Guardians of Growth: Policing, Parenting, and Purpose

As a Navy veteran and Houston police officer, Matthew's life is a tapestry of service and sacrifice, intertwined with the unwavering love for his daughter and community. Across the table, we have Donald, whose athletic prowess is now channeled into fueling young dreams with his Developmental League. Together, we navigate their stories of triumph and trial, illustrating the profound impact of mentorship, family values, and the quest for balance in a life dedicated to others.

The Birdwell Foundation
https://www.birdwellfoundation.org

Battle Bud Project
http://Battlebudproject.com

Silent Screams: Part Two Poems from The Front Line
https://a.co/d/aYvHyPH

Unmasking The Warrior
https://a.co/d/gROm7ff

Silent Scream: Part One
https://a.co/d/bBKe7eu

Battle Bud Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/4wF4xy32OCDsprnurK1LfG?si=lD2g7832QDqg-rXbzu2W7A

Dr. Motivate
https://www.facebook.com/share/ynQCZfaBENnK8bkz/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

DBD Leagues
https://www.DBDLEAGUES.COM

Iowa Colony Junior Pioneers Youth Football
https://www.facebook.com/share/Jgn9jPUNRBHvLHAJ/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Donald Brown Developmental League
https://www.facebook.com/share/1TFLcpPKR8Fvoohv/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

101 Days Of Inspiration
https://a.co/d/dtLl3Zi

Run To Recovery 5K
https://www.facebook.com/share/iJd51DneHmdxsGiu/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Email Contact For Donald Brown
DrMotivateLLC@gmail.com

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

This is Charlie Mike the podcast Veterans helping veterans. Talking about things happening in the veteran community, Things we've experienced and overcome, such as addictions, PTSD, depression, legal trouble, and we also promote veteran-owned businesses. If you're talking about it, we're talking about it. This is Charlie Mike the podcast.

Speaker 2: 0:36

Yo, what's going on everybody? Welcome back to another episode of Charlie Mike the podcast. As always, I'm your host, Raul man man. Today I got two special guests in the house. All of you know my good friend matthew from shit. What does he not do? Yeah, he's a navy veteran, houston police officer author, uh, executive director, and a foundation you're. You have your own non-profit yes, sir and you do a, you do a podcast. Yes, sir man you got a little bit of everything man.

Speaker 3: 1:09

Trying to man, Trying to hit all angles, man. How's everything been what you been doing, man, man it's been great, yeah, yeah, man Spending a lot of time with the princess, my daughter.

Speaker 2: 1:18

I saw you, man. I saw you at the. Where'd I see you? At the rodeo right?

Speaker 3: 1:21

yeah I was like seeing your stuff with your daughters man, oh yeah, man we're crazy I like that father daughter bond. He's my boy, donald. He has the same thing with his.

Speaker 2: 1:29

Yeah, yeah, man, I brought them in here, like maybe two weeks ago oh yeah because we wanted to do a podcast. Just like, you know, just shoot the shit just to to. You know, my daughters and myself we recorded for two hours, man just talking, just talking, and it came out good, I'm not gonna release the whole thing because, you know, we talked a lot of personal stuff so yeah yeah, I was like I'm just gonna get different reels and just release it that's awesome that you're exposing your baby girls to you.

Speaker 4: 1:56

Know what you do, yeah man, they love it.

Speaker 2: 1:58

Man, any chance they get, they come here, put these headphones on.

Speaker 3: 2:01

Yeah, for sure, yeah yeah, but before we jump into that man, let me introduce my boy, donald brown. We went to school together, kind of pretty much grew up together. He's a beast on the football field back in the day, beast in the weight room, you know he had a hard upbringing, you know, so he knows how it is to to grind it out. You know he had a lot of personal issues, you know, back in the day. And so now he's dedicating his life to helping underprivileged children be able to play sports. He raises funds to get them uniforms and they have their own football tournaments. And I think you're getting into cheerleading and all that stuff too, right? Oh yeah, go ahead, talk about it.

Speaker 4: 2:37

So you know, I've dedicated my life to you know, helping families underprivileged.

Speaker 4: 2:43

You know, I grew up in Alvin, texas, and I was one of those underprivileged kiddos and now I have an opportunity to give back to the community and I have a football program, cheer and dance program. I have singular programs that I'm pushing through, the Donald Brown Developmental League, which is now a nonprofit 501c3. And just excited I haveD in educational leadership and really I'm just excited about uplifting the community. You know, anything we can do to make a difference in the lives of those who matter most, what got you into that man? So what really?

Speaker 4: 3:21

You know, when I go back and I think about my journey into education, I remember going to the University of Arkansas and the counselor asked me what would you like to do? And I said to her I'd like to do what my coach did, coach Bass and at that moment she told me that OK, well, we're going to put you in kinesiology. Okay, well, we're going to put you in kinesiology. And so that started my pursuit into education through kinesiology. But really what brought me to it was the impact that the coaches had in my life.

Speaker 4: 3:54

You know, I grew up single parent home. My father was in prison for a while and it was those coaches you know who were my dad and now I'm really blessed to be able to for lack of better words, father other kids. Yeah, be, a father to those who you know who are fatherless. So you know, in education, yeah, I'm just no, that's amazing man, especially helping the youth.

Speaker 2: 4:22

I hats off to you. I know it's, uh, you know what.

Speaker 4: 4:27

So you're born and raised in alvin yeah, born and raised in alvin, you know what he's.

Speaker 4: 4:31

I moved to alvin during my third grade year oh, that's born, I still pretty much born and raised, you know my mom asked me hey, we're thinking about moving this place called alvin and and I was like, does it have any horses? Next thing, you know I was here in Alvin but you know I have so much to just to thank Alvin for the public education system. I was a kid that was early on in life struggled in education. You know, due to some of the movement and you know, through the struggle came something greater. I was in special education early on and fortunately Alvin ISD had some great programs that helped me to overcome the educational deficits that I was facing.

Speaker 4: 5:13

So I took the ACT 10 times, the SAT 10 times before I was able to gain admittance into college. I was able to gain admittance into college. So for that kid that is struggling, I have a story to connect with them, to help them build confidence and just believe that you can you know, any, anyone can become more, but you just have to believe it.

Speaker 2: 5:38

You know you gotta plant those seeds. Yeah, that's dope, especially being able to relate to the youth saying that I've been there. Yeah, that's dope, especially being able to relate to the youth saying that I've been there, I've done that.

Speaker 4: 5:55

Look at me now. You know what I mean, and that's an amazing thing to accomplish my kid to become a better student. Hey, there's all types of programs out there. There's, you know, lots of resources and hey, you can reach out to me or Matt.

Speaker 3: 6:14

Yeah, you know we can help get it done. Let them know your handle's on social.

