February 7, 2024 • 67 mins
Embark on a journey of transformation through military service with Jeff Barry, as he shares his personal growth and the profound impact of his Navy experience. From Louisiana oil fields to Navy blues, Jeff's narrative explores how the military became more than just a career—it became a compass for life after high school.
Discover Jeff's career pivots from tech sales to insurance, fueled by family legacy and community passion. Dive into discussions on national concerns, including border control, child protection online, and gender fairness in sports.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yo, welcome back to another episode of the Charlie
Mike podcast.
Always, I'm your host, ro, andyour co-host is William.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yo, what's going on?
Y'all welcome back.
It's so good to be here comingto you from the Paraland podcast
.
Oh you go.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Located just stop.
Where's that?
Sto-dio, sto-dio, bro, this ishow we do it.
Yeah, coming in, coming in,stumbling, coming in hot.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What's going on, man?
Hey man, life is good.
I'm blessed brother.
Yeah, you know, just peckingaway Start of the year, new
things going on.
I'm trying to figure out what'sgoing on with my wife and I's
business Studios looking good.
There's always things thatwe're improving.
That's kind of what we do inthe military right Constantly
improving our position 100%.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
You gotta get better.
If you ain't getting better,what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Nothing.
You ain't green and growing.
You're arriving and dying man.
No, I, we say that a lot, butif you guys pay attention,
you'll see it.
You know you'll see it I thegirl that lighting.
Yeah, oh yeah, I mean this iswithin the studio.
If you follow the show day today or like this is it's cool
man, you gotta get better yougotta get better.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
You notice that accent lighting that we put in
here.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, I did, I did.
I'll look at this guy.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Man.
So you know what?
Let's go ahead and jump in thisinterview.
We have a special guest in thehouse today and we're excited to
bring on Paralans' own, jeffBerry.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
How are y'all Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Oh yes, sir, it's a privilege.
Let's start off a little bit.
Let's tell us, tell us aboutyourself.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Oh, and I tell you, you want to start from the
beginning.
We start.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, it's a long story.
Hey, we got all day.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I grew up in South Louisiana and you know I went to
, I was in high school, got outof high school I wasn't that guy
that was the best student inthe world, you know.
So it's a long story, but Iwound up in the Navy, which was
awesome, did a little bit ofwork offshore and framing houses
, carpentry work before that andrealized, man, this is not what
(02:20):
I really want to do the rest ofmy life.
You know, I don't know if youguys have ever had that
situation where that light bulbjust goes off and said I need to
change direction.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, so I did.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
And so I went back to my dad.
I said, dad, I want to go tocollege.
That's great.
How are you going to pay for it?
And a buddy of mine, jeffGrossi, he's passed now, but he
goes, hey.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Man brother's in town .
Speaker 3 (02:48):
I said what does that mean?
Well, he's in the Navy, he goes, they can help you with money.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
So he's a Navy recruiter, Jeff.
You have to know, Jeff, he wasuh he was the youngest of.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
he was the youngest by 10 or 12 years from his next
oldest brother, and so his olderbrother, chris, was in the Navy
, had been out to the fleet anddone all these things.
So he's on recruiting duty andLafayette, louisiana, he goes.
Hey, man, he goes.
Let's go talk to my brother.
Good luck there, chris is likeyeah we'll sign you right up.
So I signed up for the Navy and,you know, got my GI bill all
(03:21):
squared away and you know.
Next thing, you know I'm off toMemphis or San Diego is wearing
.
That was awesome.
You know, if you're going to goto boot camp, san Diego is a
place to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, man, no matter where you, I mean, I'll hear
good things about that side ofthe US.
Well, you know weather wise.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Oh yeah, I hear the weather's nice.
That's all you got over there.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
The weather was wonderful.
The weather was wonderful.
But uh, you know, I know, youguys are Army guys, right?
So uh yeah, our boot camps werea little different Arsh too,
but I did that RGC and they inSan Diego close now but anyway,
(04:03):
I did that spent a little timein Millington, tennessee, almost
a year, and they didn't reallyknow what to do with me.
I guess I'm not sure, but Ispent about a year there and I
went to, went to school and didall sorts of different things.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
What were you doing in Tennessee?
That was my question.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
They have a training center in Millington Tennessee
which is about 40 minutes eastof.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Memphis OK right, so strange place for a naval
training center but there are alot of aviation stuff, ok, ok,
ok, so you said Tennessee andI'm over here.
Picture in the map the UnitedStates of my head.
I'm like wait there's no water.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
It's not quite in the middle of the United States.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
But now I spent a little bit of time there and met
some wonderful people.
It was great.
Then, when I was done with that, I got orders to go to Norfolk,
virginia.
I was attached to Hilo Squadronfor six months where I was
attending another school youknow Navy's the Navy's famous
for schools.
I mean, you know it's beenalmost your whole entire first
four years of school.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, very technical.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah, if you want to.
And then the last two and ahalf years I spent at Cecil
Field, Florida and Jackson, so Iworked in an aviation, aviation
electronics field.
We did calibration and stufflike that.
So it was a lot of fun.
I met a lot of cool people.
It was definitely a learningexperience, you know.
So I always tell people youknow, the military is a good
(05:28):
option If you don't know exactlywhat you want to do when you
get out of high school.
You always know what they want,when they want and how they
want it at all times.
There's never a question.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Got a lot of my decision process out of the way.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, it does, you know, I think one of the hardest
things, the hardest transitionsI had was like what do I wear
today?
You still have that problem.
Yeah, yeah, I do so how longtotal.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Did you do the Navy?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
I did four years yeah .
I did four years and four years.
I did all that in four years.
Can you believe that?
And then I got my GI bill.
And what was neat about youknow we talked earlier about you
know the fact that you grew uphere and then you left and then
you came back.
Yes, well, I thought, man, whenI got out of the Navy they said
well, you can make any anyplace in the United States, your
(06:16):
residency right.
And what did I do?
Pick the Lafayette, louisianaagain.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
So I went.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
I went and got my electrical engineering degree,
which is where I met my wifeactually, Sharice, and so I did
that and I moved to, moved hereand went to work for Compact
Computer Compact.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I ain't heard that in a long time.
Remember that Compact Center,bro.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah sure.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
That's all.
That's all wound up here inHouston.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And my wife had a job , and at Lubrizol, in the ship
channel Bayport, which is, youknow, just south.
But so we kind of split thedifference and you know,
eventually we wound up inParaland and we've been here for
almost 25 years now.
We love it, we love it.
Yeah, I told you.
The population sign said 15,000when we showed up.
I don't even want to talk aboutthe number now, that's insane.
(07:09):
It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It is to watch the growth, the growth of the city.
I know when I left and everytime I came back from you know,
like, let's say, christmas break, you know, or something along
those lines.
I was just like what?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
But this is the Paraland I remember.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I remember when 101 was a dirt road.
My parents live on Bailey Roadand that was a four lane.
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
OK, so you want to talk about stuff like that.
When we moved to Paraland, webuilt our first house in Silver
Lake, which is, you know,fairway Village too was the
little name of the neighborhoodyou know, and over by Southwick,
I know you didn't go throughthere.
In fact, it was a dirt roadthat the contractors used to
drive around the neighborhood.
It didn't exist.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I get a message.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
In 2005,.
Traffic got so bad we saidlet's go move to the east side
of town.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
It's crazy.
I feel like back when I wasyoung, right.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
That's the type of parallel we're in now.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, Lee man.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Good times.
Yeah, definitely good times.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I graduated here in 2001.
And, like I said, when I leftfor the service I was like, hey,
I just want to get out ofParalyze.
I was leaving the service, Ijust want to go home man.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, I just want to go back to Paralyze.
Yeah, I just want to go back to.
Paralyze, yeah, so tell me howthe military, your time in the
Navy, sets you up to besuccessful at college.
What was that like?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well, OK.
So let me back up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
When.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
I told you I spent about a year in Millington,
right, and it was an interestingsetup.
I went there and I had a schoolto go to and then my A school.
But while I was on temporaryduty they said, hey, we need to
put you in some sort of class orsome sort of training.
(09:05):
So they threw me into thiseight-week program that was
designed for guys coming out ofthe fleet that wanted to
transition into a job that wasmore technical.
It was a math class and weliterally started at one plus
one.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
And we were in eight weeks Walking to school.
One plus one, no, in themilitary.
Yeah, I am dead serious, Iimagine.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Yes, and so I go to this class and I'm like man,
this is crazy.
So we went from basicdissonance subtraction all the
way through advancedtrigonometry in eight weeks.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Crazy.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
It was an amazing time, though.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And then I went, so you were going like every day.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
That was my job At a place of duty.
Right, that was my job.
Yeah Pretty cool Anyway so mypoint is they really taught me
how to learn Really, reallyfocused, and I'm not that guy
that can sit around all day andI'm not a reader.
I know you are, but I'm not areader.
I read because I have to.
(10:04):
Today I read insurancecontracts and things of that
sort, which is really dullreading, but they're very short.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
You know, and it's taught me how to learn yeah and
repetitive.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Yeah, yeah, so dull, yeah, yeah.
But yeah they taught me how to,really taught me how to, how to
study and focus.
So that's what kind of?
That's one of the things.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
One of the things that we say a lot and I try to
hit on with bets is like it'snot just like you are my West
because I was an infantry guyright In the army, and it's not
like there's a lot of jobs outthere, but all of the other
schools that I went throughreally set me up for this.
You know, like reading andresiliency, like all of that set
me up to do the things that Ido now.
Do you have any experience likethat, bro?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I no.
No, I'm sorry, I'm always justlike well, yeah, I don't know, I
didn't think about it.
You put me on the spot.
I'm sorry, man.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, my wrong interview no but I think it's
important to highlight becausewe hear you know someone as your
, as yourself, referring back tothe time in the military, like
look, this was just a eight weekcourse, right, but it set a
foundation for me the rest of mylife.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Right, right right.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I see, I see that so.
So you went from from compactcomputers.
How did you get into the wholeinsurance thing?
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Long story.
So I was at compact andultimately left and I went to a.
I don't know if you guys arefamiliar with software
programming, but I was writingassembly language code, which is
the startup for all yourcomputer like server systems,
and took a job doing the samething for another company closer
(11:46):
on the southwest side of townin Bel Air, and about a year
into it they decided they weregoing to move the whole office
to Boca Raton, Florida, andthinking that's great.
That's great.
You know I want to go to.
South Florida and have a goodtime.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
My wife was a lover to death, but it was a no, so so
I'm like, okay, great.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Well, fortunately for me, an opportunity came up.
I says hey, we're looking for asales engineer.
You know someone to support our, our sale.
You know guys in the field andstuff like that, great.
So I took that job and wascalling back on the same people
I worked with, you know, atcompact, which was HP by then.
Yeah, and anyway I was doing.
(12:31):
You know, I worked with them.
I worked with HP, dell, IBM, allover Texas, you know and once
that in early 2000s, you know,we had the technology crash and
stuff like that, so things got alittle tough.
You know, my, our companywanted me to move to one of our
other manufacturing facilities,which was fine for me.
And so I go to my wife and say,hey, what do you think about
(12:55):
moving to Atlanta?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
She goes.
You know, okay, how about.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Colorado Springs, hey , colorado Springs.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
No, it's beautiful, yeah, it is beautiful it was.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, I used to go there at least once a week.
And then I said, well, whatabout Milpitas, california?
No, I said, well, honey, that'sall of our options.
And she said, you know?
I said you know, we need toconsider moving to one of these
locations, you know, and shegoes no.
So anyway, long story short,you know you try and try again.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
We don't, we don't.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Very powerful word Only two letters.
But anyway.
So my family was in theinsurance business for the
longest time, since 1903 inLouisiana, and so I thought one
day I told my wife and said youknow, I'm going to go into the
insurance business.
And she this was about sixo'clock in the morning she goes.
Okay, honey, whatever, I thinkyou'll be great.
(13:52):
That's how it started.
You know, once I got hersupport and I knew that she felt
like you know she could supportme in doing something entirely
different, who would have everthought I would be in the
insurance business?
But nobody ever, you know, setsout to be in the insurance.
It's not something that peoplenecessarily aspire to do, you
know so many people just wind up, but anyway, so that was in
(14:17):
2005.
And been in the insurancebusiness ever since I was a
farmer's guy.
For 11 years Spent time thereand that's how I know all the
guys around town and all overHouston and whatnot and about
seven years ago I wentindependent and it's been great
ever since.
You know we do mostly.
We work with a lot ofconstruction companies.
(14:37):
That's kind of our main forte.
We do some manufacturing and alittle bit of oil and gas here
and there and we do home andauto.
We have about 10% of our bookof business is personal.
We have a pretty good mix andwe do a few employee benefits
here and there.
So it's a good book of business.
So I enjoy it.
I love it.
That's awesome.
(14:57):
Yeah, that's good.
I still like it to this day.
You still like it.
I still like it.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I look forward to going to work every single day.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I really do that's awesome, that's good.
Makes a big difference.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yep, it does so.
Um, so you, you've been inParalign.
You said 25, 25, almost 25,almost 25.
What, tell?
Tell us a little bit about howdid you get into the whole
politics part.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I didn't get into politics, it got me yeah, okay.
Now, honestly, you know, my wifeand I, you know, we went
through our own own struggles,you know personally and
realizing we couldn't have kidsand whatnot, and so we've really
dedicated our lives toeducation and that was, that was
(15:44):
really the biggest, biggestthing for us.
