Confident You NETWORK with Marion Swingler

TRANSFORMING ADVERSITY INTO ACHIEVEMENT: Samuel Brown's Journey from Struggle to Success and Empowering Others - eps 20

April 16, 2024 • Marion Swingler • Episode 20

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Have you ever witnessed the transformational journey of someone who's turned overwhelming adversity into unparalleled success? Samuel Brown, CEO of Faith and Effort, joins us on Confident You to share his inspiring climb from youthful struggles to becoming a guiding light for others. His compelling narrative is a vibrant illustration of the incredible potential that lies within challenging life experiences when coupled with the power of high expectations and influential mentors.

In our latest episode, we peel back the layers of Samuel’s life, offering insights into the importance of supportive friendships and educational environments. Dive into the story of a man who, after losing his father and facing homelessness, finds himself in the care of Mr. Woolright, an educator who catalyzes a turning point in his life. The discussion weaves into Samuel’s high school triumphs and his drive to uplift others, demonstrating how select relationships and mentorship are vital assets in anyone's self-education journey.

Ending on a high note, Samuel imparts wisdom on embracing pain for personal growth and the significance of seizing opportunities for self-reflection and empowerment. Beyond his own story, he extends a hand to those in need, shedding light on resources for domestic violence awareness. Join us as we traverse the landscape of self-discovery and growth, painting a picture of a future brimming with confidence and empowerment—all through the eyes of a man who has truly 'grown through what he went through'.

CONNECT AND FOLLOW Samuel Brown of Faith and Effort 
WEBSITE:
https://www.faithandeffort.org/

INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK:
@faithandeffort

PRE-ORDER BOOK:
Grow Through What You Go Through 
:https://forms.gle/8pnEhvkSsK4uAGX86

********Don't forget to tell them "MARION of Confident You Podcast" sent you :)
_________________________________________________________________
FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP
Call for more information on domestic abuse or to get help for yourself/someone you love. 
Bethany House
1-888-80HELPS  
1-888-804-3577

The National Domestic Violence Hotline 
1-800-799- SAFE
1-800-799-7233 
__________________________________________________________________
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@marionswingler

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Speaker 1:

Hey, hey, Marian Swingler here of Confident you Podcast, Excited to have you here joining us at this time in this space, on this platform. Great to see you Listen. I just wanna tell you about somebody I met today because he has something coming up that's very exciting. That's starting next week Tuesday, what I think that's the 18th Next week Tuesday, what I think that's the 18th Next week Tuesday, and his name is Eric F King. He is the sales coach. I'm gonna put in the description box how you can find him, because you wanna enroll for his class, because he is gonna be doing a six-week class teaching you how to sell, how to sell your product, how to launch your line, how to do your pitch. Marketing is going to be a bonus in his program. So I want to put that information in the description box. Again, thank you for tuning in. Let's get to it.

Speaker 1:

Myron Golden that is someone that I really do follow and look up to. He says that expectation that's our superpower, having a high expectation of good. And then we have Jen Rome. Jen Rome says that change, that if you change, everything changes. So we have expectation on one hand and change in ourselves on the other. So who we have here with us tonight is going to be talking about that change and that expectation that we should have for ourselves for a better life. Listen, this is the episode that we'll be discussing the miseducation of self, and here to help us walk through, that is the only one. I know who I'm calling on right now. Hey, Samuel Brown, how you?

Speaker 2:

doing.

Speaker 1:

Hey Sam what it do.

Speaker 2:

How are you? I'm amazing, I'm amazing. How are you?

Speaker 1:

I am doing very well, no complaints. Look, I got you here with me, me, I'm here with you. We are going to unpack this miseducation of self. The title itself was amazing how that happened in our conversation. Just hearing the things that you're about to share tonight definitely will help people to correct that thinking, that thought process on self. So if you wouldn't mind, just share with the people a little bit about what you do.

Speaker 2:

So for me just to share one again I'm blessed. I appreciate the opportunity to come on here and vibe out with you for the next hour or so, however long we go. But hey, everyone, again Sam Brown here. I'm the CEO of Faith and Effort, which is a professional speaking and consulting business. So I travel as a speaker, I work with middle school, high school and college students, while focused, and I help them understand that they can grow through what they go through to become their desired self. So I'll talk about leadership, mindset development, different things like that. Then, on the consulting side, I've got to work with the people that work with the kids, yo. So on the consulting side, I help them develop and understand youth development on a different level. So I help staff development. So I increase engagement retention and reduce turnover rate for staff as well through helping them create amazing programs and helping them create amazing staff.

Speaker 1:

Helping them create amazing programs Sounds like you have a soft spot in your heart for a kid. I'd like for you to share a little bit. You have a soft spot in your heart for a kid. I'd like for you to share a little bit of who Sam Brown was as a kid.

Speaker 2:

Listen, everybody see me and they look at this person that is so positive, that is on the right track, that is doing so much. And the thing is I was not always that way. I was not always that way because I was a young person that was misunderstood. So, just taking y'all back a little bit, growing up, I faced my first growth moment, my first moment of hardship, at the age of nine. At the age of nine, I came home one day, was watching my favorite show. Life was good. And then life completely changed for me. Life changed for me because my father he had passed away at work.

Speaker 2:

I was a nine-year-old kid and at that point half of my world was I went from playing every day with my friends. I went from watching, you know, um, my favorite show. I went from so much to like everything was ripped up from under me. I didn't have a home. I was homeless for a little bit. Um, I experienced just hardship at a young age where I didn't really know my next meal. I wore the same clothes for a while and it wasn't until I moved to what I consider my hometown, coachville, pa, where I moved with my grandparents. They truly gave me opportunities to save my life. But I was still hurting and still not able to process what happened to me. So it translated into the classroom.

Speaker 2:

I was the typical top of the line class clown from sixth to about ninth grade. From sixth to ninth grade I was a class clown to the point after eighth grade that kicked me out of my school district because I did so much wild stuff y'all listen, I I gorilla glued my teacher to her seat I'm texting it. I threw notebooks and books out of a second story window, I flipped desks, I fought people. It was so bad. I spent more time either in school suspension or or out of school suspension. To the point, my teacher was like you still go here, and that's what created a lot of the labels. That created a lot of the labels. That created a lot of the miseducation of myself, of who I thought I was.