Speaker 4: 6:18

Okay, yeah, you can follow me on social at DrMotivate. I do leadership development in the summer, leadership workshop programs for kids in the summer. You can also follow me by typing in wwwdbdleaguescom, and on that page you'll see all of my youth programs. So I have volleyball, I have basketball, I have football. Track will be opening up in 2025. Nice, I'm getting ready to go all in. I mean, um, I'm literally getting ready to go all in. This will be my last year finishing out an educational contract and now I'm getting ready to go into business for myself full-time how long has the non-profit?

Speaker 4: 7:02

So I've had the nonprofit for 20 years. So no shit. The first nonprofit, believe Incorporated Inc. You know it was started back in December of 2003. And here recently I've started the Donald Brown Developmental League so that people can understand. You know what the nonprofit stands for and you know how everything works. I started Dr Motivate LLC.

Speaker 3: 7:28

As you know, I'm a major sponsor to the programs, to the nonprofits that I'm working with, so yeah, and just to clarify something I know this is, you know you mainly have, you know military and stuff. He's not military. Something I know this is you know you mainly have you know military and stuff. He's not military. But the reason why I felt the need to because there's other people that I grew up with that have their own thing going right the main reason why I felt the need to connect with him and partner with him and I actually he can't, he can't get rid of me, right? So uh, yeah, we have a lot of talks, man, but but yeah, the main reason why man is because, like, I see, like where his heart is. You know what I mean.

Speaker 3: 8:08

So, like this is genuine, yeah you know what I mean so that's rare to find, you know that's amazing because I mean, I'm all about helping, right, yeah, but what it boils down to is he's helping children in the community and there's a lot of veterans out there that have kids, right right, and they have kids low income, you know, living off the VA benefits that can really benefit from this yeah, you know, so for what he's?

Speaker 2: 8:33

doing that can in turn help our veteran community a lot, so I'm all about that no, I definitely been changing it up a little bit, man, and not having so much just focusing on the veteran aspect. I've been bringing in more people that I see that are doing good in the community. Man, and that's dope. You know you can't give them enough praise. You can't give yourself, you know, because, man, it could be, it could be shit. You could be the exact opposite. You know what I mean. I know exactly what you mean. Yeah, or I mean you could be the.

Speaker 3: 9:01

You know those. I mean, you could be those nonprofits that say they're helping out the community and they pocket the money. You don't ever see any difference, you don't see any changes, you don't see any programs, you don't see nothing. But with him, he's open, with it on Facebook, on Instagram, all that stuff, and you can actually log on to his stuff and see everything they're doing. And another good thing that I think that he does is he shines a light on the individual players or athletes when they're young, right.

Speaker 2: 9:28

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 9:29

And that in turn, will help them get scholarships later in life, because these colleges nowadays they look at their past.

Speaker 2: 9:35

Right, right right.

Speaker 3: 9:37

And from just pulling up their name, you know that video might pop up and that school might be like oh well, he started young. You know so, yeah, yeah, man, that's truly pop up and that school might be like oh well, he started young.

Speaker 2: 9:44

Yeah, you know so, yeah, yeah, man, that's truly true. I don't have words. And it's not often that I'm speechless, bro, yeah, but you know like and the thing is like, I've never I haven't.

Speaker 3: 9:57

I might be wrong, but you know I've never seen that before whenever they shine the line on the athlete individually right and he interviews each athlete as they're coming up.

Speaker 2: 10:08

I see, and you know, that's awesome, that's awesome, you know, because a lot of people are different, man. They're different. By when I say that, I mean like, if it's not about them, they don't want to be involved. So to be able to make it something about somebody else is dope, and that's what you know, a lot of us try to do, especially as veterans and first responders and leaders in the community that are out there doing it.

Speaker 4: 10:32

Man and shit you know kids need that opportunity for exposure and to be able to work on those soft skills.

Speaker 4: 10:47

soft skills and you know what better opportunity than to interview a kid that's showcasing his talent and helping him to build him or her to build that confidence that they need to become the best version of themselves. So I really enjoy putting the spotlight on our student athletes, as well as our families, and we really are doing a great work. Last football season we gave out over $8,000 in scholarships to kiddos that are on free or reduced lunch, families who truly have a need. So you know, I'm vested in the community. They're our future. Those kids are the future. Those are the kids, are the ones who are going to be taking care of us, who are going to be running the programs that we're currently have been charged with. So exposure is a huge piece of what's needed. You think about it. Some underprivileged kids don't travel more than one to two miles outside of where they live, miles outside of where they live. So when I'm able to get a kid who's on free or reduced lunch or who is low socioeconomic and put them in my program, we're traveling.

Speaker 3: 11:52

Oh yeah.

Speaker 4: 11:52

Now they're getting a chance to do something that they may not get to do often and we have a village family mentality. I mean we're helping each other out. It takes a village man.

Speaker 3: 12:03

It takes a village Through a struggle becomes something greater, right?

Speaker 3: 12:06

oh yeah, oh yeah, that's what's up man yeah and so like, with our event this weekend it's on saturday, it's a hometown heroes event. Um, he has a 5k that we've been doing now for this. This will be our third year. This will be our third year. We had to skip last year. I had to take some time off personal time off for family, but we're kicking it back up this year and, yeah, so his 5K, all proceeds that he makes from the 5K will go towards his foundation. We won't take any of that at all. That's his own thing and I definitely want to give him that platform for however many years he wants to stick with me. You know that kind of thing, raffles and stuff like that. Like I want to eventually do it to where, especially at the event, you know, we can split some raffles. That way he can take home some profit for his kids too. So, yeah, man, it's going to be a good day. Man, it's supposed to be clear skies Saturday, hopefully.

Speaker 2: 13:02

Yeah, it's raining right now, man, but you know, yeah, I just noticed that I didn't even.

Speaker 3: 13:13

I see everybody talking about some eclipse. Yeah right, I was like, okay, yeah, so so yeah, the event is a saturday man and it's family friendly. No alcohol will be served there. There will, there might be some alcohol, like involved in the raffles type thing, but no, no consumption at the event what's the event?

Speaker 2: 13:26

tell me what the event is. What's the purpose of it, what's the mission yeah, for sure.

Speaker 3: 13:31

I mean the mission's always, you know, combating the suicide rate, right right so among veterans and first responders and the community all together.

Speaker 3: 13:38

so my the birdwall foundation. I'm the executive director for them. We specialize in specialize in PTSD among veterans and first responders. We have a hotline. If you go to birdwellfoundationorg, we have a hotline, 24-7 crisis line. There will always be somebody on the other end of that phone call to walk you through, calm you down, see what the issues are. If you have an addiction, we'll get you help. If you need a facility, a 30-day facility, 60-day facility we'll find it for you.

