October 23, 2025 • 38 mins
In this episode, we sit down with Coach Joseph Gray Jr. — educator, mental health advocate, and bestselling author — to unpack what it really means to heal out loud. From his personal journey through mental health challenges to founding the GraySpace Foundation and Tru2You, Coach Gray shares how he’s helping young people build confidence, embrace vulnerability, and redefine strength. He opens up about the stories behind his bestselling book Unmasking Me: Lost in My Head, Stuck in My Thoughts, the importance of creating safe spaces for youth, and how breaking mental health stigmas starts with one honest conversation. This episode is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t linear — it’s personal, it’s communal, and it’s necessary.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
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(01:41):
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Speaker 1 (03:00):
Good morning, you're listening to the Morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I am Marque.
Speaker 6 (03:03):
Slupton and folks, just to let you know, I like
to talk to those ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and
today we are serving up just that. Today's newsmaker is
none other than Coach Joe Gray Junior, a passionate educator,
mental health advocate, and mentor whose work centers on empowering
(03:23):
youth both inside and outside the classroom. As the founder
of the Gray Space Foundation, which focuses on mental health
advocacy for teens and young adults, and the creator of
True to You, a youth engagement organization, Joseph Joe Excuse
me has dedicated his life to creating safe, inclusive spaces
where young people can find their voice, build confidence, and
(03:45):
begin to heal.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
But hold on, folks, there's so much more.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
He's also a number one Amazon International best selling author.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I'll say that again.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
He's also a number one Amazon International best selling author.
His book Unmasking Me Lost in my Head, Stuck in
my thoughts draws deeply from his own experiences to help
others on their journey towards resilience and recovery. Through every project,
Joe's mission remains the same to amplify the voices of
the youth, break the stigma around mental health, and inspire
(04:18):
hope in the next generation. So, folks, it is my
pleasure to welcome Coach Joe Great Junior to the Morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
What's going on, Joe, how you doing?
Speaker 7 (04:30):
I'm the good, I'm good. How are you doing? Kids?
Thank you for that intro man?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, of course had to
had to intro you right because on you you have
been doing some some great work for four years. So
so let's let's jump right into that. Because when I
first met you, you talked a lot about.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Track, uh and and and and this track background.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So can you tell us about your track background and
then and then what ultimately led you to what you're
doing today?
Speaker 7 (05:04):
Yeah? Absolutely, I remember having those conversations about track with
you and speaking all about it. At that time was
when I was head coach and of my former alma mater.
Now Hazel will be Jackson, but then never hand and
I was ahead of track and field coach. But taking
it back to high school, that's when I first started
(05:26):
running track my senior year and doing pretty good my
first year ever running track and then qualifying for leagues
and the districts. Be one of those situations where sometimes
you find out what you have inside too late, and
for me, it was that you know I was actually
(05:47):
good in track, Yeah, I didn't. I didn't know until
my senior year. And at that time it's it's too late,
you know, it's too late to try to pursue son
in this in this field. So once I graduated, I
took that lesson I learned in track and wanted to
(06:07):
just teach all athletes that and I started coaching rate
at eighteen and just at the Boys and Girls Club,
the Mix Team Haven bright Side, wherever I can, wherever
there was kids, wherever there was basketball, football or track,
or you can find me up this This mentorum just
(06:28):
giving back eventually a little bit a little but.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
You're listening to the morning experience on LIT. Welcome back
to the morning experience. I am Marque Slupton. Now now
with it with you recognizing that that it was. It
was too late for you, for for track, is that
(06:52):
one of the things that you tried to convey with
your mentorship, getting getting these kids in these activities early
so that they don't fall fall into that it's too late.
Speaker 7 (07:03):
Module Absolutely, That's why most of my coaching happens in
middle school mm hmm, because you get to plan to
see early and even if they don't hang on to that,
and even if they don't hang on to the sport itself,
that applies to everything that applies to life. If you don't,
you can't procrastinate the things. That's not the way excellence happens.
(07:26):
That's not the way you achieve success. You know, you
you attack your priorities head head up first and the
first thing in the morning. And you know I carry
that with me and that's really the reason why I
do what I do for just to be that that
person I needed when I was a team when I
(07:47):
was growing up.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, So why why why middle school? Because middle school
it is it is a very odd age.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know, it's not white elementary school and it's nowhere
near high school. And it's like you have these kids
in middle school, like it's so it's so weird because
like you have kids in middle school that are literally
still playing with you know, toys and everything, like there's
still very much in that kid mindset. But then you
(08:19):
got some other students, you know that they are in
full basically adult mode, like like they're having sex, they're smoking,
drinking and everything like that. And like these two have
to coexist in the same classroom.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
How do you how do you attack that when this
population is just really all over the place.
Speaker 7 (08:40):
Each individual are themselves. You know, you can never get
kids together. Every kid is its own person, He has
his own personality, has its own story. And then I
try to look forward to the similar characteristics that I
(09:00):
can either connect with or identify, whether that's good or bad.
Things that I did because as I was an athlete,
I went through various of experiences kind of being a
follower growing up. You know, so even though I was
a leader, I didn't understand myself and even value myself
(09:22):
as a leader. So I was the follower. So within
that I can see those same characteristics and traits within
the kids. And then like you know, just staying up
to date, being able to connect with the kids who
are a little a little more childish, you know, a
(09:43):
little more still immature, and the kids who think they're grown.
You know, you don't. You don't talk to them all
the same. You find that equal medium and and you
work within that.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Yeah yeah, now now now I'm assuming that like, yes, yeah, yeah,
you definitely can't can't can't talk to talk to the
kid that knows how to roll up versus you know,
the young kid that is still playing Fortnite and is
the power Range character.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yeah, you can't talk to them.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
The same, but but how how do you allow space
for them to coexist? Because you're a mentor, so like
you're getting kids from both populations, right.
