1 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,760 All right. Oh, man, I really appreciate you 2 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,160 doing this. I know you're a very busy man 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:19,520 these days with the family and work and. 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:25,520 All of the above and a lot more, but you know when you have. 5 00:00:26,540 --> 00:00:28,980 Relationships that you care about, you know you go out of 6 00:00:28,980 --> 00:00:32,860 your way to continue to foster them and support. 7 00:00:33,020 --> 00:00:35,740 I appreciate it, man. You've always, you know, I 8 00:00:35,740 --> 00:00:38,620 always say like especially with some of my business partners, I 9 00:00:38,620 --> 00:00:42,660 talk about all the time, like some some of my athletes have 10 00:00:42,660 --> 00:00:47,030 been. Very difficult to work with and 11 00:00:47,750 --> 00:00:50,550 you well, number one, you were probably one of the first guys I 12 00:00:50,550 --> 00:00:54,110 ever worked with you and TJ. We were the first like. 13 00:00:54,110 --> 00:00:55,910 Probably the 1st. Actually like. 14 00:00:56,190 --> 00:00:59,470 Yeah, outside of of college, right. 15 00:01:01,390 --> 00:01:04,030 And I and I really wanted to start with that because like. 16 00:01:04,410 --> 00:01:06,130 I don't know how good your memory is mine. 17 00:01:06,410 --> 00:01:09,050 Mine is a little Milky. I'll be honest, in those days, 18 00:01:09,050 --> 00:01:13,410 those days were wild for. For many reasons. 19 00:01:13,450 --> 00:01:16,850 Yeah, exactly, exactly. But I I want to touch on it a 20 00:01:16,850 --> 00:01:20,850 little bit just because I feel like guys don't do what we used 21 00:01:20,850 --> 00:01:25,730 to do, like and so to take y'all back a little bit, they can. 22 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,440 Aiken came down to Miami from, well, hold on, let let you start 23 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,840 out a little bit because I want people to understand your 24 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,720 background, give it a little bit about Purdue, a little bit 25 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,920 about, you know, your football career a little bit and then 26 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,840 like and then kind of meet me in Miami, you know that. 27 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:47,160 Kind of thing, yeah. So I was fortunate in 2002 to 28 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,120 get drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round. 29 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,200 I played played college ball at Purdue University. 30 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,640 Three years there. From Texas, I mean, countries 31 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,640 can be not country, country, not country bunking, but you know, 32 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,360 Irving, TX, 15 minutes from Dallas. 33 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,759 But really, the way I grew up was very sheltered in that 34 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:14,240 sense, just knowing just everything about Texas and 35 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,200 Dallas proper. But I chose to go to the further 36 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,880 school the way that gave me an opportunity, right, A 37 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:22,840 scholarship. And it happened to be a great 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:28,340 academic school, not thinking. OK, football was a way to get a 39 00:02:28,340 --> 00:02:32,580 degree and just not have the pressure of trying to get into 40 00:02:32,580 --> 00:02:35,620 college and paying for it and loans and all of that. 41 00:02:35,860 --> 00:02:40,020 So football was really a means for me all the the entire time, 42 00:02:40,220 --> 00:02:41,820 was just to get an education, get a degree. 43 00:02:42,300 --> 00:02:45,140 Because I I just said to myself, if I could just get a good 44 00:02:45,140 --> 00:02:48,140 education, get a degree, I could get a good job somewhere. 45 00:02:48,550 --> 00:02:51,270 And that way I could all your. Mindset was not on the NFL. 46 00:02:51,510 --> 00:02:56,270 No, no, it was not one time. Even Even the times in college 47 00:02:56,270 --> 00:03:00,150 where I was having great success and getting a lot of accolades, 48 00:03:00,390 --> 00:03:04,950 I still was thinking, man, graduate and and just going to 49 00:03:04,950 --> 00:03:09,230 the workforce, right and all because I knew back home I had a 50 00:03:09,230 --> 00:03:12,630 mother who grew up and raised. Four of us by herself. 51 00:03:13,030 --> 00:03:14,470 And I just wanted to take care of them. 52 00:03:14,470 --> 00:03:17,070 I wanted Mom, you know, to not have to work as hard. 53 00:03:17,230 --> 00:03:20,270 I want my siblings to have a better start than I did. 54 00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:22,990 And I'm noticed before. So naturally, just I felt like 55 00:03:22,990 --> 00:03:26,110 that was my responsibility, not anybody else's, but my own. 56 00:03:26,630 --> 00:03:30,790 And so I go to Purdue University, happen to, you know, 57 00:03:30,790 --> 00:03:34,560 be on the team. With a guy that you might know, 58 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:39,280 Drew Brees you know maybe a future Hall of Famer and we're 59 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,880 on the squad together. We win the Big 10. 60 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,960 We beat all the the powerhouses. The Michigan's, Ohio State's 61 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,840 Wisconsin's you know played against Tom Brady the GOAT, you 62 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,040 know, got to beat him. You know Mr. Drop the 63 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,440 interception you know we got to sack him and all that. 64 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,760 So had a phenomenal or phenomenal collegiate career. 65 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:08,040 Was fortunate to then get drafted into the NFL and quick 66 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,080 story now and I'll meet you at our junction. 67 00:04:11,950 --> 00:04:17,589 My rookie year, our mutual friend TJ Slaughter who who you 68 00:04:17,589 --> 00:04:21,709 grew up with and know as well. He was one of one my I would say 69 00:04:21,709 --> 00:04:25,070 my Kendrick spirit where automatically we connected. 70 00:04:25,790 --> 00:04:30,390 You know TJ the the way he thinks his approach, his hard 71 00:04:30,390 --> 00:04:32,230 nose approach to playing the game. 72 00:04:32,550 --> 00:04:35,590 I just loved, right? I just loved and I was a guy who 73 00:04:35,590 --> 00:04:38,750 was still learning because I didn't start playing football 74 00:04:38,750 --> 00:04:42,050 until I got to high school. So I really wanted people around 75 00:04:42,050 --> 00:04:43,930 me and being a professional, he's my vet. 76 00:04:44,290 --> 00:04:49,250 So naturally we connected and my rookie year, the first game 77 00:04:49,250 --> 00:04:53,490 going to my rookie year, my linebackers coach came to me and 78 00:04:53,490 --> 00:04:56,130 said, listen, first game was against Peyton Manning, 79 00:04:56,290 --> 00:05:02,570 Indianapolis coach said rookie expect to play a little and you 80 00:05:02,570 --> 00:05:04,130 know we'll get you in there where we can. 81 00:05:04,770 --> 00:05:08,390 So Long story short. The game goes by, I got maybe 82 00:05:08,390 --> 00:05:11,110 all of three plays. I played a lot of special teams, 83 00:05:11,110 --> 00:05:15,910 but got all of three plays after the game, he said, you know, my 84 00:05:15,910 --> 00:05:17,790 fault, we should have played you more. 85 00:05:18,070 --> 00:05:20,070 You know, we'll see what we can do for the next game. 86 00:05:20,070 --> 00:05:24,710 Next game comes around singing national anthem, You know, F-150 87 00:05:25,110 --> 00:05:27,510 fighter jets fly over American flag. 88 00:05:27,510 --> 00:05:29,830 Singing national anthem. You know, I'm still like pumped. 89 00:05:29,830 --> 00:05:32,430 I'm the NFL. I'm in the NFLI made the 53 man 90 00:05:32,430 --> 00:05:35,340 roster. That goes over and next thing 91 00:05:35,340 --> 00:05:37,980 you know, Tom Coughlin slaps me on my ass, says Rookie. 92 00:05:37,980 --> 00:05:39,060 Get in the game. You're starting. 93 00:05:39,460 --> 00:05:43,660 So I go from not barely playing to all of a sudden being an NFL 94 00:05:43,660 --> 00:05:47,540 starter and had a phenomenal rookie year. 95 00:05:47,860 --> 00:05:52,860 So that offseason comes around. No, actually will I, you know, 96 00:05:53,060 --> 00:05:56,620 go through one coach cycle with Tom Coughlin getting fired and 97 00:05:56,620 --> 00:05:59,740 then Jack de Rio comes in, Jack de Rio takes over. 98 00:05:59,740 --> 00:06:02,340 Completely advanced, revamps our whole defense. 99 00:06:02,690 --> 00:06:06,010 Playing a new system was successful under Jack Del Rio. 100 00:06:06,290 --> 00:06:11,050 Had a had another good successful sophomore or you know 101 00:06:11,050 --> 00:06:14,090 next season. And then that offseason TJ and I 102 00:06:14,090 --> 00:06:16,330 were on the same team all season. 103 00:06:16,490 --> 00:06:21,130 I was in LA with my cousin and thinking, you know, I would 104 00:06:21,130 --> 00:06:23,450 spend the offseason, someone else season there. 105 00:06:23,810 --> 00:06:28,050 I get a call from TJ Slaughter. Like, listen, I'm going to Miami 106 00:06:29,370 --> 00:06:31,810 for a weekend. You should come join me. 107 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,680 And he's my vet you know I'm like all right I'll meet you 108 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:39,120 there. So we I, I get I fly touchdown. 