Navigating Life's Journey: A Tale of Brotherly Love, Family Legacy and Personal Growth

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 2 (00:01):
Thanks for tuning in to Safe Link Podcast.

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Your link to a safer tomorrow, Hosted by Kingi,
Discussed life hacks, family andall that ain't safety.
Stay tuned, Well, welcome,welcome.
This is the Safety Link Podcast.
I'm your host, Kenyan Manley,aka the Link.
Today we're going to talk aboutbrotherly love.

(00:27):
I guess I would first introduceyou, obviously, from the title.
This is one of my oldestbrothers, my hero, Just loving
man.
We're, you know, several yearsapart, but you know very close
and I'm going to let youintroduce yourself and tell us.

(00:50):
You know who you are, whatdefines you and a little bit
about your family man, what youlike to do.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Okay, well, again, I appreciate this opportunity.
My brother I'm just so proud ofhim, man, and again, I may be
the older brother, but I candefinitely say that over the
years now, my brother hasdefinitely inspired me to
continue to move forward.
Again, my name is Eric ManleySome people call me easy and you

(01:26):
asked the question of whatdefines me.
Yeah, and for me, what definesme truly, brut, is my family, my
, my wife.
I've been married for 31 years.
My wife her name is Kim andI've known her for 36 years.

(01:48):
I have three children.
My oldest one is, and she's 27.
My middle child is Sterling,and Sterling will be 25 coming
up in this December.
And then my baby girl, camille,she's 14.

(02:08):
And that's my why, and whatdefines me is this again is for
me, is my continue, my characterof who I am, and just it's just
.
It's just being who I say I am,being that example, you know,

(02:30):
brother, just truly being that,that, that priest of my home.
Not that I always get it right,but one thing I can truly say
in my marriage, as well as thefather to my kids, I have been
present.
And so you asked what definesme?
And it's my family, that's mywhy.

(02:51):
You know, because one of thethings bruh is is you know, we
can have an inheritance that weleave our family or our kids,
but the most important for me isleaving a legacy.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Because a legacy is different than leaving a herons,
of leaving them some money orleaving them a stuff, but a
legacy is something that you putin them Right, right, right,
and I just want to continue todo that.
No matter how older my kids get, I still need to be that
example.
I still need to show them ifyou'll put in the work, if

(03:32):
you'll continue to prepare,opportunities will come your way
.
And I'll be honest, I'm still awork in progress.
There's still some, somechallenges, even at 58 years old
, that I still have to overcome,and one thing I'll say is being
here with you these last coupleof days has been a blessing to

(03:54):
me.
Awesome, I'm glad.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
So, you know, I hear you talking about your family
and you know, you know there'ssome folks out there, man, did
you know they don't get toexperience what your kids
experience, what our kidsexperience?
But what's what's so profoundabout it is is where we came
from.
Right, you know we we came from.

(04:19):
You know a home of singleparent.
You know pops in and out, youknow, but more out than in.
You know we got a.
You know a sister.
She's right behind you, mysister that love you to death.
Yes, and it wasn't easy, man,like like, like me and you, as

(04:43):
men, we didn't have a truefigure.
Now I will tell you that thething to save us is we had a
great village.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yes, Without a shadow , without a shadow of doubt.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
And that village man.
When I, when I sit back andthink about it, it's pretty
large, because I know for me andI know for you to be here, and
I know for you that we had torely on some of our friends,
fathers.
We had to rely on our, ouruncles.
Yes, we had to rely on someother figures that maybe be in

(05:14):
the town that we can looktowards, even if we didn't have
a relationship, if they wasrunning it right.
You know we was.
We was grabbing some thingsfrom that and I think those are
some of the things and also thefact that, like you said
yesterday while we were talkingas a family, is that no matter
what my mother was doing, shealways made sure that we went to
church.

Speaker 2 (05:34):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yes.
So when you think about allthose things, man, like we
really didn't even have anexcuse not to have a good family
, because it was the strugglesand those nuggets that we got
from those different people andhow we devised it to be able to
to come out of what we had,because we were dysfunctional

(05:55):
and some may, some, we didn'tsee it as that because our mom
made it well enough for us toenjoy life.
Not even when we look back uponit, we struggled, man, you know
so.
So, with saying all of that,give me a couple people that you
pulled from during during thattime, because there was a period

(06:17):
in time where I wasn't there.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yes, and you talked about the village, and one of
the persons that I candefinitely say that I pulled
from was Mr Patterson.
Wow, you know, eric rest hissoul.
But Eric's dad, mr Patterson,was somebody who would allow me
to come up to his house.
We would play pool and justbeing around him and Miss

(06:40):
Patterson were.
That was one person that Ipulled from.
When you talked about our uncle,so I can, you know Uncle Jesse.
You know times when I would goand spend time with him in the
summertime and he really, youknow he had his own family, but
he sacrificed and would allow meto come up there and just try

(07:04):
to teach me how to be a man.
And when you talk about thoseexamples, sports for me you know
my mom had us involved indifferent things.
See, she knew it was importantfor us not to have idle time and
so she would have us involvedin the YMCA.
I was playing baseball, I wasplaying basketball, but you know

(07:26):
examples in the village.
Another thing, when we talkedabout she always had us go to
church, sunday school.
One of the persons that had animpact on me was Deacon Harris,
and Deacon Harris was a Sundayschool teacher.
Wow, and so I always rememberthat.
You know, we could walk tochurch, to Mount Calvary at that
time.
And you know, and like you said, during those times there was

(07:49):
struggles, but my grand-pap,jesse Thrower, he was, he was
definitely stepped in.
Uncle Marlon, you know, duringthe times when, even when I was
in high school, or when he wouldcome home, he would allow me to
come and cut his grass and thenhe would give me some money.

(08:12):
He would never give me moneyjust to give it to me.
He was teaching me, you knowthat nothing is for free and you
know.
So you come up here, cut mygrass, get my leaves.
You know, and again, those werepeople that were Uncle Jamal.
There was always speaking lifeinto me, you know, even though
he lived out in California, youknow he would call and check on

(08:34):
us and then when he would comein town he would tell us stories
but he would also teach usthose life principles.
So those were people, like Isaid, that really stepped in in
the village.
You know, in my church, like Isaid, Deacon Harris, you know,
like I said Mr Patterson, youknow, just was encouraging and
was speaking life.
So mom would have me aroundthose positive influence because

(09:01):
and you know we call those bro,we call those surrogate fathers
and see, a surrogate father issomebody who steps in.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
When there's an absence, come on, man Of the
father, wow.
And so that surrogate father,those surrogate fathers, really
stepped in.
Like you said about the villageand the people she had me
around, and even when we wouldget, when I would go to the Y,
there were positive men thatstepped in.
Even the people that was out inthe streets would tell me don't

(09:32):
do this.
So it definitely was a villagein New Kensington that helped to
develop me, wow.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
You know, while you were talking, there was, there
were some other names.
You know that this world aroundin my head.
And one of them you know wetalked about again, I thought
Byron was was very.
Yes, somebody that that thatwas somebody that was there,
uncle Laverne was, was wassomebody who was hardworking,

(10:02):
always had a clean vehicle, wasalways clean, always gave, you
know, some change to his niecesand nephews.
And you know the village was sodeep.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Because when I think about that, you figure, uncle
Laverne worked, you know, 40something years at the same
company, was on time all thetime was, was always dead,
working, actually worked toohard jobs, man, you know, and he
worked for the Germans and theone of the things in your soul
right with with Uncle Laverne,you know, brother, was that he

(10:33):
would come to the house onSundays and Uncle Laverne had
the, the Mustang, I mean, he hadthe muscle cars, and I'll never
forget what he did and this isbefore you.
He would come by and he wouldtake me and event and even dad,
and we would ride on the countryroads and his and his Mustang

(10:53):
and one of the things he alwaysdid, he would help us out.
He would give us, you know,would help us out with money and
different things or help, youknow, like Uncle Laverne did
that and I just always rememberthat on Sundays he would come by
and show his car off.
But he worked.
He definitely gave me anexample of what hard work doing

(11:15):
the things that you could do andthen definitely by, you know by
, and really helped me throughthose those tough years of being
a teenager and getting ready.
I didn't even know I could goto college.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
I didn't even think about going to college, even
though I'm right because of weknew, man, because I mean, you
know to say, and week to week,you know trying to get some
bread.
Because you know one thingabout my mom she was so Strong,
so tough that she really neverasked.
You know, because there's a lotof people in our family, a lot
of people that live next door tous, across the street.

(11:49):
Yes, they didn't know.
There was days where my momneeded money.

Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
And I always tell people there was a couple of
days I remember that my motherand in some of these sisters
that I know some of our auntsain't gonna believe us but she
ain't sleep.
That's profound, bro.
Yeah, I mean, there was daysshe went to sleep Because she
was hungry but she knew we hadto eat.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (12:17):
Mmm.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yes, you know, and even times back then, I remember
mr Chambers, who was a policeofficer.
Wow, we had looked up to himbecause back then he had there,
were, he would show us moviesand theaters and back then he
had that, that gold bonnieville.
And you know, mom never got herlicense, so we didn't have a
car and then when dad did haveit, he just wasn't around, you

(12:41):
know.
But you know, mr Chambers andmiss Chambers, and you're right,
in that village there there wastimes where we needed bread or
sugar.
I remember miss it too All ofour neighbors would help us out.
Yes, during those times and andwhen you look at those, even
though there was times that itwas a struggle, when I look back

(13:02):
now, but I still saw how momDid the best that she can do and
she gave us, like you talkedabout, those nuggets of what it
truly took.
Come on, think about it.
When Christmas came around,different holidays not was a she
was not one year.
That's right.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
There was not one year.
Because I remember, because youremember what she should do,
she man, she used to tellchocolate but that's what I was
gonna say.

Speaker 2 (13:24):
Remember she wouldn't break chocolate to have extra
money to get them, kid them,christmas gifts and it was
always a struggle and when Ilook back I felt bad for that.
And then, when it came time,when my kids and I was in the
marriage, I wasn't happy duringthose Christmas times, bro, I
wasn't happy doing father timesand it just was because of

(13:48):
Sometimes the let downs Of whatwas dad was promising us.
But it didn't happen.
And and for me to feel Be madat mom.
She did the best she could andshame and shame on me.
Shame on me, but recognizingshe always went, like you said,

(14:08):
that extra mile to make sure wehad something.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
If she didn't even have, we did have yes, yes, hmm,
you know, I think the thingsthat drives me right now is is
from some of the things that Isee With with our people, with
with people we work with, withthe, the kids, that this, this
whole new generation, what I'mseeing is that we got a, I think

(14:37):
, rethink about that villagetime, because there was
something special about that,because the village was back
then, was was even part of thepeople that didn't even know you
.
Yes, you still respected them,they still looked out.
There was a lot of things thatthat people were, you know, able

(14:59):
to do.
And now, when I think about youknow what goes on now, when you
talk about my family and youknow your kids, your wife, you
really have to dial yourselfdown Into that, because right

(15:22):
now, the, the village ain't asbig as it used to be.
So there's, there's there's alot more stress, a lot more work
that you got to do, in a sense,because you don't have that
extra Support like my mom did orwhat we saw going at that time,
like, like now, you might havea couple friends and, you know,

(15:43):
hopefully, a couple familymembers that can help you, but
you, you got to dig in deepernow because that, like when your
, your kids are out, somebodydown the street ain't watching
them, like it was when we cameup.
Yeah, because I've gottenbeaten twice, several times,
where whoever caught me doingwhat I was doing Busted my butt,
they brought me home and then Igot towed up again because I'd

(16:05):
embarrass my mom, you know sothat ain't happening now,
because if you do that todaythey'll be like why'd you even
discipline my son?

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Right, and he didn't do nothing wrong.
And we know, come on and whenwe're young we're gonna be
mischief, we gonna do something.
And you're right.
When I look at my neighborhoodtoday, like for Camille and the,
you know, with Adele andSterling being gone and starting
their life, there's not a lotof people, even just in our
neighborhood that she's friendswith one friend but it's she's

(16:35):
not too far away that thatrestaurant, like on the other
side of town.
The neighborhood has changed.
But you're right when you lookback at some of the, the village
that we have, yeah, people didcare and that was one of the
things that I realized early onGoing to college.

(16:56):
Daniel Conner, oh, you know,that was.
You know when they talk, whenthey talk about a pivot, yes,
that was a pivot for me becauseI was going into my senior year
and and, like I said, byronhelped me out a lot and.
But the blessing was DanielConner had already been a
college basketball coach.
He moved to New Kensington,took over the athletic director

(17:19):
at Valley High School and he wasthe head basketball coach.
So he had been in college.
So again, like we always talkabout, it ain't how much you
know, but it's who you know yes.
And he, he poured into me and Iremember he said to me and I
remember Kenyan, I had a 1.8 GPAat that time and he said, eric,

(17:40):
if you'll make some changes inthe senior year, he said I know
a lot of different people.
He said, but I don't know whereI can help you go, but I find
something for you and I'll neverforget Kenyan.
I had two offers when it camedown to it, when I finished my
senior year and he'd only spentthat summer.
We played in down in Pittsburghand Ozenab's right, but had a

(18:04):
community college offer again inuniversity.
Wow, and that you know howpeople come into your life and
it changes to rejection, thedirection of your family's
Future, because one of thethings that I can say about me
and you is that maybe we had ata family that was divorced.

(18:27):
They look With our family isour families aren't now.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
My wife came from a family that was divorced, but
one of the things we did vow Wasthat we would.
We would work at it, that'sright.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
That's right, man, and that's so important to to us
.
Man, because what mygrandmother lived to be 93 years
old, my grandfather lived to be89 and they were married since
they were 19, 21 and 21 yearsold.
Man, like, we still had anexample, we still have the the

(19:08):
things, and I'm so glad and I'mso thankful that we had enough
Wherewithal to soak in thosethings and revert back to them.
You know, sadly, to sayeverybody don't have that
opportunity.
What would you say for somebodywho who had some of the same
things we've had?
Because you know, on thisplatform that I'm talking to,

(19:33):
there's regular people just likeme and you, trying to be great,
trying to do things for theright things for our families,
and, you know, trying to be ahusband, trying to be a man,
trying to be a father, and youknow doing all these things.
So there's there's a lot of,there's a lot of things going on
in our lives, but at the end ofthe day, we still have to

(19:57):
perform, we still have to standon our platform when they call
upon us Like what are some ofthe things that, through your
challenges and now that you,that you do that helps you keep
balanced.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
You know, one of the things that I'll never forget,
when my wife said to me one timeshe said you know my oldest
daughter and Dalia, and evenSterling.
One of the things they saidover the years is being their
father is that they were likesometimes dad don't listen and
and and they were probably right, ain't?

(20:36):
No, probably they were right,but would help me?
That helped me because a lot oftimes I wasn't enlisting what
they were really saying, becauseI saw the things they were
doing and I wanted to try toprevent them and try to fix it.
But the thing about it is, eventhough I'm supposed to be their
protector, I still have toallow them to live their life.

(20:56):
And Now when I call them, I dolisten.
You know, that was a challengeand even with my wife, sometimes
I wasn't listening, payingattention to detail.
We've kind of talked about thatand those were, those were some
of the challenges.
Even with my career, I wasputting in a lot of hours early
in my career with my family andthen I'd be gone the whole week

(21:20):
and then when I would come homeand then there would be, they
were getting my leftovers.
So so what are they getting now?
Now they get me because Rightthere now, be there now, like so
, when I'm home, I'm home.
When I'm at work, I'm at work.
I think, how do you do that?

Speaker 1 (21:41):
Okay, cuz I want because we're talking right now.
We're talking to somebody whoneeds some help.
We're talking to somebody whoneeds some you know, a couple, a
couple points to get them Fortheir process.
Like what, what are you doingfrom those different things?
What are you doing right nowthat's helping you do these
things Well for me, so I had toget a routine.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
I think for anybody you have to get a routine, and
for my routine Is getting upearly in the morning.
I have a prayer, calm that I goto and then I pray and then I
have some books that I'll mayberead for maybe 20 30 minutes.
I'll maybe read for maybe 20 30minutes, but that means I have
to get up earlier.
Then, whatever, it is time forme to go to work.

(22:25):
But by doing that and havingthat time with the God and and
praying and reading a book, it'slike I get inspiration for what
I need to do just for today,like I don't know the things
that I need to do for today andprepare myself before I go into
speaking at a school.
And so having that routine andbeing consistent with that

(22:46):
routine, it it gives medirection.
And, and I'll never forget, Ichanged doctors, brother, it's
probably been now about fiveyears and one of the things that
the doctor I changed from amale doctor to a female doctor
and the doctor she said to meshe said Eric, self-care.

(23:12):
Wow, that's what hit me brah,because see, so long with a deli
and with Sterling and you willcome ill.
I was putting all that tryingto help them do, but I wasn't
taking care of myself andContinue to grow so I could be
better for them, and Sometimes Iwas putting all my hopes and

(23:33):
their dreams, things that Ihadn't achieved yet, that I
wanted them to be able toachieve.
So self-care when the doctorsaid that, and from that point
on and that's what I've beenable to do and be consistent at
that is getting up early,reading my Bible, prayer time
and reading a book, and, and sothat that's what's helped me.

