Have you ever witnessed the transformational journey of someone who's turned overwhelming adversity into unparalleled success? Samuel Brown, CEO of Faith and Effort, joins us on Confident You to share his inspiring climb from youthful struggles to becoming a guiding light for others. His compelling narrative is a vibrant illustration of the incredible potential that lies within challenging life experiences when coupled with the power of high expectations and influential mentors.
In our latest episode, we peel back the layers of Samuel’s life, offering insights into the importance of supportive friendships and educational environments. Dive into the story of a man who, after losing his father and facing homelessness, finds himself in the care of Mr. Woolright, an educator who catalyzes a turning point in his life. The discussion weaves into Samuel’s high school triumphs and his drive to uplift others, demonstrating how select relationships and mentorship are vital assets in anyone's self-education journey.
Ending on a high note, Samuel imparts wisdom on embracing pain for personal growth and the significance of seizing opportunities for self-reflection and empowerment. Beyond his own story, he extends a hand to those in need, shedding light on resources for domestic violence awareness. Join us as we traverse the landscape of self-discovery and growth, painting a picture of a future brimming with confidence and empowerment—all through the eyes of a man who has truly 'grown through what he went through'.
CONNECT AND FOLLOW Samuel Brown of Faith and Effort
WEBSITE:
https://www.faithandeffort.org/
INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK:
@faithandeffort
PRE-ORDER BOOK:
Grow Through What You Go Through
:https://forms.gle/8pnEhvkSsK4uAGX86
********Don't forget to tell them "MARION of Confident You Podcast" sent you :)
_________________________________________________________________
FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP
Call for more information on domestic abuse or to get help for yourself/someone you love.
Bethany House
1-888-80HELPS
1-888-804-3577
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799- SAFE
1-800-799-7233
__________________________________________________________________
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, hey, Marian Swingler here of Confident you
Podcast, Excited to have youhere joining us at this time in
this space, on this platform.
Great to see you Listen.
I just wanna tell you aboutsomebody I met today because he
has something coming up that'svery exciting.
That's starting next weekTuesday, what I think that's the
(00:24):
18th Next week Tuesday, what Ithink that's the 18th Next week
Tuesday, and his name is Eric FKing.
He is the sales coach.
I'm gonna put in thedescription box how you can find
him, because you wanna enrollfor his class, because he is
gonna be doing a six-week classteaching you how to sell, how to
(00:48):
sell your product, how tolaunch your line, how to do your
pitch.
Marketing is going to be abonus in his program.
So I want to put thatinformation in the description
box.
Again, thank you for tuning in.
Let's get to it.
Myron Golden that is someonethat I really do follow and look
up to.
(01:08):
He says that expectation that'sour superpower, having a high
expectation of good.
And then we have Jen Rome.
Jen Rome says that change, thatif you change, everything
(01:28):
changes.
So we have expectation on onehand and change in ourselves on
the other.
So who we have here with ustonight is going to be talking
about that change and thatexpectation that we should have
for ourselves for a better life.
Listen, this is the episodethat we'll be discussing the
(01:54):
miseducation of self, and hereto help us walk through, that is
the only one.
I know who I'm calling on rightnow.
Hey, Samuel Brown, how you?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
doing.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Hey Sam what it do.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How are you?
I'm amazing, I'm amazing.
How are you?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I am doing very well, no complaints.
Look, I got you here with me,me, I'm here with you.
We are going to unpack thismiseducation of self.
The title itself was amazinghow that happened in our
conversation.
Just hearing the things thatyou're about to share tonight
(02:42):
definitely will help people tocorrect that thinking, that
thought process on self.
So if you wouldn't mind, justshare with the people a little
bit about what you do.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So for me just to share one again I'm blessed.
I appreciate the opportunity tocome on here and vibe out with
you for the next hour or so,however long we go.
But hey, everyone, again SamBrown here.
I'm the CEO of Faith and Effort, which is a professional
speaking and consulting business.
So I travel as a speaker, Iwork with middle school, high
(03:17):
school and college students,while focused, and I help them
understand that they can growthrough what they go through to
become their desired self.
So I'll talk about leadership,mindset development, different
things like that.
Then, on the consulting side,I've got to work with the people
that work with the kids, yo.
So on the consulting side, Ihelp them develop and understand
(03:39):
youth development on adifferent level.
So I help staff development.
So I increase engagementretention and reduce turnover
rate for staff as well throughhelping them create amazing
programs and helping them createamazing staff.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Helping them create amazing programs Sounds like you
have a soft spot in your heartfor a kid.
I'd like for you to share alittle bit.
You have a soft spot in yourheart for a kid.
I'd like for you to share alittle bit of who Sam Brown was
as a kid.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Listen, everybody see me and they look at this person
that is so positive, that is onthe right track, that is doing
so much.
And the thing is I was notalways that way.
I was not always that waybecause I was a young person
that was misunderstood.
(04:33):
So, just taking y'all back alittle bit, growing up, I faced
my first growth moment, my firstmoment of hardship, at the age
of nine.
At the age of nine, I came homeone day, was watching my
favorite show.
Life was good.
And then life completelychanged for me.
Life changed for me because myfather he had passed away at
(04:55):
work.
I was a nine-year-old kid and atthat point half of my world was
I went from playing every daywith my friends.
I went from watching, you know,um, my favorite show.
I went from so much to likeeverything was ripped up from
under me.
I didn't have a home.
(05:16):
I was homeless for a little bit.
Um, I experienced just hardshipat a young age where I didn't
really know my next meal.
I wore the same clothes for awhile and it wasn't until I
moved to what I consider myhometown, coachville, pa, where
I moved with my grandparents.
They truly gave meopportunities to save my life.
(05:36):
But I was still hurting andstill not able to process what
happened to me.
So it translated into theclassroom.
I was the typical top of theline class clown from sixth to
about ninth grade.
From sixth to ninth grade I wasa class clown to the point
after eighth grade that kickedme out of my school district
(05:59):
because I did so much wild stuffy'all listen, I I gorilla glued
my teacher to her seat I'mtexting it.
I threw notebooks and books outof a second story window, I
flipped desks, I fought people.
It was so bad.
I spent more time either inschool suspension or or out of
(06:19):
school suspension.
To the point, my teacher waslike you still go here, and
that's what created a lot of thelabels.
That created a lot of thelabels.
That created a lot of themiseducation of myself, of who I
thought I was.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
I thought I was a class clown.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I thought I would end up dead or in jail.
I thought I wasn't worthanything.
I thought I would nevergraduate high school, let alone
even touch a college campus.
Because so many peoplemisunderstood me and they were
educated on my background, oflosing my parents, of, of of
being homeless, of facinghardship.
(06:59):
They were so miseducated thatthey were misunderstood and
therefore they labeled me.
And again, if someone tells yousomething long enough, you
start to believe it.
That's why it's important tosurround yourself with people
that are going to tell you whoyou're supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
What were they telling you?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
They were telling me I was worthless.
At 13, 14 years old I wasworthless You're never going to
amount to nothing, you're awaste of space.
Like you don't even deserve tobe in this school.
It's a public school.
It's not like I was payingmoney.
Who was saying this to youTeachers?
I remember a music teacher.
I remember a music teacher Inever forget.
(07:42):
She told me one day, because wewere practicing for a concert
and me, being a class clown thatI was, I was just like I had a
recorder.
I was just blowing into therecorder, not even following
notes, didn't really care.
And she was like you're nevergoing to amount to nothing,
you're going to be dead or injail.
And I'm like I cursed her up astorm and then I got suspended.
(08:05):
And I'm like I cursed her up astorm and then I got suspended.
And I'm like she told me I wasgonna be dead or in jail.
And I had another teacher saidwell, if you were actually
participating in class, maybeshe wouldn't set it.
I'm like, listen, I don't knowanybody that should tell a 13
year old that you're gonna bedead or in jail.
Especially, I didn't even doanything.
To the severity of that wouldnothing that I was doing in that
moment would land me in jail.
Especially, I didn't even doanything to the severity of that
(08:25):
would nothing that I was doingin that moment would land me in
jail.
I wasn't stealing, I wasn'tcommitting a crime, I just
didn't want to participate youjust didn't want to participate.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
you also said that that it's just disheartening
that all of this came from theactual staff.
I was thinking you were aboutto say the other students,
because you said you wore thesame clothes and things like
(08:56):
that.
So I thought these were thingsthat they were picking on you,
but you're saying that thesewere the adults.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So, and that was after once I moved to Coachville
, pa, that's when you know, Ihad a home, I had things, but I
was still like, I still didn'tprocess what just happened to me
like six, seven months ago,like I lost my father and I the
only way that I knew.
Because at that moment, beinguprooted, being in a new town,
(09:27):
being in a small town whereeveryone knows each other Right,
my instinct as a kid, and mostkids, are like I'm going to do
what I can to fit in, becauseright now I feel like an
outsider and the easiest thingto do is to bring people
laughter.
I do it now, but just not in away where it gets me in trouble.
(09:47):
But that was my end.
I was the class clown becausethat's because people wanted
that, kids wanted that.
Now I had friends or people.
I thought they were my friends,but when it came down to it,
when the dust settled, it waslike Sam did it.
When the dust settled, it waslike, oh, but y'all was with me.
No, we wasn't.
(10:08):
And then I started tounderstand that.
But it took me three years.
It took me sixth grade, seventhgrade, eighth grade and halfway
through my ninth grade Irealized that, wow, I was, I was
mis.
I was miseducating myselfbecause that's who I thought I
was.
Because I was miss.
I was mis-educated myselfbecause that's what I thought I
was Because of these labels,constricted to the point where,
(10:30):
like I was like, man, like thisis the only way I know how.
And then I got good grades.
Like my grades weren't horrible.
I just couldn't stay in class.
I couldn't stay in the schooland then eighth grade hit.
They was like yeah, buddy,you're not going to the high
school, you're going to thisalternative school.
That's about an hour away andthat's, honestly, was the best
(10:54):
thing that could have happenedto me.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Come on here, honestly, that changed my life.
Ok, so we're going to go backto the alternative school.
I, I, I just your.
Your father passed away and youhad shared with me that there
were other uh events, lifeevents that brought drama,
(11:21):
trauma to your life.
What were those?
Just briefly, what were thoseevents?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
It was the, it was the whole issues in school that
really took a turn.
And then we'll get into it.
Luckily I'm here now.
I turned my life around after1983.
But it wasn't until later inlife, in college, when I lost my
(11:50):
mother at 22 years old.
I was getting ready to graduateon Mother's Day, it was about 15
weeks left in the semester andI got a call that my mother was
killed in a hit and run caraccident and that like took me
in a whole different direction,to the point where I was like
(12:12):
life isn't even worth it becausethe two most important people
in my life, they're not here tosee anything that I can
accomplish, so what is the pointof even going after life?
So I was depressed for for fora long time and I just kind of I
wasn't myself.
I'm a very uplifting, happy, golucky person.
I just wasn't myself for a longtime because I just didn't
(12:35):
understand and at that point,even at 22, I didn't know how to
process my trauma.
I didn't know how to processgrief.
The only thing I knew was toshut down.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yes, the only thing you knew was to shut down.
Now you have gone through lossof your father, Adults that are
in position of authority thatare giving you a false, are
giving you a false, no hope.
I was going to say a falsesense of hope, but giving you no
(13:07):
hope for the life that you have.
And homelessness.
Being displaced.
Not living with yourgrandmother or grandparents is
not being.
It is being displaced in thesense of you're no longer in the
environment where you werebeing raised in your two parent
(13:27):
home and then losing your father.
You said that the alternativeschool was the best thing that
happened to you.
That's odd.
I've never heard it said thatway.
Please share.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Please share.
Yeah, definitely.
So.
The alternative school for me.
I met the first adult outside ofmy family that was like I see
past your behavior, I see pain,I see a black boy that has been
misunderstood, that has beenwritten off, boy that has been
misunderstood that has beenwritten off, and I see potential
.
His name was Mr Woolbright andI went to an African-centered
charter school, so we used tohave to say Malum and Malama and
I learned about my Africanheritage, which was like the
(14:19):
school, education-wise, didn'tprepare me the best.
But I mean, when I really lookat education in America, what
are we really preparing ouryoung people for?
That's a whole nother topic fora whole nother day.
But he believed in me and hewas a first adult that like used
to call.
He used to call all of ustackhead boys it's like you
(14:40):
tackhead boy and he used to dothis thing where he would like
grab your shoulder, but it wouldbe in a way where you are.
But he genuinely loved andcared for us and he was the
principal of the school and forme, being able to experience
that and being at a small enoughschool to where, like, I saw
(15:02):
the principal just as much as Isaw my teachers, um, and him
being involved again.
The school you know people talkabout the school like school
wasn't the best, but it got meright.
It did what other, what theother schools failed to do, and
it it did it.
It built, put confidence in meto to decide to do something
(15:27):
else that I could still exceland not have to be the class
clown.
Now I still played around, butit was.
It was toned down and then Ireally started to focus and lock
in with school, um, and justlike also the big part piece is
learning about who, where wecame from, the sacrifices that
(15:49):
were made.
It made me also look at life ina different way too.
So that was like the first oftwo, um, that was like the first
of two instances where, like itwas like the direction of my
life changed.
In the summer of ninth grade Igot introduced to the
(16:11):
Coatesville Youth Initiative,which was a leadership and
employment program, which was aleadership and employment
program for for sorry, my puppyjust ran around.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You who did what?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
My puppy just ran around.
