December 26, 2023 • 20 mins
The BluePrint Connect Podcast LIVE is an extension of this year's 7th annual, 2023 Waymaker Men's Summit. "Dive into the world of success, ambition, and inspiration! Join us for a special podcast episode featuring the Founder of Alkeme Health, Ryan Mundy, presented by DOVE Men+Care. Mundy delves into his transition from football to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the vital importance of men focusing on their mental well-being. He shares insights on finding security and transparency within the Black male community. Welcome to this special podcast episode featured at the #1 Men's Empowerment Conference in the country. Enjoy the show!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm Mulewi's Carr, host of the Blueprint Connect podcasts. The
Blueprint Connect podcast is an extension of the Waymaker Men Summit,
where we have consistently given men a prescription for growth,
not just for themselves, but also their families and their communities.
During these podcasts, we will educate and motivate our listeners
(00:24):
about entrepreneurship, careers, finance, health and relationship. This episode is
brought to you by Dove Men plus Care. Median culture
often point to what women need to do for self care,
but we don't see nearly as much conversation about that
for men. However, when men practice self care, the results
(00:48):
are astonishing. Research commission by Duve men plus Care through
its Helping Dad's Care study commission by Permundo in twenty
eighteen found that men who practice self care are twice
as likely to feel better balance in their lives than
men who do not. Dub Men plus Care no self
(01:11):
care matters. It's time for all men to know that
it matters too. Relying at the seventh annual Waymaker Men
Summit in Chicago, So welcome to the special podcast episode
featured at the Number one Men in Parliament Conference in
the Country Waymaker Men Summit.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Welcome to the Waymaker Studio Podcast. Happy to have joined
me here, Ryan Monday, Ryan welcome, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Tell me how you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I'm feeling well. I'm feeling energized. It's been quite the summer,
took some time for myself to level set, and I'm
ready to finish the year shrunk. So I'm feeling well.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
That's really important coming from you, because tell us what
you do currently.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I am founder and CEO of Alchemy Health. We are
a mental health and wellness platform specific focused on the
Black community. We make mental health video courses, meditations, and
live workshops on our platform.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Ryan, this is so critically important, particularly in our community,
particularly for black men. Talk about why mental health is
so important for us. A healthy life starts with a
healthy mind. We can look at all the chronic conditions
that show.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Up throughout the world, whether it's type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease.
There's a lot of literature and research that's starting to
come out that talks about like lifestyle and like what
drives are healthy and a positive and a strong lifestyle.
It's our mindset and how can we take good care
of ourselves if we're dealing with anxiety, dealing with stress,
(02:39):
dealing with depression, and so we FIR I firmly believe
and we firmly believe that a healthy life starts with
a healthy mind.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Ryan, what brought you to this work?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And it was my personal experience. My background is in athletics.
I played football for twenty four years, and more specifically,
I played eight as a professional, five in Pittsburgh, one
in New York with the Giants, and then two with
the Chicago Bears. And after I ended my career at
the age of thirty one, I was dealing with all
those conditions that I talked about, stress, anxiety, depression, identity issues,
(03:10):
trying to figure out who and what I was when
I was no longer tackling somebody, and that experience I
found myself I really couldn't buy my way to help.
And I realized for in that moment that if I
was going through it and I had resources available to me,
then what were the folks who looked like me and
my communities all across the country, what were they going through?
And so that experience really really prompted me to get
(03:32):
and bring Alchemy Health into the world.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
It really comes stronger as a former professional athlete because
at some point the applause stops for everybody, Yes, sir,
So when you start to think about where you were
and recognizing that applause stopping, how did you deal with
coming to the end of your football career?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
And in that point, you know, it was a day
that I knew was going to come. Mike Tomlin, my
coach in Pittsburgh, told me a man, a man, great man.
I'm not a kappa, but I get it. I got
a lot of great friends, Ryan Clark, so on and
so forth, are a great cap of man. But he said,
football is not who you are, is what you do.
(04:12):
And that statement really really resonated with me, and throughout
my professional career as an athlete, I was taking advantage
of those opportunities to develop myself. But it really wasn't
until the rubber met the road where I was actually retired,
where I had to put it in practice. And I
really struggled with that, and again I knew I wasn't alone.
