February 17, 2025 • 62 mins
Some leaders build businesses—others build communities. Jim Everett spent over 40 years with the YMCA, including 29 years as CEO in Boise, before becoming co-president of the College of Idaho. He has helped raise over $300 million for community initiatives, coached championship swim teams, and served on numerous boards, all while staying deeply committed to mentorship and service. His career is a testament to the power of leadership, resilience, and giving back.
In this episode, Jim and Tommy explore the lessons learned from a lifetime of leadership. They discuss the mentors who shape us, the challenges that test us, and the small moments that define a legacy. Through stories of loss, perseverance, and personal growth, they explore how preparation, gratitude, and service create lasting impact. The idea of “putting hay in the barn” serves as a reminder to invest in relationships, prepare for life’s challenges, and appreciate every opportunity.
Beyond his professional achievements, Jim has been recognized as CEO of Influence, Big Brother of the Year, and Salvation Army Citizen of the Year. He has also coached for over 20 years in the Special Olympics, proving that true leadership extends far beyond the office.
What You’ll Take Away:
•Lessons in leadership, mentorship, and community building
•The role of service, generosity, and lifelong learning in creating a meaningful life
•How to navigate adversity and turn setbacks into growth
•The impact of mentorship, outdoor adventure, and personal development
Jim’s journey proves that true leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about the lives you touch. Whether you’re leading a team, mentoring others, or looking for inspiration, this episode offers practical wisdom and powerful stories that will challenge you to think bigger and serve with purpose.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today on the Ever Onward podcast, I have one of my
mentors and dearest friends,jim Everett.
Jim has an incredible story.
He was the CEO of the YMCA herein Boise for 29 years and an
unbelievable story career there.
I can't wait to catch up withhim on that.
After retiring from the CEO ofthe YMCA, uh, jim went out to
(00:25):
the University of Idaho, firstas a swim coach and then he's
been the president, co-presidentwith uh Doug Bingham for the
last six and a half years.
Uh, this guy, um, uh, in mylife uh is one of the greatest
leaders, uh, one of the greatestuh mentors and examples of
community service and I cannotwait to catch up with him, jim
(00:47):
Everett.
Prior to Jim, we'll hear fromMark Cleverley and Holt Haga for
our AllQuest update.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Good morning.
We're here for another AllQuestupdate.
I'm Mark Cleverley, ChiefLeasing Officer at AllQuest.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Holt Haga.
Vp of Leasing at AllQuestDevelopment.
Holt Haga.
Vp of Leasing at AllQuestDevelopment.
So.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Holt this morning we were talking, kind of want to
give an update on not really anupdate, but just talk about our
process with our tenants andmaking them feel like one of our
partners, because they reallyare.
You think about these buildingsthat we build and it's a
long-term relationship.
We try to hold these things fora long time and take care of
(01:27):
them, and so just wanted to talkquickly about, you know, our
process and how we make themfill and what they can expect
when they come in to one of ourprojects.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, you know it's pretty interesting, so it's.
You know, one of the thingsthat that sets us apart is just
the way that that we treat ourtenants and our partners right.
You know, we've got a deep,deep sense of gratitude for, for
the companies we work with andyou see that from start to
finish, right from everythingfrom you know how Brad Smith
(02:00):
runs his design department toCorey Hall and construction runs
his design department to CoreyHall and construction.
Um, brian Taylor and uh andCody on our property management
side, and um, obviously, uh,kakoa, you and me on the on the
leasing side, but um it itreally just.
You know we, these are, youknow, like you said, these are
long-term relationships and wevalue these relationships.
(02:22):
Um, and and one of the things Ithink is interesting is when you
is, when we first meet with acompany that we're a tenant, for
example, that we're workingwith, and we hear some of their
concerns and their horrorstories, in some cases with
other landlords in the market,and I just think it's what
should be common practice.
Sometimes isn't, but we take itvery seriously and I think one
(02:44):
of the things that we doactually is we we don't, you
know, tell you how great we are,we.
We oftentimes will say talk toour tenants, you know, talk to
some of our, some of the of ourpartners and our subcontractors,
and and, and get a sense of howwe do business, because we take
a ton of pride in it and thepartnerships that we develop,
(03:05):
and these are long-termrelationships.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, and I would even suggest anybody listening
to this and when we send thisout, but go to our website.
And on our website we havethese tenant testimonials, um,
that we've done over the yearsand just trying to capture what
how their process went, andevery single one of them we'll
talk about from start to finish.
(03:29):
It's not just our team on theleasing side, it's not just the
property management team, butthey talk about everything.
And I think six years ago, whenwe really kind of ramped up and
started building a lot, it waswe brought Brad in and had him
in-house because we knew thatthat was a critical piece.
(03:49):
And then we brought cory in umto do.
You know, cory originally wasbrought in to do tenant
improvements and now it'stransformed into, you know, even
bigger.
But it started with that and itstarted with we knew we needed
to take care of our tenants.
Uh, because without them, it,you know, we don't fill these
buildings up Right and we don'thave these really good
(04:11):
relationships with thesecompanies.
And you know, without, withoutthe whole team, it's just it
doesn't, it doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
We lose, we lose, you know, traction, we lose
momentum, and it just, yeah, itdoesn't feel as good as it does
right now when we have them inhere.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, yeah, and these are, you know, real estate
transactions.
These are, these are verycomplex transactions, right, I
mean, these are, these are someof the most complex transaction.
A big real estate, you know, alease is, it's a big deal.
A construction contract tobuild a building?
These are, these aresophisticated contracts, and I
think the trust component is acritical element, because
(04:50):
there's so many opportunitiesfor disagreement or I don't want
to say opportunities, butthere's so many ways that there
can be disagreements or you know, kind of gotcha moments.
You know where something's leftout of a contract and I think a
lot of companies and landlordswill approach it like from the
standpoint of just saying no,it's not called out in the
(05:12):
contract, whereas you know,countless times we approach it
from the standpoint of what doyou feel is fair?
And that's our starting point,right, and then try to figure
out a mutually agreeablesolution.
I think that that mindsetreally does set us apart.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I agree.
I agree.
Well, let's go keep killing it.
Keep it rolling, baby, yeah,buddy.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Jim welcome.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Welcome, tommy.
Thank you, glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
This is going to be really fun.
In preparation for this, Ithought I don't know a guy quite
like you.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
I appreciate that.
I don't know if that's good orbad.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You're so good, I've known you for a long, long time.
I don't know if that's good orbad.
You're so good, I just I'veknown you for a long, long time
and you just, you never stop.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Ever.
I'm pretty lucky, Tommy.
I've been given a lot ofopportunities and there's lots
to do, as you know.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
There is.
But I just you're such a greatexample.
I mean I think you know, when Ifirst met you, you were running
the YMCA and everyone, when Iremember, when I first got to
town, everyone was saying haveyou met Jim?
Have you met Jim?
You got to meet Jim.
You got to meet Jim.
And then when I met you, likeevery single thing I was
involved in you were involved inand you had all this energy and
(06:45):
you spent so much time there atthe ymca.
So I want to start there alittle bit, because I think, you
know, I think for youngerpeople and I've done it a couple
times life is, life is long,life is long but it goes by
quickly, absolutely I don't.
Maybe a couple old guys, we cantalk about that, but but I do
think, um, especially in today'sworld, people get so worried
about well, here's my path, well, our paths, you know, as long
(07:09):
as you're passionate aboutpeople and the things you do,
whatever you can probably.
In fact, I gave a talk to someyoung men last week and that's
what I told them.
I'm like, listen, focus more onpeople and serving and less on
how you're doing it, and you'llprobably be happy in a lot of
ways you do it.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Great advice.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
But I look at you and just so much time at the YMCA.
But it started in Michigan.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
It started actually in Ohio.
My first one was in Ohio.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Talk a little bit about your upbringing, because
I've never dug into, kind ofwhat makes you tick, and I'm
going to try to today.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
I'll go back before my career.
I did grow up in Michigan andfamily of five.
Pretty good life growing upuntil I was eight years old 1960
.
So that's 64 years ago for menow and everything was good
until one day I came home fromschool my brother and I and my
(08:06):
mom wasn't there to meet us atthe door and spent the evening
at my neighbor's house anddidn't think much of it.
I was only eight.
My mom came home and met usthere and brought us home and
sat us down in our room that weshared and proceeded to tell us
that our dad had passed away,room that we shared, and
proceeded to tell us that ourdad had passed away.
(08:27):
He had cancer and we shouldhave known him, but we didn't
talk about it.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And I went to do a tailspin.
Tommy, I don't know how old washe, he was only 42.
Whoa, 42 mom.
What kind of cancer.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
It was melanoma.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Melanoma.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah, much more treatable now.
We know a lot about it now, asyou know, as a doctor, catch it
early, right.
Yeah, catch it early, right?
Yeah, catch it early.
And so I was in the third gradethat year.
I just kind of checked out.
I don't know if I wastechnically depressed, but I was
as depressed as I've ever been.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Were you close to your father.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Very close, but I wish I had more memories, if I
could go back, for one day andspend time and learn more about
my dad, spend more time with him.
I do remember one phrase he toldme sticks in my mind.
It was if you play your cardsright and I'm not a big card
player, but I think that's a bigpart of life.
You know, it's what we weretalking about.
Don't you can have all theplans in the world, but
(09:22):
sometimes things come along andyou've got to be prepared when I
was a swim coach.
I'm jumping around but I liketo say the hay's in the barn at
the end of the season because itis, but in life you've got to
be putting hay in the barn allthe time, because you don't know
.
In athletics, you know when thegame's coming, you know when
the competition's coming and youknow when a project's coming,
you know when a test's coming inschool.
In life, you don't know what'scoming, and so you better have,
(09:44):
you better get better every day.
You better get prepared forthose things that you can't
foresee.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
So anyway that happened.
I'm going to stop you a coupletimes, but I think that's
powerful because I got.
We got some things going on inour family right now with one of
my children, and one of thethings we spend a lot of time
talking about is you just neverknow.
You just don't know Because youcan be clipping along and you
(10:13):
almost have to live life withgratitude for those times when
it's not chaotic and challengingwith just hurdles everywhere,
right.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Gratitude is gratitude.
You've got to be grateful everyday, but that's when you're
putting hay in the barn all thetime.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Because you know you may not see it but it's going to
be around one of the cornersand you don't even know what
it's going to be.
But this concept of just beingprepared and almost expecting, I
don't know.
I was talking to him about it.
You kind of expect things to gobad, so I was talking to him
about it, you kind of expectthings to go bad, so that when
they do.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
You're like, okay, yeah, and I think you can learn.
So this has a better ending.
I mean, it's tough.
I wish it never happened, butI'm who I am because of that
Third grade.
I checked out I should havefailed the third grade, got into
fourth grade, not reading atgrade level.
We know now what a disasterthat is for the rest of your
life and for your education.
(11:07):
But I ran into two people.
My mom was awesome, but Ineeded somebody outside my
family as well, and my siblingswere great, but I was in a bad
place.
But the next year, fourth grade, they didn't pass me along.
I shouldn't have.
I ran into two people a coach,bob Martin, my football coach,
and I wanted to play footballlike my older brother had played
(11:28):
.
One problem he needed to weigh60 pounds and I weighed about 53
pounds at the time.
So I came home from schoolexcited First time my mom had
seen me excited about anything.
So we fill out the flyer, getdown to the bottom, find out
there's a weigh-in in two weeksabout ten days maybe.
So I went on an eating regimenWell, I don't know how many.
(11:49):
If you can remember when youwere nine years old by now I'm
nine.
I could eat anything.
I'd put on a pound and I'd loseit.
So the day of the weigh-in, mymom had a plan but she didn't
tell me about.
The table was filled withbananas and water.
I think I ate 14 bananas.
I drank as much water as Icould drink, got on the scale,
(12:09):
weighed about 57.
Well, that wasn't going to makeit.
So she sewed these littlepackets of BBs she was a
seamstress and we put those inmy uniform and I thought we were
fooling everybody.
I've got the picture of thatteam and my coach wrote on the
back our little secret.
And so you fooling everybody.
I've got the picture of thatteam and my coach wrote on the
(12:30):
back our little secret.
So you know I was the smallestguy on the team.
Legally I shouldn't have beenon that team.
I wasn't particularly fast, Iwasn't particularly tough, not
what a coach is looking for.
But I will never forget BobMartin.
Every practice he found time tocome up and pat me on the back.
I played in every single game.
I even started on occasion.
End of the season, we played agame in Tiger Stadium where
(12:52):
Detroit Lions played.
My heroes were there.
Halftime game.
I don't start, but we score atouchdown, I get to go in for an
extra point Because I was small.
I was a running back Line opensup a hole large enough my
grandmother could have runthrough it and I score an extra
point in Tiger Stadium.
I prance off that field.
They announce my name.
I went from feeling like anobody to feeling like somebody.
I never saw Mr Martin againafter that season and I didn't
(13:14):
recognize what he'd done for meuntil about 10 years later.
Then, the other side of it, Ihad a teacher named Nancy
Runciman.
Now he's kind of the softy, thegreat, not the typical football
coach.
He cared more about me as ahuman being than he did about
football.
Well, mrs Runciman knew I was infor a rough road if I couldn't
get reading, so I had to stay infrom recess, I had to go to
(13:35):
school early, I had to stayafter school sometimes and she
just wouldn't give up on me andI got caught up.
That year I did better inschool every year, including all
the way through college.
Again, I didn't realize what aprofound impact she had on me.
That shaped my life.
That drove me to want to be amentor for other kids, to be in
(13:56):
an organization where we mentorlots of kids and I've always
gotten to do that and at thecollege we say the key to
success in college is having amentor and two good friends.
Oh, I love that.
Simple as that.
Now you can have more than onementor.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
But that is, and it's not just college, tommy.
You think about us.
It's life.
We've had mentors.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Still do, Still do.