Speaker 7 (10:28):
And and sometimes completely other than that, maybe a kid
who's completely homeschooled that I connected with, and then the
church kid who and I think understanding that I'm that
connecting piece in it all. And as long as I'm
extending grace to all, holding them all to the same standard,
(10:49):
no favoritisms, and then love them meeting their own way,
it all builds the connection. And then when the cool
kids see this kid and this kid see this kid,
ultimately they're all here at the same time. So you
can think about one another or not, but you all
have something in common and that's where it starts building
(11:11):
them lines of similarity between the two opposite ends of
the spectrum so they see it and to see like, yo,
well we're not really that different.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
You're listening to the morning Experience on LIT. Welcome back
to the Morning Experience. I am Marquise Lupton. You said
no favoritism, and Coach Joe, I'm gonna say this, this
is why folks like you are built for this kind
of work because I'm definitely gonna have favorites. If I
(11:43):
was in that space like the kids that pay attention
to kids that listen, you know the quote unquote good kids.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
They would be my favorites.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
So that's why that's why people like you are in
this space because you can hold the capacity of not
having favorites. So in that same vein, Coach Joe, you
dedicated so much of your work to empowering young people.
So where did this passion come from?
Speaker 7 (12:10):
I think just not simply having the same mentor I have.
I had teachers always invested me. Like when I look
back and retrospect all my life, I had teachers and
specific moments in life to pour something or deposit something
in me that I'm still holding onto now, but a
(12:34):
mentor to walk with me as I do with this
next generation. I didn't have that, and just simply understanding
what that can do. What mentorship does when kids get
the skills and the confidence early, and then you build
that up, and then you build it up and you
(12:55):
water that. See. Then you give them room to make mistakes,
but you also you also care and and and let
them grow. Eventually they're going to reach their full potential
and do things that you've never seen or or could imagine.
You just knew that they had a lot of potential.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, And and that's why mentorship just period. Because doing
doing these interviews, I'm finding out that mentorship even in
adulthood is still just as important. So can you take
us back to your own teenage years? And you mentioned
that there there wasn't a mentor, but there were teachers.
(13:33):
So can you name drop if you want to, some
of the teachers that that that helped us shape who
coach Joe is today?
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Yeah, off the bat I got to give up to
Abby Rivera. She's a teacher for school. She's a principal
now for the school district of Lancaster ty Bear and
Shane Meadows, the big, big influences in my life life
middle school coach, coaches and teachers at the time. Mm hmm,
(14:06):
Willie that for our r I p Yes, he was
the first African American teacher I've seen in the classroom,
and even though I struggled in his class, he pulled
me aside and really spoke life into me often. And
that really I think ways and on why I have
(14:30):
no favoritism as seeing like men of character like that. Yeah,
they just see people for who they were and not
the skills, not the talents, but for the character and
just wanted to build a character. Everything else will come second. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Now, now you you you did write a book, uh,
and and I do want to get to that on
on the second part of this interview, because I really
want folks.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
To know who you are.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
So you shared openly about your mental health journey. So
what was the turning point that made you want to
start speaking publicly about it.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
I think sometimes in life you reach a moment where
where you want to do and where you should do
kind of start the butt heads And it's not something
I really even like to do, but yet knowing if
you have a story and people need to hear it
or if, and it's just that simple. You know. We
(15:36):
all go through mental health. We all have our own struggles,
especially within men. We tend not to deal with it
and act like it don't exist. Yet the aftermaths and
the symptoms of mental health come out and for good
and for wards.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Has there been Has there been any any pushback or
any any complaints for you opening up, because everybody isn't
going to feel, you know, rosy clear skies and rainbows
when when hearing or discussing about mental health. So has
there been any any pushback, whether it be from friends, family, colleagues,
(16:21):
anything like that.
Speaker 7 (16:23):
If I'm being honest, surprisingly no, oh wow, yeah, surprisingly
know maybe because I embody the essence of already like
living my truth, and the things that I'm speaking now
about and writing now about is everything that I say
(16:45):
behind closed doors. So it's no real Like my friends
when they say when they first read the book, it's like, yo,
I feel like I'm talking to you. And that was
probably one of the best compliments I could have had,
because that's what it is. It's supposed to be a dialogue,
you know, just to help you within those times.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
You're listening to the Morning experience on lit Welcome back
to the morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I am Marquise Lupton.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
It it speaks to that authenticity because if they feel
like they're speaking to you, then then then then they're
capturing the true essence of.
Speaker 7 (17:25):
The author, right, which is the goal when writing, right Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Yeah, well well hey, hey, look you tell me you're
the published author. So, so grade Space. What inspired the
creation of the Grade Space Foundation and what does grade
Space represent to you?
Speaker 7 (17:48):
The grade Space represents me just the opportunity one to
to build on a family legacy, to to to Yeah,
h I'm going to be I'm the first generation person
(18:08):
who ever published a book, so and I don't plan
on being the first to do many other things. As
I stepped these sept the uh as, I trail the blaze.
You know, I'm trailing for my nieces, my nephews, and
my daughter most importantly because their creativity is and then
every every other uh kid kid, young adult creative that
(18:35):
that wants they dream big that doesn't have the platform
grace space? Is that really Using storytelling mental health? Using
storytelling to aid and inspire people to be a resource
for mental health and and to be a champion for
youth and it's ultimately everything I'm doing now, but just
(19:00):
in the foundation.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Now, now, gray space, that's a double one Tandre, right
because yeah, yeah, it's your Well I'll let you explain it.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
No, no, no, no, no, you you are the author
of it.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Because when I saw this, I was like, gray space,
that that's a double on Tandre right there because your last.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Name is gray.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
But then with with mental health and everything, like like
there's the there's that gray space And I was like,
I have to ask him about that. Is is it
hit the nail? You hit the nail on his head?
Speaker 7 (19:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
M m all right.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Well well hey man, hey hey, I like to pretend
like I'm smart, So so thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
You for that.