Speaker 3: 14:11

You know we've had it to where we've first responders, it's really hard for them to reach out because they have that mentality of the stigma, you know. So we have to be very careful with that and luckily there's some laws that came out to where it protects them now and they're able to take off, work and get the help that they need and not skip a beat when they come back right, so they can get off, they can recover at a facility, come back and jump right back into, you know, serving the community. So we're taking full advantage of that, as you should yeah, man so and then the main thing is is like spoken word, written word.

Speaker 3: 14:50

It's going to eliminate that stigma. The more knowledge is out that's out there about the symptoms, red flags to look at right you know and and um. Awareness saves lives, bro.

Speaker 2: 15:00

Yeah, man 100 because of you, I was able to be involved in a documentary. You introduced me to joe and oh, how'd that go? Man and being able to sit back and listen to to. Well, I had to piece all of it together. So sitting back and listen to like 20, 25 stories, like at one point I had to stop and I I could feel myself heavy. Yeah, it's a lot. I felt it in like depression in my own shit I haven't heard it.

Speaker 2: 15:28

Man, oh man so I had to stop. But we finished it and I've heard stories from police officers, veterans, nurses, doctors and man. It was deep as deep he did.

Speaker 3: 15:38

He's good at that he is really good at interviewing. Yeah, man, he definitely, he definitely is. Yeah, he did awesome. Yeah, I think I have to like redo mine.

Speaker 2: 15:47

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 15:48

I don't know.

Speaker 2: 15:49

I think he's going to put you on a second season.

Speaker 3: 15:50

Okay yeah, because something happened with the audio or something.

Speaker 2: 15:53

Well, there was a lot of audio issues. Oh man, yeah. That was actually a good one too. Yeah, it took a lot longer than I wanted to, but being able to piece, oh man, it was a pain in the ass.

Speaker 3: 16:05

Nice, it was cool. I bet yeah, yeah, yeah, because I guess the guy that he had before he said he knew what he was doing, but in reality he really didn't. Oh, yeah, yeah he did.

Speaker 4: 16:15

He was like no, we've never met anybody like that before, right no right, he lied on the resume, Bro.

Speaker 3: 16:22

I was like, did he even turn the microphones on? Man?

Speaker 2: 16:24

It got pretty sketchy.

Speaker 3: 16:26

Yeah, man.

Speaker 2: 16:27

Yeah, but I was able to save a lot of it too.

Speaker 3: 16:30

But like stuff like that opens the public's eyes bro. Oh yeah, especially like my podcast, the Battle Bud podcast. When I interview trauma victims, I interview everybody, like military first responders, regular civilians, and the point of the whole thing is anybody can get it right right anybody can get ptsd. Anybody can go through a traumatic event. Anybody can suffer from these symptoms right now. The angle of which you help people are different, but it's all the same traumatic events right.

Speaker 2: 17:04

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 17:06

Severity differs a little bit, but all in all it's the same thing and the symptoms are either very high, with some, or very low. One may have a high anxiety, the other one may have severe depression.

Speaker 3: 17:19

Some of them might not even know they have it, bro, I didn't know I had PTSD for the first four years and I was drinking myself to sleep man. I didn't know I had PTSD for the first four years. Yeah, and I was drinking myself to sleep man, like I literally would drink myself to pass out and I'd get in fights for no reason, I just my temper was horrible. Yeah, it was weird, man.

Speaker 2: 17:38

I understand.

Speaker 3: 17:42

But and that's another reason why I wrote I started writing my books Because I mean, if I could save one life from my story, you know I'd do my job.

Speaker 2: 17:46

So let's talk a little bit about your books. I know about Silent Screams, the original one, the part one man, so you just dropped two books back to back.

Speaker 3: 17:55

Oh yeah, one's a journal and then the other one is a poem book. So Silent Screams is my first one. That's my first one. That's my first one. It's on Amazon.

Speaker 2: 18:04

This one right here man.

Speaker 3: 18:05

I poured my freaking heart into that. There's a lot of stories that I couldn't put in there because I'm still a police officer, but when I retire I'll make another one with other stories.

Speaker 2: 18:16

So once you retire, that cap is no longer out there, you can share whatever you want.

Speaker 3: 18:21

Yeah, I'll be able to share whatever I want. That's what's up Right now. I just gotta keep my job bro.

Speaker 2: 18:25

You know who cracks me up though man. I'm not gonna lie. I follow the Houston.

Speaker 3: 18:34

Police Officers Union, gamaldi Bro he cracks me up with them.

Speaker 2: 18:38

comments, man, they always got me laughing my ass off.

Speaker 3: 18:42

Yeah, so now the president is Doug Griffith. Yeah, he's awesome too, but yeah, joe's awesome, he's actually the fraternal police order. Oh, yeah, yeah, he's good with it, middleman, he's good with the camera.

Speaker 2: 18:54

Yeah, yeah, so tell us more what you got there.

Speaker 3: 18:57

Yeah, man. So the one that just came out is Silent Screams, part 2, poems from the Frontline and, believe it or not, I created the freaking images and everything on AI.

Speaker 2: 19:09

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 19:10

I just learned how to do that. Man and man. They came out so good.

Speaker 2: 19:13

That's what's up.

Speaker 3: 19:14

Yeah, so that saves a ton of money. But, yeah, I created some poems in there and some of them are geared towards first responders, Some are military and I have one poem in there directly representing the Birdwell Foundation and people who like poems. You know that's a good deal for them. This one right here is a journal and it's a free writing journal. It's a Unmasking the Warrior, a journal for military and first responders, and all these are on Amazon if you want to get them on Amazon.

Speaker 2: 19:44

And if you're watching this or listening to it, you're going to see the links below.

Speaker 3: 19:48

Yeah, for sure. And, yeah, man, so with that journaling saved my life, bro, and I have another journal that I'm going to release, probably in a few more months, but this one's a free writing journal, so this one will help you keep track of your recovery while you're seeking help through peer support and then through a regular therapist. This will help you determine, like, if your symptoms are getting better or worse, and where you got to adjust, what you got to tell your therapist. Hey, you know, I was doing really good controlling my, my, my, sleep, right, and now, all of a sudden you know it's starting to get out of whack again. Yes, wake up swinging, wake up sweating, wake up crying. Sometimes I don't know what the hell's going on. You know, and I wasn't doing that, you know, last month, or right two weeks ago, right. So that helps your therapist and whoever you're talking to for peer support, your battle bud kind of revamp your, your therapy.

Speaker 2: 20:54

Yeah, in a different path. I like that man. Y'all be sure to check out the books unmask the warrior and silent screams, part two. And if y'all haven't heard his song, silent screams, be sure to check that out too. And oh yeah, yeah, soldier Hard, man, soldier Hard, he's a beast.

Speaker 3: 21:07

You know what? Actually, if you go on my podcast on Spotify, I made its own episode. It's called Silent Screams.