So we said, if we're gonna behere, we need to make a
different, and so I started,started working on different
things back in 2007.
I got involved with thenorthern brazilian county
educational lines still aminvolved with those guys today
and they do Do workforcedevelopment, workforce training
(16:05):
for, for kids, and if you, ifyou never really understood the,
the Makeup of a school system,it's actually rather interesting
.
So the top 40 percent are gonnago and get some sort of college
degree and then the the next 50percent or are going to be
those individuals that need tohave some sort of skill or a
(16:27):
trade, and then the bottom 10percent are those that just
don't want to be there anyway.
But you still have to teachthem and they still have to
graduate.
You're, you know you can affect60% of all the students in
Parallel in ISD or Alvin ISD orwherever you know.
Through the northern braziliancounty educational lines, you
can train them.
They can earn a living wagewhen they, when they're done,
(16:50):
they're certified, whether it'swelding or construction trades.
Amazing organization.
So I've done that and I workedwith I was on the board with
adult reading center, soTraining adults you know, that
wouldn't otherwise, you know,have the skills that they need
to be able to read and things ofthat sort.
So amazing organization.
Also, in time goes by and I, Iwas asked to be the chairman,
(17:16):
the founding chairman, of thethe education foundation here in
Parallel, and I remember whenthe John Kelly was a
superintendent back.
Then he goes, I want to talk.
So we're sitting down, we'retalking because I was engaged
with him, because I was chairmanof the NBC, yeah, at the time,
and he goes.
I want to talk to you aboutstarting the education
(17:36):
foundation and I'm thinking, man, you know, they tried to do
this a few years ago and itdidn't really work out very well
.
Or are you setting me up for afailure here, you know?
So that's kind of what wasgoing on in the back of my mind,
but you know, you know me beingthe person I am.
I said absolutely, what do youneed me to do?
He goes I need you to be thechairman.
I need you to.
I need you to, you know, buildthe education foundation.
(18:00):
So what do we?
How do we start?
Who do we talk to?
I knew it was all about raisingmoney and talking to various
people and you know engagingwith people and getting them on
board, and so we did that.
We got a board of about 25people in Parallel and, and you
know the education foundation inParallel and is engaged in
(18:24):
Creating, raising money forgrants to teachers in the
classroom.
You know, we've always heard,you know, teachers say I'm tired
of spending my own money, youknow, for creative teaching
ideas in the classroom.
And we say creative teachingideas because that's what their
grants are for.
But we, the teachers, apply forcertain grants and I mean we've
(18:46):
done grants for garden, youknow things of that sort, you
know, for kids and elementaryschools and all the way to
Technology robotic program.
So anything that a teacherfeels like that they can, you
know, move their educationalprocess along with great, apply
for it.
And originally I think our maxwas $5,000.
(19:09):
I'm not sure what the maximumis today, but that that
organization has growntremendously and I'm very proud
of that.
And so I was engaged, right, Iwas engaged.
So once I did that, you know,then I was I was asked by city
council to get on to theeconomical economic development
(19:30):
court.
So I got involved with that andI really enjoyed that.
So I got to see the educationpiece and then I got to see the
you know the city piece and itwas.
It was interesting, right itgovernment always has fasted,
right, you know?
You know, if you're not part ofthe solution, you're part of
the problem.
It's kind of the way I look atit and, and that's how.
(19:51):
That's how I rationalize thingsin my mind, you know so.
So I did that.
And then one day, a positioncame up.
Pam Begler I don't know if youremember Pam Begler was on the
school board.
She's look, I'm not running forreelection, we need somebody to
to run in my place.
Well, I said, okay, let me tryit out and see what happened.
(20:15):
And that's that's what happened.
Once I got on school board thatwas in 2016 once I got on
school board, I had torelinquish my my position on the
education foundation and I alsohad to relinquish my position
on the economic Development.
So so I kind of downsized, butI had more responsibility.
So that's how it happened.
(20:37):
And then, you know, from there,I was on you know school board
for six years and really enjoyedit and learned a ton about
public education.
And then I ran for city councilin 2022 and Recently had to
come off of that because we'rein for state back district 29.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
So Do you think that the your time in service
Influenced your you knowwillingness to continue to serve
your community?
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Absolutely.
I mean, look, just because Ineeded, just because I needed to
be able to fund my college, youknow my my degree didn't mean
that in I didn't have a passionto serve, you know.
You know, look, you have apassion to serve.
You're in the military orwhatever.
Whatever it is, I'm in theinsurance.
You know that is a purecustomer service experience,
(21:28):
it's all.
It's been almost 20 years thatwe've been in that business, so
I've been serving, you know, mycountry or people around me for
over 20 years, you know, 25,since I've been in Paralel and
you know, and I enjoy it, youknow.
And the military, my militarybackground has given me the the
fortitude to actually stick withit.
You know, build a mission,accomplish that mission and If
(21:51):
you have a large mission, breakit down into smaller pieces and
accomplish those smaller pieces,and I think that that played a
large role in my success.
I you may think I'm successful,I still think I'm working, you
know it sounds like a military.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
That's the part that sets you apart.
You know, I think a lot of us,and that's what the military
offers to you.
Know if this starts to soundlike a military campaign, but
truly, at the end of the day,we're all growing the right
structure you know trying to getup, go grow a little further
and and it seems like you'redoing the same thing now within
your life Like, okay, what's thenext?
What's the next thing?
Not?
that you're looking for, butwhat if it presents itself?
(22:29):
This is what I'm gonna take forit, that's right to work on
yourself.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
So I agree, amazing, so.
So we're gonna get back to the,the politics side, but I want
to ask you what?
I know that you run yourbusiness, but you're also really
connected with your faith.
How, how is it stayed so strong?
I'm not sure what I'm trying toask.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Well, that's good bro , I think, I think you're on the
same, the right path you knowhow do we make sure that our
like, our faith, coincides withour business?
That right, like that.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Think our business coincides with our business
right if we think about it alittle bit.
You know you have to have astrong faith and a belief in
something Right my belief inChristianity and Bible and you
know, making sure that you know,I'm fine on the right path and
believing that someone else of ahigher power has already
(23:28):
defined that.
My goal is to figure out whatthat path is and stay on it.
So have you all ever heard ofan organization called C12?
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I have.
Yeah, I have had any.
I have not had any contact withthem or anything like that, but
I have heard of them.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Well, you know, so I don't know and I'm not
necessarily plugging like that,but that I joined that
organization a couple years agoand I've taken a hiatus.
Actually, right now I'll justcan't paint it.
That's an organization thatBuilds leadership through
(24:05):
biblical purpose.
So various owners of businessescan get together once a month
and you know you talk about, youknow leading your business From
a biblical standpoint andthat's what you, you talk you
spend a whole day talking aboutstuff like that and Throughout
my whole entire career I'vealways I've always fallen back
(24:26):
on my faith, right, and thiskind of gave me a little bit
more structure around it,because we talk about you were
talking earlier about readingthe Bible and Samuel and all
this stuff.
It always has a way of Havingmeaning in your current day,
right.
I mean, it's amazing how that,how that just shows up and it
(24:48):
shows itself.
But that's part of the path,right, it's not our path.
You know we have to give.
It's not my business either,right, it's, it's his business.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
So when I leave, I Wanted just to swing by and
touch base on that, because Iknow a William speaks real
highly with with faith andbusiness and and being you know
true to your faith as well, as Iguess your business represents
your, you know your faithrepresents your business tactic
(25:20):
and technique, and so yourapproach, how you approach it.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
There you go, I agree .
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah, I see that.
I saw that in you and thenreading into you and on you and
then I see a lot of Williams.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Resemblance it's all out there.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I'm okay.
I mean I've been more and moreopen about it too recently.
I just joined the vestry of our, of our, church.
I was commissioned like twoweeks ago.
So it's, it's coming about andand I, I, I thanks for the
question role, because for me,you know, it's like staying
curious about how do we, youknow, and I'm sure there's
there's plenty of you listenersout there that are in the same
(26:00):
path, that, trying to figure out, hey, I'm either in the
military or I'm not, or I justgot in the military and you know
how do I, you know, do what'sright, live a good life.
But also, you know, I've alwayshad this Christianity thing in
the back of my mind, you know,and like I want to be closer to
that, the best thing I can dofor you all is just encourage
(26:21):
you to get involved, just likewe say with the very
organizations.
Get involved, you know.
So either get involved withyour church or start reading,
like.
A couple years ago I joined, afriend of mine invited me to do
a prayer group.
Yeah, so we've been doing thatfor two and a half years,
america, we've been, we've beenmeeting every other Friday for
two and a half years now.
And it's, it's it comes into ourlives.
I mean role and I were prettyopen people and you know we were
(26:43):
having a conversation and itwas a difficult one and I, you
know, I told him like my prayerfor this day is be like Lord,
help me see role as you see him,because I don't want to come
into this relationship angry orleave this relationship angry
and it man just saying thatprayer like change the entire
day for me, you know, andsitting on that and I, I see you
(27:06):
as an example of that too, likehearing more about your story.
So thanks for that question.
It's, it's there, you know, andI, we we're under the.
You know, we talk aboutsobriety too and Not being
afraid to go there, and I thinkthat's kind of where we're at
too when it comes to our faith.
We're not afraid to go there,whatever your faith may be, lean
(27:26):
into it, because it reallyhelps you On that transition and
the next steps you gotta take.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
That, uh.
So throughout your time in inpublic service, as of right now,
what is one thing that you canhonestly say that you're proud
of?
That you've done like you lookback on your life in moments.
No-transcript.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Well, I mean, I is a kind of a bad word.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I like that already.
You know I was gonna judge youon your answer.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I'm sure you were good, you passed.
You passed Next question.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
How could you check?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Yeah, well, you know, think about it.
You know you're in the military, you're part of a team.
You know, when I was in highschool I was on our high school
we won the state champ baseballand that was the very first
inkling that I had of being on ateam, because you can predict
(28:31):
exactly what everybody else onthat field is gonna do before
they and that's cohesive.
So that's being part of being ateam.
And so when you come to Italked about the Education
Foundation I was one of 25 onschool board, one of seven plus
a super, but city council one ofseven, you know.
(28:54):
So it's not about in my life,it's all.
Building relationships is themost important to me and you
know, because you never know,you know you need to.
You know work with thisindividual or work with that
individual because it, a team,can accomplish a goal in a much,
(29:16):
it's a much more efficientfashion than you trying to go
alone.
You know, being the lone rangeris no fun and if you can have a
team to help you, you know,alleviate some of those
pressures and assuredness.
Sometimes you know I own mybusiness with my wife, right,
(29:37):
and before my wife came on boardin my business you know, I just
wished Park to you know, bounceideas on you know, and this and
the other.
Then, when she came on board towork with agency, I'm like I've
got that part, you know.
So I felt like it's always beena lot better, but I've always
(29:58):
been part of a team.
I enjoy being.
I enjoy building consensus.
I enjoy, you know, building goodpolicy for various things
whatever it is you know, and I'mnot talking just political, you
know because it how many timeshave you ever been, you know
part of a situation where youhave to make a decision quickly?
(30:19):
So you make the decision andthe next thing you know,
everybody's like man, that was abad decision.
Why did we do this and why didwe do that?
And well, you know.
So I'm not saying that thosethings don't happen.
I like being part of a team andbuilding consensus that
accomplish big, and that's justkind of how I view the world.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Reminds me of that proverb If you want to go fast,
go alone.
If you want to go far, go as ateam.
Yeah, well that's very good yeahyeah, and you know one of the
you mentioned making a decision.
One of the things that I'venoticed, you know, working with
veterans and military influenceswe're not afraid to make a
decision.
You know what do they say aviolently executed plan today is
(31:04):
better than a good planexecuted next week.
You know it's all about rightnow and, at the end of the day,
what I love and what I hear fromyou two is like I'm okay to
make that decision and then wecan adjust from it from there,
because I have my team around meto do that.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Yeah, with the way politics is now in the world, I
guess it's a tough thing to bepart of.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Well, politics is a nasty business today and I don't
necessarily appreciateWashington DC and the way
they're so polarized.
Because, again, you know, we'repeople, you know, and people
need to be able to work togetherin some form or fashion.
Some have an R, some have a Dbehind their names, some have an
I these days, you know, andthat's all fine too, but at the
(31:57):
end of the day, we need to makedecisions based on what's the
best thing for everyone, notjust the R's and the D, and it's
a shame, it has to be that way.
But, you know, as a society ora political society, we're just
too polarized.
It's very discouraging in somecases and I hope that you know
from you know me being engagedand being involved, that people
(32:20):
can see that, you know, thedecisions I make are more for
the greater good than ours orthe.
You know that's all I reallylike.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
I think there's a lot to be said within the gray area
.
You know I mean, at the end ofthe day you do have the polar
extremes, but you know we'retrying to get, like you said,
the middle of the folks, to one,get out and vote and two, you
know, to realize like thesedecisions affect all of us.
We're not trying to pick sides,I'm just trying to do what I
think is best for my upbringing.
That's right.
And what from what you weretelling me?
(32:52):
And I think that's a big thing?
You know, at the end of the day, even this, the last turnout
for these, the runoff forParaland, the numbers were low,
very low.
You know.
So you're talking about 10% ofthe people with population
making the decision for-.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Way less than 10% in that one, yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, exactly, and so it's like you can have feel how
you want and when it comes topolitics, but at the end of the
day, your vote does matter,Otherwise, you know, you don't,
you don't have anything to sayabout it.