I'm old, I'm old until I die.
I'm dying to ask you becausedid you have the same?
Were you born with that motorthat you have and we'll get into
the motor, the Jim Everettmotor?
But did you have thatmotivation from a kid?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Did you?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
like you talk about these times.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
You didn't, I did not , you know I had, but it was
these things, these things thatshaped my life, sometimes tough
things, but I became gratefulfor people that were there for
me and it drove me to want to bethere for other people, and
that drives me today.
I think I'm on the other sideof the ledger.
I got a lot of paying forwardto do.
I had so many people that gotme to where I am today and it's
(14:57):
been I'm not.
I got to do a commencementspeech one time and the title of
it was I'm the richest guy inIdaho and I believe that it
won't see me on a list ofmonetary wealth, but so many
people have helped shape my lifeand put me on that path that I
didn't even know the path wasthere.
The jobs I've had aren't onesthat I dreamed about, other than
(15:20):
being a collegiate swim coach.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
That's the only thing that was ever on my list,
graduating from college that Iwanted to do, but I think it's
good to hear for peoplelistening when they get it Like
there's a few people.
In fact, I write your name,like if anyone ever says who's
your hero, no, who's yourexample, I write Jim Everett.
I mean that's not hyperbole,and so to hear that.
(15:49):
I think sometimes people thinkyou are born with it, that it's
DNA, but I think there are morepeople that through experiences,
through gratitude, throughdeveloping this desire and this
yearning to give back, that itnever stops right.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
I hope it doesn't.
I don't think it will for me.
I can't fully retire, I'm stillworking, and then I call it.
It's not really work, it's acalling.
I don't look at it.
I guess today's Wednesday, it'snot hump day for me.
I get to go to work, I get tocome see Tommy, I'm going to
have lunch with students today.
I Tell me I'm going to havelunch with students today.
(16:25):
You know, that's just.
I pinch myself every day.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So I do want to hear how you got into the YMCA,
because that was where you spentthree decades right?
Yeah, it's another interestingstory because I didn't have.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I was going to go to graduate school.
I was all set to go to graduateschool.
I got married my senior year ofcollege to my wife, now 51
years Congratulations.
She's a patient woman, amazingpartner for me.
And we were all set to go toCalifornia at University of
Pacific.
One of my mentors in collegehad moved out there and wanted
(16:59):
me to get into a PhD program andI was pretty excited about that
.
Well, you're an MD, and thiswas a little while ago.
But my wife went in for acheckup and was told she
probably couldn't get pregnant.
Two weeks later she's pregnantDoctor said it's going to be a
very challenging pregnancy.
You can't go to California.
She said to him well, doc,we're not going by covered wagon
(17:21):
and he said you shouldn't go.
So I had to quickly change plans.
I had forgotten I had thrown inan application to the YMCA and
I got a call from a guy namedJack Sizemore, the most casual
interview I've ever had, and Istill don't know why he hired me
.
But he hired me to be.
Really I didn't realize it wasa swim coach, was what drew me
(17:41):
into it, but it really wasrunning the operations of the Y.
I'm still not exactly sure whathe did some fundraising, that
kind of stuff but I was at 22years old, 21 years old, running
a Y.
I learned there that I can't doit all.
I've got to form a team, I'vegot to get people.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So this is going to come full circle today for us.
I've never asked you thiseither, so where did the desire
to be a swim coach come?
Were you a swimmer?
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Yeah, so I wasn't a very good football player and I
grew late.
I became an All-Americanswimmer and I had coaches that
were great my college coach.
It's interesting too, becausein those days swimming was a
very minor sport in the world ofathletics at small colleges.
I went to Albion College and myswim coach was the running back
(18:31):
coach for the football team.
I knew more about swimming thanhe did, but one of the most
phenomenal mentors, human beingsI had to try to swim through a
brick wall for that guy, BobWickstrom, another mentor in my
life.
So you know in college.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So that was your true love, that was.
I loved it and you had a greatmentor and so it was.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
but what I learned is you know, when I got an
opportunity to coach swimming,I'd been out of it for a long
time.
Technically, I probably neededto brush up, but it wasn't about
swimming.
It never is.
That's just the medium you useto help young people develop
into the human beings they'regoing to be.
I knew I wasn't going to haveany Olympic swimmers and later I
hope we get to talk about Colbyand what he does and about
(19:16):
athletics at our level, which Ijust love.
I've got a few stories I'd loveto share about what it means
for these kids, but it meant alot to me.
It was a big part of my collegeyears and it allowed me to get
an education.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
So you take this job not knowing that this is going
to lead to this?
Really really storied career.
Like, I do want to spend sometime there because some of the
things you accomplished withyour team while serving in that
role at the YMCA are justamazing.
But you started there.
Then talk about how you endedup in Boise.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Yeah, I started there and my wife and I met in
Colorado at a dude ranch.
She grew up on a farm and weboth loved the West.
We'd been there once and it waslove at first sight.
She was love at first sight andthe mountains were love at
first sight, and so we'd alwayshad a little desire to move West
.
And the Y at that time had apaper copy.
(20:14):
Every two weeks you'd get avacancy list of job
opportunities.
It was interesting because Ihad just applied to a job in
Appleton, wisconsin, and wasreally excited about it Great
one and I was number two.
Didn't get the job.
I'm bummed.
Two weeks later this thing inBoise opens and I come outside
unseen.
I come here and.
I'm doing something by the river, by the library, and I see an
(20:38):
eagle in downtown Boise.
I see this river that'spristine.
I can look up at the mountains.
This is amazing and fortunatelygot the job so what year was
that that was?
1977.
Came here and just thecommunity.
I have no idea how we affordeda house.
I was making, I think, $6,500.
(21:01):
At that time.
We had, I think we may have hadtwo kids or at least had
another one on the way.
But people did so many greatthings to help us and so I just
the why was reeling me in and Ibecame a lifer, as they say.
It just was.
I got to do so many greatthings.
Another mentor, daryl Scott Ihad there, and every year at the
(21:23):
why, when you become a CEO, youget a new boss every two years
and I've gotten to work withsome of the most amazing people.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So you became CEO.
In what year?
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Then I went back to Michigan which I didn't think
I'd do, but my boss, Daryl Scott, we did a capital campaign and
he said, hey, how would you liketo run the Y while I'm doing
this campaign?
It doesn't happen that wayanymore, but he actually moved
off-site so I ran the Boise Y.
I never had any aspiration todo that.
I did it for a while.
This is kind of fun.
Then there was an opening backin Michigan.
(21:54):
We thought, well, it'd be goodto get closer to family, and
went back there and went to StJoe Benton Harbor, probably the
most segregated community inAmerica.
There's a river that dividesthe communities and it was just
an amazing experience how wewere able to pull that community
together, and so I love that.
And then an opening came backfor Boise for the CEO job and we
(22:21):
had a great experience there.
But we missed Boise and youdon't often get to go back and
interview for it.
I still remember that interviewand people that I knew and all
the candidates were here at thesame time.
So I'm saying hi to all thesepeople.
I felt a little bad for them,but it was far from a shoe-in
that I was going to get it.
In fact there were a couple.
There was a lady who headed upthe committee was kind of dead
(22:43):
set for some reason becausepeople were saying, oh, you've
got to hire Jim, and she wasdead set.
That's not what we're going todo.
Well, I'm lucky enough to getthe job, and 29 years in that
role.
So 29.
29 as the CEO of this Y we hadjust the downtown Y I mean.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
so we got a lot of stuff to get to, but in that
time if you think of the impactof the Y, so you have downtown,
then you open up.
West Y which was a hugeendeavor.
And then the one I want toreally talk about, because it
was so dramatic for me, is whenyou did the Caldwell Y.
I mean you look at thatcommunity impact study, but
(23:26):
there's just it's been fun.
I don't even know how tosummarize or talk about on a
podcast what might beinteresting for people the
impact of the YMCA, the impactof these nonprofits and the role
they play in the community.
What should I ask you?
It's been fun.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I mean Caldwell was a lot of fun because that was a
community.
That is funny.
Both times, I mean, people saidwe couldn't do it with the West
Y.
We had never raised more than Ithink about $1.2 million.
We were going out for $13.5million and things fell into
place.
People just this community,stepped up and we had great
leadership.
(24:06):
Gary Michael and Ray Smelik,david Turnbull were some of the
names.
I remember going to DavidTurnbull I'd never met David and
said we're building a Y, wethink this is the best location.
Hp would like us to be out inthis neck of the woods and they
had made a nice gift.
They weren't dictating anythingbut we said can we work with
(24:28):
you?
We'd like to get a good deal onsome land.
He said, how about free?
He gives us the land and thenhe gives land, land for the park
, and that developed arelationship that's gone on for
all those years with david andthe things he's done.
So there's a synergy with allthis.
Yeah, you meet people and greatthings and partnering is huge.
We couldn't do it all, but wecould.
(24:48):
We could create some coolpartnerships.
So that was, that was a bigstep for us to get some
confidence that we could do somethings.
But then caldwell was so let meset this up.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
If you look at just statistics in Caldwell, idaho,
and you look at challenges,crime rates start there.
Violent crime, yeah it was.
And a community that was reallysuffering and kind of tearing
itself down.
And you can point I know thatI've talked to other people
about this and because it's so,it's so dramatic.
(25:19):
There's some other things thathappen with good city leadership
absolutely, um, there reallywas, yeah, but then there's this
timing of the ymca coming inand bringing the community
together and I think the comboof the ymca and colas's mayor
and then garrett in Colas asmayor.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
I think it was the right time.
But we were told that thatwould never happen.
They said there wasn't enoughleadership in Caldwell.
Which the Caldwell leaders?
They're just so humble.
It's kind of a throwback to adifferent era.
They don't beat their chest, butthey just okay we'll show you
and we went about that and itwas the right time and crime
(26:00):
rate was was not good thatnobody wanted to go to that
community.
I'm now with the, with the,with the college of idaho, and
it was a liability.
Being uncalled, people werewere afraid to send their kids
there.
Um, what?
What the wide did was broughtit brought the community
together.
And scott curt a ton of credit.
He was the CEO out there.
We didn't call him the CEO, wecalled him the executive
(26:23):
director, but he was veryindependent.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
I think we've had both of you on the list, but
he's a dynamic.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Scott's an amazing guy and what he?
did is he just?
He did so many things.
He's fluent in Spanish, he hasa commitment to the Hispanic
population and if you walked inthat wine little things that
make a difference If you walkedin that wine and Spanish was
your language, we didn't have togo look for somebody.
(26:50):
If you started speaking Spanish, there was going to be somebody
with an earshot.
So he just made it thiswelcoming place and I can tell
you, when you move into acommunity like that, often Tom
and have done that the lessadvantaged community thinks this
isn't for us.
They're building this for theother people.
We don't get to come.
And Scott just made it veryclear that everybody was welcome
at the Y and it grew.
(27:12):
The crime rate droppedprecipitously and now you go.
You've been to Caldwell.
That was the genesis, I think,for the uncovering of Indian
Creek, the Indian Creek Plaza,all the things.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
And it's being carried on today by Jerem.
A couple of things Greatleadership.
I think Garrett was there.
24 years, can't say enoughabout the guy.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Best mayor on the planet?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
I think I just think he so authentically called well
and served the people.
And how do you get through it?
I do want to tell one story,because you took me out there
and I remember I hadn't metScott before and obviously, like
, the respect for you is throughthe roof.
And I go out there and I sat itwas a day he was doing a little
(27:58):
talk never met him before and Iwill never forget sitting there
and just having goosebumps ontop of goosebumps and chills and
tears and and thinking, oh mygosh, this is the most
incredible community impactthing and he just was connecting
(28:20):
and it's so good.
I remember walking out thinking,my goodness, we're so blessed
to have this community and thecommitment from individuals that
change things.
If you think about life right,just think about like all of,
because we'll transition intowhat you're doing now.
But you think of 27 years, Jim,29, 29, yeah, 27 is the CEO,
(28:42):
right?
No 29 is the CEO 29.
Sorry, um, you know I the theimpact you've made on
individuals, that's communitieswe started at.
But then do you know how manyhundreds of stories of people I
know that, know you that arelike, oh, that guy saved my
(29:03):
kid's life?
I mean think of the people, thefamilies and then the
individuals that you've beenable to impact over your career
at the YMCA.
I know a guy like you looksback and you're so humble, but
you've got to be proud andgrateful.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
I'm extremely grateful and I've done nothing.
But the one skill I've got issurrounding myself with good
people.
Scott, hiring Scott Curtis boy.
That was a hard process.
He finally called me and saidknock it off.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I don't want to do this because you're pressuring
me, I to do it because it's theright thing and fortunately I
can.
I could actually hear himsaying that we did.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
we did hire him, but yeah, and I knew Scott from high
school and he was on our boardand but that you know it's just
getting those right people inthe right place and and teams
get things done and and yeah,the life Scott's changed and
continues to at the youth ranchand I'm really proud of that.
The people that have gone outand and either stayed with the y
david durrow is doing greatwork at the y now and and and we
(30:05):
talked about mernan colas andI've had jerome wagner out there
kind of trying to do the same,not kind of it is doing the same
stuff with a focus on youth andfamilies.
So, and I'm just I'm, I'mextraordinarily grateful it does
, I'm, I'm a story.
I thought you're gonna say I'vegot a hundred, I got a thousand
stories and I love tellingstories.
(30:26):
I think stories are the way wedevelop a culture and and so
back to my original story.
So what we did at the at the Yis we told everybody and new
employer orientation, don't talkabout at-risk kids that nobody
wants to be an at-risk kid.
We know they're out there, butwe're gonna talk about all the
promise kids every kids havepromised.
And if you don't believe thatthis is new employer orientation
(30:49):
, just quietly walk out the door.
We'll pay it for their timehere.
But we can't have people herethat are going to give up on
kids.
Somebody didn't give up on mewhen it would have been easy to.