(23:57):
So a person, what I would say IWould encourage him to find a
routine that they maybe there'snot in the morning for them.
Maybe it might be at night afterthey've done everything, but
find some time For yourself.
Yes, you know Self-care andthat, and that's what I've been
able to do, and I've been ableto stack those up consistently

(24:18):
and, and what it allowed me todo is To serve mm-hmm.
You know, a Lot of times earlyin my life somebody may have to
look at themself.
I was selfish, hmm, but I hadto learn how to serve.
It's like you know, there'stimes where I'm working out of

(24:40):
the home and I'm not workingthat day, or I'm setting up
schools, making calls, and thatyou know.
Wash the dishes, clean up thekitchen, clean the house oh, you
saying something now, man.
You saying something right now,mmm because, one of things that
that's one of my wife's lovelanguages is the house being

(25:00):
clean and run the sweeper.
Those were things, and nowcooking.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah, you might have to slow down, man, with this
information.
You talk about love language,you.
You talking about Doing thedishes.
You, a man.
We're supposed to be doingdishes.
Come on now, oh man, yes, yes,love language.
Wow, I heard something else did.
That really is important.

(25:26):
You, you said you was whatselfish like.
That's hard.
That's hard looking in themirror, you know.
But I think when you get pastthat point, you begin that
there's a beginning, when youget past that point, of Really
truly looking in the mirror.
No makeup, no clothes on.
Like you, you're raw withyourself because if you're not,

(25:50):
you cannot truly fix what needsto be fixed.
Man, at the end, of the day.
But you're right, man, thatself-care thing is is so
important.
That's some of the things I,you know I'll be talking about
on there because it's soimportant.
Because when I talk about youknow what I like to really talk
about leadership.
Like you can't, you just cannotbe a great leader with without

(26:12):
having self-care.
You always are gonna have to beworking on yourself as well,
because there's always somethingto work on, because we'll never
be perfect.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
Yes so.

Speaker 1 (26:23):
So that self-care thing to me is super duper
important for people that I callsafety professionals, right,
yes, I Call you a safetyprofessional because you're a
father.
You just talked about a lot ofstuff going on in your life.
So if you ain't taking care ofyourself, self-care is not just,

(26:46):
you know, thinking about what'sgoing on in your mind, but it's
it's.
It's about your spirit, yoursoul, it's about.
It's about eating healthy andbeing healthy.
You know, and Two out of threeout of the mind, body and soul,
mm-hmm, that's not good enough.
It's gotta be all three and itall has to be lined up.

(27:07):
So I'm glad you brought that up,because I think people
Continually need to hear that,they continually need to know
that it's okay that you, you,you got some, some scars, it's
okay that, that, that, thatyou're not perfect, but it's not
okay to do nothing about thosethings, because I truly believe

(27:34):
that a lot of people, more thanmore than none, they want to be
a better them, they want to begood at what they do.
So but I think the hardest partis I know for myself I ain't
gonna speak for everybody'slooking at myself and Saying you
know what man, you, you'reratchet you know, You're ratchet

(27:58):
, but then again I can look backevery once in a while and say
I'm less ratchet than what Iused to be.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
And another thing when I in my preface I walk two,
three miles a day and for awhile there me and my wife was
doing the walking and it wasexcellent, and then she kind of
got sidetracked of being able todo that.
But in the past I would say,baby, come on, come on.
But then I realized we talkedabout being a priest.
When you're a priest of yourhome, bro, that means being an

(28:26):
example.

Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yes, sir.

Speaker 2 (28:27):
And just being committed and consistent and
just get out.
I get that, walk in and thatreally helped out a lot.
And self-care is not beingselfish, but self-care is just
trying to be the best version ofyourself.
Because, see, one of the thingsthat I'll always share is that
our uniqueness of who we are,brother, that's our gift.
That's our gift.

(28:50):
See, like, when you think aboutCamille and you think about
Janice, at their age, peoplewere trying to be like others,
but you can't be like somebodyelse.
You have to be the best versionof who you are.
Your uniqueness is your gift.

(29:11):
That's what separates you.
Our kids have been called to beleaders, even in their
relationships.
Certain relationships that theyhave are not gonna work out if
it's not the right thing.
And it's so important for meand you, as husbands and fathers
, is to be at our post, and Iknow there's many times that I

(29:32):
felt at that, because sometimes,which you were saying, like you
said, somebody wants to be thebest version of himself, but
they don't know how to do it,cause they haven't seen what it
looked like.
So one of the things that's soimportant is that you and I know
you tell me your friends, I'lltell you your future, right,

(29:52):
right, you know.
Or people say you know I maynot be much, but you watch, you
all hang out with Right rightCause.
See, a seed can grow unlessit's in the right environment.
That's right 100% drop it on aboy.

Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, that's right man.

Speaker 2 (30:10):
You know, sometimes you don't know.
So it's important for us to bearound men that are trying not
that they're doing the samething we're doing, but they're
trying to become better at whatthey're doing.
And there's just certainprinciples, right, there's just
certain if you follow thoseprinciples you know ET used to
always say this behind everyprinciple there's a promise,

(30:32):
right, whether you love the Lordor not, there's principles that
have been put on this world andif you follow those and be
consistent with them, you'regoing to get the promise.
And not only that.
When he talks about, innovationis rewarded, but execution is
worship.
You know that follow through,right, being able to execute and

(30:56):
finish.
And that's where I'm at.
I'm at that point where there'scertain things I gotta finish.

Speaker 1 (31:01):
Right, let's talk about that.
Huh, let's talk about that.
I mean, you know you might puta little bit of accountability
on you a little bit, cause you,we had a truce and you slip.
You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (31:13):
But so what you got going on, man, you know what you
got going on right now outsideof you know the home or whatever
what you got.

Speaker 2 (31:22):
Well, you know, one of the things that me and you
had talked about like you saidwhat you're doing right now with
your podcast but then I waswriting a book called man,
husband and Father and I'm atthat point where it's finished
but it is not done yet.
And one of the things that wetalked about and I talked about
with you is I need that lastpart on the father.

(31:45):
I need to have that talk withmy kids and I think some of the
things that kind of stopped meis I was kind of afraid about
what they may say.

Speaker 1 (31:55):
Right, but again, talking about you yourself, that
you know this, this whole thing, you you scared of of what
you're going to hear because ofwhat you thought you done.
You know, and and to me, whenyou said that the other day,
that's pretty profound becauseyou know, a lot of the times me
and you also talked about this,this, the, the, the gap in

(32:19):
separation in business where thethe office thinks that they're
getting the information to theguys out in the field and the
fields telling us that they'renot getting the information.
So there's, there's adisconnect, right, and there's a
disconnect because of the, thelanguage that's spoken there.
Right, there's a and you, you,you got to be able to, to feel

(32:43):
that gap, man, you know so.
So go ahead, man, I really, I,really, I really, I what you
saying right here, dawg.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah, because, and so that's when I leave here, you
know, I'm going to reach out tomy kids, you know, to my two
older ones, and just set a timethat we can talk.
I'm going to have, you know,some questions and I'm going to
ask them to reveal to me becausethe reason why it's so
important, bro, is a simple factis this I want to their

(33:13):
perspective is their reality.
Come on, their perspective istheir reality.
So I want to know the thingsthat grown up up to this point,
how, how do you feel like beinga father to you, right, and and
just listen, right.

(33:34):
And then, once I listen to that, then the next question I want
to ask, from this point now, asyour father and where our
relationship, is what it is thatI can do to be there for you,
right, and those are twopowerful things, right, that not
only is going to help me be abetter father, but it's also

(33:56):
going to free me up to moveforward, got you?

Speaker 1 (34:00):
Awesome man.
Awesome man, being able to getthat connection with our kids
and ask them what they, how theylook at us.
Because that also goes back toyou know the husband and wife
thing, right, when your wifetells you, hey, I don't like how
you're saying that, well, youmay think you was wasn't saying

(34:23):
it that way, or you didn't sayit like you thought you said it,
but the fact is is that theperson that you said it to they
didn't take it well.
So, as a person who's reallytrying to fix himself it's not
that, or I'm not, I didn't dothat I'm not going to worry
about that.
It's.

(34:43):
It's, it's like.
Well, the next question shouldbe what did I do to make you
feel like and what did I do so Ican fix that?
Because you might have did itone way, but now you need to fix
something about you because youneed to be a better
communicator.
That's not that person's fault,it's how you communicated it.