Speaker 1:

I thought I was a class clown.

Speaker 2:

I thought I would end up dead or in jail. I thought I wasn't worth anything. I thought I would never graduate high school, let alone even touch a college campus. Because so many people misunderstood me and they were educated on my background, of losing my parents, of, of of being homeless, of facing hardship. They were so miseducated that they were misunderstood and therefore they labeled me. And again, if someone tells you something long enough, you start to believe it. That's why it's important to surround yourself with people that are going to tell you who you're supposed to be.

Speaker 1:

What were they telling you?

Speaker 2:

They were telling me I was worthless. At 13, 14 years old I was worthless You're never going to amount to nothing, you're a waste of space. Like you don't even deserve to be in this school. It's a public school. It's not like I was paying money. Who was saying this to you Teachers?

Speaker 2:

I remember a music teacher. I remember a music teacher I never forget. She told me one day, because we were practicing for a concert and me, being a class clown that I was, I was just like I had a recorder. I was just blowing into the recorder, not even following notes, didn't really care. And she was like you're never going to amount to nothing, you're going to be dead or in jail. And I'm like I cursed her up a storm and then I got suspended.

Speaker 2:

And I'm like I cursed her up a storm and then I got suspended. And I'm like she told me I was gonna be dead or in jail. And I had another teacher said well, if you were actually participating in class, maybe she wouldn't set it. I'm like, listen, I don't know anybody that should tell a 13 year old that you're gonna be dead or in jail. Especially, I didn't even do anything. To the severity of that would nothing that I was doing in that moment would land me in jail. Especially, I didn't even do anything to the severity of that would nothing that I was doing in that moment would land me in jail. I wasn't stealing, I wasn't committing a crime, I just didn't want to participate you just didn't want to participate.

Speaker 1:

you also said that that it's just disheartening that all of this came from the actual staff. I was thinking you were about to say the other students, because you said you wore the same clothes and things like that. So I thought these were things that they were picking on you, but you're saying that these were the adults.

Speaker 2:

So, and that was after once I moved to Coachville, pa, that's when you know, I had a home, I had things, but I was still like, I still didn't process what just happened to me like six, seven months ago, like I lost my father and I the only way that I knew.

Speaker 2:

Because at that moment, being uprooted, being in a new town, being in a small town where everyone knows each other Right, my instinct as a kid, and most kids, are like I'm going to do what I can to fit in, because right now I feel like an outsider and the easiest thing to do is to bring people laughter. I do it now, but just not in a way where it gets me in trouble. But that was my end. I was the class clown because that's because people wanted that, kids wanted that. Now I had friends or people. I thought they were my friends, but when it came down to it, when the dust settled, it was like Sam did it. When the dust settled, it was like, oh, but y'all was with me. No, we wasn't. And then I started to understand that.

Speaker 2:

But it took me three years. It took me sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade and halfway through my ninth grade I realized that, wow, I was, I was mis. I was miseducating myself because that's who I thought I was. Because I was miss. I was mis-educated myself because that's what I thought I was Because of these labels, constricted to the point where, like I was like, man, like this is the only way I know how. And then I got good grades. Like my grades weren't horrible. I just couldn't stay in class. I couldn't stay in the school and then eighth grade hit. They was like yeah, buddy, you're not going to the high school, you're going to this alternative school. That's about an hour away and that's, honestly, was the best thing that could have happened to me.

Speaker 1:

Come on here, honestly, that changed my life. Ok, so we're going to go back to the alternative school. I, I, I just your. Your father passed away and you had shared with me that there were other uh events, life events that brought drama, trauma to your life. What were those? Just briefly, what were those events?

Speaker 2:

It was the, it was the whole issues in school that really took a turn. And then we'll get into it. Luckily I'm here now. I turned my life around after 1983. But it wasn't until later in life, in college, when I lost my mother at 22 years old.

Speaker 2:

I was getting ready to graduate on Mother's Day, it was about 15 weeks left in the semester and I got a call that my mother was killed in a hit and run car accident and that like took me in a whole different direction, to the point where I was like life isn't even worth it because the two most important people in my life, they're not here to see anything that I can accomplish, so what is the point of even going after life? So I was depressed for for for a long time and I just kind of I wasn't myself. I'm a very uplifting, happy, go lucky person. I just wasn't myself for a long time because I just didn't understand and at that point, even at 22, I didn't know how to process my trauma. I didn't know how to process grief. The only thing I knew was to shut down.

Speaker 1:

Yes, the only thing you knew was to shut down. Now you have gone through loss of your father, Adults that are in position of authority that are giving you a false, are giving you a false, no hope. I was going to say a false sense of hope, but giving you no hope for the life that you have. And homelessness. Being displaced. Not living with your grandmother or grandparents is not being. It is being displaced in the sense of you're no longer in the environment where you were being raised in your two parent home and then losing your father. You said that the alternative school was the best thing that happened to you. That's odd. I've never heard it said that way. Please share.

Speaker 2:

Please share. Yeah, definitely. So. The alternative school for me.

Speaker 2:

I met the first adult outside of my family that was like I see past your behavior, I see pain, I see a black boy that has been misunderstood, that has been written off, boy that has been misunderstood that has been written off, and I see potential. His name was Mr Woolbright and I went to an African-centered charter school, so we used to have to say Malum and Malama and I learned about my African heritage, which was like the school, education-wise, didn't prepare me the best. But I mean, when I really look at education in America, what are we really preparing our young people for? That's a whole nother topic for a whole nother day. But he believed in me and he was a first adult that like used to call. He used to call all of us tackhead boys it's like you tackhead boy and he used to do this thing where he would like grab your shoulder, but it would be in a way where you are. But he genuinely loved and cared for us and he was the principal of the school and for me, being able to experience that and being at a small enough school to where, like, I saw the principal just as much as I saw my teachers, um, and him being involved again.