Speaker 1: 21:15

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 21:16

I think it's just called Silent Screams, but it's Soldier Hard. He's a well-known artist and he picked it up and ran with a man and he made it over the book and it's it's pretty darn good it is, I like it, I jam it.

Speaker 3: 21:30

Yeah, I jam it man I noticed you've been doing a lot of raffles lately bro, what you got right here said yeah, so we got a raffle. Actually we got two raffles and the winner will be announced at the event on Saturday. So one raffle is the Yeti cooler and it comes with a Battle Bud hat that's my other nonprofit and then it also comes with one of each of my books and then the two cups, the matching cups, and this is a new color that came out from the Yeti, so this is a new thing. It's going to be $10 for one ticket, for three tickets $20, and for 10 tickets, 50.

Speaker 3: 22:07

If y'all want tickets, contact raul or myself and he'll have my contact information on there, yeah and just hit me up and I'll fill out y'all's uh, y'all's tickets and everything for y'all, and I take payment in venmo and you know that kind deal. But our other raffle is I just got this today the shotgun. Hold it up, bro.

Speaker 2: 22:30

I don't know how to handle guns.

Speaker 3: 22:31

I know bro, I'm scared.

Speaker 4: 22:33

It's been a while right.

Speaker 3: 22:36

So this shotgun right here, I'm going to keep the tickets the same as that, so it's the same thing $10 for what I say, three for 20 and then 10 for 50, and that's that shotgun is mr birdwells. He's the founder of the birdwell foundation and he just he gave it to us to do a raffle off of, and all the proceeds from this goes towards. I gotta pay the. There's an exotic zoo that's gonna be at the. I thought you were going somewhere else with it, bro.

Speaker 2: 23:02

You said exotic and I was like oh, it's that army.

Speaker 3: 23:06

Yeah, that's the whole exotic zoo, and then we're going to have a live auction at 3 o'clock at the event, and there's going to be some badass stuff for the auction.

Speaker 3: 23:17

Yeah, oh yeah. I'm picking up everything on Friday and then on top of that, everybody that's there as a vendor is going to donate. They're going to donate one item per vendor and then we're going to make a different baskets and stuff to auction those off too, yeah, and so it's going to pay off the bidder, the guy who's doing the bidding and then also the DJ. So we got to pay those three oh axe throwing. So there's three oh axe throwing, so there's going to be an axe throwing. I didn't even know there was a business.

Speaker 2: 23:51

They're popular now.

Speaker 3: 23:52

Yeah, it's its own company, and I guess they redid a trailer, a big trailer. Oh shit, I didn't know. Yeah, it's a mobile axe throwing.

Speaker 2: 24:00

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 24:01

And so I got to pay for that too. But yeah, that's where these funds are going to go. And just to you know, wash it yeah.

Speaker 2: 24:07

Man. That's what's up, man, and that's going to be Saturday. We're at yeah what time.

Speaker 3: 24:13

Yeah, so it's going 11 to 7 pm. So the Exotic Zoo will be from 5 to 7. And the axe throwing will be from 3 pm to 7 pm. But we'll have over 60 vendors there for shopping. We'll have different raffles there, we'll have a DJ, we'll have two live singers Shane Barron He'll be out there singing. But yeah, it'll be a good thing. We're going to have bounce houses for the kids. Houston Bounce it's a company out of Houston that 100% free two bounce houses and a dunking booth and we can make money on the dunking booth. So we're going to do $5 for three balls for the dunking booth and on top of that, I believe the Hooters from Galveston, the girls, are going to go out there and be in the Duncan booth.

Speaker 2: 25:04

Yeah, man, how about you, you getting?

Speaker 3: 25:07

in there, no man, I'll be running around.

Speaker 2: 25:11

Because, I'll pay for that.

Speaker 3: 25:14

No, I'd rather the pretty girls get in there. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. But speaking of Hooters, my good friend Anna Rodriguez, she's a GM over there and they had a car wash for us to raise funds and we raised about three almost $400 selling tickets for another raffle that we were doing. It was actually like an orange cooler, it was smaller than that, but yeah, that one like four-hour period. We raised a little under $400 just in ticket sales. So that's awesome man.

Speaker 2: 25:44

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 25:46

And it was a slow day because we did it Easter weekend.

Speaker 2: 25:49

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 25:50

And I was thinking I was like man, it's going to be a good busy day because everybody's off. Yeah, they're willing to do another one, another weekend for us, so we're going to have to get that up and going, yeah that's what's up, man?

Speaker 2: 26:03

I definitely. I saw it. I wanted to go out, but I was doing the family thing. Oh yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 26:08

And then this weekend.

Speaker 2: 26:09

I'm going to miss it, man. I want to be there with you, but I got dad volleyball thing to do bro, family first man. Give me a success story that you've seen, that you've witnessed with your own eyes through your programs. Well, I'll tell you, you don't have to do no names. Okay, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4: 26:33

We've had, you know, single moms that have been in our program, who have had children I won't identify male or female that were struggling in school, not doing well and after about two, three weeks in our program, behaviors improved.

Speaker 4: 26:52

You know you have the coach there, male or female, that are there to support and help guide. And the biggest success story I can think of was I want to think of a nickname for this kid. I can see him right now but he was getting in trouble every week in the principal's office in trouble and we had some coaches that helped him to see the light.

Speaker 4: 27:24

That's good, and so he went from being in trouble to being one of those kids that was called on often to, you know, to do things. I mean, the grandmother was just head over heels excited about the program and all of the progress that her grandson had made.

Speaker 3: 27:36

You know.

Speaker 4: 27:36

So I think about that success story and I mean there are many others. So I think about that success story and I mean there are many others. You know, sports can bring about confidence in a different way when you have the right coaches, when you have the right leaders out there modeling. You know they're seeing our social skills, how we interact with each other. So I really believe that one of the biggest success stories would be that kid and I wish I could say his name.

Speaker 2: 28:03

No.

Speaker 4: 28:05

He's a real cowboy. That's what's up, man. That's amazing.

Speaker 2: 28:09

That's awesome to hear man, because sports can do amazing things and I witnessed it in the little leagues and things like that, but, like you said, with the right leaders because I've seen it go both ways ways and you have to know that fine line you have to know and oh yeah, and some of the things that we do.

Speaker 4: 28:28

You know, we don't believe in cursing the kid out. We believe in talking to them, teaching them and we build them up. You know, and those push-ups, believe it or not, bring about confidence oh yeah, and then when they come and strike you and they do something well, we celebrate in the moment. But we're also real. We give them real feedback about how they're doing and we talk about the training that we do.

