? What? Why? What are they trying to accomplish,
and you know you'll always find in the in the
then diagrams you know that overlap each other. There will
be a connection with your personal purpose and the company's purpose.
That's when it really comes alive. That's when the engine
(31:08):
really starts going. But it's just equal, it's equally important.
And we think for everybody to recognize for us and
we have individuals, they all have a you know, a
personal purpose, a why of some type, and for them
to be able to share that with each other, you know,
share that with their teammates, share that with their clients, uh,
(31:30):
and then articulate how it fits in terms of what
the overall companies can be trying to accomplish. I think
that's when everybody realizes, you know, the purpose of their
work and the purpose of their lives, and that's what
matters at the end of the day, right, I mean,
that's the when we you know, when the proverbial you know,
(31:52):
obituary has written. You know, we wanted to be about
the purpose of our lives, not the job that we did.
And when they can come together, which we think we
can accomplish the truest, that's the that's the magic for us.
Building the good life is brought to you by Prudential Financial.
For over one and forty five years, millions of people
(32:13):
have counted on Prudential to help solve for life's most
important financial needs because at Prudential they live their purpose
to make life better by solving for the financial challenges
of our changing world. Prudentials Who's Your Rock campaign is
also about helping people reach new heights and providing a
platform for people to reach their financial goals. Yeah, and
(32:35):
the rubber meet met the road a couple of times
I saw in that regard. Recently, you guys joined Financial
Literacy for All getting coachaired by me, the CEO of
Walmart Millan, and um, you guys said it to your associates,
if you go through this financial wellness program and leave,
you guys call it on up movement, that we will
the company invest in your financial will being. And I
(32:58):
think it was something like seven d dollars give or
take her. Individual who went through this programming, you set
up an account for them basically a rainy day acount,
a rainy day fund for you know, in case they
stumbled like everybody else does. And this is important because
Americans pre pre pandemic did not have forty dollars for
(33:19):
an unplanned event. That's a big deal. Did I get
that number right now? Seventary bucks? Yeah, well, you're you're
you're right, ghn, You're right at it. And you know,
we we had this view that we wanted to do
this for our communities. We've got all these statistics, all
the things that you talked about those who don't have enough,
say for an emergency, and those things have the ripple effect.
That's it. You know, I can't fix my car, I
(33:40):
can't go to my job, I get to lose my job.
I can't fix my car, I can't go to class
on time, I drop out of school. I mean, these
people think it's these big events as small events that
that that's the opposite effect of the ripple effect we
talked about. That's the pebble that can create the ripples
that can destroy someone's life. And we just you know,
and the mistakes that c e O s make, you know,
(34:03):
I presume that you know, we would be different with
our you know, with our teammates, and you know, we
did a lot of study, and they runder the same
financial stress. And that's just logical. That's not surprising. That's
not you know, meant to condemn them. It's meant to
support them that that yes, they're inder the same kind
of financial stress. So we started this for our own company, uh,
(34:24):
and then you know, joining with with you and Doug
was great because we started this with with other companies
as well, and we've got all over three companies that
we work with them and provide you know, basically at
cost of me. You know, this same opportunity for them
to do that for you know, for their employees and
and you know, great chances to partner with with you
(34:45):
and with other organizations and trying to trying to try
to do this. I think this concept of employer well
being you know, sort of tie the paycheck and the
education together. I think it's really really powerful. I think
this is an important I think financial literacy is a
civil rights issue of our of our generation. Um, we
(35:06):
got to reaffirm the right to vote, of course, but
it is I think the color is not black or white,
or red or blue. It's green, as in the color
U s currency. And we need more of We need
more of it, and we they need need to understand
how to use it versus having it use them and uh.
And this financial lunacy for all movement is I think
(35:27):
part of that. I think this is what healthcare was
years ago. Financial well being in the in the workplace,
and then going into schools and so on and so forth,
all of which you and I have talked about on
the on the occasion of Black History Month, but also
extending throughout the year because this evergreen people will be
continuing to listen to this story. Um, I think Bill,
(35:48):
we're sitting in a moment in history right now. Challenge
me on this. I think that this is a one
in one year opportunity we have right now to create
a change in this country and by extension, to change
in the world. I think of the new movements in
the suites, not just the streets. Civil rights, as you know,
I call it, not civil rights, not just civil rights.
I think that this is about social justice through an
(36:11):
economic lens. So, if that is the question, if you
don't totally disagree with it, what are some of the
things that you and true as are doing right now
and in the future to affect social justice through economic lens? Well,
I do agree, John, And you know, we talked about
core core issues like voting rights and critical, but the
(36:32):
financial education and financial uh, you know, competency are the
table stakes and the currency to participate, you know, in
this economy. And you know we we have you know,
we have a strength in the economy, but the ability
to do it where it is more inclusive. If just
a few of us win, you know, that's not winning. Uh,
(36:54):
you know, when it's got to be an environment where
we're all focused on the denominator, not the numerator of
this equation. You know, the goal is to expand the
you know, to expand as as many people as possible
that can participate, uh, in this lat American dream and
this you know, John, you talk a lot of its
only life, but the core foundational elements of that are
(37:16):
just you know, grounded in in you know, in in
financial education and expanding that to be financial inclusion. I
think I think we got to take the topic a
little bit further because I think the same financial education
alone might be a little bit of a cop out, right,
So I think so as I started thinking about it
(37:36):
and talk about it, it's just a lot more about
financial inclusion and making sure that more people are participated
in this process. And part of what we do through
truist momentum is uh is I think you know a
big part of that, you know that what we do
and and you know, part of our part of our merger,
I mean part of our merger was creating a sixty
(37:56):
billion dollar community benefits plan. And on the surface that
sounded like a really big number. And but but to
be able to you know, create affordable housing, to be
able to you know, to to operate in open locations
and communities that need US mode to provide digital access,
to the communities that need US mode to provide broadband
(38:18):
uh for you know, locations, and people to to experience,
you know, all this digital revolution that's happening not only
in their classroom but in their bank. Um. Those are
all parts of that, parts of that component, and trying
to make sure that we're providing the poor skills, capabilities,
access and inclusion to everything that is part of this
(38:39):
you know, fantastic American dream that we all want to
benefit from. You've brought You've also brought people of color
into your executive ranks, Dante Wilson being one of them
to get his title. But it annoy easing the c
suite there um and um and women. So also your
(39:00):
your your board and your management team. I know this
person is a black female on your board of directors. Uh,
there's a blackmail on your board directors, I believe as well.
So you sort of living living your truth? What as
we wrap up here two things? What um do you
want the audience to know listeners to know about what
(39:23):
Truest is doing? And by the way, I was wrong
on the name. I told you I thought this name stuck.
I said, I don't know why you picked it. I
don't know why you change the name from the name,
Why you pick sun Trust? It was a great name,
legacy name. This is ridiculous. What's this up with this color?