You know, I agree, that numberwas really shocking to me when
it was like nobody goes outthere and vote you know, I'm an
early voter I'm like I'm gonnago get it out of the way.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
I think people are just so discouraged because they
think that they're vote, youknow, and when we do have small
turnouts, their vote matterseven more.
You know.
It's a powerful thing, you know.
When I grew up, it wasimportant.
Your voter tracing card, that'simportant, you know.
(33:51):
I think maybe we've lost sightof that To a certain extent.
People busy I hear that wordall the time Make a step back,
reevaluate.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I feel like for a lot of us in the military or as
veterans now, like there's a,there's a path for us to get
involved, you know, whether itbe serving the city or I mean
Lainey talked about it last timeon our podcast you know,
joining one of the committees.
You know, and I think I thinkit's a powerful thing because
you know we only serve.
(34:24):
Not only that we serve, but weearn that right to do so, and I
mean we're leaders.
You know, as veterans, we leadthe community.
You have that influence.
You know you have that honorlike express it, share it, let
others know, like yeah, I voted,are you voting?
You don't have to tell me whoyou're voting for.
I don't bother me, you know.
I just want you to go vote,right.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
I'm with you.
I mean, I wish we could getmore and more people to vote,
and it's important.
But you talk about getting oncommittees.
It's one of the hardest thingsto do is to get people on, just
apply for these committees.
There's a couple of committeesthat people want to be on.
Sometimes we were when I was oncouncil.
(35:05):
We're constantly shufflingaround trying to get.
We need people for thiscommittee.
This committee is alsoimportant.
We need people for thatcommittee and we need people for
parks people for this and thatit's hard to get people to
volunteer their time.
It's important that they do.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
It's a lot of things that you stand for and you speak
about.
You know I see in myself so one, of course, your military
service.
You know you're now some of thethings you're standing on with
as far as your political side.
(35:47):
So, with the currentadministration and the, of
course, the things that arehappening in Texas currently,
what are your thoughts on that?
As far as you know, bordersecurity and what I know, this
isn't a political podcast, butthese are things that I feel are
important to speak about,especially with the threats that
(36:09):
you know Texas has beenreceiving from.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Washington, washington.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
What are your thoughts on all that?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
I think we're making all the right moves.
We need to protect oursovereignty.
In the same way, it's up to usto protect our sovereignty.
It's apparent that Washingtonis not necessarily focused on
that at this point in time.
For what reason, I don't.
(36:38):
But we hear a lot of differentthings about cities.
Have all the big names New Yorkand Chicago and they're
bursting at the scene becausethey have a hundred thousand or
a hundred and twenty people thatwe've those areas and they're
sanctuary cities and they should, and they're admittedly so,
(37:01):
sanctuary cities.
So, you know, we should feel, orthey should feel, obligated to
take on, you know those, youknow individuals, because we can
, you know, think about thetowns, the small towns along the
border, you know like far andall these very small towns that
are getting into people comingacross the border and I feel for
(37:23):
them.
Not to mention, not to mentionthe fact that I spend a lot of
time in Valde and South Texasand just because I like to hunt
and things of that sort, I lovethat area.
But you know, there arehigh-speed chases.
Almost every a farmer, farmeror rancher is fensive sort of
(37:48):
getting demolished every singleday.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Who's helping?
Speaker 3 (37:51):
them fix and repair these Right.
Very expensive, yeah, I meanwe're talking thousands of
dollars just just to get arepair done.
And some of these ranchers havecattle that they use to make a
living with, and so on and soforth.
So you know, vegetable farms aregetting ruined because of some
of this stuff.
So kind of have to take a lookat the bigger picture.
(38:12):
The border needs to becontrolled.
But when you, when you, look atthe border and take it for what
it's worth today and we allknow, you know we have a leak in
the, we have a leak in the pool, so to speak.
Think about our health and humanservices.
You know about our hospitalsystems and things of that sort
(38:33):
that you don't hear those guysyou know on TV every single day
saying we don't have room, wedon't have the staff we don't
have beds.
But I know that that exists, Iknow that that's out.
And I know that you know if wehave a human being that needs
health, that we need to servicethose humans, and if we're
(38:55):
overrun and we don't havehospital beds or doctors or
nurses, you know that that's aproblem you know, so the border,
the border is a much biggerproblem than you might, than
most people give it credit for.
There are some some, I think,associates so many people and
(39:16):
it's it's sad.
I hate to see people sleep onthe streets.
It's terrible, it's absolutelyterrible.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
You know it's not, it's not.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
it's not how you treat people, it's not.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
There's a right way of doing it.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
The right way and the wrong way there is.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
You know, there's another vet that I've been
following lately.
You know, patrick Bed-David,right From PHP.
He owns he owns a businesscalled PHP People helping people
Insurance, life insurance,great, and that's one of the big
things he's been talking aboutlately too, and he's a military
veteran and he he just simplystated, like you know, I think
(39:57):
there's so many opportunitieswithin America that there are we
should be screening peoplebefore before they come in.
You know, we should be comingin with the right reasons and,
honestly, I tend to lean thesame way and I I don't want to
say all veterans do that too,but for us we just see things a
little differently.
Because we served right, youjoined because you saw the
benefits, you didn't have toright.
(40:19):
And it's the same thing with,like, coming to America.
You come into America becauseof what it represents and what
it offers.
You don't have to, you know,but the military has a selection
program to go through, right,and we, we've all been through
that, we all earned it, andthere's a lot of little things
being a veteran gives you, youknow, not just leadership skills
(40:40):
, but I mean we were talkingabout some of the other perks
and benefits.
You know the taxes and and youknow, veterans preferences, it's
we earned that right.
I see America be the same way.
You earn that by coming here,to come in America, and there's
a lot of things that a lot youknow.
There's a lot of possibilities.
We talked about the Americandream, all the things that you
can do here.
I mean, love me, hate me.
That's kind of how I feel too.
(41:00):
I'm the same, I'm the same boatman, I'm all US.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
I'm all Texas too.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Yeah, somebody, you know everybody draws this
analogy you're home right, youknow someone knocks on the door
and I've been knocking a lot ofdoors lately and I know this.
But you know, just let anybodyuse it.
Texas is our home, so we needto protect it.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
That's 100%, you know another thing that you speak
real highly about is theprotection of our children with
big tech, Us being fathers oflittle girls especially.
You know, it's out there andit's a horrible thing.
What are some of the ideas thatyou have to help or deal with
(41:49):
that situation?
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Well, I mean, you know, it is out, you know, and
there are predators every singleday out there trying to get to
your sons and daughters everysingle day, and so some of those
things that we probably need toneed to focus on is restricting
the protection of our children.
So some of those things that weprobably need to need to focus
(42:14):
on is restricting social mediato, you know, maybe age, age
ranges and things of that sort.
I don't really know where we gowith that.
It's more of a federal issue.
But, you know, I just want toraise awareness of the issue and
that I'm paying particularattention to, because if there's
(42:34):
anything that can be done aboutit, I'm certainly going to be
all in on making sure to protectour kids.
You know, human trafficking isalso a big issue in the state of
Texas, you know, and everybodytalks about the border.
Not just the border, it'severything.
Houston is real bad.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
That's what I understand, yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
I don't necessarily know the statistics associated
with it, but one of these peopleengaged with them to begin with
It'd be social media.
Yeah, unfortunately, I've beenon social media a lot lately.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
You've got to be.
Yeah, I have to be.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
And it's a disturbing platform to me.
But you know next thing, youknow, you sit in there and a
message comes up.
Hey, if there's anything I cando for you, let me know.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Who are you?
Speaker 3 (43:30):
You know, and so that's weird.
You know, people shouldn't havethe ability to add or stop
people online.
That's what I kind of a littlebit of.
We need to really control and Ithink Congress really needs to
step in and they need toregulate our social media
platforms.
I know they talk about theperson Protection associated
(43:53):
with that, but we hear about itall the time how social media
platforms are regulating datathat's been put out there and
who's making that decision forme?
Right, and I disagree with that.
You know, I want to make thedecision for myself, and if it's
a platform that I don't want myown have kids, but you don't
(44:15):
want your children to be on thenyou have every right to say no,
you're not going to be.
It's a very disturbing,disturbing situation.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
I agree with you, I really do.
I think it's difficult becauseI have a 13 year old daughter
and you know I just took herphone away recently and she's
the.
I cut her off completely, butso it's difficult.
But on the other end of me, youknow, I almost feel like,
should I have?
This is just me being doublethat.
Should I have something?
You know, the governmenttelling me what I can, what my
(44:46):
child can or cannot do.
If, if I was on that side, I'mjust playing.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
That's the argument.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
If I wasn't on that side where my kid was on socials
, you know, and I say it's okay,then it should be okay.
But I do think.
I do think there's a lot,there's a lot that needs to be
done when it comes likeeducation.
I don't think there's enoughout there that says whether it's
good or bad.
I've seen stuff both ways,right, you know.
I've seen kids go on to beentrepreneurs and get do really
(45:15):
well when it comes to makingcontent.
But of course, there is alwaysthat hidden danger on the other
side of it and that's whatscares me more and that's why
I've made that decision to sayno, you're not going to be on
socials at all or even have aphone to taking control of that.
So I think maybe there's moreof a, you know, an awareness
(45:35):
campaign of like the hardshipsand folks are out there are
doing a good job.
I guess I would just kind ofchallenge that.
Speaker 3 (45:42):
Do we really?
Need the legislation to say heyit's not, and I'm for small
government.
I don't like governmentintrusions and telling me what
to do and things of that sort,so there's a part of me that
agree.
You know, I mean, I think thereare a lot of people out there
that are conflicted.
But think about this when wewere younger, you know, go to
school, you know we have analtercation or a disagreement
(46:05):
with another person on theplayground, we would just go
find it out.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
And then we're best friends, hey the good old days.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
But today, today, kids don't have that luxury
there.
You know they have cyberbullying out there, so they go
to school and they're bullyingat school potentially, and then
they go home and they'recontinued to be bullied in
social media and things of thatsort.
So you know it's very traumaticfor younger kids, you know, to
go through that.
(46:36):
It's a constant barrage ofnegativity and I'm very
sensitive to that.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Do you think that maybe it would be a different
avenue to go to the schools andsay no phones in school, rather
than hey, trying to get afterthe you know, obviously you said
that's a federal thing, sotrying to get after the tech
levels.
Do you think that there's a wayfor maybe parents to get
involved, maybe, you know, thecities to get involved, to say
(47:04):
we don't want schools, we don'twant phones at our schools
anymore Because honestly,truthfully, in the last couple
of weeks.
You know, my daughter hasn't hadher phone for long.
She hasn't had her phone forthe last month and we got a note
from her teacher that saidshe's been doing really good in
school and she's been leadingclasses and she and they wrote
us an email to tell us that Ican really attribute that to the
(47:27):
only big change that there'sbeen in her life.
She didn't have a phone.
I'm just curious to hear yourthoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
I have no problem with it.
I think that's responsible.
You know, if kids are going togo and they're going to be in
the classroom, their mainobjective is to learn, and why
are they being?
If they're being distracted, orif a teacher can't, you know,
maintain their classroom orcontrol their classroom to the
point where kids are on theirphones, that's a problem, you
(47:57):
know.
So I don't have a problem withit.
But there are others that do.
I'm probably on the minority.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
I guess both of us.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
You know, when you spoke a lot about education and
education policies and things ofthat nature, you know that's.
It's a weird world we're livingin right now, with the whole
quote unquote you know, and howdo we deal with that and keep
that out of our schools?
Speaker 3 (48:24):
Well, you know, the state board of education
controls our publication, ourschool and our curriculum
textbooks and stuff like that.
So those guys are out theremonitoring the types of text you
know.
It's almost impossible to keepyou know people from you know
(48:45):
having an opinion.
Speaker 1 (48:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Right, so social influences need to stay out of
the classroom, and I reallydon't care what kind of social
influence that might be.
You know, I don't care if it's abobblehead on a desk.
That's of a political nature.
I don't care who bobblehead itis, it shouldn't be in the
classroom.
So we should not, you know, flyor fur through our banners or
(49:09):
flags or bobbleheads within aclassroom.
From a teacher standpoint, weshouldn't infer political
alignment.
I just, you know, I just reallythink that that needs to happen
.
So schools are, schools arechallenged right now and it's a
it's a big deal.
Our teachers don't have controlof the classrooms.
(49:30):
When you have 30 kids in aclassroom, teach.
Speaker 1 (49:33):
How can?
Speaker 3 (49:33):
one one teacher teach the 30 kid in a classroom Very,
very, very difficult.
Speaker 2 (49:39):
Especially when you talk about the numbers you said
earlier.
You know the top 40%, is thatcorrect?
And then you've got the other15, and then you got the 10.
So you've got.
You know, even within.
I can't do math but, evenwithin 30 people.
You know 15.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Yeah, sorry, thanks for thinking about that 15 are,
you know, probably your welders.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
And then you got, you know, whatever the other number
was like 12 or so.
That would be your highperformers and you still got
some that are on the low end.
You know your one style is theygoing to meet everybody, even
for me, is challenging.
I've got four kids.
I got to be a different dad toeach four kids.
You know they're different ages, they're different.
They've had different dads theentire time, different versions
of me, you know, as I grow andget better.
(50:16):
So it's a real challenge forteachers.
Speaker 3 (50:20):
It's a challenge for teachers, and teachers kind of
have a bad rap right now becauseof this class size.
And think about it.
You know we have, we have aproblem with our border, with
people coming in.
Where do those kids geteducated?