Speaker 7 (19:49):
So man, you you inspired me a lot, man, a lot,
a lot. You know, this is I'm sorry, you know,
the morning experience if you guys never heard of this side,
but Marquise this he man a lot of his journalism
tips and just watching from the background helped me really
put the pen to paper and and and publish, you know,
(20:13):
and publish. You know that you did a you did
a speech one time and thank I forget the exact
word you use. It was a one word, but it
stuck with me and I was just like, man, I
just gotta go, I just gotta do it. Just got
(20:33):
to push that button. Who cares? What's the reception? And
that's yeah, man, So thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I appreciate that. I appreciate that. To to the audience. See,
I told you, I told you I am. I am
rather a rather dope individual. I try to tell you people,
but you're listening to the Morning Experience on LIT. Welcome
back to the Morning Experience. I am Marquie, sleptin you Joe.
(21:05):
How how does the Foundation reach teens and young adults
who may not even realize that they need help?
Speaker 7 (21:14):
Really through grassroots? Excuse me? I use community partnerships and
connected with organizations that I grew through through over the
years that trust me as an individual to just allow
them to point out the individuals and students that they
need help, whether that's academically or emotionally, and or so
(21:38):
we set up a plan and kind of just hit
the floor run and then you know, just start mentoring.
It's it's not about you. Kind of don't need to
figure too many things out. When you know when there's
someone in need, you know you need a yes and
and figure it out on the way.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
So so when you talk to these young folks, specifically
young men, when you talk to young men, young men
of color, particularly, what barriers do you see in how
they express or even understand their emotions?
Speaker 7 (22:13):
Oh? What barriers? Sound most young men, it takes like
at least a month for them to even open up,
if I'm being honest, And that's like probably at least
five to six times we meet for thirty minutes of
forty five and most more times than not, emotional avoidance, pride,
(22:39):
and ego not when it seems soft, they think talking
about their feelings is snitching. Yeah, which is crial, which
is crazy. It's crazy. Like so it's it definitely has
its own that's its own journey, it's own mountain itself.
(23:05):
But I found with sharing my own journey and being
vulnerable kind of age builds that gap and bridges the
gap to where they like, oh wow, I didn't know that.
I would never expected that, or you told me about you,
trusting me to know this about you so over time
(23:26):
and I never press you know, I just now in
the space.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Now when when when something like that happens, like when
you have this student that that that is just to
use your term, just just avoiding their emotions and and
then you have this random, random moment of openness. What
do what do you do with that? Because that that
(23:52):
has to be looked at as like a breakthrough.
Speaker 7 (23:54):
Right, amazing breakthrough one. You have to be ready because
some times I call it like throwing up. Sometimes a
kid can say nothing forever and then give you his
whole life, and it might be shallow and it might
come with a lot, So you need to be emotionally
prepared too. Wanted not really show facial expressions while he's
(24:18):
telling you, kind of keeping that cool calm like poker face,
acting like you like nothing surprises you. And and literally
just be a listener. Just be there to listen. And
when they want to talk or look for advice, you
know they look. It will be a strange pause. But
(24:41):
most of the times, you know, they just want to
get this off because they probably told nobody this and
they probably will never they may never tell anyone this again.
So I don't take those opportunities lightly. And those moments
are definitely considered breakthroughs.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
You're listening to the morning x on lit Welcome back
to the morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I am Marquise Lupton, this.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Breakthrough that's happening, This this may very much be a
once in a lifetime thing, like like if if if
it's missed, then this could affect this.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Young man's or young woman's life negatively for the rest
of it. Well exactly Is that being dramatic?
Speaker 7 (25:26):
No, it's not being But that's that's the thought that
I carry when when I'm having these meetings. And that's
why there's seriousness and tention behind it. You know, people
see just his passion. I mean like, yeah, I mean
it's passion, but it's not just passion, like if you
look at the dominoes, this and this and this and
this and this. So let's not complain about this and
(25:47):
let's just be proactive right.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Right and and see that's why that's why I like
programs like yours, because you said, you said, the exact
term that that I wanted you to highlight is is
being proactive going out there before any of it really happens.
In in Baltimore, the crime is going down mainly because
(26:13):
there's these preventative programs now and and people are are
you know, more so occupying people's time with more activities,
more things, to do like kids, so they're not getting into, uh,
these these problems and issues because they have all this
idle time. So before we talk about your book, joe Be,
(26:36):
because I definitely want to focus in on that, can
you tell us about True to You? Because that's that's
really where I was introduced to you from. We shared
boutique space at a storefront. You had your brand, I
had my brand, and I was always always always intrigued
(26:58):
by true True, True to You, to the point that
you all even had a sneaker brand as well.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
So so can you tell the folks what is True
to You?
Speaker 7 (27:09):
Yeah? So True to You is a it's a lifestyle
clothing brand. It was my introduction to creativity at all.
That was the first thing that I ever I always
deemed myself as not creative, just an athlete. So I
(27:30):
created True to You. I always said, it's not a
clothing brand, but it was very much that you know
it was. But the message was what I was trying
to get people to to understand that it's okay to
be yourself. Just be who you are, be authentic, be
true to you. And within that I look back, I
(27:52):
was trying to True to You started as the clothing brand,
and we wanted to teach creative arts to the next generation.
Whether that was music for photography, is whatever medium it
was going back because that was where I felt like
(28:16):
I didn't have anyone to kind of to, you know,
empower me in that space. It was always sports for sports,
push push push. And now imagine if someone a mentor
of mine could have, you know, taught me how to
write a poem in ninth and tenth grade, you know,
(28:36):
imagine what my literature could be like at twenty nine instead.
But that's where the creation of True to You came.
And just so excited to kind of break the shell
of just being a super anxious team and being a
(28:57):
young adult who has a message to say. And that's
how I was just getting around and getting the message out.