It happens over and over and it's honestly like a
pretty vicious cycle for athletes who either are collegiate athletes
(04:36):
or professional athletes, the day is an inevitable excuse me,
where you're no longer that person, where you're no longer
an athlete, and in that moment, you got to figure
out what you're going to do with the balance of
your life. And the reality is you'll more than likely
be under thirty trying to figure that out. And so
it's a widespread problem, but it was one in which
I try to be proactive about. But yet still even
(04:58):
being proactive, I struggle, Well, you had.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
A long professional career, because your average career is only
about three or four years of an NFL player, or
you may spend your whole life doing that. It ends
pretty quickly. It does have a long career relatively speaking.
But then you think about the things that you're doing
and the fact that you are the one who is
really out pushing the need for mental health mental wellness.
(05:25):
But black men makes it that much more critical. With
your company, Alchemy Health, tell us more about Alchemy Health
and how people can access help. Come.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, so our app is available on Android and also iPhone.
On our platform, we have over four hundred pieces of
again mental health courses, videos, workshops, meditations, all led by
world renowned clinical professionals that talk about a lot of
complex topics that quite frankly, we don't talk about in
our community. Generational trauma. We have a whole video course
(05:55):
on that. Being black in the workplace, we have a
whole video course on that. We come to the table
with the language, a look, and a feel that quite
frankly is not in the marketplace. And it was that
in which I realized is like, look, we got to
show up differently because you know, and I know, we
don't have these conversations in our community. And so in
order to like bridge that gap, I knew that we
had to show up differently and with a lot more
(06:16):
intentionality that's currently in the marketplace. And so, yeah, we're
widely available. We also have a web platform. But it
really started with me around like accessibility, Like how can
I provide access to our community in a low friction
manner where you don't necessarily have to figure out what
is a therapist? What do I do in therapy? Therapy
is expensive? How do I get to it? All these
questions that come up. That's why we started with content
(06:39):
and resources, say here, check it out, learn a little bit,
Let's build a relationship, let's build trust and from there
we can move forward.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
You played a team sport, and so much is learned
from teams, so much about life and so much about
going forward is doing that. Yeah, but then when you
leave the game, you leave the game without a team,
you're kind of on your own. Can you talk about
some of the thoughts that occur to you leaving that team,
moving out on your own and then beginning of business
as you've done here.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I was terrified. I was quite literally terrified. And again
I wasn't a lone quote in that experience. It happens
to all of my friends who I play with. Unfortunately,
there's not really a strong reason as to why that is.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Right where you go.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Into the trenches, which are brothers, and you go through
some really really hard times that affords relationships and bonds
that still lasts a lifetime, But how do you manifest
them outside of the game of football? How do you
make them a reality? And the key is what I
realized is like you got to start with yourself. That's
what we always talk about alchemy is start with self,
Like how do I take the intangibles that I use
(07:50):
to allow me to play eight years in NFL? Grit discipline,
art work, all those things that allow me to have
a successful NFL career. How do I pick those up?
Because that's who I am, right, That's not what I do,
That's who I am. How do I take those intangibles
and put them into a different context? And also how
do I build with the same folks who are built
like me? And so that's like the puzzle that needs
(08:11):
to be solved for and I'm actively working on that
with athletes as well.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You know, it's a beauty of this summit because it
brings so many people together and you've been brought here,
brought together with Dove men plus Care.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Talk about your connection with them.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yeah, Dove has been like a staple in my household
for a very long time, right, Like we use Dove
products my kids. I mean, it's just been a part
of our family fabric for as long as I can remember.
So when I had the opportunity to partner with Dove
and also the Waymaker Summit, I jumped at the opportunity
because again, we're all doing really really important work across
(08:46):
the spectrum, and I believe in like collaboration, and we
just talked about like teamwork. No one can do it
by themselves. Our mission at Alchemy is to create generational health.
That's not a one man show, that's not a one
company show, and so we always look to partner and
collaborate with folks who are doing great work across the board.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Thinking about this summit, and there are a lot of
there are a lot of men here, a lot of
people here, and a lot of things that are happening
that really are helping us to feel better about ourselves.
