Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Every American should have to go through that museum because it is super powerful. So that's number one things you can do. Go to the museum. Number two, they do a very good job of explaining that slavery and all the stuff that came after it was an economic thing. People made money off of black folks, people in positions of power in the government then warped the economic system so that then they continued to benefit through Jim Crow and redlining and everything else. And so when you say, what do we need to do? Yeah. Acknowledging is one thing. But uh, as I was telling a friend of mine, true reparations means that Tegan Broadwater looks at his bank account and he takes out 40% of what he has and he writes it to Brian Dixon. Right. Not, don't, don't ask the government to pay it. 'cause the, anytime you have a third party paying things, it doesn't affect you. You go, oh, well the government will take care of it. Well, the government is all us. So why would I give the government money and then get it back? This ain't, you know, income tax time. No, no, no. If we, uh, to ate this is legitimate
Speaker 1 00:00:59 Reparations.
Speaker 0 00:00:59 Correct. Legitimate reparations mean you have an emotional connection to whatever it is, and you give that up. That's why lent some, if you do it correctly, is so fricking powerful for those Catholics. Right. They give up something that is really meaningful to them. Right. So that they humble themselves. It's that same idea. So when you want to give me, you know, uh, $5.6 million, which is 40% of your total gross <laugh>, <laugh>, then come and talk. Yeah. <laugh>. Yeah. So I'll write you a check. So that's what I would say. Anything short of that. Um, I mean, I know it sounds horrible. Anything short of that is kind of lip service.
Speaker 1 00:01:45 Look, I think it's about time. We had somebody controversial on the show, somebody with some real strong opinions. 'cause you know, we never have that.
Speaker 1 00:01:54 But my brother that we're about to introduce you to is quite candid. And he might say things that I completely disagree with, but my opinion is not the one that counts here. The idea is we want people to bring opinions to the table that are causation for positive, impactful conversation that elicit empathy and understanding for the other side. Don't have to change your mind, just have to understand. And my next guest pulls no punches. Great dude. Love to death. You're gonna love it too. Please help me in welcoming my next guest, Dr. Brian Dixon, on the T cast.
Speaker 0 00:02:39 Go. AI
Speaker 1 00:02:40 <laugh>. It's coming anyway. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 0 00:02:42 <affirmative>. And you white guys are all over it. I too, y'all are super excited. And I'm like, Hmm. This boat,
Speaker 1 00:02:50 When BI comes up, then you know, there's gonna be a battle there.
Speaker 0 00:02:54 Bi. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:02:55 Black intelligence.
Speaker 0 00:02:58 We're gonna be unstoppable. <laugh>. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:03:03 That's Aryan Intelligence, right? Isn't that what it stands for? Oh,
Speaker 0 00:03:07 Yeah. I didn't think about it that way. It probably should be. Well,
Speaker 1 00:03:10 Your implication just made the idea come, so, oh,
Speaker 0 00:03:13 That's funny. Well, it's one of those things where like, um, you know, people are like, how do we stop this? And I'm like, y'all just fucking unplug the computer. Right. Call it a day. Like, you can't, you can stop it. There's, this isn't like some runaway train. Yeah. There's, anyway we could put, we'll probably talk about it as part of the podcast. Yeah. Just, well, is it, it's interesting. Interesting. Makes me mad. Well,
Speaker 1 00:03:32 Tell me finish. Go ahead. Are we recording?
Speaker 0 00:03:34 Oh, <laugh>. Go
Speaker 1 00:03:35 Ahead.
Speaker 0 00:03:36 I mean, well, it just, I'm, I'm just irritated because we act like, um, we create the demons and then we act like, where the fuck did the demons come from? And I'm like, you, you did that. Right. It, it's your fault. Right. And it's very, very clear. So, yeah. Um, I know that in this country we have a lot of people, especially white guys, I'm gonna pick on white guys a lot. Bring it in this session. Yes. That's okay. Especially white guys who don't realize that there's other people around them who don't realize that the world is full of other folks who don't think like them. And so they, they just make shit up and they hope everybody's gonna be excited. And then when people aren't excited, they go, oh my gosh. You know, why don't you recognize my genius? You know, Elon Musk, mark Zuckerberg, uh, Jamie Diamond with the Fed, uh, uh, when you look at a whole bunch of stuff that's going on right now, who started it? Yeah. Um, well, and I'm just saying, well,
Speaker 1 00:04:30 And my concern is that too, as soon as if, if I was a certain level genius and could create something amazing mm-hmm. <affirmative>, then, you know, other people are going to build on what I created mm-hmm. <affirmative>, which wouldn't be my intention in a conscious way. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you'd know that everything's gonna progress. But if my concern is essentially somebody's gonna take it and intentionally use it for evil, that's why I worry about it being a runaway train. Because all it takes is the 2% that are good enough to leverage it for the wrong reasons. Yes. On purpose. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And we have to keep up with that in order to defend ourselves from that. So who's
Speaker 0 00:05:07 Leveraging it for the wrong reasons? A white guy. Uh, it, I mean, just look at it, <laugh>. I know it sounds horrible to say, but look at it. Right? So, um, I, I think about this system when it melted down in 2008 and they were like, oh my God, subprime mortgages and you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Who's behind all that? Right. It wasn't black folks, it was a white dude. Right? Right.
Speaker 1 00:05:28 The black folks suffered from it. Correct.
Speaker 0 00:05:30 Because they started giving us loans that they knew we couldn't afford. Now granted, there's research that talks about, um, the racism inherent in, uh, the system. Right. But they knew, uh, hey, here's a $500,000 house and you're making $50,000 a year. Come on and come on. Right. And then they set us up to fail. We fail, and then we go, oh, you should've known better. Right.
Speaker 1 00:05:49 And they take the house back and
Speaker 0 00:05:50 Ell it. Correct. Same thing with this AI nonsense, which is Yeah. If you write a computer program, um, and then you put it out into the universe and you don't control the variables, um, keeping in mind that computer programming is a product of the human mind. So if the human mind that creates the program does not understand empathy, doesn't understand systemic racism, guess what's gonna be embedded in the code.
Speaker 1 00:06:14 Sure.
Speaker 0 00:06:15 No empathy and systemic racism. And then we go, oh my God, these algorithms are reading people's faces wrong. Well, yeah, because a white dude thought it up, but then when we bring that up, they get very offended. Oh no. This is, you know, race agnostic. Oh, come on
Speaker 1 00:06:28 Y'all. Okay, well, so how, so maybe not race agnostic, but maybe race ignorant. Might, would you be willing to come to, to meet at that point where somebody, somebody essentially is not intentionally saying, let's be exclusive, but they're saying, let's be normal and I feel like I am normal, but they are ignorant mm-hmm. <affirmative> to some of those issues? I think that's more of the problem these days.
Speaker 0 00:06:52 I mean, I, I wouldn't disagree with you. I think the hiccup is that term ignorant for white guys is very offensive to them. Yeah. Well, it's So if somebody called you ignorant, how would you feel? Teagan?
Speaker 1 00:07:02 Well, it's less offensive than calling someone a racist. So there is, I think there's a, there's a significant difference between them and yes, I think people, all white people should be open to having that conversation without being pissed off. They should be wanting to listen. That's where we're trying to go. Gotcha. I mean, we're doing it here. I don't mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I mean, this is a good conversation, but yeah. I would much rather be ignorant than racist because I don't feel like any of my intentions, I feel like my intentions as a white guy, I get as much criticism about talking about these issues from the perspective of mm-hmm. <affirmative> the ignored. And so I almost feel like I get as much, you know, crap from white folks too, that say I focus too much on trying to help, uh, poorer minority communities. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but, and I, I can only do what I can do. I can, I can empathize, sympathize. There's a difference there too, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I can only, based on my experience and the people I know, that's the limit in which I can work from mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But if you don't have someone willing to reach, reach out and say, what, what can I learn? This is what I think. How do you feel about that? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And then we're never gonna go anywhere. Well,
Speaker 0 00:08:12 True. I, I think, um, I am always shocked at how sensitive white guys are to that term racist or racism or, yeah. Or being called a racist, because I mean, it really bothers y'all. Um, part of me is kind of like, that's, that's really interesting because when you're sitting in a, a position of privilege, you can ignore a whole bunch of stuff. Right. Um, but for whatever reason, that's a trigger for y'all. And I don't really know why. Well, you're,
Speaker 1 00:08:40 You're the psyche. So I, I
Speaker 0 00:08:42 Know. Don't
Speaker 1 00:08:42 You, don't you think that the brain typically will say that's a much more difficult and traumatic route to, to be awake and think about this all the time? It's easier because it's comfortable. Every once in, in a while you become conscious of it and it's kind of whimsical and you make some amends that you feel like is gonna make you feel better, and then your mind is better off and more relaxed when you can just go back to life, which is comfortable.