Get educated in our publicschools, and our public schools
have no choice but to bring themin because they're they're
(50:40):
required to educate everystudent they don't have.
They can't ask them whether ornot you know for immigration
papers or anything like that.
All they need is an addresswithin the district and they can
go to that school and so wewant to make sure that we have
an educated workforce and wewant to make sure everybody in
the United States of America iseducated in Texas.
(51:00):
All those individuals comingover the border have to get
educated somewhere, and it's puta huge burden on our public
schools as well.
So we need to take our publicschools back, yeah, so let's
let's touch base.
Speaker 1 (51:17):
We talked about education and we talked about a
couple of things the border.
I want to talk a little bitabout fairness and sports.
Sir, I didn't mean to call youman, but I you know, it's gotten
a little ridiculous, and wehave school-aged children, we
have kids that are in elementary.
I have a daughter playsvolleyball, you know, and he has
(51:39):
a daughter who plays softballand you know, I don't know how I
would feel if my daughter wasplaying against a man.
What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 3 (51:54):
Well, you know we have boys and girls and those
sports are separated for areason because there are unfair
advantages for men versus women.
I know some people don't liketo hear that, but it's true.
You know the strengthassociated with certain men
opposed to the same age offemale is better.
(52:15):
You know we can see that withthe lady that's the swimmer that
was from Kansas or whatnot.
Anyway, she's very vocal aboutthis guy that was, you know,
felt like he was needed toidentify as a female and or was
(52:38):
transgender.
I don't know when it was, but Ithink he was identifying and
it's just not fair.
It's not, you know, I mean, andfor them to hold records,
things of that sort, is just not, it's not fair, it's not the
right thing.
So you know, when it comes tostuff like that, you know, fall
back to our Christianity, youknow what's the right thing to
(52:59):
do, and so people, people knowwhat they really, and let's just
be honest, they're choosing notto do the right, and so I will.
I will lend this lesson.
This lesson is, as my dad usedto always tell me, this he goes
son, you're going to do theright thing, whether you like it
or not.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
I'd say what do you mean?
Well, you always do the rightTimes.
Speaker 3 (53:23):
it feels good.
Speaker 1 (53:24):
And sometimes it doesn't necessarily make you
feel.
Speaker 3 (53:28):
It may be painful, you know, but you should always
do the right thing, and I'vealways.
I've always taken a lesson toheart, and that's how I live my
life.
I will always do the rightthing, whether it's good, bad or
indifferent.
They should too.
It's not fair to these youngkids to have to compete against
(53:51):
boys.
Sport does not for women.
It's just not fair.
Speaker 1 (53:57):
The right thing.
I agree 100 percent.
The only thing I asked isbecause, like I just couldn't
see my daughter playingvolleyball against you know
someone, her age, but a male.
It just the power, the strength, the, you know things of that
nature.
Right, like to each his own,but don't, don't mix the sports
(54:18):
and all that.
Riley Gaines.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
You know, you brought up our Christian beliefs,
especially when it comes tosports, and not just sports, but
when it comes to, you know, menand women, and one of the
things I find myself lately isis really stepping it into the
role of the leader of myhousehold, you know.
And so the more I'm working andpraying, the more I've seen my
(54:42):
family get stronger together,right and, and there, there,
there is a clear difference andand how we do things, and I
believe the more we lean intoyou know, our beliefs, who we
are doing, what's right, noteverything else should will
shake out in, you know, in ourschools and stuff, because I
(55:03):
don't, although I don't agreewith males participating in
female sports, you know, and Ithink all of that will.
We have to take a look at howwe're leading our homes first
before we can look at how welead our school.
That clear, no, that was thesame same, same, same same.
(55:25):
You know, I just see, I see theparallels.
I see lots of, lots of theparallels tonight, you know, and
if we're thinking about, youknow, our audience right now,
all of you out there listening,all you, all you vets, in this
end of the day, majority of ourlisteners are males, you know
majority of them are veterans.
You know you have to lead yourhome.
You know, if you want to seethese things shake out, and
(55:45):
that's what we want for you toand we want you to be able to
see that.
Speaker 3 (55:48):
You know, right here with Mr Jeffers, you remember
you remember when, when I was akid, the teacher was the second
most authoritative figure in mylife.
Speaker 1 (55:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (55:58):
Because, if I you know, if I acted up in school,
you know I'd reflect.
I got paddled back then, butthen I'd get paddled when I got
home.
I mean, but you know that's.
You know that's neither herenor there.
You know.
You know I have this idea ofthis.
You know, teacher's pack withparents.
You know, I think that you know, parents and teachers ought to
(56:24):
sign a pack with each other tosay that I'm going to treat your
son and child, I'm going toeducate your child.
I'm going to keep my child safewhile they're in my care,
custody and control.
And teachers ought to sign thesame pack saying that I will
trust you to take care of my, mychild, while they're in your
care custody.
You know I will allow you to bethat authoritative figure, so I
(56:46):
think it goes both ways,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (56:50):
I mean, that's one of the things that I talk about
with my kids is, like you know,school's not for everyone, you
know.
I mean you talked about the top40%, the 50%, and my kids may
be somewhere in there obviouslybut I don't want conduct marks.
I don't want you disrespectingthe teacher because that I won't
stand for.
I'm good with you.
Getting the D, Got it, Get an F.
(57:10):
You know, hey, you know you'regoing to take your punishment.
You know what I mean.
You're going to be consequencesfor that.
You know not only that you haveto deal with me but them and
I'll get over it but the way youcare at home again, I think
that's that goes right back toyou know what you're a veteran.
You're a leader, like lead yourhome first.
You know how do you take careof yourself, how you influence
your kids, how you influenceyour community around you.
(57:31):
And obviously you know I thinkwe're all and I both see
ourselves a little bit in youand it's like if we stay true to
what we're doing, you know, thepath that you're on, the path
that you're blazing, is asimilar path that we can take
for ourselves.
Speaker 1 (57:44):
Yeah, 100%, 100%.
I have a couple more so.
Speaker 2 (57:50):
I want to get these All right.
Speaker 1 (57:53):
So how do you plan on reaching out to the community
to figure out what the communityactually needs?
Well, you know, in a way,that's kind of a dumb question,
because you've been here forever.
Speaker 3 (58:04):
So I've been in the district for almost 25 years and
I am engaged.
But you know I do have a hugechannel right.
I've been engaged in this areaand a lot of people in this area
know who I am, and I'm going todo much the same in the Alvin
area, manville, and you knoweven Liverpool.
You know Brookside Village,richwood, freeport, Inc.
(58:28):
All these different citieswithin the district, district 29
.
And so I have to be just asengaged there as I am here, and
that's a huge.
Those are huge shoes to fillbecause Ed Thompson was
throughout the district.
He would everywhere he was.
He was one of the most engagingindividuals that I've ever met.
(58:48):
You know, you know, I wouldlove to model myself in that
fashion, because the only waythat you're going to be able to
vote district or I'm going to beable to vote.
Speaker 1 (58:58):
The district is if.
Speaker 3 (58:59):
I know the pulse of the district.
Only way to find out what thepulse of the district is is to
shake your hand and have aconversation, and I believe in
that.
I believe in that face to faceoccasion and shake it on the
hand.
Even to this day, when I knockon a door, I reach out and I try
to shake their hand.
You know some people don'tnecessarily like it.
They're saying this is it.
(59:20):
But you know, I believe in that.
I think that's how I'm going tobe able to keep the pulse of
the district to be out in thecommunity.
Speaker 1 (59:29):
That's amazing yeah.
Speaker 2 (59:33):
I mean as much as we spend on social.
Nothing beats a goodconversation.
Speaker 1 (59:36):
That's right, that's right, I think that's 100
percent.
You know what led you to this.
What made you want to run fordistrict 29?
What I know you were doing CityCouncil.
Speaker 3 (59:51):
I was doing City Council loving it.
You know, I just want to.
My goal is to always make adifference.
I have got to be able to in myheart of hearts you know I'm
going to leave this place betterthan where I go, and so you
know if God's calling me to, youknow, run for state rep and run
for district 29, which is whatI felt.
I was in a staff meeting and Inever forget.
(01:00:16):
Every Wednesday morning we havestaff meetings.
I mean usually last half youknow half the day and my phone
started turning my ringer off.
And then, after staff meeting,I go to my emails and I see Ed's
announcement that he was seekreelection.
And then I'm looking atmessages saying, hey, I need to
talk, I need to talk, and then Ijust kind of the more you think
(01:00:41):
about it, you know, think aboutyou know what I've the
experience, the experience thatI can bring to the table and
this was a conversation withCherese.
You know the relationships I'vebuilt.
How amazing is.
There aren't many.
There's a lot of people that Iknow in the community that grew
(01:01:02):
up here you know, that have aton of relationships.
I didn't grow up here but Ibuilt some great relationships
along the way and the experiencethat I have I'm a pretty, I own
a commercial building.
I was on school board, I was oneconomic development board, I
was on city council, you know.
All that experience, you know,culminated into I go to Austin.
(01:01:27):
What happened?
Passed bills.
Wouldn't it be nice to havesomebody in Austin that
understood what the effects ofpassable bills would have on us
resident business owners, on ourschool?
on our cities, and so the piecesjust felt.
You know, I was justrationalizing it in my mind, and
(01:01:50):
so I have the experience andthrough all the years that I've
been in various organizations Ihave a lot of relationships and
the one thing that when I wastalking in bills, before I even
decided to run, you know the onething that they all said they
said Jeff you know we just needsomebody.
(01:02:12):
I feel like you're that guy, wecan work.
You need to go to Austin.
So that's why today, you know,if you look at all my
endorsements and stuff like that, they're from people you know
it's all fine and good and Ihave some that are outside the
district.
I'm going to be wrong, but allmy money has been raised in the
district and all my endorsementmost of my endorsement from the
(01:02:35):
mayors, county commissionerleaders in the community leaders
in the community and just thinkabout how powerful that is, but
then to be able to pick up thephone and say, hey, Jeff, this
is, I don't like this bill andthis is how it's going to, and
and or vice versa.
I can pick up the phone and callthem how, look at this bill.
Speaker 1 (01:02:56):
How is this going to affect you guys?
Can you all?
Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
together and talk amongst yourselves and let know
whether or not we need tosupport this bill or not, or do
we need to tweak it a little?
You know how can it better?
How can it better benefit thecity, county or the school or
business?
You know, unfunded may is thisan unfunded mandate?
So somebody that has theexperience often can see through
(01:03:23):
a lot of those things.
But the relationships arebecause times change.
Right, I mean I'm in Austin,maybe you know the city's
thinking man this thing.
we were always thinking aboutthe blame.
It's different rightRelationships matter Definitely.
Speaker 1 (01:03:43):
And research into you , I noticed that you were
endorsed by a lot of leaders inour community and local
communities, and that's what youknow, that that means more to
me as a voter than you beingendorsed by blank blank.
That has no idea what's goingon in this community and I just
(01:04:07):
hats off to you.
You definitely have.
Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
It's been a lot of.
It's been a lot of work, but itwas important to me.
If I weren't going to get thoseendorsements, or at least have
the support of those individuals, I would not have.
I just wouldn't have becausestate represent.
I'm a representative.
Whether I believe in aparticular issue or not, our
(01:04:32):
district believes in it than I.
So I come across some doozieswalking throughout the,
throughout the district.
Speaker 1 (01:04:42):
I believe it.
Speaker 3 (01:04:43):
Yeah and so, but I'm a representative and they can
trust me to be able to go outand represent the district, and
that's that's really what I'mall about.
It's not about me.
We talked about that whole teamearlier.
You know, it's about us.
It's about our district.
Speaker 1 (01:05:00):
And I see that in you , so that's what I want.
Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
Cool.
Well, I was going to rat thisout.
Let me finish with two things.
First of all, thank you foryour time.
I really appreciate it.
It's been great to talk to you,so how can someone follow along
with you and keep in touch withyou?
Speaker 3 (01:05:15):
Yeah, absolutely.
They can just go to my website,votejeffberrycom, and it's
Jeffberry B-A-R-R-Y.
Votejeffberrycom and just putyour name and whether you want a
yard sign or email in there andwant to volunteer.
We're you know.
We have a lot of polls fromParaland to Freeport that we
need to fill throughout earlyvoting.
(01:05:36):
Voting starts February 20th.
March 1st election day is March5th, so that's the day we're
going to all know.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:05:46):
And then my second thing is Charlie Mike to us
means continue mission.
You know we're always trying tofind different ways.
What does Charlie Mike mean toyou?
Speaker 3 (01:05:54):
My continue mission is just helping my community in
whatever way, shape or form thatlooks like.
I'm going to do that.
So if I'm called to our staterep, then I'm going to be our
state rep.
Otherwise, I'm going tocontinue to support our
community in any way, shape orform that I can.
Speaker 1 (01:06:10):
Powerful stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:06:10):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:06:11):
Absolutely amazing and you know.
Again, thank you for taking thetime out to come talk with us.
You know, we've I've learned alot and I'm normally you know
it's funny is I'm normally notnervous like the way I was today
.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:06:28):
I was kind of like don't want to say anything
incorrect.
You want to do a good job.
All the papers are upside downnow, so I think you got all your
pictures.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:06:38):
No, but you guys be sure to be sure to follow us on
social media is if you like,subscribe.
Be sure to check out my man,william, on all his social media
platforms that must dash wisdom.
And be sure to follow Jeff.
Jeff Berry, damn man.
Thank you for taking your timeagain.