Speaker 2:

The school you know people talk about the school like school wasn't the best, but it got me right. It did what other, what the other schools failed to do, and it it did it. It built, put confidence in me to to decide to do something else that I could still excel and not have to be the class clown. Now I still played around, but it was. It was toned down and then I really started to focus and lock in with school, um, and just like also the big part piece is learning about who, where we came from, the sacrifices that were made. It made me also look at life in a different way too. So that was like the first of two, um, that was like the first of two instances where, like it was like the direction of my life changed. In the summer of ninth grade I got introduced to the Coatesville Youth Initiative, which was a leadership and employment program, which was a leadership and employment program for for sorry, my puppy just ran around.

Speaker 1:

You who did what?

Speaker 2:

My puppy just ran around. It was a leadership and employment program for young people, and that was where I met other caring adults in my life.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

And these other caring adults in my life again. They saw past my behavior because I still wasn't all the way behavior because I still wasn't all the way right I still wasn't all the way, like you know changed right. But they didn't allow my initial behaviors, my inability to want to you know, participate and engage. They didn't just dismiss me like the other schools did. They kept me in the program and I won't lie, after the first year of the summer program I was like I don't know if they're going to bring me back. But they even gave me again confidence because they put me in leadership positions to be successful.

Speaker 2:

And that was the first instance where I had a chance to speak and be an emcee for our graduation, where 100, 200 people were. And that's when I was like OK, I see myself now as a leader. I see myself now as somebody that I started to rip them labels off and I started to believe that I could develop and become a person that I wanted to be. And from there it was just. It was takeoff season. I graduated high school. I ended up being allowed to come back to our school district. I graduated from there. I got a $20,000 scholarship to school all off of just taking control.

Speaker 1:

Taking control, you said you started to rip the labels off. So, in your mind, how did you process the labels to come to the conclusion that they needed to go?

Speaker 2:

That's actually the first time someone has ever asked me that. I've realized that I like not getting in trouble more than I like getting in trouble Because it was fun in the moment. You know to be the class clown, everybody laughing with you and everything. But again when that dust settles, you're looking around and it's just you. I got tired of it, like once I got a taste of the other side. I'm like getting good grades of oh, I'm a captain of a basketball team now. Okay, I'm not getting in trouble. I'm traveling to these different places. I'm being asked to be a leader, um, I'm just having fun. The people, the community I'm building community people are starting to see me as, um, people are starting to see me as people are starting to see sorry, people are starting to see me as as someone that they can count on and I love that feeling.

Speaker 1:

Like I love that feeling people are starting to see me as someone that they can count on the fit describe. How, how can you describe that feeling? Because how did you feel you? How did you feel being the misunderstood version of yourself and then going into that leadership, that team captain, that that person that stands up and is called to speak before hundreds of people? What's the difference in those feel like?

Speaker 2:

give a descriptive and a descriptive it's like the feeling of the labels and being misunderstood, and it was like instant gratification, that feeling of like you feel good in the moment, but it wears off right um and when it wears off, what's there?

Speaker 2:

it's there, it's the consequences to your actions, the consequences to my. I felt it every time Suspended five days, suspended 10 days, in-school suspension In my unit. In-school suspension, you know it was jail. It was like a six by six room with four desks, no windows, and it was just you, just in there, and you don't know what time it is. They don't have a clock, they don't have nothing.

Speaker 2:

And that feeling of just like, just the consequences of my actions, the disappointment, the disappointment in myself, and it's like it don't feel good to be suspended. Because when I'm suspended it's not like I could do what I want. My friends are in the class, are in school or my supposed to be friends are in school. I'm grounded, um, I can't. Even when I'm not suspended anymore, I can't go outside. The things that I love have been taken away video games, um, computer, whatever it is, and I just remember, like it's just like it got tired. And it wasn't.

Speaker 2:

Until I experienced the other side, when, when people are, when I, when I hold my first ever award in my hand and it says most valuable participant in the program of 40 kids, my first year participant in the program of 40 kids, my first year, and I'm like yo, this is crazy. When it's like I'm speaking in front of adults, funders, my peers and people are coming up to me afterwards saying, young man, that was amazing, the way you carried the show was amazing. Um, and then the feeling of being in the community and and just knowing how to just just just move and shake and talk to people and have confidence. And then when I received that, the harry lewis scholarship for twenty thousand dollars, I was like I was baffled because, like, like four years ago, people didn't believe that I didn't believe that I would even touch a college campus and that 20k helped me, like it took pressure off and and all that. All of those feelings of like it wasn't instant gratification, it was fulfillment, like there's a difference it's like miseducation of myself was instant gratification.

Speaker 2:

It was fulfillment, like there's a difference. It's like miseducation of myself was instant gratification. I thought that's what I needed. I thought that's what I wanted. But when I actually got what I needed the nourishment, the love, the feeling of true acceptance it was fulfilling and I knew I needed more of it. And from there it was like I don't want to ever experience that and, honestly, after ninth grade I never, was ever suspended, ever. I was never suspended. I was barely in trouble. The craziest thing I did from 10th grade to 12th grade was sneak to the store in the morning and go get something to eat Craziest thing I did.

Speaker 2:

Versus like fighting and playing pranks on two teachers, I complete 360. And it was Mr Woolwright and it was a cultural youth initiative. Specifically, one of my first ever mentors, james Silk Wilkins, which I'm actually going to see him this weekend it's been a while and Kaya Scott and Jarvis Berry, those three adults at the Coastal Youth Initiative I'm still connected to to this day. To this day I can call them and they got me.

Speaker 1:

I just what is screaming at me is words at me is words. What you're saying is what was said, fueled and gave me the gas to keep doing what I was doing because I had no, as Myron Golden says, expectation. But then you went through Jim Rohn's thing of change and you changed. Therefore, everything changed.

Speaker 2:

The bar. The bar was actually set where I had to go get it. The bar was below my feet before. I didn't have to do anything. I was above the bar. I didn't want expectations. The bar was now not even in my reach. I had to do anything. I was above the bar. I didn't have any expectations. The bar was now not even in my reach. I had to soar, I had to fly, and that's when I realized how much I love competition and challenges and to prove people wrong a little bit. I'm not going to lie.