And even as we just talked about dub Men plus
plus Care, there's also this health and wellness recharge center
that they're they've sponsored. And in that recharge center, I
(09:22):
mean men are out here getting the haircuts, they're getting
waxes on their ears and noses and eyebrows.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Men are getting.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Manicures and not quite fedicures, but massages and all these
other things things that we really need that we don't
think about.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Enough that can help us to be healthier.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Talk about what that is and what that means, and
the fact that they've sponsored this health and wellness center.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
I think it's powerful. And when I when I was
listening to you talk, I was thinking about like representation
and visualization, Like you need to see it, right, Because
it's one thing for somebody to tell you, like, yeah,
go get a manicure, Go get a manicure, Go take
care of yourself. But it's one thing to actually see
a black man in front of you getting a manicure,
(10:07):
getting his you know, like taking good care of yourself.
Like that visual representation goes such a long way, And
I really think that's the magic of it, where like
you can be in a space of collaboration with brothers
who look like you, that are that are trying to grow,
that are trying to heal, that are trying to develop.
That representation and that connection takes it to another level.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Indeed, and you know all those things, it's truly the
one that really gets me.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
And I got one too. It's getting our eyebrows.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Wax right sitting there and having on your face and
having it pulled off. If nothing else, Ryan, what it
did was make me appreciate women and what they go
through to look pretty for us. So I have a
whole different appreciation for all what all that is now.
But it certainly helps you to feel better about yourself
as you do those things.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
I want you to.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Step back because when you talked about yourself. You talked
about your football career, but your life began much before that.
So talk about your earlier days and how you can
even get to the point of getting to the ear Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, I started playing football at seven years old, and
that was back in nineteen ninety two, and I always
tell the story about that year. I was the biggest
kid on the team, the strongest kid on the team,
the fastest kid on the team. However, I played offensive
guard war number fifty one, and our team went completely winless,
and so it was a terrible experience for me. I
was like, man, I hate football and I'm not coming back.
(11:24):
That's what I told my dad, and my dad who
has been there every step of the way. My dad
was in my life so much. I didn't want my
dad around, right, And I grew up in similar type
neighborhoods where like fatherhood, fathers aren't really present, right, And
so my dad was not only my dad, he was
everybody else's dad. And he was my coach too, right,
And so that experience that first year, after that first season,
(11:48):
I told my dad I don't want to play football anymore,
and he obliged initially, and then the season started and
I was still holding strong, but he eventually made me
get back out there, but it was under one condition.
And this was really powerful for me at a young
age because I knew what I was right. I mentioned
I was bigger, stronger, and fast than everybody, but I
(12:08):
was completely being underutilized. And so I said, I want
to play, but I want the ball like I want
to score a touchdown. My favorite player was Emmitt Smith
Barry Sanders back then. I want to be like those guys, right,
because I knew I had that making and that of
that ability. But I was playing out a position. So
we worked that out and pretty much it was it
was taken. It took off from that point. But I
(12:29):
tell that story because had my dad not made me
get back out on that field, I probably wouldn't be
sitting here with you today. Football has done so much
for me. My family, developed relationships. I mean, I all
rose for me lead back to like my ability to
play football. Think about like going to school. I went
to the University of Michigan for free. I built a
livelihood for you know, playing football. I met my wife
(12:51):
because of all these things have happened because of football.
So I'm very very thankful for the experience that I've
had over these years and the life that I've been
able to build because of it.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
Playing in Michigan, it's a pretty big deal. What's it
you're from.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Good place to be from.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah, amazing place to be from. Amazing place that is
home for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
You know, a lot takes place here at this summit
And one of the things that's the theme for this
year is how do you grow from an uncomfortable situation?
Talk about a time and when you were in an
uncomfortable situation, uncomfortable and what you did to overcome it.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I've had many, uh And when you talk about uncomfortable situations,
I think the great thing about sport, and particularly football,
it teaches you how to quote be comfortable while being uncomfortable.
And a particular situation that I would reference would be
my transition away from the University of Michigan. I played
(13:53):
four seasons there and some things that happened that it
caused me to leave the university. And it was at
a time way before nil, way before the transfer portal,
and things were very murky and there was a period
of time where my career and at the time felt
my life felt like it was hanging in the balance.