It was a leadership andemployment program for young
people, and that was where I metother caring adults in my life.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
And these other caring adults in my life again.
They saw past my behaviorbecause I still wasn't all the
way behavior because I stillwasn't all the way right I still
wasn't all the way, like youknow changed right.
But they didn't allow myinitial behaviors, my inability
to want to you know, participateand engage.
(16:59):
They didn't just dismiss melike the other schools did.
They kept me in the program andI won't lie, after the first
year of the summer program I waslike I don't know if they're
going to bring me back.
But they even gave me againconfidence because they put me
in leadership positions to besuccessful.
(17:20):
And that was the first instancewhere I had a chance to speak
and be an emcee for ourgraduation, where 100, 200
people were.
And that's when I was like OK,I see myself now as a leader.
I see myself now as somebodythat I started to rip them
labels off and I started tobelieve that I could develop and
(17:43):
become a person that I wantedto be.
And from there it was just.
It was takeoff season.
I graduated high school.
I ended up being allowed tocome back to our school district
.
I graduated from there.
I got a $20,000 scholarship toschool all off of just taking
(18:06):
control.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Taking control, you said you started to rip the
labels off.
So, in your mind, how did youprocess the labels to come to
the conclusion that they neededto go?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's actually the first time someone has ever
asked me that.
I've realized that I like notgetting in trouble more than I
like getting in trouble Becauseit was fun in the moment.
You know to be the class clown,everybody laughing with you and
everything.
But again when that dustsettles, you're looking around
(18:47):
and it's just you.
I got tired of it, like once Igot a taste of the other side.
I'm like getting good grades ofoh, I'm a captain of a
basketball team now.
Okay, I'm not getting introuble.
I'm traveling to thesedifferent places.
I'm being asked to be a leader,um, I'm just having fun.
(19:09):
The people, the community I'mbuilding community people are
starting to see me as, um,people are starting to see me as
people are starting to seesorry, people are starting to
see me as as someone that theycan count on and I love that
feeling.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Like I love that feeling people are starting to
see me as someone that they cancount on the fit describe.
How, how can you describe thatfeeling?
Because how did you feel you?
How did you feel being themisunderstood version of
(19:52):
yourself and then going intothat leadership, that team
captain, that that person thatstands up and is called to speak
before hundreds of people?
What's the difference in thosefeel like?
Speaker 2 (20:08):
give a descriptive and a descriptive it's like the
feeling of the labels and beingmisunderstood, and it was like
instant gratification, thatfeeling of like you feel good in
the moment, but it wears offright um and when it wears off,
what's there?
it's there, it's theconsequences to your actions,
(20:32):
the consequences to my.
I felt it every time Suspendedfive days, suspended 10 days,
in-school suspension In my unit.
In-school suspension, you knowit was jail.
It was like a six by six roomwith four desks, no windows, and
it was just you, just in there,and you don't know what time it
(20:53):
is.
They don't have a clock, theydon't have nothing.
And that feeling of just like,just the consequences of my
actions, the disappointment, thedisappointment in myself, and
it's like it don't feel good tobe suspended.
Because when I'm suspended it'snot like I could do what I want
.
My friends are in the class,are in school or my supposed to
(21:13):
be friends are in school.
I'm grounded, um, I can't.
Even when I'm not suspendedanymore, I can't go outside.
The things that I love havebeen taken away video games, um,
computer, whatever it is, and Ijust remember, like it's just
like it got tired.
And it wasn't.
Until I experienced the otherside, when, when people are,
(21:36):
when I, when I hold my firstever award in my hand and it
says most valuable participantin the program of 40 kids, my
first year participant in theprogram of 40 kids, my first
year, and I'm like yo, this iscrazy.
When it's like I'm speaking infront of adults, funders, my
peers and people are coming upto me afterwards saying, young
(21:59):
man, that was amazing, the wayyou carried the show was amazing
.
Um, and then the feeling ofbeing in the community and and
just knowing how to just justjust move and shake and talk to
people and have confidence.
And then when I received that,the harry lewis scholarship for
twenty thousand dollars, I waslike I was baffled because, like
(22:23):
, like four years ago, peopledidn't believe that I didn't
believe that I would even toucha college campus and that 20k
helped me, like it took pressureoff and and all that.
All of those feelings of likeit wasn't instant gratification,
it was fulfillment, likethere's a difference it's like
(22:44):
miseducation of myself wasinstant gratification.
It was fulfillment, like there'sa difference.
It's like miseducation ofmyself was instant gratification
.
I thought that's what I needed.
I thought that's what I wanted.
But when I actually got what Ineeded the nourishment, the love
, the feeling of true acceptanceit was fulfilling and I knew I
needed more of it.
And from there it was like Idon't want to ever experience
(23:08):
that and, honestly, after ninthgrade I never, was ever
suspended, ever.
I was never suspended.
I was barely in trouble.
The craziest thing I did from10th grade to 12th grade was
sneak to the store in themorning and go get something to
eat Craziest thing I did.
(23:30):
Versus like fighting and playingpranks on two teachers, I
complete 360.
And it was Mr Woolwright and itwas a cultural youth initiative
.
Specifically, one of my firstever mentors, james Silk Wilkins
, which I'm actually going tosee him this weekend it's been a
while and Kaya Scott and JarvisBerry, those three adults at
(23:51):
the Coastal Youth Initiative I'mstill connected to to this day.
To this day I can call them andthey got me.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
I just what is screaming at me is words at me
is words.
What you're saying is what wassaid, fueled and gave me the gas
to keep doing what I was doingbecause I had no, as Myron
(24:20):
Golden says, expectation.
But then you went through JimRohn's thing of change and you
changed.
Therefore, everything changed.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
The bar.
The bar was actually set whereI had to go get it.
The bar was below my feetbefore.
I didn't have to do anything.
I was above the bar.
I didn't want expectations.
The bar was now not even in myreach.
I had to do anything.
I was above the bar.
I didn't have any expectations.
The bar was now not even in myreach.
I had to soar, I had to fly,and that's when I realized how
(24:58):
much I love competition andchallenges and to prove people
wrong a little bit.
I'm not going to lie.
I love to prove myself rightmore than I love to prove people
wrong.
A little bit, I'm not going tolie, I love to prove myself
right more than I love to provepeople wrong, but I still do
love to prove people wrong,which, as soon as I got that
high school diploma pulled up tomy school, pulled up to that
(25:19):
middle school, south Brandy, oneFound every teacher.
Oh yeah, also here's myacceptance letter to college.
Okay, also here's my acceptanceletter to college.
Ok, also here's my scholarshipletter right here.
So what's up?
And they're like, oh my God,like so proud of you.
I'm like are you, are youreally?
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
But it's, ok.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
You can say that, because now I'm about to go get
another degree which, as you cansee, because now I'm about to
go get another degree which, asyou can see, I'm going to angle
that right there behind methat's my college degree.
Listen, I got that pulled upagain.
I said I'm back, I know you'restill going to be here, and one
teacher I shouldn't have said it, but I was like man, I'm making
(26:01):
more money.
Oh no, but it was a youngmoment, was early 20s.
I don't regret it because it'sa part of growth.
I think you got to experiencethings.
I understand you shouldn't dothings like you.
You never know what youshouldn't do until you actually
do it and realize it wasn't theright decision that part right
(26:24):
there.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
I can and now sometimes I do take advice, but
sometimes I'm a hard knock lifeyeah, it come out, come out me
sometime, you know I'm like, I'mlike hey what?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
the guy, the hood you can't take the hood out.
The guy listen, it's stillthere when it needs to come out,
come out that part right there,okay?
Speaker 1 (26:45):
so if you give me just a moment, I'll be right
back with you.
Hey everybody, if you arelooking for a, if you're looking
for a graphic designer, aphotographer, a publisher,
(27:11):
photographer, a publisher Listen, I have just the person for you
, tanya Stokes of CompassionateDesigns.
The information is here on thescreen, it'll be in the
description box, but thattelephone number is 240-585-0669
.
And please do not forget aboutthe gentleman I had the
privilege of.
Actually, I signed up for thisclass.
It is a sales coaching classwith Eric F King Starts on
(27:37):
Tuesday I believe that's the18th of July and that'll be
every Tuesday for six weeks Inthis program, every Tuesday for
six weeks.
In this program, you will learnall the keys to becoming an
amazing sales person, to be ableto sell those things that you
have created, those things thatyou thought of and now are
(27:59):
tangible, and now you want toget them out to the masses.
He is gonna teach you how to dothat.
That information will be in thedescription box.
Thank you so much.
Let's get right back to it withmy man, sam Brown.
Hey, hey, hey, sam, you saidsomething that was very that's
(28:19):
like sticking here it is.
You said that you were.
You said that you were.
You were in detention, whileyou're supposedly friends.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I just want you to speak on that.
I feel like there is never anage when you need to understand
that not everybody means youwell, even though they smiling
in your face.
Yeah, like I'm so happy that Iexperienced that at an early age
, because a lot of people areout here with a group of people
that they think that they'retheir friends and they're not,
because the one thing that Ilearned was that what a friend
(29:06):
is?
Because I did have some bestfriends growing up.
I did have some best friendsgrowing up and the one thing I
learned was, like my bestfriends, it got to a point they
was telling me yo, you tripping.
(29:30):
The first time I had a friendtell me in 10th grade, one of my
first good friends, deshaun.
He told me he's like you'retripping right now, like what
you doing, and I was like we andwe stayed on each other, like
he was my guy from 10th grade to12th grade, before I went back
to, you know, the school, wentback to my school district.
We were the two that we juststayed on.
We just stayed at each other,at each other's neck, making
sure we was like on point withgrades.
(29:51):
We challenged each other, wecan, we were competitive and who
could get the highest grades,but it was healthy and and
that's what I learned that a lotof people out here you think
that you have someone that'struly your friend, but it's like
, do they actually check you?
Do they actually tell you youshouldn't do that?
(30:14):
Or do they just use you becausewhat you can do for them?
Because a lot of times it's likeyou might have the access to
something, you might have thefinancial means, and people will
latch on to that If they know,oh yeah, well, when you, with
Sam, like we get access here, weget access to this event, this
(30:35):
event, oh yeah, like Sam alwaysgonna show love, like we gonna
go over to his house because,like he know how to cook, and
every time someone came over tomy house, listen, I'm making you
a meal, like I'm getting downin the kitchen.
You guys, anybody everexperienced any of my food?
I get down in the kitchen, butit's like.
So I started to understand andstarted to pick and choose how
(30:56):
many people I actually considermy friend and like, now I don't
have that many.
I don't have that many friendsthat I consider Honestly if I
really want to count it maybe asolid 15, 20.
Out of those 20, it's a solid10.
If you need anything, I'mpulling up.
(31:18):
I don't care if it's midnight.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
If you're stranded and you're 10 hours away, I'm
like, listen, I'm 10 hours away,but I can be there there is a
short list because, amazinglyenough, jesus had his 12
disciples and he had his threethat were his actual core group.
(31:40):
I think that that people like Ithink, with social media,
people seem to think oh, I'm afriend of you, I'll friend you,
I'll friend you, and I justthink the word goes around
really loosely in terms of ifyou really think, like you just
said, you can depend on thisperson showing up when you're
(32:01):
actually in trouble.
I want to transition, I want togo down another street.
I want to talk about now, nowthat Sam has gone through going
through school with labels andthen going through school and
finding people that are speakingpositive to you and taking
those labels off.
What does Sam do now to helpthat kid that he was, that had
(32:25):
those labels?
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Now to help that kid that he was that had those
labels.
So now, where I'm at, I haveone mission.
I have a mission to helpindividuals understand that,
(32:48):
like, no matter how young youare, no matter how much you've
been through, I promise you thatit can get better once you make
that decision.
The power of choice, the powerof decision-making, is one of
your greatest superpowers thepower to say yes, to say no, to
go left, to go right, to go up,to go down.
I recently spoke at a highschool graduation and it was
(33:10):
alternative school, a schoolthat I worked with, and I did an
eight-week program and then Iworked with two individuals on
some entrepreneurship work andit wasn't even a part of the
contract, it was because I'mjust passionate about how much I
work with young people.
So the one thing I said is thatthe power of your network, the
(33:32):
power of the people you surroundyourself with they can either
help you grow, keep you the sameor pull you down.
And for me, when it comes tohelping the next generation and
future generation, and even myfriends around me, like my
brothers that I consider mybrothers like because I'm the
(33:55):
only boy physically in my family, but I got brothers.
Listen, man, like you have tobe selective of every decision
that you make, because thosedecisions are, it's like
compound interest.
They pile, they stack, theystack and either you can look up
(34:15):
and be like, wow, I love mylife, or you look up and like
what happened?
Um, and and that's me now in anutshell like overall, like
that's my sole purpose of lifeis to help anybody that comes in
contact with me realize thatyou could become the person that
you desire to be, no matterwhat you have been through
disadvantages, sexualorientation, disadvantages,
(34:39):
rights, different things likethat you got to have that
mindset that, no matter what,what is in front of me, I'm
keeping the main thing, the mainthing, and I'm going to get
there one way or another,because I'm not a unicorn, I'm
(35:01):
not special.
There is other black men outthere that are doing things.
There's other women out therethat are doing things.
There are other immigrants thatare out there doing things
right.