Mrs Runciman wasn't gettingpaid to stay after school and
come in early and all thosethings Didn't get her break at
(31:10):
break time.
At lunch she stayed with mebecause she wasn't going to give
up on me.
Mr Martin wasn't.
We've got to do that.
It doesn't always work, I'm not.
There are times where you getdisappointed, but you've got to
make the effort and I know Imean you've adopted kids, you've
taken kids that they just needan opportunity.
That's all we're looking for.
That's all anybody wants.
I don't believe in handouts,but handups make a huge
(31:32):
difference when somebodybelieves in you more than you
believe in yourself.
So it shapes the way you try todo everything.
And our camp was the same way.
We'd take kids there and I gota million stories from camp kids
that showed up that werecontemplating suicide and got to
camp.
And just because people werekind and remembered their name,
(31:53):
one wrote us a letter and saidyou know, I came to camp
thinking I was going to take mylife, but I got here and people
are nice to me and peopleremember my name and I'm not
going to do that and a letterthat he had written to his
grandma when he was at camp andshe shared that with us.
I mean, that's powerful.
Sometimes we need mental healthcounselors, we need all this,
but sometimes we just need asociety that's kinder and has
(32:17):
more empathy for people and lessangry.
So I like to try to simplifythings and to me that's a huge.
I look at you, know leaderslike you.
Empathy is a big part of yourleadership style.
You want to get to know peopleand it's far different than
sympathy.
We're not talking sympathy,we're talking empathy and, as
(32:39):
Cubby said, seeking first tounderstand, then to be
understood.
You're a great listener.
You love stories.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Well and gosh.
I just you know people follow,people they do, and I think of
and sometimes I think back topeople that have been super
impactful to me.
And Jim, you are one of thoseguys.
I just and the impact you'vemade on my life and I think back
(33:06):
to you know that job offer andyou coming here.
It's impossible to quantify theimpact of just your goodness
and what you've said today,kindness and the lessons you've
learned and the people.
So it's really cool to kind ofreflect on that.
(33:28):
I was just thinking throughWest Y, then the camp I know
it's a big deal Caldwell.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
And then South.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Meridian Y and all the things that I've watched you
do.
But but one of the things thatthat I wanted to maybe have you
talk about a little bit, becauseI've been around a lot of
people that are leaders, thatthat you know they're leaders
right and they're they may beyou know they're well-respected,
they're approachable, they'reknow they're leaders right and
(33:58):
they're they may be you knowyou're, they're well respected,
they're approachable, they're,they're they're wonderful and
they lead and they're you knowthey're larger than life and
there's that for sure with, with, with, with Jim Everett, and
for sure.
But give advice to those peoplethat are listening about being
(34:18):
both, because you're that forsure, but you're also you've
never lost sight of the one andI've watched you, like in so
many.
I'm going to get to what you'redoing right now, because when
we went out there, it wasoverwhelming, because we're
walking through the halls goingto the basketball game at the
(34:41):
College of Idaho and youprobably grabbed five kids.
You pulled them in, you putyour arm around them and you
would tell me such individualstories about those kids and
their eyes were bright and theywere smiling.
But what I want to get back tois what do you do to keep your
(35:01):
focus on the one that, like it's?
It feels to me like you'realways looking for someone
that's struggling, someone thatmay need something extra.
Do you have any any advice forthose that may be listening of
how to do that?
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Don't forget where it came from.
I don't like the the phrase.
You know I'm a self-made man.
None of us are.
If you got to where you got towhere I've gotten to, you had a
lot of help along the way, andso to me, it's an opportunity,
it's a responsibility to try tohelp people that are in
(35:39):
different places in life thatjust need somebody to be that.
Mr Martin, mrs Runciman, Icould go on and on for all the
mentors I had, sharon Allen, Imean it's just people that have
been there that didn't need todo what they've done for me.
So I think I'll go to my graveremembering that I'm pretty darn
(35:59):
lucky and I want other peopleto have those opportunities.
And I hear stories and sharestories.
I got one just yesterday.
I ran into this girl from Haiti.
She's on our campus.
We get a lot of internationalstudents.
As you know, there's a donorthat pays for the majority of
their education Well, almost allof it and this girl's from
Haiti.
Haiti's not a great place to togrow up.
(36:22):
Uh, she comes to the college.
She just told me yesterday thatshe has gotten into cornell
veterinary medicine school.
I mean, I just that brings meto tears.
I think about a girl growing upthere.
She's gonna go to cor.
We've got to figure out howshe's going to afford it.
She's got to go to theUniversity of Pennsylvania.
You know medical school, youknow veterinary medicine school
(36:45):
may be even tougher to get into.
We've got another kid fromSomalia.
He's a domestic student but hisfamily came here from Somalia,
went to the Boise schools,graduated brilliant kid, abu
Karim Muhammad.
He worked for two years for NIH.
He just got into Cornell MD PhDprogram, full tuition housing.
(37:08):
The kid's going to go on and doamazing things.
He's going to.
You know I love the choiceswe've got in education.
Now we need the CWIs, we needthe technical schools, but
higher ed's getting beaten up alittle bit right now.
And cure for cancer, cure forAlzheimer's, those are going to
come out of places like ours.
We've had a Rhodes Scholar,fulbright Scholar, truman
(37:30):
Scholar, goldwater Scholar, allIdaho kids.
We're 60% Idaho kids.
We need it all, but I'm reallyproud of what we do.
Well, you.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
It's always about the one with you, it is.
And it's always about runningto people in their time of
greatest need, right?
I think it's been a tremendousexample for me.
I'm going to tell you like thisis a true story from yesterday
for me and I'm going to add itto the Jim Everett stories.
So I'm sitting at my desk atthe end of the day.
(38:04):
Yesterday I had a really busyday.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
When don't you?
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Tommy.
But I was looking through Ithought, oh, podcast tomorrow.
So I usually get guest bios anda little bit about you which I
didn't need for you today.
But I've sitting here and Ithought, oh great, I read
through your bio and in thatmoment I was going through my
(38:33):
emails and someone had sent me areally long, well-written email
Jim, and it's a senior in ourcommunity that needs help with
something, and it's so specificand it's a big ask.
And I literally had read theemail, I flagged it so I could
go back to it and in my head I'mlike I just can't.
(38:54):
There's like a point I can'tsay no, no, I was opposite.
I'm like there's a point whichyou can't.
There's like a point I can'tsay no, there's no, there's no.
I was opposite.
I'm like there's a point whichyou can't do anymore.
I just I, I just I.
I have no, there's like nothingleft to be able to go solve
that problem.
And, jim, I read your thing andI went to that email and
(39:14):
literally said I'll set up anappointment, I'll come check,
and I don't know where that'sgoing to go, but anyway, you
never stopped inspiring.
Because that's what you wouldhave done.
You would have read that andsaid I'm going to go help and so
gosh, it just never ends, jim.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Thank you for what you do, tommy, and I know
everybody's looking to you tohelp and let's get back to um.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
So when you said, hey , I'm going to retire from the Y
, it's been, it's been a longtime.
Uh, I think most of us who knewyou, well, we're like okay,
what's this guy going to do next, Cause you can't stop.
Speaker 4 (39:57):
No.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
You won't stop.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
No.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
I mean, it's just not possible, it's not part of your
DNA.
So it wasn't much time off andthen immediately you took a role
at the University of Ohio.
You're right.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
I knew I wasn't fully retiring.
It was, you know, 29 years andit's interesting.
I remember having aconversation with Roger Quarles,
who's a dear friend and was agreat partner in Caldwell.
Roger, we shared, I said everykid's a promise.
Roger said it a different waythere's no throwaway kid.
So we really bonded when he wasin Caldwell as a superintendent
.
But meeting with him we werejust philosophical and he said
(40:38):
you know, leadership has a shelflife.
It wasn't directed at me, butit does.
David was ready to go.
I don't get to pick mysuccessor, but I did call David
Durow and say I want to makesure you're interested if I do
announce this, because I knew ifhe was interested they'll go
through a process.
If they hire somebody else,they must be pretty darn good.
(40:59):
So did that knowing that Iwasn't going to.
I didn't know what was going tobe next To your point.
I had no idea what was going tobe next, but I knew I wasn't
done.
And then my friend Marty Holley.
You've met another guy withenergy.
Marty's now 79.
You'll see him at the game in acouple weeks and he's just
(41:20):
always going.
He bleeds purple.
He calls me and says hey, we'vegot an opening for the swim
coach job.
It was like two months in andeverybody told me wait six
months.
I couldn't Kind of.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
like you, I've read it.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
And I'm a bit on the impulsive side.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
I talked to my wife a little bit, thought about it,
but I said, yeah, well, man, andit was about this much about
swimming and all this aboutgetting to work with young
college students and hoping tobe like my wife, but in some way
kind of a cool bookend right.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Oh, it was awesome, Like, hey, that's what I want to
be.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
This is kind of what inspired me.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
You've got to do it, and now all of I had so much fun
with that and the students weregreat and you know I'm an old
guy and they're young and someof those generational things.
I'd make some comment aboutsomething, they'd look at me
like what?
And then they'd tell me aboutsomething.
And I remember coming in oneday and I would videotape and I
had my phone and this girl namedAbby who was kind of my unpaid
(42:15):
assistant she of my unpaidassistant on, she was on the
swim team but she'd take care oftravel arrangements and all
this stuff.
And I'm I got a new phone andI'm doing some filming.
I said this is coming outblurry and she comes over and
says well, you need to take the.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
The wrap off of it, and so we could chuckle about
that kind of stuff and but I hada blast, uh, doing that.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
And then I thought that would probably be my
retirement job.
And again, like you said, lifethrows you an opportunity.
And I wasn't looking, dougwasn't looking, but we got the
for six and a half yearsco-presidents.
We agreed we'd split the salaryand we'd both work full time.
We knew the college needed thehelp and what a joy that was.
(42:59):
And there were a lot ofskeptics on that.
Co-presidents, you know youcan't do that.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
You know it's funny.
So six and a half years, and Iremember talking to you when you
started it and you told me hey,there's a lot of people that
are skeptical, how are we goingto do this?
And I thought they don.
Guys were an incredible team.
Speaker 4 (43:16):
Doug's doing it on his own now, and Doug's what a
great human being and I'velearned a ton from him.
We share the same values, butwe come at things a lot
differently.
He's much more deliberate, I'ma little more impulsive, but I
wouldn't trade that time foranything.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
So I shouldn't have been surprised, um, but the
amount of passion and energy anddrive and will you put into
everything you do, it's justincredible.
I don't think you know, butlike I remember the first time I
saw you after, like you youbecame the president of and I
just you were ready to go.
(43:58):
I mean you were just likeyou've got to get, you've got to
come out here because we've gotto show you this and that and
the other, and it's just thecoolest thing ever and it's just
infectious, jim.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
And.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I know it's been a wonderful thing for you.
Speaker 4 (44:11):
It's been a great thing for me and hopefully for
the kids and these stories.
I mean, there's not a day whereI don't hear a story.
We had a student come back aweek ago, tuesday, to speak to
Tech Girls and it's interestingbecause she grew up in the
Valley, went to Renaissance HighSchool and almost a perfect SAT
(44:31):
score and her dream was to goto Columbia, stanford, duke.
She got rejected at all ofthose Came to the college kind
of grudgingly we were not eventop five on her list Got to play
golf there.
Well, it turned out she wentthere in an engineering we're
not an engineering school butwe've got a 3-2 program.
Well, she got into Columbia forengineering.
(44:54):
In the 3-2 program was theoutstanding student, undergrad
student there.
Then she went to MIT.
She's got a TED Talk.
She came back and talked tothese girls about resilience and
sometimes things aren't goingto break your way.
But she got to Columbia andthen she actually got turned
down by University of Washington.
I thought, all right, I goagain for PhD programs.
(45:14):
It just had kind of thrown herapplication in MIT as a stretch
school and got into MIT andshe's just killing it.
So for these young girls tohear.
So she's doing what we talkedabout giving it back and coming,
and inspiring kids thatanything's possible.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
So the Valley has grown a lot.
We have a lot of listeners tothis that most are in Idaho, but
but I don't know how manypeople know the College of Idaho
.
So give it, we've got it pulledup for those people watching on
YouTube.
Good, I'll try to be quick.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
We're actually the oldest institution by a little
bit over University of Idaho inthe state 1891.
Proudly an Idaho school.
So about 60% of our kids areIdaho kids.
Our football team is an example.
We brought football backbecause we knew there was a
group of student athletes thatwanted to continue to play, but
they're not good enough forBoise State or D1.
(46:07):
They're pretty dang good asyou've seen, but they so we have
more, more kids from Idaho onour football team than
University of Idaho, universityof Idaho State University and
Boise State combined, so we'vebeen a niche for those kids.
Fifty percent of our kids arestudent athletes.
We have about 16 percent thatare international kids and paid
(46:31):
for by a donor, and most ofthose kids come from abject
poverty but they need anopportunity.
Eighteen percent Hispanic kids,so it's a great blend of what
the world looks like.
Speaker 1 (46:42):
Incredible campus.
Speaker 4 (46:46):
We know everybody.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
You go out there and tour it.
It's just electric withactivity when you've been to
basketball games.
Speaker 4 (46:54):
We think we're the only school in the country we've
had national championship inbasketball Rhodes Scholar.
National championship inwomen's cross country Truman
Scholar.
National championship in men'scross country Goldwater Scholar,
fulbright Scholar so there'ssome good stuff going on.
(47:16):
Small, we're only a little over1,000 students and it would be
you'd have to work at notfinding a mentor at the college.
I even get to write a number ofrecommendation letters and
they're not form letters.
I know the kids and our facultyknow those students and they
love.
You know, in academia there's alot of pressure to do research
(47:38):
and that's good stuff.
The research we do iscollaboratively with the
students.
So our faculty they don't wantto be locked in a lab by
themselves, they want to bearound students teaching and so
it's a fun place to be.