109 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:44,120 TJ picks me up we get to Miami and you know we get to South 110 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:48,520 Beach and it's South Beach you know if if you at South Beach 111 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,320 back in the day. Back in the day, back in the. 112 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,360 Day is different. And if you've ever had that 113 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:57,120 experience, you know how electrifying and just how. 114 00:06:57,630 --> 00:07:01,870 The vibe, the people, the culture, the food, the the 115 00:07:01,910 --> 00:07:04,950 organic conversation you just have just walking, just walking, 116 00:07:04,950 --> 00:07:08,350 not having no intentions, but just to figure it out. 117 00:07:08,350 --> 00:07:11,390 Right, right. And and then, you know, it was 118 00:07:11,390 --> 00:07:17,510 one of those a weekend turned into three months, you know, the 119 00:07:17,510 --> 00:07:19,850 entire offseason. And then that's when we 120 00:07:19,850 --> 00:07:22,130 connected. Because I knew that you and TJ 121 00:07:22,130 --> 00:07:26,130 grew up and I trusted the people that TJ introduced me to. 122 00:07:26,410 --> 00:07:30,130 And he was definitely right about you just being a man of 123 00:07:30,130 --> 00:07:32,250 your word. A man that works hard. 124 00:07:32,450 --> 00:07:35,330 A man is passionate. A man that loves people. 125 00:07:35,330 --> 00:07:38,530 A man that loves growth and really truly is about investing 126 00:07:38,530 --> 00:07:41,330 in people. And the only and out this is 127 00:07:41,330 --> 00:07:42,450 true. This is a true testament. 128 00:07:42,850 --> 00:07:46,490 The only person I've ever allowed individual to coach me 129 00:07:46,490 --> 00:07:49,030 train me doing offseason. Was you? 130 00:07:49,190 --> 00:07:50,350 Yeah. And I actually remember you 131 00:07:50,350 --> 00:07:52,990 telling me that. And you're not the only one 132 00:07:52,990 --> 00:07:56,430 that's told me that too. And it's been like very, you 133 00:07:56,430 --> 00:07:58,510 know, it's it's it you take a lot of pride in it. 134 00:07:58,510 --> 00:08:00,470 You're like, wow. And and then also you take it 135 00:08:00,470 --> 00:08:02,630 very serious. And I think that's something 136 00:08:02,630 --> 00:08:05,950 that I don't know if I ever got enough credit for. 137 00:08:06,350 --> 00:08:09,630 And recently I've been doing these podcasts and like Ricky 138 00:08:09,630 --> 00:08:13,590 Jean Francois said something very impactful like that to me. 139 00:08:14,590 --> 00:08:17,470 Oscar got to hear that one too. And it it just means a lot 140 00:08:17,470 --> 00:08:21,150 because. I almost cared too much. 141 00:08:21,350 --> 00:08:24,910 You know like my football career was taken away from me from 142 00:08:24,910 --> 00:08:27,670 injuries and like I literally lived through y'all. 143 00:08:27,670 --> 00:08:31,270 Like I was like, you know like everything we went through and 144 00:08:31,270 --> 00:08:34,549 then to be able to see you put it on the field that for me was 145 00:08:34,549 --> 00:08:38,830 like that was everything you know like and and so I really 146 00:08:38,830 --> 00:08:42,950 cared and I was diving into learning as much as possible to 147 00:08:42,950 --> 00:08:46,350 figure it out and and I just stayed on that and then but to 148 00:08:46,350 --> 00:08:49,730 go back like we. I mean, our work ethic, though, 149 00:08:49,730 --> 00:08:52,610 was on like another level. Tell people I was let's let's 150 00:08:52,610 --> 00:08:54,090 give them. Tell them how I want you to 151 00:08:54,090 --> 00:08:54,490 tell. Them. 152 00:08:54,490 --> 00:08:57,850 Yeah. So back then we would. 153 00:08:57,930 --> 00:09:00,210 And this is, this is not exaggerating. 154 00:09:00,210 --> 00:09:01,770 This is exactly how it went down. 155 00:09:01,770 --> 00:09:05,730 And this was every day, every day, every day, every day, 156 00:09:08,090 --> 00:09:10,010 literally. All right, so we're talking 157 00:09:10,010 --> 00:09:14,560 about waking up. And again the wake up for us, 158 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,240 you know, cuz we all, none of us really had jobs other than I 159 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,560 mean my job is to train y'all so but y'all, you know your NFL 160 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:22,880 prayers, you're basically on vacation but working out through 161 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:24,720 it. So it was it could have been 162 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,440 6:00 in the morning, it could have been 7:00 in the morning, 163 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,320 but it was it was early morning, early, all right. 164 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,640 It was early mornings. We would start in the weight 165 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,320 room and we would, we would lift and we would lift. 166 00:09:34,790 --> 00:09:36,830 At least an hour, sometimes two hours. 167 00:09:36,830 --> 00:09:40,750 And when I say lift, I'm talking like to failure, pushing each 168 00:09:40,750 --> 00:09:42,870 other. And by the way, I was young and 169 00:09:42,910 --> 00:09:45,430 and in shape back then so I actually did everything with 170 00:09:45,430 --> 00:09:48,110 them too. It wasn't just me pointing and 171 00:09:48,110 --> 00:09:51,150 count reps no, I was jumping in there and lifting and. 172 00:09:51,150 --> 00:09:52,950 Did every. That's what I'm saying. 173 00:09:52,990 --> 00:09:55,430 That's another reason I respect you, because you did every 174 00:09:55,430 --> 00:09:57,990 single Rep, every single drill, every single run. 175 00:09:58,270 --> 00:10:00,110 You was doing it every day with us, probably. 176 00:10:00,110 --> 00:10:04,590 Why I'm still hurting today, but and I and I wanted to like it 177 00:10:04,590 --> 00:10:06,670 was. Something that at that time I 178 00:10:06,670 --> 00:10:10,430 wanted to lead by example and let y'all know that the crazy 179 00:10:10,430 --> 00:10:14,230 shit we were doing was not crazy like it was, it was doable, 180 00:10:14,230 --> 00:10:16,990 right? So we would work out first very 181 00:10:16,990 --> 00:10:19,350 intentional in our workout, very intentional our lifting. 182 00:10:19,590 --> 00:10:21,630 Then we would go down to the sand pit. 183 00:10:22,270 --> 00:10:25,430 So the Flamingo Athletic Club had a sand pit like a volleyball 184 00:10:25,430 --> 00:10:27,310 court, and we would do sand drills. 185 00:10:27,550 --> 00:10:31,430 Then we go to the pool, so we go straight from the sand pit to 186 00:10:31,430 --> 00:10:34,230 the pool. Back then there was literally 187 00:10:34,270 --> 00:10:37,670 girls laying out topless all around the pool, and I'm not 188 00:10:37,670 --> 00:10:40,790 exaggerated like at least 11 girls basically naked. 189 00:10:41,030 --> 00:10:43,350 And so that was definitely some. Motivation. 190 00:10:43,390 --> 00:10:45,830 You're right. So we're like doing, like 191 00:10:45,830 --> 00:10:50,150 waiting in the water and doing. TJ was very he loved the pool, 192 00:10:50,150 --> 00:10:52,710 like he was a very pool guy. So he had all these crazy 193 00:10:52,710 --> 00:10:56,030 exercises we do in the pool. Then you think it's over. 194 00:10:56,030 --> 00:10:58,870 No, it's not. Then we would go, we would 195 00:10:58,870 --> 00:11:01,070 change, then we would go to the football field. 196 00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:05,150 And we do field work, so we do gassers, we do, you know, all 197 00:11:05,150 --> 00:11:07,190 this, all these routes. We do all this stuff. 198 00:11:07,190 --> 00:11:10,110 And I'll never forget one of my favorite stories about that 199 00:11:10,110 --> 00:11:11,670 time. And I don't know if you were 200 00:11:11,670 --> 00:11:15,830 there for this one, but Sean Taylor was working out with us 201 00:11:15,950 --> 00:11:20,750 and there was a fence that was about like right to his armpit. 202 00:11:21,430 --> 00:11:24,310 And we're having a conversation after the workout and he 203 00:11:24,310 --> 00:11:26,310 literally goes, all right guys, I'll see y'all. 204 00:11:26,310 --> 00:11:29,870 And he Bunny hopped over the fence and to this day is one of 205 00:11:29,870 --> 00:11:33,870 the most incredible. Feats of athleticism I've ever 206 00:11:33,870 --> 00:11:34,990 seen in my life. Was it? 207 00:11:35,070 --> 00:11:37,110 Wasn't he still in college at the time? 208 00:11:37,430 --> 00:11:40,190 I think it was. I think it was either his senior 209 00:11:40,190 --> 00:11:43,630 year or or his like rookie. Yeah, because I remember he was. 210 00:11:43,630 --> 00:11:47,030 Young because it was Jeremy Shockey and Trail Roll Bear to 211 00:11:47,030 --> 00:11:50,670 ask you who else was that the Sharper brothers were? 212 00:11:50,750 --> 00:11:53,390 Out there, Yeah, yeah. Because I remember we would have 213 00:11:53,390 --> 00:11:58,010 also was funny. So the only consistent 214 00:11:58,010 --> 00:12:01,330 consistency we had was me, you and TJ. 215 00:12:01,330 --> 00:12:02,770 Yeah, that's true. We were all not. 216 00:12:04,410 --> 00:12:06,730 Everybody showed up, not. Everybody showed up. 217 00:12:06,770 --> 00:12:09,970 Not everybody had the same work ethic and not everybody could 218 00:12:09,970 --> 00:12:11,970 hang. That's true, because the 219 00:12:11,970 --> 00:12:16,090 workouts were so intense that most of the time you know you 220 00:12:16,090 --> 00:12:18,610 you wouldn't have repeats because they just. 221 00:12:19,070 --> 00:12:20,470 It was too hard for them mentally. 222 00:12:20,710 --> 00:12:23,070 They could not hack it and so we was. 223 00:12:23,310 --> 00:12:25,870 I'm not even done yet. We also remember we then we 224 00:12:25,870 --> 00:12:30,030 would go back and we run the stairs and that was like TJ's 225 00:12:30,030 --> 00:12:32,350 like another TJ thing. Like he was like, Oh no, we're 226 00:12:32,350 --> 00:12:34,750 running the stairs like because sometimes I'd be like, hey, I 227 00:12:34,750 --> 00:12:36,630 think we've done enough and he's like, no, we're running the 228 00:12:36,630 --> 00:12:38,830 stairs and we're in a race up the. 229 00:12:38,830 --> 00:12:40,950 Street Yeah, we just race out and this is me and you know 230 00:12:40,950 --> 00:12:43,750 young and just like he's what my vets are doing. 231 00:12:43,750 --> 00:12:48,470 Let's go you know so but I I tell you it was that was the 232 00:12:48,470 --> 00:12:51,590 foundation. For having a young guy come in 233 00:12:51,590 --> 00:12:55,270 and I knew that if I if I could handle this part and I could get 234 00:12:55,270 --> 00:13:00,270 through the the load of workouts and if I could be around people 235 00:13:00,270 --> 00:13:03,360 who I could learn from. You know, I go up back up to 236 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,600 Jacksonville and you know whether it was mini camp, 237 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:09,600 training camp, you know, during the season that was a breeze. 238 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:11,600 That was a breeze, right? Yeah, freak, freak. 239 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:13,880 Talk about that too. Just out his coaches. 