So for me, if I can see thatit's happening on a daily basis
and it's happening more and morenow, which I love with these
(35:21):
disenfranchised and isolatedgroups, I see that they're
coming up in the world and atthis point it's like use that as
fuel, and that's what I telleverybody.
It's like yo, you're just goingthrough a season right now and
sometime that season isnecessary.
So you know that sometimes Ineed a breakdown to have a
breakthrough.
I'm sorry through.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
I'm sorry, yeah, take a swig of water.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Say that again.
Sometimes I need to have abreakdown to have a breakthrough
.
Sometimes you got to feel whatrock bottom feel like, so you
never want to experience again.
That's the whole.
You get knocked down 10 times.
Get up on 11.
Because at 11 time you get upyou might stay up for knocked
down 10 times.
Get up on 11.
Because that 11 time you get upyou might stay up for the rest
of your life.
Come on here you might stay upfor the rest of your life and at
the end of the day, it don'tmatter how much money you got,
(36:16):
what age bracket you're in, lifeis always going to happen to
you.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
And you can either use it as your pain or your
power.
Right, and it's okay to to gothrough um hardship.
I want people to understand I'mnot, I'm not trying to
acknowledge that.
Don't focus on the pain, don'tallow yourself to feel.
I need you to feel everyemotion.
(36:41):
I need you to feel everyemotion and once you are done
feeling those emotions, I needyou to.
I need you to now use your mind, because it's important to tap
into our emotion, because ouremotions allow us to heal,
because when we, when we'reemotionless, or when we don't
(37:01):
want to tap into our emotions orwe try to bury it because I did
that for a long time I buriedmy feelings, I buried how I felt
.
You can't process nothing youbury.
You can't nothing that you,nothing that you bury, you can't
process.
But you can water it, you cannurture it and then what you
(37:22):
initially bury, you can helpgrow, because now you're giving
it sunlight, now you're givingit water, now you're giving it
nutrition, now you're addressingit right.
If you put a seed in the dirtand you don't do nothing to that
seed, it will never grow.
Okay, that is our pain.
To take your pain to purpose,to put it in the dirt, let it go
(37:47):
through it, go through it water, it give it sunlight and watch
it grow.
And that's what I did.
I took all my pain and Iwrapped it up and I utilized it
to become the person I am today,and a person I'll continue to
grow into, because I still gothrough pain.
Now I just look at itdifferently.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Perspective is a powerful thing.
100%, that is a power.
Because with how would you saythat?
With the?
With an optimistic or, as Myronsays, if you have high
expectations with what's goingon, it's like, okay, this is
(38:31):
going on, but I have highexpectation of good, I believe
it.
So you're sitting herepreaching, you're just preaching
.
It's okay, pass the collectionplate this way so I could go
ahead and put in, because I'mpicking up everything that
you're putting down.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
My grandfather taught me about perspective.
God rest his soul.
He gave me so much game fromgive from your heart, never from
your hand.
I used to walk past pennies.
He'd be like why didn't youpick it up?
I'm like it's just a penny.
He's like I bought my house andI was a penny short.
Imagine if I didn't pick upthat penny earlier that day.
(39:09):
And he's like you pick upenough pennies in your lifetime,
you can get rich off.
And it was all metaphors.
I used to be like man, what areyou talking about?
Yes, and he put it down to me.
And then the last message, andit was crazy um, we had brought
him home, um, because it was histime was coming and he wanted
(39:31):
to be home.
He didn't want to be laid up ina hospital with tubes and
everything.
He said I want to be home.
So he honored his wishes.
The last message that he gaveme and my uncle he said be a
giver and a receiver in thisworld, but be ready to be both
at any given time.
And that, right there, took meto a whole different level of
(40:00):
just how who I am now.
That's why I give, because atany point, if someone reaches
out to me like yo, I heard youon the call, I heard you on this
, I heard you on the podcast.
I just want to know how did youlisten here?
And when I'm ready to be areceiver, the contract that I
(40:21):
got is because of relationshipsI'm ready to receive.
It's because of relationshipsI'm ready to receive.
So my grandfather, he taught meperspective.
He taught me that because healso taught me I used to come
home and be excited, superexcited.
Like Grandpa, I started abusiness.
What's next?
I'd be like man.
Grandpa, I made my first sale.
(40:41):
What's next?
Grandpa?
I got my first speakingengagement.
They finally booked me what'snext?
And one day I sat him down likeman, what can I ever make you
happy?
Like, what is it?
What am I not doing?
He said, no, you are.
I'm extremely proud of you.
But when I tell you what's,when I ask you what's next, it's
(41:04):
so that you never staycomplacent.
It's so that you always lookfor opportunity while you're in
an opportunity.
And that's perspective.
That's when I learned I'malways listening.
I'm at a speaking engagement.
While I'm there, I'm lookingfor my next one.
When I'm having a conversationwith someone and they're saying,
(41:26):
hey, you should contact, boomdone.
My friend just sent me somecontacts to try to get into a
college university.
Today he's like yo, here's acontact and I'm doing it right
now.
Let him know I'm right now andmy email might end up in a span
boom, what's next, what's next,what's next, what's next.
And it's not a greed thing,it's a desire.
(41:48):
It's a desire to continue togrow, it's a desire to
understand.
I'm never done growing.
My grandfather always told meyou could be 90 years old and
you could learn something new.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
Today, I appreciate you sharing the wisdom of your
grandfather with us.
I want to tap into the factthat you were wise enough to go.
I need to sit him down and askhim a question.
Most people just oh, I can saythere are times that I would get
(42:24):
in my own head and hold thewhole conversation by myself, a
conversation with someone elseelse, or at least the
perspective that I thought thatthey would bring to this.
No need to invite you, no needto ask you.
I know the answer.
I'm gonna hold the wholeconversation.
How important is it to you thatyou address the person, or
(42:51):
persons when things happen?
Speaker 2 (42:56):
It's very important because what happens for me
personally and this actuallyrecently happened not going to
name specifics right now becauseI'm still in it but I start to
(43:17):
question my ability and I justneed to know, like it me,
because if it is, I need tochange, like the one thing that
I've recently been told by myfellow speakers, because I
recently did a camp in New Yorkand I just remember earlier in
the year, when I did this camp,they told me something.
They said yo, anything that wesay, you just roll with it Like
(43:38):
you, don't.
You don't question it, you,because we're giving you our
perspective, because they'relike in their late 30s and
they've been doing it for awhile and they just they are.
I'm always like yo, how doesthat, how does that?
While and they just they are.
I'm always like yo, how this,how's that, how's this, how's
that?
And for me it's like I gottaknow, like I'm all, I'm like
hungry to know how do I dobetter next time.
(44:00):
I don't want to keep making itlike insanity is doing the same
thing over and over, expectingdifferent results.
I'm not an insane person, I'mcreative.
I'm not an insane person at alland that's the biggest thing
for me is just I need tounderstand and know where you're
coming from.
(44:20):
Because I'm I'm objective, Iremove myself from situations
and I want to know where you'recoming from and I don't take
offense to it, like I do my bestnot to take offense to, I do my
best to.
Now, sometimes it happens like Imight get a little offended,
but then I catch myself, I bringmyself back and I'm like what
can you do better?
(44:40):
And when a recent thinghappened, that's the only thing
I can control.
What I can control and I caninfluence what I can't control.
I can control me and my actions.
So I looked at what can I dobetter, how can I move a little
bit better and, as a result, I'min a better space.
Okay, and that's what I need.
(45:01):
I need to just focus.
I focus on myself because I'min a better space now mentally,
because I know I'm doingeverything that I can.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Okay, you said that you are a speaker.
Can you tell everyone what typeof speaker, exactly what?
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Yeah, so I am a people call it motivational
speaker because I motivatepeople to move and to change and
to develop.
But for me, I look at myself asan impact speaker.
I'm looking to create aneverlasting impact.
I want to plant a seed in you45 minutes hour, however long I
(45:44):
got and I want you to justremember one thing whatever that
45 minutes, I want you toremember one thing.
So everyone that is listeningon this call everything I said,
everything is not going torelate to everybody, but
something is going to relate toeverybody.
One thing, and that's what Ialways start my speech off.
(46:06):
I said hey, y'all listen whatI'm about to share.
Everything's not going torelate to you, but something is.
And my only goal here is a planto see that will eventually
grow.
And that's why I considermyself an impact speaker because
I come to, because for memotivation it ends like
(46:26):
motivation is in the moment.
I feel good I might be.
You know, it's like Januaryhere, right, january hit
everybody in the gym Motivation,motivation, motivation.
But March hit, you got yourregulars.
So for me, I like people.
I always motivational speaking.
Nah, because I don't want youto leave my workshop and go back
(46:50):
to your life and then youforget everything I said, to
leave my workshop and go back toyour life and then you forget
everything I said.
I want to impact you so muchthat you just take one thing,
because that one thing will leadyou into more things.
So, even if it's not me thatyou see again that one thing
that I did for you, that I gaveyou that gem, you did something
with it.
You started to make a smalltweak and it created.
(47:14):
So dr darius daniels um, he sayssmall tweaks can create large
leaps, and in my book I had to.
I had to make a chapter aboutsmall tweaks and it was the last
chapter, because after you readthe whole book you didn't
consume so much.
(47:34):
So I'm in my last chapter.
I'm telling them I want you togo back and pick one chapter and
I want you to apply that toyour life for the next 30 days.
Whatever it is, apply that toyour life.
So I understand that my lifeand where I'm at today is
because small tweaks, smalltweaks, small tweaks, small
tweaks.
(47:55):
Because if you try to dosomething on a large scale, it's
overwhelming.
So for me, I just want to giveyou something small that you're
going to make a tweak and nowyou might end up in another room
with somebody else and you getsomething from there.
And then, all of a sudden, yourlife starts turning around.
All of a sudden, you start tothink differently about your
stuff.
All of a sudden, you start tomake more money than you've ever
(48:17):
made in your life.
And that's all because I justwant to be impactful.
Um, so that's what type ofspeaker I am?
Uh, my main focus is collegestudents, because I forget.
I truly believe that's theforgotten age, because once you
hit 18, you're an adult, and Italk about this.
Why would we support people allof their life, especially in
(48:42):
our community, but once they hit18, you're, you're grown?
No, you're not, because,scientifically, even scientists
that barely know what they talkabout sometimes say you ain't a
full-fledged adult until you're25.
So why would you expect an 18year old to go from being
supported all of their life tonow having to work 40, 50 hours
(49:07):
a day, pay these bills, figureout how to, how to manage money?
Because you didn't prepare themfor adult life.
You prepared them to do well inschool.
You prepared them to depend onpeople, because that's what
we're doing.
Kids are sheltered all theirlife.
Then they ship them off tocollege and they expect them to
(49:27):
just make it, or they ship themout of the house and like, go
figure it out.
And now they're struggling, nowthey're making wrong decisions
and they don't got nobody leanon.
So for me, it's just likethat's why I speak to that, that
group, because I need to bethat voice for them to help
guide them through, in myopinion, the toughest times of
(49:48):
their life, because this is thebiggest transition, because you
really had the mostresponsibility once you become
an adult.
So I focus on college age.
But I do a lot of work with anorganization called Cool Speak.
I partner with them and theysend me out to middle school,
high schools and I just loveworking with kids, my nine to
(50:09):
five.
I work the year-round program,ninth through twelfth graders.
So for me, I just love beingaround young people because I
know that I got something togive to them because I've been
through it and I want to givethem this now so that they don't
got to go through the trenches.
I'm not a person like, oh, theygot to experience what I
experienced.
No, you don't, you don't got toexperience.
I always say this experience, Ialways say this I would rather
(50:32):
put a kid to the fire so thatthey can feel that it's hot than
let life throw them in the fireand get burned.
I just want you to know what itfeels like, so that you know
that's hot, versus like you inthe fire and now you're burning
up, and that's what most peopledo.
They throw people in the fireversus let you feel this heat.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
Okay, you don't only speak to youth, because you also
go to corporate events and helptrain staff.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
Yes, I love it Staff, when I get them, because most
training right when you're in anadult world sitting back
writing notes, looking at apowerpoint, hearing somebody
talk, get your head on.
I've been in.
I understand adults like tohave just as much fun as kids.
(51:28):
So for me, I teach throughactivity, no matter if it's a
young person, man, this is open.
I'm gonna teach throughactivity, no matter if it's a
young person or an old person.
I'm going to teach throughactivity and then we're going to
dissect the activity and thenbreak it down.
So this past year I had thepleasure of doing two trainings
with City Year, which is a partof AmeriCorps.
They have different locations,so this one in particular.
(51:49):
I work with the City Year ofPhiladelphia.
Again, relationships I spoke ata conference, I met a director,
we got connected.
I built relationship, genuinerelationship, because I do
believe that you have tocultivate relationships.
You can't just create them, youhave to cultivate them because
that's when the true magichappens and opportunity
(52:14):
presented itself.
We worked it out.
I was able to come in and dotwo trainings one with their
leadership team and then onewith their second year
AmeriCorps members and the wholepurpose of it.
I created a training aroundagain making your best even
better, because my grandfatheralways said making your best
(52:34):
even better.
Because my grandfather alwayssaid make your best better,
because your best can always bebetter.
It can always be better.
You can always reset the bar.
So for me, I challenge them.
I said y'all have an amazingorganization.
I know it.
I went to y'all website.
I have friends that haveparticipated.