Speaker 3: 28:51

We can only be as good as we train, oh yeah, man thank you, I just Not only that, like, it gives them structure if they don't have structure at home. Right right right, you know, if they don't have a father figure at home. It gives them a lot of structure, man, and it forms their path in a way that you know not being in organized sports could do. You know, so, like for me, it helped me like realize, like, how to get along with people.

Speaker 2: 29:18

Yeah, you know Well, you can build friendships and partnerships how to get along with people. You know you can build friendships and partnerships.

Speaker 4: 29:26

Well, I mean you build a bond through competition for sure. You know you're going to war with. You know every game is. You know a war.

Speaker 3: 29:29

You know what I mean. So you're relying on your partner to help you out and to play for the you know the best that he can play, you know. So, like when I went to the military, it was crazy Cause you can tell, like, who was in organized sports and who wasn't, because the people that weren't were kind of like socially awkward, you know, and the people that were were like super open and, like you know, willing to work with you.

Speaker 2: 29:50

Know, let's get it yeah, teamwork, teamwork, yeah, yeah yeah, like what's your strengths?

Speaker 3: 29:54

well, mine's this, this, this, you know. So I mean that's yeah, that's awesome yeah, man, that's, that's that's.

Speaker 2: 30:01

It's amazing to hear man Like I say man, my hat's off to you because you know working with children is a difficult task and you know I've seen coaches belittle, degrade and scream and there's a couple of times where I'm like man, if that was my daughter. You know we fight, but you know.

Speaker 4: 30:24

Hey, look, it starts at the top, and you know what I'll say is, as I'm modeling and teaching through my interactions and showing love to others while they're out there with us, others are soaking that up too. You know how I treat Matt as a coach and how he treats others. We have a standard is what I'm trying to get to, and our standard is family first. We're going to love on them. You know, we tell the moms and we tell you, know, our parents, that we're going to be tough, we're going to be physical and we're going to do it the right way, with character, and we will be disciplined, because discipline, we all know it, equals freedom.

Speaker 4: 31:06

You can do so much more when your child is disciplined and, if they need that, send them to us, right, right right and on the motivational aspect, is it a motivational speaker? Yeah, so Dr Motivate, Bro he's been like this since man.

Speaker 3: 31:22

Yeah, so Dr Motivate, bro, he's been like this since man look, oh you done, struck a nerve.

Speaker 2: 31:25

Now Teach me, man, teach me.

Speaker 4: 31:27

Look, what is it that you cannot do? I mean, I want you to look in the mirror right now and tell yourself that, yes, I can, and not only can you will. You see, the other day, when you were walking out, you didn't know that you were going to connect with somebody that was going to uplift you and let you know that there is nothing that you can't do. If you can see it, you can become it. I'm Dr Motivate. You will become the best that you've ever been. Just give it a moment to sink in. Not every question that is asked is meant to have an answer. Sometimes you can just sit back, wait, relax and then you come back with deep ferocity.

Speaker 1: 32:14

No, I'm just joking, Shit bro, hey man.

Speaker 2: 32:18

Look.

Speaker 4: 32:18

I'm all over here, nervous and stuff.

Speaker 3: 32:20

I'm on the pod, I'm like but look, man, imagine a little kid hearing that though we can go. That's what's up, man, he's getting hype.

Speaker 4: 32:25

Hey.

Speaker 3: 32:26

I mean man, this is our world.

Speaker 4: 32:28

And if we're not interjecting us into it. You know people are talking about what are you doing to make a difference? Right, they're saying all these different things, and then you see a lot of people not doing it. They complain about stuff, but then you have Matt out here who is making an incredible impact in our community. Better yet the world, like saving lives. I watch him. He doesn't know. Well, maybe he does know. Man, I love the example that you provide day in, day out. I mean, he is a grinder. I'm talking about a nail grinder.

Speaker 3: 33:04

He gets it done. No, I'm like, when does he sleep?

Speaker 4: 33:06

Because I could text him 1 am in the morning, you know right back. You know, but I just where I was going with that. You know your inner circle, you know you got to be able to lean on it and I'm glad that I have matt in my inner circle because I'm always strong. When I'm weak, I can lean on my brother yeah, he's a good dude man.

Speaker 2: 33:29

I really like him. We we met a few years ago and we've clicked man, so it's been an honor to learn about him and his stories, his struggles, his triumphs, yeah, you know, and and watching him I don't want to say develop, but watching your daughter get older and seeing you be that father is dope. Every time I see pictures, every time I see y'all somewhere, that shit gets me because that that's, that's what we need, man. You know what I mean oh, yeah, yeah, I mean excuse me my bad

Speaker 1: 34:07

I take a lot of pride in that man yeah you should um uh so it's a great example, man.

Speaker 2: 34:12

It's a great example and I, I see it and we only get one chance at it yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 34:16

We only get one chance at raising our kids and it's up to us to make that, that bond, strong, you know. So you either make it strong or or you you don't and you're gonna suffer later for that, and I've seen it happen plenty of times. Yeah so, and then the regret comes in. You know shit, I worked too damn much, I didn't spend enough time with her man.

Speaker 1: 34:36

My, my shit revolves around her, bro I know, when I get her I don't work. You know, I don't work at all. I might take when I get her.

Speaker 3: 34:41

I don't work. I don't work at all. I might take phone calls and stuff, but I don't work. I do double shifts. I just did a double shift yesterday and I'm doing a double shift tomorrow, and then I have her for Wednesday, thursday, friday and then I have my event after that. But yeah, I don't work when I have her bro.

Speaker 2: 35:04

I make that a top priority. You know, I saw a little glimpse of her, her boxing skills, man, oh, yeah, I'm slowly throwing her in it, bro, and she's liking it too so yeah, and it's getting her a little workout, a little video had me laughing yesterday, I think it was yesterday, the day before, bro, I was like, oh I, little eye of the tiger, yeah, yeah, that's what it was. I was like, okay, I like that, that's like the.

Speaker 3: 35:24

I think I got it for like 15 bucks on amazon yeah and it's a blow-up one, but it like, whenever you hit it it lights up. Okay, yeah, and she loves it, she'll hit it. She'll sit there and watch tv and just sit there and box it it sounds fun, I might get one for myself.

Speaker 2: 35:38

Bro, put it in the living room.

Speaker 3: 35:42

Yeah, for sure, for sure. But yeah, man, I take a lot of pride, man, and you know what, man? Honestly, you can tell a lot about a person by the way they are with their kids, 100%. You know what I mean. With you, you're super close to your kid. With him, he's super close to all his kids. I try to align myself with people that are like that because I know where their heart is. You know what I mean. Like that, if you don't see your kid, bro, and you have the opportunity to, yeah, like I don't understand it.

Speaker 3: 36:08

I always say that I'll be an acquaintance bro, but like, don't expect you know I don't understand that.