The color the logo was a big bright color spash,
multiple colors because I like colors. It really just is
that simple. And when you see it, there was every
color there to represent every every everyone in the life,
(29:23):
not by any type of demographic, but just I believe
just creativity and colors just go together.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
You're listening to the morning experience on lit. Welcome back
to the morning Experience. I am Marque Lupton.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
And without the creation of True to You. True to
You gave me the room and space to write my book, and.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
I was I was literally about to about to get
to that.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So what was the inspiration behind you picking up that pen,
but behind you getting behind that laptop computer and start writing.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
You know, you have that.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Blank screen in front of you, nothing's on it, a
mind full of ideas.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
You see that cursor blinking at you. What was the
inspiration to write that first sentence, that first paragraph, that
first page, and keep on going.
Speaker 7 (30:22):
Initially mine was the opposite. It was more or less venting.
I was journaling, okay, And that's why it seems so conversational,
because I'm talking to myself like I pretend to be good,
but really I tell people this to just distract them
from what I'm really going on and just mad at
(30:44):
what I'm just currently living a lot and just letting
mental health control my life and letting depression beat me.
It just got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Yeah,
and growing up, I used to journal. I used to
always journaled. So this was in twenty twenty, twenty twenty one.
(31:06):
Is actually when I'm really starting to write most of
this book because I'm in it that dark space going
out with true to you blah blah blah. Everyone's seeing emerged,
and sometimes I go home and it ain't the same,
you know, just private life wasn't, wasn't things, wasn't as
a looking at it, it was just a rocky road.
(31:29):
It was one of those low moments, definitely for sure.
And that's why you know, the book gets you know,
people say it's a heavy read, and that's because I
was really on the brink of you know, suicide and
depression was heavy. So yeah, when I say lost in
my head, stuck in my thoughts, that was the reality
(31:51):
of where I was in that in that time. And
I just was like, if I'm going through this, someone
else can use it. Even though I was writing this
in twenty twenty one, I kind of got frozen and scared,
and then I really picked a pen up to twenty
twenty four to finish it off and ran out the
(32:12):
year published in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
Yeah, that's uh, that's something that I really noticed about authors, Like,
it's not it's not this cinematic thing where where like
in movies you see the author sit down and just
you know, bang out right right right right right right
type type type. It's not this this streamline kind of thing,
like it's it's in, it's in spurts. It may it
(32:35):
may take three months to write one chapter, but then
again after that it may take two weeks to write
the next three. Like there's there's just this eb ebb
and flow kind of thing. So so your book again,
Unmasking Me, Lost in my Mind, Stuck in my Thoughts
became an international bestseller. So what made you want to
(32:56):
share such a personal story, Like you said that you
were journaling, but in this you get very very very personal.
Speaker 7 (33:04):
Yeah. Mm hmm, that's that's a good question. I think.
Between if it saves the soul, then I did my job.
Mm hmmm. Uh yeah, struggling with suicide, struggling with depression,
(33:28):
struggling with mental health. You start to see other people
with the same struggle and you start to feel, you
start to feel for and you can put yourself in
their shoes. Definitely. And it was just a couple of
years ago. I've seen a black celebrity a man who
(33:49):
committed suicide. Yeah, and one of those things where I'm
not going this is just my way to to give
it out and half the half of the books, like
I ordered fifty straight up and I probably gave twenty
of them out just straight up because it's more important.
(34:13):
The content is more important than the purchase. And if
you need to read it and if it can save
you or if you can give it to someone that
can save them, then I've done my job.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
So so what was the hardest part of writing that
book and what was the most healing.
Speaker 7 (34:33):
I think the hardest part of writing the book was
the second draft after I sent it. After I sent
the first draft to the publisher and they sent it back,
and I needed to send it back to find more visions.
(34:54):
It's the when it gets real and I'm reading over
the stuff that I haven't even in years and just
taking me back and just having to sit there. I
had to give it back in twenty four hours on
taking ten days because it just took me so long
(35:16):
to read it and you know, just be okay with
the story.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
You're listening to the Morning Experience on LIT. Welcome back
to the Morning Experience. I am Marquise Lupton.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
All right, well, hey, look.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Teach them, teach them how to save some money, because
my daughters are just terrible at that. It just feels
like every two days dad can have some money. I
just gave you like twenty two days ago.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
And where are you going exact exactly what are you doing?
Speaker 1 (35:50):
So, so, Coach Joe, before we let you go, I
want to ask you, five ten years from now, what
do you hope people say about the impact of Coach
Joe Gray and the and the Gray Space Foundation.
Speaker 7 (36:06):
I just hope they say that I gave my all.
He was a man for the people. He was a
man of true integrity and great character. He's a man
who loved his family, loved his daughter. Is that a
great example who truly tried to Yeah. I think that's it.
(36:29):
Those are the only things that I really that that
mean the most to me and my legacy.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
All right, all right, so folks, we are going to
keep it right there. I want to thank Coach Joe
Gray for coming in and just you know how I
like to say, give us the game on everything that
he is involved with. So just one more thing, Coach Joe,
if if you could give somebody some some kind of
(37:00):
word of advice, some kind of adage to live by, something,
something that they can really chew on after this interview,
what would you say?
Speaker 2 (37:12):
The floor is yours. Take as much time as you need.
Speaker 7 (37:15):
Life only starts when you start to embrace yourself. Oh man,
when you don't know who you are and you're stuff
trying to chase everyone else's lane and running their lane,
you can't get what's for you. It's time. It's time
to unmask and stay true. You know those two things
(37:36):
unmasks around you, and then stay true to who you are.
Don't forget, don't get caught in the rat race of
competing with the Joneses. Understand what your goal is, what
your priorities are, and attack them h day, day by day,
highs and lows going to happen, attack them.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Oh, there it is.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
And and folks, again, that was coach Joe Gray from
from the Gray Space Foundation, True to You, and the
author Let's not Forget That, and the author of Unmasking Me,
Lost in My Head, Stuck in my Thoughts Again, which
is an international bestseller.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
I am so so so happy for you, brother.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I am looking forward to to to everything that you
continue to roll out. And yeah, your next project that
you do, please invite us out, will love to cover it.
And also would love to have you come back on
the show after your next great feat, so the door
is always open, brother.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Again, thank you for coming on the Morning Experience man.