Speaker 0 00:09:08 Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:09:08 Right. I mean, is your a natural state, you almost have to no matter who, and that's not, that's not a white specific thing. It would be any race that's in control that has the ability to ignore things and still their life still goes on. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:09:24 Yes. Well, so the ability to ignore things and have your life go on Okay. Is the definition of privilege. Right. So I am privileged at this point because I make what I make. And so as I pass someone who doesn't, uh, if I pass somebody on the street who doesn't make as much, I can go, oh, that's too bad for that person. And then I keep walking and that's my privilege because I don't have to worry about the heat because I have air, air conditioning. You know, I'm, I'm not on, I don't on the, out on the street. And so the goal is I have to be cognizant and thoughtful of that privilege. And I, I tend to think that I am most times, I don't know that most white guys recognize that they are privileged in these race conversations, which is why I think they overreact when they hear, oh, that's really racist. And they go, oh my God, are you saying I'm a terrible person? Like, no. Well, racism and being a racist is you feel that someone is less than you based off of their skin color. That's it. Right.
Speaker 1 00:10:18 But that's more prejudice than racism. 'cause you're not actually taking an action to suppress them at that point.
Speaker 0 00:10:24 Well, and so this is where I give my caveat to anybody that's listening. So I'm not a D e I expert. I'm sure there are like lots of nuanced, anthropological definitions to all this stuff. So I'm just gonna share from my lived experience mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, and yes, there's discrimination and prejudice and racism and all that kind of stuff, and y'all go Google the damn terms. 'cause I'm not fixing to get into all of that. What I will say is that, um, there is a, um, as, as the psych, as the, um, person who's a, um, a purported expert in human behavior. Yes. Um, one of the defense mechanisms, so any, uh, a defense mechanism is anything that you do, um, to deal with the stressor, things that make you uncomfortable. And humans tend to do two groupings of defense mechanisms. Either those defense mechanisms are mature, meaning they are very conscious.
Speaker 0 00:11:14 And you know, when something bad happens and you make a joke about it, that is a very conscious defense mechanism because you go, oh my God, that was awful, but I'm gonna make a joke about it to add some levity because otherwise I can't deal with it. Right. So that's, that's, uh, humor is in a, is a mature defense mechanism. Uh, denial is an immature defense mechanism. Oh, well, that couldn't be happening. And so, especially for white guys, when it comes to topics of race, they just go, Nope, it's not happening. Or Obama was elected and it's all gone. And that denial is very unconscious and they don't recognize it. And so I would say to you and to all white guys is you are contributing, even right now, sitting in this room, in this very moment, in this space, you are still contributing to the differences in the races, and you're propelling that stuff unless you are actively saying, I'm against it. And that's where that whole anti-racism thing came from. 'cause people were like, what does it mean to be anti-racist? I was like, you have to show and then live that, uh, and say it, it's almost like you're getting married. You have to profess to the public that this is your wife. Well, right. Right.
Speaker 1 00:12:17 So you need to, the acknowledgement, acknowledgement is the part that we're missing from a lot of people is the acknowledgement of it's existence.
Speaker 0 00:12:23 But I, but we're not, we're too far into this yet to, for just acknowledgement. If you're not actively hiring black folks and, and investing in black folks, blah, blah, blah. But
Speaker 1 00:12:31 I'm saying it starts with acknowledgement. Well, I mean, you, there's so many people that are gonna, if
Speaker 0 00:12:34 You're gonna be, if you're in denial,
Speaker 1 00:12:35 That's the easy answer, then you're not even acknowledging.
Speaker 0 00:12:37 I mean, everybody, if you want to, you can go and watch a black guy get killed on YouTube. Like you can literally see George Floyd being murdered Right. In front of our faces. If that doesn't compel you to do something, then I don't know what else to tell you. Right? Yeah. It acknow we can say acknowledge Okay. But we're too far into this social experiment at this point. We know better. Right. Right. So that's why I'm just like, I'm not, I'm not mad. I just want, I, I want people in the position of power to recognize their privilege and then try to fix it.
Speaker 1 00:13:07 So what are some things that you think people could do at whatever level? Even if you pick a group or a whatever mm-hmm. What are some things we can do Yeah. To fix it for the people that are open to it. <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:13:18 Yeah. Yeah. So I just, because
Speaker 1 00:13:19 You have to start there, right? I mean, the people that are in denial are a different,
Speaker 0 00:13:23 So what do we do? So I was just recently in DC at the African American National Museum of African American History and Culture. Right. And as we go through the different exhibits, so number one, I think every American should have to go to dc. Every American should have to go through that damn museum because it is super powerful. So that's number one things you can do. Go to the museum. Number two, they do a very good job of explaining that slavery and all the stuff that came after it was an economic thing. People made money off of black folks. They made a lot of money off of black folks.
Speaker 1 00:13:57 Right. The industrial revolution was built,
Speaker 0 00:14:00 Correct. Sure. Correct. And then, um, people in positions of power in the government then warped the economic system so that then they continued to benefit through Jim Crow and redlining and everything else. And so when you say, what do we need to do? Yeah. Acknowledging it is one thing. But, uh, as I was telling a friend of mine, true reparations means that Tegan Broadwater looks at his bank account and he takes out 40% of what he has and he writes it to Brian Dixon. Right. Not, don't, don't ask the government to pay it. 'cause the, anytime you have a third party paying things, it doesn't affect you. You go, oh, well, well the government will take care of it. Well, the government is all us, so why would I give the government money and then get it back? This ain't, you know, income tax time. No, no, no. If we, uh, to reparation,
Speaker 1 00:14:44 This is legitimate reparations.
Speaker 0 00:14:45 Correct. Legitimate reparations mean you have an emotional connection to whatever it is, and you give that up. That's why LT some, if you do it correctly, is so fricking powerful for those Catholics. Right. They give up something that is really meaningful to them. Right. So that they humble themselves. It's that same idea. So when you want to give me, you know, uh, $5.6 million, which is 40% of your total gross <laugh>, then come and talk. Yeah. <laugh>. Yeah. So I'll write you a check. So that's what I would say. Anything short of that. Um, I mean, I know it sounds horrible. Anything short of that is kind of lip service. Like, so how
Speaker 1 00:15:18 Do we get there though? Because you're basically describing a leap, 'cause acknowledgement, and I say huge. My, I know, and I think I've talked to you about this before mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So, uh, I don't mean to retread, but, um, part of the problem really is just getting the acknowledgement. And then I know after Floyd, a lot of folks, I think you were one of 'em, said, I'm kind of tired of explaining Yep. What you need to do. Yep. So I also plead to you from the other side saying, look, I'm one of those people that's trying to put forth an effort and I still need help. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, because you gotta realize most of us are raised in a box. And only, only now, honestly, are we even to have access with, with internet access mm-hmm. <affirmative> and the ability to see the disparities and to see the brutality and all these things. This is a new thing. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So if you're a 30 year old person that's grown up in the box and are now starting to see it, it's going to, it's a complicated matter. It is. When you're starting from zero.