And then the athletics you knowyou've been there, tom, and
you'll be there on the 21st, butwe're going to name our arena
the Elgin-Baylor Arena and Onthe 21st we're going to name our
arena the Elgin Baylor Arenaand a lot of people I said
(47:59):
probably these young folks overhere don't know who Elgin.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Baylor was yeah, you got to like it's kind of sad,
right Elgin Baylor, like when Iwas growing up that was like he
was the guy and he was an alumni.
So big ceremony, yeah, bigceremony.
Speaker 4 (48:15):
He came here.
So I didn't see him.
I'm proud of this 1954.
We've always been a place foropportunities and so he came out
.
We had six African-Americanplayers on our team in 1954.
Well, that didn't.
He came out here because no oneelse would give him a chance.
He was the best basketballplayer in the world.
First time he ever drank out ofa drinking fountain was in
Caldwell, idaho.
So that changed his life.
(48:35):
And those integrated.
So that changed his life.
And that's those kind ofstories that are his first
number one draft pick to be aplayer of color, first guy to
score 70 points in the NBA,first guy to score 60 in a
playoff game that 60 pointrecord held for more than four
decades and and just a nicehuman being.
So I'm excited about that.
We're on a hopefully I don'twant to jinx it, but we got a
(48:56):
team capable of winning anothernational championship.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
Let's talk a little bit about it.
So I just want to get your take.
I mean, we've had him on thepodcast because when you took me
out there we got to go in thelocker room and this guy is he's
something else.
There's a real deal, and thenthere's Kobe, kobe.
He is the real deal and it'sfun to watch what he does.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
What a great coach.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
And a great mentor and a great mentor and the way
he interacts with those kids,the way he loves them, the way
he.
There's so many great thingsgoing on, but it looks like
there's a shot, right.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
It's basketball and one game will eliminate you, but
we definitely have thepotential to do that.
We've got a veteran squadcoming back.
We lost Jake O'Neal.
It's interesting to see Jake.
Jake's playing at Idaho Statenow and turning out numbers
because he's getting to playmore.
I mean, as you know, Colby, youget to play about 20 minutes,
so Jake's playing a full game atISU and he's leading rebounder.
(49:57):
He got 19 rebounds in a gamethe other day.
The coach for UCLA spent fiveminutes talking about Jake after
the game and Jake epitomizeswho we are.
And oh, I could talk about tonsof these kids, but not the
fastest, doesn't jump thehighest, not the best shooter,
but is well-prepared, as toughas anybody you're going to see,
(50:19):
yeah, and there are some greatbasketball, great athletes
Stratton, rodgers.
Stratton Rodgers can fly.
Yeah, johnny Redford, it's afun team, samadji, so you'll see
them all.
We've got a new kid, a BelgianBaylor scholar, named Utrillo.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
Morris.
Speaker 4 (50:36):
It's a great in any given night.
Speaker 1 (50:37):
You know some guy may not have a great day, but
that's what makes us good, Ithink the night I went there
they hit like 30 three-pointers.
It was unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (50:44):
Yeah, you came to a very good night.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
I'm on fire, so I can't wait to be Well, one story
if I can share on basketball.
Speaker 4 (50:52):
So two years ago we won the national championship
and I like where we are becauseour the whole national
tournament, the first two gameswe get to host, I hope and we
probably will.
So you stay at home.
So we're not, we're still inschool, are going to class,
regular routine, those two games.
Then you go to kansas city andit's one week the whole
tournament.
You play two games early in theweek and then he plays friday
(51:15):
and saturday back to back andthen you're back in school on
Monday.
So when we won the nationalchampionship two years ago,
we're there.
We win the semifinal gameFriday night.
We're the first game.
So we stay around and scout thenext game to see who we're
going to be playing, get back tothe hotel about 9.30, get to
eat.
Coach talks to them.
They get to see their parents.
(51:37):
A kid named Caden Handron, whojust epitomized that team, never
shows up on the stat sheet.
Scobie Montana.
He runs a camp up in Scobie.
Everybody in the town shows upfor that.
He's a rock star.
When we had the nationalchampionship people from Scobie,
I think the town had to beempty because they all were at
the national tournament.
Anyway, he goes on this computerat 10.30 at night.
(51:58):
He's going to play the biggestgame of his life the next day
and finds out that he hashomework that's due at midnight
and from a professor who hadcanceled class to fly back to
watch the national championship.
But at the College of Idahoyou're not going to give kids
just a day off.
They had to give them homeworkso he could have called that
professor he's in the same hotel, could have called Colby and
(52:20):
said hey, we're playing tomorrow.
Can I get a?
Can you give me a break on this?
He didn't either.
He finished his homework,turned in at about 1155, went to
bed, woke up, started on thenational championship and won.
That's the kind of kid I want tohire.
You know he could have found anexcuse, but why I got an hour
and a half?
I'll knock this out, I'll getit done and I'll go show up and
play a game of my life.
(52:40):
And he did so.
It's just so much fun.
The lessons you learn.
We believe we're not going toget, and I'm glad we're where we
are.
It's interesting right nowwhat's going on in college.
It's sports, but in college, atsports, and it's uh.
But our kids are there for fouryears and and the bonds they
develop with and they get agreat education.
(53:02):
Just jumping around from teamto team is I, I.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
You know, it is what it is uh, it's in a strange
place right now.
Speaker 4 (53:09):
Yeah, but I love, I love the fact that we know these
kids, and uh, and and uh.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
It's fun to cheer for them hey, this went went by
really fast.
There's a bunch more things Iwant to get to, but I do want to
ask you a couple specificthings because I'd love our
listeners to hear your take.
So I don't know what you callthem life hacks or habits or
secrets of success, or there's alot of things to talk about.
You've been doing this a longtime, a leader for a long long
(53:39):
time, community leader, ceo,leader of people.
Do it as well, jim.
Again, as well as anyone I'veever seen in my life, any people
, god ask you this that youmentor.
What are some of the advices orsuggestions you would give to
(54:01):
do it over a long time?
Speaker 4 (54:03):
I appreciate you saying that, Tommy.
There's a lot of wonderfulleaders and.
I learned from all of them.
I think one of them is justhaving that mindset of still
wanting to learn, to be curious,and you're one of those guys.
I mean, look at your career.
You're a doc.
I mean you're always lookingfor what can I learn from other
people?
So surround yourself, be open,read, listen.
(54:26):
Gratitude is huge.
You know, I love there's avideo called Celebrating what's
Right with the World and it's byDeWitt Jones and it's great.
It shaped my life as I watchedthat and it kind of aligned with
where I was thinking.
But you've got to celebratethose great things.
It doesn't mean you're a totalPollyanna and I may be a little
(54:47):
bit on that side.
You pointed that out a coupletimes but I think you don't have
the energy and I think that'sthe story you just told.
I mean you're at the end of theday and it's tough day and and
you only get the energy whenyou're uplifted and you're and
you're looking for the good andthen you can tackle those things
that need to be fixed.
So, uh, find the gratitude,remember where you came from,
(55:09):
never forget.
I don't care how you knowimportant people try to make.
I'm just a regular guy and I'ma lucky guy and I got a lot that
I want to continue to do.
So I'm thinking about that andthinking of purpose calling.
I've never had a job in myadult life.
I had a few growing up thatwere taught me.
(55:30):
I don't think I want to do that.
I worked in a factory one timeand we need people to do that
Wasn't my gig.
You know what's my calling andI've been so lucky to every
single job.
I look forward to coming towork.
I look forward to my colleagues.
I didn't like and I'm gladwe've got choices in remote work
and all that, but I love comingand being around people.
(55:53):
I get energy from that.
I feed off that and then takecare of yourself, you know you
can't.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
Will you touch on that, how important health is
and some of the things you do?
Speaker 4 (56:03):
It's critical.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
I've always, I think, in order for, like, listen, for
you to have the energy anddrive and all you have a lot of
it is because you've got to havethat mind, body, spirit thing
going.
Talk a little bit about whatyou've done to stay healthy,
what?
Speaker 4 (56:17):
you've done to stay healthy?
Yeah, how old are you now?
Yeah, from a fitness standpoint, I mean, it's every day If I
don't work out, I'm not, it'severy day, right.
Speaker 1 (56:25):
And how old are you, jim?
Speaker 4 (56:26):
I'm 72 now 72.
I can't even I mean this I didtriathlons pretty competitively
up until my 60s and mid-60sProbably you know.
Now I'm just training for life.
You know, I just want to stayhealthy.
I want to play with mygrandkids.
I want to be able to.
If they say, let's hike toSawtooth Lake when I'm 80, I
want to be able to do thosethings.
Speaker 1 (56:46):
So you try to do some cardio.
Speaker 4 (56:48):
I try to do some cardio and strength training as
I've gotten older is importantto me too, so that reading for
pleasure, too, is something thatis an escape for me.
I mean, we get so much readingfor business you can't get to it
all.
You're just the emails you haveto read, tommy.
So I try to take some time toread, and I love historical
(57:09):
fiction, I love history.
I'm reading, and most peopleread it years ago For some
reason.
I didn't.
I'm reading Team of Rivalsright now.
Speaker 1 (57:17):
Oh, isn't that great.
Speaker 4 (57:19):
Great book.
I got to teach a class onleadership.
Speaker 1 (57:21):
This year at the college.
That's one of my favorite books.
Speaker 4 (57:24):
Yeah, I think it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Do you diet supplements?
Do you do these?
No?
Speaker 4 (57:29):
no supplements.
I try to eat really healthy.
I just try to eat a balanceddiet.
My wife's got celiac so she'sgluten-free, so she makes you
eat?
Speaker 1 (57:37):
well, yeah, she does.
That helps with the carbs.
Speaker 4 (57:41):
And we've got, I'll tell you our cafeteria at the
college.
I think I don't know if you'veeaten there?
Speaker 1 (57:45):
Oh yeah, I did.
Speaker 4 (57:46):
It's amazing.
And there's good, healthychoices there.
So I just try to make sure I'mtaking care of myself, getting
enough sleep.
That's a challenge sometimes.
Sometimes I can't turn my brainoff and uh, but I try to be
disciplined around that.
Getting outdoors, I love, Ilove Idaho.
(58:13):
I've been here, I've been born.
I'm not a native Idaho and Igrew up in Michigan, but this is
home.
Speaker 1 (58:17):
This is where I'm going to, I'm going to live out
my days.
It's a beautiful state.
Where's your go-to?
Speaker 4 (58:24):
I've got a bunch of them, but two of my favorite
places on the planet.
One is the Bighorn Crags.
If you've not done the BighornCrags, you need to do it.
You need to schedule probably aweek, because it's a big area.
But that is just a spiritualplace place too you go up there
and you just you're in awe.
Every time you're going aroundthe corner you're looking, what
(58:44):
am I going to see next?
And 52 like that's amazing.
I love the.
I love the white clouds too.
A lot of people haven't donethe white clouds and so big
boulder lakes if you, if you'reable to get in there it's those
both of them are you're going tohave to do some hiking and we
like to backpack.
Love the McCall area Peopledon't know how much is up there
(59:04):
and Lick Creek.
We all know about McCall andthe lake and all the fun there.
But you go up to Lick Creek andthere's some amazing places.
Clyde Lakes we went into thatone time so I got a lot of
places I like to.
We don't travel a ton.
I haven't been to Alaska.
I want to get there.
But if I never left Idaho, Istill got a lot of stuff I want
(59:26):
to see.
Speaker 1 (59:27):
You know, the older I get, I don't want to go
anywhere else.
I don't even honestly.
If you look at what you justmentioned, several of my
favorite places, and even up,you know Seven Devils on this
side, yeah, seven Devils.
And you go up in North Idaho,elks, gorgeous, elk City, all
the way up.
And then you go up Coeurd'Alene and that whole area with
(59:48):
.
Speaker 4 (59:48):
Priest Lake.
Priest Lake.
Speaker 1 (59:51):
And then you go the other side and you got Swan
Falls and everything up towardsJackson Teton.
It's just unbelievable.
You don't really need to evergo anywhere.
Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
Yeah, you don't.
You're looking out the Owyhees,the Owyhees, the.
Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
Owyhees are an absolute gem that almost nobody
goes out to, and they'respectacular, they're spectacular
.
Speaker 4 (01:00:09):
Yeah, I could spend the rest of my life just trying
to find all the spots in Idaho Ihaven't gotten to see.
So that's important to me andgrandkids Time with the
grandkids I've got three now howold are they.
They're 14, 12, and 6.
Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
Perfect ages they're all perfect ages.
Speaker 4 (01:00:28):
You know, I got to take my granddaughter when she
was 13 on a middle fork salmontrip Another of my favorite
places.
It was awesome.
She wasn't going to do theducky, she was the youngest one
on the trip and I was kind ofpushing to do it.
And then the next day she showsup and she's there and there
were two older girls there thatkind of were her mentors and
they were doing it.
So she did it.
She went through some whitewater and to see her, she's
(01:00:51):
amazing.
She's a very gifted but she's alittle shy and timid about some
things and to watch her gettingout there and powering down
through some rapids and myheart's pounding.
You got to make it and she madeit in flying colors and so it's,
it's just I again I cannot sayhow fortunate I feel and uh, and
and appreciate you know tellingme that you didn't say that
(01:01:14):
first time you came out toCaldwell.
The next day there's a check inthe mail and and you get pulled
a lot of different directionsbut you're always trying.
And the other thing I love isyou're always looking down the
road.
You know Native Americans andwe've got a kid on our team
Beaver, st Clair.
Native Americans look sevengenerations ahead.
Every time they made a decisionit was about how is this going
(01:01:34):
to affect?
We need to have more of thatmindset.
You know we're.
So what's going to happentomorrow?
What's you know?
And I know what you're workingon in transportation.
Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
We've got to be doing that now.
Well, thanks for being part ofthat, jim.