I was wrong about it all The color is cool,
it's sexy without being overwhelming. The Truest is unique. It
(39:47):
builds on the word trust. In my view, I don't know,
you know, I don't know that if your fact, but
I know I know that's what I think about I think,
so just full acknowledgement. You you acknowledge one. I'll take
one of the chin I would wrong. Bill, you're right.
So what do you want the audience to know about
what's coming? What you're doing? Yeah? Okay, John, I think
(40:07):
that this whole concept of being you know, purpose led company,
it has to impact the decisions that you make, It
has to impact who you hire. John, we have a
very diverse board. You've given us a narrow definition. We've
got a very diverse leadership team. We committed to uh,
you know, being in excess of fift of our senior
(40:30):
leaders of being being diverse in three years. We did
it in two years. And I made the kind of
that's just like the beginning, that's just like the table stakes.
I mean, you just have to start there is creating
the momentum to create an environment. So, you know, a
couple of things that want people to know about us
is one as we're a fantastic place to work, you know,
I mean, we're a company that you can come and
(40:52):
be your whole self. You can you don't have to
be somebody different. We want your we want your you know,
diverse you know opinions. We want to be a company
that's inclusive and people gonna have a fantastic career and
grow here. And uh, you know, the only the only
you know, the thing that's going to get in their
way as their own performance, you know, their own ability
to you know, to deliver and do it in a
(41:14):
doing in a purposeful way. Uh. And we want to
have that same view with what we're doing in the
in the community. We made a decision recently that I
think was totally aligned with purpose. Uh. And it's a
product called truest One, which is everybody can say, well,
you're not gonna have an overdraft product. That's that's a
simple way to say that. But remember if you know,
(41:36):
if you're not, if you don't have overdrafts, that means
the check where the payments getting returned. People sort of
lose that as a concept. So we said, well, look,
let's actually look at what's really important to clients. Uh.
And but by the way, but listen this define the
overdraft means literally, yeah, I overdrew my account. I had
a hundred dollars in and I wrote on her fifty
(41:58):
dollar check you know I just got you, or or
a digital payment, um. And and so we sort of
thought about what to our earlier concept. People are, you know,
on the cutting things close and what's most important to them.
So instead of saying just not over draft fees, which
we've said this will save clients three hundred million dollars
(42:19):
a year, which is fantastic. Over the course is all
this is all, this is gets underway, But we also
created a hundred dollar buffer the sos Okay, no matter
what happens, you sort of get a hundred dollar buffer
and the opportunity to have back to our seven or
fifty dollars in terms of emergency to have a seven
d fifty dollars of emergency credit lot. So it's not
only that I'm not getting charged for the overdraft. That's
(42:41):
an important components. But my check is not getting returned,
my rent check, my grocery bill, my school bill, whatever
it is. Is. So I think the concepts of not
that it's one product or one thing, but as a company,
we're trying to make decisions from a purposeful perspective. You know,
do do they do they make a difference? Are they meaningful? Uh?
(43:04):
And and the whole concept of you know, you know,
doing well by doing good. We're fundamental believers of that.
I mean, we're all you know, we're a for profit company,
there's no doubt about that. But that doesn't mean we
can't generate you know, activity by being fantastic citizens of
the communities. Amen, Amen, Amen, as we wrap this up,
(43:25):
and this has been a fantastic conversation with Bill Roger's
CEO and chairman of Truist six starters bank in Americas.
We wrapped this up. Buildings list of leaders who are
you've now we spoke, We've now spoken to want to
be builders, I'm building, want gonna build. We spoken to
family builders, a lot of different categories here. Drivers. There's
(43:47):
some leaders listening to this Bill as the last question.
There there's some leaders listening to big companies. They want
to know how do I in bed purpose in my
business plan? Can I do well and do good? Or
is this just a old Rogers thing? What do you
have to say to them? In closing? Well, I mean
they're you know, lots of fantastic leaders, and I think
(44:09):
the first place to start is just start with your
own personal why you know, why why am I doing this?
What what am I here for? Uh? Then start with
then you know, translate that into then what's the company's why?
You know? Why? Why why are we doing this? We're
not selling manufacturing and selling widgets? What is it that
(44:29):
the widgets do? What are the widgets support? How do
they make a difference? So do you know, what do
they create that that provides value somewhere down the line,
and try to make those connections. Uh. And then once
those connections are made, and if they're not made by
the way, then go make them. So right, So if
they're not made, to make them because maybe maybe maybe
(44:52):
that you know, you've got an opportunity to expand your
product line or your capability or service line to to
to to do that. Um. And then and then once
that happens, is create the momentum around that and communicate
around that. And I think that's what I think. I
think fundamentally, people want to work for companies that want
to stand that stand for something people want to do.
People want to do business with companies that want to
(45:13):
stand for something. You know, people want to do business
with a company that's you know, they're somebody's shoulder to
shoulder with them in the community. When they look around
and see who's you know, uh, you know, handing or
in the line, you know, dispensing something, and they look
and so, oh, that's a purple Truest sweatshirt. Oh wow,
that's pretty cool. They're right here with me, We're doing
(45:34):
this together. So I think I think it's just building
all that and then just making it. Making it not
if it's a slogan or a marketing item, you've lost
your way. You know. If it's how we make decisions,
is are we always asking that question? Then I think
we're on the path and we're all on the journey
by the way. I mean, I feel like I'm rounding
first base in this purpose journey, you know. I mean
(45:55):
I just think I'm just think I'm just getting started
and learning from others and uh, you know, seeking out
leaders and others who are who are leaving purposeful organizations.
John your one, I saw you know what you do
in your businesses, for example, your businesses that aren't hope
you know, you're racing business, and your home preservation businesses.
They all have broader context. You know. It's it's not
(46:17):
about racing, you know, it's about it's about creating an
inclusive environment. It's just just so happens to be something
you're interested in. But it's so, you know, you exemplified,
is building why around whatever it is you're doing. I
think I think maybe it's like an encapsulated Maybe it's
that simple. This is uh, been a great forty minutes
with one of the signature leaders in banking and financial
(46:40):
services in the world, because America is the large economy
in the world, the soul superpower still in the world.
So when you say he's the sixth largest bank in America,
you're saying something about his place in the world. And
so what he does here and what the truest family
does here can um amplify around the world like in
(47:00):
like step. And I am proud to call Bill Rogers
my friend. Um he's not perfect, but he's perfectly my friend.
And what what you can count on is what what
he means. What he says, he says what he means,
and he will never lead you astray. And by the way,
if you didn't catch that, they're hiring. So if you
need a job, but JLB, head over and get yourself
an application. They are hiring. And I'm let me tell
(47:22):
you them. They are paying what we call a living wage.
So go join the middle class. Okay, you just heard
building the Good Life with Bill Rogers, chairman and CEO
of the sixth largest bank in America. Truists. Uh, and
my friend, and this is the master class. And what
he told you and what you should have learned from
that is that we're actually is actually somewhat spiritual. We're
(47:44):
not human beings having a spiritual experience. We're spiritual beings
having a human experience. And we're all living our childhoods.