Speaker 0 00:16:19 So I'm gonna throw out to you, and this is an oversimplification, kind of a bastardization, but I'm gonna throw out to you, um, let's not try to explain it morally because that's why change doesn't happen. Let's talk about it economically. And as long as we put economics before morals, this shit will change faster than quick. Got ready. So one of the, one of the human behavior changes if you're, especially if you're in a capitalistic system. Um, I always give the example of cigarettes. So, um, morally, we all know smoking cigarettes is bad. We know we've, we've known that for years. Right. Um, yet the one thing that gets cigarette used to go down is what the price of the, the pack. Right. And they
Speaker 1 00:17:04 Well, that's one of them. And the, the prohibition that finally started taking place too.
Speaker 0 00:17:09 Yeah. They tried that. So human beings are ridiculous. Right. You say, don't do it. They go and do it three times. Hey, don't smoke weed. They go get high. Oh, don't drink. Oh, they start making their own, you know, uh, uh, mash in their own, you know, uh, right. Whatever. Right. But yeah, they've shown that cigarette use goes down when you go up on the pack of cigarettes. And so cigarettes should be costing like $20 a pack so we can knock this shit out because I'm tired of it. Um, it's just hurting people. It doesn't do any good anyway. If you want to improve racism, let's talk economics. 'cause it's a, it's a universal language. Right.
Speaker 1 00:17:43 That's, uh, and that's a great idea. But I, I <laugh>,
Speaker 0 00:17:47 By the way, your shoes are really cute. Those are
Speaker 1 00:17:49 Nice. Oh, thanks man. Yeah. I gotta put it on camera. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:17:52 <laugh>,
Speaker 1 00:17:53 I, um, I wonder if that would be just being a devil's advocate. Yeah. Kind of a workaround also, because how are you going to establish an economic idea? Let's say you did, let's say you had the idea that's like, Hey, I'm proposing this. Everyone votes it in, and economically it is fair. And whether it's reparation in involved in it or whatever, and it gets voted through, if the purpose is still to make the money by both sides mm-hmm. <affirmative>, the point is still gonna exist that there's still a lack of understanding between both of the parties mm-hmm. That are being affected. Because I'm, if you say, I got this deal for you, and I take it because it's great money mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it still didn't fix any of our relationship.
Speaker 0 00:18:41 Tegan, I, I reject your hypothesis <laugh>, because it's hidden inside what you just said. Um, you're making an, you're making an equivocation. Right? So when you said that term, both sides, and I'm here to tell you brother, there is no both sides. And I think that's where a lot of white folks mess up is because it's not a black and white issue. Um, it is a weighted issue. Black people are 12% of the population. White people are, I think, like 60% of the population. I think something like that, right? There is no both sides. Right? So even if you did ate everything, like if everybody shifted money and blah, blah, blah, we're still 12% of the population. This is not aze. This is not an equal discussion. And so I don't, uh, uh, to say it differently, we don't need to beg people to do the right thing. We just need to do the right thing. 'cause it it, for most white folks in this country, if you fixed it, it's still, um, if you fix the economic part, you're still not gonna fix the other part because there's just so many of y'all, like, there's just the number of y'all. I'm never gonna convince the majority of y'all. I'm not even gonna convince, convince a minority of y'all. So let's skip all of that. There's no, that's
Speaker 1 00:19:54 Interesting. I, I disagree with that hypothesis. Thanks. And I also, I also think there's a, a very simplistic view on reparation. 'cause if mm-hmm. <affirmative>, if everyone just started now Yeah. And just started doing it regardless, then there still isn't any of the support system in the way that, that the system is developed. There isn't a way to just say, all right, well this guy, uh, grew up in a poor family, a broken home and everything else, he's now 30, just got outta jail. He's been in there for 10 years and we are giving him however much money mm-hmm. <affirmative> and,
Speaker 0 00:20:29 But, but
Speaker 1 00:20:29 We're not giving him any way to actually know how to use it for his own benefit. Yeah. But because the education system is set up the way it is mm-hmm. <affirmative>, the judicial system still set up the way it is. So it's gonna be a fleeting moment where cash change exchanges hands. And I don't think it's gonna fix economically anything if that's literally just an exchange mm-hmm. <affirmative> of monetary value, and then it's gonna, once it returns and it doesn't even out mm-hmm. <affirmative>, because I don't think that itself will even it out, then we come back to the same point and then the argument's gonna be, reparations don't work. Yes. We've already tried it. Exactly. Exactly. Because it's not just the money.
Speaker 0 00:21:07 So let me clarify. You're asking an illogical system to do a logical thing. Right? It is illogical to be, to have slaves, in my opinion. It is illogical. Right? And so then over the course of 300 years, we, the, not we, the, the systems, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the English, uh, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They build a system of which we now benefit. Uh, we, uh, it's, they built an illogical system, unfair system, but it's illogical. And now we are where we are. And you're saying, I want to have a logical conclusion to this. And I'm here to tell you, I don't think there's gonna be a logical conclusion that, um, does not hurt a little bit. If you wanna do a logical conclusion of, Hey, let's fix, let's repair this harm, it ain't gonna feel nice. It's just, it's just like pt. Like, if you break your bone, you don't go, oh, well I'm gonna, you know, the orthopedic said it and I'm gonna be up and running around. No, you're going, you're going to have to go through some things to get it. See,
Speaker 1 00:22:03 But that's a good, that's a good example. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you hurt yourself. The PT says, then you're given the money mm-hmm. <affirmative> to take care of it. Yeah. But you're not sent to the PT who will show you what actually needs to be done for it to heal properly. Yeah. So you're just given the money to do it. And then when that's squandered, I think it puts us in a worse situation because there isn't any. But
Speaker 0 00:22:25 Again, it's, like
Speaker 1 00:22:26 I said, we don't have to, we don't have to be on the exact same trajectory. Mm-hmm. But I think there has to be a long-term benefit. Mm-hmm. And, and I think it, it could be a long-term disadvantage, even more so than it is because if you do something su substantial that doesn't work, the, the people that are in power and privilege, whoever it is, 'cause mm-hmm. <affirmative> every race in every country and whatever is owned different slaves of different whatevers. Yes. Then there's gonna say, well, this doesn't work and it's gonna be however long until, that's another option. Because I think it has to come married with education.
Speaker 0 00:23:02 So then here I'll give a caveat, and this is what I do in my own life, is the, um, if we're gonna start something, anything that's just get started on repairing economic damages in the past, just make it easier for me to get money as a black dude. Just make it easy for me to get money. So I'm in practice. I have a company, I have two companies actually that are doing fairly well. I'm busting my ass working a whole, whole lot. Yeah. I go to the bank even now, and the forms I have to fill out are so exhausting. Literally, I just apply for a line of credit. And the shit that they ask you is so granular. It took me three hours just to fill, fill out this application right. In that three hours. 'cause I know what my hourly rate is because this is what I charge people.
Speaker 0 00:23:44 Um, but let's just even be conservative, uh, at 400 bucks an hour. Um, I just spent $1,200 on an application and I would say that that $1,200 could have been better spent somewhere else. And so that's what I would say to you. Now, your response, I'm, I'm gonna be an asshole for a second. Your response is, well, hey, the bank has to make sure that they're, you know, um, uh, evaluating your, uh, your credit worthiness and, you know, they don't wanna take a risk and give away that money. How did they get started off of money from slavery? That's how banks started. And then they built all these systems to then perpetuate wealth for white people and make it very difficult for everybody else because they know I don't have the fucking time to be applying to multiple banks and doing this shit again and again, filling out your personal financial statement. So that's what I would say to you, okay. Is, hey, if you wanna do one small thing, um, find a black business owner that's been in business for three years, bootstrapping and busting their ass, and you give them access to capital easily. Right. I'm not saying just give me, um, a hundred thousand dollars though. That would be nice. Or 5.6 million would be even better <laugh>. But just make, that's my 40%. Make it easier for me so that I don't have to expend this, this exorbitant amount of time to give money. So,
Speaker 1 00:24:57 And you mean easier for you than for me, essentially? Yeah. Okay. I mean, because it's the same form. Right?