(14:16):
Where I was having to work out at the student
rec center, where I was having to dial alumni for
dollars and make earning like seven dollars an hour, and
just kind of flying solo, and so much the stress
and anxiety that was building up with me. At the
age of twenty two, I developed alopecia, and so I
was dealing with so much stress my hair was falling
(14:37):
out while I was in college awaiting a decision to
get the green light to transfer to West Virginia University,
where I spent my fifth year of college, and so
it wasn't necessarily a I didn't get comfortable in that situation,
but it was an uncomfortable situation in which I developed
in you know, I talk about some of those intrinsic
(14:59):
characteristics that have been built up in me because of sport,
like the resiliency, the grit, the toughness, like I really
had to exercise those things during that time to make
it through, get on the other side and keep my
career going.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
When you think about this whole issue of waymaker and
waymaker mentorship, you.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Know, nobody makes it on their own.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
There's always someone who helps us through, and in many cases,
a lot of people help us through. Talk about some
of the waymakers that have been in your life.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
My father got that.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, my dad again, he has always been there.
I gave my dad my Super Bowl ring. That's how
much my dad has been there for me. And that's
what I believe his influence his presence has done for
my life. And also my mother too, like we have
a very very strong family unit, one in which we
(15:52):
support one another through thick and thin. I would also
say my wife, My wife is a waymaker because she
knows who I am, and she knows what I'm capable of,
and our family dynamic is set up in such a
way where I can come here and do these types
of interviews and if I need to go to New York,
(16:13):
or if I need to go to La whatever I
need to do for our family unit, we have that
capability and I have that agency. But it's because of
her and her commitment and the way that we've set
up our family. She's provided a way for me to
make a living for the family.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Right.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
I have two young daughters, So the folks that are
close to me, my family members. I would consider them
waymakers for me because they give me the strength, they
give me the resources, they give me the agency to
go out into the world and do what I need
to do.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
It's beautiful to hear you tell the stories of your
relationship with your father. So often people don't get that
kind of exposure of black men and black black sons.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
A black child hurts me. That really frustrates me a lot.
And I think, and I'm sorry to cut you off,
but I think there's a lot of data and statistics
that are coming out that are really starting to dispel
that myth.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
So many times, like black men and black fathers get
painted with a very broad brush in society, and a
lot of times it feels like there's no country for
black men. We're getting pulled here, we're getting pulled. We're
trying to satisfy and make everybody else comfortable, and it's
at the detriment of ourselves. And I think the Way
(17:29):
Maker Summit opportunities like this give us a space to
connect and just be, like, where can we just go
to be right and be and take good care of ourselves.
It's few and far in between, so again, I'm really
really happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
You know, I tell stories about my son more than
I tell about my daughter for those reasons. And when
I raised my son, it was really I raised some
in such a way that when he decided to get married,
or when he decided to get married, I want to
at least be considered to be as best man. You
don't have to pick me, but I at least want
to be in the consideration. And so so much and
so much of what you teach them, so much of
(18:02):
what we learn, it just gets to spelled back in
those ways in so many ways. To your point, we're
just not seeing black men are not seeing it that way.
I want to come back to what we started with.
All can be health and where you are and presenting
this and pushing this out. What can we do?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
What can you do?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
What can we all do to ensure that we have better,
more healthy, more mentally.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Only brothers in the city on this planet? How can
we what can we do that?
Speaker 3 (18:29):
We have to show up for one another, And before
we show up from one another, we got to show
up for ourselves. You can't pour it from an empty cup,
and a lot of times it feels counterintuitive to prioritize yourself. Again,
We're always taught to give, give, give, give, give, But
what are we giving ourselves? Because if you're not doing
it for yourself, then like who's going to really kind
(18:49):
of do it for you? Because you are the one
who knows how you are feeling all the way around
three hundred and sixty degrees and so like you really
got to prioritize yourself and understand that. Like, look, if
I'm the best version of myself, then my whole community wins.
My wife wins, my kids win, my family member, my coworkers,
everybody wins if I show up as the best person
(19:12):
that I could possibly be. And that's one of the
tenants in principles that I stand on at Alchemy Health. Right,
we talk about like a lot of self development, mindfulness,
being present, et cetera, all in the effort to be
the best version of yourself. Because if you're the best
version of yourself, and I'm the best version of myself,
and we're all the best versions of ourselves, then things
(19:33):
naturally unfold as a collective in a community.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Healthy men build healthy families, building healthy communities build health. Yes,
Brian Monday, thank you so much. For being here, thanks.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
For joining me, Thank you so much for having me.