Speaker 2: 36:13

That was one of the questions I always ask man, and it's not. It's just I don't ask, it's just a way. I think is like I don't understand an absentee father. It doesn't make sense in my head. I can't comprehend it Like I want to know why. You know what I mean.

Speaker 3: 36:30

And real quick. Veterans that come back from war, you've seen it. They distance themselves from their family, right, yeah. And whenever I counsel veterans police officers too, sometimes you know that happens to them too. It's all about your perspective, man. You could use that. That. Your kid is the reason why you need to fucking get better, right that you're. That little kid is absorbing everything that you're doing. You're saying all your emotions that are coming out of you, all your little smirks. You know everything, bro. You come home drunk. They see that.

Speaker 4: 37:10

Yeah, they do.

Speaker 3: 37:11

You know, they're sponges, man, and they're learning that learned behavior. So you have to make sure that you show up respectfully. You know what I mean, because you're forming that mind, you know. So, yeah, man, For sure.

Speaker 4: 37:25

And sometimes I believe it's about, you know, breaking a generational cycle. Oh yeah, you know you had his father's father wasn't present, and so you start looking generations down lineage and it's just that they hadn't found that right person to come in and pour into their life to break that cycle. You know, and how do we?

Speaker 3: 37:45

do that, yeah, by being present. Oh yeah, be present in the moment, don't be afraid, and you know what, and see what in my life, my dad was there, he was present. You know, I mean, and I see the difference in myself and my homeboys that it wasn't like that yeah their father wasn't present and they're in jail. They're dead. You know it is what it is, but you have a blueprint, you know.

Speaker 3: 38:10

I mean, don't be dumb, you know straight up and you know, sometimes when I counsel people like sometimes you have to be blunt, bro. Like you, you have to be blunt to open their eyes up and to make them see what they're doing. You know, and you're making it worse on you and the kid as well, but you're making it worse on your recovery as well, like you see what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah yeah, and some people just have to be brought down to earth and get spoken to stern. You know, not disrespectfully, but you know.

Speaker 4: 38:42

Yeah, sometimes you need to kick and kick in the butt, man yeah, and that's another benefit, like when I think about, uh, some of the things that I do in the community having the youth program, you know, for those kids that are fatherless or whose fathers are not, who are absentee fathers, they have a. One of the coolest things that I saw last season was all of the fathers that came out to help. Yeah, that's awesome. I had never seen so many men just black, white, orange, latino, asian. We're the whole airport on the sideline. It just was incredible to see all of those fathers coming together to put their hands around the community.

Speaker 3: 39:24

And iron sharpens. Iron bro, I'm a firm believer in that. That's why I align myself with strong-minded men around me, because I know that I have a lot of faults, and when I see him in the community doing what he needs to do, it just makes me. I wanted to take a week off, but I'm not going to anymore.

Speaker 2: 39:43

You know what.

Speaker 3: 39:44

I mean, like I, when I see you pushing it, I gotta keep going. When I see my you know a couple other guys that I align myself with like they keep me going Right, and you know we're not immune to depression.

Speaker 4: 40:07

We're not immune to all this stuff, right? So so to have those strong minded men in your back pocket to lean on, that's you know. It's everything right there. Charlie, mike, I have a question for you what keeps you going, what keeps you motivated to, you know, keep pushing in and do what you do every day, every day, you know we hit walls as men. I mean, life is real. How do you stay engaged? Recharge I mean how do you recharge? And when you hit a tough wall, something difficult.

Speaker 2: 40:34

What do you do to help yourself overcome that man? There's a lot, you know, charlie. Mike means to continue the mission regardless. You know I'm in sobriety. You know I'm almost at five years. God willing, I'll hit five years of sobriety.

Speaker 2: 40:47

But before that I was a different person. I wasn't doing the things that I'm doing now, but what I did witness was, after I made that change in my life, I witnessed God doing amazing things for me and bringing the things that I once prayed for and asked for into my life. But if he would have given it to me years ago, I wouldn't have handled it correctly. You know what I mean. Once I started doing the path of Sobriety and working the program and changing my ways is when opportunities and doors started opening and people started coming to me. And I know through my story, through my struggles, through my addiction, I can help other people. And right now, with me being so close to five years, I feel like if I was to relapse, I would let everybody down. Yeah, and that kicks me in the butt all the time. That's what keeps you.

Speaker 2: 41:49

Yeah, that one thing it does Besides my family. It's just I've come too far. No, I have so much to lose. I've gained so much, spiritually money, I'm in a house. You know just things that I never thought could be possible A couple of years ago. If you would have told me, hey, raul, you're going to own a podcast studio, I would have said man, you're stupid.

Speaker 1: 42:12

What the hell is a podcast studio?

Speaker 4: 42:16

You know what I mean, but it's just, it's amazing. So one more, one more follow-up Talk about your faith in this journey. I mean because none of this was here, nobody could see it all. I don't know if you went to a technical program or you had some type of school, some education. So talk about the faith.

Speaker 3: 42:34

You just got behind the mic, bro.

Speaker 4: 42:35

Let me tell you man.

Speaker 3: 42:37

Yeah, that was truly it.

Speaker 2: 42:41

During COVID I was like I want to start a podcast. And then I went to Barnes Noble's and I got a book how to Podcast for Dummies. That's how this all became reality. Real talk For real on everything. I didn't even do that how to Podcast for Dummies and I read it and I used it as a manual. You know, even when I opened this place, I would still refer back to it.

Speaker 3: 43:02

You is a manual. You know, even when I opened this place.

Speaker 2: 43:04

I would still refer back to it that you know it's, it's insane. And as far as my faith man, I'm gonna tell you what at times my faith has been sketchy I'm not, I wouldn't say sketchy, maybe as strong as it should be. Yeah, and you know, I've had some things happen to me that within maybe the last couple of years, you know, I lost my son and it kind of derailed my faith a little bit. It kind of did. But I had to bring it all back together and find, because my biggest question was why. I wanted to know why and how could? You is what I figured. If I blame somebody else, it wouldn't be as difficult on me or my girls or his mother, you know I. But I had to getting my peace again and going back to church and praying. And my little one was the one that kept pushing us into church and was like, come on, dad, we got to go back, we got to go back. So every Sunday she's the ones like dad, we're going to church, we're going to church you know, and man.

Speaker 2: 44:06

so with with God, man, anything is possible. You know, you just got to keep the faith and don't blame God when bad things happen and don't forget to be thankful for the things that you get. When you okay, don't, what is it? Don't forget to be grateful for the things that come to reality, that you were praying for, you know what I mean, don't forget that, those small things man.

Speaker 2: 44:32

You know, I sit back here a lot as I walk out the door in the evenings and I look back and I'm like damn, it's crazy. You know, this is mine, you know, this is what I'm doing for a living. My girls tell people like, hey, what does your dad do for a living? They say, oh, he's a podcaster. They were like what?