240 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:15,960 You'd be like laughing during the workouts and I'd be like, 241 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,080 what are you laughing at? He's like, man. 242 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,960 If you knew what I just did. But I came from, you know, this 243 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,600 is nothing. And but then what's? 244 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:24,560 What's even to me? Even crazier. 245 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:28,240 We would get done and we would be done, like around, you know, 246 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,400 one or two o'clock. We'd all go. 247 00:13:30,940 --> 00:13:33,940 Back to our apartments. We'd all take a nap and then, 248 00:13:33,940 --> 00:13:36,500 boy, we would party our asses off. 249 00:13:36,500 --> 00:13:39,580 We gotta go out and we would do a dinner. 250 00:13:39,740 --> 00:13:44,300 We would do a club. We we would stay out till 2334. 251 00:13:44,340 --> 00:13:47,220 Sometimes in the morning. Yeah, And then. 252 00:13:47,380 --> 00:13:48,700 And then. Building, running back. 253 00:13:48,700 --> 00:13:52,060 And it was, I mean our the break time really, you know. 254 00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:55,820 A lot of days were maybe 2-3 hours, right? 255 00:13:55,980 --> 00:13:58,060 Because it was afternoon. That's where we would make it 256 00:13:58,060 --> 00:14:00,020 up, right? But then it was just one of 257 00:14:00,020 --> 00:14:01,980 those. OK, You know, come 6:00, 258 00:14:01,980 --> 00:14:05,380 o'clock, come seven, come, you know, 7:30, we're in the gym. 259 00:14:05,380 --> 00:14:08,460 We would always make sure we matched the time that we're 260 00:14:08,460 --> 00:14:10,220 going to meet up, and we're always there. 261 00:14:10,220 --> 00:14:10,980 Always. Yeah. 262 00:14:11,060 --> 00:14:13,300 I'll never forget because it was like, you know, it would get 263 00:14:13,300 --> 00:14:16,060 late and you know, they were like even sometimes, you know, 264 00:14:16,060 --> 00:14:17,620 they turn the lights on in the glove. 265 00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:21,060 And because we were all dancers. That's true. 266 00:14:21,060 --> 00:14:25,260 We're all dancers. I'll never get TJ used to do the 267 00:14:25,260 --> 00:14:29,220 splits in the middle of the club, but we would be dancing 268 00:14:29,220 --> 00:14:31,620 and then sometimes they'd be turning the lights on on us and 269 00:14:31,620 --> 00:14:33,380 we would all like look at each other and be like, all right 270 00:14:33,380 --> 00:14:35,860 I'll see you in the morning and and we, you know, no matter if 271 00:14:35,860 --> 00:14:39,500 we went our separate ways or we left together, we we still, like 272 00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:44,140 you said we met up the next day and we did it again and that I 273 00:14:44,140 --> 00:14:47,340 think y'all probably set me up for failure. 274 00:14:47,340 --> 00:14:51,620 And what I mean by that is like I got so used to you guys. 275 00:14:52,670 --> 00:14:58,350 And and then like you know the Joe Johnson's, I'm trying the 276 00:14:58,350 --> 00:15:01,550 Sean Livingston some some you know, the guys that really 277 00:15:01,550 --> 00:15:05,390 wanted to work and that really gave it their all and that 278 00:15:05,390 --> 00:15:09,750 actually wanted to get better and wanted to be better not just 279 00:15:09,750 --> 00:15:13,390 physically but also mentally and spiritually and I was around. 280 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:18,040 A handful of those guys and then you know, you start to do this 281 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:20,680 for a long time and then you start to see the other side of 282 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:24,120 it where guys have tons and tons of talent, but they're not 283 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,600 willing to put in the work and they're doing the wrong things. 284 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,280 They're showing up late. And so for me, it was very hard 285 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,840 to to keep doing that and that's why I kind of like started to to 286 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,140 excuse me. Excuse me, I started to pivot a 287 00:15:38,140 --> 00:15:41,740 little bit with with my business is because I just couldn't take 288 00:15:41,740 --> 00:15:44,700 it anymore like it was. It was robbing my joy of life 289 00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:48,780 because I loved it so much. And then I wasn't seeing the 290 00:15:48,780 --> 00:15:51,660 love. Not for me, but for the process, 291 00:15:51,660 --> 00:15:53,300 right? Like, I don't care if you like 292 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:55,260 me or not. I actually kind of don't want 293 00:15:55,260 --> 00:15:58,100 you to like me in that moment because you're not supposed to, 294 00:15:58,100 --> 00:16:00,700 right? Like I'm kind of taking you to a 295 00:16:00,700 --> 00:16:03,860 place you don't want to go so that there's not a whole lot of 296 00:16:03,860 --> 00:16:06,300 love there. Maybe love after you see the 297 00:16:06,300 --> 00:16:09,100 results. And I think that's what I got. 298 00:16:09,100 --> 00:16:11,700 But but that's really why I pivoted. 299 00:16:11,980 --> 00:16:15,220 So let's go back. So you know we had I mean we 300 00:16:15,220 --> 00:16:18,500 could talk for days about all our all our all those those 301 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:23,820 days, those days I want to I'll tell you a little bit too about 302 00:16:23,820 --> 00:16:28,380 me and you personally like I always admire to you. 303 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,720 You're so you know me. I'm a little like, you know, a 304 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,280 little wild, like crazy, like very. 305 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:35,280 Passionate. Very. 306 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,200 That's the word I use for you. Very. 307 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:41,040 Passionate thank you and you have always been a very like. 308 00:16:41,540 --> 00:16:46,700 Like stoic person, like in your in your tone and the way you 309 00:16:46,700 --> 00:16:49,220 handle yourself in your responses. 310 00:16:49,460 --> 00:16:51,580 Like even me and you. We probably you know had our 311 00:16:51,580 --> 00:16:55,060 moments where I said the wrong thing or tried to push you in a 312 00:16:55,060 --> 00:16:56,500 way that didn't rub you the right way. 313 00:16:56,500 --> 00:17:00,060 But you always handled yourself in a very professional way. 314 00:17:00,980 --> 00:17:05,500 And I, and even at a young age, I mean and like for me, I always 315 00:17:05,500 --> 00:17:08,180 admired you for that and I always like looked up to that 316 00:17:08,180 --> 00:17:12,230 and I was always like. I wanna like add that component 317 00:17:12,230 --> 00:17:15,030 to my life, you know, And I think I've done a better job 318 00:17:15,030 --> 00:17:16,829 recently with it. Probably not. 319 00:17:16,829 --> 00:17:19,630 Back there recently, yeah. Recently, you know, just just 320 00:17:19,790 --> 00:17:22,990 just figuring that out now at 45, but. 321 00:17:24,150 --> 00:17:27,109 I just wanted to say that to you and then also to our Our fashion 322 00:17:27,109 --> 00:17:31,030 senses were always on point, you know, I was always would laugh 323 00:17:31,030 --> 00:17:32,710 because we'd show up and I'd be like okay. 324 00:17:32,710 --> 00:17:34,070 He's like wearing the same thing. 325 00:17:34,150 --> 00:17:37,110 I mean, and I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, 326 00:17:37,190 --> 00:17:40,110 but we always I. Would say we we were we were 327 00:17:40,110 --> 00:17:43,590 trendsetters in that in that sense that we weren't shy to you 328 00:17:43,590 --> 00:17:47,190 know show it out and and you know obviously we were dancers 329 00:17:47,190 --> 00:17:49,230 and we weren't afraid to speak to anybody. 330 00:17:49,230 --> 00:17:54,170 We weren't we were not you know. Gun shy to approach anybody or 331 00:17:54,170 --> 00:17:58,490 to ask anyone. We we used to have to, Even 332 00:17:58,490 --> 00:18:00,850 though we were NFL players back then. 333 00:18:00,850 --> 00:18:06,130 We had to negotiate our way into a lot of places, right? 334 00:18:06,170 --> 00:18:08,920 Just because. How South Beach was at the time. 335 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:10,360 It was different. It was different. 336 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:12,880 Like like now, if you have money, you can get pretty much 337 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:14,720 anywhere. Back then, it didn't matter who 338 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,160 you were, didn't matter who you were, how much money you had. 339 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:21,800 You had to convince them that you belong in the club or where 340 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,520 the restaurant or what have you. So, so I mean, but a lot of that 341 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,080 to your point and first of all let me say and I appreciate you 342 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:31,280 you know saying that about me and. 343 00:18:31,660 --> 00:18:35,180 And I think a lot of it, too, is 1 just how we all grew up, 344 00:18:35,180 --> 00:18:37,940 right? Whether it was you felt like you 345 00:18:37,940 --> 00:18:41,180 had a good upbringing or not. But we're who we are. 346 00:18:41,180 --> 00:18:46,300 And really now as adults, all comes comes from how we grew up 347 00:18:46,300 --> 00:18:49,180 and how we were affected with the relationships that we had 348 00:18:49,180 --> 00:18:53,260 with, whether it's internal or immediate family or or external. 