I appreciate you and, as always, charlie Mike, yo yo yo.
(01:07:18):
What's going on?
Everybody, it is me, I'm asoldier, hardwood red con, one
music group and thank you forlistening to Charlie Mike, the
podcast, yay.
Yo, welcome back to another episode of the Charlie
Mike podcast.
Always, I'm your host, ro, andyour co-host is William.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yo, what's going on?
Y'all welcome back.
It's so good to be here comingto you from the Paraland podcast
.
Oh you go.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Located just stop.
Where's that?
Sto-dio, sto-dio, bro, this ishow we do it.
Yeah, coming in, coming in,stumbling, coming in hot.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What's going on, man?
Hey man, life is good.
I'm blessed brother.
Yeah, you know, just peckingaway Start of the year, new
things going on.
I'm trying to figure out what'sgoing on with my wife and I's
business Studios looking good.
There's always things thatwe're improving.
That's kind of what we do inthe military right Constantly
improving our position 100%.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
You gotta get better.
If you ain't getting better,what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Nothing.
You ain't green and growing.
You're arriving and dying man.
No, I, we say that a lot, butif you guys pay attention,
you'll see it.
You know you'll see it I thegirl that lighting.
Yeah, oh yeah, I mean this iswithin the studio.
If you follow the show day today or like this is it's cool
man, you gotta get better yougotta get better.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
You notice that accent lighting that we put in
here.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, I did, I did.
I'll look at this guy.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Man.
So you know what?
Let's go ahead and jump in thisinterview.
We have a special guest in thehouse today and we're excited to
bring on Paralans' own, jeffBerry.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
How are y'all Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Oh yes, sir, it's a privilege.
Let's start off a little bit.
Let's tell us, tell us aboutyourself.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Oh, and I tell you, you want to start from the
beginning.
We start.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, it's a long story.
Hey, we got all day.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I grew up in South Louisiana and you know I went to
, I was in high school, got outof high school I wasn't that guy
that was the best student inthe world, you know.
So it's a long story, but Iwound up in the Navy, which was
awesome, did a little bit ofwork offshore and framing houses
, carpentry work before that andrealized, man, this is not what
(02:20):
I really want to do the rest ofmy life.
You know, I don't know if youguys have ever had that
situation where that light bulbjust goes off and said I need to
change direction.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, so I did.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
And so I went back to my dad.
I said, dad, I want to go tocollege.
That's great.
How are you going to pay for it?
And a buddy of mine, jeffGrossi, he's passed now, but he
goes, hey.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Man brother's in town .
Speaker 3 (02:48):
I said what does that mean?
Well, he's in the Navy, he goes, they can help you with money.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
So he's a Navy recruiter, Jeff.
You have to know, Jeff, he wasuh he was the youngest of.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
he was the youngest by 10 or 12 years from his next
oldest brother, and so his olderbrother, chris, was in the Navy
, had been out to the fleet anddone all these things.
So he's on recruiting duty andLafayette, louisiana, he goes.
Hey, man, he goes.
Let's go talk to my brother.
Good luck there, chris is likeyeah we'll sign you right up.
So I signed up for the Navy and,you know, got my GI bill all
(03:21):
squared away and you know.
Next thing, you know I'm off toMemphis or San Diego is wearing
.
That was awesome.
You know, if you're going to goto boot camp, san Diego is a
place to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, man, no matter where you, I mean, I'll hear
good things about that side ofthe US.
Well, you know weather wise.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Oh yeah, I hear the weather's nice.
That's all you got over there.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
The weather was wonderful.
The weather was wonderful.
But uh, you know, I know, youguys are Army guys, right?
So uh yeah, our boot camps werea little different Arsh too,
but I did that RGC and they inSan Diego close now but anyway,
(04:03):
I did that spent a little timein Millington, tennessee, almost
a year, and they didn't reallyknow what to do with me.
I guess I'm not sure, but Ispent about a year there and I
went to, went to school and didall sorts of different things.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
What were you doing in Tennessee?
That was my question.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
They have a training center in Millington Tennessee
which is about 40 minutes eastof.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Memphis OK right, so strange place for a naval
training center but there are alot of aviation stuff, ok, ok,
ok, so you said Tennessee andI'm over here.
Picture in the map the UnitedStates of my head.
I'm like wait there's no water.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
It's not quite in the middle of the United States.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
But now I spent a little bit of time there and met
some wonderful people.
It was great.
Then, when I was done with that, I got orders to go to Norfolk,
virginia.
I was attached to Hilo Squadronfor six months where I was
attending another school youknow Navy's the Navy's famous
for schools.
I mean, you know it's beenalmost your whole entire first
four years of school.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, very technical.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah, if you want to.
And then the last two and ahalf years I spent at Cecil
Field, Florida and Jackson, so Iworked in an aviation, aviation
electronics field.
We did calibration and stufflike that.
So it was a lot of fun.
I met a lot of cool people.
It was definitely a learningexperience, you know.
So I always tell people youknow, the military is a good
(05:28):
option If you don't know exactlywhat you want to do when you
get out of high school.
You always know what they want,when they want and how they
want it at all times.
There's never a question.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Got a lot of my decision process out of the way.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, it does, you know, I think one of the hardest
things, the hardest transitionsI had was like what do I wear
today?
You still have that problem.
Yeah, yeah, I do so how longtotal.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Did you do the Navy?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
I did four years yeah .
I did four years and four years.
I did all that in four years.
Can you believe that?
And then I got my GI bill.
And what was neat about youknow we talked earlier about you
know the fact that you grew uphere and then you left and then
you came back.
Yes, well, I thought, man, whenI got out of the Navy they said
well, you can make any anyplace in the United States, your
(06:16):
residency right.
And what did I do?
Pick the Lafayette, louisianaagain.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
So I went.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
I went and got my electrical engineering degree,
which is where I met my wifeactually, Sharice, and so I did
that and I moved to, moved hereand went to work for Compact
Computer Compact.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I ain't heard that in a long time.
Remember that Compact Center,bro.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah sure.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
That's all.
That's all wound up here inHouston.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And my wife had a job , and at Lubrizol, in the ship
channel Bayport, which is, youknow, just south.
But so we kind of split thedifference and you know,
eventually we wound up inParaland and we've been here for
almost 25 years now.
We love it, we love it.
Yeah, I told you.
The population sign said 15,000when we showed up.
I don't even want to talk aboutthe number now, that's insane.
(07:09):
It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It is to watch the growth, the growth of the city.
I know when I left and everytime I came back from you know,
like, let's say, christmas break, you know, or something along
those lines.
I was just like what?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
But this is the Paraland I remember.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I remember when 101 was a dirt road.
My parents live on Bailey Roadand that was a four lane.
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
OK, so you want to talk about stuff like that.
When we moved to Paraland, webuilt our first house in Silver
Lake, which is, you know,fairway Village too was the
little name of the neighborhoodyou know, and over by Southwick,
I know you didn't go throughthere.
In fact, it was a dirt roadthat the contractors used to
drive around the neighborhood.
It didn't exist.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I get a message.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
In 2005,.
Traffic got so bad we saidlet's go move to the east side
of town.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
It's crazy.
I feel like back when I wasyoung, right.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
That's the type of parallel we're in now.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, Lee man.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Good times.
Yeah, definitely good times.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I graduated here in 2001.
And, like I said, when I leftfor the service I was like, hey,
I just want to get out ofParalyze.
I was leaving the service, Ijust want to go home man.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, I just want to go back to Paralyze.
Yeah, I just want to go back to.
Paralyze, yeah, so tell me howthe military, your time in the
Navy, sets you up to besuccessful at college.
What was that like?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well, OK.
So let me back up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
When.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
I told you I spent about a year in Millington,
right, and it was an interestingsetup.
I went there and I had a schoolto go to and then my A school.
But while I was on temporaryduty they said, hey, we need to
put you in some sort of class orsome sort of training.
(09:05):
So they threw me into thiseight-week program that was
designed for guys coming out ofthe fleet that wanted to
transition into a job that wasmore technical.
It was a math class and weliterally started at one plus
one.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
And we were in eight weeks Walking to school.
One plus one, no, in themilitary.
Yeah, I am dead serious, Iimagine.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Yes, and so I go to this class and I'm like man,
this is crazy.
So we went from basicdissonance subtraction all the
way through advancedtrigonometry in eight weeks.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Crazy.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
It was an amazing time, though.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And then I went, so you were going like every day.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
That was my job At a place of duty.
Right, that was my job.
Yeah Pretty cool Anyway so mypoint is they really taught me
how to learn Really, reallyfocused, and I'm not that guy
that can sit around all day andI'm not a reader.
I know you are, but I'm not areader.
I read because I have to.
(10:04):
Today I read insurancecontracts and things of that
sort, which is really dullreading, but they're very short.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
You know, and it's taught me how to learn yeah and
repetitive.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Yeah, yeah, so dull, yeah, yeah.
But yeah they taught me how to,really taught me how to, how to
study and focus.
So that's what kind of?
That's one of the things.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
One of the things that we say a lot and I try to
hit on with bets is like it'snot just like you are my West
because I was an infantry guyright In the army, and it's not
like there's a lot of jobs outthere, but all of the other
schools that I went throughreally set me up for this.
You know, like reading andresiliency, like all of that set
me up to do the things that Ido now.
Do you have any experience likethat, bro?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I no.
No, I'm sorry, I'm always justlike well, yeah, I don't know, I
didn't think about it.
You put me on the spot.
I'm sorry, man.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, my wrong interview no but I think it's
important to highlight becausewe hear you know someone as your
, as yourself, referring back tothe time in the military, like
look, this was just a eight weekcourse, right, but it set a
foundation for me the rest of mylife.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Right, right right.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I see, I see that so.
So you went from from compactcomputers.
How did you get into the wholeinsurance thing?
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Long story.
So I was at compact andultimately left and I went to a.
I don't know if you guys arefamiliar with software
programming, but I was writingassembly language code, which is
the startup for all yourcomputer like server systems,
and took a job doing the samething for another company closer
(11:46):
on the southwest side of townin Bel Air, and about a year
into it they decided they weregoing to move the whole office
to Boca Raton, Florida, andthinking that's great.
That's great.
You know I want to go to.
South Florida and have a goodtime.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
My wife was a lover to death, but it was a no, so so
I'm like, okay, great.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Well, fortunately for me, an opportunity came up.
I says hey, we're looking for asales engineer.
You know someone to support our, our sale.
You know guys in the field andstuff like that, great.
So I took that job and wascalling back on the same people
I worked with, you know, atcompact, which was HP by then.
Yeah, and anyway I was doing.
(12:31):
You know, I worked with them.
I worked with HP, dell, IBM, allover Texas, you know and once
that in early 2000s, you know,we had the technology crash and
stuff like that, so things got alittle tough.
You know, my, our companywanted me to move to one of our
other manufacturing facilities,which was fine for me.
And so I go to my wife and say,hey, what do you think about
(12:55):
moving to Atlanta?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
She goes.
You know, okay, how about.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Colorado Springs, hey , colorado Springs.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
No, it's beautiful, yeah, it is beautiful it was.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, I used to go there at least once a week.
And then I said, well, whatabout Milpitas, california?
No, I said, well, honey, that'sall of our options.
And she said, you know?
I said you know, we need toconsider moving to one of these
locations, you know, and shegoes no.
So anyway, long story short,you know you try and try again.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
We don't, we don't.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Very powerful word Only two letters.
But anyway.
So my family was in theinsurance business for the
longest time, since 1903 inLouisiana, and so I thought one
day I told my wife and said youknow, I'm going to go into the
insurance business.
And she this was about sixo'clock in the morning she goes.
Okay, honey, whatever, I thinkyou'll be great.
(13:52):
That's how it started.
You know, once I got hersupport and I knew that she felt
like you know she could supportme in doing something entirely
different, who would have everthought I would be in the
insurance business?
But nobody ever, you know, setsout to be in the insurance.
It's not something that peoplenecessarily aspire to do, you
know so many people just wind up, but anyway, so that was in
(14:17):
2005.
And been in the insurancebusiness ever since I was a
farmer's guy.
For 11 years Spent time thereand that's how I know all the
guys around town and all overHouston and whatnot and about
seven years ago I wentindependent and it's been great
ever since.
You know we do mostly.
We work with a lot ofconstruction companies.
(14:37):
That's kind of our main forte.
We do some manufacturing and alittle bit of oil and gas here
and there and we do home andauto.
We have about 10% of our bookof business is personal.
We have a pretty good mix andwe do a few employee benefits
here and there.
So it's a good book of business.
So I enjoy it.
I love it.
That's awesome.
(14:57):
Yeah, that's good.
I still like it to this day.
You still like it.
I still like it.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I look forward to going to work every single day.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I really do that's awesome, that's good.
Makes a big difference.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yep, it does so.
Um, so you, you've been inParalign.
You said 25, 25, almost 25,almost 25.
What, tell?
Tell us a little bit about howdid you get into the whole
politics part.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I didn't get into politics, it got me yeah, okay.
Now, honestly, you know, my wifeand I, you know, we went
through our own own struggles,you know personally and
realizing we couldn't have kidsand whatnot, and so we've really
dedicated our lives toeducation and that was, that was
(15:44):
really the biggest, biggestthing for us.
So we said, if we're gonna behere, we need to make a
different, and so I started,started working on different
things back in 2007.
I got involved with thenorthern brazilian county
educational lines still aminvolved with those guys today
and they do Do workforcedevelopment, workforce training
(16:05):
for, for kids, and if you, ifyou never really understood the,
the Makeup of a school system,it's actually rather interesting
.