Well, first of all, I would sayfor anyone listening to this,
it may be because I'm gettingold and there's younger leaders,
there's kind of a whole new setof kind of young guns in town.
If you haven't taken JimEverett to lunch, you should.
(01:02:04):
It would change your life.
He's easy to find.
And then, secondly, I just wantto tell you, in my life I've
never met a guy like you, and Iappreciate so much at this point
decades of just rubbingshoulders with you, watching you
, modeling you, asking youquestions, having you be one of
(01:02:25):
my mentors.
It's a, it's been an honorhaving you on, and I love you.
Speaker 4 (01:02:29):
I appreciate you so much.
I'll be right back, tommy, andyou've been the same to me.
Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
Thanks buddy, thank you, thanks everyone.
Today on the Ever Onward podcast, I have one of my
mentors and dearest friends,jim Everett.
Jim has an incredible story.
He was the CEO of the YMCA herein Boise for 29 years and an
unbelievable story career there.
I can't wait to catch up withhim on that.
After retiring from the CEO ofthe YMCA, uh, jim went out to
(00:25):
the University of Idaho, firstas a swim coach and then he's
been the president, co-presidentwith uh Doug Bingham for the
last six and a half years.
Uh, this guy, um, uh, in mylife uh is one of the greatest
leaders, uh, one of the greatestuh mentors and examples of
community service and I cannotwait to catch up with him, jim
(00:47):
Everett.
Prior to Jim, we'll hear fromMark Cleverley and Holt Haga for
our AllQuest update.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Good morning.
We're here for another AllQuestupdate.
I'm Mark Cleverley, ChiefLeasing Officer at AllQuest.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Holt Haga.
Vp of Leasing at AllQuestDevelopment.
Holt Haga.
Vp of Leasing at AllQuestDevelopment.
So.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Holt this morning we were talking, kind of want to
give an update on not really anupdate, but just talk about our
process with our tenants andmaking them feel like one of our
partners, because they reallyare.
You think about these buildingsthat we build and it's a
long-term relationship.
We try to hold these things fora long time and take care of
(01:27):
them, and so just wanted to talkquickly about, you know, our
process and how we make themfill and what they can expect
when they come in to one of ourprojects.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, you know it's pretty interesting, so it's.
You know, one of the thingsthat that sets us apart is just
the way that that we treat ourtenants and our partners right.
You know, we've got a deep,deep sense of gratitude for, for
the companies we work with andyou see that from start to
finish, right from everythingfrom you know how Brad Smith
(02:00):
runs his design department toCorey Hall and construction runs
his design department to CoreyHall and construction.
Um, brian Taylor and uh andCody on our property management
side, and um, obviously, uh,kakoa, you and me on the on the
leasing side, but um it itreally just.
You know we, these are, youknow, like you said, these are
long-term relationships and wevalue these relationships.
(02:22):
Um, and and one of the things Ithink is interesting is when you
is, when we first meet with acompany that we're a tenant, for
example, that we're workingwith, and we hear some of their
concerns and their horrorstories, in some cases with
other landlords in the market,and I just think it's what
should be common practice.
Sometimes isn't, but we take itvery seriously and I think one
(02:44):
of the things that we doactually is we we don't, you
know, tell you how great we are,we.
We oftentimes will say talk toour tenants, you know, talk to
some of our, some of the of ourpartners and our subcontractors,
and and, and get a sense of howwe do business, because we take
a ton of pride in it and thepartnerships that we develop,
(03:05):
and these are long-termrelationships.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, and I would even suggest anybody listening
to this and when we send thisout, but go to our website.
And on our website we havethese tenant testimonials, um,
that we've done over the yearsand just trying to capture what
how their process went, andevery single one of them we'll
talk about from start to finish.
(03:29):
It's not just our team on theleasing side, it's not just the
property management team, butthey talk about everything.
And I think six years ago, whenwe really kind of ramped up and
started building a lot, it waswe brought Brad in and had him
in-house because we knew thatthat was a critical piece.
(03:49):
And then we brought cory in umto do.
You know, cory originally wasbrought in to do tenant
improvements and now it'stransformed into, you know, even
bigger.
But it started with that and itstarted with we knew we needed
to take care of our tenants.
Uh, because without them, it,you know, we don't fill these
buildings up Right and we don'thave these really good
(04:11):
relationships with thesecompanies.
And you know, without, withoutthe whole team, it's just it
doesn't, it doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
We lose, we lose, you know, traction, we lose
momentum, and it just, yeah, itdoesn't feel as good as it does
right now when we have them inhere.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, yeah, and these are, you know, real estate
transactions.
These are, these are verycomplex transactions, right, I
mean, these are, these are someof the most complex transaction.
A big real estate, you know, alease is, it's a big deal.
A construction contract tobuild a building?
These are, these aresophisticated contracts, and I
think the trust component is acritical element, because
(04:50):
there's so many opportunitiesfor disagreement or I don't want
to say opportunities, butthere's so many ways that there
can be disagreements or you know, kind of gotcha moments.
You know where something's leftout of a contract and I think a
lot of companies and landlordswill approach it like from the
standpoint of just saying no,it's not called out in the
(05:12):
contract, whereas you know,countless times we approach it
from the standpoint of what doyou feel is fair?
And that's our starting point,right, and then try to figure
out a mutually agreeablesolution.
I think that that mindsetreally does set us apart.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I agree.
I agree.
Well, let's go keep killing it.
Keep it rolling, baby, yeah,buddy.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Jim welcome.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Welcome, tommy.
Thank you, glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
This is going to be really fun.
In preparation for this, Ithought I don't know a guy quite
like you.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
I appreciate that.
I don't know if that's good orbad.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You're so good, I've known you for a long, long time.
I don't know if that's good orbad.
You're so good, I just I'veknown you for a long, long time
and you just, you never stop.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Ever.
I'm pretty lucky, Tommy.
I've been given a lot ofopportunities and there's lots
to do, as you know.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
There is.
But I just you're such a greatexample.
I mean I think you know, when Ifirst met you, you were running
the YMCA and everyone, when Iremember, when I first got to
town, everyone was saying haveyou met Jim?
Have you met Jim?
You got to meet Jim.
You got to meet Jim.
And then when I met you, likeevery single thing I was
involved in you were involved inand you had all this energy and
(06:45):
you spent so much time there atthe ymca.
So I want to start there alittle bit, because I think, you
know, I think for youngerpeople and I've done it a couple
times life is, life is long,life is long but it goes by
quickly, absolutely I don't.
Maybe a couple old guys, we cantalk about that, but but I do
think, um, especially in today'sworld, people get so worried
about well, here's my path, well, our paths, you know, as long
(07:09):
as you're passionate aboutpeople and the things you do,
whatever you can probably.
In fact, I gave a talk to someyoung men last week and that's
what I told them.
I'm like, listen, focus more onpeople and serving and less on
how you're doing it, and you'llprobably be happy in a lot of
ways you do it.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Great advice.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
But I look at you and just so much time at the YMCA.
But it started in Michigan.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
It started actually in Ohio.
My first one was in Ohio.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Talk a little bit about your upbringing, because
I've never dug into, kind ofwhat makes you tick, and I'm
going to try to today.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
I'll go back before my career.
I did grow up in Michigan andfamily of five.
Pretty good life growing upuntil I was eight years old 1960
.
So that's 64 years ago for menow and everything was good
until one day I came home fromschool my brother and I and my
(08:06):
mom wasn't there to meet us atthe door and spent the evening
at my neighbor's house anddidn't think much of it.
I was only eight.
My mom came home and met usthere and brought us home and
sat us down in our room that weshared and proceeded to tell us
that our dad had passed away,room that we shared, and
proceeded to tell us that ourdad had passed away.
(08:27):
He had cancer and we shouldhave known him, but we didn't
talk about it.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And I went to do a tailspin.
Tommy, I don't know how old washe, he was only 42.
Whoa, 42 mom.
What kind of cancer.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
It was melanoma.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Melanoma.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah, much more treatable now.
We know a lot about it now, asyou know, as a doctor, catch it
early, right.
Yeah, catch it early, right?
Yeah, catch it early.
And so I was in the third gradethat year.
I just kind of checked out.
I don't know if I wastechnically depressed, but I was
as depressed as I've ever been.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Were you close to your father.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Very close, but I wish I had more memories, if I
could go back, for one day andspend time and learn more about
my dad, spend more time with him.
I do remember one phrase he toldme sticks in my mind.
It was if you play your cardsright and I'm not a big card
player, but I think that's a bigpart of life.
You know, it's what we weretalking about.
Don't you can have all theplans in the world, but
(09:22):
sometimes things come along andyou've got to be prepared when I
was a swim coach.
I'm jumping around but I liketo say the hay's in the barn at
the end of the season because itis, but in life you've got to
be putting hay in the barn allthe time, because you don't know
.
In athletics, you know when thegame's coming, you know when
the competition's coming and youknow when a project's coming,
you know when a test's coming inschool.
In life, you don't know what'scoming, and so you better have,
(09:44):
you better get better every day.
You better get prepared forthose things that you can't
foresee.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
So anyway that happened.
I'm going to stop you a coupletimes, but I think that's
powerful because I got.
We got some things going on inour family right now with one of
my children, and one of thethings we spend a lot of time
talking about is you just neverknow.
You just don't know Because youcan be clipping along and you
(10:13):
almost have to live life withgratitude for those times when
it's not chaotic and challengingwith just hurdles everywhere,
right.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Gratitude is gratitude.
You've got to be grateful everyday, but that's when you're
putting hay in the barn all thetime.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Because you know you may not see it but it's going to
be around one of the cornersand you don't even know what
it's going to be.
But this concept of just beingprepared and almost expecting, I
don't know.
I was talking to him about it.
You kind of expect things to gobad, so I was talking to him
about it, you kind of expectthings to go bad, so that when
they do.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
You're like, okay, yeah, and I think you can learn.
So this has a better ending.
I mean, it's tough.
I wish it never happened, butI'm who I am because of that
Third grade.
I checked out I should havefailed the third grade, got into
fourth grade, not reading atgrade level.
We know now what a disasterthat is for the rest of your
life and for your education.
(11:07):
But I ran into two people.
My mom was awesome, but Ineeded somebody outside my
family as well, and my siblingswere great, but I was in a bad
place.
But the next year, fourth grade, they didn't pass me along.
I shouldn't have.
I ran into two people a coach,bob Martin, my football coach,
and I wanted to play footballlike my older brother had played
(11:28):
.
One problem he needed to weigh60 pounds and I weighed about 53
pounds at the time.
So I came home from schoolexcited First time my mom had
seen me excited about anything.
So we fill out the flyer, getdown to the bottom, find out
there's a weigh-in in two weeksabout ten days maybe.
So I went on an eating regimenWell, I don't know how many.
(11:49):
If you can remember when youwere nine years old by now I'm
nine.
I could eat anything.
I'd put on a pound and I'd loseit.
So the day of the weigh-in, mymom had a plan but she didn't
tell me about.
The table was filled withbananas and water.
I think I ate 14 bananas.
I drank as much water as Icould drink, got on the scale,
(12:09):
weighed about 57.
Well, that wasn't going to makeit.
So she sewed these littlepackets of BBs she was a
seamstress and we put those inmy uniform and I thought we were
fooling everybody.
I've got the picture of thatteam and my coach wrote on the
back our little secret.
And so you fooling everybody.
I've got the picture of thatteam and my coach wrote on the
(12:30):
back our little secret.
So you know I was the smallestguy on the team.
Legally I shouldn't have beenon that team.
I wasn't particularly fast, Iwasn't particularly tough, not
what a coach is looking for.
But I will never forget BobMartin.
Every practice he found time tocome up and pat me on the back.
I played in every single game.
I even started on occasion.
End of the season, we played agame in Tiger Stadium where
(12:52):
Detroit Lions played.
My heroes were there.
Halftime game.
I don't start, but we score atouchdown, I get to go in for an
extra point Because I was small.
I was a running back Line opensup a hole large enough my
grandmother could have runthrough it and I score an extra
point in Tiger Stadium.
I prance off that field.
They announce my name.
I went from feeling like anobody to feeling like somebody.
I never saw Mr Martin againafter that season and I didn't
(13:14):
recognize what he'd done for meuntil about 10 years later.
Then, the other side of it, Ihad a teacher named Nancy
Runciman.
Now he's kind of the softy, thegreat, not the typical football
coach.
He cared more about me as ahuman being than he did about
football.
Well, mrs Runciman knew I was infor a rough road if I couldn't
get reading, so I had to stay infrom recess, I had to go to
(13:35):
school early, I had to stayafter school sometimes and she
just wouldn't give up on me andI got caught up.
That year I did better inschool every year, including all
the way through college.
Again, I didn't realize what aprofound impact she had on me.
That shaped my life.
That drove me to want to be amentor for other kids, to be in
(13:56):
an organization where we mentorlots of kids and I've always
gotten to do that and at thecollege we say the key to
success in college is having amentor and two good friends.
Oh, I love that.
Simple as that.
Now you can have more than onementor.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
But that is, and it's not just college, tommy.
You think about us.
It's life.
We've had mentors.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Still do, Still do.
I'm old, I'm old until I die.
I'm dying to ask you becausedid you have the same?
Were you born with that motorthat you have and we'll get into
the motor, the Jim Everettmotor?
But did you have thatmotivation from a kid?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Did you?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
like you talk about these times.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
You didn't, I did not , you know I had, but it was
these things, these things thatshaped my life, sometimes tough
things, but I became gratefulfor people that were there for
me and it drove me to want to bethere for other people, and
that drives me today.
I think I'm on the other sideof the ledger.
I got a lot of paying forwardto do.
I had so many people that gotme to where I am today and it's
(14:57):
been I'm not.
I got to do a commencementspeech one time and the title of
it was I'm the richest guy inIdaho and I believe that it
won't see me on a list ofmonetary wealth, but so many
people have helped shape my lifeand put me on that path that I
didn't even know the path wasthere.