349 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:59,000 For me, the way why I was always stoic or serious for how some 350 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,600 people would say is because I knew early on that if I didn't 351 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,400 have a different way of thinking, if I didn't have a 352 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,920 different way of absorbing and handling my emotions, I was just 353 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,520 going to fall into the same trap as everybody else. 354 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:17,080 That I saw growing up, that I saw, that had way more talent, 355 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,960 had way more opportunities, and they just couldn't handle 356 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:23,020 themselves. They didn't know how to express 357 00:19:23,020 --> 00:19:25,220 themselves. They didn't know how to handle 358 00:19:25,540 --> 00:19:29,820 thoughts conversations or or would we have the wrong reaction 359 00:19:30,260 --> 00:19:34,340 in the most untimely manner. And so early on I just, I saw 360 00:19:34,340 --> 00:19:36,180 that. So I said okay, this is going to 361 00:19:36,180 --> 00:19:39,300 be who you are and if you were to grow, if you're to get out of 362 00:19:39,300 --> 00:19:42,300 this situation, if you're to help you know your mom and your 363 00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:44,620 siblings. This is how you're going to do 364 00:19:44,620 --> 00:19:46,780 it. And and it worked out. 365 00:19:46,820 --> 00:19:48,300 It worked out and and a lot of it. 366 00:19:48,730 --> 00:19:50,930 I tell you it meant it helped me out in football. 367 00:19:50,970 --> 00:19:54,290 It helped me on the field because not that I didn't have 368 00:19:54,290 --> 00:19:58,170 emotions or not because or I wasn't affected, but I had a way 369 00:19:58,170 --> 00:20:02,730 of being in and out and letting go and moving forward. 370 00:20:03,010 --> 00:20:04,050 Right. Which is a gift. 371 00:20:04,090 --> 00:20:06,890 It's it's very much like they say, the best fighters. 372 00:20:07,420 --> 00:20:10,460 Are not emotional like, they're not emotional fighters there 373 00:20:10,820 --> 00:20:14,940 because in football and fighting and in sports in general, you're 374 00:20:14,940 --> 00:20:16,940 going to have good moments and bad moments. 375 00:20:17,220 --> 00:20:20,260 But how fast can you forget to get the bad moments so that you 376 00:20:20,260 --> 00:20:23,340 can keep doing the good moments. And a lot of guys get caught up 377 00:20:23,340 --> 00:20:26,780 into the mistake and then they're like, they're only 378 00:20:26,780 --> 00:20:29,220 thinking about, man, I drop the ball, man, I drop the ball and 379 00:20:29,340 --> 00:20:31,580 then they drop another ball because they drop that ball. 380 00:20:31,580 --> 00:20:35,300 But if you can forget about it and move on, then that that's a 381 00:20:35,300 --> 00:20:37,300 gift and I think that's one of your. 382 00:20:37,940 --> 00:20:39,580 And that's the thing about life too, right? 383 00:20:39,580 --> 00:20:42,980 You know, because you know life is always evolving, right? 384 00:20:42,980 --> 00:20:46,260 Life there's always there's the victitudes of life are happened 385 00:20:46,260 --> 00:20:47,540 to you. You can't tell. 386 00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:49,700 You don't know when the seasons you don't know. 387 00:20:49,700 --> 00:20:51,660 You know who's going to come in your life and affect it. 388 00:20:51,660 --> 00:20:56,900 But if you're able to think about and collect yourself and 389 00:20:56,900 --> 00:20:59,340 then move on to the next thing, right? 390 00:20:59,580 --> 00:21:03,220 Always changing, always leveling up, always allowing yourself to 391 00:21:03,220 --> 00:21:05,750 grow. Then you'll see the successes, 392 00:21:05,750 --> 00:21:07,830 you know, I agree. I always say there's no such 393 00:21:07,830 --> 00:21:09,670 thing as losses. It's only lessons, right? 394 00:21:09,670 --> 00:21:12,910 Like, it's like you're only learning as you make mistakes. 395 00:21:12,910 --> 00:21:16,390 Yeah. So this stood out to me earlier, 396 00:21:16,390 --> 00:21:19,210 you said. That you really thought that you 397 00:21:19,210 --> 00:21:21,410 were just going to get a job so that you could take care of your 398 00:21:21,410 --> 00:21:23,610 family. And then the first thing that 399 00:21:23,610 --> 00:21:26,650 popped in my head, and don't laugh, but, well, you can't 400 00:21:26,650 --> 00:21:30,010 laugh because I think you'll laugh is the first thing that 401 00:21:30,010 --> 00:21:33,370 popped in my head is you walking down the stairs in your mansion 402 00:21:33,370 --> 00:21:37,010 in Dallas in your robe. And I was like, I was literally 403 00:21:37,010 --> 00:21:39,610 thinking he definitely, he definitely did it. 404 00:21:40,170 --> 00:21:43,810 So you obviously don't tell us, you know, how much money you 405 00:21:43,810 --> 00:21:47,650 made or anything like that. But I I mean it's a pretty. 406 00:21:47,850 --> 00:21:50,810 Awesome moment. Like an outsider looking in and 407 00:21:50,850 --> 00:21:54,090 and someone listening to you say that all you wanted to do is 408 00:21:54,090 --> 00:21:56,850 take care of your family and then to have that moment where 409 00:21:56,850 --> 00:22:00,930 you sign that big contract for Dallas and and you get to do it. 410 00:22:00,930 --> 00:22:02,810 Like you get to do it how? How? 411 00:22:02,810 --> 00:22:04,530 Like, I don't know. Like what was that? 412 00:22:04,530 --> 00:22:10,090 Like, man, So I'll tell you a quick story at the 11th hour. 413 00:22:10,450 --> 00:22:13,210 You know, you go through your rookie contract and then you go 414 00:22:13,210 --> 00:22:15,810 through, you're now a unrestricted free agent. 415 00:22:16,180 --> 00:22:19,820 And at the 11th hour, I'd originally had a somewhat of a 416 00:22:19,820 --> 00:22:23,540 tentative agreement between it was a San Francisco 49ers and 417 00:22:23,540 --> 00:22:28,060 intensity times and 11th hour, I get a call from Bill Parcells, 418 00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:29,500 right? And he's like, listen, this is 419 00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:31,820 Bill, blah, blah, blah. You may have heard some good 420 00:22:31,820 --> 00:22:34,580 things, so bad things, but I would love for you to come to 421 00:22:34,580 --> 00:22:36,380 Dallas. So wait a minute. 422 00:22:36,380 --> 00:22:41,860 Because I love, like, nonchalant Bill Parcells calls him on the 423 00:22:41,860 --> 00:22:43,980 phone. That's pretty epic right there. 424 00:22:44,020 --> 00:22:46,900 Yeah, yeah, Like, was that like. Pretty cool. 425 00:22:47,700 --> 00:22:51,780 It really was I I I so I someone got heads up from one of his 426 00:22:51,780 --> 00:22:54,620 close friends that which I actually knew was a marketing 427 00:22:54,620 --> 00:22:57,540 guy and he called me to give me heads up like listen Bill 428 00:22:57,540 --> 00:23:00,380 Parcells wants to talk to you. Take it. 429 00:23:00,380 --> 00:23:02,300 You know I think it would be a worthwhile for you to to take 430 00:23:02,460 --> 00:23:04,260 the call. So I I, you know I was able to 431 00:23:04,260 --> 00:23:06,020 collect myself and really act real cool. 432 00:23:06,020 --> 00:23:08,260 But really I'm thinking like. It's Bill Parcell. 433 00:23:09,940 --> 00:23:12,540 And so he calls me. So right off, right after we get 434 00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:14,780 off the phone, I called my agent, I said. 435 00:23:15,180 --> 00:23:18,740 Hold up, hold up. You know, like, I'm not saying 436 00:23:18,820 --> 00:23:23,060 anyway yet because I think I can go to Dallas, and I'm from 437 00:23:23,060 --> 00:23:24,060 Dallas. I grew up in. 438 00:23:24,100 --> 00:23:27,220 I grew up in Irving. What what a lot of people don't 439 00:23:27,220 --> 00:23:28,620 know. During the summers when I would 440 00:23:28,620 --> 00:23:32,100 go home for about roughly a month or six weeks, I would 441 00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:35,940 sneak into the old Texas Stadium and I get on, get drive to the 442 00:23:35,940 --> 00:23:39,820 parking lot, find one of the gates that were open, jump or 443 00:23:39,820 --> 00:23:43,740 sneak under or jump it or go through it and then run every 444 00:23:43,740 --> 00:23:45,230 single stairs. Wow. 445 00:23:45,270 --> 00:23:48,430 Every single stairs in that stadium, that old stair I have 446 00:23:48,670 --> 00:23:50,950 seen it ran sweated on those stairs. 447 00:23:51,350 --> 00:23:55,910 And so the opportunity to go back to my hometown and then 448 00:23:55,910 --> 00:23:58,870 back to a state and where I've worked my butt off, you know, I 449 00:23:58,870 --> 00:24:02,230 said wow, like this is you can't write a better strip. 450 00:24:02,270 --> 00:24:06,190 Exactly. And so we I fly to Dallas, it 451 00:24:06,190 --> 00:24:09,510 got to meet Jerry and the whole did the whole tour and then Bill 452 00:24:09,510 --> 00:24:12,070 Parcell sits me down. He says, listen, you're the 453 00:24:12,070 --> 00:24:14,350 missing piece to my defense. I'm like what? 454 00:24:14,670 --> 00:24:17,510 Look this sales guy mind you he's got a first round draft 455 00:24:17,510 --> 00:24:20,590 pick, Pro Bowler Roy Williams first round draft pick, Pro 456 00:24:20,590 --> 00:24:23,790 Bowler Terence Newman, first round draft pick, Pro Bowler 457 00:24:23,990 --> 00:24:27,590 Greg Ellis first round draft pick, future Pro Bowler future 458 00:24:27,590 --> 00:24:30,710 Hall of Fame DeMarcus Ware. Marcus Spears. 459 00:24:30,870 --> 00:24:33,070 Chris Kennedy. Like all these guys that we all 460 00:24:33,070 --> 00:24:36,630 know and see on TV now. And you telling me I'm the 461 00:24:36,630 --> 00:24:37,830 missing piece of your. Defense. 462 00:24:37,830 --> 00:24:39,690 Like, come on. I will say this. 463 00:24:39,890 --> 00:24:44,170 And and and it's a 3 four. I have never in my entire life 464 00:24:44,290 --> 00:24:47,810 ever played in the 3-4 defense. So then he then he's asking me 465 00:24:47,810 --> 00:24:50,810 to learn a whole new scheme and you're telling me I'm the 466 00:24:50,810 --> 00:24:53,650 missing piece of defense. You know, load me home. 467 00:24:53,650 --> 00:24:58,370 Listen, it worked. It sold me and I I was able to 468 00:24:58,370 --> 00:25:01,810 go to Dallas and fulfill the dream where to what you're 469 00:25:01,810 --> 00:25:06,010 asking really have that comfort. Have that cushion. 470 00:25:06,460 --> 00:25:08,540 To take care of my family. Yes, they did. 471 00:25:08,540 --> 00:25:10,420 Yes, they did. You know, thank you. 472 00:25:10,420 --> 00:25:11,580 Thank you, Bill. Thank you, Jerry. 473 00:25:12,420 --> 00:25:16,300 You know the way that I really wanted to and and that, you 474 00:25:16,300 --> 00:25:20,500 know, was it was like the coming or you can say, you know, I've 475 00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:23,300 made it. Yes, but yes or no because as we 476 00:25:23,300 --> 00:25:25,900 all know, more money, more problems, right. 477 00:25:26,140 --> 00:25:28,500 And so much comes with that and so many people come out of the 478 00:25:28,500 --> 00:25:30,860 woodwork and you're playing in your hometown. 