It's amazing what y'all do andhow y'all serve the community.
(52:57):
But let's make this year, eventhis next year, even better.
So we looked at their program,but in a different way.
We looked at their programs ina different way.
We allowed them to create theirvision and their ideas of what
could be.
We did this activity um, it'scalled balling out of control
that I've created.
(53:17):
Well, I didn't create um, but Icoined um, found it on youtube
like overseas activity wherethey had to transport a tennis
ball one side of the roomtogether only using pens.
It's crazy, it's frustrating,but but it's so much you could
dissect from it.
So we started off with that.
We did so much.
And the same thing with theirsecond year AmeriCorps members.
(53:39):
Their whole purpose was they'regetting ready for the real
world and I wanted to preparethem for that real world.
So I wanted them to understandhow to develop and create that
vision of that life like.
What does this look like?
How do you achieve it?
What can you do now?
What have you learned throughthese two years in americorps
(54:01):
that you can transfer into thereal world and how to set
yourself up for the ultimatesuccess?
Um, and I love doing thosetrainings because it allows,
because I know that you are alsoimpacting the next generation.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Very good.
I also heard you say, and in mybook, that last chapter, yes, I
need to hear more about thatyes.
Speaker 2 (54:30):
So my book, again branding right, red Hat, brown
Hoodie keynote from the guy inthe red hat.
My keynote is titled GrowThrough what you Go Through.
My book is titled Grow Throughwhat you Go Through.
What I created is not just abook, it's a tool, it's a
(54:55):
resource.
It gives you confidence, itgives you the skill set to
become the person that youdesire to be, and the only way
that you can do that is to lookat every opportunity, every turn
in life, every loss, every win,every success, every failure,
every setback as an opportunity.
(55:17):
How can I grow from this?
Because even when you win, youcan learn, like I always I was.
I always tell people, even whenyou win, you can learn.
So the book is a culmination ofmy 12 points that I talk about
often, about growing throughwhat you go through, creating a
(55:38):
1%.
How do you develop a 1% mindset?
Right, working on justimproving by 1%?
Um, you know, the starting lineversus the finish line, right.
Even in there.
Starting line versus the finishline, right, even in there.
I reference amazing people, kobeBryant, god rest his soul.
I have a mama mentality becauseI tapped into that Right.
(56:02):
And the book again.
It is so much in there, butit's not fluff, it's real
stories, it's real, actionablesteps.
It's what people need to besuccessful in their development.
So I always tell people are youa person that wants to grow?
(56:24):
Are you a person that trulydesires to become a certain
version?
Are you?
Are you chasing a version ofyourself?
But you feel like you're on ahamster wheel.
I got something for you becauseI those same things that I put
in that book I have usedcountlessly since the age of 13,
(56:44):
14 years old.
I had to actually go back andthink about all these things and
it's like that's what I created.
So it was so amazing for me towrite it because it allowed me
to actually look back on my lifeand utilize my life and utilize
amazing individuals and reallyshift perspectives on things.
Right, um, and yeah, that Iright now I have a pre-order
(57:10):
link.
Um, it'll be in the description.
I have a pre-order link whereIt'll be in the description.
I have a pre-order link whereyou can get.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
You already ended.
I still had another questionWait, wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 2 (57:20):
My bad my bad, my bad .
Speaker 1 (57:22):
You're fine.
You're fine.
We talked about friends.
We talked about the fact thatyou do do speaking.
You mentioned earlier that youtravel with your speaking.
Where have you been?
Speaker 2 (57:35):
So I've been to Roswell, new Mexico.
I've been to upstate New York.
I've been to like, central PA,northern PA, southern PA, been
to DC area, dmv area.
I'm actually in the fall.
I am speaking at a nationalstudent leadership conference in
(58:00):
Orlando, getting an opportunityfor the first time.
Flying me out, paying for thehotel gave me a vendor table the
shakers and the movers decisionmakers going to be there, table
the shakers and the moversdecision makers going to be
there.
I've been to Texas, oklahoma,parts of the West Coast.
(58:21):
I've been to so many placesColorado, one of my favorite
places actually.
I've traveled to Colorado.
They have these sand dunes.
Someone thought I was in Egyptwhen I took a picture.
It's just miles and miles ofsand.
(58:42):
America has a whole bunch ofbeautiful places that we don't
even realize.
I was like it's in Colorado.
They like, nah, you in Egypt orsomething.
I'm like no, I'm in Colorado,I'm in center Colorado.
And I was like but yeah, I'vebeen, I've been blessed enough
because I, early on, you know, Ididn't have a means to travel.
I didn't even, I thought I wouldnot even like traveling,
because you know I didn't do it.
(59:02):
But once I experienced it itwas a whole different ballgame.
Speaker 1 (59:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (59:10):
So, yeah, it's been amazing and it all contributed
to just like partnership,networking opportunities to
connect.
I work with organizations likeGEAR UP and Upward Bound and
College Bound and so many otherorganizations through just
genuine networking andcultivating relationships.
(59:32):
It's been amazing it's beenamazing.
Speaker 1 (59:36):
You could not have seen yourself doing this as a
kid.
I'm just.
It's so awesome that when youspeak, you just wear your
baseball cap and your hoodie togo into these rooms and share
(59:57):
the wisdom that you have gainedfrom your grandfather, from your
principal, from the other staffthere, and just that
self-reflection to see yourself.
And I thank you for holding upthe mirror of who you are so
we'd have an opportunity to seeyourself.
And I thank you for holding upthe mirror of who you are so
we'd have an opportunity to seeourselves, to be able to know
(01:00:20):
where we need to check.
Check for friends, check forthose words, take those labels
that people have put on us andtake them off.
You have really dove deep intoself to help us be a better self
.
I appreciate your confidence inspeaking.
(01:00:41):
I thought I knew Sam and now Iknow Sam, so this was amazing.
I would like for you to leteveryone know how they can have
the fortunate opportunity ofworking with you.
If they have a youthorganization, they can bring
people in.
If they have just anyorganization.
(01:01:03):
This sounds like this issomething that everyone of any
age could take advantage of,especially the heart that you
have for with the youth.
So if you could share thatinformation, it would be greatly
appreciated.
Speaker 2 (01:01:17):
Oh yeah.
So if, if anyone is looking toconnect with me, um, either
through my speaking services ormy consulting services, um, you
can visit, uh, my website,wwwfaithandeffortorg, where you
can click on the service tab andin the service tab, it breaks
(01:01:37):
down everything Again.
I've worked with middle school,high school, college age
students, adults as well.
And as far as the consultingservices, they're under the
service tab as well, too where,again, I train and I develop
staff, I help with the retentionrate of staff, I help with the
(01:01:58):
how do you, how do you help yourstaff engage with the
population that they're workingwith better right, and also the
program development side.
If you have an idea for aprogram or if your program needs
a little bit of a boost, I comein and I work with individuals.
I've been developing programsfor over 10 years 10 plus years
and I understand how to create asound program from beginning to
(01:02:21):
end.
So if you're looking to workwith me, definitely
wwwfaithandeffortorg.
If you're looking to just seesome clips, some highlights of
the things that I've done, somemore talks, you can visit my
Instagram and TikTok.
They're both at Faith andEffort and that's how you can
work with me.
Speaker 1 (01:02:42):
Very good, that's how you can work with them.
Tell them about that bookthat's coming out.
Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
Yes, yes.
So the book again grow throughwhat you go through.
If you are looking to elevateyour life and continue to
develop yourself into becomingthe person that you desire to be
.
I have a book that's not just abook.
It's a tool.
It provides knowledge and itprovides the confidence that you
(01:03:08):
need to now take on life andview life in a different way so
that you can grow through thewins, the losses, the successes,
the failures, the ups and thedowns.
And the link is in thedescription for the pre-order
list, because if you get on apre-order list, I don't just
have the book right, I'm allabout actionable steps and not
only do you get the book.
(01:03:28):
When you join the pre-orderlist, you get early access to
the book, and also when youorder the book on the pre-order
list, you get early access tothe book.
And also, when you order thebook on the pre-order list, you
get a workbook where you cantake at the end of every chapter
, I'm going to have somethingwhere you can apply the
knowledge so that you can learnand grow in real time, and
(01:03:48):
that's how you can get the bookgrow through what you go through
.
So be on the lookout for thatAugust 2023.
So we're less than a month awayfrom the release of it.
Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
Less than a month away from the release of it, and
this is my promise to you whenthat information comes out and
there is no longer a wait list,there's actual an order that you
can make, please get thatinformation to me and I will add
that to the description box soanyone can take advantage of it
at any given time.
Now, before you get out of here, I would love it if you could
(01:04:24):
give people confident tips onthe mis-education of self.
Well, it sounds like you'retelling us the education of self
, so give us confidence on theeducation of self.
Speaker 2 (01:04:38):
So I'm going to give you three tips.
Tip number one is that learnyourself.
Too many people are living inthis world right now and if you
walk up to them, ask them aquestion hey, do you know
yourself?
They're going to say yes.
And I challenge you to truly,truly dive into who you are,
(01:04:58):
what you're doing, what you'redoing for a living, and ask
yourself do you really knowyourself or do you know a
version that someone else hashelped create?
So I challenge you to trulyknow yourself right.
Ask yourself the hard questionsAre you happy?
What are you doing?
Does it provide fulfillmentright?
Ask yourself the hard questionsAre you happy?
What are you doing?
Does it provide fulfillmentright?
Number two the number two thingon how to educate yourself right
(01:05:20):
, on how to educate yourself islisten to the people that you
truly find value in.
Again, there should be a selectgroup of people that you get
advice from.
You should not get advice fromeverybody, because just because
it's advice doesn't mean thatit's good advice, and sometimes
(01:05:41):
hate comes in a form of advice.
So get a select group of people.
I have about three to fourpeople that I go to for
different things and they trulyhelp me navigate Right.
And then the last thing totruly educate yourself is chase
your dreams Like.
Dreamers never die.
That's, that's the model,that's the mission.
(01:06:02):
Don't allow your dreams to diejust because people didn't
believe it.
Right, because your dreams area part of your identity and for
me, it was a lot of people thattold me you just wasted your
four years in college.
Now you want to go and speak.
Now you want to go and talk.
How are you making moneytalking?
Right, but now that I'm makingmoney, I haven't had an $11,000,
(01:06:23):
$12,000 month speaking, and Iknow I'm about to have an even
bigger month.
People are like, wow, I didn'tthink it was possible and it's
because I did not let my dreamsdie.
So the last thing on educatingyourself and truly knowing
yourself is that do not allowpeople to destroy your dreams,
(01:06:44):
because that's all that you havein this world.
When the dust settles andeverything settles, you just
have yourself.
So those are my three tips onhow to truly educate yourself,
and I truly hope that you takeat least one of them and apply
it for the next 30 days and seehow it changes your life and
(01:07:06):
have actionable homework.
Speaker 1 (01:07:10):
Here on the podcast live with Sam Brown Listen faith
and effort.
I appreciate you coming through.
I appreciate you taking thetime to just share who you are.
I love for people to just sharewho you are, for the audience
to get to know who the person isthat they may have an
(01:07:32):
opportunity to work with, togrow in their confidence in that
area, that they may be lackingor may not even realize that
they have that issue.
So I'm grateful that you came,that you shared that this.
I know that this will be animpactful experience as you are
(01:07:54):
an impactful speaker.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
And I appreciate everything.
And listen y'all.
If y'all not subscribe, I needy'all to subscribe.
I need y'all to subscribebecause when you feed yourself
the knowledge that you need, youcould become confident in you.
The only way you could becomeconfident in life is if you
become confident in yourselffirst.
So this is amazing platform.
(01:08:18):
You are an amazing host and ifyou haven't checked out the
other episodes, y'all think thiswas good.
Listen, y'all got to spend ablock and turn tune into the
autumn.
Other episodes, cause.
Listen, it's nothing butstraight heat.
Nothing but straight heat onthis YouTube channel.
I appreciate you again.
Thank you so much.
(01:08:38):
Again, continue to grow throughwhat y'all go through.
Speaker 1 (01:08:42):
My goodness, he said it.
There it is.
The information is there.
It'll be in the description box.
Yes, subscribe.
We are here.
I didn't pay for it either.
Speaker 2 (01:08:52):
No direct deposit in my account.
This is all love all love thankyou.
Speaker 1 (01:09:02):
I do appreciate you being here.
You have been a great blessing,a surprise in disguise, amazing
you.
I appreciate you.
Thank you so much.
Alright, my goodness, if youdidn't hear it for yourself.
You need to grow through whatyou go through.
(01:09:23):
That means it's not over.
It may hurt, it may feel likeit's daunting.
Other people around you may becalling the game over.
Let me tell you Sam Brown saidit best Grow through what you go
through.
The book should be pre-orderedso you can get that workbook
(01:09:49):
because I'm getting mine alreadyordered, because I'm getting
mine already ordered, so you canwork through that.
To just go through and realizethings you may not even have
been aware of.
We wear labels of things thatpeople have said and we may not
even realize that they're stillthere.
(01:10:10):
The remnants of somethingsomeone said when you were
small're still there.
The remnants of somethingsomeone said when you were small
still there.
Someone said when you were ayoung adult still there.
Someone said, as you were anadult, and it's still there.
And that's not your real self,that's not the person you dream
(01:10:32):
of being.
Sam Brown is here to help youdo that.