Speaker 7 (38:45):
Thank you, it's been an honor and apprivilege.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Bro Oh absolutely absolutely, the privilege was all mine man,
and to you the listener folks again, thank you for
listening and tuning into the Morning Experience.
Tired of waking up to boring talk shows, awkward silences,
and commercials that last longer than your rent grace period,
then wake yourself up with the Morning Experience on LIT
one oh six. I'm your host, Marque s Lupton, and
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It's not just the show, folks, gets an experience, the
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(01:41):
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This is how the DMV wakes up right with Marquis
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Speaker 1 (03:00):
Good morning, you're listening to the Morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I am Marque.
Speaker 6 (03:03):
Slupton and folks, just to let you know, I like
to talk to those ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and
today we are serving up just that. Today's newsmaker is
none other than Coach Joe Gray Junior, a passionate educator,
mental health advocate, and mentor whose work centers on empowering
(03:23):
youth both inside and outside the classroom. As the founder
of the Gray Space Foundation, which focuses on mental health
advocacy for teens and young adults, and the creator of
True to You, a youth engagement organization, Joseph Joe Excuse
me has dedicated his life to creating safe, inclusive spaces
where young people can find their voice, build confidence, and
(03:45):
begin to heal.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
But hold on, folks, there's so much more.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
He's also a number one Amazon International best selling author.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I'll say that again.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
He's also a number one Amazon International best selling author.
His book Unmasking Me Lost in my Head, Stuck in
my thoughts draws deeply from his own experiences to help
others on their journey towards resilience and recovery. Through every project,
Joe's mission remains the same to amplify the voices of
the youth, break the stigma around mental health, and inspire
(04:18):
hope in the next generation. So, folks, it is my
pleasure to welcome Coach Joe Great Junior to the Morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
What's going on, Joe, how you doing?
Speaker 7 (04:30):
I'm the good, I'm good. How are you doing? Kids?
Thank you for that intro man?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, of course had to
had to intro you right because on you you have
been doing some some great work for four years. So
so let's let's jump right into that. Because when I
first met you, you talked a lot about.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Track, uh and and and and this track background.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So can you tell us about your track background and
then and then what ultimately led you to what you're
doing today?
Speaker 7 (05:04):
Yeah? Absolutely, I remember having those conversations about track with
you and speaking all about it. At that time was
when I was head coach and of my former alma mater.
Now Hazel will be Jackson, but then never hand and
I was ahead of track and field coach. But taking
it back to high school, that's when I first started
(05:26):
running track my senior year and doing pretty good my
first year ever running track and then qualifying for leagues
and the districts. Be one of those situations where sometimes
you find out what you have inside too late, and
for me, it was that you know I was actually
(05:47):
good in track, Yeah, I didn't. I didn't know until
my senior year. And at that time it's it's too late,
you know, it's too late to try to pursue son
in this in this field. So once I graduated, I
took that lesson I learned in track and wanted to
(06:07):
just teach all athletes that and I started coaching rate
at eighteen and just at the Boys and Girls Club,
the Mix Team Haven bright Side, wherever I can, wherever
there was kids, wherever there was basketball, football or track,
or you can find me up this This mentorum just
(06:28):
giving back eventually a little bit a little but.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
You're listening to the morning experience on LIT. Welcome back
to the morning experience. I am Marque Slupton. Now now
with it with you recognizing that that it was. It
was too late for you, for for track, is that
(06:52):
one of the things that you tried to convey with
your mentorship, getting getting these kids in these activities early
so that they don't fall fall into that it's too late.
Speaker 7 (07:03):
Module Absolutely, That's why most of my coaching happens in
middle school mm hmm, because you get to plan to
see early and even if they don't hang on to that,
and even if they don't hang on to the sport itself,
that applies to everything that applies to life. If you don't,
you can't procrastinate the things. That's not the way excellence happens.
(07:26):
That's not the way you achieve success. You know, you
you attack your priorities head head up first and the
first thing in the morning. And you know I carry
that with me and that's really the reason why I
do what I do for just to be that that
person I needed when I was a team when I
(07:47):
was growing up.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, So why why why middle school? Because middle school
it is it is a very odd age.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know, it's not white elementary school and it's nowhere
near high school. And it's like you have these kids
in middle school, like it's so it's so weird because
like you have kids in middle school that are literally
still playing with you know, toys and everything, like there's
still very much in that kid mindset. But then you
(08:19):
got some other students, you know that they are in
full basically adult mode, like like they're having sex, they're smoking,
drinking and everything like that. And like these two have
to coexist in the same classroom.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
How do you how do you attack that when this
population is just really all over the place.
Speaker 7 (08:40):
Each individual are themselves. You know, you can never get
kids together. Every kid is its own person, He has
his own personality, has its own story. And then I
try to look forward to the similar characteristics that I
(09:00):
can either connect with or identify, whether that's good or bad.
Things that I did because as I was an athlete,
I went through various of experiences kind of being a
follower growing up. You know, so even though I was
a leader, I didn't understand myself and even value myself
(09:22):
as a leader. So I was the follower. So within
that I can see those same characteristics and traits within
the kids. And then like you know, just staying up
to date, being able to connect with the kids who
are a little a little more childish, you know, a
(09:43):
little more still immature, and the kids who think they're grown.
You know, you don't. You don't talk to them all
the same. You find that equal medium and and you
work within that.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Yeah yeah, now now now I'm assuming that like, yes, yeah, yeah,
you definitely can't can't can't talk to talk to the
kid that knows how to roll up versus you know,
the young kid that is still playing Fortnite and is
the power Range character.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yeah, you can't talk to them.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
The same, but but how how do you allow space
for them to coexist? Because you're a mentor, so like
you're getting kids from both populations, right.