I appreciate it.
I'm Mulewi's Carr, host of the Blueprint Connect podcasts. The
Blueprint Connect podcast is an extension of the Waymaker Men Summit,
where we have consistently given men a prescription for growth,
not just for themselves, but also their families and their communities.
During these podcasts, we will educate and motivate our listeners
(00:24):
about entrepreneurship, careers, finance, health and relationship. This episode is
brought to you by Dove Men plus Care. Median culture
often point to what women need to do for self care,
but we don't see nearly as much conversation about that
for men. However, when men practice self care, the results
(00:48):
are astonishing. Research commission by Duve men plus Care through
its Helping Dad's Care study commission by Permundo in twenty
eighteen found that men who practice self care are twice
as likely to feel better balance in their lives than
men who do not. Dub Men plus Care no self
(01:11):
care matters. It's time for all men to know that
it matters too. Relying at the seventh annual Waymaker Men
Summit in Chicago, So welcome to the special podcast episode
featured at the Number one Men in Parliament Conference in
the Country Waymaker Men Summit.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Welcome to the Waymaker Studio Podcast. Happy to have joined
me here, Ryan Monday, Ryan welcome, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Tell me how you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I'm feeling well. I'm feeling energized. It's been quite the summer,
took some time for myself to level set, and I'm
ready to finish the year shrunk. So I'm feeling well.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
That's really important coming from you, because tell us what
you do currently.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I am founder and CEO of Alchemy Health. We are
a mental health and wellness platform specific focused on the
Black community. We make mental health video courses, meditations, and
live workshops on our platform.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Ryan, this is so critically important, particularly in our community,
particularly for black men. Talk about why mental health is
so important for us. A healthy life starts with a
healthy mind. We can look at all the chronic conditions
that show.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Up throughout the world, whether it's type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease.
There's a lot of literature and research that's starting to
come out that talks about like lifestyle and like what
drives are healthy and a positive and a strong lifestyle.
It's our mindset and how can we take good care
of ourselves if we're dealing with anxiety, dealing with stress,
(02:39):
dealing with depression, and so we FIR I firmly believe
and we firmly believe that a healthy life starts with
a healthy mind.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Ryan, what brought you to this work?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And it was my personal experience. My background is in athletics.
I played football for twenty four years, and more specifically,
I played eight as a professional, five in Pittsburgh, one
in New York with the Giants, and then two with
the Chicago Bears. And after I ended my career at
the age of thirty one, I was dealing with all
those conditions that I talked about, stress, anxiety, depression, identity issues,
(03:10):
trying to figure out who and what I was when
I was no longer tackling somebody, and that experience I
found myself I really couldn't buy my way to help.
And I realized for in that moment that if I
was going through it and I had resources available to me,
then what were the folks who looked like me and
my communities all across the country, what were they going through?
And so that experience really really prompted me to get
(03:32):
and bring Alchemy Health into the world.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
It really comes stronger as a former professional athlete because
at some point the applause stops for everybody, Yes, sir,
So when you start to think about where you were
and recognizing that applause stopping, how did you deal with
coming to the end of your football career?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
And in that point, you know, it was a day
that I knew was going to come. Mike Tomlin, my
coach in Pittsburgh, told me a man, a man, great man.
I'm not a kappa, but I get it. I got
a lot of great friends, Ryan Clark, so on and
so forth, are a great cap of man. But he said,
football is not who you are, is what you do.
(04:12):
And that statement really really resonated with me, and throughout
my professional career as an athlete, I was taking advantage
of those opportunities to develop myself. But it really wasn't
until the rubber met the road where I was actually retired,
where I had to put it in practice. And I
really struggled with that, and again I knew I wasn't alone.