So please take advantage of allthat he has there.
If you have a youth group, ifyou have some adults, if you
have just your own book club andyou want to invest in having
him come and speak to lift andmotivate, hey, he's the person
(01:10:55):
for the job.
I thank you all for tuning in.
Please don't forget that if youare or if you know someone who
is suffering at the hand ofdomestic violence, please reach
out to Bethany House or theNational Domestic Violence
(01:11:16):
Hotline, bethany House1-888-80-HELPS that's 4-3-5-7-7.
Or the National DomesticHotline 1-800-799-SAFE, 7233.
I would say lock that number orthose numbers in your phone so
(01:11:39):
that if you happen upon someone,it's a quick response to get
them the help that they need.
Confident you is here to helpas many people as possible.
I thank you for tuning in.
Confident you See you in thenext episode.
Or, as Sam Brown said, go backand check out what we've already
(01:12:03):
done.
See you next time.
Hey, hey, Marian Swingler here of Confident you
Podcast, Excited to have youhere joining us at this time in
this space, on this platform.
Great to see you Listen.
I just wanna tell you aboutsomebody I met today because he
has something coming up that'svery exciting.
That's starting next weekTuesday, what I think that's the
(00:24):
18th Next week Tuesday, what Ithink that's the 18th Next week
Tuesday, and his name is Eric FKing.
He is the sales coach.
I'm gonna put in thedescription box how you can find
him, because you wanna enrollfor his class, because he is
gonna be doing a six-week classteaching you how to sell, how to
(00:48):
sell your product, how tolaunch your line, how to do your
pitch.
Marketing is going to be abonus in his program.
So I want to put thatinformation in the description
box.
Again, thank you for tuning in.
Let's get to it.
Myron Golden that is someonethat I really do follow and look
up to.
(01:08):
He says that expectation that'sour superpower, having a high
expectation of good.
And then we have Jen Rome.
Jen Rome says that change, thatif you change, everything
(01:28):
changes.
So we have expectation on onehand and change in ourselves on
the other.
So who we have here with ustonight is going to be talking
about that change and thatexpectation that we should have
for ourselves for a better life.
Listen, this is the episodethat we'll be discussing the
(01:54):
miseducation of self, and hereto help us walk through, that is
the only one.
I know who I'm calling on rightnow.
Hey, Samuel Brown, how you?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
doing.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Hey Sam what it do.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How are you?
I'm amazing, I'm amazing.
How are you?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I am doing very well, no complaints.
Look, I got you here with me,me, I'm here with you.
We are going to unpack thismiseducation of self.
The title itself was amazinghow that happened in our
conversation.
Just hearing the things thatyou're about to share tonight
(02:42):
definitely will help people tocorrect that thinking, that
thought process on self.
So if you wouldn't mind, justshare with the people a little
bit about what you do.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So for me just to share one again I'm blessed.
I appreciate the opportunity tocome on here and vibe out with
you for the next hour or so,however long we go.
But hey, everyone, again SamBrown here.
I'm the CEO of Faith and Effort, which is a professional
speaking and consulting business.
So I travel as a speaker, Iwork with middle school, high
(03:17):
school and college students,while focused, and I help them
understand that they can growthrough what they go through to
become their desired self.
So I'll talk about leadership,mindset development, different
things like that.
Then, on the consulting side,I've got to work with the people
that work with the kids, yo.
So on the consulting side, Ihelp them develop and understand
(03:39):
youth development on adifferent level.
So I help staff development.
So I increase engagementretention and reduce turnover
rate for staff as well throughhelping them create amazing
programs and helping them createamazing staff.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Helping them create amazing programs Sounds like you
have a soft spot in your heartfor a kid.
I'd like for you to share alittle bit.
You have a soft spot in yourheart for a kid.
I'd like for you to share alittle bit of who Sam Brown was
as a kid.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Listen, everybody see me and they look at this person
that is so positive, that is onthe right track, that is doing
so much.
And the thing is I was notalways that way.
I was not always that waybecause I was a young person
that was misunderstood.
(04:33):
So, just taking y'all back alittle bit, growing up, I faced
my first growth moment, my firstmoment of hardship, at the age
of nine.
At the age of nine, I came homeone day, was watching my
favorite show.
Life was good.
And then life completelychanged for me.
Life changed for me because myfather he had passed away at
(04:55):
work.
I was a nine-year-old kid and atthat point half of my world was
I went from playing every daywith my friends.
I went from watching, you know,um, my favorite show.
I went from so much to likeeverything was ripped up from
under me.
I didn't have a home.
(05:16):
I was homeless for a little bit.
Um, I experienced just hardshipat a young age where I didn't
really know my next meal.
I wore the same clothes for awhile and it wasn't until I
moved to what I consider myhometown, coachville, pa, where
I moved with my grandparents.
They truly gave meopportunities to save my life.
(05:36):
But I was still hurting andstill not able to process what
happened to me.
So it translated into theclassroom.
I was the typical top of theline class clown from sixth to
about ninth grade.
From sixth to ninth grade I wasa class clown to the point
after eighth grade that kickedme out of my school district
(05:59):
because I did so much wild stuffy'all listen, I I gorilla glued
my teacher to her seat I'mtexting it.
I threw notebooks and books outof a second story window, I
flipped desks, I fought people.
It was so bad.
I spent more time either inschool suspension or or out of
(06:19):
school suspension.
To the point, my teacher waslike you still go here, and
that's what created a lot of thelabels.
That created a lot of thelabels.
That created a lot of themiseducation of myself, of who I
thought I was.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
I thought I was a class clown.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I thought I would end up dead or in jail.
I thought I wasn't worthanything.
I thought I would nevergraduate high school, let alone
even touch a college campus.
Because so many peoplemisunderstood me and they were
educated on my background, oflosing my parents, of, of of
being homeless, of facinghardship.
(06:59):
They were so miseducated thatthey were misunderstood and
therefore they labeled me.
And again, if someone tells yousomething long enough, you
start to believe it.
That's why it's important tosurround yourself with people
that are going to tell you whoyou're supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
What were they telling you?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
They were telling me I was worthless.
At 13, 14 years old I wasworthless You're never going to
amount to nothing, you're awaste of space.
Like you don't even deserve tobe in this school.
It's a public school.
It's not like I was payingmoney.
Who was saying this to youTeachers?
I remember a music teacher.
I remember a music teacher Inever forget.
(07:42):
She told me one day, because wewere practicing for a concert
and me, being a class clown thatI was, I was just like I had a
recorder.
I was just blowing into therecorder, not even following
notes, didn't really care.
And she was like you're nevergoing to amount to nothing,
you're going to be dead or injail.
And I'm like I cursed her up astorm and then I got suspended.
(08:05):
And I'm like I cursed her up astorm and then I got suspended.
And I'm like she told me I wasgonna be dead or in jail.
And I had another teacher saidwell, if you were actually
participating in class, maybeshe wouldn't set it.
I'm like, listen, I don't knowanybody that should tell a 13
year old that you're gonna bedead or in jail.
Especially, I didn't even doanything.
To the severity of that wouldnothing that I was doing in that
moment would land me in jail.
Especially, I didn't even doanything to the severity of that
(08:25):
would nothing that I was doingin that moment would land me in
jail.
I wasn't stealing, I wasn'tcommitting a crime, I just
didn't want to participate youjust didn't want to participate.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
you also said that that it's just disheartening
that all of this came from theactual staff.
I was thinking you were aboutto say the other students,
because you said you wore thesame clothes and things like
(08:56):
that.
So I thought these were thingsthat they were picking on you,
but you're saying that thesewere the adults.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So, and that was after once I moved to Coachville
, pa, that's when you know, Ihad a home, I had things, but I
was still like, I still didn'tprocess what just happened to me
like six, seven months ago,like I lost my father and I the
only way that I knew.
Because at that moment, beinguprooted, being in a new town,
(09:27):
being in a small town whereeveryone knows each other Right,
my instinct as a kid, and mostkids, are like I'm going to do
what I can to fit in, becauseright now I feel like an
outsider and the easiest thingto do is to bring people
laughter.
I do it now, but just not in away where it gets me in trouble.
(09:47):
But that was my end.
I was the class clown becausethat's because people wanted
that, kids wanted that.
Now I had friends or people.
I thought they were my friends,but when it came down to it,
when the dust settled, it waslike Sam did it.
When the dust settled, it waslike, oh, but y'all was with me.
No, we wasn't.
(10:08):
And then I started tounderstand that.
But it took me three years.
It took me sixth grade, seventhgrade, eighth grade and halfway
through my ninth grade Irealized that, wow, I was, I was
mis.
I was miseducating myselfbecause that's who I thought I
was.
Because I was miss.
I was mis-educated myselfbecause that's what I thought I
was Because of these labels,constricted to the point where,
(10:30):
like I was like, man, like thisis the only way I know how.
And then I got good grades.
Like my grades weren't horrible.
I just couldn't stay in class.
I couldn't stay in the schooland then eighth grade hit.
They was like yeah, buddy,you're not going to the high
school, you're going to thisalternative school.
That's about an hour away andthat's, honestly, was the best
(10:54):
thing that could have happenedto me.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Come on here, honestly, that changed my life.
Ok, so we're going to go backto the alternative school.
I, I, I just your.
Your father passed away and youhad shared with me that there
were other uh events, lifeevents that brought drama,
(11:21):
trauma to your life.
What were those?
Just briefly, what were thoseevents?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
It was the, it was the whole issues in school that
really took a turn.
And then we'll get into it.
Luckily I'm here now.
I turned my life around after1983.
But it wasn't until later inlife, in college, when I lost my
(11:50):
mother at 22 years old.
I was getting ready to graduateon Mother's Day, it was about 15
weeks left in the semester andI got a call that my mother was
killed in a hit and run caraccident and that like took me
in a whole different direction,to the point where I was like
(12:12):
life isn't even worth it becausethe two most important people
in my life, they're not here tosee anything that I can
accomplish, so what is the pointof even going after life?
So I was depressed for for fora long time and I just kind of I
wasn't myself.
I'm a very uplifting, happy, golucky person.
I just wasn't myself for a longtime because I just didn't
(12:35):
understand and at that point,even at 22, I didn't know how to
process my trauma.
I didn't know how to processgrief.
The only thing I knew was toshut down.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yes, the only thing you knew was to shut down.
Now you have gone through lossof your father, Adults that are
in position of authority thatare giving you a false, are
giving you a false, no hope.
I was going to say a falsesense of hope, but giving you no
(13:07):
hope for the life that you have.
And homelessness.
Being displaced.
Not living with yourgrandmother or grandparents is
not being.
It is being displaced in thesense of you're no longer in the
environment where you werebeing raised in your two parent
(13:27):
home and then losing your father.
You said that the alternativeschool was the best thing that
happened to you.
That's odd.
I've never heard it said thatway.
Please share.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Please share.
Yeah, definitely.
So.
The alternative school for me.
I met the first adult outside ofmy family that was like I see
past your behavior, I see pain,I see a black boy that has been
misunderstood, that has beenwritten off, boy that has been
misunderstood that has beenwritten off, and I see potential
.
His name was Mr Woolbright andI went to an African-centered
charter school, so we used tohave to say Malum and Malama and
I learned about my Africanheritage, which was like the
(14:19):
school, education-wise, didn'tprepare me the best.
But I mean, when I really lookat education in America, what
are we really preparing ouryoung people for?
That's a whole nother topic fora whole nother day.
But he believed in me and hewas a first adult that like used
to call.
He used to call all of ustackhead boys it's like you
(14:40):
tackhead boy and he used to dothis thing where he would like
grab your shoulder, but it wouldbe in a way where you are.
But he genuinely loved andcared for us and he was the
principal of the school and forme, being able to experience
that and being at a small enoughschool to where, like, I saw
(15:02):
the principal just as much as Isaw my teachers, um, and him
being involved again.
The school you know people talkabout the school like school
wasn't the best, but it got meright.
It did what other, what theother schools failed to do, and
it it did it.
It built, put confidence in meto to decide to do something
(15:27):
else that I could still exceland not have to be the class
clown.
Now I still played around, butit was.
It was toned down and then Ireally started to focus and lock
in with school, um, and justlike also the big part piece is
learning about who, where wecame from, the sacrifices that
(15:49):
were made.
It made me also look at life ina different way too.
So that was like the first oftwo, um, that was like the first
of two instances where, like itwas like the direction of my
life changed.
In the summer of ninth grade Igot introduced to the
(16:11):
Coatesville Youth Initiative,which was a leadership and
employment program, which was aleadership and employment
program for for sorry, my puppyjust ran around.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You who did what?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
My puppy just ran around.
It was a leadership andemployment program for young
people, and that was where I metother caring adults in my life.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
And these other caring adults in my life again.
They saw past my behaviorbecause I still wasn't all the
way behavior because I stillwasn't all the way right I still
wasn't all the way, like youknow changed right.
But they didn't allow myinitial behaviors, my inability
to want to you know, participateand engage.
(16:59):
They didn't just dismiss melike the other schools did.
They kept me in the program andI won't lie, after the first
year of the summer program I waslike I don't know if they're
going to bring me back.
But they even gave me againconfidence because they put me
in leadership positions to besuccessful.
(17:20):
And that was the first instancewhere I had a chance to speak
and be an emcee for ourgraduation, where 100, 200
people were.
And that's when I was like OK,I see myself now as a leader.