No matter where you are, wherever you come from, your
influenced by how you grew up. And then then look
at how you're influencing others, Watch how you look, you
live your life, and maybe the only Bible of anybody
else reads he was influenced by his grandfather and the
(48:05):
struggle of his mother, and the fact that his brother's
sister had to go get a job when they had
this wonderful, cushy life, and and and and the fact
that as they were coming up they were they had
privileges and access because they were white. Um that black
people other people don't have. Uh. And he recognizes that
life was for him wild tough, would have been much
tougher had he not had those embedded privileges. He's not
(48:26):
guilty about it, but he does feel a responsibility. As
Ambassador Andrew Young would say, is not his fault that
he was born black. Is that's another white person's fault
or responsibility that they were born white. But it is
all of our responsibility to take this moment and to
improve the software of our existence for others who come
after us. And that is what Bill is trying to
do at true as he's doing well and doing good.
(48:49):
That's the master class lesson here is a false choice
to say that you can have to succeed somebody else
has to fail, that you're gonna win, but somebody else
has to lose. But we're learning now is you can win, win,
the you can do well and do good to oh
wait a minute, do well by doing you is what
they're about, what he's about, and what I'm about. That's
(49:09):
twenty one century building the good life. This is John
O'Brien building the good life with John Hope Bryant. Is
brought to you by Credentials Financial
Building the Good Life with John Hope Bryant is brought
to you by Prudential Financial. John, things are built in stages.
I mean we we always said in our relationship with Hope.
You know what we said, we wanted our goal to
be We weren't necessarily going to be the largest donor, uh,
but consistent with our purpose of our company now, which
(00:21):
is to inspire and build better lives and communities. What
we said is we wanted to be first. We wanted
to be inspirational. We wanted to do things that people
could follow. We wanted to be I'd say, a pebble
in a pond, you know you you said, not whether
you be a boulder and upon them, but that we
do things that create ripples. This is John Hope Bryant,
(00:43):
and this is Building the Good Life. I'm here with
Bill Rogers, the chairman and chief executive Officer of Truest.
Truest is last time I checked, sixth largest bank in
America and growing. Bill Rogers comes with an incredible pedigree.
He was prior to the as president at Truest as
a result of a merger. Before that, he was CEO
(01:05):
of sun Trust Bank here in Atlanta, which is where
I met him. Bill Rogers and I met in a
quiet conference room while I was talking to It wasn't
a quiet with his predecessor, CEO, Jim Wales, who was
introducing us. And Bill didn't quite know what to make
of the guy he was meeting, so he just sat
there quiet and let me run my mouth and figure
out to see. I's gonna run it myself into a bitch.
And somehow these two odd fellows became very dear friends.
(01:30):
And I really consider a Bill today a brother from
another month. It was just a lot lighter, that's all. Bill.
What was it? What did you see in that conference room?
And why didn't you run for the hills with your
feet on fire when you meet well, John, thank you,
thank you for than for having me here. It's great
to be with you friend. And we have had a
(01:50):
we had a long relationship which is fantastic. And you
described sort of the beginning of that relationship. You know
part of it, and you've sent this a lot part
of it. You come with someone's endorsement, right, so Jim
Will said, Hey, I want you to meet this guy.
So so it starts there. We all, I mean, that's
part of the you know, community that we live in
and the way that we have to build opportunities for
(02:11):
each other as make you know, make those introductions. And
then John, I think you know, in Fairnace, all the
conversation was always looking forward. It was never you know,
it wasn't backward looking. It was And I want to
condemn you for doing this, or I want to criticize
you for doing this, you know and banking, but I
want to work with you on how we can do
(02:33):
things moving forward. It wasn't about left or right politically,
you know, those things weren't important. It's just how do
we work together and how do we make communities better?
And you know, quite franking, that's just I mean, I
just was drawn to that. Uh. And then you know, John,
I mean you're you've got a little charisma and a
little you know, a little magic of magic dust about you.
(02:55):
And uh, you know that that's build over to I'll
admit that we've got a bit of a man crush
on each other. At least I'll admit my my part. Uh,
He's build is really a cool dude, which is really
interesting thing to say about a banker. Uh and a
bank CEO. That's maybe the first time and only time
on mainstream media that Bill Rodgers or any top ten
CEO has been called a cool dude. But I but
(03:17):
I will take that. Let me let me underscore that
that's not just some you know, soft soap statement. We're
gonna get into some real serious issues here today. And
I don't want you to understand how to build, which
means you need to figure out how to get some
money out of this guy and his bank to invest
in your your dreams that start a business, to uh
grow a business, to uh build a home, to build
(03:38):
a home, a home life to uh to grow your dreams,
and which means you need to understand how to access
um all the opportunities and assets that they've got. It
is institution, so you need to understand how the game
is played to be uh, to be blunt. So we're
gonna get into that. But before we get into I
(04:00):
think you need to understand why I love this guy
so much. We were a lot of wonderful moments. This
particular moment I didn't share with him, but I did
view how he handled it, and I think this says
everything about Bill Rogers. So, um, I got a call
one day said, well, we just figured something out and
(04:20):
we need to figure out what to do about it.
The legacy bank that they acquired, going back over a
hundred years ago, uh, maybe even a hundred and fifty
years look at the numbers, UM was involved in, as
was almost every bank in that era slavery. In fact,
there is a bank I won't name the name, it's
not true, it's uh that actually found out they owned slaves.
(04:44):
So this is like a hundred and fifty years ago.
This is just disgusting part of our history. And every
banker I know who's who has discovered some association with
that past has run for the hills and tried their
best to ignore the topic, building run from it. He
(05:05):
ran into it and dealt with it. Why Bill, and
what what was it? What was going through your head?
And I thought your response was really quite honorable for
my ancestors, said so, thank you on behalf of all
those who came before me, and how you do But
what what did you do at that moment? And why? John?
(05:25):
Thank you? And I think you know, as we were
thinking about what the country was going through, particularly in
the aftermath of George Floyd, and you know, being purpose driven,
we had to think about what's our role. I mean,
what do what do we want to say? What do
we want to do not only within the four walls
of our company, but outside or how do we want
(05:47):
to represent ourselves and being you know, two financial institutions
that came together that were born in the South over
a hundred years ago. I mean we sort of start said,
you know the place we've got to start. We have
to acknowledge our history. You know, the benefits that our
company received, uh, you know, through the efforts of enslaved
(06:08):
people is just irrefutable. I mean that that just is
just there. I mean the businesses that we bank, the
communities that we served. I'm sure you know some of
the executives that let our companies. I mean just those
are just real things. And you know, particularly you know,
we sit here in Black History Month, it's important to
have that conversation. And we said, well, the first thing
(06:30):
we have to do is acknowledging. We have to acknowledge
that to our teammates, we have to acknowledge it to
our broader community. Uh. And then John, you were nice
enough to work with a you know, a group of leaders,
just fantastic leaders. Unbelievable that they would all say yes,
and we went and help us, help us talk about this,
and let's make sure we're thinking about things the right
(06:52):
way and looking forward, but looking forward and acknowledging our past,
and like everyone should learn from our past. And let's
aure out how to not make not I'm just not
gonna make that mistake again. But I don't we not
make mistakes again? And how do we move forward? And
as a result of that, you didn't just provide platitudes.