So the top 40 percent are gonnago and get some sort of college
degree and then the the next 50percent or are going to be
those individuals that need tohave some sort of skill or a
(16:27):
trade, and then the bottom 10percent are those that just
don't want to be there anyway.
But you still have to teachthem and they still have to
graduate.
You're, you know you can affect60% of all the students in
Parallel in ISD or Alvin ISD orwherever you know.
Through the northern braziliancounty educational lines, you
can train them.
They can earn a living wagewhen they, when they're done,
(16:50):
they're certified, whether it'swelding or construction trades.
Amazing organization.
So I've done that and I workedwith I was on the board with
adult reading center, soTraining adults you know, that
wouldn't otherwise, you know,have the skills that they need
to be able to read and things ofthat sort.
So amazing organization.
Also, in time goes by and I, Iwas asked to be the chairman,
(17:16):
the founding chairman, of thethe education foundation here in
Parallel, and I remember whenthe John Kelly was a
superintendent back.
Then he goes, I want to talk.
So we're sitting down, we'retalking because I was engaged
with him, because I was chairmanof the NBC, yeah, at the time,
and he goes.
I want to talk to you aboutstarting the education
(17:36):
foundation and I'm thinking, man, you know, they tried to do
this a few years ago and itdidn't really work out very well
.
Or are you setting me up for afailure here, you know?
So that's kind of what wasgoing on in the back of my mind,
but you know, you know me beingthe person I am.
I said absolutely, what do youneed me to do?
He goes I need you to be thechairman.
I need you to.
I need you to, you know, buildthe education foundation.
(18:00):
So what do we?
How do we start?
Who do we talk to?
I knew it was all about raisingmoney and talking to various
people and you know engagingwith people and getting them on
board, and so we did that.
We got a board of about 25people in Parallel and, and you
know the education foundation inParallel and is engaged in
(18:24):
Creating, raising money forgrants to teachers in the
classroom.
You know, we've always heard,you know, teachers say I'm tired
of spending my own money, youknow, for creative teaching
ideas in the classroom.
And we say creative teachingideas because that's what their
grants are for.
But we, the teachers, apply forcertain grants and I mean we've
(18:46):
done grants for garden, youknow things of that sort, you
know, for kids and elementaryschools and all the way to
Technology robotic program.
So anything that a teacherfeels like that they can, you
know, move their educationalprocess along with great, apply
for it.
And originally I think our maxwas $5,000.
(19:09):
I'm not sure what the maximumis today, but that that
organization has growntremendously and I'm very proud
of that.
And so I was engaged, right, Iwas engaged.
So once I did that, you know,then I was I was asked by city
council to get on to theeconomical economic development
(19:30):
court.
So I got involved with that andI really enjoyed that.
So I got to see the educationpiece and then I got to see the
you know the city piece and itwas.
It was interesting, right itgovernment always has fasted,
right, you know?
You know, if you're not part ofthe solution, you're part of
the problem.
It's kind of the way I look atit and, and that's how.
(19:51):
That's how I rationalize thingsin my mind, you know so.
So I did that.
And then one day, a positioncame up.
Pam Begler I don't know if youremember Pam Begler was on the
school board.
She's look, I'm not running forreelection, we need somebody to
to run in my place.
Well, I said, okay, let me tryit out and see what happened.
(20:15):
And that's that's what happened.
Once I got on school board thatwas in 2016 once I got on
school board, I had torelinquish my my position on the
education foundation and I alsohad to relinquish my position
on the economic Development.
So so I kind of downsized, butI had more responsibility.
So that's how it happened.
(20:37):
And then, you know, from there,I was on you know school board
for six years and really enjoyedit and learned a ton about
public education.
And then I ran for city councilin 2022 and Recently had to
come off of that because we'rein for state back district 29.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
So Do you think that the your time in service
Influenced your you knowwillingness to continue to serve
your community?
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Absolutely.
I mean, look, just because Ineeded, just because I needed to
be able to fund my college, youknow my my degree didn't mean
that in I didn't have a passionto serve, you know.
You know, look, you have apassion to serve.
You're in the military orwhatever.
Whatever it is, I'm in theinsurance.
You know that is a purecustomer service experience,
(21:28):
it's all.
It's been almost 20 years thatwe've been in that business, so
I've been serving, you know, mycountry or people around me for
over 20 years, you know, 25,since I've been in Paralel and
you know, and I enjoy it, youknow.
And the military, my militarybackground has given me the the
fortitude to actually stick withit.
You know, build a mission,accomplish that mission and If
(21:51):
you have a large mission, breakit down into smaller pieces and
accomplish those smaller pieces,and I think that that played a
large role in my success.
I you may think I'm successful,I still think I'm working, you
know it sounds like a military.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
That's the part that sets you apart.
You know, I think a lot of us,and that's what the military
offers to you.
Know if this starts to soundlike a military campaign, but
truly, at the end of the day,we're all growing the right
structure you know trying to getup, go grow a little further
and and it seems like you'redoing the same thing now within
your life Like, okay, what's thenext?
What's the next thing?
Not?
that you're looking for, butwhat if it presents itself?
(22:29):
This is what I'm gonna take forit, that's right to work on
yourself.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
So I agree, amazing, so.
So we're gonna get back to the,the politics side, but I want
to ask you what?
I know that you run yourbusiness, but you're also really
connected with your faith.
How, how is it stayed so strong?
I'm not sure what I'm trying toask.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Well, that's good bro , I think, I think you're on the
same, the right path you knowhow do we make sure that our
like, our faith, coincides withour business?
That right, like that.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Think our business coincides with our business
right if we think about it alittle bit.
You know you have to have astrong faith and a belief in
something Right my belief inChristianity and Bible and you
know, making sure that you know,I'm fine on the right path and
believing that someone else of ahigher power has already
(23:28):
defined that.
My goal is to figure out whatthat path is and stay on it.
So have you all ever heard ofan organization called C12?
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I have.
Yeah, I have had any.
I have not had any contact withthem or anything like that, but
I have heard of them.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Well, you know, so I don't know and I'm not
necessarily plugging like that,but that I joined that
organization a couple years agoand I've taken a hiatus.
Actually, right now I'll justcan't paint it.
That's an organization thatBuilds leadership through
(24:05):
biblical purpose.
So various owners of businessescan get together once a month
and you know you talk about, youknow leading your business From
a biblical standpoint andthat's what you, you talk you
spend a whole day talking aboutstuff like that and Throughout
my whole entire career I'vealways I've always fallen back
(24:26):
on my faith, right, and thiskind of gave me a little bit
more structure around it,because we talk about you were
talking earlier about readingthe Bible and Samuel and all
this stuff.
It always has a way of Havingmeaning in your current day,
right.
I mean, it's amazing how that,how that just shows up and it
(24:48):
shows itself.
But that's part of the path,right, it's not our path.
You know we have to give.
It's not my business either,right, it's, it's his business.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
So when I leave, I Wanted just to swing by and
touch base on that, because Iknow a William speaks real
highly with with faith andbusiness and and being you know
true to your faith as well, as Iguess your business represents
your, you know your faithrepresents your business tactic
(25:20):
and technique, and so yourapproach, how you approach it.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
There you go, I agree .
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah, I see that.
I saw that in you and thenreading into you and on you and
then I see a lot of Williams.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Resemblance it's all out there.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I'm okay.
I mean I've been more and moreopen about it too recently.
I just joined the vestry of our, of our, church.
I was commissioned like twoweeks ago.
So it's, it's coming about andand I, I, I thanks for the
question role, because for me,you know, it's like staying
curious about how do we, youknow, and I'm sure there's
there's plenty of you listenersout there that are in the same
(26:00):
path, that, trying to figure out, hey, I'm either in the
military or I'm not, or I justgot in the military and you know
how do I, you know, do what'sright, live a good life.
But also, you know, I've alwayshad this Christianity thing in
the back of my mind, you know,and like I want to be closer to
that, the best thing I can dofor you all is just encourage
(26:21):
you to get involved, just likewe say with the very
organizations.
Get involved, you know.
So either get involved withyour church or start reading,
like.
A couple years ago I joined, afriend of mine invited me to do
a prayer group.
Yeah, so we've been doing thatfor two and a half years,
america, we've been, we've beenmeeting every other Friday for
two and a half years now.
And it's, it's it comes into ourlives.
I mean role and I were prettyopen people and you know we were
(26:43):
having a conversation and itwas a difficult one and I, you
know, I told him like my prayerfor this day is be like Lord,
help me see role as you see him,because I don't want to come
into this relationship angry orleave this relationship angry
and it man just saying thatprayer like change the entire
day for me, you know, andsitting on that and I, I see you
(27:06):
as an example of that too, likehearing more about your story.
So thanks for that question.
It's, it's there, you know, andI, we we're under the.
You know, we talk aboutsobriety too and Not being
afraid to go there, and I thinkthat's kind of where we're at
too when it comes to our faith.
We're not afraid to go there,whatever your faith may be, lean
(27:26):
into it, because it reallyhelps you On that transition and
the next steps you gotta take.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
That, uh.
So throughout your time in inpublic service, as of right now,
what is one thing that you canhonestly say that you're proud
of?
That you've done like you lookback on your life in moments.
No-transcript.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Well, I mean, I is a kind of a bad word.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I like that already.
You know I was gonna judge youon your answer.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I'm sure you were good, you passed.
You passed Next question.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
How could you check?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Yeah, well, you know, think about it.
You know you're in the military, you're part of a team.
You know, when I was in highschool I was on our high school
we won the state champ baseballand that was the very first
inkling that I had of being on ateam, because you can predict
(28:31):
exactly what everybody else onthat field is gonna do before
they and that's cohesive.
So that's being part of being ateam.
And so when you come to Italked about the Education
Foundation I was one of 25 onschool board, one of seven plus
a super, but city council one ofseven, you know.
(28:54):
So it's not about in my life,it's all.
Building relationships is themost important to me and you
know, because you never know,you know you need to.
You know work with thisindividual or work with that
individual because it, a team,can accomplish a goal in a much,
(29:16):
it's a much more efficientfashion than you trying to go
alone.
You know, being the lone rangeris no fun and if you can have a
team to help you, you know,alleviate some of those
pressures and assuredness.
Sometimes you know I own mybusiness with my wife, right,
(29:37):
and before my wife came on boardin my business you know, I just
wished Park to you know, bounceideas on you know, and this and
the other.
Then, when she came on board towork with agency, I'm like I've
got that part, you know.
So I felt like it's always beena lot better, but I've always
(29:58):
been part of a team.
I enjoy being.
I enjoy building consensus.
I enjoy, you know, building goodpolicy for various things
whatever it is you know, and I'mnot talking just political, you
know because it how many timeshave you ever been, you know
part of a situation where youhave to make a decision quickly?
(30:19):
So you make the decision andthe next thing you know,
everybody's like man, that was abad decision.
Why did we do this and why didwe do that?
And well, you know.
So I'm not saying that thosethings don't happen.
I like being part of a team andbuilding consensus that
accomplish big, and that's justkind of how I view the world.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Reminds me of that proverb If you want to go fast,
go alone.
If you want to go far, go as ateam.
Yeah, well that's very good yeahyeah, and you know one of the
you mentioned making a decision.
One of the things that I'venoticed, you know, working with
veterans and military influenceswe're not afraid to make a
decision.
You know what do they say aviolently executed plan today is
(31:04):
better than a good planexecuted next week.
You know it's all about rightnow and, at the end of the day,
what I love and what I hear fromyou two is like I'm okay to
make that decision and then wecan adjust from it from there,
because I have my team around meto do that.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Yeah, with the way politics is now in the world, I
guess it's a tough thing to bepart of.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Well, politics is a nasty business today and I don't
necessarily appreciateWashington DC and the way
they're so polarized.
Because, again, you know, we'repeople, you know, and people
need to be able to work togetherin some form or fashion.
Some have an R, some have a Dbehind their names, some have an
I these days, you know, andthat's all fine too, but at the
(31:57):
end of the day, we need to makedecisions based on what's the
best thing for everyone, notjust the R's and the D, and it's
a shame, it has to be that way.
But, you know, as a society ora political society, we're just
too polarized.
It's very discouraging in somecases and I hope that you know
from you know me being engagedand being involved, that people
(32:20):
can see that, you know, thedecisions I make are more for
the greater good than ours orthe.
You know that's all I reallylike.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
I think there's a lot to be said within the gray area
.
You know I mean, at the end ofthe day you do have the polar
extremes, but you know we'retrying to get, like you said,
the middle of the folks, to one,get out and vote and two, you
know, to realize like thesedecisions affect all of us.
We're not trying to pick sides,I'm just trying to do what I
think is best for my upbringing.
That's right.
And what from what you weretelling me?
(32:52):
And I think that's a big thing?
You know, at the end of the day, even this, the last turnout
for these, the runoff forParaland, the numbers were low,
very low.
You know.
So you're talking about 10% ofthe people with population
making the decision for-.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Way less than 10% in that one, yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, exactly, and so it's like you can have feel how
you want and when it comes topolitics, but at the end of the
day, your vote does matter,Otherwise, you know, you don't,
you don't have anything to sayabout it.
You know, I agree, that numberwas really shocking to me when
it was like nobody goes outthere and vote you know, I'm an
early voter I'm like I'm gonnago get it out of the way.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
I think people are just so discouraged because they
think that they're vote, youknow, and when we do have small
turnouts, their vote matterseven more.