Speaker 2:

I love to prove myself right more than I love to prove people wrong. A little bit, I'm not going to lie, I love to prove myself right more than I love to prove people wrong, but I still do love to prove people wrong, which, as soon as I got that high school diploma pulled up to my school, pulled up to that middle school, south Brandy, one Found every teacher. Oh yeah, also here's my acceptance letter to college. Okay, also here's my acceptance letter to college. Ok, also here's my scholarship letter right here. So what's up? And they're like, oh my God, like so proud of you. I'm like are you, are you really? I don't think so.

Speaker 1:

But it's, ok.

Speaker 2:

You can say that, because now I'm about to go get another degree which, as you can see, because now I'm about to go get another degree which, as you can see, I'm going to angle that right there behind me that's my college degree. Listen, I got that pulled up again. I said I'm back, I know you're still going to be here, and one teacher I shouldn't have said it, but I was like man, I'm making more money. Oh no, but it was a young moment, was early 20s. I don't regret it because it's a part of growth. I think you got to experience things. I understand you shouldn't do things like you. You never know what you shouldn't do until you actually do it and realize it wasn't the right decision that part right there.

Speaker 1:

I can and now sometimes I do take advice, but sometimes I'm a hard knock life yeah, it come out, come out me sometime, you know I'm like, I'm like hey what?

Speaker 2:

the guy, the hood you can't take the hood out. The guy listen, it's still there when it needs to come out, come out that part right there, okay?

Speaker 1:

so if you give me just a moment, I'll be right back with you. Hey everybody, if you are looking for a, if you're looking for a graphic designer, a photographer, a publisher, photographer, a publisher Listen, I have just the person for you, tanya Stokes of Compassionate Designs. The information is here on the screen, it'll be in the description box, but that telephone number is 240-585-0669. And please do not forget about the gentleman I had the privilege of. Actually, I signed up for this class. It is a sales coaching class with Eric F King Starts on Tuesday I believe that's the 18th of July and that'll be every Tuesday for six weeks In this program, every Tuesday for six weeks.

Speaker 1:

In this program, you will learn all the keys to becoming an amazing sales person, to be able to sell those things that you have created, those things that you thought of and now are tangible, and now you want to get them out to the masses. He is gonna teach you how to do that. That information will be in the description box. Thank you so much. Let's get right back to it with my man, sam Brown. Hey, hey, hey, sam, you said something that was very that's like sticking here it is. You said that you were. You said that you were. You were in detention, while you're supposedly friends.

Speaker 2:

I just want you to speak on that. I feel like there is never an age when you need to understand that not everybody means you well, even though they smiling in your face. Yeah, like I'm so happy that I experienced that at an early age, because a lot of people are out here with a group of people that they think that they're their friends and they're not, because the one thing that I learned was that what a friend is? Because I did have some best friends growing up. I did have some best friends growing up and the one thing I learned was, like my best friends, it got to a point they was telling me yo, you tripping.

Speaker 2:

The first time I had a friend tell me in 10th grade, one of my first good friends, deshaun. He told me he's like you're tripping right now, like what you doing, and I was like we and we stayed on each other, like he was my guy from 10th grade to 12th grade, before I went back to, you know, the school, went back to my school district. We were the two that we just stayed on. We just stayed at each other, at each other's neck, making sure we was like on point with grades. We challenged each other, we can, we were competitive and who could get the highest grades, but it was healthy and and that's what I learned that a lot of people out here you think that you have someone that's truly your friend, but it's like, do they actually check you? Do they actually tell you you shouldn't do that? Or do they just use you because what you can do for them?

Speaker 2:

Because a lot of times it's like you might have the access to something, you might have the financial means, and people will latch on to that If they know, oh yeah, well, when you, with Sam, like we get access here, we get access to this event, this event, oh yeah, like Sam always gonna show love, like we gonna go over to his house because, like he know how to cook, and every time someone came over to my house, listen, I'm making you a meal, like I'm getting down in the kitchen. You guys, anybody ever experienced any of my food? I get down in the kitchen, but it's like. So I started to understand and started to pick and choose how many people I actually consider my friend and like, now I don't have that many. I don't have that many friends that I consider Honestly if I really want to count it maybe a solid 15, 20. Out of those 20, it's a solid 10. If you need anything, I'm pulling up. I don't care if it's midnight.

Speaker 1:

If you're stranded and you're 10 hours away, I'm like, listen, I'm 10 hours away, but I can be there there is a short list because, amazingly enough, jesus had his 12 disciples and he had his three that were his actual core group. I think that that people like I think, with social media, people seem to think oh, I'm a friend of you, I'll friend you, I'll friend you, and I just think the word goes around really loosely in terms of if you really think, like you just said, you can depend on this person showing up when you're actually in trouble. I want to transition, I want to go down another street. I want to talk about now, now that Sam has gone through going through school with labels and then going through school and finding people that are speaking positive to you and taking those labels off. What does Sam do now to help that kid that he was, that had those labels?

Speaker 2:

Now to help that kid that he was that had those labels. So now, where I'm at, I have one mission. I have a mission to help individuals understand that, like, no matter how young you are, no matter how much you've been through, I promise you that it can get better once you make that decision. The power of choice, the power of decision-making, is one of your greatest superpowers the power to say yes, to say no, to go left, to go right, to go up, to go down. I recently spoke at a high school graduation and it was alternative school, a school that I worked with, and I did an eight-week program and then I worked with two individuals on some entrepreneurship work and it wasn't even a part of the contract, it was because I'm just passionate about how much I work with young people. So the one thing I said is that the power of your network, the power of the people you surround yourself with they can either help you grow, keep you the same or pull you down.

Speaker 2:

And for me, when it comes to helping the next generation and future generation, and even my friends around me, like my brothers that I consider my brothers like because I'm the only boy physically in my family, but I got brothers. Listen, man, like you have to be selective of every decision that you make, because those decisions are, it's like compound interest. They pile, they stack, they stack and either you can look up and be like, wow, I love my life, or you look up and like what happened? Um, and and that's me now in a nutshell like overall, like that's my sole purpose of life is to help anybody that comes in contact with me realize that you could become the person that you desire to be, no matter what you have been through disadvantages, sexual orientation, disadvantages, rights, different things like that you got to have that mindset that, no matter what, what is in front of me, I'm keeping the main thing, the main thing, and I'm going to get there one way or another, because I'm not a unicorn, I'm not special.