I see myself now as somebodythat I started to rip them
labels off and I started tobelieve that I could develop and
(17:43):
become a person that I wantedto be.
And from there it was just.
It was takeoff season.
I graduated high school.
I ended up being allowed tocome back to our school district
.
I graduated from there.
I got a $20,000 scholarship toschool all off of just taking
(18:06):
control.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Taking control, you said you started to rip the
labels off.
So, in your mind, how did youprocess the labels to come to
the conclusion that they neededto go?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's actually the first time someone has ever
asked me that.
I've realized that I like notgetting in trouble more than I
like getting in trouble Becauseit was fun in the moment.
You know to be the class clown,everybody laughing with you and
everything.
But again when that dustsettles, you're looking around
(18:47):
and it's just you.
I got tired of it, like once Igot a taste of the other side.
I'm like getting good grades ofoh, I'm a captain of a
basketball team now.
Okay, I'm not getting introuble.
I'm traveling to thesedifferent places.
I'm being asked to be a leader,um, I'm just having fun.
(19:09):
The people, the community I'mbuilding community people are
starting to see me as, um,people are starting to see me as
people are starting to seesorry, people are starting to
see me as as someone that theycan count on and I love that
feeling.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Like I love that feeling people are starting to
see me as someone that they cancount on the fit describe.
How, how can you describe thatfeeling?
Because how did you feel you?
How did you feel being themisunderstood version of
(19:52):
yourself and then going intothat leadership, that team
captain, that that person thatstands up and is called to speak
before hundreds of people?
What's the difference in thosefeel like?
Speaker 2 (20:08):
give a descriptive and a descriptive it's like the
feeling of the labels and beingmisunderstood, and it was like
instant gratification, thatfeeling of like you feel good in
the moment, but it wears offright um and when it wears off,
what's there?
it's there, it's theconsequences to your actions,
(20:32):
the consequences to my.
I felt it every time Suspendedfive days, suspended 10 days,
in-school suspension In my unit.
In-school suspension, you knowit was jail.
It was like a six by six roomwith four desks, no windows, and
it was just you, just in there,and you don't know what time it
(20:53):
is.
They don't have a clock, theydon't have nothing.
And that feeling of just like,just the consequences of my
actions, the disappointment, thedisappointment in myself, and
it's like it don't feel good tobe suspended.
Because when I'm suspended it'snot like I could do what I want
.
My friends are in the class,are in school or my supposed to
(21:13):
be friends are in school.
I'm grounded, um, I can't.
Even when I'm not suspendedanymore, I can't go outside.
The things that I love havebeen taken away video games, um,
computer, whatever it is, and Ijust remember, like it's just
like it got tired.
And it wasn't.
Until I experienced the otherside, when, when people are,
(21:36):
when I, when I hold my firstever award in my hand and it
says most valuable participantin the program of 40 kids, my
first year participant in theprogram of 40 kids, my first
year, and I'm like yo, this iscrazy.
When it's like I'm speaking infront of adults, funders, my
peers and people are coming upto me afterwards saying, young
(21:59):
man, that was amazing, the wayyou carried the show was amazing
.
Um, and then the feeling ofbeing in the community and and
just knowing how to just justjust move and shake and talk to
people and have confidence.
And then when I received that,the harry lewis scholarship for
twenty thousand dollars, I waslike I was baffled because, like
(22:23):
, like four years ago, peopledidn't believe that I didn't
believe that I would even toucha college campus and that 20k
helped me, like it took pressureoff and and all that.
All of those feelings of likeit wasn't instant gratification,
it was fulfillment, likethere's a difference it's like
(22:44):
miseducation of myself wasinstant gratification.
It was fulfillment, like there'sa difference.
It's like miseducation ofmyself was instant gratification
.
I thought that's what I needed.
I thought that's what I wanted.
But when I actually got what Ineeded the nourishment, the love
, the feeling of true acceptanceit was fulfilling and I knew I
needed more of it.
And from there it was like Idon't want to ever experience
(23:08):
that and, honestly, after ninthgrade I never, was ever
suspended, ever.
I was never suspended.
I was barely in trouble.
The craziest thing I did from10th grade to 12th grade was
sneak to the store in themorning and go get something to
eat Craziest thing I did.
(23:30):
Versus like fighting and playingpranks on two teachers, I
complete 360.
And it was Mr Woolwright and itwas a cultural youth initiative
.
Specifically, one of my firstever mentors, james Silk Wilkins
, which I'm actually going tosee him this weekend it's been a
while and Kaya Scott and JarvisBerry, those three adults at
(23:51):
the Coastal Youth Initiative I'mstill connected to to this day.
To this day I can call them andthey got me.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
I just what is screaming at me is words at me
is words.
What you're saying is what wassaid, fueled and gave me the gas
to keep doing what I was doingbecause I had no, as Myron
(24:20):
Golden says, expectation.
But then you went through JimRohn's thing of change and you
changed.
Therefore, everything changed.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
The bar.
The bar was actually set whereI had to go get it.
The bar was below my feetbefore.
I didn't have to do anything.
I was above the bar.
I didn't want expectations.
The bar was now not even in myreach.
I had to do anything.
I was above the bar.
I didn't have any expectations.
The bar was now not even in myreach.
I had to soar, I had to fly,and that's when I realized how
(24:58):
much I love competition andchallenges and to prove people
wrong a little bit.
I'm not going to lie.
I love to prove myself rightmore than I love to prove people
wrong.
A little bit, I'm not going tolie, I love to prove myself
right more than I love to provepeople wrong, but I still do
love to prove people wrong,which, as soon as I got that
high school diploma pulled up tomy school, pulled up to that
(25:19):
middle school, south Brandy, oneFound every teacher.
Oh yeah, also here's myacceptance letter to college.
Okay, also here's my acceptanceletter to college.
Ok, also here's my scholarshipletter right here.
So what's up?
And they're like, oh my God,like so proud of you.
I'm like are you, are youreally?
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
But it's, ok.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
You can say that, because now I'm about to go get
another degree which, as you cansee, because now I'm about to
go get another degree which, asyou can see, I'm going to angle
that right there behind methat's my college degree.
Listen, I got that pulled upagain.
I said I'm back, I know you'restill going to be here, and one
teacher I shouldn't have said it, but I was like man, I'm making
(26:01):
more money.
Oh no, but it was a youngmoment, was early 20s.
I don't regret it because it'sa part of growth.
I think you got to experiencethings.
I understand you shouldn't dothings like you.
You never know what youshouldn't do until you actually
do it and realize it wasn't theright decision that part right
(26:24):
there.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
I can and now sometimes I do take advice, but
sometimes I'm a hard knock lifeyeah, it come out, come out me
sometime, you know I'm like, I'mlike hey what?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
the guy, the hood you can't take the hood out.
The guy listen, it's stillthere when it needs to come out,
come out that part right there,okay?
Speaker 1 (26:45):
so if you give me just a moment, I'll be right
back with you.
Hey everybody, if you arelooking for a, if you're looking
for a graphic designer, aphotographer, a publisher,
(27:11):
photographer, a publisher Listen, I have just the person for you
, tanya Stokes of CompassionateDesigns.
The information is here on thescreen, it'll be in the
description box, but thattelephone number is 240-585-0669
.
And please do not forget aboutthe gentleman I had the
privilege of.
Actually, I signed up for thisclass.
It is a sales coaching classwith Eric F King Starts on
(27:37):
Tuesday I believe that's the18th of July and that'll be
every Tuesday for six weeks Inthis program, every Tuesday for
six weeks.
In this program, you will learnall the keys to becoming an
amazing sales person, to be ableto sell those things that you
have created, those things thatyou thought of and now are
(27:59):
tangible, and now you want toget them out to the masses.
He is gonna teach you how to dothat.
That information will be in thedescription box.
Thank you so much.
Let's get right back to it withmy man, sam Brown.
Hey, hey, hey, sam, you saidsomething that was very that's
(28:19):
like sticking here it is.
You said that you were.
You said that you were.
You were in detention, whileyou're supposedly friends.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I just want you to speak on that.
I feel like there is never anage when you need to understand
that not everybody means youwell, even though they smiling
in your face.
Yeah, like I'm so happy that Iexperienced that at an early age
, because a lot of people areout here with a group of people
that they think that they'retheir friends and they're not,
because the one thing that Ilearned was that what a friend
(29:06):
is?
Because I did have some bestfriends growing up.
I did have some best friendsgrowing up and the one thing I
learned was, like my bestfriends, it got to a point they
was telling me yo, you tripping.
(29:30):
The first time I had a friendtell me in 10th grade, one of my
first good friends, deshaun.
He told me he's like you'retripping right now, like what
you doing, and I was like we andwe stayed on each other, like
he was my guy from 10th grade to12th grade, before I went back
to, you know, the school, wentback to my school district.
We were the two that we juststayed on.
We just stayed at each other,at each other's neck, making
sure we was like on point withgrades.
(29:51):
We challenged each other, wecan, we were competitive and who
could get the highest grades,but it was healthy and and
that's what I learned that a lotof people out here you think
that you have someone that'struly your friend, but it's like
, do they actually check you?
Do they actually tell you youshouldn't do that?
(30:14):
Or do they just use you becausewhat you can do for them?
Because a lot of times it's likeyou might have the access to
something, you might have thefinancial means, and people will
latch on to that If they know,oh yeah, well, when you, with
Sam, like we get access here, weget access to this event, this
(30:35):
event, oh yeah, like Sam alwaysgonna show love, like we gonna
go over to his house because,like he know how to cook, and
every time someone came over tomy house, listen, I'm making you
a meal, like I'm getting downin the kitchen.
You guys, anybody everexperienced any of my food?
I get down in the kitchen, butit's like.
So I started to understand andstarted to pick and choose how
(30:56):
many people I actually considermy friend and like, now I don't
have that many.
I don't have that many friendsthat I consider Honestly if I
really want to count it maybe asolid 15, 20.
Out of those 20, it's a solid10.
If you need anything, I'mpulling up.
(31:18):
I don't care if it's midnight.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
If you're stranded and you're 10 hours away, I'm
like, listen, I'm 10 hours away,but I can be there there is a
short list because, amazinglyenough, jesus had his 12
disciples and he had his threethat were his actual core group.
(31:40):
I think that that people like Ithink, with social media,
people seem to think oh, I'm afriend of you, I'll friend you,
I'll friend you, and I justthink the word goes around
really loosely in terms of ifyou really think, like you just
said, you can depend on thisperson showing up when you're
(32:01):
actually in trouble.
I want to transition, I want togo down another street.
I want to talk about now, nowthat Sam has gone through going
through school with labels andthen going through school and
finding people that are speakingpositive to you and taking
those labels off.
What does Sam do now to helpthat kid that he was, that had
(32:25):
those labels?
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Now to help that kid that he was that had those
labels.
So now, where I'm at, I haveone mission.
I have a mission to helpindividuals understand that,
(32:48):
like, no matter how young youare, no matter how much you've
been through, I promise you thatit can get better once you make
that decision.
The power of choice, the powerof decision-making, is one of
your greatest superpowers thepower to say yes, to say no, to
go left, to go right, to go up,to go down.
I recently spoke at a highschool graduation and it was
(33:10):
alternative school, a schoolthat I worked with, and I did an
eight-week program and then Iworked with two individuals on
some entrepreneurship work andit wasn't even a part of the
contract, it was because I'mjust passionate about how much I
work with young people.
So the one thing I said is thatthe power of your network, the
(33:32):
power of the people you surroundyourself with they can either
help you grow, keep you the sameor pull you down.
And for me, when it comes tohelping the next generation and
future generation, and even myfriends around me, like my
brothers that I consider mybrothers like because I'm the
(33:55):
only boy physically in my family, but I got brothers.
Listen, man, like you have tobe selective of every decision
that you make, because thosedecisions are, it's like
compound interest.
They pile, they stack, theystack and either you can look up
(34:15):
and be like, wow, I love mylife, or you look up and like
what happened?
Um, and and that's me now in anutshell like overall, like
that's my sole purpose of lifeis to help anybody that comes in
contact with me realize thatyou could become the person that
you desire to be, no matterwhat you have been through
disadvantages, sexualorientation, disadvantages,
(34:39):
rights, different things likethat you got to have that
mindset that, no matter what,what is in front of me, I'm
keeping the main thing, the mainthing, and I'm going to get
there one way or another,because I'm not a unicorn, I'm
(35:01):
not special.
There is other black men outthere that are doing things.
There's other women out therethat are doing things.
There are other immigrants thatare out there doing things
right.
So for me, if I can see thatit's happening on a daily basis
and it's happening more and morenow, which I love with these
(35:21):
disenfranchised and isolatedgroups, I see that they're
coming up in the world and atthis point it's like use that as
fuel, and that's what I telleverybody.
It's like yo, you're just goingthrough a season right now and
sometime that season isnecessary.
So you know that sometimes Ineed a breakdown to have a
breakthrough.
I'm sorry through.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
I'm sorry, yeah, take a swig of water.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Say that again.
Sometimes I need to have abreakdown to have a breakthrough
.
Sometimes you got to feel whatrock bottom feel like, so you
never want to experience again.
That's the whole.
You get knocked down 10 times.
Get up on 11.
Because at 11 time you get upyou might stay up for knocked
down 10 times.
Get up on 11.
Because that 11 time you get upyou might stay up for the rest
of your life.