It happens over and over and it's honestly like a
pretty vicious cycle for athletes who either are collegiate athletes
(04:36):
or professional athletes, the day is an inevitable excuse me,
where you're no longer that person, where you're no longer
an athlete, and in that moment, you got to figure
out what you're going to do with the balance of
your life. And the reality is you'll more than likely
be under thirty trying to figure that out. And so
it's a widespread problem, but it was one in which
I try to be proactive about. But yet still even
(04:58):
being proactive, I struggle, Well, you had.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
A long professional career, because your average career is only
about three or four years of an NFL player, or
you may spend your whole life doing that. It ends
pretty quickly. It does have a long career relatively speaking.
But then you think about the things that you're doing
and the fact that you are the one who is
really out pushing the need for mental health mental wellness.
(05:25):
But black men makes it that much more critical. With
your company, Alchemy Health, tell us more about Alchemy Health
and how people can access help. Come.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, so our app is available on Android and also iPhone.
On our platform, we have over four hundred pieces of
again mental health courses, videos, workshops, meditations, all led by
world renowned clinical professionals that talk about a lot of
complex topics that quite frankly, we don't talk about in
our community. Generational trauma. We have a whole video course
(05:55):
on that. Being black in the workplace, we have a
whole video course on that. We come to the table
with the language, a look, and a feel that quite
frankly is not in the marketplace. And it was that
in which I realized is like, look, we got to
show up differently because you know, and I know, we
don't have these conversations in our community. And so in
order to like bridge that gap, I knew that we
had to show up differently and with a lot more
(06:16):
intentionality that's currently in the marketplace. And so, yeah, we're
widely available. We also have a web platform. But it
really started with me around like accessibility, Like how can
I provide access to our community in a low friction
manner where you don't necessarily have to figure out what
is a therapist? What do I do in therapy? Therapy
is expensive? How do I get to it? All these
questions that come up. That's why we started with content
(06:39):
and resources, say here, check it out, learn a little bit,
Let's build a relationship, let's build trust and from there
we can move forward.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
You played a team sport, and so much is learned
from teams, so much about life and so much about
going forward is doing that. Yeah, but then when you
leave the game, you leave the game without a team,
you're kind of on your own. Can you talk about
some of the thoughts that occur to you leaving that team,
moving out on your own and then beginning of business
as you've done here.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I was terrified. I was quite literally terrified. And again
I wasn't a lone quote in that experience. It happens
to all of my friends who I play with. Unfortunately,
there's not really a strong reason as to why that is.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Right where you go.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Into the trenches, which are brothers, and you go through
some really really hard times that affords relationships and bonds
that still lasts a lifetime, But how do you manifest
them outside of the game of football? How do you
make them a reality? And the key is what I
realized is like you got to start with yourself. That's
what we always talk about alchemy is start with self,
Like how do I take the intangibles that I use
(07:50):
to allow me to play eight years in NFL? Grit discipline,
art work, all those things that allow me to have
a successful NFL career. How do I pick those up?
Because that's who I am, right, That's not what I do,
That's who I am. How do I take those intangibles
and put them into a different context? And also how
do I build with the same folks who are built
like me? And so that's like the puzzle that needs
(08:11):
to be solved for and I'm actively working on that
with athletes as well.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You know, it's a beauty of this summit because it
brings so many people together and you've been brought here,
brought together with Dove men plus Care.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Talk about your connection with them.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yeah, Dove has been like a staple in my household
for a very long time, right, Like we use Dove
products my kids. I mean, it's just been a part
of our family fabric for as long as I can remember.
So when I had the opportunity to partner with Dove
and also the Waymaker Summit, I jumped at the opportunity
because again, we're all doing really really important work across
(08:46):
the spectrum, and I believe in like collaboration, and we
just talked about like teamwork. No one can do it
by themselves. Our mission at Alchemy is to create generational health.
That's not a one man show, that's not a one
company show, and so we always look to partner and
collaborate with folks who are doing great work across the board.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Thinking about this summit, and there are a lot of
there are a lot of men here, a lot of
people here, and a lot of things that are happening
that really are helping us to feel better about ourselves.