Speaker 2:

There is other black men out there that are doing things. There's other women out there that are doing things. There are other immigrants that are out there doing things right. So for me, if I can see that it's happening on a daily basis and it's happening more and more now, which I love with these disenfranchised and isolated groups, I see that they're coming up in the world and at this point it's like use that as fuel, and that's what I tell everybody. It's like yo, you're just going through a season right now and sometime that season is necessary. So you know that sometimes I need a breakdown to have a breakthrough. I'm sorry through.

Speaker 1:

I'm sorry, yeah, take a swig of water.

Speaker 2:

Say that again. Sometimes I need to have a breakdown to have a breakthrough. Sometimes you got to feel what rock bottom feel like, so you never want to experience again. That's the whole. You get knocked down 10 times. Get up on 11. Because at 11 time you get up you might stay up for knocked down 10 times. Get up on 11. Because that 11 time you get up you might stay up for the rest of your life. Come on here you might stay up for the rest of your life and at the end of the day, it don't matter how much money you got, what age bracket you're in, life is always going to happen to you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And you can either use it as your pain or your power. Right, and it's okay to to go through um hardship. I want people to understand I'm not, I'm not trying to acknowledge that. Don't focus on the pain, don't allow yourself to feel. I need you to feel every emotion. I need you to feel every emotion and once you are done feeling those emotions, I need you to. I need you to now use your mind, because it's important to tap into our emotion, because our emotions allow us to heal, because when we, when we're emotionless, or when we don't want to tap into our emotions or we try to bury it because I did that for a long time I buried my feelings, I buried how I felt.

Speaker 2:

You can't process nothing you bury. You can't nothing that you, nothing that you bury, you can't process. But you can water it, you can nurture it and then what you initially bury, you can help grow, because now you're giving it sunlight, now you're giving it water, now you're giving it nutrition, now you're addressing it right. If you put a seed in the dirt and you don't do nothing to that seed, it will never grow. Okay, that is our pain. To take your pain to purpose, to put it in the dirt, let it go through it, go through it water, it give it sunlight and watch it grow. And that's what I did. I took all my pain and I wrapped it up and I utilized it to become the person I am today, and a person I'll continue to grow into, because I still go through pain. Now I just look at it differently.

Speaker 1:

Perspective is a powerful thing. 100%, that is a power. Because with how would you say that? With the? With an optimistic or, as Myron says, if you have high expectations with what's going on, it's like, okay, this is going on, but I have high expectation of good, I believe it. So you're sitting here preaching, you're just preaching. It's okay, pass the collection plate this way so I could go ahead and put in, because I'm picking up everything that you're putting down.

Speaker 2:

My grandfather taught me about perspective. God rest his soul. He gave me so much game from give from your heart, never from your hand. I used to walk past pennies. He'd be like why didn't you pick it up? I'm like it's just a penny. He's like I bought my house and I was a penny short. Imagine if I didn't pick up that penny earlier that day. And he's like you pick up enough pennies in your lifetime, you can get rich off. And it was all metaphors. I used to be like man, what are you talking about?

Speaker 2:

Yes, and he put it down to me. And then the last message, and it was crazy um, we had brought him home, um, because it was his time was coming and he wanted to be home. He didn't want to be laid up in a hospital with tubes and everything. He said I want to be home. So he honored his wishes. The last message that he gave me and my uncle he said be a giver and a receiver in this world, but be ready to be both at any given time. And that, right there, took me to a whole different level of just how who I am now. That's why I give, because at any point, if someone reaches out to me like yo, I heard you on the call, I heard you on this, I heard you on the podcast. I just want to know how did you listen here? And when I'm ready to be a receiver, the contract that I got is because of relationships I'm ready to receive. It's because of relationships I'm ready to receive.

Speaker 2:

So my grandfather, he taught me perspective. He taught me that because he also taught me I used to come home and be excited, super excited. Like Grandpa, I started a business. What's next? I'd be like man. Grandpa, I made my first sale. What's next? Grandpa? I got my first speaking engagement. They finally booked me what's next? And one day I sat him down like man, what can I ever make you happy? Like, what is it? What am I not doing? He said, no, you are. I'm extremely proud of you. But when I tell you what's, when I ask you what's next, it's so that you never stay complacent. It's so that you always look for opportunity while you're in an opportunity. And that's perspective. That's when I learned I'm always listening.

Speaker 2:

I'm at a speaking engagement. While I'm there, I'm looking for my next one. When I'm having a conversation with someone and they're saying, hey, you should contact, boom done. My friend just sent me some contacts to try to get into a college university. Today he's like yo, here's a contact and I'm doing it right now. Let him know I'm right now and my email might end up in a span boom, what's next, what's next, what's next, what's next. And it's not a greed thing, it's a desire. It's a desire to continue to grow, it's a desire to understand. I'm never done growing. My grandfather always told me you could be 90 years old and you could learn something new.

Speaker 1:

Today, I appreciate you sharing the wisdom of your grandfather with us. I want to tap into the fact that you were wise enough to go. I need to sit him down and ask him a question. Most people just oh, I can say there are times that I would get in my own head and hold the whole conversation by myself, a conversation with someone else else, or at least the perspective that I thought that they would bring to this. No need to invite you, no need to ask you. I know the answer. I'm gonna hold the whole conversation. How important is it to you that you address the person, or persons when things happen?

Speaker 2:

It's very important because what happens for me personally and this actually recently happened not going to name specifics right now because I'm still in it but I start to question my ability and I just need to know, like it me, because if it is, I need to change, like the one thing that I've recently been told by my fellow speakers, because I recently did a camp in New York and I just remember earlier in the year, when I did this camp, they told me something. They said yo, anything that we say, you just roll with it Like you, don't. You don't question it, you, because we're giving you our perspective, because they're like in their late 30s and they've been doing it for a while and they just they are. I'm always like yo, how does that, how does that? While and they just they are. I'm always like yo, how this, how's that, how's this, how's that?