Speaker 7 (10:28):
And and sometimes completely other than that, maybe a kid
who's completely homeschooled that I connected with, and then the
church kid who and I think understanding that I'm that
connecting piece in it all. And as long as I'm
extending grace to all, holding them all to the same standard,
(10:49):
no favoritisms, and then love them meeting their own way,
it all builds the connection. And then when the cool
kids see this kid and this kid see this kid,
ultimately they're all here at the same time. So you
can think about one another or not, but you all
have something in common and that's where it starts building
(11:11):
them lines of similarity between the two opposite ends of
the spectrum so they see it and to see like, yo,
well we're not really that different.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
You're listening to the morning Experience on LIT. Welcome back
to the Morning Experience. I am Marquise Lupton. You said
no favoritism, and Coach Joe, I'm gonna say this, this
is why folks like you are built for this kind
of work because I'm definitely gonna have favorites. If I
(11:43):
was in that space like the kids that pay attention
to kids that listen, you know the quote unquote good kids.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
They would be my favorites.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
So that's why that's why people like you are in
this space because you can hold the capacity of not
having favorites. So in that same vein, Coach Joe, you
dedicated so much of your work to empowering young people.
So where did this passion come from?
Speaker 7 (12:10):
I think just not simply having the same mentor I have.
I had teachers always invested me. Like when I look
back and retrospect all my life, I had teachers and
specific moments in life to pour something or deposit something
in me that I'm still holding onto now, but a
(12:34):
mentor to walk with me as I do with this
next generation. I didn't have that, and just simply understanding
what that can do. What mentorship does when kids get
the skills and the confidence early, and then you build
that up, and then you build it up and you
(12:55):
water that. See. Then you give them room to make mistakes,
but you also you also care and and and let
them grow. Eventually they're going to reach their full potential
and do things that you've never seen or or could imagine.
You just knew that they had a lot of potential.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, And and that's why mentorship just period. Because doing
doing these interviews, I'm finding out that mentorship even in
adulthood is still just as important. So can you take
us back to your own teenage years? And you mentioned
that there there wasn't a mentor, but there were teachers.
(13:33):
So can you name drop if you want to, some
of the teachers that that that helped us shape who
coach Joe is today?
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Yeah, off the bat I got to give up to
Abby Rivera. She's a teacher for school. She's a principal
now for the school district of Lancaster ty Bear and
Shane Meadows, the big, big influences in my life life
middle school coach, coaches and teachers at the time. Mm hmm,
(14:06):
Willie that for our r I p Yes, he was
the first African American teacher I've seen in the classroom,
and even though I struggled in his class, he pulled
me aside and really spoke life into me often. And
that really I think ways and on why I have
(14:30):
no favoritism as seeing like men of character like that. Yeah,
they just see people for who they were and not
the skills, not the talents, but for the character and
just wanted to build a character. Everything else will come second. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Now, now you you you did write a book, uh,
and and I do want to get to that on
on the second part of this interview, because I really
want folks.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
To know who you are.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
So you shared openly about your mental health journey. So
what was the turning point that made you want to
start speaking publicly about it.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
I think sometimes in life you reach a moment where
where you want to do and where you should do
kind of start the butt heads And it's not something
I really even like to do, but yet knowing if
you have a story and people need to hear it
or if, and it's just that simple. You know. We
(15:36):
all go through mental health. We all have our own struggles,
especially within men. We tend not to deal with it
and act like it don't exist. Yet the aftermaths and
the symptoms of mental health come out and for good
and for wards.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Has there been Has there been any any pushback or
any any complaints for you opening up, because everybody isn't
going to feel, you know, rosy clear skies and rainbows
when when hearing or discussing about mental health. So has
there been any any pushback, whether it be from friends, family, colleagues,
(16:21):
anything like that.
Speaker 7 (16:23):
If I'm being honest, surprisingly no, oh wow, yeah, surprisingly
know maybe because I embody the essence of already like
living my truth, and the things that I'm speaking now
about and writing now about is everything that I say
(16:45):
behind closed doors. So it's no real Like my friends
when they say when they first read the book, it's like, yo,
I feel like I'm talking to you. And that was
probably one of the best compliments I could have had,
because that's what it is. It's supposed to be a dialogue,
you know, just to help you within those times.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
You're listening to the Morning experience on lit Welcome back
to the morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I am Marquise Lupton.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
It it speaks to that authenticity because if they feel
like they're speaking to you, then then then then they're
capturing the true essence of.
Speaker 7 (17:25):
The author, right, which is the goal when writing, right Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Yeah, well well hey, hey, look you tell me you're
the published author. So, so grade Space. What inspired the
creation of the Grade Space Foundation and what does grade
Space represent to you?
Speaker 7 (17:48):
The grade Space represents me just the opportunity one to
to build on a family legacy, to to to Yeah,
h I'm going to be I'm the first generation person
(18:08):
who ever published a book, so and I don't plan
on being the first to do many other things. As
I stepped these sept the uh as, I trail the blaze.
You know, I'm trailing for my nieces, my nephews, and
my daughter most importantly because their creativity is and then
every every other uh kid kid, young adult creative that
(18:35):
that wants they dream big that doesn't have the platform
grace space? Is that really Using storytelling mental health? Using
storytelling to aid and inspire people to be a resource
for mental health and and to be a champion for
youth and it's ultimately everything I'm doing now, but just
(19:00):
in the foundation.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Now, now, gray space, that's a double one Tandre, right
because yeah, yeah, it's your Well I'll let you explain it.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
No, no, no, no, no, you you are the author
of it.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Because when I saw this, I was like, gray space,
that that's a double on Tandre right there because your last.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Name is gray.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
But then with with mental health and everything, like like
there's the there's that gray space And I was like,
I have to ask him about that. Is is it
hit the nail? You hit the nail on his head?
Speaker 7 (19:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
M m all right.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Well well hey man, hey hey, I like to pretend
like I'm smart, So so thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
You for that.