And even as we just talked about dub Men plus
plus Care, there's also this health and wellness recharge center
that they're they've sponsored. And in that recharge center, I
(09:22):
mean men are out here getting the haircuts, they're getting
waxes on their ears and noses and eyebrows.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Men are getting.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Manicures and not quite fedicures, but massages and all these
other things things that we really need that we don't
think about.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Enough that can help us to be healthier.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Talk about what that is and what that means, and
the fact that they've sponsored this health and wellness center.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
I think it's powerful. And when I when I was
listening to you talk, I was thinking about like representation
and visualization, Like you need to see it, right, Because
it's one thing for somebody to tell you, like, yeah,
go get a manicure, Go get a manicure, Go take
care of yourself. But it's one thing to actually see
a black man in front of you getting a manicure,
(10:07):
getting his you know, like taking good care of yourself.
Like that visual representation goes such a long way, And
I really think that's the magic of it, where like
you can be in a space of collaboration with brothers
who look like you, that are that are trying to grow,
that are trying to heal, that are trying to develop.
That representation and that connection takes it to another level.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Indeed, and you know all those things, it's truly the
one that really gets me.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
And I got one too. It's getting our eyebrows.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Wax right sitting there and having on your face and
having it pulled off. If nothing else, Ryan, what it
did was make me appreciate women and what they go
through to look pretty for us. So I have a
whole different appreciation for all what all that is now.
But it certainly helps you to feel better about yourself
as you do those things.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
I want you to.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Step back because when you talked about yourself. You talked
about your football career, but your life began much before that.
So talk about your earlier days and how you can
even get to the point of getting to the ear Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, I started playing football at seven years old, and
that was back in nineteen ninety two, and I always
tell the story about that year. I was the biggest
kid on the team, the strongest kid on the team,
the fastest kid on the team. However, I played offensive
guard war number fifty one, and our team went completely winless,
and so it was a terrible experience for me. I
was like, man, I hate football and I'm not coming back.
(11:24):
That's what I told my dad, and my dad who
has been there every step of the way. My dad
was in my life so much. I didn't want my
dad around, right, And I grew up in similar type
neighborhoods where like fatherhood, fathers aren't really present, right, And
so my dad was not only my dad, he was
everybody else's dad. And he was my coach too, right,
And so that experience that first year, after that first season,
(11:48):
I told my dad I don't want to play football anymore,
and he obliged initially, and then the season started and
I was still holding strong, but he eventually made me
get back out there, but it was under one condition.
And this was really powerful for me at a young
age because I knew what I was right. I mentioned
I was bigger, stronger, and fast than everybody, but I
(12:08):
was completely being underutilized. And so I said, I want
to play, but I want the ball like I want
to score a touchdown. My favorite player was Emmitt Smith
Barry Sanders back then. I want to be like those guys, right,
because I knew I had that making and that of
that ability. But I was playing out a position. So
we worked that out and pretty much it was it
was taken. It took off from that point. But I
(12:29):
tell that story because had my dad not made me
get back out on that field, I probably wouldn't be
sitting here with you today. Football has done so much
for me. My family, developed relationships. I mean, I all
rose for me lead back to like my ability to
play football. Think about like going to school. I went
to the University of Michigan for free. I built a
livelihood for you know, playing football. I met my wife
(12:51):
because of all these things have happened because of football.
So I'm very very thankful for the experience that I've
had over these years and the life that I've been
able to build because of it.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
Playing in Michigan, it's a pretty big deal. What's it
you're from.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Good place to be from.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah, amazing place to be from. Amazing place that is
home for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
You know, a lot takes place here at this summit
And one of the things that's the theme for this
year is how do you grow from an uncomfortable situation?
Talk about a time and when you were in an
uncomfortable situation, uncomfortable and what you did to overcome it.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I've had many, uh And when you talk about uncomfortable situations,
I think the great thing about sport, and particularly football,
it teaches you how to quote be comfortable while being uncomfortable.
And a particular situation that I would reference would be
my transition away from the University of Michigan. I played
(13:53):
four seasons there and some things that happened that it
caused me to leave the university. And it was at
a time way before nil, way before the transfer portal,
and things were very murky and there was a period
of time where my career and at the time felt
my life felt like it was hanging in the balance.