The jobs I've had aren't onesthat I dreamed about, other than
(15:20):
being a collegiate swim coach.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
That's the only thing that was ever on my list,
graduating from college that Iwanted to do, but I think it's
good to hear for peoplelistening when they get it Like
there's a few people.
In fact, I write your name,like if anyone ever says who's
your hero, no, who's yourexample, I write Jim Everett.
I mean that's not hyperbole,and so to hear that.
(15:49):
I think sometimes people thinkyou are born with it, that it's
DNA, but I think there are morepeople that through experiences,
through gratitude, throughdeveloping this desire and this
yearning to give back, that itnever stops right.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
I hope it doesn't.
I don't think it will for me.
I can't fully retire, I'm stillworking, and then I call it.
It's not really work, it's acalling.
I don't look at it.
I guess today's Wednesday, it'snot hump day for me.
I get to go to work, I get tocome see Tommy, I'm going to
have lunch with students today.
I Tell me I'm going to havelunch with students today.
(16:25):
You know, that's just.
I pinch myself every day.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So I do want to hear how you got into the YMCA,
because that was where you spentthree decades right?
Yeah, it's another interestingstory because I didn't have.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I was going to go to graduate school.
I was all set to go to graduateschool.
I got married my senior year ofcollege to my wife, now 51
years Congratulations.
She's a patient woman, amazingpartner for me.
And we were all set to go toCalifornia at University of
Pacific.
One of my mentors in collegehad moved out there and wanted
(16:59):
me to get into a PhD program andI was pretty excited about that
.
Well, you're an MD, and thiswas a little while ago.
But my wife went in for acheckup and was told she
probably couldn't get pregnant.
Two weeks later she's pregnantDoctor said it's going to be a
very challenging pregnancy.
You can't go to California.
She said to him well, doc,we're not going by covered wagon
(17:21):
and he said you shouldn't go.
So I had to quickly change plans.
I had forgotten I had thrown inan application to the YMCA and
I got a call from a guy namedJack Sizemore, the most casual
interview I've ever had, and Istill don't know why he hired me
.
But he hired me to be.
Really I didn't realize it wasa swim coach, was what drew me
(17:41):
into it, but it really wasrunning the operations of the Y.
I'm still not exactly sure whathe did some fundraising, that
kind of stuff but I was at 22years old, 21 years old, running
a Y.
I learned there that I can't doit all.
I've got to form a team, I'vegot to get people.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So this is going to come full circle today for us.
I've never asked you thiseither, so where did the desire
to be a swim coach come?
Were you a swimmer?
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Yeah, so I wasn't a very good football player and I
grew late.
I became an All-Americanswimmer and I had coaches that
were great my college coach.
It's interesting too, becausein those days swimming was a
very minor sport in the world ofathletics at small colleges.
I went to Albion College and myswim coach was the running back
(18:31):
coach for the football team.
I knew more about swimming thanhe did, but one of the most
phenomenal mentors, human beingsI had to try to swim through a
brick wall for that guy, BobWickstrom, another mentor in my
life.
So you know in college.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So that was your true love, that was.
I loved it and you had a greatmentor and so it was.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
but what I learned is you know, when I got an
opportunity to coach swimming,I'd been out of it for a long
time.
Technically, I probably neededto brush up, but it wasn't about
swimming.
It never is.
That's just the medium you useto help young people develop
into the human beings they'regoing to be.
I knew I wasn't going to haveany Olympic swimmers and later I
hope we get to talk about Colbyand what he does and about
(19:16):
athletics at our level, which Ijust love.
I've got a few stories I'd loveto share about what it means
for these kids, but it meant alot to me.
It was a big part of my collegeyears and it allowed me to get
an education.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
So you take this job not knowing that this is going
to lead to this?
Really really storied career.
Like, I do want to spend sometime there because some of the
things you accomplished withyour team while serving in that
role at the YMCA are justamazing.
But you started there.
Then talk about how you endedup in Boise.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Yeah, I started there and my wife and I met in
Colorado at a dude ranch.
She grew up on a farm and weboth loved the West.
We'd been there once and it waslove at first sight.
She was love at first sight andthe mountains were love at
first sight, and so we'd alwayshad a little desire to move West
.
And the Y at that time had apaper copy.
(20:14):
Every two weeks you'd get avacancy list of job
opportunities.
It was interesting because Ihad just applied to a job in
Appleton, wisconsin, and wasreally excited about it Great
one and I was number two.
Didn't get the job.
I'm bummed.
Two weeks later this thing inBoise opens and I come outside
unseen.
I come here and.
I'm doing something by the river, by the library, and I see an
(20:38):
eagle in downtown Boise.
I see this river that'spristine.
I can look up at the mountains.
This is amazing and fortunatelygot the job so what year was
that that was?
1977.
Came here and just thecommunity.
I have no idea how we affordeda house.
I was making, I think, $6,500.
(21:01):
At that time.
We had, I think we may have hadtwo kids or at least had
another one on the way.
But people did so many greatthings to help us and so I just
the why was reeling me in and Ibecame a lifer, as they say.
It just was.
I got to do so many greatthings.
Another mentor, daryl Scott Ihad there, and every year at the
(21:23):
why, when you become a CEO, youget a new boss every two years
and I've gotten to work withsome of the most amazing people.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So you became CEO.
In what year?
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Then I went back to Michigan which I didn't think
I'd do, but my boss, Daryl Scott, we did a capital campaign and
he said, hey, how would you liketo run the Y while I'm doing
this campaign?
It doesn't happen that wayanymore, but he actually moved
off-site so I ran the Boise Y.
I never had any aspiration todo that.
I did it for a while.
This is kind of fun.
Then there was an opening backin Michigan.
(21:54):
We thought, well, it'd be goodto get closer to family, and
went back there and went to StJoe Benton Harbor, probably the
most segregated community inAmerica.
There's a river that dividesthe communities and it was just
an amazing experience how wewere able to pull that community
together, and so I love that.
And then an opening came backfor Boise for the CEO job and we
(22:21):
had a great experience there.
But we missed Boise and youdon't often get to go back and
interview for it.
I still remember that interviewand people that I knew and all
the candidates were here at thesame time.
So I'm saying hi to all thesepeople.
I felt a little bad for them,but it was far from a shoe-in
that I was going to get it.
In fact there were a couple.
There was a lady who headed upthe committee was kind of dead
(22:43):
set for some reason becausepeople were saying, oh, you've
got to hire Jim, and she wasdead set.
That's not what we're going todo.
Well, I'm lucky enough to getthe job, and 29 years in that
role.
So 29.
29 as the CEO of this Y we hadjust the downtown Y I mean.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
so we got a lot of stuff to get to, but in that
time if you think of the impactof the Y, so you have downtown,
then you open up.
West Y which was a hugeendeavor.
And then the one I want toreally talk about, because it
was so dramatic for me, is whenyou did the Caldwell Y.
I mean you look at thatcommunity impact study, but
(23:26):
there's just it's been fun.
I don't even know how tosummarize or talk about on a
podcast what might beinteresting for people the
impact of the YMCA, the impactof these nonprofits and the role
they play in the community.
What should I ask you?
It's been fun.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I mean Caldwell was a lot of fun because that was a
community.
That is funny.
Both times, I mean, people saidwe couldn't do it with the West
Y.
We had never raised more than Ithink about $1.2 million.
We were going out for $13.5million and things fell into
place.
People just this community,stepped up and we had great
leadership.
(24:06):
Gary Michael and Ray Smelik,david Turnbull were some of the
names.
I remember going to DavidTurnbull I'd never met David and
said we're building a Y, wethink this is the best location.
Hp would like us to be out inthis neck of the woods and they
had made a nice gift.
They weren't dictating anythingbut we said can we work with
(24:28):
you?
We'd like to get a good deal onsome land.
He said, how about free?
He gives us the land and thenhe gives land, land for the park
, and that developed arelationship that's gone on for
all those years with david andthe things he's done.
So there's a synergy with allthis.
Yeah, you meet people and greatthings and partnering is huge.
We couldn't do it all, but wecould.
(24:48):
We could create some coolpartnerships.
So that was, that was a bigstep for us to get some
confidence that we could do somethings.
But then caldwell was so let meset this up.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
If you look at just statistics in Caldwell, idaho,
and you look at challenges,crime rates start there.
Violent crime, yeah it was.
And a community that was reallysuffering and kind of tearing
itself down.
And you can point I know thatI've talked to other people
about this and because it's so,it's so dramatic.
(25:19):
There's some other things thathappen with good city leadership
absolutely, um, there reallywas, yeah, but then there's this
timing of the ymca coming inand bringing the community
together and I think the comboof the ymca and colas's mayor
and then garrett in Colas asmayor.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
I think it was the right time.
But we were told that thatwould never happen.
They said there wasn't enoughleadership in Caldwell.
Which the Caldwell leaders?
They're just so humble.
It's kind of a throwback to adifferent era.
They don't beat their chest, butthey just okay we'll show you
and we went about that and itwas the right time and crime
(26:00):
rate was was not good thatnobody wanted to go to that
community.
I'm now with the, with the,with the college of idaho, and
it was a liability.
Being uncalled, people werewere afraid to send their kids
there.
Um, what?
What the wide did was broughtit brought the community
together.
And scott curt a ton of credit.
He was the CEO out there.
We didn't call him the CEO, wecalled him the executive
(26:23):
director, but he was veryindependent.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
I think we've had both of you on the list, but
he's a dynamic.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Scott's an amazing guy and what he?
did is he just?
He did so many things.
He's fluent in Spanish, he hasa commitment to the Hispanic
population and if you walked inthat wine little things that
make a difference If you walkedin that wine and Spanish was
your language, we didn't have togo look for somebody.
(26:50):
If you started speaking Spanish, there was going to be somebody
with an earshot.
So he just made it thiswelcoming place and I can tell
you, when you move into acommunity like that, often Tom
and have done that the lessadvantaged community thinks this
isn't for us.
They're building this for theother people.
We don't get to come.
And Scott just made it veryclear that everybody was welcome
at the Y and it grew.
(27:12):
The crime rate droppedprecipitously and now you go.
You've been to Caldwell.
That was the genesis, I think,for the uncovering of Indian
Creek, the Indian Creek Plaza,all the things.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
And it's being carried on today by Jerem.
A couple of things Greatleadership.
I think Garrett was there.
24 years, can't say enoughabout the guy.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Best mayor on the planet?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
I think I just think he so authentically called well
and served the people.
And how do you get through it?
I do want to tell one story,because you took me out there
and I remember I hadn't metScott before and obviously, like
, the respect for you is throughthe roof.
And I go out there and I sat itwas a day he was doing a little
(27:58):
talk never met him before and Iwill never forget sitting there
and just having goosebumps ontop of goosebumps and chills and
tears and and thinking, oh mygosh, this is the most
incredible community impactthing and he just was connecting
(28:20):
and it's so good.
I remember walking out thinking,my goodness, we're so blessed
to have this community and thecommitment from individuals that
change things.
If you think about life right,just think about like all of,
because we'll transition intowhat you're doing now.
But you think of 27 years, Jim,29, 29, yeah, 27 is the CEO,
(28:42):
right?
No 29 is the CEO 29.
Sorry, um, you know I the theimpact you've made on
individuals, that's communitieswe started at.
But then do you know how manyhundreds of stories of people I
know that, know you that arelike, oh, that guy saved my
(29:03):
kid's life?
I mean think of the people, thefamilies and then the
individuals that you've beenable to impact over your career
at the YMCA.
I know a guy like you looksback and you're so humble, but
you've got to be proud andgrateful.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
I'm extremely grateful and I've done nothing.
But the one skill I've got issurrounding myself with good
people.
Scott, hiring Scott Curtis boy.
That was a hard process.
He finally called me and saidknock it off.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I don't want to do this because you're pressuring
me, I to do it because it's theright thing and fortunately I
can.
I could actually hear himsaying that we did.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
we did hire him, but yeah, and I knew Scott from high
school and he was on our boardand but that you know it's just
getting those right people inthe right place and and teams
get things done and and yeah,the life Scott's changed and
continues to at the youth ranchand I'm really proud of that.
The people that have gone outand and either stayed with the y
david durrow is doing greatwork at the y now and and and we
(30:05):
talked about mernan colas andI've had jerome wagner out there
kind of trying to do the same,not kind of it is doing the same
stuff with a focus on youth andfamilies.
So, and I'm just I'm, I'mextraordinarily grateful it does
, I'm, I'm a story.
I thought you're gonna say I'vegot a hundred, I got a thousand
stories and I love tellingstories.
(30:26):
I think stories are the way wedevelop a culture and and so
back to my original story.
So what we did at the at the Yis we told everybody and new
employer orientation, don't talkabout at-risk kids that nobody
wants to be an at-risk kid.
We know they're out there, butwe're gonna talk about all the
promise kids every kids havepromised.
And if you don't believe thatthis is new employer orientation
(30:49):
, just quietly walk out the door.
We'll pay it for their timehere.
But we can't have people herethat are going to give up on
kids.
Somebody didn't give up on mewhen it would have been easy to.
Mrs Runciman wasn't gettingpaid to stay after school and
come in early and all thosethings Didn't get her break at
(31:10):
break time.
At lunch she stayed with mebecause she wasn't going to give
up on me.
Mr Martin wasn't.
We've got to do that.
It doesn't always work, I'm not.
There are times where you getdisappointed, but you've got to
make the effort and I know Imean you've adopted kids, you've
taken kids that they just needan opportunity.
That's all we're looking for.
That's all anybody wants.
I don't believe in handouts,but handups make a huge
(31:32):
difference when somebodybelieves in you more than you
believe in yourself.
So it shapes the way you try todo everything.
And our camp was the same way.
We'd take kids there and I gota million stories from camp kids
that showed up that werecontemplating suicide and got to
camp.