Speaker 7 (19:49):
So man, you you inspired me a lot, man, a lot,
a lot. You know, this is I'm sorry, you know,
the morning experience if you guys never heard of this side,
but Marquise this he man a lot of his journalism
tips and just watching from the background helped me really
put the pen to paper and and and publish, you know,
(20:13):
and publish. You know that you did a you did
a speech one time and thank I forget the exact
word you use. It was a one word, but it
stuck with me and I was just like, man, I
just gotta go, I just gotta do it. Just got
(20:33):
to push that button. Who cares? What's the reception? And
that's yeah, man, So thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I appreciate that. I appreciate that. To to the audience. See,
I told you, I told you I am. I am
rather a rather dope individual. I try to tell you people,
but you're listening to the Morning Experience on LIT. Welcome
back to the Morning Experience. I am Marquie, sleptin you Joe.
(21:05):
How how does the Foundation reach teens and young adults
who may not even realize that they need help?
Speaker 7 (21:14):
Really through grassroots? Excuse me? I use community partnerships and
connected with organizations that I grew through through over the
years that trust me as an individual to just allow
them to point out the individuals and students that they
need help, whether that's academically or emotionally, and or so
(21:38):
we set up a plan and kind of just hit
the floor run and then you know, just start mentoring.
It's it's not about you. Kind of don't need to
figure too many things out. When you know when there's
someone in need, you know you need a yes and
and figure it out on the way.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
So so when you talk to these young folks, specifically
young men, when you talk to young men, young men
of color, particularly, what barriers do you see in how
they express or even understand their emotions?
Speaker 7 (22:13):
Oh? What barriers? Sound most young men, it takes like
at least a month for them to even open up,
if I'm being honest, And that's like probably at least
five to six times we meet for thirty minutes of
forty five and most more times than not, emotional avoidance, pride,
(22:39):
and ego not when it seems soft, they think talking
about their feelings is snitching. Yeah, which is crial, which
is crazy. It's crazy. Like so it's it definitely has
its own that's its own journey, it's own mountain itself.
(23:05):
But I found with sharing my own journey and being
vulnerable kind of age builds that gap and bridges the
gap to where they like, oh wow, I didn't know that.
I would never expected that, or you told me about you,
trusting me to know this about you so over time
(23:26):
and I never press you know, I just now in
the space.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Now when when when something like that happens, like when
you have this student that that that is just to
use your term, just just avoiding their emotions and and
then you have this random, random moment of openness. What
do what do you do with that? Because that that
(23:52):
has to be looked at as like a breakthrough.
Speaker 7 (23:54):
Right, amazing breakthrough one. You have to be ready because
some times I call it like throwing up. Sometimes a
kid can say nothing forever and then give you his
whole life, and it might be shallow and it might
come with a lot, So you need to be emotionally
prepared too. Wanted not really show facial expressions while he's
(24:18):
telling you, kind of keeping that cool calm like poker face,
acting like you like nothing surprises you. And and literally
just be a listener. Just be there to listen. And
when they want to talk or look for advice, you
know they look. It will be a strange pause. But
(24:41):
most of the times, you know, they just want to
get this off because they probably told nobody this and
they probably will never they may never tell anyone this again.
So I don't take those opportunities lightly. And those moments
are definitely considered breakthroughs.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
You're listening to the morning x on lit Welcome back
to the morning Experience.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I am Marquise Lupton, this.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Breakthrough that's happening, This this may very much be a
once in a lifetime thing, like like if if if
it's missed, then this could affect this.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Young man's or young woman's life negatively for the rest
of it. Well exactly Is that being dramatic?
Speaker 7 (25:26):
No, it's not being But that's that's the thought that
I carry when when I'm having these meetings. And that's
why there's seriousness and tention behind it. You know, people
see just his passion. I mean like, yeah, I mean
it's passion, but it's not just passion, like if you
look at the dominoes, this and this and this and
this and this. So let's not complain about this and
(25:47):
let's just be proactive right.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Right and and see that's why that's why I like
programs like yours, because you said, you said, the exact
term that that I wanted you to highlight is is
being proactive going out there before any of it really happens.
In in Baltimore, the crime is going down mainly because
(26:13):
there's these preventative programs now and and people are are
you know, more so occupying people's time with more activities,
more things, to do like kids, so they're not getting into, uh,
these these problems and issues because they have all this
idle time. So before we talk about your book, joe Be,
(26:36):
because I definitely want to focus in on that, can
you tell us about True to You? Because that's that's
really where I was introduced to you from. We shared
boutique space at a storefront. You had your brand, I
had my brand, and I was always always always intrigued
(26:58):
by true True, True to You, to the point that
you all even had a sneaker brand as well.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
So so can you tell the folks what is True
to You?
Speaker 7 (27:09):
Yeah? So True to You is a it's a lifestyle
clothing brand. It was my introduction to creativity at all.
That was the first thing that I ever I always
deemed myself as not creative, just an athlete. So I
(27:30):
created True to You. I always said, it's not a
clothing brand, but it was very much that you know
it was. But the message was what I was trying
to get people to to understand that it's okay to
be yourself. Just be who you are, be authentic, be
true to you. And within that I look back, I
(27:52):
was trying to True to You started as the clothing brand,
and we wanted to teach creative arts to the next generation.
Whether that was music for photography, is whatever medium it
was going back because that was where I felt like
(28:16):
I didn't have anyone to kind of to, you know,
empower me in that space. It was always sports for sports,
push push push. And now imagine if someone a mentor
of mine could have, you know, taught me how to
write a poem in ninth and tenth grade, you know,
(28:36):
imagine what my literature could be like at twenty nine instead.
But that's where the creation of True to You came.
And just so excited to kind of break the shell
of just being a super anxious team and being a
(28:57):
young adult who has a message to say. And that's
how I was just getting around and getting the message out.
The color the logo was a big bright color spash,
multiple colors because I like colors. It really just is
that simple. And when you see it, there was every
color there to represent every every everyone in the life,
(29:23):
not by any type of demographic, but just I believe
just creativity and colors just go together.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
You're listening to the morning experience on lit. Welcome back
to the morning Experience. I am Marque Lupton.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
And without the creation of True to You. True to
You gave me the room and space to write my book, and.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
I was I was literally about to about to get
to that.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So what was the inspiration behind you picking up that pen,
but behind you getting behind that laptop computer and start writing.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
You know, you have that.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Blank screen in front of you, nothing's on it, a
mind full of ideas.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
You see that cursor blinking at you. What was the
inspiration to write that first sentence, that first paragraph, that
first page, and keep on going.