(14:16):
Where I was having to work out at the student
rec center, where I was having to dial alumni for
dollars and make earning like seven dollars an hour, and
just kind of flying solo, and so much the stress
and anxiety that was building up with me. At the
age of twenty two, I developed alopecia, and so I
was dealing with so much stress my hair was falling
(14:37):
out while I was in college awaiting a decision to
get the green light to transfer to West Virginia University,
where I spent my fifth year of college, and so
it wasn't necessarily a I didn't get comfortable in that situation,
but it was an uncomfortable situation in which I developed
in you know, I talk about some of those intrinsic
(14:59):
characteristics that have been built up in me because of sport,
like the resiliency, the grit, the toughness, like I really
had to exercise those things during that time to make
it through, get on the other side and keep my
career going.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
When you think about this whole issue of waymaker and
waymaker mentorship, you.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Know, nobody makes it on their own.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
There's always someone who helps us through, and in many cases,
a lot of people help us through. Talk about some
of the waymakers that have been in your life.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
My father got that.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, my dad again, he has always been there.
I gave my dad my Super Bowl ring. That's how
much my dad has been there for me. And that's
what I believe his influence his presence has done for
my life. And also my mother too, like we have
a very very strong family unit, one in which we
(15:52):
support one another through thick and thin. I would also
say my wife, My wife is a waymaker because she
knows who I am, and she knows what I'm capable of,
and our family dynamic is set up in such a
way where I can come here and do these types
of interviews and if I need to go to New York,
(16:13):
or if I need to go to La whatever I
need to do for our family unit, we have that
capability and I have that agency. But it's because of
her and her commitment and the way that we've set
up our family. She's provided a way for me to
make a living for the family.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Right.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
I have two young daughters, So the folks that are
close to me, my family members. I would consider them
waymakers for me because they give me the strength, they
give me the resources, they give me the agency to
go out into the world and do what I need
to do.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
It's beautiful to hear you tell the stories of your
relationship with your father. So often people don't get that
kind of exposure of black men and black black sons.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
A black child hurts me. That really frustrates me a lot.
And I think, and I'm sorry to cut you off,
but I think there's a lot of data and statistics
that are coming out that are really starting to dispel
that myth.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
So many times, like black men and black fathers get
painted with a very broad brush in society, and a
lot of times it feels like there's no country for
black men. We're getting pulled here, we're getting pulled. We're
trying to satisfy and make everybody else comfortable, and it's
at the detriment of ourselves. And I think the Way
(17:29):
Maker Summit opportunities like this give us a space to
connect and just be, like, where can we just go
to be right and be and take good care of ourselves.
It's few and far in between, so again, I'm really
really happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
You know, I tell stories about my son more than
I tell about my daughter for those reasons. And when
I raised my son, it was really I raised some
in such a way that when he decided to get married,
or when he decided to get married, I want to
at least be considered to be as best man. You
don't have to pick me, but I at least want
to be in the consideration. And so so much and
so much of what you teach them, so much of
(18:02):
what we learn, it just gets to spelled back in
those ways in so many ways. To your point, we're
just not seeing black men are not seeing it that way.
I want to come back to what we started with.
All can be health and where you are and presenting
this and pushing this out. What can we do?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
What can you do?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
What can we all do to ensure that we have better,
more healthy, more mentally.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Only brothers in the city on this planet? How can
we what can we do that?
Speaker 3 (18:29):
We have to show up for one another, And before
we show up from one another, we got to show
up for ourselves. You can't pour it from an empty cup,
and a lot of times it feels counterintuitive to prioritize yourself. Again,
We're always taught to give, give, give, give, give, But
what are we giving ourselves? Because if you're not doing
it for yourself, then like who's going to really kind
(18:49):
of do it for you? Because you are the one
who knows how you are feeling all the way around
three hundred and sixty degrees and so like you really
got to prioritize yourself and understand that. Like, look, if
I'm the best version of myself, then my whole community wins.
My wife wins, my kids win, my family member, my coworkers,
everybody wins if I show up as the best person
(19:12):
that I could possibly be. And that's one of the
tenants in principles that I stand on at Alchemy Health. Right,
we talk about like a lot of self development, mindfulness,
being present, et cetera, all in the effort to be
the best version of yourself. Because if you're the best
version of yourself, and I'm the best version of myself,
and we're all the best versions of ourselves, then things
(19:33):
naturally unfold as a collective in a community.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Healthy men build healthy families, building healthy communities build health. Yes,
Brian Monday, thank you so much. For being here, thanks.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
For joining me, Thank you so much for having me.
I appreciate it.
Host
Louis Carr
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