479 00:25:31,100 --> 00:25:34,020 So there's a lot, there was a lot of stress at the time, but 480 00:25:34,020 --> 00:25:37,130 at the same time. If if I, you know, if I just 481 00:25:37,130 --> 00:25:41,530 could take a snippet of that time period, I definitely 482 00:25:41,690 --> 00:25:44,050 fulfilled a dream and a goal. And how long did you play for 483 00:25:44,050 --> 00:25:46,010 the Cowboys? I was in Dallas three years. 484 00:25:46,050 --> 00:25:48,330 Three years and was that your last stint or you went to 485 00:25:48,330 --> 00:25:48,810 Buffalo? Right. 486 00:25:48,810 --> 00:25:49,690 No. Well, not yet. 487 00:25:49,690 --> 00:25:52,970 Joey days, right? So when when Bill Parcells came 488 00:25:52,970 --> 00:25:58,770 to Miami as as as the President, football OPS, football 489 00:25:58,770 --> 00:26:02,390 operations. He traded for me to Miami, so I 490 00:26:02,390 --> 00:26:05,430 became a parcels guy, OK? You know, from that point on, 491 00:26:05,670 --> 00:26:08,830 and got to play in Miami for two years and then played a year in 492 00:26:08,830 --> 00:26:09,550 Buffalo. All right. 493 00:26:09,550 --> 00:26:10,390 That's all I was right. Yeah. 494 00:26:10,390 --> 00:26:10,910 All right. Yeah. 495 00:26:12,340 --> 00:26:15,020 I knew, I remembered. So yeah, I didn't know the time. 496 00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:17,380 So Buffalo was the last. Yeah, Buffalo was the last stop. 497 00:26:17,540 --> 00:26:19,380 Probably a good place to. It was. 498 00:26:19,420 --> 00:26:21,660 It was one of those like, God was like, listen, you played in 499 00:26:21,660 --> 00:26:24,220 Jacksonville, FL, you played. Like I'm going to give you the. 500 00:26:24,420 --> 00:26:27,860 Dallas in Texas and then back to Miami. 501 00:26:27,860 --> 00:26:29,980 Like you need some Cody in life. Like I need to. 502 00:26:30,140 --> 00:26:31,940 I need to cool you off. You're too hot right now. 503 00:26:31,940 --> 00:26:35,460 Exactly, exactly. And So what was the the NFL run 504 00:26:35,460 --> 00:26:36,300 was? How many years? 505 00:26:36,580 --> 00:26:38,940 10 total. 10 total Wow. A decade? 506 00:26:39,020 --> 00:26:41,500 Yeah, that's awesome. Us off And now. 507 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,720 So, all right, so now football's over at your business. 508 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,120 Like you're like a legitimate businessman. 509 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:51,840 Now let's talk a little bit about that, like that 510 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:57,560 transition, because I know for me at A at going from like an 511 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:01,000 athlete to playing college football to that and then kind 512 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,760 of diving into strength and conditioning and then going way 513 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:10,320 more into CEO life and business life is definitely different, 514 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,580 but. There's also a lot of some 515 00:27:12,580 --> 00:27:14,900 similarities and especially from leadership. 516 00:27:14,900 --> 00:27:19,420 And I think that one of the main reasons guys like us are so 517 00:27:19,420 --> 00:27:24,180 connected is because of our football experience and like 518 00:27:24,180 --> 00:27:27,140 what we learned through those times through these kind of 519 00:27:27,140 --> 00:27:30,060 coaches like the Bill Parcells. Like for me, my Bill Parcells 520 00:27:30,060 --> 00:27:32,020 was Brother Oliver. I don't know if you remember 521 00:27:32,020 --> 00:27:35,140 Coach Oliver from the championship team from Alabama 522 00:27:35,140 --> 00:27:36,380 and then he coached at Auburn, but. 523 00:27:37,180 --> 00:27:43,020 He was that famous 11 front defense that shut down Gino was 524 00:27:43,020 --> 00:27:45,220 it Gino, the the Miami Hurricanes. 525 00:27:45,860 --> 00:27:49,380 Yeah they shut remember they shut them down and and all 526 00:27:49,380 --> 00:27:52,780 eleven people would line up on the line and then the so he came 527 00:27:52,780 --> 00:27:56,100 to Auburn and he would like the way that he would break down 528 00:27:56,100 --> 00:27:57,980 film and then also just the way he. 529 00:27:58,470 --> 00:28:02,030 He treated us as like men, you know, not kids. 530 00:28:02,030 --> 00:28:04,550 Like he taught us things about life. 531 00:28:04,710 --> 00:28:06,710 And that's something that I'll never forget. 532 00:28:07,790 --> 00:28:11,150 Talk about a little bit how you've how you've transitioned 533 00:28:11,150 --> 00:28:14,070 into the business world and how you know you've used some of 534 00:28:14,070 --> 00:28:16,110 these tools and some of these things that you've. 535 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,000 You've learned throughout your career that 10 year career 536 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:24,080 because you were influenced by not only veteran guys. 537 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:28,440 Now then you become a veteran, then you're I mean Bill Parcells 538 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,360 and I mean I'm sure you said Jack Del Rio. 539 00:28:30,360 --> 00:28:32,200 I mean some of these amazing coaches. 540 00:28:33,380 --> 00:28:37,140 And I can't, I can't imagine that you're not implementing 541 00:28:37,140 --> 00:28:41,380 some of that into your now when you speak to the 80% white 542 00:28:41,380 --> 00:28:45,780 women, are you giving them a little those, a little bit all 543 00:28:45,860 --> 00:28:48,700 Nuggets? Probably not as colorful as they 544 00:28:48,700 --> 00:28:50,660 gave it to me. That's true, yeah. 545 00:28:50,780 --> 00:28:53,500 But definitely I bring, I bring all of that. 546 00:28:53,540 --> 00:28:56,660 You know, as you know, as you level up and as you transition, 547 00:28:56,980 --> 00:28:59,700 you know, most people think that they have to completely reinvent 548 00:28:59,700 --> 00:29:02,600 themselves and become. This new, you do have to become 549 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,560 somebody new. But what is really happening is 550 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:08,080 you're bringing all that experience and all that 551 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,560 knowledge and all that perspective with you. 552 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,160 None of that stays, you know, in the back. 553 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,920 And yes, the transition, one of the things that I knew early on 554 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:23,080 that I for me to continue to have success in my life. 555 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,960 And success can be, you know, it's it's ambiguous, you can 556 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:28,160 describe it however you want to, but it's it's. 557 00:29:28,930 --> 00:29:32,050 It's having that confidence that you're reaching those milestones 558 00:29:32,050 --> 00:29:34,730 and those goals that you've established and you want in your 559 00:29:34,730 --> 00:29:36,850 life. One of those things I knew early 560 00:29:36,850 --> 00:29:39,890 on that I did not want to be a statistics, a statistic. 561 00:29:39,890 --> 00:29:44,690 Remember, early on I said how I grew up, what I saw, I always 562 00:29:44,690 --> 00:29:46,210 know how to do something different, right? 563 00:29:46,330 --> 00:29:51,650 You know, most NFL players and stats tell you 75% of the NFL 564 00:29:51,650 --> 00:29:56,450 players, two years after leaving their professional sport, get a 565 00:29:56,450 --> 00:30:02,280 divorce. 70% go broke. I think the stat for even like, 566 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:08,600 you know like mental behaviors or descriptives or or even like 567 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:12,080 higher injuries. And I just said wow. 568 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:17,680 So I didn't give myself time to wallow and and say, oh, I'm no 569 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:21,920 longer a professional athlete, you know, within, within. 570 00:30:22,590 --> 00:30:26,110 Three months from making a decision and I was fortunate to 571 00:30:26,110 --> 00:30:28,550 say so. They wanted me to now become a 572 00:30:28,550 --> 00:30:31,150 backup, right? And I, you know, at the time, 573 00:30:31,150 --> 00:30:32,950 I'm like, no, you're not going to let him work. 574 00:30:32,950 --> 00:30:35,030 You're just going to say you're just going to give the position 575 00:30:35,030 --> 00:30:36,310 to him. Yeah, you need to earn it. 576 00:30:36,830 --> 00:30:38,790 And I said, you know what, It's not for me. 577 00:30:38,790 --> 00:30:40,470 I'm okay. I'll walk away from. 578 00:30:40,710 --> 00:30:43,670 I said at the time it was $1,000,000 guarantee to be a 579 00:30:43,670 --> 00:30:46,710 backup, you know, a linebacker. And I said I'll walk away from 580 00:30:46,710 --> 00:30:48,480 that. Now, I know it's a lot harder to 581 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:53,000 make $1,000,000 in a real world, but I did that and then within 582 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,840 three months of making that decision, I enrolled in grad 583 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:59,680 school and said I would I would go, you know, get my MBA, get my 584 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:01,480 masters, and the reason for that. 585 00:31:02,100 --> 00:31:06,580 I thought of OK, my peers that I, you know, went to college 586 00:31:06,580 --> 00:31:09,460 with that graduated, they went on to the real world while I 587 00:31:09,460 --> 00:31:11,460 went out and played football, right. 