And by the way, for the listening audience, I don't
(07:13):
think you've ever heard a top ten banks CEO in
the history of America without fifteen handlers around them form
a sentence that had slavery in it and and not flinch.
That's Bill Rogers, he is um. Look a saint is
a center that got up. You want to find some
(07:34):
far with Bill Rogers, Yeah, you'll find it just as
his wife, who I know. You want to find some
fat with John Hopebryan, You'll find it as my wife.
I guarantee you She'll give you you. She'll give you
plea your father or ask my friends or my you
know whatever. We're none of us perfect, right. The question
is not what happens to you, But how did you
(07:55):
respond to it? And life is ten percent with life
does to you and nine percent you respond to it.
I'm always looking for the response because the problems are
gonna be there. Our history in this country is just messy.
I mean, it's just democracies are messy, capitalism is messy,
and free enterprise and it's messy. But but freedom of
opportunities should be assured and build responded with the bank
(08:20):
by making an incredible commitment to all things I believe
that matters. And massive investments in HBCUs. I'll let him
get into that, hopefully. And part of this conversation, massive
investments in institutions UH, not just a higher learning but
nonprofits community base who are making a difference around what
(08:44):
I call social justice to an economic lens in the
underserved communities. UM. A twenty million dollar investment for somebodys
I keep wanting to say, forty men, and maybe I'm
being an aspirational bill. A twenty million dollar investment in
Operation Hope UM to allow us to exp band the
Hope inside locations within the truest branch network. UM. We
(09:06):
will probably end up being half of all in half
of all truest branches. They have two thousand bank branches.
That means we'll be into a thousand branches. That's transformational. Um,
that's game changing, and in many ways, it's a direct
response from the banking industry to what Abraham Lincoln was
dreaming about with the Freedman's Bank in eighteen sixty five
(09:30):
March three, when he created a bank chartered to quote
to teach free slaves about money and Domassau their savings.
Now you may not know that history, but it exists.
It's been lost to history because Lincoln was killed the
next month. The free The vision for forty acres was
January eighteen sixty five. Looked that up field, Actually fifteen
a mule. We worked that lance hard. Secretary of War
(09:52):
Stanton General Sherman said, my god, there's so industrious day
African Americans. Give them a mule. It's like saying, invest attractor,
forty acres in a mule. January February ac five March
came the Freeman's Bureau Act, which was Hospitals and Institutions
of Higher Learning, which led to HBC use historically black
college universities, and the Freeman's Beer also created the Freeman's Bank. Unfortunately,
(10:15):
Abrahem was killed in April the next month, and that mission,
with that vision was lost for a hundred and fifty years.
I covered the history in my book The Memo, and
we're gonna get into a story in a minute. I
bet that Bill Rogers lost with me, I wondering if
we were gonna go there. But just the fear is
that finish this serious coment. They made this investment, just
(10:38):
in my example, into the Hope and Side network, which
is raising credit scores, getting people access to capital, letting
people start business and become homeowners who people look like
me and others. Uh to give them a hand up
and not a hand out. I believe in the James
Brown version of affirmative action. Open the door. I'll get
it myself. And then they invested also in the one
Million Black Business Initiatives one m b B, which is
(11:00):
a lead commitment from Shopify a hundred thirty million dollars.
They came behind it the Truest and said, let's create
new black business in America. So I think that this
is the rainbow after the storm, at least as relates
to how Truest has stood up. I want to see
other banks follow uh Bill's lead. Now, Bill, Uh, you
know I've had moments uh, one of which I don't
(11:24):
know if you remember. I think you dud jabbed you
about it. About a month ago. I was in your office. Um,
you were the first to give me a shot at
an institution, a major institution, putting hope inside in one
of your bank breaches. You told me initially not to
ask you for money, let you control the budget. I
thought you're being cheap by the way, uh and um
and you and to trust you. I trusted you. We
(11:46):
put five or ten locations in your offices, and then
we went from that to five and now we're looking
at a thousand. So that bet was right. But I
remember the first time I actually got some money, I
mean some real money, A million dollars. Do you remember that, Bill?
I do, John, Yes, And I came in your office
to get the check. This is back look at Mellon Dolls.
(12:08):
There's always a lot of money. But this is when
I've never seen a million dollar check in my life.
And I was coming to pick my check up for
operational million dollars. And I'm in Bill's office, and I mean,
I'm into Bill have a dream. I sounded like Dr
King Junior Junior junior. I had a dream of fake
not a very good doctor. I want to do this
I have do you, Bill? Do you remember what you
(12:29):
told me your John? You're gonna have to do it
on your own. Doesn't Bill want cop to this? I'm
running my mouth. I'm running my mouth, Bill city John
that we're friends. John, please take yes for an answer,
take the million dollars and get into my office before
I changed my mind. Don't talk past the clothes. This
(12:53):
is a good This is a good lesson for upcoming entrepreneurs.
Don't talk past the clothes. Get any It was like
I got another meeting, the checks, the check will clear,
but you got to leave my office. Why is it
important for you? Know? We're friends, and it was it
was joking, But that's actually a very good lesson for people. Bill.
(13:14):
Why less is less more important in business and in banking? Well,
I mean, John, things are built in stages. I mean
we we always said in our relationship with Hope. You
know what we said, we wanted our goal to be
we weren't necessarily going to be the largest donor, uh,
(13:36):
but consistent with our purpose of our company now, which
is to inspire and build better lives and communities. What
we said is we wanted to be first. We wanted
to be inspirational. We wanted to do things that people
could follow. We wanted to be I'd say a pebble
in a pond, you know you you said not rather
you'd be a boulder and upon them. But that we
(13:57):
do things that create ripples and use our company, use
our relationship to yeah, to get on the edge of
innovation and to do and look not everything we've done
is worked perfectly by the way we know that. I
mean things are done to sort thought, well, I didn't
work that great. Uh. And then other things that we've started,
we've learned how to scale together. And that's the that's
(14:19):
the magic of doing well. As anybody can innovate small,
that's that's actually not that hard. But innovating at scale
and innovating for purpose that's really really hard work. And
so your point of the point was there is don't
don't sell all the ripples. Let's get the pebble in
the pond first, and then let's figure out figure out
(14:40):
what they're doing, what are they creating? Right? And I
think also if you're an upcoming entrepreneur, a business person,
a dreamer. You start with selling this dream and you
you really all you have that moment is your mouth
and your hustle. That's very valuable. But when you're in
front of a banker, you have to understand. And they're like,
(15:00):
can if there's an end of this story, can we
please start there? I don't use twenty words when two
will do. You're gonna make the banker nervous. I'm serious,
like you, you'll you keep talking, you'll free bankers out
because the entrepreneur is like on going on fire, but
the banker is conservatives. The banker, you know, the entwinner
trying to drive down the road, the bankers trying to
keep you on the road. And if you start talking
(15:23):
so much and you're you're excited when you're hitting the roof,
you're you know, you're like you're on a controlled substance
or an uncontrolled one, you actually might talk yourself out
of a deal. The banker might actually because it's about
texture and and and and your you know, are you
and I only say stable, but are you? Are you grounded?