Speaker 2:

And for me it's like I gotta know, like I'm all, I'm like hungry to know how do I do better next time. I don't want to keep making it like insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. I'm not an insane person, I'm creative. I'm not an insane person at all and that's the biggest thing for me is just I need to understand and know where you're coming from. Because I'm I'm objective, I remove myself from situations and I want to know where you're coming from and I don't take offense to it, like I do my best not to take offense to, I do my best to.

Speaker 2:

Now, sometimes it happens like I might get a little offended, but then I catch myself, I bring myself back and I'm like what can you do better? And when a recent thing happened, that's the only thing I can control. What I can control and I can influence what I can't control. I can control me and my actions. So I looked at what can I do better, how can I move a little bit better and, as a result, I'm in a better space. Okay, and that's what I need. I need to just focus. I focus on myself because I'm in a better space now mentally, because I know I'm doing everything that I can.

Speaker 1:

Okay, you said that you are a speaker. Can you tell everyone what type of speaker, exactly what?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I am a people call it motivational speaker because I motivate people to move and to change and to develop. But for me, I look at myself as an impact speaker. I'm looking to create an everlasting impact. I want to plant a seed in you 45 minutes hour, however long I got and I want you to just remember one thing whatever that 45 minutes, I want you to remember one thing. So everyone that is listening on this call everything I said, everything is not going to relate to everybody, but something is going to relate to everybody. One thing, and that's what I always start my speech off. I said hey, y'all listen what I'm about to share. Everything's not going to relate to you, but something is. And my only goal here is a plan to see that will eventually grow. And that's why I consider myself an impact speaker because I come to, because for me motivation it ends like motivation is in the moment. I feel good I might be. You know, it's like January here, right, january hit everybody in the gym Motivation, motivation, motivation. But March hit, you got your regulars. So for me, I like people. I always motivational speaking. Nah, because I don't want you to leave my workshop and go back to your life and then you forget everything I said, to leave my workshop and go back to your life and then you forget everything I said. I want to impact you so much that you just take one thing, because that one thing will lead you into more things. So, even if it's not me that you see again that one thing that I did for you, that I gave you that gem, you did something with it. You started to make a small tweak and it created.

Speaker 2:

So dr darius daniels um, he says small tweaks can create large leaps, and in my book I had to. I had to make a chapter about small tweaks and it was the last chapter, because after you read the whole book you didn't consume so much. So I'm in my last chapter. I'm telling them I want you to go back and pick one chapter and I want you to apply that to your life for the next 30 days. Whatever it is, apply that to your life. So I understand that my life and where I'm at today is because small tweaks, small tweaks, small tweaks, small tweaks. Because if you try to do something on a large scale, it's overwhelming. So for me, I just want to give you something small that you're going to make a tweak and now you might end up in another room with somebody else and you get something from there. And then, all of a sudden, your life starts turning around. All of a sudden, you start to think differently about your stuff. All of a sudden, you start to make more money than you've ever made in your life. And that's all because I just want to be impactful.

Speaker 2:

Um, so that's what type of speaker I am? Uh, my main focus is college students, because I forget. I truly believe that's the forgotten age, because once you hit 18, you're an adult, and I talk about this. Why would we support people all of their life, especially in our community, but once they hit 18, you're, you're grown? No, you're not, because, scientifically, even scientists that barely know what they talk about sometimes say you ain't a full-fledged adult until you're 25.

Speaker 2:

So why would you expect an 18 year old to go from being supported all of their life to now having to work 40, 50 hours a day, pay these bills, figure out how to, how to manage money? Because you didn't prepare them for adult life. You prepared them to do well in school. You prepared them to depend on people, because that's what we're doing. Kids are sheltered all their life. Then they ship them off to college and they expect them to just make it, or they ship them out of the house and like, go figure it out. And now they're struggling, now they're making wrong decisions and they don't got nobody lean on. So for me, it's just like that's why I speak to that, that group, because I need to be that voice for them to help guide them through, in my opinion, the toughest times of their life, because this is the biggest transition, because you really had the most responsibility once you become an adult.

Speaker 2:

So I focus on college age. But I do a lot of work with an organization called Cool Speak. I partner with them and they send me out to middle school, high schools and I just love working with kids, my nine to five. I work the year-round program, ninth through twelfth graders.

Speaker 2:

So for me, I just love being around young people because I know that I got something to give to them because I've been through it and I want to give them this now so that they don't got to go through the trenches. I'm not a person like, oh, they got to experience what I experienced. No, you don't, you don't got to experience. I always say this experience, I always say this I would rather put a kid to the fire so that they can feel that it's hot than let life throw them in the fire and get burned. I just want you to know what it feels like, so that you know that's hot, versus like you in the fire and now you're burning up, and that's what most people do. They throw people in the fire versus let you feel this heat.

Speaker 1:

Okay, you don't only speak to youth, because you also go to corporate events and help train staff.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I love it Staff, when I get them, because most training right when you're in an adult world sitting back writing notes, looking at a powerpoint, hearing somebody talk, get your head on. I've been in. I understand adults like to have just as much fun as kids. So for me, I teach through activity, no matter if it's a young person, man, this is open. I'm gonna teach through activity, no matter if it's a young person or an old person. I'm going to teach through activity and then we're going to dissect the activity and then break it down. So this past year I had the pleasure of doing two trainings with City Year, which is a part of AmeriCorps. They have different locations, so this one in particular. I work with the City Year of Philadelphia.

Speaker 2:

Again, relationships I spoke at a conference, I met a director, we got connected. I built relationship, genuine relationship, because I do believe that you have to cultivate relationships. You can't just create them, you have to cultivate them because that's when the true magic happens and opportunity presented itself. We worked it out. I was able to come in and do two trainings one with their leadership team and then one with their second year AmeriCorps members and the whole purpose of it. I created a training around again making your best even better, because my grandfather always said making your best even better. Because my grandfather always said make your best better, because your best can always be better. It can always be better. You can always reset the bar. So for me, I challenge them. I said y'all have an amazing organization. I know it. I went to y'all website. I have friends that have participated. It's amazing what y'all do and how y'all serve the community. But let's make this year, even this next year, even better.