Speaker 2 (35:02):
And you're right, because communication is not
good if the person that you'recommunicating is not receiving
it.
So you are right.
Or, a lot of times, the way myvoice it really wasn't my voice,
more so, bro, it was my facialexpression and I didn't even
realize I was doing it that arejust as powerful.

(35:23):
Yes, it's that, that's that,that body language and so, but
even though I would say, yeah,but my face, right it wasn't
convincing.
Yeah, yeah, and so so how I sayit and one of the things that I
know that I've gotten better atis I have more of a piece of

(35:48):
where I'm at.
But in that that bit again,like I said, asking my kids from
you know, from Adelia toSterling to Camille, how and
what are things that you knowfrom this point moving forward,
that you need from me, that Icould be there for you, or
making sure that we consistentlyleast talk twice a week.

(36:10):
We make it a point, so I knowwhere you're at and you know
where.

Speaker 1 (36:14):
I'm at Right, right, right.
No, I get it, man, that's 100%.
That's some, that's some goodstuff, man.
I guess the next couple ofquestions, man, I mean, you know
, I want to talk about somebodywe didn't talk about that Okay.
And I want to.
I want to bring his name upbecause just two weeks ago it

(36:35):
was 70 years that he first tooka snap up under center and
that's our uncle Willie, BecauseI know he was when I became a
teenager and that's you know,started all these things started
evolving and the questions andthe word, and then we finally

(36:56):
find out.
As I be getting to get older, Icontinue to think upon his
journey.
When you hear about, you know,being the first black
quarterback in the modern era,growing up at a time where, in
the 40s so where there wasracism and we lived in, thank

(37:19):
God, we lived in a communitythat to me, was a microcosm,
with the world really trulylooked like.
Yes, so there were some thingsthat that we may not have seen,
like, you know, folks you knowmore Southern may have saw.
Just because of we had to worktogether.

(37:40):
We you know everybody ateeverybody's food.
You know, we, we were just likea multicultural growing up and
I think to me that was a plusfor us.
Yes, Because we were able tounderstand different
nationalities and different,different people of color, and
it was just a melting pot thatwas worth every bit, you know,

(38:04):
because I know, sometimes what Isee on the news ain't true.
With some flips, I know that.
Look like that.
That's right.

Speaker 2 (38:09):
You know, we know that to be right and you know,
one of the things you talk aboutUncle Willie is.
You know, I remember me.
He took me on my first fishingtrip and I'll never forget it.
And I remember going withLittle Will and I forget who
else was with us at that time,but he took me up to Lake Erie

(38:31):
and I'll never forget I caughtthree things that day, bro.
The first thing I caught as aperch, and then it was like a
little bass and then I thought Ihad something big and it was
bent in my pole.
We was all getting excited andhere it was a snapping turtle.
Wow, and I remember it like itwas yesterday, bro.

(38:52):
What Uncle Willie?
Because he was so much of agiver.
He would chew his red tobaccohis red man, that's right or
maybe the beach with it.
I think it was the red man.
And even when we were fishinghe would always be listening to
a baseball game during that time.
And he was a giver.

(39:12):
And I'll never forget I wasdriving in that big camper.
That was like big to me, right,right, that was so big and for
him he was doing something, yeah, right.
And again him and Aunt MaryAlice.

Speaker 1 (39:27):
They gave Right.
They showed him Of themselves.
They showed him.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
But I never.
I can see that tripping my mindlike it was yesterday.
And then also to going down toBaltimore, another place of
fishing.
But he took me on my firstfishing trip, wow, I mean, and
it was just like driving up toLake Erie, that was just like so
big to me, wow, wow.
And you know, and I feelsometimes did not to know more.

(39:53):
I mean, I know what family hasshared with me.
When he played up in Canada,you know and you know.
But I would have loved to beenable to see the movie pictures
of what that was Right Like,what that looked like.
And what blew my mind is, youknow, even to see my son do when

(40:15):
he was at Chapel Hill to dosomething on Uncle Willie was so
powerful.
But this is what blew my mind,that him and Aunt Mary Alice,
when he was in the off season,because back then they still had
a lot of people, they still hadto work another job.
You know he worked at BurlConstruction but they said he

(40:36):
used to go up to Harlem.
Him and Aunt Mary Alice wouldgo up to Harlem and help drug
addicts.
Wow, and he was helping drugaddicts of famous musicians,
jazz musicians, who were on thatheroin so they would go on off
season up in New York, bro andminister, and help people who

(40:59):
were addicted to drugs.
Come on, man, wow, did you knowthat?

Speaker 1 (41:05):
I didn't know that man.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
Yes, yes, and they were famous musicians.
I'm not for sure the name ofthe position, but when I heard
that, I was thinking like here'sa man that broke into something
, didn't want to, but still hewas helping other people.

Speaker 1 (41:23):
And he was all he had already.
I mean, come on, man, when youthink about this like this,
ain't no coincidence, man?
Yes, your last name was Thrower.
You got a big old hand, yes,and you become the first
African-American to step upunder center man, and what's so?

(41:43):
The greatest thing about it isthat the path of his life, that
he was able to go to a schoolthat was on the forefront of
integration.

Speaker 2 (41:59):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
So he was almost the first of a lot of things.
I know he was the firstquarterback to be labeled as a
quarterback in college as well,if I'm not mistaken.
But there's just so manyremarkable things that when I
look at his life and now thatyou done told me that man, when
I think about him, it's like hewas such a giant A giant to me

(42:26):
because there's a lot of thingsthat I don't know that I would
have been able to do the way hedid it.
Yes, he did all of this withnot a mumbling word.
Yes, he did all of this withoutviolence, without anything.
But he stood on Willie ThrowerBecause, if you remember, he was

(42:52):
at Texas or something.
I think that he was going to goto an All-Star game or
something down in Texas, andwhen they backed in, that's when
, again, segregation was goingon and I guess it was prominent
where the game and places weregoing to be at and he decided
not to go.

(43:13):
But he really stood on himselfand was cool with himself enough
that he didn't have to be in anuproar.
He didn't have to be mad thatsomebody didn't like him.
He still trudged forward withhis talents and broke a barrier
and when I think about that, heactually sacrificed himself.

(43:33):
And now, when you look backupon it, you had Super Bowl with
two African-Americanquarterbacks competing.
You had the first week youmight not notice the first week
in the NFL that there was overseven, or it was, there was.

(43:54):
There was over 10 quarterbacks,starting on the very first week
of this year in a footballseason, first time ever, and I
think it's 13 is the number.
I just don't want to be wrong.
So when I think about what hedid and go back to what you said
early about legacy, this man isis, is is God.

(44:19):
Rest his soul.
He's laid down and what hestarted is steel, has life in it
and it is still going in.
Some of the people that areliving in that life, some of
these QBs, they don't even knowour uncle.

Speaker 2 (44:33):
You're right.

Speaker 1 (44:35):
They don't even know that, that that they're carrying
on a torch, that he began inthe forties and set a record for
it for the first by quarterbackin 1953.
And the TV just began to beused, so they didn't even know
he was black when he went to todifferent places and think about
it.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
He went back to back state titles Right.

Speaker 1 (44:56):
As a QB.
They said days, there was10,000 people.
You know they had to hold someof the games at Forbes field.
You know, in the runes, youknow I'm admired that and helped
out.
But, man, you, when I say agiant I mean a giant like,
because I just think about it, Ijust think about myself and how

(45:16):
I would have reacted duringthose times, because you got to
understand he was five, six,five, seven.

Speaker 2 (45:25):
But think about how big his hands were.

Speaker 1 (45:27):
How many?

Speaker 2 (45:27):
were eight.

Speaker 1 (45:29):
I wouldn't talk about that real quick.
I used to hate because myfriends always wanted to shake
grandpaps hands.
His hands was just as big, youknow, and I get it, because even
me myself it just didn't looknormal man.
You know, when you try to tellsomebody how big their hands was
, they can't believe it untilthey see it.
It's not normal.

Speaker 2 (45:50):
No, when somebody is shaking your hand and it's up on
your forearm.
Come on, man, and when youthink, when you think about that
, like you said, what he's beenable to do and what it comes
back to me is we're talkingabout him Is God trusted our
great uncle.
Come on To be able to be thatperson, like you know, like a

(46:11):
Moses, to be that, to be thatperson.
You know that, you know thathelped the slaves that we talk
about.
What's the lady that helped theslaves with Rosa Parks?

Speaker 1 (46:24):
I mean I was a part.
I'm sorry, but Harriet Tubmanyeah, harriet.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Tubman, he was the first to be able to think about
it.
He had his own club totouchdown club, right, you know,
but just the things that he didand he was, he had a humbleness
about himself, and then heworked in rural construction.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
Right, you know, he went too good.
No, not at all, he went toogood but he went too good, but
he was.