Speaker 0 00:25:02 Okay. To, again, to be a little bit of an asshole. That's what you already do. You call, you know, uh, Bobby, and you say, Bobby, hey, I have this great idea. And Bobby goes, oh, fuck yeah, Tegan, this is great. Here's, you know, I'll invest in that. I don't have investors, even people who are like, oh, I believe in what you're doing. I go, Hey, I need this. And they go, yeah, I need to see all of your financial statements. No. See the difference. Right. Do you see the difference between us? And this is real world shit. Right?
Speaker 1 00:25:28 We're just talking about you're, now you're talking about, um, just a situational, I'm
Speaker 0 00:25:33 Talking about economics. Right? All
Speaker 1 00:25:36 Economics. 'cause you're, so if you grow up in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area, then you're not gonna have the aunt, the uncle, the friend, the whoever that you can just grab money and borrow from. That's what you're talking about essentially.
Speaker 0 00:25:46 Right? Well, but, but even so that's one layer I'm talking about, like, literally right now, you know, I'm well established in the community. I think, I think I have something of a name I don't know. But even now, I can't go out and find that money because I don't know who to go to. Right. And I'm, I'm building a community here and I've been here, what, 12, 13 years. So yeah,
Speaker 1 00:26:05 I can't relate as much. 'cause I don't know who to go to either. I mean, I know people with money, but I wouldn't know how to necessarily, I, they're not just waiting to give it to me. Yeah. So, I don't know. I, I'm just an experience there. So I really don't teagan, I really, and I have no investors in my business either. We just, well,
Speaker 0 00:26:18 And I understand that, but part of me says we could almost do an experiment, uh, where you write up a fake business plan and then you go and pitch it to your people and you see how fast they respond versus me. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:26:28 If we're talking banks, then I think a lot of it still is gonna be discretionary. 'cause somebody is gonna look at the application. Correct. Still make up their mind. And
Speaker 0 00:26:35 Who's gonna be, who is that? What is the demographic of that person doing the underwriting most times? Right.
Speaker 1 00:26:40 Of course. So that's where I think, yeah, <laugh> that's where the problem is, is though it's, it's less about the application. It's more just about the straight fact that somebody can still use their discretion to say yes or no. If the, if ai, if there was a robot that said, if if this many answers are correct, then it's done. But you keep
Speaker 0 00:26:59 Getting the AI is still written by white means. No, I
Speaker 1 00:27:01 Know. That's true. <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:27:01 That's true. I mean, y'all are everywhere. Yeah. Right. So, uh, and again, I, uh, uh, disclaimer again, I like white people. Y'all are great. So I, I, I don't have any like, personal beef at this point. I just want to be able to, uh, meet payroll and not be working all the time. Yeah, I,
Speaker 1 00:27:17 I hear you. And, and I, I do, I remember you bringing that up too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, the fact that you went to a bank and you, without disclosure, you make a substantial amount of money. And there shouldn't be a reason why a reasonable line of credit shouldn't be an easy thing to get. Correct. But I'm not educated that deeply either. But I find that fascinating. I do think a social experiment is in order for sure. I think so. She tried. Um, so you call yourself an impact entrepreneur. Yes. You are a, you are a doctor. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> of psychiatry mm-hmm. <affirmative> and, uh, an impact entrepreneur. So I love that. How do you define that for yourself? Great question.
Speaker 0 00:27:54 So I guess technically I am a doctor of medicine with a specialist in psychiatry, I guess is how I would say it. But, um, yeah. So impact Entrepreneur, it was one of those buzzwords that I just found and I was like, Ooh, that's really sexy. It is cool. Um, because I can't, I'm not a, you know, at the time I was not a serial entrepreneur. I only had one business, um, which was like my private practice. Um, but the idea of making an impact, so taking a little bit. So black folks always say, um, uh, we know how to make a dollar outta 15 cents. So I don't know if you've ever heard that phraseology before? I haven't. Oh, yeah. Well, uh, how many black people are you on tv? They say it to me.
Speaker 1 00:28:32 <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:28:33 So, yeah. So, um, that's a, that is an idiom, an expression for black folks is we all know how to make a dollar outta 15 cents. And so, um, that has impacted me taking the little bit of whatever I have and then, um, contorting it and, and splitting it in such a way that it can, uh, um, affect a larger number of people or blah, blah, blah. So that's where the impact comes from, comes from. And then the entrepreneur part, which is just Yeah. Starting a business to try to make money and do something better. So impact Entrepreneur, um, is,
Speaker 1 00:29:02 And part of your business, uh, ideas that I've followed along are actually impactful in a themselves. They're, yeah. They're for-profit businesses. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 0 00:29:10 I don't, I don't do nonprofit stuff anymore.
Speaker 1 00:29:12 I've learned, but they essentially are still bettering the community mm-hmm. <affirmative> or bettering the world in some way, right? Yes.
Speaker 0 00:29:18 Correct. So ideally with my private practice, I'm really working to, um, uh, to improve the end user's life, the end user being a patient, right? So patients come in, they see me, I teach 'em stuff that I've learned, and hopefully they le leave feeling better. And then that's one company. And then the next company is a practice management company, which, where is where I run all the back office stuff, so that hopefully it's a B two B, um, business, so that hopefully that therapist who's a small business owner, can spend more time with their patients. Right? Right. So help improve their lives. And so between those two main arms of my, um, my current endeavors, um, hopefully we can impact both patients directly and the people who serve the patients.
Speaker 1 00:30:00 Yeah. And essentially the patients. Yeah. 'cause then you don't have a, a person that's trying to struggle and run a business when they only studied the medicine that they're practicing. Um,
Speaker 0 00:30:10 A million percent. Yeah. Because, uh, com compassion fatigue is the idea that innocent, you get tired of caring. Um, I mean, I've been there multiple times where, you know, I'm trying to be present in the moment with the patient, but I have to go pay the rent. Or, um, you know, recently the fire marshal shows up because they have to check the, um, fire extinguishers in the office. Right. And I'm like, oh my gosh, you're interrupting me. I'm like, in right in the middle of something. So. Right. Yeah, having really good, uh, back office admin stuff is really important to running a business. So
Speaker 1 00:30:44 What, and this might be back in, this is back in way up mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but what were, what were some of your impactful experiences or lessons that you learned coming up? What essentially, and did they lead you to this path mm-hmm. <affirmative>, because tell me a little bit about what brought you to this point.
Speaker 0 00:31:02 Yeah. So I, um, I don't do, uh, I don't like working for stupid people. Right. And there's a whole bunch of stupid people out there. Uh, have you heard of the Peter principle? Oh, yeah. It's one of my, and I don't, I don't know who coined it, but, uh, the Peter principle says that you rise to the level of your incompetence. And so, quite a few people who are in charge of really big companies, um, uh, they rise to that level, but they can't go any higher. So they get stuck where they are. So, in other words, they'll get to a VP position, but they suck at being a C E O. And so they can never progress. Well, when I was working in companies, I had lots of middle managers and VPs who couldn't go anywhere. And so they just made the downstream people's lives living hell.
Speaker 0 00:31:46 Right. And so that was one of the reasons why I was like, screw this shit. I can't work for somebody that is stupider than me, and that I don't respect. And so, yeah. So that was one big impetus to leaving, which is kind of that noxious effect of middle management. And then vice versa. Uh, I read a quote in undergrad by Henry David Thoreau, the philosopher guy. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And he said, um, that the best thing that a man can do for his culture when he is rich is endeavor to carry out those schemes that he entertained when he was poor. And so, the way I took it, poor can mean all sorts of things. It could be financially poor, emotionally poor, physically poor, blah, blah, blah. And it's that, uh, it's the idea that when you're in a state of need and you dream up these things, you know, I'm hungry. So I dream up a way to get food to everybody. I don't have any money. So I dream up a way to make economics more fair. Well, now that I have money and I have food, I need to follow through on those, those dreams that I had. Yeah,
Speaker 1 00:32:42 That's great. Those, because
Speaker 0 00:32:43 That's, yep. 'cause
Speaker 1 00:32:43 It's only, that's a fantastic saying. Mm-hmm. I hadn't heard that. I really liked that a lot. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:32:47 He was a, oh, he's a white dude. So I guess white guys are
Speaker 1 00:32:51 Point <laugh>, point thinking, point
Speaker 0 00:32:54 Teagan. Oh gosh. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:32:56 <laugh>. So, um, how I hate to stay, I know we started off on a topic that we hadn't planned on it, but I, I am interested to know, in terms of your path and, and going through med school mm-hmm. And doing all that stuff, transitioning into business and all that, other than the banks, which we've already touched on, you know, what, what kind of discrimination have you experienced during some of that process, if any? I assume you have, but
Speaker 0 00:33:24 Yeah. Most of it is very surreptitious. It's very hidden. So, for example, when, um, me and one of my business partners applied for a housing loan, um, we, we got personal, each of us individually, she's a black female, each of us individually qualified for a personal mortgage with this particular bank. And we refinancing, got our personal mortgages. We took that same application and went in together to get a commercial loan for about the same amount. And they said no, um, because we were gonna literally buy another house and rent that out. And the bank said, no. And you're like, well, what do you mean? And the bank says, oh, well your debt to income ratio is off. And you're like, wait a minute. You just gave me a loan, a personal loan, and my debt to income ratio wasn't bad. And they're just like, sorry, that's just how the rules work.