You know.
It's a powerful thing, you know.
When I grew up, it wasimportant.
Your voter tracing card, that'simportant, you know.
(33:51):
I think maybe we've lost sightof that To a certain extent.
People busy I hear that wordall the time Make a step back,
reevaluate.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I feel like for a lot of us in the military or as
veterans now, like there's a,there's a path for us to get
involved, you know, whether itbe serving the city or I mean
Lainey talked about it last timeon our podcast you know,
joining one of the committees.
You know, and I think I thinkit's a powerful thing because
you know we only serve.
(34:24):
Not only that we serve, but weearn that right to do so, and I
mean we're leaders.
You know, as veterans, we leadthe community.
You have that influence.
You know you have that honorlike express it, share it, let
others know, like yeah, I voted,are you voting?
You don't have to tell me whoyou're voting for.
I don't bother me, you know.
I just want you to go vote,right.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
I'm with you.
I mean, I wish we could getmore and more people to vote,
and it's important.
But you talk about getting oncommittees.
It's one of the hardest thingsto do is to get people on, just
apply for these committees.
There's a couple of committeesthat people want to be on.
Sometimes we were when I was oncouncil.
(35:05):
We're constantly shufflingaround trying to get.
We need people for thiscommittee.
This committee is alsoimportant.
We need people for thatcommittee and we need people for
parks people for this and thatit's hard to get people to
volunteer their time.
It's important that they do.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
It's a lot of things that you stand for and you speak
about.
You know I see in myself so one, of course, your military
service.
You know you're now some of thethings you're standing on with
as far as your political side.
(35:47):
So, with the currentadministration and the, of
course, the things that arehappening in Texas currently,
what are your thoughts on that?
As far as you know, bordersecurity and what I know, this
isn't a political podcast, butthese are things that I feel are
important to speak about,especially with the threats that
(36:09):
you know Texas has beenreceiving from.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Washington, washington.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
What are your thoughts on all that?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
I think we're making all the right moves.
We need to protect oursovereignty.
In the same way, it's up to usto protect our sovereignty.
It's apparent that Washingtonis not necessarily focused on
that at this point in time.
For what reason, I don't.
(36:38):
But we hear a lot of differentthings about cities.
Have all the big names New Yorkand Chicago and they're
bursting at the scene becausethey have a hundred thousand or
a hundred and twenty people thatwe've those areas and they're
sanctuary cities and they should, and they're admittedly so,
(37:01):
sanctuary cities.
So, you know, we should feel, orthey should feel, obligated to
take on, you know those, youknow individuals, because we can
, you know, think about thetowns, the small towns along the
border, you know like far andall these very small towns that
are getting into people comingacross the border and I feel for
(37:23):
them.
Not to mention, not to mentionthe fact that I spend a lot of
time in Valde and South Texasand just because I like to hunt
and things of that sort, I lovethat area.
But you know, there arehigh-speed chases.
Almost every a farmer, farmeror rancher is fensive sort of
(37:48):
getting demolished every singleday.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Who's helping?
Speaker 3 (37:51):
them fix and repair these Right.
Very expensive, yeah, I meanwe're talking thousands of
dollars just just to get arepair done.
And some of these ranchers havecattle that they use to make a
living with, and so on and soforth.
So you know, vegetable farms aregetting ruined because of some
of this stuff.
So kind of have to take a lookat the bigger picture.
(38:12):
The border needs to becontrolled.
But when you, when you, look atthe border and take it for what
it's worth today and we allknow, you know we have a leak in
the, we have a leak in the pool, so to speak.
Think about our health and humanservices.
You know about our hospitalsystems and things of that sort
(38:33):
that you don't hear those guysyou know on TV every single day
saying we don't have room, wedon't have the staff we don't
have beds.
But I know that that exists, Iknow that that's out.
And I know that you know if wehave a human being that needs
health, that we need to servicethose humans, and if we're
(38:55):
overrun and we don't havehospital beds or doctors or
nurses, you know that that's aproblem you know, so the border,
the border is a much biggerproblem than you might, than
most people give it credit for.
There are some some, I think,associates so many people and
(39:16):
it's it's sad.
I hate to see people sleep onthe streets.
It's terrible, it's absolutelyterrible.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
You know it's not, it's not.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
it's not how you treat people, it's not.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
There's a right way of doing it.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
The right way and the wrong way there is.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
You know, there's another vet that I've been
following lately.
You know, patrick Bed-David,right From PHP.
He owns he owns a businesscalled PHP People helping people
Insurance, life insurance,great, and that's one of the big
things he's been talking aboutlately too, and he's a military
veteran and he he just simplystated, like you know, I think
(39:57):
there's so many opportunitieswithin America that there are we
should be screening peoplebefore before they come in.
You know, we should be comingin with the right reasons and,
honestly, I tend to lean thesame way and I I don't want to
say all veterans do that too,but for us we just see things a
little differently.
Because we served right, youjoined because you saw the
benefits, you didn't have toright.
(40:19):
And it's the same thing with,like, coming to America.
You come into America becauseof what it represents and what
it offers.
You don't have to, you know,but the military has a selection
program to go through, right,and we, we've all been through
that, we all earned it, andthere's a lot of little things
being a veteran gives you, youknow, not just leadership skills
(40:40):
, but I mean we were talkingabout some of the other perks
and benefits.
You know the taxes and and youknow, veterans preferences, it's
we earned that right.
I see America be the same way.
You earn that by coming here,to come in America, and there's
a lot of things that a lot youknow.
There's a lot of possibilities.
We talked about the Americandream, all the things that you
can do here.
I mean, love me, hate me.
That's kind of how I feel too.
(41:00):
I'm the same, I'm the same boatman, I'm all US.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
I'm all Texas too.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Yeah, somebody, you know everybody draws this
analogy you're home right, youknow someone knocks on the door
and I've been knocking a lot ofdoors lately and I know this.
But you know, just let anybodyuse it.
Texas is our home, so we needto protect it.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
That's 100%, you know another thing that you speak
real highly about is theprotection of our children with
big tech, Us being fathers oflittle girls especially.
You know, it's out there andit's a horrible thing.
What are some of the ideas thatyou have to help or deal with
(41:49):
that situation?
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Well, I mean, you know, it is out, you know, and
there are predators every singleday out there trying to get to
your sons and daughters everysingle day, and so some of those
things that we probably need toneed to focus on is restricting
the protection of our children.
So some of those things that weprobably need to need to focus
(42:14):
on is restricting social mediato, you know, maybe age, age
ranges and things of that sort.
I don't really know where we gowith that.
It's more of a federal issue.
But, you know, I just want toraise awareness of the issue and
that I'm paying particularattention to, because if there's
(42:34):
anything that can be done aboutit, I'm certainly going to be
all in on making sure to protectour kids.
You know, human trafficking isalso a big issue in the state of
Texas, you know, and everybodytalks about the border.
Not just the border, it'severything.
Houston is real bad.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
That's what I understand, yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
I don't necessarily know the statistics associated
with it, but one of these peopleengaged with them to begin with
It'd be social media.
Yeah, unfortunately, I've beenon social media a lot lately.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
You've got to be.
Yeah, I have to be.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
And it's a disturbing platform to me.
But you know next thing, youknow, you sit in there and a
message comes up.
Hey, if there's anything I cando for you, let me know.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Who are you?
Speaker 3 (43:30):
You know, and so that's weird.
You know, people shouldn't havethe ability to add or stop
people online.
That's what I kind of a littlebit of.
We need to really control and Ithink Congress really needs to
step in and they need toregulate our social media
platforms.
I know they talk about theperson Protection associated
(43:53):
with that, but we hear about itall the time how social media
platforms are regulating datathat's been put out there and
who's making that decision forme?
Right, and I disagree with that.
You know, I want to make thedecision for myself, and if it's
a platform that I don't want myown have kids, but you don't
(44:15):
want your children to be on thenyou have every right to say no,
you're not going to be.
It's a very disturbing,disturbing situation.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
I agree with you, I really do.
I think it's difficult becauseI have a 13 year old daughter
and you know I just took herphone away recently and she's
the.
I cut her off completely, butso it's difficult.
But on the other end of me, youknow, I almost feel like,
should I have?
This is just me being doublethat.
Should I have something?
You know, the governmenttelling me what I can, what my
(44:46):
child can or cannot do.
If, if I was on that side, I'mjust playing.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
That's the argument.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
If I wasn't on that side where my kid was on socials
, you know, and I say it's okay,then it should be okay.
But I do think.
I do think there's a lot,there's a lot that needs to be
done when it comes likeeducation.
I don't think there's enoughout there that says whether it's
good or bad.
I've seen stuff both ways,right, you know.
I've seen kids go on to beentrepreneurs and get do really
(45:15):
well when it comes to makingcontent.
But of course, there is alwaysthat hidden danger on the other
side of it and that's whatscares me more and that's why
I've made that decision to sayno, you're not going to be on
socials at all or even have aphone to taking control of that.
So I think maybe there's moreof a, you know, an awareness
(45:35):
campaign of like the hardshipsand folks are out there are
doing a good job.
I guess I would just kind ofchallenge that.
Speaker 3 (45:42):
Do we really?
Need the legislation to say heyit's not, and I'm for small
government.
I don't like governmentintrusions and telling me what
to do and things of that sort,so there's a part of me that
agree.
You know, I mean, I think thereare a lot of people out there
that are conflicted.
But think about this when wewere younger, you know, go to
school, you know we have analtercation or a disagreement
(46:05):
with another person on theplayground, we would just go
find it out.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
And then we're best friends, hey the good old days.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
But today, today, kids don't have that luxury
there.
You know they have cyberbullying out there, so they go
to school and they're bullyingat school potentially, and then
they go home and they'recontinued to be bullied in
social media and things of thatsort.
So you know it's very traumaticfor younger kids, you know, to
go through that.
(46:36):
It's a constant barrage ofnegativity and I'm very
sensitive to that.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Do you think that maybe it would be a different
avenue to go to the schools andsay no phones in school, rather
than hey, trying to get afterthe you know, obviously you said
that's a federal thing, sotrying to get after the tech
levels.
Do you think that there's a wayfor maybe parents to get
involved, maybe, you know, thecities to get involved, to say
(47:04):
we don't want schools, we don'twant phones at our schools
anymore Because honestly,truthfully, in the last couple
of weeks.
You know, my daughter hasn't hadher phone for long.
She hasn't had her phone forthe last month and we got a note
from her teacher that saidshe's been doing really good in
school and she's been leadingclasses and she and they wrote
us an email to tell us that Ican really attribute that to the
(47:27):
only big change that there'sbeen in her life.
She didn't have a phone.
I'm just curious to hear yourthoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
I have no problem with it.
I think that's responsible.
You know, if kids are going togo and they're going to be in
the classroom, their mainobjective is to learn, and why
are they being?
If they're being distracted, orif a teacher can't, you know,
maintain their classroom orcontrol their classroom to the
point where kids are on theirphones, that's a problem, you
(47:57):
know.
So I don't have a problem withit.
But there are others that do.
I'm probably on the minority.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
I guess both of us.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
You know, when you spoke a lot about education and
education policies and things ofthat nature, you know that's.
It's a weird world we're livingin right now, with the whole
quote unquote you know, and howdo we deal with that and keep
that out of our schools?
Speaker 3 (48:24):
Well, you know, the state board of education
controls our publication, ourschool and our curriculum
textbooks and stuff like that.
So those guys are out theremonitoring the types of text you
know.
It's almost impossible to keepyou know people from you know
(48:45):
having an opinion.
Speaker 1 (48:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Right, so social influences need to stay out of
the classroom, and I reallydon't care what kind of social
influence that might be.
You know, I don't care if it's abobblehead on a desk.
That's of a political nature.
I don't care who bobblehead itis, it shouldn't be in the
classroom.
So we should not, you know, flyor fur through our banners or
(49:09):
flags or bobbleheads within aclassroom.
From a teacher standpoint, weshouldn't infer political
alignment.
I just, you know, I just reallythink that that needs to happen
.
So schools are, schools arechallenged right now and it's a
it's a big deal.
Our teachers don't have controlof the classrooms.
(49:30):
When you have 30 kids in aclassroom, teach.
Speaker 1 (49:33):
How can?
Speaker 3 (49:33):
one one teacher teach the 30 kid in a classroom Very,
very, very difficult.
Speaker 2 (49:39):
Especially when you talk about the numbers you said
earlier.
You know the top 40%, is thatcorrect?
And then you've got the other15, and then you got the 10.
So you've got.
You know, even within.
I can't do math but, evenwithin 30 people.
You know 15.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Yeah, sorry, thanks for thinking about that 15 are,
you know, probably your welders.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
And then you got, you know, whatever the other number
was like 12 or so.
That would be your highperformers and you still got
some that are on the low end.
You know your one style is theygoing to meet everybody, even
for me, is challenging.
I've got four kids.
I got to be a different dad toeach four kids.
You know they're different ages, they're different.
They've had different dads theentire time, different versions
of me, you know, as I grow andget better.
(50:16):
So it's a real challenge forteachers.
Speaker 3 (50:20):
It's a challenge for teachers, and teachers kind of
have a bad rap right now becauseof this class size.
And think about it.
You know we have, we have aproblem with our border, with
people coming in.
Where do those kids geteducated?
Get educated in our publicschools, and our public schools
have no choice but to bring themin because they're they're
(50:40):
required to educate everystudent they don't have.
They can't ask them whether ornot you know for immigration
papers or anything like that.