Are you gonna leave that office and go buy a Ferrari?
(15:43):
And A three Bentley's and a and and go and
get on private jets and lose your mind versus being
mindful of your business plan. They want you sober, I
don't mean, I don't mean legally sober. They want you
to have sort of a straight ahead, unimpeachable, unshakable commitment
to what you told them you're gonna do with that money. Bill,
(16:05):
Is that right? I think I think that's right, John May.
But don't don't throw bankers out, you know completely, and
that we want to. We want to we want to
understand what the future is and what the vision is.
But our jobs also to protect the downside, you know,
and to understand, you know, how the foundations being built.
We want to hear what's going to be built on
(16:26):
the foundation. Absolutely, that's exciting. That's why we're in this business.
Part fact, that is why I love being a banker.
But we want to understand how strong the foundation is.
You know, if you want to build up skyscraper audit,
then it's got to be pretty darned strong. Uh, And
we need to understand that. But don't don't, don't throw
us out of the vision. Yeah, well, you know, but
(16:48):
Bill is a Bill is a bit of an outline.
He says that he really does want to hear, as
you just heard from his own mouth, your dreams. But
I've met enough of folks who are just they want be,
They want to be first and second place. They they
don't want to their capital is for them as a coward.
They want the safest place to hide. They And you know,
if if they've never seen an African American, in my case,
(17:11):
mail come in looking for big figures, big numbers, you know,
they may be looking at the nuances, the subtleties and
um and the little things and not just your you know,
your collateral and your application in front of you. And
so you've gotta be able to work the the magic
of what kind of culture you create in their head
(17:31):
that matches your business plan. And uh, don't just bank
on the on you're gonna meet a Bill Rodgers. Uh.
In fact, hope for the best, expect the worst, and
condition your mind for whatever happens. You know, Dcorne didn't
go to the mall and say I have a dream
that GDP will grow by two percent a year. But
that is that is what bankers have to hope for.
(17:53):
And so I think you've You've got to be able
to understand the role of everybody. And America would not
be America without banking. You can't grow communities without banking.
Uh So we need to understand what their criteria is
and their stresses and uh as you want them to
understand yours. I'll say this one last thing and we'll
(18:17):
get back to a couple of things I want to
share with the audience. But I remember a rapper was
complaining about, uh oh, this banking do it. It's bad
to me and you know, foreclosing on my stuff. Wait,
wait a minute. You weren't upset when you wouldn't got
the loan when they gave you the loan for the
mansion and toy gave you the loan for the car,
you know, But when you lost your money and then
(18:37):
pay the loan, all of a sudden, now the banker
is a bad person. Look, you don't pay me back,
I'm gonna be upset with you. So I think that
we have to understand the delicate role that banking plays
in society and understand how to make that system work
for us, which is why it operates. Hope, we're getting
credit scores up fifty four points working with. That's some
(19:00):
of the work we're doing together. Bill, by the way,
and getting in a hundred, it's at fifty four points
in six months, a hundred twenty points and twenty four months,
and nothing changes your life more than God or loved
the movie. Your credit score a hundred twenty points because
the banker cannot tell you yes for a dream for
small business below seven hundred credit score generally speaking, because
it's considered a risky credit. But then never tell you
(19:20):
that because bankers, you know, might get sued for nine
thousand things and regulations. But I'm telling you, you've got
to get to a point where the banker can can
afford to say yes to you, and truest is trying
to lean back in to say yes to you. By
the way, they're not a sponsor to this show them.
I'm getting nothing out of this. I'm just telling you.
(19:42):
I believe that they are walking their talk Bill before
we get into the mission and all that. I have
to rib you. We had a bet, were you done Mud,
(20:02):
would you like me to just just do it? John?
Just yes, I would. Actually, I've got to own the
fact that I would. I would because of the sixth
largest I'll own it. So, um, John was telling me
about this vision of the Freedman's bank. Uh and and
look in furnace. I had to go look in history
(20:23):
to the Freedman's back, so you know. But so the
concept was just fantastic for the Freedman's back. And John,
you really, um, you know, I had a vision for
how to talk about this from that concept. So I
spent a lot of time trying to understand. And uh.
And then you told me you had this plan that
you were going to get a building at Treasury named
(20:44):
after the Freedman's back. Well, I've worked a lot in
d C. And I know how things work, and I
know the speed at which things go. And um, and
you had a timeline up on which you're going to
do this, and I just told you you couldn't get it,
and that you really shouldn't go spend your time doing
some all the things. And you know you're tilting the
(21:05):
windmills and it is just sadn't gonna be helpful. And
I bet you a full dollar about I want my dollar.
I've given you your dollar. And there's two I always
been uh and uh, not only did it happen, Not
only did it get named and I and I also
(21:25):
promised you that if it happened, I would go whatever
celebration there was, whatever that I that I would that
I would be there. But I remember not only that
it happened, that was fantastic, but the meeting that that
you and I were able to go to UH with,
you know, to two of my heroes, UM C. Vibian
(21:46):
and sit there with you know at the time Secretary
lou and we went all through the formal stuff. But
the you know, the point you and have on this
before the PhD class though, that I got at the
civil rights movement and the only time in my entire
life I've heard John Bryant not to have a word
to say was when you and I came back and
spent time with those two fantastic leaders, and both of
(22:10):
us just sat back and listened to them, and John
in terms of, you know, probably the most impactful whatever
it is, three hours of my life that that might
have been it right then. So the dollar bet with
you was interesting. The Freedman Bank part was fantastic, But
just to have a chance to sit at the you know,
(22:30):
the cradle of the civil rights movement and understand not
only what happened, but was what was going to happen
with the future, was and you know, trying to develop
some personal ownership and what those rape men got started. Amen,
and am bashl Young and Guy Risis Soul, Reverend CT Vivian. Uh,
(22:51):
we're literally right there for the second um reconstruction the
civil rights movement in this country. I think we're in
the third reconstruction right now, which I believe is social
justice to an economic lens. But they were, they were
part of the architectural framework for this country, and we
owe them a debt. And thank you for recognizing UM
(23:11):
their contribution. Bill and what you just said, I think
it's instructive for listeners on building a family raising children
because you didn't just pat me on the head and
give me platitudes. You said what you believe. I don't
think it's gonna work. You're wasting your time. Love is
not always pat somebody on the head and telling them
what they want to hear. Now, you put more fuel
(23:33):
in my my belly to go get it done. By
the way, by saying that, so you were actually helpful.