Speaker 7 (30:22):
Initially mine was the opposite. It was more or less venting.
I was journaling, okay, And that's why it seems so conversational,
because I'm talking to myself like I pretend to be good,
but really I tell people this to just distract them
from what I'm really going on and just mad at
(30:44):
what I'm just currently living a lot and just letting
mental health control my life and letting depression beat me.
It just got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Yeah,
and growing up, I used to journal. I used to
always journaled. So this was in twenty twenty, twenty twenty one.
(31:06):
Is actually when I'm really starting to write most of
this book because I'm in it that dark space going
out with true to you blah blah blah. Everyone's seeing emerged,
and sometimes I go home and it ain't the same,
you know, just private life wasn't, wasn't things, wasn't as
a looking at it, it was just a rocky road.
(31:29):
It was one of those low moments, definitely for sure.
And that's why you know, the book gets you know,
people say it's a heavy read, and that's because I
was really on the brink of you know, suicide and
depression was heavy. So yeah, when I say lost in
my head, stuck in my thoughts, that was the reality
(31:51):
of where I was in that in that time. And
I just was like, if I'm going through this, someone
else can use it. Even though I was writing this
in twenty twenty one, I kind of got frozen and scared,
and then I really picked a pen up to twenty
twenty four to finish it off and ran out the
(32:12):
year published in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
Yeah, that's uh, that's something that I really noticed about authors, Like,
it's not it's not this cinematic thing where where like
in movies you see the author sit down and just
you know, bang out right right right right right right
type type type. It's not this this streamline kind of thing,
like it's it's in, it's in spurts. It may it
(32:35):
may take three months to write one chapter, but then
again after that it may take two weeks to write
the next three. Like there's there's just this eb ebb
and flow kind of thing. So so your book again,
Unmasking Me, Lost in my Mind, Stuck in my Thoughts
became an international bestseller. So what made you want to
(32:56):
share such a personal story, Like you said that you
were journaling, but in this you get very very very personal.
Speaker 7 (33:04):
Yeah. Mm hmm, that's that's a good question. I think.
Between if it saves the soul, then I did my job.
Mm hmmm. Uh yeah, struggling with suicide, struggling with depression,
(33:28):
struggling with mental health. You start to see other people
with the same struggle and you start to feel, you
start to feel for and you can put yourself in
their shoes. Definitely. And it was just a couple of
years ago. I've seen a black celebrity a man who
(33:49):
committed suicide. Yeah, and one of those things where I'm
not going this is just my way to to give
it out and half the half of the books, like
I ordered fifty straight up and I probably gave twenty
of them out just straight up because it's more important.
(34:13):
The content is more important than the purchase. And if
you need to read it and if it can save
you or if you can give it to someone that
can save them, then I've done my job.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
So so what was the hardest part of writing that
book and what was the most healing.
Speaker 7 (34:33):
I think the hardest part of writing the book was
the second draft after I sent it. After I sent
the first draft to the publisher and they sent it back,
and I needed to send it back to find more visions.
(34:54):
It's the when it gets real and I'm reading over
the stuff that I haven't even in years and just
taking me back and just having to sit there. I
had to give it back in twenty four hours on
taking ten days because it just took me so long
(35:16):
to read it and you know, just be okay with
the story.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
You're listening to the Morning Experience on LIT. Welcome back
to the Morning Experience. I am Marquise Lupton.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
All right, well, hey, look.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Teach them, teach them how to save some money, because
my daughters are just terrible at that. It just feels
like every two days dad can have some money. I
just gave you like twenty two days ago.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
And where are you going exact exactly what are you doing?
Speaker 1 (35:50):
So, so, Coach Joe, before we let you go, I
want to ask you, five ten years from now, what
do you hope people say about the impact of Coach
Joe Gray and the and the Gray Space Foundation.
Speaker 7 (36:06):
I just hope they say that I gave my all.
He was a man for the people. He was a
man of true integrity and great character. He's a man
who loved his family, loved his daughter. Is that a
great example who truly tried to Yeah. I think that's it.
(36:29):
Those are the only things that I really that that
mean the most to me and my legacy.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
All right, all right, so folks, we are going to
keep it right there. I want to thank Coach Joe
Gray for coming in and just you know how I
like to say, give us the game on everything that
he is involved with. So just one more thing, Coach Joe,
if if you could give somebody some some kind of
(37:00):
word of advice, some kind of adage to live by, something,
something that they can really chew on after this interview,
what would you say?
Speaker 2 (37:12):
The floor is yours. Take as much time as you need.
Speaker 7 (37:15):
Life only starts when you start to embrace yourself. Oh man,
when you don't know who you are and you're stuff
trying to chase everyone else's lane and running their lane,
you can't get what's for you. It's time. It's time
to unmask and stay true. You know those two things
(37:36):
unmasks around you, and then stay true to who you are.
Don't forget, don't get caught in the rat race of
competing with the Joneses. Understand what your goal is, what
your priorities are, and attack them h day, day by day,
highs and lows going to happen, attack them.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Oh, there it is.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
And and folks, again, that was coach Joe Gray from
from the Gray Space Foundation, True to You, and the
author Let's not Forget That, and the author of Unmasking Me,
Lost in My Head, Stuck in my Thoughts Again, which
is an international bestseller.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
I am so so so happy for you, brother.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I am looking forward to to to everything that you
continue to roll out. And yeah, your next project that
you do, please invite us out, will love to cover it.
And also would love to have you come back on
the show after your next great feat, so the door
is always open, brother.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Again, thank you for coming on the Morning Experience man.
Speaker 7 (38:45):
Thank you, it's been an honor and apprivilege.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Bro Oh absolutely absolutely, the privilege was all mine man,
and to you the listener folks again, thank you for
listening and tuning into the Morning Experience.
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