All they need is an addresswithin the district and they can
go to that school and so wewant to make sure that we have
an educated workforce and wewant to make sure everybody in
the United States of America iseducated in Texas.
(51:00):
All those individuals comingover the border have to get
educated somewhere, and it's puta huge burden on our public
schools as well.
So we need to take our publicschools back, yeah, so let's
let's touch base.
Speaker 1 (51:17):
We talked about education and we talked about a
couple of things the border.
I want to talk a little bitabout fairness and sports.
Sir, I didn't mean to call youman, but I you know, it's gotten
a little ridiculous, and wehave school-aged children, we
have kids that are in elementary.
I have a daughter playsvolleyball, you know, and he has
(51:39):
a daughter who plays softballand you know, I don't know how I
would feel if my daughter wasplaying against a man.
What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 3 (51:54):
Well, you know we have boys and girls and those
sports are separated for areason because there are unfair
advantages for men versus women.
I know some people don't liketo hear that, but it's true.
You know the strengthassociated with certain men
opposed to the same age offemale is better.
(52:15):
You know we can see that withthe lady that's the swimmer that
was from Kansas or whatnot.
Anyway, she's very vocal aboutthis guy that was, you know,
felt like he was needed toidentify as a female and or was
(52:38):
transgender.
I don't know when it was, but Ithink he was identifying and
it's just not fair.
It's not, you know, I mean, andfor them to hold records,
things of that sort, is just not, it's not fair, it's not the
right thing.
So you know, when it comes tostuff like that, you know, fall
back to our Christianity, youknow what's the right thing to
(52:59):
do, and so people, people knowwhat they really, and let's just
be honest, they're choosing notto do the right, and so I will.
I will lend this lesson.
This lesson is, as my dad usedto always tell me, this he goes
son, you're going to do theright thing, whether you like it
or not.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
I'd say what do you mean?
Well, you always do the rightTimes.
Speaker 3 (53:23):
it feels good.
Speaker 1 (53:24):
And sometimes it doesn't necessarily make you
feel.
Speaker 3 (53:28):
It may be painful, you know, but you should always
do the right thing, and I'vealways.
I've always taken a lesson toheart, and that's how I live my
life.
I will always do the rightthing, whether it's good, bad or
indifferent.
They should too.
It's not fair to these youngkids to have to compete against
(53:51):
boys.
Sport does not for women.
It's just not fair.
Speaker 1 (53:57):
The right thing.
I agree 100 percent.
The only thing I asked isbecause, like I just couldn't
see my daughter playingvolleyball against you know
someone, her age, but a male.
It just the power, the strength, the, you know things of that
nature.
Right, like to each his own,but don't, don't mix the sports
(54:18):
and all that.
Riley Gaines.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
You know, you brought up our Christian beliefs,
especially when it comes tosports, and not just sports, but
when it comes to, you know, menand women, and one of the
things I find myself lately isis really stepping it into the
role of the leader of myhousehold, you know.
And so the more I'm working andpraying, the more I've seen my
(54:42):
family get stronger together,right and, and there, there,
there is a clear difference andand how we do things, and I
believe the more we lean intoyou know, our beliefs, who we
are doing, what's right, noteverything else should will
shake out in, you know, in ourschools and stuff, because I
(55:03):
don't, although I don't agreewith males participating in
female sports, you know, and Ithink all of that will.
We have to take a look at howwe're leading our homes first
before we can look at how welead our school.
That clear, no, that was thesame same, same, same same.
(55:25):
You know, I just see, I see theparallels.
I see lots of, lots of theparallels tonight, you know, and
if we're thinking about, youknow, our audience right now,
all of you out there listening,all you, all you vets, in this
end of the day, majority of ourlisteners are males, you know
majority of them are veterans.
You know you have to lead yourhome.
You know, if you want to seethese things shake out, and
(55:45):
that's what we want for you toand we want you to be able to
see that.
Speaker 3 (55:48):
You know, right here with Mr Jeffers, you remember
you remember when, when I was akid, the teacher was the second
most authoritative figure in mylife.
Speaker 1 (55:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (55:58):
Because, if I you know, if I acted up in school,
you know I'd reflect.
I got paddled back then, butthen I'd get paddled when I got
home.
I mean, but you know that's.
You know that's neither herenor there.
You know.
You know I have this idea ofthis.
You know, teacher's pack withparents.
You know, I think that you know, parents and teachers ought to
(56:24):
sign a pack with each other tosay that I'm going to treat your
son and child, I'm going toeducate your child.
I'm going to keep my child safewhile they're in my care,
custody and control.
And teachers ought to sign thesame pack saying that I will
trust you to take care of my, mychild, while they're in your
care custody.
You know I will allow you to bethat authoritative figure, so I
(56:46):
think it goes both ways,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (56:50):
I mean, that's one of the things that I talk about
with my kids is, like you know,school's not for everyone, you
know.
I mean you talked about the top40%, the 50%, and my kids may
be somewhere in there obviouslybut I don't want conduct marks.
I don't want you disrespectingthe teacher because that I won't
stand for.
I'm good with you.
Getting the D, Got it, Get an F.
(57:10):
You know, hey, you know you'regoing to take your punishment.
You know what I mean.
You're going to be consequencesfor that.
You know not only that you haveto deal with me but them and
I'll get over it but the way youcare at home again, I think
that's that goes right back toyou know what you're a veteran.
You're a leader, like lead yourhome first.
You know how do you take careof yourself, how you influence
your kids, how you influenceyour community around you.
(57:31):
And obviously you know I thinkwe're all and I both see
ourselves a little bit in youand it's like if we stay true to
what we're doing, you know, thepath that you're on, the path
that you're blazing, is asimilar path that we can take
for ourselves.
Speaker 1 (57:44):
Yeah, 100%, 100%.
I have a couple more so.
Speaker 2 (57:50):
I want to get these All right.
Speaker 1 (57:53):
So how do you plan on reaching out to the community
to figure out what the communityactually needs?
Well, you know, in a way,that's kind of a dumb question,
because you've been here forever.
Speaker 3 (58:04):
So I've been in the district for almost 25 years and
I am engaged.
But you know I do have a hugechannel right.
I've been engaged in this areaand a lot of people in this area
know who I am, and I'm going todo much the same in the Alvin
area, manville, and you knoweven Liverpool.
You know Brookside Village,richwood, freeport, Inc.
(58:28):
All these different citieswithin the district, district 29
.
And so I have to be just asengaged there as I am here, and
that's a huge.
Those are huge shoes to fillbecause Ed Thompson was
throughout the district.
He would everywhere he was.
He was one of the most engagingindividuals that I've ever met.
(58:48):
You know, you know, I wouldlove to model myself in that
fashion, because the only waythat you're going to be able to
vote district or I'm going to beable to vote.
Speaker 1 (58:58):
The district is if.
Speaker 3 (58:59):
I know the pulse of the district.
Only way to find out what thepulse of the district is is to
shake your hand and have aconversation, and I believe in
that.
I believe in that face to faceoccasion and shake it on the
hand.
Even to this day, when I knockon a door, I reach out and I try
to shake their hand.
You know some people don'tnecessarily like it.
They're saying this is it.
(59:20):
But you know, I believe in that.
I think that's how I'm going tobe able to keep the pulse of
the district to be out in thecommunity.
Speaker 1 (59:29):
That's amazing yeah.
Speaker 2 (59:33):
I mean as much as we spend on social.
Nothing beats a goodconversation.
Speaker 1 (59:36):
That's right, that's right, I think that's 100
percent.
You know what led you to this.
What made you want to run fordistrict 29?
What I know you were doing CityCouncil.
Speaker 3 (59:51):
I was doing City Council loving it.
You know, I just want to.
My goal is to always make adifference.
I have got to be able to in myheart of hearts you know I'm
going to leave this place betterthan where I go, and so you
know if God's calling me to, youknow, run for state rep and run
for district 29, which is whatI felt.
I was in a staff meeting and Inever forget.
(01:00:16):
Every Wednesday morning we havestaff meetings.
I mean usually last half youknow half the day and my phone
started turning my ringer off.
And then, after staff meeting,I go to my emails and I see Ed's
announcement that he was seekreelection.
And then I'm looking atmessages saying, hey, I need to
talk, I need to talk, and then Ijust kind of the more you think
(01:00:41):
about it, you know, think aboutyou know what I've the
experience, the experience thatI can bring to the table and
this was a conversation withCherese.
You know the relationships I'vebuilt.
How amazing is.
There aren't many.
There's a lot of people that Iknow in the community that grew
(01:01:02):
up here you know, that have aton of relationships.
I didn't grow up here but Ibuilt some great relationships
along the way and the experiencethat I have I'm a pretty, I own
a commercial building.
I was on school board, I was oneconomic development board, I
was on city council, you know.
All that experience, you know,culminated into I go to Austin.
(01:01:27):
What happened?
Passed bills.
Wouldn't it be nice to havesomebody in Austin that
understood what the effects ofpassable bills would have on us
resident business owners, on ourschool?
on our cities, and so the piecesjust felt.
You know, I was justrationalizing it in my mind, and
(01:01:50):
so I have the experience andthrough all the years that I've
been in various organizations Ihave a lot of relationships and
the one thing that when I wastalking in bills, before I even
decided to run, you know the onething that they all said they
said Jeff you know we just needsomebody.
(01:02:12):
I feel like you're that guy, wecan work.
You need to go to Austin.
So that's why today, you know,if you look at all my
endorsements and stuff like that, they're from people you know
it's all fine and good and Ihave some that are outside the
district.
I'm going to be wrong, but allmy money has been raised in the
district and all my endorsementmost of my endorsement from the
(01:02:35):
mayors, county commissionerleaders in the community leaders
in the community and just thinkabout how powerful that is, but
then to be able to pick up thephone and say, hey, Jeff, this
is, I don't like this bill andthis is how it's going to, and
and or vice versa.
I can pick up the phone and callthem how, look at this bill.
Speaker 1 (01:02:56):
How is this going to affect you guys?
Can you all?
Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
together and talk amongst yourselves and let know
whether or not we need tosupport this bill or not, or do
we need to tweak it a little?
You know how can it better?
How can it better benefit thecity, county or the school or
business?
You know, unfunded may is thisan unfunded mandate?
So somebody that has theexperience often can see through
(01:03:23):
a lot of those things.
But the relationships arebecause times change.
Right, I mean I'm in Austin,maybe you know the city's
thinking man this thing.
we were always thinking aboutthe blame.
It's different rightRelationships matter Definitely.
Speaker 1 (01:03:43):
And research into you , I noticed that you were
endorsed by a lot of leaders inour community and local
communities, and that's what youknow, that that means more to
me as a voter than you beingendorsed by blank blank.
That has no idea what's goingon in this community and I just
(01:04:07):
hats off to you.
You definitely have.
Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
It's been a lot of.
It's been a lot of work, but itwas important to me.
If I weren't going to get thoseendorsements, or at least have
the support of those individuals, I would not have.
I just wouldn't have becausestate represent.
I'm a representative.
Whether I believe in aparticular issue or not, our
(01:04:32):
district believes in it than I.
So I come across some doozieswalking throughout the,
throughout the district.
Speaker 1 (01:04:42):
I believe it.
Speaker 3 (01:04:43):
Yeah and so, but I'm a representative and they can
trust me to be able to go outand represent the district, and
that's that's really what I'mall about.
It's not about me.
We talked about that whole teamearlier.
You know, it's about us.
It's about our district.
Speaker 1 (01:05:00):
And I see that in you , so that's what I want.
Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
Cool.
Well, I was going to rat thisout.
Let me finish with two things.
First of all, thank you foryour time.
I really appreciate it.
It's been great to talk to you,so how can someone follow along
with you and keep in touch withyou?
Speaker 3 (01:05:15):
Yeah, absolutely.
They can just go to my website,votejeffberrycom, and it's
Jeffberry B-A-R-R-Y.
Votejeffberrycom and just putyour name and whether you want a
yard sign or email in there andwant to volunteer.
We're you know.
We have a lot of polls fromParaland to Freeport that we
need to fill throughout earlyvoting.
(01:05:36):
Voting starts February 20th.
March 1st election day is March5th, so that's the day we're
going to all know.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:05:46):
And then my second thing is Charlie Mike to us
means continue mission.
You know we're always trying tofind different ways.
What does Charlie Mike mean toyou?
Speaker 3 (01:05:54):
My continue mission is just helping my community in
whatever way, shape or form thatlooks like.
I'm going to do that.
So if I'm called to our staterep, then I'm going to be our
state rep.
Otherwise, I'm going tocontinue to support our
community in any way, shape orform that I can.
Speaker 1 (01:06:10):
Powerful stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:06:10):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:06:11):
Absolutely amazing and you know.
Again, thank you for taking thetime out to come talk with us.
You know, we've I've learned alot and I'm normally you know
it's funny is I'm normally notnervous like the way I was today
.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:06:28):
I was kind of like don't want to say anything
incorrect.
You want to do a good job.
All the papers are upside downnow, so I think you got all your
pictures.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:06:38):
No, but you guys be sure to be sure to follow us on
social media is if you like,subscribe.
Be sure to check out my man,william, on all his social media
platforms that must dash wisdom.
And be sure to follow Jeff.
Jeff Berry, damn man.
Thank you for taking your timeagain.
I appreciate you and, as always, charlie Mike, yo yo yo.
(01:07:18):
What's going on?
Everybody, it is me, I'm asoldier, hardwood red con, one
music group and thank you forlistening to Charlie Mike, the
podcast, yay.
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