Speaker 3: 44:50

What is that yeah?

Speaker 2: 44:51

I don't know man. It's surreal Everything is just surreal.

Speaker 3: 44:59

But faith, man, faith that's my daughter's name, by the way. Faith, nice, and you know what your daughters are seeing. You create your own path in life too. And don't mistaken it, bro, that they're seeing that and they're gonna form their life on that too, so if later on in life they might venture out and start their own business and you know, do their own thing and that's because they saw you do that.

Speaker 2: 45:16

I hope they do, man. My daughters are crazy, and you know it's scary because they remind me so much of myself. I see it in their smiles, their sense of humors, their jokes, their inappropriate laughter moments that we probably shouldn't be laughing, you know.

Speaker 1: 45:31

I see it bro.

Speaker 2: 45:32

It cracks me up.

Speaker 1: 45:34

But I'm blessed bro.

Speaker 2: 45:39

I'm blessed, bro. I'm blessed, I'm really blessed to be in this situation. I'm blessed to be across the table from you guys right here doing amazing things in this community. Man and you know, you and you're damn bro. I don't even know people ask me describe matthew marne. That's shit, I don't know how you're entrepreneur.

Speaker 3: 45:54

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know I'll tell you this, man, I wasn't trying to do all that, really, Like I got tired of seeing my friends commit suicide and there's nothing really out there for us.

Speaker 2: 46:15

You know you go to the VA and they load you up with meds and be on your way. You know, yeah, I feel you, brother, I feel you Likewise. I experienced that part, you know, through my addiction. I was on the verge of suicide at one point, like literally on the floor with the gun, drunk as can be, I said, hey, after I finish this bottle, I'm done. I passed out and it started you know, things, reality kicked in. I wouldn't say reality but, my mindset started to change.

Speaker 3: 46:55

Yeah, I write about it in my book, man. I drink until I passed out, man, and one night I woke up with a glass of whiskey in one hand and my gun in the other, and I didn't even know how I got my gun. You know what I mean. So I had to change somehow, bro. Yeah, man, and you know the Birdwell Foundation. We have a camp in Conroe and what we do is it's an in-house facility for veterans and first responders Mainly. We have veterans there, though, but, man, that's where their last hope. They go, over there, and a lot of them coming off of addictions. And we have an awesome director out there, john Bailey, and he's a Vietnam war vet, and his story alone is crazy, man.

Speaker 2: 47:36

I spoke with him Silver Fox. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we call him Silver Fox man because he has long hair and it's all gray. But he thinks he's flying with it. He is man. I wouldn't tell him nothing. He kicked my butt.

Speaker 3: 47:49

Yeah. So he was in a helo crash and everything. Man, he's legit man and the thing is like at the camp. You get these guys in and, man, they're hoping for something you know. So during their time there they learn how to deal with their symptoms. They have AA meetings there, they have prayer groups there and on top of that, man, it's a peaceful environment. It's on nine acres and we've got a big pond. We've got a little prayer section near the pond. They can go fishing. We have a swimming pool there. They do bonfires. They connect with each other.

Speaker 3: 48:36

What a lot of people need is purpose. So, especially military guys like mission. When we're in the military, we have our mission, we have our purpose, we know identity, we know what we're doing every day. We know exactly what we're trying to do. We know how many okay we got to launch all these aircraft in this amount of time. Y'all gotta, you know every. Everybody knows what we have to do.

Speaker 3: 48:55

When we get out, that sense of purpose is gone, right, and a lot of times veterans don't have schooling behind them already when they get out, so they're out in the workforce. People won't hire them because they don't have school. Some will because of the military background. It's just hit or miss, you know, and some take a nosedive, you know, some some it gets to, it gets to them mentally, you know, and they need that pickup purpose, yeah, and they need to get set on a on a good path, you know so. And a lot of our books we are faith-based man, so a lot of our workbooks that we go over and that they learn from at the camp is based on the Bible.

Speaker 2: 49:43

So that's what's up, man. I was able to visit the camp. I'm sure it's grown. It was probably about a year ago. I want to say, and I'm sure it's grown since then, how many?

Speaker 3: 49:57

That's the same, it's the same. Yeah, yeah, many. That's the same, it's the same, yeah, yeah, it's the same as last time. So we were going to move down here but it fell through the building that we were trying to get the next door neighbor, the people that own the whole property next door to us. We're going to turn it into a landfill and we're like man, we can't have a rehab facility?

Speaker 3: 50:13

yeah you know what I mean. We can't have that next door. So we ended up backing out. And that was really the only building man that had everything together for a facility, a live-in facility. It already had all the sprinkler systems, the sewage system, everything for that amount of people, and it's hard to come across those now, man. So I mean we're still looking, but I mean we're actually like good. I mean we're still looking but I mean we're actually like good staying where we're at. But we do need funds and that's why I do events like this and you know stuff. So a lot of these funds go towards helping the camp out so how do they find out more about this camp?

Speaker 2: 50:51

yeah, camp, valor right.

Speaker 3: 50:52

So if you go on the website birdwellwellfoundationorg, you can find all the information on there about the camp. If you have any other questions, you can look under the camp director. John Bailey's phone number is under there. You can call him up. If you ever want to help at the camp, contact him as well, or me. My number is on there as well. Under the executive director, but yeah, I mean, it's all the information is on our website. If under the executive director, but yeah, I mean, it's all the information's on our website. If you ever want to donate to the Railroad Foundation, you can donate directly through the website and in a memo just type in what do you want to use it for. Like you can just put in a memo put Camp Valor, support Camp Valor, or you can put future events or whatever. You want to use it for peer support. So we're in seven states now. We just formed a chapter in indiana, so you got locations in every state. Yeah, so yeah, and they're all listed on the website as well. Yeah, yeah, so we're in.

Speaker 2: 51:45

Yeah so be saturday. What? What's another thing? Y'all got coming up or in the works, or you see happening yeah, so locally, um, I'm trying, I want to do a gala.

Speaker 3: 51:57

I've never done one before, but but I definitely want to spearhead one just knock it out of the way and then make it better. You know.

Speaker 2: 52:03

Yeah, that's what's up? Man, there's a lot of see. There's some organizations out there that you could reach out to that guide you and assist you in that. I know it's a lot of work, but yeah.

Speaker 3: 52:13

Well, this event I mean threw. I just threw it together one year and I was like let's try it out and then we just build it, built from it, you know. So I mean it's easy to get it together. It's just tedious and there's a lot of stuff that you have to make sure.

Speaker 2: 52:27

You're better than me, bro, you're better than me. I ain't got the patience for it?

Speaker 3: 52:31

yeah, I don't either, but I'm making it work, yeah so let's starting my emails to who it concerns.