Speaker 0 00:34:12 Commercial is different than residential. Right. And you're like, that's bullshit. Like, literally, I mean, we're buying a house in the same neighborhood where our houses were. That's nonsense. Um, yeah. Uh, uh, there's a, uh, a school that shall not be named, but I'm sure if you can go and research it. Um, I was highly qualified for a role, um, at this school, um, for a promotion. It would be a promotion for me. And when the job came available, um, they, I, number one, didn't post the job and then didn't even tell us that they had hired somebody for the role. And so when I said, Hey guys, that's not fair. I, I, I would like to apply for this position. I'm qualified for that role. I got lots of pushback. And, um, uh, uh, let's just say that, uh, they told me I was not the right fit, even though I was never given the opportunity to, to actually apply, which is just blows my mind. And everybody comes up to me and they're like, why don't you apply for that job? And I'm like, because they didn't post it. And they were like, well, they're legally supposed to post it. And I was like, I don't know. I don't know. Today. I can't go and fight every damn fight ever. Right. And so, stuff like
Speaker 1 00:35:17 That, there's a lot behind the scenes. Oh yeah. That's difficult for you to know Correct. What's going on. So that Correct, you have the information to fight with mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 0 00:35:24 Yep. And so it's stuff like that, and it, it'll, it will almost make you feel crazy 'cause you're like, wait, am I being paranoid? Like, you know, is this just a me thing? Or blah, blah, blah. And in this case, and I won't get into all this, the gory details, but in this case, yes. I literally have written proof of all of these things. Right. And I was like, oh, well that's awkward. And so I'm just not going to work with that school any longer. Yeah. So, um, but yeah, it, it has happened. Nobody's like blatantly run up to me and called me the N word or, you know, done anything like that. It's all been very kind of indirect, um, you know, over the course of a lifetime. But even that can still kinda wear you down.
Speaker 1 00:36:02 So does it affect your ability to, uh, have empathy for other people or get along with other people sometimes. Does it beats you down? Mm.
Speaker 0 00:36:10 I would say no. And yes. So no. Uh, especially when it comes to race. So, I mean, I, I didn't realize this. And I think, I don't know if I told you this before, um, but uh, I went to school, I went to school in the eighties. So in 1985, I started kindergarten and we would get on a bus and they would truck us to the other side of town. And we w we went to the elementary school where the country club was. 'cause Lufkin has a country club. I don't know if you know that, but we have a country club. Interesting. And I did that for the first five years of my life and never thought anything of it. You know, there was one black, uh, one busload of black kids that went to this school. Well, fast forward 30 years later, and I was listening to some other podcast and they were talking about, um, forced integration and that there were lots of cities, uh, that struggled with integrating. And so they, you know, with, um, court decisions, they forced the integration state
Speaker 1 00:37:04 Through the state or through
Speaker 0 00:37:05 The state and local municipalities very much like, um, you know, the Little Rock nine, where they had, you know, the little black kids were gonna go to school and they had police officers escort them into school. And it hit me. Holy shit. And then I go and do the research. And Lefkin was a city that had forced integration. So that bus ride that I took not knowing anything about it, was, was, um, the product of somebody saying, yes, y'all need to have black kids on this campus. Now, I think it has fundamentally changed my life. 'cause I grew up with nothing but white folks. I mean, I didn't know any different. And so, and they didn't treat me any different. Like all of my teachers were like, no, you know, get your shit together. And I, I have high expectations of you. And, uh, that was reinforced by my parents.
Speaker 1 00:37:48 You're 20 years after the, the difficult part of the integration process, correct?
Speaker 0 00:37:53 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so
Speaker 1 00:37:53 That's fascinating too. 'cause that was another question I would have is the fact that you didn't recognize it is a, a little bit of a sign of a little progress, a little, I mean, your kids. But I mean, I think that's great. 'cause I think there could be some animosity just with the fact that it's being forced to happen mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I think people could push back. Yeah. So it's good to hear that somewhere it's a normal experience. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:38:17 Well, I, I would hope that we wouldn't have to do that. And again, I don't know the actual, um, the, the technical term is milieu. It's the, the surrounding environment, the political environment of which that happened. 'cause you know, I'm sure the superintendent wasn't very happy, or the mayor may not have been very happy back in, you know, 19, 19 80 or whatever
Speaker 1 00:38:35 It was. But it is, it didn't affect the experience of the students who were being bused, which is really the point. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:38:41 Well, correct. Well, yes, for those folks, what do you say to the black 35 year old who, you know, was sending their kid halfway across town? Right. Um, I bet they probably had, uh,
Speaker 1 00:38:56 But you didn't hear about that from your folks, or
Speaker 0 00:38:58 No. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 00:38:59 Didn't make a mention of it. Um,
Speaker 0 00:39:01 And I don't, I don't know that I specifically asked. I mean, I mean, my dad's alive, so maybe I need to Yeah. I'll put that on my list when I talk to 'em today and be like, is do
Speaker 1 00:39:08 You think that there's still, I mean, I think I'm just gonna ask you <laugh>, I'm not gonna give you my opinion, but a disparity in the schools, obviously. Where had you been bused to your local school? And then, so there is still an advantage, and perhaps even your parents thought, heck, there's a disadvantage potential, but there's also a great upside potential. Oh, yeah. And look where you look where you are now. Yeah. Yeah. Do you think your schooling actually had Oh,
Speaker 0 00:39:36 A hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah. I, I am here today because I got bused across town. Now the thing is, it is not because the local school was necessarily bad. 'cause, um, they did redistricting when I was in fifth grade and I had to go to my local school then. So we stopped riding the bus and we just walked down the street to the local school. Um, and it was different. Um, 'cause there were way more black folks at that school. Um, but my teachers were awesome. I don't know. I, I think that's where my experience gets a little bit skewed. Um, compared to experience now. Um, I think schools are, the funding structure now is even worse than it's ever been. So, yeah. I, I don't know how kids succeed now, but back then it, the disparity wasn't so bad. Um, now the, I mean, this is a super, you know, uh, racist trope. Uh, but I was the fastest kid at my white school. All four, all, all five years. So kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade,
Speaker 1 00:40:36 Ready to go bolster the stereotype. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:40:38 Good job. Bolster. Yeah. I was badass. I was the fastest kid, <laugh>. And it was awesome. And all the white kids looked up to me. And then I went to the black school and I was the seventh fastest in my grade. Mm. W I was like
Speaker 1 00:40:50 Out of, yeah. But your grade, you had 1300 people in your grade, right? Uh,
Speaker 0 00:40:54 No, it wasn't that many. I mean,
Speaker 1 00:40:56 Yes. Right. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:40:56 Yeah. Oh, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There you
Speaker 1 00:40:58 Seventh fastest out 13 hundreds. Pretty good. And it's a small town, so for, it is a small town for the people that mm-hmm. That don't know what Lufkin is. Yeah. Lufkin town. It's quite a small town. So
Speaker 0 00:41:08 It's, it's a town of like 30,000 people, maybe 28 when I was growing. Now 28,000 people when I was growing
Speaker 1 00:41:13 Up. Yes. And so there's a, there's a reasonable chance that that could have been a failed experiment, which is why it may have been one of the last, uh, properly integrated cities too. Yeah. Right.