And just because people werekind and remembered their name,
(31:53):
one wrote us a letter and saidyou know, I came to camp
thinking I was going to take mylife, but I got here and people
are nice to me and peopleremember my name and I'm not
going to do that and a letterthat he had written to his
grandma when he was at camp andshe shared that with us.
I mean, that's powerful.
Sometimes we need mental healthcounselors, we need all this,
but sometimes we just need asociety that's kinder and has
(32:17):
more empathy for people and lessangry.
So I like to try to simplifythings and to me that's a huge.
I look at you, know leaderslike you.
Empathy is a big part of yourleadership style.
You want to get to know peopleand it's far different than
sympathy.
We're not talking sympathy,we're talking empathy and, as
(32:39):
Cubby said, seeking first tounderstand, then to be
understood.
You're a great listener.
You love stories.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Well and gosh.
I just you know people follow,people they do, and I think of
and sometimes I think back topeople that have been super
impactful to me.
And Jim, you are one of thoseguys.
I just and the impact you'vemade on my life and I think back
(33:06):
to you know that job offer andyou coming here.
It's impossible to quantify theimpact of just your goodness
and what you've said today,kindness and the lessons you've
learned and the people.
So it's really cool to kind ofreflect on that.
(33:28):
I was just thinking throughWest Y, then the camp I know
it's a big deal Caldwell.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
And then South.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Meridian Y and all the things that I've watched you
do.
But but one of the things thatthat I wanted to maybe have you
talk about a little bit, becauseI've been around a lot of
people that are leaders, thatthat you know they're leaders
right and they're they may beyou know they're well-respected,
they're approachable, they'reknow they're leaders right and
(33:58):
they're they may be you knowyou're, they're well respected,
they're approachable, they're,they're they're wonderful and
they lead and they're you knowthey're larger than life and
there's that for sure with, with, with, with Jim Everett, and
for sure.
But give advice to those peoplethat are listening about being
(34:18):
both, because you're that forsure, but you're also you've
never lost sight of the one andI've watched you, like in so
many.
I'm going to get to what you'redoing right now, because when
we went out there, it wasoverwhelming, because we're
walking through the halls goingto the basketball game at the
(34:41):
College of Idaho and youprobably grabbed five kids.
You pulled them in, you putyour arm around them and you
would tell me such individualstories about those kids and
their eyes were bright and theywere smiling.
But what I want to get back tois what do you do to keep your
(35:01):
focus on the one that, like it's?
It feels to me like you'realways looking for someone
that's struggling, someone thatmay need something extra.
Do you have any any advice forthose that may be listening of
how to do that?
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Don't forget where it came from.
I don't like the the phrase.
You know I'm a self-made man.
None of us are.
If you got to where you got towhere I've gotten to, you had a
lot of help along the way, andso to me, it's an opportunity,
it's a responsibility to try tohelp people that are in
(35:39):
different places in life thatjust need somebody to be that.
Mr Martin, mrs Runciman, Icould go on and on for all the
mentors I had, sharon Allen, Imean it's just people that have
been there that didn't need todo what they've done for me.
So I think I'll go to my graveremembering that I'm pretty darn
(35:59):
lucky and I want other peopleto have those opportunities.
And I hear stories and sharestories.
I got one just yesterday.
I ran into this girl from Haiti.
She's on our campus.
We get a lot of internationalstudents.
As you know, there's a donorthat pays for the majority of
their education Well, almost allof it and this girl's from
Haiti.
Haiti's not a great place to togrow up.
(36:22):
Uh, she comes to the college.
She just told me yesterday thatshe has gotten into cornell
veterinary medicine school.
I mean, I just that brings meto tears.
I think about a girl growing upthere.
She's gonna go to cor.
We've got to figure out howshe's going to afford it.
She's got to go to theUniversity of Pennsylvania.
You know medical school, youknow veterinary medicine school
(36:45):
may be even tougher to get into.
We've got another kid fromSomalia.
He's a domestic student but hisfamily came here from Somalia,
went to the Boise schools,graduated brilliant kid, abu
Karim Muhammad.
He worked for two years for NIH.
He just got into Cornell MD PhDprogram, full tuition housing.
(37:08):
The kid's going to go on and doamazing things.
He's going to.
You know I love the choiceswe've got in education.
Now we need the CWIs, we needthe technical schools, but
higher ed's getting beaten up alittle bit right now.
And cure for cancer, cure forAlzheimer's, those are going to
come out of places like ours.
We've had a Rhodes Scholar,fulbright Scholar, truman
(37:30):
Scholar, goldwater Scholar, allIdaho kids.
We're 60% Idaho kids.
We need it all, but I'm reallyproud of what we do.
Well, you.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
It's always about the one with you, it is.
And it's always about runningto people in their time of
greatest need, right?
I think it's been a tremendousexample for me.
I'm going to tell you like thisis a true story from yesterday
for me and I'm going to add itto the Jim Everett stories.
So I'm sitting at my desk atthe end of the day.
(38:04):
Yesterday I had a really busyday.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
When don't you?
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Tommy.
But I was looking through Ithought, oh, podcast tomorrow.
So I usually get guest bios anda little bit about you which I
didn't need for you today.
But I've sitting here and Ithought, oh great, I read
through your bio and in thatmoment I was going through my
(38:33):
emails and someone had sent me areally long, well-written email
Jim, and it's a senior in ourcommunity that needs help with
something, and it's so specificand it's a big ask.
And I literally had read theemail, I flagged it so I could
go back to it and in my head I'mlike I just can't.
(38:54):
There's like a point I can'tsay no, no, I was opposite.
I'm like there's a point whichyou can't.
There's like a point I can'tsay no, there's no, there's no.
I was opposite.
I'm like there's a point whichyou can't do anymore.
I just I, I just I.
I have no, there's like nothingleft to be able to go solve
that problem.
And, jim, I read your thing andI went to that email and
(39:14):
literally said I'll set up anappointment, I'll come check,
and I don't know where that'sgoing to go, but anyway, you
never stopped inspiring.
Because that's what you wouldhave done.
You would have read that andsaid I'm going to go help and so
gosh, it just never ends, jim.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Thank you for what you do, tommy, and I know
everybody's looking to you tohelp and let's get back to um.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
So when you said, hey , I'm going to retire from the Y
, it's been, it's been a longtime.
Uh, I think most of us who knewyou, well, we're like okay,
what's this guy going to do next, Cause you can't stop.
Speaker 4 (39:57):
No.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
You won't stop.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
No.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
I mean, it's just not possible, it's not part of your
DNA.
So it wasn't much time off andthen immediately you took a role
at the University of Ohio.
You're right.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
I knew I wasn't fully retiring.
It was, you know, 29 years andit's interesting.
I remember having aconversation with Roger Quarles,
who's a dear friend and was agreat partner in Caldwell.
Roger, we shared, I said everykid's a promise.
Roger said it a different waythere's no throwaway kid.
So we really bonded when he wasin Caldwell as a superintendent
.
But meeting with him we werejust philosophical and he said
(40:38):
you know, leadership has a shelflife.
It wasn't directed at me, butit does.
David was ready to go.
I don't get to pick mysuccessor, but I did call David
Durow and say I want to makesure you're interested if I do
announce this, because I knew ifhe was interested they'll go
through a process.
If they hire somebody else,they must be pretty darn good.
(40:59):
So did that knowing that Iwasn't going to.
I didn't know what was going tobe next To your point.
I had no idea what was going tobe next, but I knew I wasn't
done.
And then my friend Marty Holley.
You've met another guy withenergy.
Marty's now 79.
You'll see him at the game in acouple weeks and he's just
(41:20):
always going.
He bleeds purple.
He calls me and says hey, we'vegot an opening for the swim
coach job.
It was like two months in andeverybody told me wait six
months.
I couldn't Kind of.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
like you, I've read it.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
And I'm a bit on the impulsive side.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
I talked to my wife a little bit, thought about it,
but I said, yeah, well, man, andit was about this much about
swimming and all this aboutgetting to work with young
college students and hoping tobe like my wife, but in some way
kind of a cool bookend right.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Oh, it was awesome, Like, hey, that's what I want to
be.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
This is kind of what inspired me.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
You've got to do it, and now all of I had so much fun
with that and the students weregreat and you know I'm an old
guy and they're young and someof those generational things.
I'd make some comment aboutsomething, they'd look at me
like what?
And then they'd tell me aboutsomething.
And I remember coming in oneday and I would videotape and I
had my phone and this girl namedAbby who was kind of my unpaid
(42:15):
assistant she of my unpaidassistant on, she was on the
swim team but she'd take care oftravel arrangements and all
this stuff.
And I'm I got a new phone andI'm doing some filming.
I said this is coming outblurry and she comes over and
says well, you need to take the.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
The wrap off of it, and so we could chuckle about
that kind of stuff and but I hada blast, uh, doing that.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
And then I thought that would probably be my
retirement job.
And again, like you said, lifethrows you an opportunity.
And I wasn't looking, dougwasn't looking, but we got the
for six and a half yearsco-presidents.
We agreed we'd split the salaryand we'd both work full time.
We knew the college needed thehelp and what a joy that was.
(42:59):
And there were a lot ofskeptics on that.
Co-presidents, you know youcan't do that.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
You know it's funny.
So six and a half years, and Iremember talking to you when you
started it and you told me hey,there's a lot of people that
are skeptical, how are we goingto do this?
And I thought they don.
Guys were an incredible team.
Speaker 4 (43:16):
Doug's doing it on his own now, and Doug's what a
great human being and I'velearned a ton from him.
We share the same values, butwe come at things a lot
differently.
He's much more deliberate, I'ma little more impulsive, but I
wouldn't trade that time foranything.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
So I shouldn't have been surprised, um, but the
amount of passion and energy anddrive and will you put into
everything you do, it's justincredible.
I don't think you know, butlike I remember the first time I
saw you after, like you youbecame the president of and I
just you were ready to go.
(43:58):
I mean you were just likeyou've got to get, you've got to
come out here because we've gotto show you this and that and
the other, and it's just thecoolest thing ever and it's just
infectious, jim.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
And.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I know it's been a wonderful thing for you.
Speaker 4 (44:11):
It's been a great thing for me and hopefully for
the kids and these stories.
I mean, there's not a day whereI don't hear a story.
We had a student come back aweek ago, tuesday, to speak to
Tech Girls and it's interestingbecause she grew up in the
Valley, went to Renaissance HighSchool and almost a perfect SAT
(44:31):
score and her dream was to goto Columbia, stanford, duke.
She got rejected at all ofthose Came to the college kind
of grudgingly we were not eventop five on her list Got to play
golf there.
Well, it turned out she wentthere in an engineering we're
not an engineering school butwe've got a 3-2 program.
Well, she got into Columbia forengineering.
(44:54):
In the 3-2 program was theoutstanding student, undergrad
student there.
Then she went to MIT.
She's got a TED Talk.
She came back and talked tothese girls about resilience and
sometimes things aren't goingto break your way.
But she got to Columbia andthen she actually got turned
down by University of Washington.
I thought, all right, I goagain for PhD programs.
(45:14):
It just had kind of thrown herapplication in MIT as a stretch
school and got into MIT andshe's just killing it.
So for these young girls tohear.
So she's doing what we talkedabout giving it back and coming,
and inspiring kids thatanything's possible.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
So the Valley has grown a lot.
We have a lot of listeners tothis that most are in Idaho, but
but I don't know how manypeople know the College of Idaho
.
So give it, we've got it pulledup for those people watching on
YouTube.
Good, I'll try to be quick.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
We're actually the oldest institution by a little
bit over University of Idaho inthe state 1891.
Proudly an Idaho school.
So about 60% of our kids areIdaho kids.
Our football team is an example.
We brought football backbecause we knew there was a
group of student athletes thatwanted to continue to play, but
they're not good enough forBoise State or D1.
(46:07):
They're pretty dang good asyou've seen, but they so we have
more, more kids from Idaho onour football team than
University of Idaho, universityof Idaho State University and
Boise State combined, so we'vebeen a niche for those kids.
Fifty percent of our kids arestudent athletes.
We have about 16 percent thatare international kids and paid
(46:31):
for by a donor, and most ofthose kids come from abject
poverty but they need anopportunity.
Eighteen percent Hispanic kids,so it's a great blend of what
the world looks like.
Speaker 1 (46:42):
Incredible campus.
Speaker 4 (46:46):
We know everybody.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
You go out there and tour it.
It's just electric withactivity when you've been to
basketball games.
Speaker 4 (46:54):
We think we're the only school in the country we've
had national championship inbasketball Rhodes Scholar.
National championship inwomen's cross country Truman
Scholar.
National championship in men'scross country Goldwater Scholar,
fulbright Scholar so there'ssome good stuff going on.
(47:16):
Small, we're only a little over1,000 students and it would be
you'd have to work at notfinding a mentor at the college.
I even get to write a number ofrecommendation letters and
they're not form letters.
I know the kids and our facultyknow those students and they
love.
You know, in academia there's alot of pressure to do research
(47:38):
and that's good stuff.
The research we do iscollaboratively with the
students.
So our faculty they don't wantto be locked in a lab by
themselves, they want to bearound students teaching and so
it's a fun place to be.
And then the athletics you knowyou've been there, tom, and
you'll be there on the 21st, butwe're going to name our arena
the Elgin-Baylor Arena and Onthe 21st we're going to name our
arena the Elgin Baylor Arenaand a lot of people I said
(47:59):
probably these young folks overhere don't know who Elgin.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Baylor was yeah, you got to like it's kind of sad,
right Elgin Baylor, like when Iwas growing up that was like he
was the guy and he was an alumni.
So big ceremony, yeah, bigceremony.
Speaker 4 (48:15):
He came here.
So I didn't see him.
I'm proud of this 1954.
We've always been a place foropportunities and so he came out
.
We had six African-Americanplayers on our team in 1954.