Speaker 2 (46:47):
he was great in his own Like you said come on.
Brian, you're in the Hall ofFame in the state of
Pennsylvania, you're in thefootball Hall of Fame up in
Canton and you're in theCanadian Hall of Fame.

Speaker 1 (47:01):
That's just and your hand is the most famous pro hand
and Ripley's, believe it or not.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
But not only that.
What was his favorite sayingwith it?
He always say anything you doin life, always be a giant.
Come on, man, Come on.
Anything that you do in life,always be a giant.
So, if you're going to be agarbage man, be the best garbage
man that you can be.
If, whatever you do, oh man, bethe best that you can be.

(47:33):
If you're going to be a doctor,be the best doctor you can be.
If, like you, if you're going towork in construction, right, be
the best heavy equipmentoperator that you were, and then
not only that, to transfer intosafety.
You know, and just to watchyour career and what you've been
able to achieve, we know it isnothing but the grace of God how

(47:56):
he's ordered your steps.
But you've had that thing whereyou cared about people, not
only the safety aspect of thembeing safe on the job, but you
truly cared about them to beingable not only be safe but to be
able to provide for the family,because if that individual dies
on the job, even if they haveinsurance, that providing goes

(48:20):
away and it stops after that.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
It's in it's in it's in it's in, it's in your right.
But then when I refought thiswhole thing, I'm like it's
bigger than that.
It's bigger than at the job.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
That's right, it's a life.

Speaker 1 (48:39):
It's a lifestyle, it's, it's.
It's like I said before it'swhen you wake up, it's when you
go to sleep, it's when you stepout your door.
Are you present in that moment?

Speaker 2 (48:56):
And we have to be present in that moment, and you
know why that's so important.
Even we talked about right nowbeing you doing this right now
at the job, right now, when I'mat home, right now, because if
you're not in the right now,that's a safety hazard.
That's right.

Speaker 1 (49:14):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (49:15):
When you're not in that right now.
If you're on that job doingheavy work, if you're on that
job doing heavy equipment orremember when you were doing
cranes up in Skyscaper if you'renot in that right now, you're a
safety hazard.
That's right and it's in life.
We're a safety hazard If we'renot paying attention when we
drive in that car or in thattruck or that.
You know, whatever it is,you're a safety hazard.

(49:36):
So it's not just about thesafety of a job, but it's about
the safety of your life, of yourlife.

Speaker 1 (49:45):
And, wow, you're just I'm so excited, man, to think
that you know that life, yourlife, like I said, when we talk
about the whole life thing andit starts, I think again, with
that self-care, it starts withyou having a good spiritual

(50:06):
well-being and you're takingcare of your body.
Because now for you to be inthe right now we talked about
this today is that the thoughtprocess of being optimal, the
thought process of being at thetop of your game.

(50:28):
But to be at the top of yourgame, that means eating right,
that means, you know, beinghealthy in whatever that means
to you.
That means taking care of yourbody.
That means taking care of yourproblems, like taking care of
your issues.
You know you might have a lot,but like maybe two a day, you
know, two this week or two thismonth or however you figured out

(50:48):
, but really figuring out thesethings that can pull you away
from excellence.

Speaker 2 (50:53):
And you know, when it goes back to the question you
asked earlier, how do we helpsomebody who's at that point and
you're trying to figure out?
One of the things that I knowthey can help them is writing it
down.
You know, even if it's like atthe end of the night, write it
down on a piece of paper, writeit on the tablet, get a tablet

(51:16):
and write it down, because italways is.
A plan is insane, but adecision is in concrete.
Come on, come on, say it again,please.
Yeah, a plan is insane, but adecision is in concrete.
When you write it down, itmakes it plain, you can see it,
and then what you do is youcheck it off and that'll help

(51:37):
you, because they always say theshortest pencil is better than
the longest memory.
That's right, the shortestpencil is better than the
longest memory.
And so when you write thatthing down, you won't forget it
and you can check it off andthat'll help you prepare.
Now, you may not get everythingdone on your checklist that day,
but okay, the good Lord willing, tomorrow's a new day, but you,

(52:01):
but you, you're, you're lookingat your plan, right, and so
that might be, at the end of theday just kind of empty your
mind, just relaxed by yourselfmaybe the family's asleep or
even if just you and just writedown what you want to achieve
for tomorrow and then andcontinue to do that and that it
will help you.
That that that because in lifeyou're right facing our problems

(52:25):
, like you know, if you in debt,you want to get out of debt.
You got to attack it, Right.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
No matter what.
But I mean it's going to comeback to you.
You know you did so you weren'tsupposed to do, but you got to
figure out why you did that.
You know what I mean.
You got to figure out how toget back out of that and fix it.
And you know, try not to getback there again.
You're right.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
But again, going back to our great uncle, yeah, he
was truly, and that's somethingthat we can't take that for
granted.
It's up to us to continue tocarry that on.
Oh, no doubt.
Whatever area and you know, Iknow you're in, you know you're
in the construction area and I'min the educational area, and
you always hear me say thispeople don't care how much you

(53:09):
know until they know how muchyou care.
And that's so true and whatthat has allowed me to do, even
though I've been doing this for25 years and I'm seeing younger
people come it has allowed me tobe relevant.

Speaker 1 (53:24):
Man, Okay, so you say you're in the education side of
things and I know you're out,you know you know speaking to
the kids, and so what, what,what, what, what, what's the

(53:44):
industry that that you speakabout as far as an education,
Well, basically, as industry is,we're talking about automotive
technicians, diesel technicians,and, with the diesel, heavy,
medium, and then also the lightduty diesel, but then also heavy
equipment, agriculture, andwith the diesel technicians

(54:07):
being, you know, semis, alsorobotics.
Oh, wow.

Speaker 2 (54:13):
You know robotics and also HVAC.
Wow.
We talk about the automotivealso in the hybrid and the
electric vehicles and in theblessing about that is and
whether it's in that field thatwould I recruit in.
It doesn't really matter whatfield it is today, because

(54:38):
people are needed.
Now People are retired.
We've come out of COVID.
The generation thinksdifferently.
A lot of our generation is notmotivated by money.
They're they're more somotivated.
Yeah, they want to have money,but they're they're motivated on

(54:58):
having flexibility, wow.
So one of the things that Ihave to show them is that the
opportunity is great.
Now I'll give you an example.
One of my instructors that I'mknown for the last couple of
years.
He teaches welding and we do alittle bit of welding in our
high performance because we doautomotive and high performance

(55:20):
racing in NASCAR, nhra, arcusseries.
You know drag racing.
They get a chance to do truckpools.
We partner with Monster Jam,with official school for
autocross and and with thosethings.
The instructor came up to me andsaid hey, man, I wanted to
share something with you.

(55:40):
You know my son's only beennear a year.
I said I don't know what's hedoing.
He's doing great.
He said he already has offerswith NASCAR and HRA in the Arcus
series Wow.
And he has not even graduated,wow.
And so one of the things that Itell the students is anytime
you're looking to further youreducation, whether the school

(56:01):
was 4,000, like at my school, or100,000 at Ohio State or 50,000
at another university, go to aschool that has a great
internship.
When our students go to ourschool, they have an opportunity
, when they're doing robotics,to work a part-time job in
robotics making $25 an hour,what, what better place to get

(56:22):
some quick experience, rightyeah.
We partner with Honda, nissan,ford, and even in the medical
field there's procedures thatare done with robotics, and so
the opportunities are endlessfor this generation, and I
always speak life to thisgeneration.
Some people like thisgeneration, but I always say

(56:44):
this if you see a problem, don'ttalk about it.
Be a solution, help.
Like you said, there's a gapthere.
What can you do to help it?
Right?
So you got to look yourself inthe mirror when you're talking
about this generation, and sowhen I come in, a lot of
students will say you'redifferent.
You're different than the otherschools that came in here.

(57:06):
Not only did you talk aboutyour school, but you also talked
about the options that we dohave.
I always use this example withthem, bro.
I always say I could tell youthat my school is the best thing
since sliced bread.
But you might like a bagel,maybe you like a biscuit, you

(57:27):
might like a tortilla, maybe youlike rice, right, maybe you
like retoast.
You have to find out what isthe right fit, right, and I do
have a lot of opportunities foryou, and when I do that to them,
they're having more interest inthe thing about it, the field,
the opportunities here, and youknow, in your field there's a
lot of opportunities for youngpeople, yes, and then there's

(57:48):
scholarship opportunities foryoung people.
All you got to do is put whatyou want to do in Google, put
scholarships behind it in Google, and I always make a joke with
them.
You talking about making itrain.
I always scroll scholarships,make it scroll, and they get a
laugh out of it.
And then when they see it ontheir phone, they're like wow, I

(58:10):
didn't notice.
When I started 25 years ago,bro, for just being a left
hander, the scholarship was fiveto $700.
Now the scholarships between3000, almost up to 7k.