Speaker 0 00:41:25 Well,
Speaker 1 00:41:25 'cause it was just sort of an East Texas kind of
Speaker 0 00:41:28 Vibe. And let me put a really fine point on it. 'cause I don't want people to misunderstand. 'cause I don't know where this stuff goes out into the, the internet and the world going to a white school wasn't, uh, superior because it was white. Going to a white school was superior because it was better funded and better supported. Right. Right. And so the key is let's find support and funding for every school commiserate to what the kids need. Right. My parents, I mean, we were super poor the whole nine yards, but we made it work. There's some parents that don't have that skillset. And so those little black kids don't, they, they're gonna need more in the school setting mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, they need smaller class sizes. They need their A D H D treated, uh, they need free meals. 'cause we want free meals. Uh, they need meals to go home with them. So that's where that whole equity talk comes in. Yeah. Like give kids what they need, not just what you think everybody should have.
Speaker 1 00:42:19 Right. And so that was, you know, as we talk about education, are you familiar with a lot of those things? I know you dipped your toes in some politics and stuff like that mm-hmm. <affirmative> and when they redistrict and all those things mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it still seems like there's, there's still a disparity, which there always may be just because of the socioeconomics. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> as long as somebody's coming from, uh, from having less and having less opportunity. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> you. But building the schools up to the point where, I liked how you said not just giving equal access to everything across the board mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but finding out what it's gonna take to get the, the kids at a lower reading level mm-hmm. <affirmative> to a higher reading level and fund that so that we're Yep.
Speaker 0 00:43:04 So I'm a little bit of a weirdo. Yeah. I dip my toes into politics of the school board. And I'm a weirdo when it comes to that because I, um, the school district is kind of a company. It's kind of like a publicly owned company. Um, but I'm still a capitalist. And my idea is if I got in there was to, you know, stabilize and then treat it like a business. There's certain things that you need to do in order to be competitive because you, your competitors are private schools and charter schools. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And it is my belief that, um, capitalism is not the best system, but it's the best of the worst systems. Like fascism and communism don't work very well. So capitalism is where it's at. Um, and then we compete and don't try to do everything. 'cause if you try to do everything, you're, you're gonna be bad at it. Yeah. Well, unfortunately, that's what public schools, especially in this state, they're like, you need to do everything. And I was like, you know, no, screw that. Let us do what we do well, which is, um, um, help support kids that have learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, you know, so on and so forth. And then if the, you know, really well off kids want to leave and go to private school or charter school, that's okay. Because our main thing is helping those who need it the most. And they
Speaker 1 00:44:14 Usually do anyway. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:44:15 Cor and there you go. And so I'm actually not opposed to a multi-tiered educational system. Um, I don't like the idea of vouchers because that's too simplistic. So I don't, I don't care for that. Um, but I'm, uh, we need to revamp how we pay for and structure education so the kids can go to the best place. And some kids, actually, I know Teagan, this is gonna be crazy to say, but some kids do need homeschool. Like some of them blossom and grow in that model. A small model where you have one teacher to three kids, it actually works. I saw that during the pandemic because I thought quite a few of my kids were gonna like fall apart and be a hot mess. Right. And some of them did. Brilliant. Most of them actually did brilliantly.
Speaker 1 00:44:56 Yeah. I imagine introverts would be supported and Yep. You know, not, and my son was the same way. He was the smartest kids. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, they always get put in a group of five mm-hmm. <affirmative> for this semester, you're gonna be grouped with all these people and we're gonna work on this project. And then, you know, he doesn't want to be in a group. Yep. But he ends up doing all the work. Yep. <laugh>, it's a, it's not super productive for everyone and it makes him hate school. Yep. You know, so mm-hmm. <affirmative>. That's interesting. Um, so less about education, um, but in marginalized communities or socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, how are the children affected? Do you see any, anything that you feel like you could model in order to help the mental health essentially of the, the kids that are affected by dealing with less?
Speaker 0 00:45:49 Yeah. So this is where it gets very interesting. And again, this is, um, this is my personal opinion, not my professional opinion. And I give all the disclaimers, blah, blah, blah. It's not representative of my company or about, this is just me talking. Okay. Um, so number one, um, kids believe what they see. Okay? So I want you to keep that in mind. Kids believe what they see, um, and what we are showing them now is way more information, data, just, we're showing them way too much as a society and as a result, they're, they're struggling. Um, they don't understand. Um, you know, it, um, have you heard of rage clicking? Um mm-hmm. Yeah. So it's the idea that when something's not working on your phone, you hit it multiple times to try to get it to work. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:46:35 I've never coined the term that I've done. I've done that maybe a few times.
Speaker 0 00:46:40 What's so funny, because, you know, um, uh, how do I describe it? Um, kids do that a lot in all, all parts of their lives, right? They don't know how to tolerate frustration because they watch YouTube videos and they see people screaming, yelling, fighting, cussing, talking back, running away, doing all sorts of stuff. And kids believe what they see. And so, yeah. So you'll have a lot of kids, especially black kids, will start to see things that are just not life. And then they get very upset if things don't go a certain way. Oh, if I don't have those, those kicks, then I am a bad person. If I don't have this number of friends or likes, I am a bad person. And then that manifests in other ways. And so it to, to save our kids, to improve racism, to improve everything, we, I wish our kids would go back, uh, well not go back, go forward and do less. 'cause we can't go backwards. Let's go forward and do less. Right? Yeah. Learn
Speaker 1 00:47:39 How to ration the social media. Correct. Maybe that
Speaker 0 00:47:42 Limit their time, force them outside, get off the video games, or limit the video games, limit the social media. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, yeah. And then for, um, um, necessity as the mother of invention, let kids be bored and they will figure that shit out. So Yeah. Um, they will figure out social dynamics, blah, blah, blah, blah. And, um, the remnants of racism being, you know, part of that, like the best way to help kids not see color is you put them around everybody that's colored, black, white, uh, all, all the things. And then kids go, oh, this is not a big deal. And they grow up to be adults because kids believe what they see when they see gay folks, straight folks, white folks, black folks that are just doing their due. They go, oh, well that's totally normal. Well, yeah. So that's how you
Speaker 1 00:48:27 Fix it. There is a, there is a different Oh yeah. Different is relative. Yeah. Correct. And you're talking about majority minority. That's fine. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Uh, but yeah, it is, I think that's, that's the point of us sitting down too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> is to just say, look, there is a level of normalcy, no matter how controversial the conversation might be. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, we're just, we're just trying to learn more mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And hopefully people will open their eyes to, to realize, wow, this isn't, this isn't that bad. Yep. It's engaging. Even if you disagree, nobody's trying to get Well, you are, you're trying to convince me to come to your side. I know, but, and
Speaker 0 00:49:01 Give me money to give.
Speaker 1 00:49:02 Oh. But there's no sides. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:49:03 And
Speaker 1 00:49:04 You're right. I already owe you a crap ton of money. I already know that
Speaker 0 00:49:07 <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:49:08 Oh my gosh. Um, so as, as these things, um, that we talked about earlier, as they become politicized, and I know you've, again, I've looked into some politics mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but I feel like, um, it almost turns, uh, a normal person into an automatic no. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, when they're in a disagreement, how can we get around the politicization of a lot of these issues?