588 00:31:11,580 --> 00:31:16,020 And so they have a 10 year head start on me into what I call 589 00:31:16,020 --> 00:31:20,220 civilian life and really living life and I needed to accelerate 590 00:31:20,220 --> 00:31:22,380 that learning. And it was one of the best 591 00:31:22,380 --> 00:31:25,820 decisions that I made, not because of the philosophies and, 592 00:31:25,820 --> 00:31:29,260 you know, all the school that you get from it, but from 593 00:31:29,260 --> 00:31:33,660 building your network and from adapting to the business world 594 00:31:34,020 --> 00:31:38,860 is really what I got out of getting an MB, a then per se the 595 00:31:38,860 --> 00:31:44,220 school side of it, And then from there moved to New York, lived 596 00:31:44,220 --> 00:31:47,620 in New York for two years, had a had a place, an apartment in the 597 00:31:47,620 --> 00:31:51,120 city of Manhattan. And I worked for a private a 598 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,400 wealth management company that was in New Jersey and I would 599 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:58,400 take the train, the Jersey train do the reverse commute every day 600 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:03,080 and and I did that and that span that was when I got my my 601 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:07,560 lessons of business and investments and and learning you 602 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,240 know how to how to look at a deal and then how to look at 603 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,280 partnerships and it how to present you know have these 604 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:18,040 formal you know board room presentations with these guys 605 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,400 that I started. You know, you actually you've 606 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:25,440 met one of them, Manish, who I start to invest with while I was 607 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,800 still playing. And that really that added 608 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:34,320 another layer for me to have that that that that flexibility, 609 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:39,080 that like multifaceted layer where I can be an an athlete, I 610 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:42,880 can talk sports, but at the same time I can be relatable and talk 611 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:48,000 business. And so I did that for what, 6-7 612 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,580 years? And then the pandemic happened. 613 00:32:50,820 --> 00:32:54,380 I just got married. You know, we were very similar. 614 00:32:54,380 --> 00:32:57,700 You were a little bit ahead of me in that span were similar, 615 00:32:57,700 --> 00:33:00,740 being the same phase of life. And I knew that one of the 616 00:33:00,740 --> 00:33:04,140 challenges in my role at the time with the wealth management 617 00:33:04,380 --> 00:33:07,340 company where I traveled a lot and I. 618 00:33:07,340 --> 00:33:08,940 Think you you had you had mentioned. 619 00:33:09,020 --> 00:33:11,700 That, yeah. And I knew that for me to have 620 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:16,540 success in my personal life, family was the most important 621 00:33:16,540 --> 00:33:19,560 thing. Early on I said if I'm ever cuz 622 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:27,160 during my playing days I've been around TJ, I just you're like. 623 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:29,360 Me we're gonna blame it on. TJ He's not here. 624 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:32,160 TJ We're blaming it on you can't defend himself all day. 625 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,760 You're blaming. It on we always said, I always 626 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:36,920 said I'm not gonna have a serious relationship. 627 00:33:37,390 --> 00:33:39,630 You know, you know, I remember that I. 628 00:33:39,630 --> 00:33:41,750 Remember when you were like, no bro. 629 00:33:42,310 --> 00:33:43,870 It's just not. I just, I just know it's not 630 00:33:43,870 --> 00:33:47,190 going to be for me like I'm going to wait and when I got in 631 00:33:47,190 --> 00:33:49,590 that phase, that mode, you know I was all in. 632 00:33:49,590 --> 00:33:51,910 We're we're that type of people right. 633 00:33:51,910 --> 00:33:55,150 We're all in once we. Once we make a decision, it's 634 00:33:55,150 --> 00:33:57,270 done. There's no tiptoeing around and 635 00:33:57,270 --> 00:34:00,470 that all in for me meant that I wanted to be a present husband. 636 00:34:00,820 --> 00:34:03,900 A present father and I, you know, I wasn't, I hadn't even 637 00:34:03,900 --> 00:34:07,060 had my first daughter yet. And I just said when it happens, 638 00:34:07,060 --> 00:34:10,219 I want to be all in. So I knew that I needed to pivot 639 00:34:10,219 --> 00:34:12,340 again. So pivot from being a 640 00:34:12,340 --> 00:34:15,739 professional athlete, going to business and finance and then 641 00:34:15,739 --> 00:34:18,860 all of a sudden trying to figure it out and pivot again. 642 00:34:19,370 --> 00:34:23,810 And happened to meet somebody who knew who had a relationship 643 00:34:23,810 --> 00:34:27,050 that I had in the in the finance world that said wanted me to 644 00:34:27,050 --> 00:34:29,449 actually come to UBS. And I said no, I've already done 645 00:34:29,449 --> 00:34:32,250 the finance thing. And then they said well, once 646 00:34:32,250 --> 00:34:36,130 you look at insurance and consulting and risk management, 647 00:34:36,409 --> 00:34:39,210 once you look in that space, I don't know nothing about that 648 00:34:39,210 --> 00:34:43,170 like why would I do that and did my due diligence and one of the 649 00:34:43,170 --> 00:34:45,730 things that I found out, you know that you do especially in 650 00:34:45,730 --> 00:34:48,290 the field and I'm in now in employee benefits and risk 651 00:34:48,290 --> 00:34:50,389 management. It's really about people. 652 00:34:50,830 --> 00:34:54,270 That's the that's the problem that you're solving is helping 653 00:34:54,310 --> 00:34:57,910 businesses and employers and owners, you know connect with 654 00:34:57,910 --> 00:35:01,110 their employees and bring them solutions and provide 655 00:35:01,110 --> 00:35:06,190 compensation and and and health and you know, excuse me, and 656 00:35:06,190 --> 00:35:10,070 medical and dental and vision and all the voluntary benefits 657 00:35:10,070 --> 00:35:13,670 that you can help support an employee's overall wellbeing, 658 00:35:13,790 --> 00:35:16,990 which adds to an organizational wellbeing as well. 659 00:35:17,470 --> 00:35:22,710 And I said wow one I love people I got I just I just love having 660 00:35:22,710 --> 00:35:25,830 a conversation with strangers and you know just learning about 661 00:35:25,830 --> 00:35:28,430 them and their journey like we're doing right now and and I 662 00:35:28,430 --> 00:35:31,750 love learning their stories because you can always find a 663 00:35:31,750 --> 00:35:35,510 lesson in somebody's story and somebody's journey that that you 664 00:35:35,510 --> 00:35:38,390 can relate to. And I said well I love people 665 00:35:39,830 --> 00:35:43,030 and I I one of the things I still have a foundation now 666 00:35:43,470 --> 00:35:46,150 dream builders foundation and at the time the. 667 00:35:46,990 --> 00:35:50,750 The brokerage firm that I would go work for, their owner, she's 668 00:35:50,750 --> 00:35:54,270 really huge in the community as far as philanthropic endeavors, 669 00:35:54,310 --> 00:35:58,830 gave back to a lot of communities, a lot of different 670 00:35:58,830 --> 00:36:02,830 programs, and I figured this was one person again that I could 671 00:36:02,830 --> 00:36:06,350 learn from. So I jumped, I mean again, then 672 00:36:06,350 --> 00:36:10,430 tiptoe into it. I jumped full head steam and 673 00:36:10,430 --> 00:36:14,870 since then I've transitioned, still in the same industry. 674 00:36:15,620 --> 00:36:19,740 Last year I got the opportunity to become the market leader area 675 00:36:19,740 --> 00:36:23,380 president for one of the top three brokerage firms in the 676 00:36:23,380 --> 00:36:26,940 world and and at Gallagher and they asked me to join their 677 00:36:26,940 --> 00:36:29,300 team, actually lead the team in the market. 678 00:36:29,620 --> 00:36:31,140 Like a head coach now? Yeah, exactly. 679 00:36:31,620 --> 00:36:32,940 Yeah. Like, that's how I hear it. 680 00:36:32,940 --> 00:36:34,420 Like I'm like, Oh my God, he's a coach. 681 00:36:34,580 --> 00:36:38,540 Yeah, just in a different field. Think how far I've come. 682 00:36:39,100 --> 00:36:41,780 But I tell you, I take you through that story and that 683 00:36:41,780 --> 00:36:45,080 journey is because. Everything I've learned playing 684 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:49,960 football came with me from a from a mindset. 685 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,800 So Jack Del Rio, one of the things I learned from Jack Del 686 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:57,240 Rio on day one, he would always talk about mindset, midstream 687 00:36:57,240 --> 00:37:01,520 adjust, mindset, midstream, adjust mindset is how you start 688 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,120 your day has nothing to do with the world, has nothing to do 689 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,480 with external forces. It's all on you. 690 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:10,360 You know how you receive and how you communicate. 691 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:14,870 It's all on you being able to. Be flexible and to midstream 692 00:37:14,870 --> 00:37:17,790 adjust when things don't go your way will determine the 693 00:37:17,790 --> 00:37:20,510 difference between if you make this play or if they blow right 694 00:37:20,510 --> 00:37:21,630 through you and it's a touchdown. 695 00:37:22,070 --> 00:37:27,030 And I apply that to my everyday approach and the conversations 696 00:37:27,030 --> 00:37:30,210 that I have with our team. It's about being able to be 697 00:37:30,210 --> 00:37:33,130 flexible and pivot. When you're making a sale, 698 00:37:33,210 --> 00:37:36,810 you're trying to make a sale and the prospect or the of a 699 00:37:36,810 --> 00:37:39,770 customer, if you want to say, isn't buying it or they throw 700 00:37:39,770 --> 00:37:42,930 something left filled at you, how do you pivot from there? 701 00:37:43,170 --> 00:37:46,570 And it's not having to pull a rabbit out of hat or be anything 702 00:37:46,570 --> 00:37:50,490 different, but understanding, giving wiggle room to be able to 703 00:37:50,490 --> 00:37:55,090 adjust in that moment and find a way to have to bring it, to 704 00:37:55,090 --> 00:37:57,730 bring it home. You know, that's one Bill 705 00:37:57,730 --> 00:38:00,610 Parcells. One of the early lessons that I 706 00:38:00,610 --> 00:38:05,690 I got from Bill was, you know, be able to be comfortable in in 707 00:38:05,690 --> 00:38:09,530 confrontation, like confrontation is okay, but 708 00:38:09,530 --> 00:38:14,930 always leave room that you can mend the relationship and always 709 00:38:14,930 --> 00:38:17,170 come back. So Bill was very 710 00:38:17,170 --> 00:38:20,270 confrontational. Even in his, you know, more 711 00:38:20,270 --> 00:38:23,870 mature days, right? You know, But what you always 712 00:38:23,870 --> 00:38:27,390 see, Bill always found a way to build bridges. 713 00:38:27,590 --> 00:38:30,550 Even after he's torn a guy down, he's let him know how he really 714 00:38:30,550 --> 00:38:33,310 feels. He'll always go back and he'll 715 00:38:33,310 --> 00:38:36,110 mend that relationship. And so that allowed me to be 716 00:38:36,110 --> 00:38:39,990 able to tell, just allow my team to understand the truth. 