Speaker 1 (58:23):
Just for being a left hander.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
Just for being a left hander, wow.
So there's so manyopportunities out there, but the
young people have so muchinformation coming at them.
Sometimes they don't know whereto focus it at Right, and again
you don't know what you don'tknow.
And one of the things for me asI finish in my career strong is
I want to help moreAfrican-Americans understand the

(58:49):
opportunity that is in thisindustry.
If I do a hundred applications,I would say maybe only three or
four are African-American andmaybe, if I take the number up
more with Hispanic or Latino oreven with females, I'm starting
to see more females get into theindustry.

(59:09):
But out of a hundred theremight be four African-Americans.

Speaker 1 (59:17):
And I see the same thing in construction.
A big disparity, and if I do,you see most of them they're not
in like managerial positions,they're not in high up positions
.
They get to a certain level.
And I will tell you, it goesback to the same reason why

(59:40):
there wasn't a black quarterback.
Yes, it's because at that timethey didn't feel that
African-Americans or people ofcolor could be in leadership
positions.
And I still say that some ofthat it plays true to a certain

(01:00:02):
extent and it plays true fromwhat I see.
Yes, so I know every day, man,At the end of the day, I'm no
complainer, man.
I just know that I'm a pointdown.
Yes, I know that at the end ofthe game I'm a point down.
So that means that I got tocome in to work earlier.
Yes, I got to stay at work alittle bit later.

(01:00:24):
I got to get my education, Igot to do those things and I'm
so thankful that I have thatspirit to be able to know that I
got to tie my boots up everyday.
There ain't no slacking, youknow, because I know what's out
there and but I'm just sothankful that I've been, you
know, over the years, with, youknow, surrounded by good friends

(01:00:46):
, good family, good people thatI've been working with, that,
worked with that, have reallyhelped me get over some of those
, those humps.
But I still know that, you know, every day I go to work it's
like I'm on an interview.

Speaker 2 (01:01:00):
E Every day.

Speaker 1 (01:01:02):
I'm on an interview.
You know I'm on an interview.
I'm trying to work at a levelabove.
You know where I'm at.
I'm trying to do those thingsbecause you just have to realize
what's real.
We ain't got to.
I mean, it is what it is, man,and it's like again.
It's like, if that's a problem,how are you?
A solution?

(01:01:22):
That's right, and my solutionis is that that I'm going to go
above and beyond that, that I'mgoing to reach out and touch
somebody.
I'm going to ask if you needsome help.
I'm.
You know I'm going to be on mypost.
You know what I mean, with the,with the bullet holes, the
dents in my armor.

Speaker 2 (01:01:37):
You know.
What's so good about that,brother, is this when you create
good habits, you be in yourcommitted and you continue to be
consistent.
When you walk on a premises,people don't see the color of
your skin.
They see the commitment of yourcharacter.
Man come on man 100%.
They don't see the color ofyour skin, but they see the

(01:02:00):
commitment of your character.
So I know, even when I go inschools, majority or most of the
the families or students thatgo there once I start to talk.

Speaker 1 (01:02:10):
Yes, they feel it, the authenticity.

Speaker 2 (01:02:13):
That's right.
So they don't see that.
So you're right.
It just we know what is.
But what?
What can we do better?
Right, and one of the things yousaid that I know for you to do
that you have to have goodhabits, that's right.
You know, like you said, you goin an early.
I remember there was times whenI came to visit you a couple of
years ago, you early in themorning.
I remember one time I would sayI had a chance to shadow you

(01:02:39):
and I remember that day.
I watched what you did, I sawhow you handled yourself, I
watched how you talk with people.
You, you gave me an opportunityto come to that picnic that
they kind of had that day, right, and but I saw how you carried
yourself and even in yourjourney there's been people
who've been jealous.
There's been people who try tomake something happen.

(01:02:59):
There wasn't there, but youstill continue to stay that
course.
And so you know what I do.
I just continue.
Like you just said, when I goin schools, I speak life,
whether they, I tell them,whether you decide to go to my
school or not, these are theopportunities that are out there
for you.
Right, and by doing that I hada student this year say to me.

(01:03:22):
He said Mr Manly, this is mysecond time seeing you.
He said the only reason I wantto take a look at your school is
because you never told me Ineeded to go to your school.
You just told me that it was anoption and so I had to check
the option out.
And by checking the option off,now I want to go to your school
.
But you didn't try to convinceme, you just shared the

(01:03:42):
information with me.
Wow, see, because a man or womanconvinced against his will is
of the same opinion still.
Said it again, slower it upyeah, a man or woman convinced
against his will is of the sameopinion still.
And what I mean by that, bruh,is if you don't take ownership

(01:04:06):
what it is that you want to doin life, somebody can convince
you to do this and somebody elsecan convince you to do that.
But once you take ownership ofwhat it is that you are looking
to achieve, or what your goal is, or what you're trying to get
done, if it doesn't line up withwhat you're trying to do, you

(01:04:27):
ain't hearing it.
Wow, you don't accept it.
Wow.
So that's why I say a man orwoman, convinced against his
will, is of the same opinion.
Still, wow.
And when you're that way,you're not moving forward and
you're just everywhere.
And even sometimes when youhave plans, like I said,

(01:04:48):
sometimes you need somebody.
It's why it's important thatwe're accountable and even if we
break that commitment that wesaid we were going to do, still
somebody makes us accountable toget over that hump, mmm, okay,
uh huh Right, because at the endof the day you're going to have
to own it at the end of the day, if you want to get over

(01:05:10):
otherwise, right, yeah, right.

Speaker 1 (01:05:15):
So I want to go back.
You know you're in thisindustry.
Robotics, yes.
So on my end, that's big rightnow, because there's a
phenomenon coming right.
We got AI, we got, you know,machines either being run by a
man, or a man or a woman in theconstruction business on the
side, or you know, from acomputer, but you know

(01:05:38):
somebody's, nobody's in themachine, you know while they're,
they're operating it, and youknow one thing that I didn't
hear and I want to ask you Okay,so hold those two questions Is
the other thing is I hearddiesel, but I didn't hear
electric.
Now I've been seeing a lot ofelectric.
Oh, okay, ev.

Speaker 2 (01:05:58):
Okay, I'm sorry I was using analogies, but we call
them EV speeds, electricvehicles, and I'll give me an
example about that High-bridsand electric vehicles.
A lot of people are not excitedabout the older generation.
It's not excited about the EVs.
But you know, like Dion says,we coming, whether you like it

(01:06:19):
or not, it's coming and it'shere and I'll give it.
It's like within the heavyequipment.
We talked about that a littlebit.
But yeah, and the opportunitiesfor EV techs is between night
looking at 90 something, 120 anhour, just because they don't
have enough of them, and, likewe always talk about it, when

(01:06:41):
you're building something,you're having something, you
need to have the people to beable to do it.
And but yeah, we teach onelectric vehicles.
We had always been teaching onthe high-brids.
But, yeah, the EVs in thetrucks, in the heavy equipment,
in the cars, and see cause it'smandated by 2025.

(01:07:04):
All dealerships, all just haveto have the electric vehicles on
their lot.
Oh, really, I didn't know that.
Yeah, they have to have them ontheir lots, they're going to
have them, whether you like itor not.
Like you said, props it, wecoming, yeah, we coming.
And I give you an example.
I was talking with a family andto just give you how bad

(01:07:26):
there's a need for diesel techs.
A young the dad said his friend, his son's, working in Ohio in
a small town they couldn't finda diesel tech to take care of
the school buses.
Oh wow, so how much do youthink they're paying them an
hour to take care of that?

Speaker 1 (01:07:45):
If you were guessing how much you think they're
paying, probably maybe 60 bucksan hour, higher 80 bucks an hour
, higher 100 bucks an hour.

Speaker 2 (01:07:55):
Higher 200 bucks an hour, no, 170 an hour.
Wow, 170 an hour.
And I never really heard thatbefore and I've been for a long
time.
But the need and he works atnights making over 300 something
here, wow, in a small town,right, can you imagine, man?