Speaker 2:

So we looked at their program, but in a different way. We looked at their programs in a different way. We allowed them to create their vision and their ideas of what could be. We did this activity um, it's called balling out of control that I've created. Well, I didn't create um, but I coined um, found it on youtube like overseas activity where they had to transport a tennis ball one side of the room together only using pens. It's crazy, it's frustrating, but but it's so much you could dissect from it. So we started off with that. We did so much.

Speaker 2:

And the same thing with their second year AmeriCorps members. Their whole purpose was they're getting ready for the real world and I wanted to prepare them for that real world. So I wanted them to understand how to develop and create that vision of that life like. What does this look like? How do you achieve it? What can you do now? What have you learned through these two years in americorps that you can transfer into the real world and how to set yourself up for the ultimate success? Um, and I love doing those trainings because it allows, because I know that you are also impacting the next generation.

Speaker 1:

Very good. I also heard you say, and in my book, that last chapter, yes, I need to hear more about that yes.

Speaker 2:

So my book, again branding right, red Hat, brown Hoodie keynote from the guy in the red hat. My keynote is titled Grow Through what you Go Through. My book is titled Grow Through what you Go Through. What I created is not just a book, it's a tool, it's a resource. It gives you confidence, it gives you the skill set to become the person that you desire to be, and the only way that you can do that is to look at every opportunity, every turn in life, every loss, every win, every success, every failure, every setback as an opportunity. How can I grow from this? Because even when you win, you can learn, like I always I was. I always tell people, even when you win, you can learn. So the book is a culmination of my 12 points that I talk about often, about growing through what you go through, creating a 1%. How do you develop a 1% mindset? Right, working on just improving by 1%? Um, you know, the starting line versus the finish line, right. Even in there. Starting line versus the finish line, right, even in there.

Speaker 2:

I reference amazing people, kobe Bryant, god rest his soul. I have a mama mentality because I tapped into that Right. And the book again. It is so much in there, but it's not fluff, it's real stories, it's real, actionable steps. It's what people need to be successful in their development.

Speaker 2:

So I always tell people are you a person that wants to grow? Are you a person that truly desires to become a certain version? Are you? Are you chasing a version of yourself? But you feel like you're on a hamster wheel. I got something for you because I those same things that I put in that book I have used countlessly since the age of 13, 14 years old. I had to actually go back and think about all these things and it's like that's what I created. So it was so amazing for me to write it because it allowed me to actually look back on my life and utilize my life and utilize amazing individuals and really shift perspectives on things. Right, um, and yeah, that I right now I have a pre-order link. Um, it'll be in the description. I have a pre-order link where It'll be in the description. I have a pre-order link where you can get.

Speaker 1:

Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You already ended. I still had another question Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Speaker 2:

My bad my bad, my bad.

Speaker 1:

You're fine. You're fine. We talked about friends. We talked about the fact that you do do speaking. You mentioned earlier that you travel with your speaking. Where have you been?

Speaker 2:

So I've been to Roswell, new Mexico. I've been to upstate New York. I've been to like, central PA, northern PA, southern PA, been to DC area, dmv area. I'm actually in the fall. I am speaking at a national student leadership conference in Orlando, getting an opportunity for the first time. Flying me out, paying for the hotel gave me a vendor table the shakers and the movers decision makers going to be there, table the shakers and the movers decision makers going to be there. I've been to Texas, oklahoma, parts of the West Coast. I've been to so many places Colorado, one of my favorite places actually. I've traveled to Colorado. They have these sand dunes. Someone thought I was in Egypt when I took a picture. It's just miles and miles of sand. America has a whole bunch of beautiful places that we don't even realize. I was like it's in Colorado. They like, nah, you in Egypt or something. I'm like no, I'm in Colorado, I'm in center Colorado. And I was like but yeah, I've been, I've been blessed enough because I, early on, you know, I didn't have a means to travel.

Speaker 2:

I didn't even, I thought I would not even like traveling, because you know I didn't do it. But once I experienced it it was a whole different ballgame.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, it's been amazing and it all contributed to just like partnership, networking opportunities to connect. I work with organizations like GEAR UP and Upward Bound and College Bound and so many other organizations through just genuine networking and cultivating relationships. It's been amazing it's been amazing.

Speaker 1:

You could not have seen yourself doing this as a kid. I'm just. It's so awesome that when you speak, you just wear your baseball cap and your hoodie to go into these rooms and share the wisdom that you have gained from your grandfather, from your principal, from the other staff there, and just that self-reflection to see yourself. And I thank you for holding up the mirror of who you are so we'd have an opportunity to see yourself. And I thank you for holding up the mirror of who you are so we'd have an opportunity to see ourselves, to be able to know where we need to check. Check for friends, check for those words, take those labels that people have put on us and take them off. You have really dove deep into self to help us be a better self.

Speaker 1:

I appreciate your confidence in speaking. I thought I knew Sam and now I know Sam, so this was amazing. I would like for you to let everyone know how they can have the fortunate opportunity of working with you. If they have a youth organization, they can bring people in. If they have just any organization. This sounds like this is something that everyone of any age could take advantage of, especially the heart that you have for with the youth. So if you could share that information, it would be greatly appreciated.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah. So if, if anyone is looking to connect with me, um, either through my speaking services or my consulting services, um, you can visit, uh, my website, wwwfaithandeffortorg, where you can click on the service tab and in the service tab, it breaks down everything Again. I've worked with middle school, high school, college age students, adults as well. And as far as the consulting services, they're under the service tab as well, too where, again, I train and I develop staff, I help with the retention rate of staff, I help with the how do you, how do you help your staff engage with the population that they're working with better right, and also the program development side.

Speaker 2:

If you have an idea for a program or if your program needs a little bit of a boost, I come in and I work with individuals. I've been developing programs for over 10 years 10 plus years and I understand how to create a sound program from beginning to end. So if you're looking to work with me, definitely wwwfaithandeffortorg. If you're looking to just see some clips, some highlights of the things that I've done, some more talks, you can visit my Instagram and TikTok. They're both at Faith and Effort and that's how you can work with me.