Come on here you might stay upfor the rest of your life and at
the end of the day, it don'tmatter how much money you got,
(36:16):
what age bracket you're in, lifeis always going to happen to
you.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
And you can either use it as your pain or your
power.
Right, and it's okay to to gothrough um hardship.
I want people to understand I'mnot, I'm not trying to
acknowledge that.
Don't focus on the pain, don'tallow yourself to feel.
I need you to feel everyemotion.
(36:41):
I need you to feel everyemotion and once you are done
feeling those emotions, I needyou to.
I need you to now use your mind, because it's important to tap
into our emotion, because ouremotions allow us to heal,
because when we, when we'reemotionless, or when we don't
(37:01):
want to tap into our emotions orwe try to bury it because I did
that for a long time I buriedmy feelings, I buried how I felt
.
You can't process nothing youbury.
You can't nothing that you,nothing that you bury, you can't
process.
But you can water it, you cannurture it and then what you
(37:22):
initially bury, you can helpgrow, because now you're giving
it sunlight, now you're givingit water, now you're giving it
nutrition, now you're addressingit right.
If you put a seed in the dirtand you don't do nothing to that
seed, it will never grow.
Okay, that is our pain.
To take your pain to purpose,to put it in the dirt, let it go
(37:47):
through it, go through it water, it give it sunlight and watch
it grow.
And that's what I did.
I took all my pain and Iwrapped it up and I utilized it
to become the person I am today,and a person I'll continue to
grow into, because I still gothrough pain.
Now I just look at itdifferently.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Perspective is a powerful thing.
100%, that is a power.
Because with how would you saythat?
With the?
With an optimistic or, as Myronsays, if you have high
expectations with what's goingon, it's like, okay, this is
(38:31):
going on, but I have highexpectation of good, I believe
it.
So you're sitting herepreaching, you're just preaching
.
It's okay, pass the collectionplate this way so I could go
ahead and put in, because I'mpicking up everything that
you're putting down.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
My grandfather taught me about perspective.
God rest his soul.
He gave me so much game fromgive from your heart, never from
your hand.
I used to walk past pennies.
He'd be like why didn't youpick it up?
I'm like it's just a penny.
He's like I bought my house andI was a penny short.
Imagine if I didn't pick upthat penny earlier that day.
(39:09):
And he's like you pick upenough pennies in your lifetime,
you can get rich off.
And it was all metaphors.
I used to be like man, what areyou talking about?
Yes, and he put it down to me.
And then the last message, andit was crazy um, we had brought
him home, um, because it was histime was coming and he wanted
(39:31):
to be home.
He didn't want to be laid up ina hospital with tubes and
everything.
He said I want to be home.
So he honored his wishes.
The last message that he gaveme and my uncle he said be a
giver and a receiver in thisworld, but be ready to be both
at any given time.
And that, right there, took meto a whole different level of
(40:00):
just how who I am now.
That's why I give, because atany point, if someone reaches
out to me like yo, I heard youon the call, I heard you on this
, I heard you on the podcast.
I just want to know how did youlisten here?
And when I'm ready to be areceiver, the contract that I
(40:21):
got is because of relationshipsI'm ready to receive.
It's because of relationshipsI'm ready to receive.
So my grandfather, he taught meperspective.
He taught me that because healso taught me I used to come
home and be excited, superexcited.
Like Grandpa, I started abusiness.
What's next?
I'd be like man.
Grandpa, I made my first sale.
(40:41):
What's next?
Grandpa?
I got my first speakingengagement.
They finally booked me what'snext?
And one day I sat him down likeman, what can I ever make you
happy?
Like, what is it?
What am I not doing?
He said, no, you are.
I'm extremely proud of you.
But when I tell you what's,when I ask you what's next, it's
(41:04):
so that you never staycomplacent.
It's so that you always lookfor opportunity while you're in
an opportunity.
And that's perspective.
That's when I learned I'malways listening.
I'm at a speaking engagement.
While I'm there, I'm lookingfor my next one.
When I'm having a conversationwith someone and they're saying,
(41:26):
hey, you should contact, boomdone.
My friend just sent me somecontacts to try to get into a
college university.
Today he's like yo, here's acontact and I'm doing it right
now.
Let him know I'm right now andmy email might end up in a span
boom, what's next, what's next,what's next, what's next.
And it's not a greed thing,it's a desire.
(41:48):
It's a desire to continue togrow, it's a desire to
understand.
I'm never done growing.
My grandfather always told meyou could be 90 years old and
you could learn something new.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
Today, I appreciate you sharing the wisdom of your
grandfather with us.
I want to tap into the factthat you were wise enough to go.
I need to sit him down and askhim a question.
Most people just oh, I can saythere are times that I would get
(42:24):
in my own head and hold thewhole conversation by myself, a
conversation with someone elseelse, or at least the
perspective that I thought thatthey would bring to this.
No need to invite you, no needto ask you.
I know the answer.
I'm gonna hold the wholeconversation.
How important is it to you thatyou address the person, or
(42:51):
persons when things happen?
Speaker 2 (42:56):
It's very important because what happens for me
personally and this actuallyrecently happened not going to
name specifics right now becauseI'm still in it but I start to
(43:17):
question my ability and I justneed to know, like it me,
because if it is, I need tochange, like the one thing that
I've recently been told by myfellow speakers, because I
recently did a camp in New Yorkand I just remember earlier in
the year, when I did this camp,they told me something.
They said yo, anything that wesay, you just roll with it Like
(43:38):
you, don't.
You don't question it, you,because we're giving you our
perspective, because they'relike in their late 30s and
they've been doing it for awhile and they just they are.
I'm always like yo, how doesthat, how does that?
While and they just they are.
I'm always like yo, how this,how's that, how's this, how's
that?
And for me it's like I gottaknow, like I'm all, I'm like
hungry to know how do I dobetter next time.
(44:00):
I don't want to keep making itlike insanity is doing the same
thing over and over, expectingdifferent results.
I'm not an insane person, I'mcreative.
I'm not an insane person at alland that's the biggest thing
for me is just I need tounderstand and know where you're
coming from.
(44:20):
Because I'm I'm objective, Iremove myself from situations
and I want to know where you'recoming from and I don't take
offense to it, like I do my bestnot to take offense to, I do my
best to.
Now, sometimes it happens like Imight get a little offended,
but then I catch myself, I bringmyself back and I'm like what
can you do better?
(44:40):
And when a recent thinghappened, that's the only thing
I can control.
What I can control and I caninfluence what I can't control.
I can control me and my actions.
So I looked at what can I dobetter, how can I move a little
bit better and, as a result, I'min a better space.
Okay, and that's what I need.
(45:01):
I need to just focus.
I focus on myself because I'min a better space now mentally,
because I know I'm doingeverything that I can.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Okay, you said that you are a speaker.
Can you tell everyone what typeof speaker, exactly what?
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Yeah, so I am a people call it motivational
speaker because I motivatepeople to move and to change and
to develop.
But for me, I look at myself asan impact speaker.
I'm looking to create aneverlasting impact.
I want to plant a seed in you45 minutes hour, however long I
(45:44):
got and I want you to justremember one thing whatever that
45 minutes, I want you toremember one thing.
So everyone that is listeningon this call everything I said,
everything is not going torelate to everybody, but
something is going to relate toeverybody.
One thing, and that's what Ialways start my speech off.
(46:06):
I said hey, y'all listen whatI'm about to share.
Everything's not going torelate to you, but something is.
And my only goal here is a planto see that will eventually
grow.
And that's why I considermyself an impact speaker because
I come to, because for memotivation it ends like
(46:26):
motivation is in the moment.
I feel good I might be.
You know, it's like Januaryhere, right, january hit
everybody in the gym Motivation,motivation, motivation.
But March hit, you got yourregulars.
So for me, I like people.
I always motivational speaking.
Nah, because I don't want youto leave my workshop and go back
(46:50):
to your life and then youforget everything I said, to
leave my workshop and go back toyour life and then you forget
everything I said.
I want to impact you so muchthat you just take one thing,
because that one thing will leadyou into more things.
So, even if it's not me thatyou see again that one thing
that I did for you, that I gaveyou that gem, you did something
with it.
You started to make a smalltweak and it created.
(47:14):
So dr darius daniels um, he sayssmall tweaks can create large
leaps, and in my book I had to.
I had to make a chapter aboutsmall tweaks and it was the last
chapter, because after you readthe whole book you didn't
consume so much.
(47:34):
So I'm in my last chapter.
I'm telling them I want you togo back and pick one chapter and
I want you to apply that toyour life for the next 30 days.
Whatever it is, apply that toyour life.
So I understand that my lifeand where I'm at today is
because small tweaks, smalltweaks, small tweaks, small
tweaks.
(47:55):
Because if you try to dosomething on a large scale, it's
overwhelming.
So for me, I just want to giveyou something small that you're
going to make a tweak and nowyou might end up in another room
with somebody else and you getsomething from there.
And then, all of a sudden, yourlife starts turning around.
All of a sudden, you start tothink differently about your
stuff.
All of a sudden, you start tomake more money than you've ever
(48:17):
made in your life.
And that's all because I justwant to be impactful.
Um, so that's what type ofspeaker I am?
Uh, my main focus is collegestudents, because I forget.
I truly believe that's theforgotten age, because once you
hit 18, you're an adult, and Italk about this.
Why would we support people allof their life, especially in
(48:42):
our community, but once they hit18, you're, you're grown?
No, you're not, because,scientifically, even scientists
that barely know what they talkabout sometimes say you ain't a
full-fledged adult until you're25.
So why would you expect an 18year old to go from being
supported all of their life tonow having to work 40, 50 hours
(49:07):
a day, pay these bills, figureout how to, how to manage money?
Because you didn't prepare themfor adult life.
You prepared them to do well inschool.
You prepared them to depend onpeople, because that's what
we're doing.
Kids are sheltered all theirlife.
Then they ship them off tocollege and they expect them to
(49:27):
just make it, or they ship themout of the house and like, go
figure it out.
And now they're struggling, nowthey're making wrong decisions
and they don't got nobody leanon.
So for me, it's just likethat's why I speak to that, that
group, because I need to bethat voice for them to help
guide them through, in myopinion, the toughest times of
(49:48):
their life, because this is thebiggest transition, because you
really had the mostresponsibility once you become
an adult.
So I focus on college age.
But I do a lot of work with anorganization called Cool Speak.
I partner with them and theysend me out to middle school,
high schools and I just loveworking with kids, my nine to
(50:09):
five.
I work the year-round program,ninth through twelfth graders.
So for me, I just love beingaround young people because I
know that I got something togive to them because I've been
through it and I want to givethem this now so that they don't
got to go through the trenches.
I'm not a person like, oh, theygot to experience what I
experienced.
No, you don't, you don't got toexperience.
I always say this experience, Ialways say this I would rather
(50:32):
put a kid to the fire so thatthey can feel that it's hot than
let life throw them in the fireand get burned.
I just want you to know what itfeels like, so that you know
that's hot, versus like you inthe fire and now you're burning
up, and that's what most peopledo.
They throw people in the fireversus let you feel this heat.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
Okay, you don't only speak to youth, because you also
go to corporate events and helptrain staff.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
Yes, I love it Staff, when I get them, because most
training right when you're in anadult world sitting back
writing notes, looking at apowerpoint, hearing somebody
talk, get your head on.
I've been in.
I understand adults like tohave just as much fun as kids.
(51:28):
So for me, I teach throughactivity, no matter if it's a
young person, man, this is open.
I'm gonna teach throughactivity, no matter if it's a
young person or an old person.
I'm going to teach throughactivity and then we're going to
dissect the activity and thenbreak it down.
So this past year I had thepleasure of doing two trainings
with City Year, which is a partof AmeriCorps.
They have different locations,so this one in particular.
(51:49):
I work with the City Year ofPhiladelphia.
Again, relationships I spoke ata conference, I met a director,
we got connected.
I built relationship, genuinerelationship, because I do
believe that you have tocultivate relationships.
You can't just create them, youhave to cultivate them because
that's when the true magichappens and opportunity
(52:14):
presented itself.
We worked it out.
I was able to come in and dotwo trainings one with their
leadership team and then onewith their second year
AmeriCorps members and the wholepurpose of it.
I created a training aroundagain making your best even
better, because my grandfatheralways said making your best
(52:34):
even better.
Because my grandfather alwayssaid make your best better,
because your best can always bebetter.
It can always be better.
You can always reset the bar.
So for me, I challenge them.
I said y'all have an amazingorganization.
I know it.
I went to y'all website.
I have friends that haveparticipated.
It's amazing what y'all do andhow y'all serve the community.
(52:57):
But let's make this year, eventhis next year, even better.
So we looked at their program,but in a different way.
We looked at their programs ina different way.
We allowed them to create theirvision and their ideas of what
could be.
We did this activity um, it'scalled balling out of control
that I've created.
(53:17):
Well, I didn't create um, but Icoined um, found it on youtube
like overseas activity wherethey had to transport a tennis
ball one side of the roomtogether only using pens.
It's crazy, it's frustrating,but but it's so much you could
dissect from it.
So we started off with that.
We did so much.
And the same thing with theirsecond year AmeriCorps members.
(53:39):
Their whole purpose was they'regetting ready for the real
world and I wanted to preparethem for that real world.
So I wanted them to understandhow to develop and create that
vision of that life like.
What does this look like?
How do you achieve it?
What can you do now?