Speaker 0 00:49:35 Um, I, I go back to the percentage of white folks and black folks. And so when it comes to racism, when it comes to equal equalizing and equity and all that kind of stuff, as horrible as it sounds, this is a white person thing. Right. Y'all, y'all have to do it. I mean, black folks can try, but we're not the majority and we don't write policy and blah, blah, blah. So if I were encouraging my white brethren, my white sister and my white friends and family, um, uh, number one, step up, recognize your privilege, and then number two, just spend time around other folks. 'cause then you'll start to see the hiccups. So for example, um, I go to, you know, brainstorming sessions and round tables, and when I speak up and I go, Hey, this is my experience. And they look at me and they're like, but you're a doctor. And I go, yeah. And I still couldn't get a loan. And they go, oh, we need to fix that. You need to talk to so-and-so. And I'm like, okay, that's great. Now what you just did multiply that times five. Right. And go find five other black people and tell them that too. Right. Right. So
Speaker 1 00:50:34 Borrowing the bandaid isn't necessarily a long-term solution. Correct. Helps you,
Speaker 0 00:50:38 Correct. Correct. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 1 00:50:39 But you are also a unique story because of your circumstance. Correct. And
Speaker 0 00:50:43 Then I can't be everywhere once. Right. And so it'd be, it falls to the person that I encountered to then go and force multiplied, like, go to other round tables. And when you don't see any black people there, you go, Hey, where are the black people? And then when they go, oh, nobody R S V P, you go, okay, well next time you have this, you go out organizer and find more black people. Right? Yeah. Um, if you're on a board and there's no black people say, Hey, there's no black people, same thing with women. If there's no women say, Hey, we need women. 'cause Yeah. So that's how
Speaker 1 00:51:11 You need perspectives anyway. Yeah. If you're gonna get good business ideas out on the table, you need diversity. I agree. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>,
Speaker 0 00:51:17 I completely agree.
Speaker 1 00:51:18 And I also understand if you are the minority, where it's less of an attractive social thing for you too, you're like, I'm gonna exhausting in a room full of 20 white guys and I'm the black guy. Mm-hmm. Or I'm the, I'm the one woman, or I'm the whoever mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I understand how that could be a little less of an attractive endeavor. Yep. So those RSVPs probably won't come as quickly anyway. Correct. I, I do agree. An extra effort to say, Hey, we really do welcome, we're actually looking even more so towards your opinion, because all we are is a bunch of dudes here. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> of the St. Milk, and we need, we need some new ideas. Yeah. So mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, music. So we always touch on this subject because obviously the passion of mine, uhhuh, <affirmative>, and I think music affects everyone. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> in so many ways. You are a vocalist.
Speaker 0 00:52:07 Yeah. That's really funny that you phrase it that way. I say I sing, but Yeah. I, I guess technically that's a vocalist. Yeah,
Speaker 1 00:52:13 That is. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:52:14 But I'm not like, you, like you're a badass. I just, I just dibble and dabble.
Speaker 1 00:52:19 No, I, um, I think it's fabulous and, and I think it's, for me it is absolutely a mental respite. It's almost like, uh, you know, if you're stressed out and you go see a real inspiring movie mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you walk out and you're like, wow. I just, I burned two hours where I could just completely went somewhere else. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and it helped me to kind of refresh my mental state. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, is that something that you leverage ever in your
Speaker 0 00:52:43 Practice? Oh my gosh. Well, so in my practice ish. So I don't, I don't actively like, include music in, in the therapy or my treatment stuff. Um, I mean, if a kid says, oh, you know, I really like Taylor Swift or whatever, I'll be like, oh, that's great. I don't know any of her songs. 'cause I, I really don't, other than
Speaker 1 00:53:01 Come on man. You're the guy,
Speaker 0 00:53:02 You're
Speaker 1 00:53:03 The guy that doesn't know her.
Speaker 0 00:53:04 No, I know, I know Beyonce, but, uh, um, <laugh>. But, uh, so I don't, I don't actively incorporate it, but that, that is a thing. So music therapy is a thing. Um, for me personally though, like, I sing in a choir and I think choral music is like, it's like heavenly. It's like you connect on a whole different plane when you can make a sound that is on the same wavelength as other people, and you make chords and it's just, it's, it's magic. That's awesome. And so, yeah. And so, yeah, it, it, it helps to sing with people who don't look like you, um, with different backgrounds and blah, blah, blah. And it, you know, it's a, it's a universal language innocence, so For sure.
Speaker 1 00:53:41 Yeah. So it it's a multicultural experience on your choir, what
Speaker 0 00:53:47 You're saying? Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's, uh, so Turtle Creek Corral is the, uh, men's course over in Dallas. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, gay, straight, white, black, Indian, Latino, you name it. It's men of all backgrounds. I like Indian with women too. I just, I don't know of any choirs around here where, um, where I could do that. I'm sure there is, but, um, there's just, yeah, you get to go and rehearse and I like to perform, I guess. But the rehearsal to me is the most fun. 'cause you sit around and you're learning, you're taking something physical, like these little black notes on, um, staffs and you're, you're, you know, somebody thought that up and then you get to interpret it and it's so cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:54:22 And you're converting it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:54:25 I had, I had an experience in a small town, black Gospel Church too, when I was about, I don't know, probably 21. Were you singing about Jesus? Well, I was at the time. So I was, I, I was in a, I was in a band where, uh, you know, it was black and white mixed in a, in a five piece group mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and a lot of it was soul and gospel based stuff and mixed in with some rock and stuff. Uh, but I, we were all working on our vocals and we, we went to this, this singer's dad's church man. And I, and I showed up. I got some in interesting looks at first, but overall kind of welcoming. But I, I think I lost my voice for a month. Oh. Easily. Just standing next to no mics, no nothing, just standing in the little room in the, in the coral pews in the back and just trying to hear yourself amidst everybody else that's able to belt like that, man, what a lesson that was.
Speaker 1 00:55:21 Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and a, and a, and a cultural phenomenon for me too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I'll never forget, you know, the experience itself. And again, everybody's really into it too. So it gave me a new perspective on singing and approaching the singing and the inspiration behind the whole, the, the purpose behind what you're singing mm-hmm. <affirmative> and stuff like that. So I think it's great too, to, to mix in that kind of cultural thing mm-hmm. <affirmative> just to get a different perspective even musically. Yep. So what do you listen to when you try? I know it's not Taylor Swift, apparently. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:55:53 Do
Speaker 1 00:55:53 You listen to Beyonce?
Speaker 0 00:55:54 Oh, all the time. Like her Renaissance album. I'm still shocked that she did win, I think what album of the year? I think it went to Harry Styles, whoever that is. Yeah. Uh, do you know who Harry Styles is?
Speaker 1 00:56:04 I know who Harry Styles is and Beyonce, I know she's got what, 27 awards? Uh, she's got the record. I thought that was over 30
Speaker 0 00:56:11 For the most. Yeah, it's, it's, yeah. She has the most Grammys, so that's a small constellation, but she still, still should have one of Constellation, uh, album of the year. But yeah. So, um, even though I do not like, um, uh, a streaming service, uh, they're awfully convenient. So I still pay my money to these people. Yeah. Um, and, and I'm not gonna disparage them because, uh, I don't know where this is gonna end up, but anyway. Yeah. They, they
Speaker 1 00:56:33 Pay, they pay musician peanuts. Yeah. But the o the other option is nothing. Yeah. So I'd rather
Speaker 0 00:56:38 Just
Speaker 1 00:56:38 Eat peanuts than eat nothing Right. Than eat
Speaker 0 00:56:40 Nothing. I totally understand. It's a pretty perfect situation. And so, but yeah, I have a, a couple of playlists, most of them, um, uh, are, it's kind of r and b kind of Neos soul. Okay. So, you know, some Beyonce stuff. Um, Arona is one of my new favorites, and I don't even know everything about her, A A R A D H in a, but
Speaker 1 00:57:00 Is she like a, she a new artist?
Speaker 0 00:57:02 Um, uh, she's been around I think a few years, but she's Indian, but she sings like r and b. Hmm. And I'm like, what? Love it. And yeah. And so, uh, I like Leon Bridges. I like the way that he sings. Um, Abraham Alexander, I like the way that he sings. Um, and then kind of just some of the old throwback stuff, Stacey Orco, uh, uh, you know, I like the, uh, boy bands of the two thousands, you know, BB Mac and O Town and all those guys. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and then, um, and then kind of the what, seventies funkadelic, you know, the
Speaker 1 00:57:35 Parliament style stuff.