717 00:38:39,990 --> 00:38:41,910 Like this is what it this is what it is. 718 00:38:42,190 --> 00:38:46,070 Whether you are fulfilling your goals or you might have made a 719 00:38:46,070 --> 00:38:49,780 mistake but you it's. It's not what you say, but it's 720 00:38:49,780 --> 00:38:52,500 how you say it. But then always come back and 721 00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:55,300 build them back up, you know, And I think that's an important, 722 00:38:55,420 --> 00:38:58,940 important tool. Wade Phillips, you know, Wade 723 00:38:58,940 --> 00:39:00,540 Phillips was one of my coaches in Dallas. 724 00:39:00,540 --> 00:39:03,940 He became a head coach and I loved playing in his, his 725 00:39:03,940 --> 00:39:08,980 defense and the creativity and how free he was, you know, and 726 00:39:09,100 --> 00:39:10,620 just being creative in the moment. 727 00:39:10,620 --> 00:39:14,220 And he gave us a lot of autonomy on the field. 728 00:39:14,460 --> 00:39:16,620 There were games where he would call one play. 729 00:39:17,020 --> 00:39:19,380 And Brady, James and I would look at each other like, Nah, we 730 00:39:19,380 --> 00:39:20,420 don't. We don't go run that. 731 00:39:20,420 --> 00:39:21,340 Let's run this. Yeah. 732 00:39:21,460 --> 00:39:24,380 And we would run that and talk. About a contrast between Bill 733 00:39:24,380 --> 00:39:25,540 Parcells. Right. 734 00:39:26,500 --> 00:39:31,580 But so in my life now and my team, I, I I'm, you know, I I 735 00:39:31,580 --> 00:39:33,260 allow them to be themselves, right? 736 00:39:33,420 --> 00:39:35,220 I allow them to have that autonomy. 737 00:39:35,340 --> 00:39:39,420 So all of my sporting endeavors and the lessons and the 738 00:39:39,420 --> 00:39:42,380 different cultures I've had in my life, I use a lot of their 739 00:39:42,380 --> 00:39:44,620 lessons. And that's what has made me me 740 00:39:44,620 --> 00:39:46,760 as a man. No, it's awesome. 741 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:48,960 I'll tell you one thing we need to do though, what do you think 742 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:55,400 of the water well that gets really good, right is you have 743 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:59,960 to promise me we'll we'll run this back with TJ and we'll just 744 00:39:59,960 --> 00:40:02,120 have to like. Compare like, tell the story. 745 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:04,640 Tell a story, yeah, and just stick to the story. 746 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:06,160 Yeah. Oh yeah, we can definitely. 747 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:07,680 Do that. Oh my God, there's so many. 748 00:40:07,720 --> 00:40:08,840 This is the one thing that you know. 749 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,040 Do you remember going to Jacksonville for the Super Bowl? 750 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:12,680 Oh, all of us. Do I Hey. 751 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:14,680 Bro, I was Heath Evans the whole time. 752 00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:18,000 I remember everywhere when I checked in. 753 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:20,520 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. 754 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:22,400 It was the one like my, my, my wife is cool. 755 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:24,920 Like she she knows, she knows. She knows. 756 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,920 You know, she may not know like all the levels, but like, she 757 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:29,360 knows. So she's cool with that. 758 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,400 Those are the days. All right, Girl, dad, girl, dad. 759 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:33,960 You got two now. Yes. 760 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:38,160 That, like, happened fast. Yes, like, was the second one 761 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:40,080 like a surprise or we all trying? 762 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:42,520 No, we were you know it's one of those. 763 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,040 All right. You ready? 764 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:45,600 I was ready. I've always, you know, yeah, 765 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:47,160 let's get it over with. Let's get it over with. 766 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:48,600 If I could have 10, I would have 10. 767 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:50,760 Right. But you know it's so very 768 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:54,360 patient when she said let's go, I was like let's go, you know. 769 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:59,640 And it happened right away. I actually not intentionally not 770 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:00,840 because we're going to talk about this. 771 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:04,520 But I I have socks like this is my oldest or. 772 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:07,080 And this is my my. Baby. 773 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:10,440 Ayla Yeah. So I'm. 774 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:13,000 I'm all in on them, too. That's amazing. 775 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:18,640 And how's how's it been just. As you can witness, and anybody 776 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:21,640 who's had kids, it's the best experience you will ever have, 777 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:23,200 ever. Nothing. 778 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:25,240 Nothing. Trump's. 779 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:27,200 Trump's. And people talk about it, you 780 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:29,040 know, like I've had like even my brother. 781 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:30,400 So my brother has three kids and. 782 00:41:30,860 --> 00:41:33,140 You know, he would talk about it and talk about it and talk about 783 00:41:33,140 --> 00:41:34,580 it, but until. You experience. 784 00:41:34,580 --> 00:41:36,420 Until you experience it, you just don't know. 785 00:41:36,420 --> 00:41:42,420 But it's it's the For me, it is literally the highlight of my 786 00:41:42,420 --> 00:41:46,220 morning, midday, evening. Whenever I have an opportunity 787 00:41:46,220 --> 00:41:48,620 to be with my son, it is everything. 788 00:41:48,820 --> 00:41:51,340 Like everything. And I tell people and and I 789 00:41:51,340 --> 00:41:54,180 don't know if it's a boy girl thing, but especially having a 790 00:41:54,180 --> 00:41:58,110 girl for a man. There's something there's 791 00:41:58,230 --> 00:42:01,630 there's like a bond that is hard to describe and it's a love that 792 00:42:02,310 --> 00:42:07,070 it's even hard to to express in adjectives, for me at least. 793 00:42:07,630 --> 00:42:11,310 And I love my wife. My wife is my North Star. 794 00:42:11,310 --> 00:42:13,350 She's my rather die. She's my best friend. 795 00:42:13,740 --> 00:42:18,020 She knows, like maybe not 100% of my dirt, but like we we 796 00:42:18,020 --> 00:42:19,820 commute. We're very upfront and very 797 00:42:19,820 --> 00:42:21,620 transparent with each other. Like, she knows all of that. 798 00:42:22,060 --> 00:42:25,860 But my girls like my girls. Like she know when the babies 799 00:42:25,860 --> 00:42:29,500 come around, like, hi, hi, hi, they're here. 800 00:42:29,500 --> 00:42:33,460 You know, quick story. My oldest, when she was born, 801 00:42:34,220 --> 00:42:38,140 and I remember cutting the vocal cord, handing her to Alex, my 802 00:42:38,140 --> 00:42:40,840 wife. And they're having their moment 803 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:43,040 and she's crying. I'm like, oh wow. 804 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:46,000 It's pretty cool. Like I'm a father now. 805 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:46,720 Like this is. Yeah. 806 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:51,480 And but at that time and that moment I there was the 807 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:54,560 connection wasn't there. And it was just one of those. 808 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:56,320 I was just. I was just there. 809 00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:57,520 And they were having their thing. 810 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:00,640 They were doing their thing and all the nurses and the doctors 811 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:03,640 was all about them. And as a male as a father, like 812 00:43:03,720 --> 00:43:07,240 you're just. You're just useless, like you 813 00:43:07,240 --> 00:43:09,280 say. And so this goes on for about an 814 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,520 hour. The nurse comes back in and says 815 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:16,240 Sir, OK, we have to do some tests and you know, take your 816 00:43:16,240 --> 00:43:18,440 daughter and they do it right there in the room. 817 00:43:18,720 --> 00:43:22,840 And as they grab Araya and at the time the whole entire hour 818 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:25,400 besides her coming out, she didn't cry. 819 00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:28,840 She would cut the book of cord gave her to Mama. 820 00:43:29,830 --> 00:43:32,150 This girl was quiet and they were just, she was great. 821 00:43:32,390 --> 00:43:35,830 As soon as the nurse grabbed her, put her on this table to do 822 00:43:35,830 --> 00:43:40,590 all this test, she starts crying, like just on top of the 823 00:43:40,590 --> 00:43:42,590 lungs. It's like screaming. 824 00:43:43,310 --> 00:43:48,070 So now Papa Bear comes out, I'm like, wait a minute, what's 825 00:43:48,070 --> 00:43:49,630 going on? Like what did you do to my dogs 826 00:43:49,630 --> 00:43:51,210 like? She's a newborn. 827 00:43:52,570 --> 00:43:55,970 They cry. They cry like, no, this is hours 828 00:43:55,970 --> 00:43:59,850 I was going by like she she wasn't crying like Sir, calm 829 00:43:59,850 --> 00:44:01,370 down. She's okay. 830 00:44:01,370 --> 00:44:06,330 Let us do what we do. Like so I'm I'm, I'm feeling 831 00:44:06,330 --> 00:44:08,090 frustrated. I I got to do something. 832 00:44:08,090 --> 00:44:11,650 I got to do something. And so I just said, well, her 833 00:44:11,650 --> 00:44:14,730 name's Araya. It's spelled ARIYAH. 