But we have to understand that I read much rather
people respect me to learn to like me than like me,
and never respect me. And that's the role of a parent.
Your kids may not like you, that's okay. They may
not like what you're saying to them, that's okay. You're
doing it for their best entriest. You're giving them the
(23:56):
tools they need to succeed in society. And Bill gave
me good instructions on what he thought. And by the way,
he was right on how Washington works. So I went
into Washington knowing that all odds were against me, and
knowing I couldn't go to the front door write letters
and do a petition, and all of a sudden, I
had to find another business plan to become the only
(24:18):
person in American history to rename a building in the
White House campus. And so even in Bill telling me
that I couldn't do it, he was being a friend
and being a mentor and being an advisor. So don't
I learned to take no for vitamins, That is what
I'm telling Also, John told you I'd be there if
you got it, dun and you and you kept your commitment,
(24:39):
and you showed up and I got a free I
got a free ride in the jet. Me and me
and Red bashelor young and c in ct in ct
VV and we all had a wonderful time. Listen, A
lot of what I think Bill your character comes from
comes from your parents. And if I remember right, your
grandparents and people. This perception that old Bill is a
(24:59):
c old is big, one of the largest banks in
the world. He's wealthy, he's never had a problem in
the world. That's just not true, isn't right? But Billy,
your your grandfather was I think of either are pharmacists
or at a shopkeeper in Atlanta? Is that right? Well? Actually, uh,
John in North Carolina, North Carolina, Okay, I grew up
(25:21):
in I grew up in Durham and actually only knew
one grandparent. My mother's parents passed before before I was born,
and my grandfather actually died when my father was ten.
But I know I got to see and John, you
asked me about this. I'm not always comfortable talking about
my own personal history because this is all about teams
and not about one person. But I when my father
(25:44):
passed away, um a little while ago, and I got
to I got to look him through. I knew the
history and I knew, you know, how hard he worked
and you know, having lost his father ten years old.
But but he gave me a picture album and it
just brought it home to me as I saw this
flipping through these pictures. And you know, before he passed away,
(26:06):
he married. When he was older, he was w War
one veteran, very successful pharmacists. They you know, they were
the local pharmacist. That was the big deal in town.
And uh, you know, all the pictures of beaches and
parties and you know, trips, and then all of a
sudden they just stopped and there wasn't another picture. Uh,
(26:26):
And that was just a you know, an awakening that
in the you know, in your concept of building the
good life, there wasn't There wasn't planning. There wasn't financial planning,
there wasn't by sell agreements there well, they didn't do
insurance and all that stuff. So they went from living
a really good life. My father and his and his
two sisters too, you know, they had nothing. Yeah. My
(26:48):
grandmother was a emergency room nurse and um at the
VA hospital and they took in borders and everybody got
a job and you know, life changed. And you know
this is the message that you know, John an Operation
to Hope has been talking about is it's not it's
not about having the good life. That's building the good life.
(27:09):
And then there's a second sequel which is protecting the
good life, right, you know. And that was just a
strong visual for me that that's an important part of
this part of this context. And and clearly this is
about teams that truest and what you do this way,
you role, what I understand that you you I can't
(27:30):
find anything where you've been out front taking credit for
anything is going to drag you, gonna drag you to
the spotlight because I think the world needs to see
people like you. It always frustrates me billing all the
all the loud people are idiots. I mean not all
of them, but I mean all the all the mean, nasty,
mean spirit, angry lead so called leaders. They're allowed and
(27:53):
they're good in marketing. And then all of the great
guys and ladies they're sort of meek and understated and
they want to the way to see them. And and
I think, I really think we need to flip the
script here. We need need some good guys and ladies
who take the point and say, no, look, here's another
business plan of what works, hope wins and rainbows follow storms,
(28:16):
and the universe is backing hope and love and compassion
and empathy and and joy and belief hope. I mean,
the universe is backing that. And your story. Granted, Dad
had um hit a wall, the family had to pivot,
(28:36):
but you you, you, you believed in the universe, backed
that belief and you ended up okay. And I think
you have empathy and compassion for others because of that.
Am I right about that? Well? Yeah, John, But I
also recognized they also worked denied access to anything, you know,
so you know, so you know it was tough. But
(28:58):
by the way, know the color of their skin, the
places they were helped, you know, so they were able
to get an education, They weren't deny a job, they
weren't denied access to something. So you also have to
recognize that too. I think these this, you know, it
goes together. There's a lot of learning and everything. I hope,
I hope the listeners can play back. I hope you.
(29:21):
First of all, he swerved off the road when they
just hurt this very prominent man acknowledge his privilege. Um,
he didn't say it in that way, but that's this
is this, this is what he said, is being Caucasian
helped his family? It was, it was it was a
credit card and a credit line that was articulated. Whereas
(29:42):
if you're black or your brown, or your woman or whatever,
the struggle was harder. The struggle is real, you know,
And he's acknowledging that that's also part of leadership, This
sense of decency. How important is that for your how
(30:03):
you lead? Bill? I mean, John, I think the whole
concept of you know, for us leading a leading a purpose,
lead company. You know, we we use the words trustworthy,
we use the words care, we use the words one team.
I mean, those are all synonymous for decency. Is you know,
(30:24):
you've got to be a good citizen of the world
as sort of a starting point. I mean, you can't
you can't. You know, you can't affect change if you
don't come at it from a you know, a core
value system. We had our company, John, I mean, we
ask everybody to articulate their own personal purpose. You know,
we have a company, we have a company purpose, which
(30:46):
inspired Bill better lives and communities. But we asked everybody
to talk about their own purpose. Why are they here?
What's their why? What? Why? What are they trying to accomplish,
and you know you'll always find in the in the
then diagrams you know that overlap each other. There will
be a connection with your personal purpose and the company's purpose.
That's when it really comes alive. That's when the engine
(31:08):
really starts going. But it's just equal, it's equally important.
And we think for everybody to recognize for us and
we have individuals, they all have a you know, a
personal purpose, a why of some type, and for them
to be able to share that with each other, you know,
share that with their teammates, share that with their clients, uh,
(31:30):
and then articulate how it fits in terms of what
the overall companies can be trying to accomplish. I think
that's when everybody realizes, you know, the purpose of their
work and the purpose of their lives, and that's what
matters at the end of the day, right, I mean,
that's the when we you know, when the proverbial you know,
(31:52):
obituary has written. You know, we wanted to be about
the purpose of our lives, not the job that we did.
And when they can come together, which we think we
can accomplish the truest, that's the that's the magic for us.
Building the good life is brought to you by Prudential Financial.