Well, that didn't.
He came out here because no oneelse would give him a chance.
He was the best basketballplayer in the world.
First time he ever drank out ofa drinking fountain was in
Caldwell, idaho.
So that changed his life.
(48:35):
And those integrated.
So that changed his life.
And that's those kind ofstories that are his first
number one draft pick to be aplayer of color, first guy to
score 70 points in the NBA,first guy to score 60 in a
playoff game that 60 pointrecord held for more than four
decades and and just a nicehuman being.
So I'm excited about that.
We're on a hopefully I don'twant to jinx it, but we got a
(48:56):
team capable of winning anothernational championship.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
Let's talk a little bit about it.
So I just want to get your take.
I mean, we've had him on thepodcast because when you took me
out there we got to go in thelocker room and this guy is he's
something else.
There's a real deal, and thenthere's Kobe, kobe.
He is the real deal and it'sfun to watch what he does.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
What a great coach.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
And a great mentor and a great mentor and the way
he interacts with those kids,the way he loves them, the way
he.
There's so many great thingsgoing on, but it looks like
there's a shot, right.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
It's basketball and one game will eliminate you, but
we definitely have thepotential to do that.
We've got a veteran squadcoming back.
We lost Jake O'Neal.
It's interesting to see Jake.
Jake's playing at Idaho Statenow and turning out numbers
because he's getting to playmore.
I mean, as you know, Colby, youget to play about 20 minutes,
so Jake's playing a full game atISU and he's leading rebounder.
(49:57):
He got 19 rebounds in a gamethe other day.
The coach for UCLA spent fiveminutes talking about Jake after
the game and Jake epitomizeswho we are.
And oh, I could talk about tonsof these kids, but not the
fastest, doesn't jump thehighest, not the best shooter,
but is well-prepared, as toughas anybody you're going to see,
(50:19):
yeah, and there are some greatbasketball, great athletes
Stratton, rodgers.
Stratton Rodgers can fly.
Yeah, johnny Redford, it's afun team, samadji, so you'll see
them all.
We've got a new kid, a BelgianBaylor scholar, named Utrillo.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
Morris.
Speaker 4 (50:36):
It's a great in any given night.
Speaker 1 (50:37):
You know some guy may not have a great day, but
that's what makes us good, Ithink the night I went there
they hit like 30 three-pointers.
It was unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (50:44):
Yeah, you came to a very good night.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
I'm on fire, so I can't wait to be Well, one story
if I can share on basketball.
Speaker 4 (50:52):
So two years ago we won the national championship
and I like where we are becauseour the whole national
tournament, the first two gameswe get to host, I hope and we
probably will.
So you stay at home.
So we're not, we're still inschool, are going to class,
regular routine, those two games.
Then you go to kansas city andit's one week the whole
tournament.
You play two games early in theweek and then he plays friday
(51:15):
and saturday back to back andthen you're back in school on
Monday.
So when we won the nationalchampionship two years ago,
we're there.
We win the semifinal gameFriday night.
We're the first game.
So we stay around and scout thenext game to see who we're
going to be playing, get back tothe hotel about 9.30, get to
eat.
Coach talks to them.
They get to see their parents.
(51:37):
A kid named Caden Handron, whojust epitomized that team, never
shows up on the stat sheet.
Scobie Montana.
He runs a camp up in Scobie.
Everybody in the town shows upfor that.
He's a rock star.
When we had the nationalchampionship people from Scobie,
I think the town had to beempty because they all were at
the national tournament.
Anyway, he goes on this computerat 10.30 at night.
(51:58):
He's going to play the biggestgame of his life the next day
and finds out that he hashomework that's due at midnight
and from a professor who hadcanceled class to fly back to
watch the national championship.
But at the College of Idahoyou're not going to give kids
just a day off.
They had to give them homeworkso he could have called that
professor he's in the same hotel, could have called Colby and
(52:20):
said hey, we're playing tomorrow.
Can I get a?
Can you give me a break on this?
He didn't either.
He finished his homework,turned in at about 1155, went to
bed, woke up, started on thenational championship and won.
That's the kind of kid I want tohire.
You know he could have found anexcuse, but why I got an hour
and a half?
I'll knock this out, I'll getit done and I'll go show up and
play a game of my life.
(52:40):
And he did so.
It's just so much fun.
The lessons you learn.
We believe we're not going toget, and I'm glad we're where we
are.
It's interesting right nowwhat's going on in college.
It's sports, but in college, atsports, and it's uh.
But our kids are there for fouryears and and the bonds they
develop with and they get agreat education.
(53:02):
Just jumping around from teamto team is I, I.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
You know, it is what it is uh, it's in a strange
place right now.
Speaker 4 (53:09):
Yeah, but I love, I love the fact that we know these
kids, and uh, and and uh.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
It's fun to cheer for them hey, this went went by
really fast.
There's a bunch more things Iwant to get to, but I do want to
ask you a couple specificthings because I'd love our
listeners to hear your take.
So I don't know what you callthem life hacks or habits or
secrets of success, or there's alot of things to talk about.
You've been doing this a longtime, a leader for a long long
(53:39):
time, community leader, ceo,leader of people.
Do it as well, jim.
Again, as well as anyone I'veever seen in my life, any people
, god ask you this that youmentor.
What are some of the advices orsuggestions you would give to
(54:01):
do it over a long time?
Speaker 4 (54:03):
I appreciate you saying that, Tommy.
There's a lot of wonderfulleaders and.
I learned from all of them.
I think one of them is justhaving that mindset of still
wanting to learn, to be curious,and you're one of those guys.
I mean, look at your career.
You're a doc.
I mean you're always lookingfor what can I learn from other
people?
So surround yourself, be open,read, listen.
(54:26):
Gratitude is huge.
You know, I love there's avideo called Celebrating what's
Right with the World and it's byDeWitt Jones and it's great.
It shaped my life as I watchedthat and it kind of aligned with
where I was thinking.
But you've got to celebratethose great things.
It doesn't mean you're a totalPollyanna and I may be a little
(54:47):
bit on that side.
You pointed that out a coupletimes but I think you don't have
the energy and I think that'sthe story you just told.
I mean you're at the end of theday and it's tough day and and
you only get the energy whenyou're uplifted and you're and
you're looking for the good andthen you can tackle those things
that need to be fixed.
So, uh, find the gratitude,remember where you came from,
(55:09):
never forget.
I don't care how you knowimportant people try to make.
I'm just a regular guy and I'ma lucky guy and I got a lot that
I want to continue to do.
So I'm thinking about that andthinking of purpose calling.
I've never had a job in myadult life.
I had a few growing up thatwere taught me.
(55:30):
I don't think I want to do that.
I worked in a factory one timeand we need people to do that
Wasn't my gig.
You know what's my calling andI've been so lucky to every
single job.
I look forward to coming towork.
I look forward to my colleagues.
I didn't like and I'm gladwe've got choices in remote work
and all that, but I love comingand being around people.
(55:53):
I get energy from that.
I feed off that and then takecare of yourself, you know you
can't.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
Will you touch on that, how important health is
and some of the things you do?
Speaker 4 (56:03):
It's critical.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
I've always, I think, in order for, like, listen, for
you to have the energy anddrive and all you have a lot of
it is because you've got to havethat mind, body, spirit thing
going.
Talk a little bit about whatyou've done to stay healthy,
what?
Speaker 4 (56:17):
you've done to stay healthy?
Yeah, how old are you now?
Yeah, from a fitness standpoint, I mean, it's every day If I
don't work out, I'm not, it'severy day, right.
Speaker 1 (56:25):
And how old are you, jim?
Speaker 4 (56:26):
I'm 72 now 72.
I can't even I mean this I didtriathlons pretty competitively
up until my 60s and mid-60sProbably you know.
Now I'm just training for life.
You know, I just want to stayhealthy.
I want to play with mygrandkids.
I want to be able to.
If they say, let's hike toSawtooth Lake when I'm 80, I
want to be able to do thosethings.
Speaker 1 (56:46):
So you try to do some cardio.
Speaker 4 (56:48):
I try to do some cardio and strength training as
I've gotten older is importantto me too, so that reading for
pleasure, too, is something thatis an escape for me.
I mean, we get so much readingfor business you can't get to it
all.
You're just the emails you haveto read, tommy.
So I try to take some time toread, and I love historical
(57:09):
fiction, I love history.
I'm reading, and most peopleread it years ago For some
reason.
I didn't.
I'm reading Team of Rivalsright now.
Speaker 1 (57:17):
Oh, isn't that great.
Speaker 4 (57:19):
Great book.
I got to teach a class onleadership.
Speaker 1 (57:21):
This year at the college.
That's one of my favorite books.
Speaker 4 (57:24):
Yeah, I think it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Do you diet supplements?
Do you do these?
No?
Speaker 4 (57:29):
no supplements.
I try to eat really healthy.
I just try to eat a balanceddiet.
My wife's got celiac so she'sgluten-free, so she makes you
eat?
Speaker 1 (57:37):
well, yeah, she does.
That helps with the carbs.
Speaker 4 (57:41):
And we've got, I'll tell you our cafeteria at the
college.
I think I don't know if you'veeaten there?
Speaker 1 (57:45):
Oh yeah, I did.
Speaker 4 (57:46):
It's amazing.
And there's good, healthychoices there.
So I just try to make sure I'mtaking care of myself, getting
enough sleep.
That's a challenge sometimes.
Sometimes I can't turn my brainoff and uh, but I try to be
disciplined around that.
Getting outdoors, I love, Ilove Idaho.
(58:13):
I've been here, I've been born.
I'm not a native Idaho and Igrew up in Michigan, but this is
home.
Speaker 1 (58:17):
This is where I'm going to, I'm going to live out
my days.
It's a beautiful state.
Where's your go-to?
Speaker 4 (58:24):
I've got a bunch of them, but two of my favorite
places on the planet.
One is the Bighorn Crags.
If you've not done the BighornCrags, you need to do it.
You need to schedule probably aweek, because it's a big area.
But that is just a spiritualplace place too you go up there
and you just you're in awe.
Every time you're going aroundthe corner you're looking, what
(58:44):
am I going to see next?
And 52 like that's amazing.
I love the.
I love the white clouds too.
A lot of people haven't donethe white clouds and so big
boulder lakes if you, if you'reable to get in there it's those
both of them are you're going tohave to do some hiking and we
like to backpack.
Love the McCall area Peopledon't know how much is up there
(59:04):
and Lick Creek.
We all know about McCall andthe lake and all the fun there.
But you go up to Lick Creek andthere's some amazing places.
Clyde Lakes we went into thatone time so I got a lot of
places I like to.
We don't travel a ton.
I haven't been to Alaska.
I want to get there.
But if I never left Idaho, Istill got a lot of stuff I want
(59:26):
to see.
Speaker 1 (59:27):
You know, the older I get, I don't want to go
anywhere else.
I don't even honestly.
If you look at what you justmentioned, several of my
favorite places, and even up,you know Seven Devils on this
side, yeah, seven Devils.
And you go up in North Idaho,elks, gorgeous, elk City, all
the way up.
And then you go up Coeurd'Alene and that whole area with
(59:48):
.
Speaker 4 (59:48):
Priest Lake.
Priest Lake.
Speaker 1 (59:51):
And then you go the other side and you got Swan
Falls and everything up towardsJackson Teton.
It's just unbelievable.
You don't really need to evergo anywhere.
Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
Yeah, you don't.
You're looking out the Owyhees,the Owyhees, the.
Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
Owyhees are an absolute gem that almost nobody
goes out to, and they'respectacular, they're spectacular
.
Speaker 4 (01:00:09):
Yeah, I could spend the rest of my life just trying
to find all the spots in Idaho Ihaven't gotten to see.
So that's important to me andgrandkids Time with the
grandkids I've got three now howold are they.
They're 14, 12, and 6.
Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
Perfect ages they're all perfect ages.
Speaker 4 (01:00:28):
You know, I got to take my granddaughter when she
was 13 on a middle fork salmontrip Another of my favorite
places.
It was awesome.
She wasn't going to do theducky, she was the youngest one
on the trip and I was kind ofpushing to do it.
And then the next day she showsup and she's there and there
were two older girls there thatkind of were her mentors and
they were doing it.
So she did it.
She went through some whitewater and to see her, she's
(01:00:51):
amazing.
She's a very gifted but she's alittle shy and timid about some
things and to watch her gettingout there and powering down
through some rapids and myheart's pounding.
You got to make it and she madeit in flying colors and so it's,
it's just I again I cannot sayhow fortunate I feel and uh, and
and appreciate you know tellingme that you didn't say that
(01:01:14):
first time you came out toCaldwell.
The next day there's a check inthe mail and and you get pulled
a lot of different directionsbut you're always trying.
And the other thing I love isyou're always looking down the
road.
You know Native Americans andwe've got a kid on our team
Beaver, st Clair.
Native Americans look sevengenerations ahead.
Every time they made a decisionit was about how is this going
(01:01:34):
to affect?
We need to have more of thatmindset.
You know we're.
So what's going to happentomorrow?
What's you know?
And I know what you're workingon in transportation.
Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
We've got to be doing that now.
Well, thanks for being part ofthat, jim.
Well, first of all, I would sayfor anyone listening to this,
it may be because I'm gettingold and there's younger leaders,
there's kind of a whole new setof kind of young guns in town.
If you haven't taken JimEverett to lunch, you should.
(01:02:04):
It would change your life.
He's easy to find.
And then, secondly, I just wantto tell you, in my life I've
never met a guy like you, and Iappreciate so much at this point
decades of just rubbingshoulders with you, watching you
, modeling you, asking youquestions, having you be one of
(01:02:25):
my mentors.
It's a, it's been an honorhaving you on, and I love you.
Speaker 4 (01:02:29):
I appreciate you so much.
I'll be right back, tommy, andyou've been the same to me.
Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
Thanks buddy, thank you, thanks everyone.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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