834 00:44:14,770 --> 00:44:18,730 It means lioness of God. And the whole time she was in 835 00:44:18,930 --> 00:44:21,850 the womb, I would say her name every single night. 836 00:44:22,290 --> 00:44:25,530 And in this moment, I just said, well, just just say her name. 837 00:44:25,970 --> 00:44:30,090 I said, Araya, Araya, Daddy's here as soon as I say that. 838 00:44:30,610 --> 00:44:35,370 And then she turns around, looks at me, not a word. 839 00:44:35,450 --> 00:44:37,570 Oh my God. And we're staring at each other. 840 00:44:38,010 --> 00:44:39,530 She's looking at me. I'm looking at her. 841 00:44:39,530 --> 00:44:42,930 And in that moment. That was the bond like that was 842 00:44:42,930 --> 00:44:45,810 it. And from that day on it was it's 843 00:44:46,010 --> 00:44:49,050 this little girl sees me, I hear a voice, she sees me, she hears 844 00:44:49,050 --> 00:44:51,890 my voice. It's it's all like we're we're 845 00:44:51,890 --> 00:44:56,010 like 222 peas in a pie, like we're just so and and the same 846 00:44:56,370 --> 00:44:58,730 and the same connection is even with the second one. 847 00:44:58,730 --> 00:45:01,450 So it is definitely something special. 848 00:45:01,490 --> 00:45:04,530 That's amazing. That could have been a mic drop 849 00:45:04,530 --> 00:45:07,050 for sure. Very touching moment. 850 00:45:08,290 --> 00:45:12,890 Is there anything And I and I, you know, I know that advice is 851 00:45:12,890 --> 00:45:18,370 based off experience and but I do feel like a man that is in 852 00:45:18,370 --> 00:45:22,130 your position that has had the life you certainly have many 853 00:45:22,130 --> 00:45:26,530 more things to accomplish and and in my opinion we've both 854 00:45:26,530 --> 00:45:29,930 just started like especially now we have young children so we 855 00:45:29,930 --> 00:45:31,930 better do a lot more with ourselves. 856 00:45:31,970 --> 00:45:35,530 So we're in trouble but just you know, if you could. 857 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:40,240 Give us a gym, you know like like share something that you 858 00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:44,680 feel like maybe maybe is inside of you that often you don't have 859 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:47,920 a platform to even say and you have it here. 860 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:52,800 And I would and I obviously I would love to hear like you know 861 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:55,720 some deep gym from you and it doesn't even have to be that 862 00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:58,760 deep. But just I I'm just curious like 863 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:02,720 what's in you right now that you could share you know? 864 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,580 I I've. Gone through many innovations of 865 00:46:06,660 --> 00:46:11,260 evolving as a man, as a person, as a human, and where I am in 866 00:46:11,260 --> 00:46:17,580 life, you know what I say before has allowed me to get here and 867 00:46:17,580 --> 00:46:21,500 to really be here. Most of the time, you know, 868 00:46:21,500 --> 00:46:25,260 we're all chasing something and we fall into the trap of the rat 869 00:46:25,260 --> 00:46:28,740 race or trying to go out and and do something and not realize the 870 00:46:28,740 --> 00:46:30,860 importance of being in the moment. 871 00:46:31,410 --> 00:46:38,170 And family to me is everything. I I'm fortunate that what I get 872 00:46:38,170 --> 00:46:41,970 to do now, it's not because of necessity, but it's because it's 873 00:46:41,970 --> 00:46:43,650 a purpose. It's a passion. 874 00:46:44,090 --> 00:46:46,970 I truly do love the industry I'm in. 875 00:46:46,970 --> 00:46:50,170 I truly do love the people that I serve right? 876 00:46:50,290 --> 00:46:53,570 I serve on their behalf. You know, my team. 877 00:46:53,890 --> 00:46:56,690 At the same time I serve my family. 878 00:46:57,680 --> 00:46:59,560 Nothing. And going through the process of 879 00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:03,640 getting the this role and the job, you know, I I went through 880 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:06,720 the whole process got to talk got to go all the way up to the 881 00:47:06,720 --> 00:47:10,240 CEO and the chairman of the company you know. 882 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:14,680 And I told him listen if this role the seat is going to 883 00:47:14,680 --> 00:47:20,120 disrupt family and it's not for me and and to have that level of 884 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:26,440 conviction and of of of maybe passion and to know thyself. 885 00:47:26,970 --> 00:47:30,290 I think it's important and as a man, as a man that you are 886 00:47:30,290 --> 00:47:32,330 leading your family. It is on you. 887 00:47:33,850 --> 00:47:37,730 You if you don't grow, if you don't evolve as a person, your 888 00:47:37,730 --> 00:47:40,850 family don't grow 100%, you know and that and that is true. 889 00:47:40,850 --> 00:47:44,890 And then once we don't realize the effect that they have on 890 00:47:44,890 --> 00:47:48,510 their family dynamic. You know, stats, that's stats. 891 00:47:48,510 --> 00:47:51,710 Are there data is there that tells you, you know the 892 00:47:51,710 --> 00:47:54,910 likelihood of of of teen pregnancy, the likelihood of 893 00:47:54,910 --> 00:47:57,390 teens, you know not graduating for high school, that the 894 00:47:57,390 --> 00:48:01,670 likelihood of teens getting in trouble is due to the man, 895 00:48:02,150 --> 00:48:05,430 whether he's there or not there and not there. 896 00:48:05,430 --> 00:48:07,230 Meaning you know, he's not present. 897 00:48:07,230 --> 00:48:10,550 He could be there but not present, you know, and I think 898 00:48:10,550 --> 00:48:13,670 that is the most, if I can say anything through this podcast or 899 00:48:13,670 --> 00:48:15,990 anybody can hear me, there's no your importance. 900 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:19,320 And know how you lead and if you can understand the importance of 901 00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:22,920 your leadership, whether it's I'm, I'm outnumbered in my own 902 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:25,160 house. And so I have a bunch of women, 903 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:29,760 and I've learned that the best thing I can do in my own house 904 00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:32,670 is to be patient. Is to be patient, to allow my 905 00:48:32,670 --> 00:48:36,590 wife to have her voice, to allow my soon to be 3 year old to have 906 00:48:36,590 --> 00:48:39,670 her voice. But then you know, not that my 907 00:48:39,670 --> 00:48:43,670 word is final, but just to absorb what they have to say and 908 00:48:43,670 --> 00:48:46,310 what whatever they're going through and then give my 909 00:48:46,310 --> 00:48:50,270 perspective and my opinion. Then we'll come together and and 910 00:48:50,270 --> 00:48:53,710 and come up with a solution together but that my voice is 911 00:48:53,710 --> 00:48:57,430 just as important as theirs. But to be patient in in those 912 00:48:57,430 --> 00:49:00,540 moments, so. You know the the sum of it all 913 00:49:00,540 --> 00:49:03,700 is just that your importance is relevant. 914 00:49:03,700 --> 00:49:08,140 You know your need is there. Like your Rep you are relevant 915 00:49:08,380 --> 00:49:13,500 in this whole dynamic of family of of community, of life and to 916 00:49:13,500 --> 00:49:16,540 continue to to grow into that and own that and. 917 00:49:16,940 --> 00:49:19,420 Another thing too, that just stood out to me is you use the 918 00:49:19,420 --> 00:49:24,740 word serve and you're serving your your work and you're 919 00:49:24,740 --> 00:49:27,420 serving your family. Yes, and. 920 00:49:28,570 --> 00:49:32,810 Hearing you say that and hearing you say I'm serving, I'm not 921 00:49:32,970 --> 00:49:35,530 working. I'm serving like that 922 00:49:35,530 --> 00:49:40,370 perspective and identifying that and knowing that is to me why 923 00:49:40,370 --> 00:49:43,890 you will continue to to just accelerate and not only your 924 00:49:43,890 --> 00:49:46,930 field but also, you know, when you do have your ten children. 925 00:49:46,930 --> 00:49:48,410 Alex. Alex, sorry, she's. 926 00:49:50,330 --> 00:49:53,890 Young enough she's doing, but I don't know if I'm I can make it. 927 00:49:55,040 --> 00:49:59,320 But I really appreciate this I I mean we could talk for three 928 00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:03,520 hours. So I'm just I'm I'm actually 929 00:50:03,520 --> 00:50:07,720 it's going to be fun like you know you're here in Miami we're 930 00:50:07,720 --> 00:50:12,680 both you know kids we we do need to hang out more But but I I'm 931 00:50:12,720 --> 00:50:16,000 I'm like excited now too and I don't even use that word. 932 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,120 I don't even like to be you know I'm more encouraged or what have 933 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:22,430 you but. Just to see like where we both 934 00:50:22,430 --> 00:50:25,470 end up, you know, in the next 5-10 years, it's going to be 935 00:50:25,470 --> 00:50:25,990 cool. Right. 936 00:50:25,990 --> 00:50:28,910 And I think that's the cool thing about our connection and 937 00:50:28,910 --> 00:50:32,870 our bond is that it's we're doing our own thing and we're. 938 00:50:33,260 --> 00:50:35,020 Each other's biggest cheerleader, right? 939 00:50:35,020 --> 00:50:36,620 Like we're each other's biggest support. 940 00:50:36,860 --> 00:50:40,820 And whenever you know, you reach out or I reach out, I mean we 941 00:50:40,820 --> 00:50:43,780 make a conscious effort to make sure that we're there for one 942 00:50:43,780 --> 00:50:46,940 another and the whole family thing because we are in the same 943 00:50:47,180 --> 00:50:50,700 phase and season of life. You know, we have that 944 00:50:50,700 --> 00:50:53,620 perspective to where we can always lean on each other. 945 00:50:53,620 --> 00:50:56,660 So just know that I value the relationship. 946 00:50:56,700 --> 00:51:01,300 I, I, I, I, I respect and truly understand what you're going 947 00:51:01,300 --> 00:51:03,140 through as you know, you know as. 948 00:51:03,260 --> 00:51:07,380 As an entrepreneur, as as a business owner and you're you're 949 00:51:07,620 --> 00:51:09,220 you're doing it like you're crushing it. 950 00:51:09,420 --> 00:51:12,340 You are the example, the model of the platform that folks 951 00:51:12,340 --> 00:51:17,140 should emulate and copy because the success and the growth is 952 00:51:17,140 --> 00:51:18,340 there and we'll be there.