(01:08:19):
You know, I've heard, like withthe electric vehicles, because
there's a need for them, they'repaying them a 95 to 125 an hour
man.
So the opportunity is here,like, for instance, with the
robotics when they come.
Ford came to us two years agoand said they wanted to partner
with our university because theycan't wait for people to get a
four year engineering degree andso they start them off to 80 to

(01:08:43):
$100,000 once they finish upwith our program and they teach
them the forward way.
Wow, nissan in Tennessee willtake our students and give them
a $10,000 moving allowance tocome to Tennessee.
Start them off 80 to 100.
Honda right, it's only about anhour from the school.

(01:09:05):
They partner with our students,allow them to do internships
and they pay them like $25 anhour, wow, wow.
And they're going to school.
And the nice thing about ourschool, they're only going four
days a week, five hours a dayand every six weeks.
Wow, and they only take oneclass at a time, bro, and it's

(01:09:27):
considered to be full time sothey can work a job about what
their housing and things of thatnature.
So yeah, and that wholeindustry, and even with HVAC we
even teach HVAC at our schooland so a person with HVAC can
start their own LLC and getstarted right away and have
their own business.
Maybe they work for somebodyfor a little bit, but they can
start their own LLC.

Speaker 1 (01:09:48):
I know that HVAC is big again, man, because of the
COVID right.
I mean, there's new systemscoming out, there's a lot of new
technology, man, and you knowit's all about what you want to
do, man, and I started out, youknow, thinking about where I
started out, really on the farm.

(01:10:08):
But you know, when I think aboutwhen I really hit it on a
consistent base construction,when I started out as a ground
man on a at Asphalt plant,worked my way up to Knights
filling the plant, went out tothe Paving Crew, worked for that
for a little bit, you know,just worked your way up.
But it's like you got to be ableto take, like you said, take

(01:10:32):
control of, of, of, of your pathand your trajectory, or
somebody else will do it for you.
Yes, and also that, even thoughyou may be in that position, if
you set yourself up right whenit is, if, if, if you do come to
that, that that point in timewhere the company may not be

(01:10:54):
doing nothing for you or it justain't working out, your career
is still in your hand becauseyou've got everything you need
to move on to the, to the nextcompany, and you can make that
choice.
And it ain't like man this is Idon't know if I can do it any
other place right, but if youbuild yourself up right, you
build your confidence right.
You get that opportunity toagain say, hey, it was fun while

(01:11:20):
it lasted but I'm moving on.

Speaker 2 (01:11:23):
But you know, because I can remember when you
couldn't work a couple months.
That was tough.
But when you think about everystep that you went along the way
that built your foundation towhere you're at today, there's a
foundation there, as high asanybody does grows in their
career, as deep as they have togo low, that's right man.

(01:11:44):
And so those times that you wentthrough there was tough on your
family, those times when youweren't working because the
weather wasn't right.
Then you got to a point evenwhen the weather wasn't right,
you were still able to work.
You know why?
Because you were looked at asvalue, as valuable, and so, as
you continue to move up, notonly did you move up one of the
things I realized in life tooyou still had to get certain

(01:12:05):
certificates.
You still finished your degree,yeah.
So all those steps along theway prepared you where you're at
today.
And when you where you're attoday, when you get there, you
can handle it because, again,talent will take us, but because
of your character, it's keepingyou to move in in that right

(01:12:29):
direction, so you can't skipsteps in the process.

Speaker 1 (01:12:32):
You can't.
You can't because it's I meanyou're missing something,
because when you even when youjust I mean, let's just make it
ordinary you miss a step, it'snot the fact that you're going
to trip, it's the fact that youjust added some, some things
into you that that it's alreadyhazardous walking up the stairs,

(01:12:56):
right, yes.
So why are you going to try tooverstep a step that is at its
level and at its height, whichis one foot?
For a reason, yes, and youtrying to skip the step that is
actually about to build you upto the step you're getting on.
So you ain't even ready, letalone was you ready for the step

(01:13:18):
that you stepped over.
So, yeah, you're right man, we,we, we have to continue walking
through that path and that'sthat's why I wanted some of your
nuggets.
That's why I wanted to.
People need to hear theauthenticity.

Speaker 2 (01:13:33):
People need to hear that we're just regular people
you know, but again anotherthing to think about it, bro,
we're, we're around a lot ofpeople, a lot of men that we
have relationships.
They multi-millionaires,they're successful in what
they're doing.
But now, as we go through ourjourney, some move faster, some

(01:13:54):
move slower, but as you're stillmoving forward, we realize what
they're going, what they'vebeen through right Cause we're
going through right To get to,to get to, and you realize,
that's why we should never say Iwish I was like such and such,
or I wish I was like such andsuch, because, see, you don't
know what that person has beenthrough to get to where they're

(01:14:16):
at.
And even when they're at wherethey're at, they're still
experiencing new challenges.

Speaker 1 (01:14:21):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:14:22):
And so we don't need to to to.
We can see some of theprinciples and things that
they've done, but our journey isdifferent.
Yeah, and we and be be excitedabout that.
Not feel like man.
I wish I was at that.
But you don't even know whatthey went through, right, maybe
they struggle sometimes to sleepat night, or now they're

(01:14:43):
responsible for how manyfamilies in their organization,
much given as we say, as muchrequired.
So we just have to continue.
And this is what grandma saidtoo.
Grandma would always say this.
Or she said if you'll stay inline, you'll get to the front
too.
She said you remember when Iused to work?
She said remember when I usedto work at the cafeteria.

(01:15:05):
I said yeah, grandma.
She said yeah, and remember howyou would come through the line
and a JFK and get your food andat the end, if you paid or you
gave a ticket.
She said that's how life is.
She said if you'll stay in line,you'll get to the front too.
But sometimes what stops usfrom getting to the front?
Twos, we start listening to thehaters, we start listening to

(01:15:29):
somebody saying we're not goodenough, we start listening to
somebody who's saying thatyou're too dark, you're too
light, you're too big, you'retoo small, and when we do that,
we don't stay in line andfocusing on where we're going.
Don't get me wrong.
We still should be able to knowour surroundings, but not in

(01:15:52):
the box, but staying with yourgift to that.
Right, right, right, you know.
And so it's like running amarathon.
You may beat me, but if Ifinish, I still.

Speaker 1 (01:16:03):
You won because you you've excelled at what you
could excel at.
That's right and you have to becomfortable with that.
You have to be very comfortablewith that because, as long as
you know you have reached yourceiling in every, every way,

(01:16:23):
there's nothing to be mad at,cause you got everything you
could get out of what you have.
And that's super, duperimportant to really know that
once you reach your ceiling, youshould be proud.
You should be proud, and Ithink our selling that we think

(01:16:47):
is our selling that ain't thesame.

Speaker 2 (01:16:50):
Now it isn't in grandma.
And I remember when she was inher nineties and in this time
when I went to go visit her,when she was at her was staying
at the sister living place upthere up there on cops code, and
I never forget, I would alwaysask her.
I said, grandma, I said, howwere you able to remember all

(01:17:14):
your grandchildren, yourgreat-grandchildren, your
great-grandchildren's birthday,and how come you always had good
penmanship, with always beingable to write?
You always read, you are, we'realways in touch what was going
on and with the current events.
And she said well, she saidwhen I was young.

(01:17:34):
She said I'll never forget whenI lived with my aunt up in I
think it was Connecticut or upon the East coast, and she said
that she would always make usspeak proper.
So if we didn't speak it right,she would always say would you
say oh, wow, would you say, andshe was a teacher, wow, and she

(01:17:56):
always made them read, shealways made them write and she
always made them speak proper.
And I realized our grandmother,she comes from great
individuals on her side.
You know, when you think of thePrats, when you think of
individuals that were a fourstar general for four decades,

(01:18:17):
right.
In the Air Force of Logistics,right when you think about she
was one of the first AfricanAmerican women to work the
voting back when she was young.

Speaker 1 (01:18:29):
Well, she was also the first journalist.
Yes, and writing and writing.
She wrote a column when shelived in El Tuna for the
Pittsburgh Corrier.

Speaker 2 (01:18:39):
Pittsburgh Corrier and now you hear about the
Pittsburgh Corrier in historyand she would be making a little
bit more money than her parentswas back there for just doing
that, right, but she didn't havea bachelor's, she didn't have a
master's, she didn't have a PhD, but it just showed, like, the
richness you know, even when wetalk about our families.

(01:19:01):
Cookie Gilchrist, right, youknow Dad's first cousin, right?
I remember he would.
You weren't born, but he wouldcome to the house and just well,
actually, actually, when I wasa kid, he would come to the
house.

Speaker 1 (01:19:13):
He used to drive that that June, that little bug.
Yeah, he used to drive thatlittle bug, man, and what you
went to school with our cousins,we didn't even know.

Speaker 2 (01:19:20):
Yeah, walsh yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:19:22):
The twins.