Speaker 1:

Very good, that's how you can work with them. Tell them about that book that's coming out.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes. So the book again grow through what you go through. If you are looking to elevate your life and continue to develop yourself into becoming the person that you desire to be. I have a book that's not just a book. It's a tool. It provides knowledge and it provides the confidence that you need to now take on life and view life in a different way so that you can grow through the wins, the losses, the successes, the failures, the ups and the downs.

Speaker 2:

And the link is in the description for the pre-order list, because if you get on a pre-order list, I don't just have the book right, I'm all about actionable steps and not only do you get the book. When you join the pre-order list, you get early access to the book, and also when you order the book on the pre-order list, you get early access to the book. And also, when you order the book on the pre-order list, you get a workbook where you can take at the end of every chapter, I'm going to have something where you can apply the knowledge so that you can learn and grow in real time, and that's how you can get the book grow through what you go through. So be on the lookout for that August 2023. So we're less than a month away from the release of it.

Speaker 1:

Less than a month away from the release of it, and this is my promise to you when that information comes out and there is no longer a wait list, there's actual an order that you can make, please get that information to me and I will add that to the description box so anyone can take advantage of it at any given time. Now, before you get out of here, I would love it if you could give people confident tips on the mis-education of self. Well, it sounds like you're telling us the education of self, so give us confidence on the education of self.

Speaker 2:

So I'm going to give you three tips. Tip number one is that learn yourself. Too many people are living in this world right now and if you walk up to them, ask them a question hey, do you know yourself? They're going to say yes. And I challenge you to truly, truly dive into who you are, what you're doing, what you're doing for a living, and ask yourself do you really know yourself or do you know a version that someone else has helped create? So I challenge you to truly know yourself right. Ask yourself the hard questions Are you happy? What are you doing? Does it provide fulfillment right? Ask yourself the hard questions Are you happy? What are you doing? Does it provide fulfillment right?

Speaker 2:

Number two the number two thing on how to educate yourself right, on how to educate yourself is listen to the people that you truly find value in. Again, there should be a select group of people that you get advice from. You should not get advice from everybody, because just because it's advice doesn't mean that it's good advice, and sometimes hate comes in a form of advice. So get a select group of people. I have about three to four people that I go to for different things and they truly help me navigate Right. And then the last thing to truly educate yourself is chase your dreams Like.

Speaker 2:

Dreamers never die. That's, that's the model, that's the mission. Don't allow your dreams to die just because people didn't believe it. Right, because your dreams are a part of your identity and for me, it was a lot of people that told me you just wasted your four years in college.

Speaker 2:

Now you want to go and speak. Now you want to go and talk. How are you making money talking? Right, but now that I'm making money, I haven't had an $11,000, $12,000 month speaking, and I know I'm about to have an even bigger month. People are like, wow, I didn't think it was possible and it's because I did not let my dreams die. So the last thing on educating yourself and truly knowing yourself is that do not allow people to destroy your dreams, because that's all that you have in this world. When the dust settles and everything settles, you just have yourself. So those are my three tips on how to truly educate yourself, and I truly hope that you take at least one of them and apply it for the next 30 days and see how it changes your life and have actionable homework.

Speaker 1:

Here on the podcast live with Sam Brown Listen faith and effort. I appreciate you coming through. I appreciate you taking the time to just share who you are. I love for people to just share who you are, for the audience to get to know who the person is that they may have an opportunity to work with, to grow in their confidence in that area, that they may be lacking or may not even realize that they have that issue. So I'm grateful that you came, that you shared that this. I know that this will be an impactful experience as you are an impactful speaker. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2:

And I appreciate everything. And listen y'all. If y'all not subscribe, I need y'all to subscribe. I need y'all to subscribe because when you feed yourself the knowledge that you need, you could become confident in you. The only way you could become confident in life is if you become confident in yourself first. So this is amazing platform. You are an amazing host and if you haven't checked out the other episodes, y'all think this was good. Listen, y'all got to spend a block and turn tune into the autumn. Other episodes, cause. Listen, it's nothing but straight heat. Nothing but straight heat on this YouTube channel. I appreciate you again. Thank you so much. Again, continue to grow through what y'all go through.

Speaker 1:

My goodness, he said it. There it is. The information is there. It'll be in the description box. Yes, subscribe. We are here. I didn't pay for it either.

Speaker 2:

No direct deposit in my account. This is all love all love thank you.

Speaker 1:

I do appreciate you being here. You have been a great blessing, a surprise in disguise, amazing you. I appreciate you. Thank you so much. Alright, my goodness, if you didn't hear it for yourself. You need to grow through what you go through. That means it's not over. It may hurt, it may feel like it's daunting. Other people around you may be calling the game over. Let me tell you Sam Brown said it best Grow through what you go through. The book should be pre-ordered so you can get that workbook because I'm getting mine already ordered, because I'm getting mine already ordered, so you can work through that.

Speaker 1:

To just go through and realize things you may not even have been aware of. We wear labels of things that people have said and we may not even realize that they're still there. The remnants of something someone said when you were small're still there. The remnants of something someone said when you were small still there. Someone said when you were a young adult still there. Someone said, as you were an adult, and it's still there. And that's not your real self, that's not the person you dream of being. Sam Brown is here to help you do that. So please take advantage of all that he has there. If you have a youth group, if you have some adults, if you have just your own book club and you want to invest in having him come and speak to lift and motivate, hey, he's the person for the job.

Speaker 1:

I thank you all for tuning in. Please don't forget that if you are or if you know someone who is suffering at the hand of domestic violence, please reach out to Bethany House or the National Domestic Violence Hotline, bethany House 1-888-80-HELPS that's 4-3-5-7-7. Or the National Domestic Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE, 7233. I would say lock that number or those numbers in your phone so that if you happen upon someone, it's a quick response to get them the help that they need. Confident you is here to help as many people as possible. I thank you for tuning in. Confident you See you in the next episode. Or, as Sam Brown said, go back and check out what we've already done. See you next time.