For over one and forty five years, millions of people
(32:13):
have counted on Prudential to help solve for life's most
important financial needs because at Prudential they live their purpose
to make life better by solving for the financial challenges
of our changing world. Prudentials Who's Your Rock campaign is
also about helping people reach new heights and providing a
platform for people to reach their financial goals. Yeah, and
(32:35):
the rubber meet met the road a couple of times
I saw in that regard. Recently, you guys joined Financial
Literacy for All getting coachaired by me, the CEO of
Walmart Millan, and um, you guys said it to your associates,
if you go through this financial wellness program and leave,
you guys call it on up movement, that we will
the company invest in your financial will being. And I
(32:58):
think it was something like seven d dollars give or
take her. Individual who went through this programming, you set
up an account for them basically a rainy day acount,
a rainy day fund for you know, in case they
stumbled like everybody else does. And this is important because
Americans pre pre pandemic did not have forty dollars for
(33:19):
an unplanned event. That's a big deal. Did I get
that number right now? Seventary bucks? Yeah, well, you're you're
you're right, ghn, You're right at it. And you know,
we we had this view that we wanted to do
this for our communities. We've got all these statistics, all
the things that you talked about those who don't have enough,
say for an emergency, and those things have the ripple effect.
That's it. You know, I can't fix my car, I
(33:40):
can't go to my job, I get to lose my job.
I can't fix my car, I can't go to class
on time, I drop out of school. I mean, these
people think it's these big events as small events that
that that's the opposite effect of the ripple effect we
talked about. That's the pebble that can create the ripples
that can destroy someone's life. And we just you know,
and the mistakes that c e O s make, you know,
(34:03):
I presume that you know, we would be different with
our you know, with our teammates, and you know, we
did a lot of study, and they runder the same
financial stress. And that's just logical. That's not surprising. That's
not you know, meant to condemn them. It's meant to
support them that that yes, they're inder the same kind
of financial stress. So we started this for our own company, uh,
(34:24):
and then you know, joining with with you and Doug
was great because we started this with with other companies
as well, and we've got all over three companies that
we work with them and provide you know, basically at
cost of me. You know, this same opportunity for them
to do that for you know, for their employees and
and you know, great chances to partner with with you
(34:45):
and with other organizations and trying to trying to try
to do this. I think this concept of employer well
being you know, sort of tie the paycheck and the
education together. I think it's really really powerful. I think
this is an important I think financial literacy is a
civil rights issue of our of our generation. Um, we
(35:06):
got to reaffirm the right to vote, of course, but
it is I think the color is not black or white,
or red or blue. It's green, as in the color
U s currency. And we need more of We need
more of it, and we they need need to understand
how to use it versus having it use them and uh.
And this financial lunacy for all movement is I think
(35:27):
part of that. I think this is what healthcare was
years ago. Financial well being in the in the workplace,
and then going into schools and so on and so forth,
all of which you and I have talked about on
the on the occasion of Black History Month, but also
extending throughout the year because this evergreen people will be
continuing to listen to this story. Um, I think Bill,
(35:48):
we're sitting in a moment in history right now. Challenge
me on this. I think that this is a one
in one year opportunity we have right now to create
a change in this country and by extension, to change
in the world. I think of the new movements in
the suites, not just the streets. Civil rights, as you know,
I call it, not civil rights, not just civil rights.
I think that this is about social justice through an
(36:11):
economic lens. So, if that is the question, if you
don't totally disagree with it, what are some of the
things that you and true as are doing right now
and in the future to affect social justice through economic lens? Well,
I do agree, John, And you know, we talked about
core core issues like voting rights and critical, but the
(36:32):
financial education and financial uh, you know, competency are the
table stakes and the currency to participate, you know, in
this economy. And you know we we have you know,
we have a strength in the economy, but the ability
to do it where it is more inclusive. If just
a few of us win, you know, that's not winning. Uh,
(36:54):
you know, when it's got to be an environment where
we're all focused on the denominator, not the numerator of
this equation. You know, the goal is to expand the
you know, to expand as as many people as possible
that can participate, uh, in this lat American dream and
this you know, John, you talk a lot of its
only life, but the core foundational elements of that are
(37:16):
just you know, grounded in in you know, in in
financial education and expanding that to be financial inclusion. I
think I think we got to take the topic a
little bit further because I think the same financial education
alone might be a little bit of a cop out, right,
So I think so as I started thinking about it
(37:36):
and talk about it, it's just a lot more about
financial inclusion and making sure that more people are participated
in this process. And part of what we do through
truist momentum is uh is I think you know a
big part of that, you know that what we do
and and you know, part of our part of our merger,
I mean part of our merger was creating a sixty
(37:56):
billion dollar community benefits plan. And on the surface that
sounded like a really big number. And but but to
be able to you know, create affordable housing, to be
able to you know, to to operate in open locations
and communities that need US mode to provide digital access,
to the communities that need US mode to provide broadband
(38:18):
uh for you know, locations, and people to to experience,
you know, all this digital revolution that's happening not only
in their classroom but in their bank. Um. Those are
all parts of that, parts of that component, and trying
to make sure that we're providing the poor skills, capabilities,
access and inclusion to everything that is part of this
(38:39):
you know, fantastic American dream that we all want to
benefit from. You've brought You've also brought people of color
into your executive ranks, Dante Wilson being one of them
to get his title. But it annoy easing the c
suite there um and um and women. So also your
(39:00):
your your board and your management team. I know this
person is a black female on your board of directors. Uh,
there's a blackmail on your board directors, I believe as well.
So you sort of living living your truth? What as
we wrap up here two things? What um do you
want the audience to know listeners to know about what
(39:23):
Truest is doing? And by the way, I was wrong
on the name. I told you I thought this name stuck.
I said, I don't know why you picked it. I
don't know why you change the name from the name,
Why you pick sun Trust? It was a great name,
legacy name. This is ridiculous. What's this up with this color?
I was wrong about it all The color is cool,
it's sexy without being overwhelming. The Truest is unique. It
(39:47):
builds on the word trust. In my view, I don't know,
you know, I don't know that if your fact, but
I know I know that's what I think about I think,
so just full acknowledgement. You you acknowledge one. I'll take
one of the chin I would wrong. Bill, you're right.
So what do you want the audience to know about
what's coming? What you're doing? Yeah? Okay, John, I think
(40:07):
that this whole concept of being you know, purpose led company,
it has to impact the decisions that you make, It
has to impact who you hire. John, we have a
very diverse board. You've given us a narrow definition. We've
got a very diverse leadership team. We committed to uh,
you know, being in excess of fift of our senior
(40:30):
leaders of being being diverse in three years. We did
it in two years. And I made the kind of
that's just like the beginning, that's just like the table stakes.
I mean, you just have to start there is creating
the momentum to create an environment. So, you know, a
couple of things that want people to know about us
is one as we're a fantastic place to work, you know,
I mean, we're a company that you can come and
(40:52):
be your whole self. You can you don't have to
be somebody different. We want your we want your you know,
diverse you know opinions. We want to be a company
that's inclusive and people gonna have a fantastic career and
grow here. And uh, you know, the only the only
you know, the thing that's going to get in their
way as their own performance, you know, their own ability
to you know, to deliver and do it in a
(41:14):
doing in a purposeful way. Uh. And we want to
have that same view with what we're doing in the
in the community. We made a decision recently that I
think was totally aligned with purpose. Uh. And it's a
product called truest One, which is everybody can say, well,
you're not gonna have an overdraft product. That's that's a
simple way to say that. But remember if you know,
(41:36):
if you're not, if you don't have overdrafts, that means
the check where the payments getting returned. People sort of
lose that as a concept. So we said, well, look,
let's actually look at what's really important to clients. Uh.