Speaker 0 00:57:37 Yeah. Yes. You know, rubber a man, man from the, the, oh, Springers, maybe I can't remember the spinners, you know, stuff like that. So, um, it's like
Speaker 1 00:57:45 Kind of
Speaker 0 00:57:46 Occasionally, occasionally if I'm really like pissed off and irritated, I will listen to Lincoln Park 'cause they do that screaming thing. Oh yeah. And I'm like, how do you do that? Like, that's amazing. But
Speaker 1 00:57:56 It's an emotional transfer, right? Yeah. It's almost like you don't have to scream, but you can relate. Yeah. I almost have like a separate, you know, thing when I'm exercising, if I'm listening to music, it's almost like you want to have something that's driving you like that. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, that wouldn't necessarily be something I would play when I'm just at rest and wanna listen to good music. Yeah. Not that it's not good music. <laugh>, it's all has its purpose.
Speaker 0 00:58:16 Right, right. It has its purpose. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 00:58:18 <affirmative>. So I, I dig that. And I, I, we have very similar tastes and stuff too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So I like, you know, the neo soul, you know, back into the nineties and all that stuff too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>,
Speaker 0 00:58:28 Like Erica Badu, I still is think, uh, she's a genius. Yeah. Same thing with Lauren Hill. I'm like, wow. Um, yeah. And Maxwell and all those guys, I, I love a man that can falsetto. Um, yeah. And, uh, oh my gosh. Uh, Aaron Neville.
Speaker 1 00:58:45 Oh, Aaron Neville.
Speaker 0 00:58:47 Yeah. Oh my God, I love, yeah. V I
Speaker 1 00:58:49 Haven't heard from him in a while. Is he still
Speaker 0 00:58:51 Pronounced that? I, I think he, I I hope he's still alive. Child man. <laugh> God. He is, he's magnifi he magnificent. Um, very
Speaker 1 00:58:59 Unique. Yes. Again, that's, I think there's something to be said about somebody that you hear and instantaneously know who it's Yep. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Whether you're an instrumentalist or a vocalist or whatever, there's something cool about that, which is why you say, not everyone's a prolific singer, but if they're recognizable and their style is really cool, then that can mean everything. This is
Speaker 0 00:59:18 Where I feel lucky to be alive at this point in the human experiment. Right. Because I got to learn Aaron Neville and hear Karen Carpenter and Linda Ronstadt and uh, as well as Beyonce. I mean, this is like the best of times. Yeah. Um, and to do it in a way that's accessible. 'cause it used to be we had, you know, CDs or what was that cassette tapes before that, right?
Speaker 1 00:59:40 Uh, yeah. I was buying eight tracks and record albums. Yeah. And you'd have to save up, so. Yep. I remember trying to listen for a song on rotation. Correct. And New York City had a W N B C or something. I'd listen and, and for my favorite song to come on, it'd be, I'd have to wait an hour Yep. For to come through rotation because I didn't have enough money to go buy the record. <laugh> crazy how far we've gone. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 0 01:00:01 <affirmative>. Yeah. Or you would buy, uh, I remember having a, we called it a jambox, but a boombox. Yeah. And uh, uh, if you didn't have the cord, you would have to put batteries in it. Remember DS size batteries that you have to go buy like 12 of them <laugh>. Yes.
Speaker 1 01:00:13 Yeah. Just, and you used the batteries. They go in like three hours are done and you just went and spent all kinds of money
Speaker 0 01:00:19 And now you can't even find a D battery. I don't even know that they make 'em anymore. Right.
Speaker 1 01:00:22 Oh, I'm sure they do. Yeah. <laugh>, I'm sure they do. Think of some, I got some retro stuff back there. I probably need something. Yeah. <laugh>. Anyway. Well, what are you working on these days? Anything new that you got going that you wanna Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:00:34 Um, so my latest thing, um, I'm still doing, seeing patients still working on practice management stuff. In the next week I should, I'm gonna launch my new website for the lounge that I am building.
Speaker 1 01:00:48 Interesting. Yeah. So a place to chill. Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:00:50 So the idea is that it is a, um, a music lounge members only that. Okay.
Speaker 1 01:00:58 Am I excluded?
Speaker 0 01:00:59 No, no, no, no. Anybody Sure. It is just membership driven, so it won't be, Hey, I'm, you know, I'm bored and I wanna just drop in. You have to actually like be a member. You pay a membership. Okay. Uh, because that's the only way to make it financially sustainable. Um, but the, one of the taglines is, um, comfort a drink, uh, and be be home in bed by 10. Right. So come have a good time with like-minded folks. Listen to really good music, um, and then go home. Yeah. Yeah. This is not designed for, you know, bachelorette parties and screaming and puking on the floor and being a hot mess
Speaker 1 01:01:30 For mature folks that still like to go have mature, reasonable fun. Correct.
Speaker 0 01:01:36 So our target audience is like 35 to 65 kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 01:01:41 I'm all over it. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I fit in there. Oh yeah.
Speaker 0 01:01:43 Well, everybody's like, oh my gosh. Uh, 'cause one of my, one of my pet peeves that pisses me off every bar that I go to, um, is I hate flagging down the bartender. It makes me feel like I am like this weirdo, creepy person. Right. And they don't make eye contact and you don't know who's next. And I was like, screw this shit. So I'm gonna design it where it's a cashless bar and, um, all of that information will be uploaded in your profile so you can order before you even get there. And you walk into your drink,
Speaker 1 01:02:12 Dude, when is it happening?
Speaker 0 01:02:15 Yeah. So I have the concept, I have the name, I have a location in mind. Um, I'll be putting together like an investor stack and all those things in time. Uh, so I'll let you know. Um, but the goal will be, um, hopefully, you know, we'll start doing a series of, um, events for it, uh, maybe later this year. Awesome. And build the physical building, um, uh, in, in the coming years. So
Speaker 1 01:02:39 Yeah, send me a deck too when you get the deck put together. Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:02:42 Well, because again, you know, all the white folks with money and I need some white folks with money, so
Speaker 1 01:02:46 There you go. Again, I never ask em for it. <laugh>. Maybe I can just say I know somebody that will need it. I know I need it too, but I don't know how to ask for it. But it's easier for me to ask for you than it is for me.
Speaker 0 01:02:53 And, and that is true. And so, yeah. So I'll hook you up, but yeah, it'll be here in Fort Worth and we're gonna, uh, pioneer a new, uh, nightlife experience instead of the old stuff. Absolutely. Uh, absolutely. Covid Covid taught me a lot, which is, um, old stuff is boring. Let's do some new stuff without ai.
Speaker 1 01:03:08 Right? Yeah. <laugh> that. Well, other than the fact that I can order my drink ahead of time and it's already there, that would be ai.
Speaker 0 01:03:14 I don't think that's ai That's
Speaker 1 01:03:15 You going on? No. Yeah, <laugh>, come on now. It's all that every time
Speaker 0 01:03:20 You pick up that phone. Alright. AI's not so terrible, dad. Okay, fine. Thanks to you
Speaker 1 01:03:23 <laugh>. I'm scared too. Yeah. Thanks for being here, man. I really appreciate. Thanks having you burning time to come chat and I always learn a ton from you, so Yeah,
Speaker 0 01:03:31 It's my pleasure time. I look forward to, to further conversations.
Speaker 1 01:03:34 Yeah. We'll do it again. Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:03:36 Alright brother. Thanks.
Speaker 3 01:03:40 What you gonna do? Do what you gonna do. Success around sand. Second grade rules a covenant to make you do, do what they want,
Speaker 2 01:03:55 What they want.
Speaker 3 01:04:00 A diploma is the one to see you through. And don't let those biggest take you game and just let them loose in the front
Speaker 2 01:04:10 Seat, baby.
Speaker 3 01:04:12 Ain that sweet. Take a little honey from the money. Be but don't pay
Speaker 2 01:04:17 The pool.
Speaker 3 01:04:21 A political magical promotion, a missing beast. At the end of the game, a soul rolls. See the truth of soul motion. I never.