What have you learned throughthese two years in americorps
(54:01):
that you can transfer into thereal world and how to set
yourself up for the ultimatesuccess?
Um, and I love doing thosetrainings because it allows,
because I know that you are alsoimpacting the next generation.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Very good.
I also heard you say, and in mybook, that last chapter, yes, I
need to hear more about thatyes.
Speaker 2 (54:30):
So my book, again branding right, red Hat, brown
Hoodie keynote from the guy inthe red hat.
My keynote is titled GrowThrough what you Go Through.
My book is titled Grow Throughwhat you Go Through.
What I created is not just abook, it's a tool, it's a
(54:55):
resource.
It gives you confidence, itgives you the skill set to
become the person that youdesire to be, and the only way
that you can do that is to lookat every opportunity, every turn
in life, every loss, every win,every success, every failure,
every setback as an opportunity.
(55:17):
How can I grow from this?
Because even when you win, youcan learn, like I always I was.
I always tell people, even whenyou win, you can learn.
So the book is a culmination ofmy 12 points that I talk about
often, about growing throughwhat you go through, creating a
(55:38):
1%.
How do you develop a 1% mindset?
Right, working on justimproving by 1%?
Um, you know, the starting lineversus the finish line, right.
Even in there.
Starting line versus the finishline, right, even in there.
I reference amazing people, kobeBryant, god rest his soul.
I have a mama mentality becauseI tapped into that Right.
(56:02):
And the book again.
It is so much in there, butit's not fluff, it's real
stories, it's real, actionablesteps.
It's what people need to besuccessful in their development.
So I always tell people are youa person that wants to grow?
(56:24):
Are you a person that trulydesires to become a certain
version?
Are you?
Are you chasing a version ofyourself?
But you feel like you're on ahamster wheel.
I got something for you becauseI those same things that I put
in that book I have usedcountlessly since the age of 13,
(56:44):
14 years old.
I had to actually go back andthink about all these things and
it's like that's what I created.
So it was so amazing for me towrite it because it allowed me
to actually look back on my lifeand utilize my life and utilize
amazing individuals and reallyshift perspectives on things.
Right, um, and yeah, that Iright now I have a pre-order
(57:10):
link.
Um, it'll be in the description.
I have a pre-order link whereIt'll be in the description.
I have a pre-order link whereyou can get.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
You already ended.
I still had another questionWait, wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 2 (57:20):
My bad my bad, my bad .
Speaker 1 (57:22):
You're fine.
You're fine.
We talked about friends.
We talked about the fact thatyou do do speaking.
You mentioned earlier that youtravel with your speaking.
Where have you been?
Speaker 2 (57:35):
So I've been to Roswell, new Mexico.
I've been to upstate New York.
I've been to like, central PA,northern PA, southern PA, been
to DC area, dmv area.
I'm actually in the fall.
I am speaking at a nationalstudent leadership conference in
(58:00):
Orlando, getting an opportunityfor the first time.
Flying me out, paying for thehotel gave me a vendor table the
shakers and the movers decisionmakers going to be there, table
the shakers and the moversdecision makers going to be
there.
I've been to Texas, oklahoma,parts of the West Coast.
(58:21):
I've been to so many placesColorado, one of my favorite
places actually.
I've traveled to Colorado.
They have these sand dunes.
Someone thought I was in Egyptwhen I took a picture.
It's just miles and miles ofsand.
(58:42):
America has a whole bunch ofbeautiful places that we don't
even realize.
I was like it's in Colorado.
They like, nah, you in Egypt orsomething.
I'm like no, I'm in Colorado,I'm in center Colorado.
And I was like but yeah, I'vebeen, I've been blessed enough
because I, early on, you know, Ididn't have a means to travel.
I didn't even, I thought I wouldnot even like traveling,
because you know I didn't do it.
(59:02):
But once I experienced it itwas a whole different ballgame.
Speaker 1 (59:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (59:10):
So, yeah, it's been amazing and it all contributed
to just like partnership,networking opportunities to
connect.
I work with organizations likeGEAR UP and Upward Bound and
College Bound and so many otherorganizations through just
genuine networking andcultivating relationships.
(59:32):
It's been amazing it's beenamazing.
Speaker 1 (59:36):
You could not have seen yourself doing this as a
kid.
I'm just.
It's so awesome that when youspeak, you just wear your
baseball cap and your hoodie togo into these rooms and share
(59:57):
the wisdom that you have gainedfrom your grandfather, from your
principal, from the other staffthere, and just that
self-reflection to see yourself.
And I thank you for holding upthe mirror of who you are so
we'd have an opportunity to seeyourself.
And I thank you for holding upthe mirror of who you are so
we'd have an opportunity to seeourselves, to be able to know
(01:00:20):
where we need to check.
Check for friends, check forthose words, take those labels
that people have put on us andtake them off.
You have really dove deep intoself to help us be a better self
.
I appreciate your confidence inspeaking.
(01:00:41):
I thought I knew Sam and now Iknow Sam, so this was amazing.
I would like for you to leteveryone know how they can have
the fortunate opportunity ofworking with you.
If they have a youthorganization, they can bring
people in.
If they have just anyorganization.
(01:01:03):
This sounds like this issomething that everyone of any
age could take advantage of,especially the heart that you
have for with the youth.
So if you could share thatinformation, it would be greatly
appreciated.
Speaker 2 (01:01:17):
Oh yeah.
So if, if anyone is looking toconnect with me, um, either
through my speaking services ormy consulting services, um, you
can visit, uh, my website,wwwfaithandeffortorg, where you
can click on the service tab andin the service tab, it breaks
(01:01:37):
down everything Again.
I've worked with middle school,high school, college age
students, adults as well.
And as far as the consultingservices, they're under the
service tab as well, too where,again, I train and I develop
staff, I help with the retentionrate of staff, I help with the
(01:01:58):
how do you, how do you help yourstaff engage with the
population that they're workingwith better right, and also the
program development side.
If you have an idea for aprogram or if your program needs
a little bit of a boost, I comein and I work with individuals.
I've been developing programsfor over 10 years 10 plus years
and I understand how to create asound program from beginning to
(01:02:21):
end.
So if you're looking to workwith me, definitely
wwwfaithandeffortorg.
If you're looking to just seesome clips, some highlights of
the things that I've done, somemore talks, you can visit my
Instagram and TikTok.
They're both at Faith andEffort and that's how you can
work with me.
Speaker 1 (01:02:42):
Very good, that's how you can work with them.
Tell them about that bookthat's coming out.
Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
Yes, yes.
So the book again grow throughwhat you go through.
If you are looking to elevateyour life and continue to
develop yourself into becomingthe person that you desire to be
.
I have a book that's not just abook.
It's a tool.
It provides knowledge and itprovides the confidence that you
(01:03:08):
need to now take on life andview life in a different way so
that you can grow through thewins, the losses, the successes,
the failures, the ups and thedowns.
And the link is in thedescription for the pre-order
list, because if you get on apre-order list, I don't just
have the book right, I'm allabout actionable steps and not
only do you get the book.
(01:03:28):
When you join the pre-orderlist, you get early access to
the book, and also when youorder the book on the pre-order
list, you get early access tothe book.
And also, when you order thebook on the pre-order list, you
get a workbook where you cantake at the end of every chapter
, I'm going to have somethingwhere you can apply the
knowledge so that you can learnand grow in real time, and
(01:03:48):
that's how you can get the bookgrow through what you go through
.
So be on the lookout for thatAugust 2023.
So we're less than a month awayfrom the release of it.
Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
Less than a month away from the release of it, and
this is my promise to you whenthat information comes out and
there is no longer a wait list,there's actual an order that you
can make, please get thatinformation to me and I will add
that to the description box soanyone can take advantage of it
at any given time.
Now, before you get out of here, I would love it if you could
(01:04:24):
give people confident tips onthe mis-education of self.
Well, it sounds like you'retelling us the education of self
, so give us confidence on theeducation of self.
Speaker 2 (01:04:38):
So I'm going to give you three tips.
Tip number one is that learnyourself.
Too many people are living inthis world right now and if you
walk up to them, ask them aquestion hey, do you know
yourself?
They're going to say yes.
And I challenge you to truly,truly dive into who you are,
(01:04:58):
what you're doing, what you'redoing for a living, and ask
yourself do you really knowyourself or do you know a
version that someone else hashelped create?
So I challenge you to trulyknow yourself right.
Ask yourself the hard questionsAre you happy?
What are you doing?
Does it provide fulfillmentright?
Ask yourself the hard questionsAre you happy?
What are you doing?
Does it provide fulfillmentright?
Number two the number two thingon how to educate yourself right
(01:05:20):
, on how to educate yourself islisten to the people that you
truly find value in.
Again, there should be a selectgroup of people that you get
advice from.
You should not get advice fromeverybody, because just because
it's advice doesn't mean thatit's good advice, and sometimes
(01:05:41):
hate comes in a form of advice.
So get a select group of people.
I have about three to fourpeople that I go to for
different things and they trulyhelp me navigate Right.
And then the last thing totruly educate yourself is chase
your dreams Like.
Dreamers never die.
That's, that's the model,that's the mission.
(01:06:02):
Don't allow your dreams to diejust because people didn't
believe it.
Right, because your dreams area part of your identity and for
me, it was a lot of people thattold me you just wasted your
four years in college.
Now you want to go and speak.
Now you want to go and talk.
How are you making moneytalking?
Right, but now that I'm makingmoney, I haven't had an $11,000,
(01:06:23):
$12,000 month speaking, and Iknow I'm about to have an even
bigger month.
People are like, wow, I didn'tthink it was possible and it's
because I did not let my dreamsdie.
So the last thing on educatingyourself and truly knowing
yourself is that do not allowpeople to destroy your dreams,
(01:06:44):
because that's all that you havein this world.
When the dust settles andeverything settles, you just
have yourself.
So those are my three tips onhow to truly educate yourself,
and I truly hope that you takeat least one of them and apply
it for the next 30 days and seehow it changes your life and
(01:07:06):
have actionable homework.
Speaker 1 (01:07:10):
Here on the podcast live with Sam Brown Listen faith
and effort.
I appreciate you coming through.
I appreciate you taking thetime to just share who you are.
I love for people to just sharewho you are, for the audience
to get to know who the person isthat they may have an
(01:07:32):
opportunity to work with, togrow in their confidence in that
area, that they may be lackingor may not even realize that
they have that issue.
So I'm grateful that you came,that you shared that this.
I know that this will be animpactful experience as you are
(01:07:54):
an impactful speaker.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
And I appreciate everything.
And listen y'all.
If y'all not subscribe, I needy'all to subscribe.
I need y'all to subscribebecause when you feed yourself
the knowledge that you need, youcould become confident in you.
The only way you could becomeconfident in life is if you
become confident in yourselffirst.
So this is amazing platform.
(01:08:18):
You are an amazing host and ifyou haven't checked out the
other episodes, y'all think thiswas good.
Listen, y'all got to spend ablock and turn tune into the
autumn.
Other episodes, cause.
Listen, it's nothing butstraight heat.
Nothing but straight heat onthis YouTube channel.
I appreciate you again.
Thank you so much.
(01:08:38):
Again, continue to grow throughwhat y'all go through.
Speaker 1 (01:08:42):
My goodness, he said it.
There it is.
The information is there.
It'll be in the description box.
Yes, subscribe.
We are here.
I didn't pay for it either.
Speaker 2 (01:08:52):
No direct deposit in my account.
This is all love all love thankyou.
Speaker 1 (01:09:02):
I do appreciate you being here.
You have been a great blessing,a surprise in disguise, amazing
you.
I appreciate you.
Thank you so much.
Alright, my goodness, if youdidn't hear it for yourself.
You need to grow through whatyou go through.
(01:09:23):
That means it's not over.
It may hurt, it may feel likeit's daunting.
Other people around you may becalling the game over.
Let me tell you Sam Brown saidit best Grow through what you go
through.
The book should be pre-orderedso you can get that workbook
(01:09:49):
because I'm getting mine alreadyordered, because I'm getting
mine already ordered, so you canwork through that.
To just go through and realizethings you may not even have
been aware of.
We wear labels of things thatpeople have said and we may not
even realize that they're stillthere.
(01:10:10):
The remnants of somethingsomeone said when you were
small're still there.
The remnants of somethingsomeone said when you were small
still there.
Someone said when you were ayoung adult still there.
Someone said, as you were anadult, and it's still there.
And that's not your real self,that's not the person you dream
(01:10:32):
of being.
Sam Brown is here to help youdo that.
So please take advantage of allthat he has there.
If you have a youth group, ifyou have some adults, if you
have just your own book club andyou want to invest in having
him come and speak to lift andmotivate, hey, he's the person
(01:10:55):
for the job.
I thank you all for tuning in.
Please don't forget that if youare or if you know someone who
is suffering at the hand ofdomestic violence, please reach
out to Bethany House or theNational Domestic Violence
(01:11:16):
Hotline, bethany House1-888-80-HELPS that's 4-3-5-7-7.
Or the National DomesticHotline 1-800-799-SAFE, 7233.
I would say lock that number orthose numbers in your phone so
(01:11:39):
that if you happen upon someone,it's a quick response to get
them the help that they need.
Confident you is here to helpas many people as possible.
I thank you for tuning in.
Confident you See you in thenext episode.
Or, as Sam Brown said, go backand check out what we've already
(01:12:03):
done.
See you next time.
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