And but by the way, but listen this define the
overdraft means literally, yeah, I overdrew my account. I had
a hundred dollars in and I wrote on her fifty
(41:58):
dollar check you know I just got you, or or
a digital payment, um. And and so we sort of
thought about what to our earlier concept. People are, you know,
on the cutting things close and what's most important to them.
So instead of saying just not over draft fees, which
we've said this will save clients three hundred million dollars
(42:19):
a year, which is fantastic. Over the course is all
this is all, this is gets underway, But we also
created a hundred dollar buffer the sos Okay, no matter
what happens, you sort of get a hundred dollar buffer
and the opportunity to have back to our seven or
fifty dollars in terms of emergency to have a seven
d fifty dollars of emergency credit lot. So it's not
only that I'm not getting charged for the overdraft. That's
(42:41):
an important components. But my check is not getting returned,
my rent check, my grocery bill, my school bill, whatever
it is. Is. So I think the concepts of not
that it's one product or one thing, but as a company,
we're trying to make decisions from a purposeful perspective. You know,
do do they do they make a difference? Are they meaningful? Uh?
(43:04):
And and the whole concept of you know, you know,
doing well by doing good. We're fundamental believers of that.
I mean, we're all you know, we're a for profit company,
there's no doubt about that. But that doesn't mean we
can't generate you know, activity by being fantastic citizens of
the communities. Amen, Amen, Amen, as we wrap this up,
(43:25):
and this has been a fantastic conversation with Bill Roger's
CEO and chairman of Truist six starters bank in Americas.
We wrapped this up. Buildings list of leaders who are
you've now we spoke, We've now spoken to want to
be builders, I'm building, want gonna build. We spoken to
family builders, a lot of different categories here. Drivers. There's
(43:47):
some leaders listening to this Bill as the last question.
There there's some leaders listening to big companies. They want
to know how do I in bed purpose in my
business plan? Can I do well and do good? Or
is this just a old Rogers thing? What do you
have to say to them? In closing? Well, I mean
they're you know, lots of fantastic leaders, and I think
(44:09):
the first place to start is just start with your
own personal why you know, why why am I doing this?
What what am I here for? Uh? Then start with
then you know, translate that into then what's the company's why?
You know? Why? Why why are we doing this? We're
not selling manufacturing and selling widgets? What is it that
(44:29):
the widgets do? What are the widgets support? How do
they make a difference? So do you know, what do
they create that that provides value somewhere down the line,
and try to make those connections. Uh. And then once
those connections are made, and if they're not made by
the way, then go make them. So right, So if
they're not made, to make them because maybe maybe maybe
(44:52):
that you know, you've got an opportunity to expand your
product line or your capability or service line to to
to to do that. Um. And then and then once
that happens, is create the momentum around that and communicate
around that. And I think that's what I think. I
think fundamentally, people want to work for companies that want
to stand that stand for something people want to do.
People want to do business with companies that want to
(45:13):
stand for something. You know, people want to do business
with a company that's you know, they're somebody's shoulder to
shoulder with them in the community. When they look around
and see who's you know, uh, you know, handing or
in the line, you know, dispensing something, and they look
and so, oh, that's a purple Truest sweatshirt. Oh wow,
that's pretty cool. They're right here with me, We're doing
(45:34):
this together. So I think I think it's just building
all that and then just making it. Making it not
if it's a slogan or a marketing item, you've lost
your way. You know. If it's how we make decisions,
is are we always asking that question? Then I think
we're on the path and we're all on the journey
by the way. I mean, I feel like I'm rounding
first base in this purpose journey, you know. I mean
(45:55):
I just think I'm just think I'm just getting started
and learning from others and uh, you know, seeking out
leaders and others who are who are leaving purposeful organizations.
John your one, I saw you know what you do
in your businesses, for example, your businesses that aren't hope
you know, you're racing business, and your home preservation businesses.
They all have broader context. You know. It's it's not
(46:17):
about racing, you know, it's about it's about creating an
inclusive environment. It's just just so happens to be something
you're interested in. But it's so, you know, you exemplified,
is building why around whatever it is you're doing. I
think I think maybe it's like an encapsulated Maybe it's
that simple. This is uh, been a great forty minutes
with one of the signature leaders in banking and financial
(46:40):
services in the world, because America is the large economy
in the world, the soul superpower still in the world.
So when you say he's the sixth largest bank in America,
you're saying something about his place in the world. And
so what he does here and what the truest family
does here can um amplify around the world like in
(47:00):
like step. And I am proud to call Bill Rogers
my friend. Um he's not perfect, but he's perfectly my friend.
And what what you can count on is what what
he means. What he says, he says what he means,
and he will never lead you astray. And by the way,
if you didn't catch that, they're hiring. So if you
need a job, but JLB, head over and get yourself
an application. They are hiring. And I'm let me tell
(47:22):
you them. They are paying what we call a living wage.
So go join the middle class. Okay, you just heard
building the Good Life with Bill Rogers, chairman and CEO
of the sixth largest bank in America. Truists. Uh, and
my friend, and this is the master class. And what
he told you and what you should have learned from
that is that we're actually is actually somewhat spiritual. We're
(47:44):
not human beings having a spiritual experience. We're spiritual beings
having a human experience. And we're all living our childhoods.
No matter where you are, wherever you come from, your
influenced by how you grew up. And then then look
at how you're influencing others, Watch how you look, you
live your life, and maybe the only Bible of anybody
else reads he was influenced by his grandfather and the
(48:05):
struggle of his mother, and the fact that his brother's
sister had to go get a job when they had
this wonderful, cushy life, and and and and the fact
that as they were coming up they were they had
privileges and access because they were white. Um that black
people other people don't have. Uh. And he recognizes that
life was for him wild tough, would have been much
tougher had he not had those embedded privileges. He's not
(48:26):
guilty about it, but he does feel a responsibility. As
Ambassador Andrew Young would say, is not his fault that
he was born black. Is that's another white person's fault
or responsibility that they were born white. But it is
all of our responsibility to take this moment and to
improve the software of our existence for others who come
after us. And that is what Bill is trying to
do at true as he's doing well and doing good.
(48:49):
That's the master class lesson here is a false choice
to say that you can have to succeed somebody else
has to fail, that you're gonna win, but somebody else
has to lose. But we're learning now is you can win, win,
the you can do well and do good to oh
wait a minute, do well by doing you is what
they're about, what he's about, and what I'm about. That's
(49:09):
twenty one century building the good life. This is John
O'Brien building the good life with John Hope Bryant. Is
brought to you by Credentials Financial
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