Speaker 2 (01:19:23):
And rest their souls.
They passed, but yeah, but yeah, you know it's so.
It was just when you think ofthe richness in our families,
yeah, of what people we had wehad the right leaders right.

Speaker 1 (01:19:34):
We had the right people there.
You know you're talking about.
You're talking about did youknow that when Koki Gilchrist,
he played for the Denver Broncos?

Speaker 2 (01:19:43):
Yeah, well, he had the first signing bonus there.
Oh wow, I didn't know that.

Speaker 1 (01:19:48):
Yeah, he had a signing.
They gave him a signing bonus.
It was a Cadillac Okay, it wasa first signing bonus man and
you know he got.
You know he was, you know, wellknown at, you know, with the
Buffalo Bills and and and andall that good stuff, but his
signing bonus was a car.

Speaker 2 (01:20:01):
huh yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:20:01):
It was a, it was a Cadillac.
I got an art cross shot to you,okay, yeah.
But you know all these things,man, when you, when you truly
and this, and, and, and I willtell you that, without self care
, I don't know if I'll be ableto really see all this the way
we're talking, right.
So when, when you actually doclear out the clutter, you

(01:20:22):
really get to see that, that,that the people that were before
us, there was a lot of giants,man, and on both sides of our
families, the Manley family andthe thrower family.
So I'm really thankful and andand grateful for that, you know,
because it to me, I call that,it's called leaving the door

(01:20:44):
open and it's like, it's almostlike there's no excuse why we
shouldn't be who we are todayand I like what you said leaving
the door.

Speaker 2 (01:20:58):
Remember when I shared with you what Camille
said, uh-huh.
Remember she said the manopening up the door to the
husband, the husband opening upthe door to the father, oh, wow.
And then the father's door ishalf cracked and each man, one

(01:21:20):
small one's bigger than theone's bigger, but each man is
looking up and he sees the sonand I say why did you leave the
last door cracked?
This is what she's saying.
She wanted to look on the bookof the title and it made me
think that you said the dooropen.
She said the last one is halfcracked because you're still a

(01:21:41):
work in progress.
Wow, and each step with the man, the husband and the father.
You've had to trust God whenshe said that to me, brian
that's the best beyond my time.
I asked her, I asked her whenshe do my book cover and that's

(01:22:03):
what she gave you.

Speaker 1 (01:22:04):
That was God.

Speaker 2 (01:22:06):
Yeah, when she said that Come on, man, and you
talking about the door Becauseshe's 14.

Speaker 1 (01:22:11):
And I'm not saying that she ain't smart enough, but
she put that in biblical.
Wow, man.

Speaker 2 (01:22:17):
And stuff like that's scary man, but that lets you
through a child's shell.

Speaker 1 (01:22:21):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (01:22:23):
And I asked I gave her 30 days to come up with that
.
And when we I took her up to myuniversity and we drove up
there, I asked her so what didso?
What did you come up with?
And that's what she told me.
And she said each step of theway, you need God because you're
still working for our progress.

(01:22:44):
Wow, man, that just I gotemotional, man.

Speaker 1 (01:22:48):
You should have man that's powerful, I told her.

Speaker 2 (01:22:50):
that just blew my mind and I said Lord he's real.
You may have to cut this partout.
They were trying to call usOkay.

Speaker 1 (01:23:04):
So what we'll do is I'll have him cut this out.
Yeah, yeah, let's put an endingon this.
Sounds good.
So the question I got, I guess,is what advice do you have for
individuals aspiring to be inyour industry?
And, yeah, let's end with that.

Speaker 2 (01:23:26):
Okay, let's end with that.
Okay, I would say, in myindustry, what I do, the advice
I would have is that it's notabout you.
If you're going to get into myindustry, it has to be about the
student and the family.

(01:23:47):
And what I mean by that, bro,is this and I always use this
analogy with my students I saidhave you ever went to a lake
that is calm?
And he'll be like yeah, I saidand when that lake was calm and
it was so quiet and you took apebble and you threw it in the

(01:24:10):
lake, and I asked him whathappens when you do that?
And they'll say a ripple effect.
And I say what happens with theripples?
And they say the ripples getbigger.
And I said yes, I said that'swhat your parents want for you

(01:24:32):
the ripple effects ofgenerations.
And the generations are gettingbetter, and so that's what
their parents want for you.
They want to see you take it tothe next level.
And the reason why I say thatto you is because when I look at
each one of you whether there's10 people in the class, 50

(01:24:52):
people in the class or there'sbeen 150 people in the class I
don't see you as numbers, but Isee you as generations Wow,
powerful, and so anybody who'sgetting into my industry.
If you really want to be a factand have an impact on what
you're doing with thisgeneration or young people, you

(01:25:13):
got to let them know that youcare Whether they come to your
school, and it has to be aboutthem being the right fit.
Now, everybody doesn't see thatthe way.

Speaker 1 (01:25:23):
I do.

Speaker 2 (01:25:25):
But if you want to be successful in my industry,
it'll allow you to be successful, it'll allow you to stay
relevant.
But if you're just doing it fora job and you're trying to get
a paycheck and get numbers andpeople in school seek because
the seed that I sow with them,there's been a harvest from that
brother.
There's been a harvest with mykids.

(01:25:45):
I have two college graduatesand I have one more who's a
freshman in high school, whowill be looking to go to college
.
So when I do right by them andtheir family, then when it comes
time for my family, people havedone right by us and it's not

(01:26:08):
about my university, it's notabout me, but it's about them.
If you want to be successful inthis industry, you have to give
people options Because, see, atthe end of the day, even if a
school wants revenue, I alwayssay the service that you render
is a byproduct on how you getpaid Right.

(01:26:31):
Okay, well, I appreciated mybrother man.

Speaker 1 (01:26:36):
I'm just so glad man that we were able to do this.
I'm happy on again, man.
I think this is rich manbecause we'll be able to hit the
family side of things a lottogether.
Talk about those differentdynamics.
You know what we've done asbrothers and you know just just
how we work through it Becausesomebody needs it, you know

(01:26:58):
somebody's struggling out there,and what better than to help
another husband and anotherfather or another mother or
another nurse or law enforcement?
You know all these safetyprofessionals.
What a better way, man, to lendour authenticity of who we used
to be, yes, and who we are now.
Yes, and it's you know, becauseof a lot of you know the way
that we're working with ourfamily, we're working with our

(01:27:19):
family, and we're working withour family and we're working
with our family and we'reworking with our family and it's
, you know, because of a lot ofreasons other than ourselves you
know,But we had to begin with
ourselves and begin to use thepeople that were around us to
help us get where we needed tobe.
So again, man, thank you, mybrother, man, and I love you,

(01:27:42):
and I know you're leaving in themorning, man, and I wish we
could have spent a couple moredays together, man, because you
know, as we get older, man, it'sjust not enough time, man,
especially when we see thenieces having a great time and
the wives hanging out andeverything, man, just truly
being embodied by you know eachother, man until we meet again.

Speaker 2 (01:28:04):
My brother, yes, and it's definitely been a true
blessing, and I'm just so proudof you, man.
Just to see and it's not eventhe love that I see with you
Yvette, Janice and Leely thatjust does my heart and joy, man.
And in the grind that you'reputting in, yes, ma'am, I mean

(01:28:26):
because it's not been easy, noman, but to be on one accord you
know, and I look forward tocoming back and being able to
share some more things and evenwhere I'm at.
We talked about earlierfinishing, but finishing strong.

Speaker 1 (01:28:40):
Right, that's going to be another lesson, because I
want you to be able to maybeeven talk about that.
Right?
Because the finish line is.
It looks simple, but it's thehardest thing to get I can.
You can watch several raceswhere, where you know it's hard
to get there.
I mean, I'm going to usesomething real simple and real
funny man.
When you like, when you'redriving home, like your body is

(01:29:02):
in, so is in tune to the finishline home, right?
Yes, whether you got to go to abathroom, or whether you're
tired and you're sleepy, thosethings begin to happen because
you know you're just in tune,you're just in tune with that
thing.
So when you get close to thatfinish line man, it's hard and I

(01:29:23):
think maybe you telling thatstory where you was stuck, how
you got out of it, of thatfinish line man will be a great
story next time, because there'sa lot of people at the finish
line man and we, just like yousaid, we keep that
accountability, well,accountability, but I think we
we keep sabotaging our ownselves.
Yes, so so we're going to go nofurther on that, because I

(01:29:45):
didn't beat you up, so because Icould, because you're my
brother, but we're going to gono further.
But again, man, brother, man, Iappreciate it and I thank you,
man, and I love you, man.

Speaker 2 (01:29:55):
I love you too, all right.

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