Speaker 3: 52:39

Yeah, yeah, and I want to say this because apparently there's a lot of businesses out there that want to help, but they didn't. They don't know how they can help, right. So when you're dealing with nonprofits, of course there's always you know, monetary, you can, you can donate, right, but we also have in-kind donations as well, right? So that's what? Another huge way that people can help, or services. You know providing services for the nonprofit and you know we can create for the business for tax deduction at the end of the year, you know.

Speaker 3: 53:14

So if you charge, I don't know, two thousand dollars for a whole day for bounce houses, right. For instance, for the guy who's helping us out saturday, he's doing it completely for free, yeah, so we'll end up giving him a tax letter and it'll help him out at the end of the year in taxes, and not only that, it'll show his you know the community generosity that he's providing help for veterans and first responders. You know what I mean. So it's, as long as it's a two way street, like, we don't want to just take a lot of times when we partner up with a business or another nonprofit, how can we help? How can we help each other, like, I don't want this to be a one sided thing, right, because that crap don't last.

Speaker 3: 53:53

That gets overwhelming at times, man, it don't last, and when you have a partnership to where okay in your business you have something going on this weekend, all right. Well, I'm going to promote that on my platforms and help you out.

Speaker 3: 54:09

you know, generate some followers and stuff like that for that one event or whatever right, or I'll create a show or a podcast or something out there at the event to draw in a crowd. It's just, you know, you've got to work together because if not, if it's a one-sided thing, it's not going to last.

Speaker 2: 54:27

Yeah, 100%, man. It would definitely mean you've got to do more work together.

Speaker 3: 54:30

I feel like we don't do enough?

Speaker 2: 54:32

Yeah, we don't, and we need to.

Speaker 3: 54:33

Yeah, we don't, and we need to.

Speaker 2: 54:34

Yeah, definitely, I feel like you're itching to say something bro.

Speaker 4: 54:38

Him too, though yeah, yeah, and you got a friend in me.

Speaker 2: 54:41

now, bro, you got a friend in me.

Speaker 1: 54:44

I can't sing, I don't want.

Speaker 3: 54:46

Paul to leave the podcast.

Speaker 4: 54:47

But when we were talking earlier, you know, I felt the words keeping God at the center of everything that we do, and this verse fell into my heart Philippians 4 and 13,. I can do all things through Christ. That strengthens me, and when your faith is tested, just believe that you can do all things that he has called you to do. Man, this is just awesome. I don't want to leave.

Speaker 2: 55:14

Faith tested. That's what I wanted. That's how to word it. Hey, you know what?

Speaker 3: 55:18

It's kind of crazy because I've been through a lot of dark stuff right Death you know, seeing death in front of me, seeing kids, you know, decapitated like all kinds of crazy stuff. Right I was in a shipwreck, you know, in the military saw a bunch of people die. There's a lot of stuff that happened right and I'm still here.

Speaker 2: 55:38

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 55:39

And so there's nothing that frightens me anymore, right? So I've seen it all. Why wouldn't I help out everybody else? Why wouldn't I risk something and create an event? Or why wouldn't I write a book, I mean, if fail? Yes I'm still here, you know what I mean?

Speaker 3: 56:01

I ain't failing, yeah like now, like the way I see life is. We only have one chance at this, man, you know, and our purpose on life is to set up the next generation to be stronger, you know. So that's these things are forever, you know. So that's, these things are forever, you know, and I'm going to keep doing stuff like this. So next generation, my kids, their kids, you know it's going to.

Speaker 2: 56:26

You know, one thing that I've noticed, man, about the people that I surround myself with, is there's always a picture that reminds me of our friendships and what we, we do, and it's a guy on top of a mountain or a hill, and he's at the top, but at the same time he's leaning back to pull the next person up yeah and that's the type of things that I see and I respect, man, I see that in you, and I see that in you and, and that's why I want to be around you guys.

Speaker 2: 56:57

You know what I mean, and you're not just oh I'm up here, let me start dancing and forget about everybody else. I'm up here. How can I get you up here with me? Tell me how I can do that you know, I think about it.

Speaker 4: 57:11

We I don't want the kids that we, that I work with or that we work with, to be in an identity crisis and how do you keep them? Out of being in that identity crisis. You help them to connect with their why.

Speaker 4: 57:25

When they understand the why man, they can overcome any of the hows that they're going to face and just sitting here listening to the two of you, I mean there's been a couple of times where I wanted to jump in, but, man, the information coming out was so good I just didn't want to, you know, stop. But again, that identity crisis is a real thing when you think about the younger generation and social media, instant access to everything, the microwave we used to go outside and play Stick ball, now they're.

Speaker 3: 57:59

TikTok, you know. So, man, I'll tell you this I'm glad we didn't have social media when we were growing up.

Speaker 2: 58:05

I'm glad we didn't have video cameras, bro. If we would have, you wouldn't be a police officer right now.

Speaker 1: 58:16

Yes, I would have. I'm just kidding.

Speaker 2: 58:18

I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding I was only kidding that was a joke, guys, oh my god.

Speaker 3: 58:27

Vhs tapes you had some kid with a VHS tape cassette tape, oh man but you know it's kind of crazy, man, in our lifetime we had to where our, from where our phones were on the wall, to now we have a whole computer on in our palm, yeah, you know, and our all the information we can ever want is right here. It's so crazy to me.

Speaker 2: 58:58

You remember when our teachers used to say you're not going to have a calculator with you every time, everywhere you go. Oh yeah, she lied, yeah, she lied, oh yeah, you need to learn this because and you know what, man, this is a double-edged sword.

Speaker 3: 59:16

Oh yeah, big time this evil lurks. Oh, 100% Evil lurks, and I'll tell you this. I used to be an officer, part-time, I was on a side job for Passmore Elementary and, man, when I tell you, I walked up on a kid watching a video of how to commit suicide.

Speaker 2: 59:42

Oh shit.

Speaker 3: 59:43

By some creep on YouTube. That opened my eyes so much, bro. I mean, you know we pulled him aside and we had to talk with him and stuff like that, but our kids are seeing this stuff, man, a lot of kids are raised by this bro, like hey the parents want a little quiet time.

Speaker 2: 1:00:01

Go play on your iPad.

Speaker 3: 1:00:02

Yeah, you know. Yeah, but you know what. And on the other edge of the sword, if you ever need help, that's on YouTube too, You're right.

Speaker 2: 1:00:12

You're right. You know what I mean.

Speaker 3: 1:00:13

You can do anything. You can do anything, you can find anything on.

Speaker 2: 1:00:18

YouTube how to fix anything. That's how I went to college yeah. Youtube University.

Speaker 3: 1:00:21

That's how I started my podcast. I binge-watched YouTube videos.

Speaker 2: 1:00:24

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 1:00:25

And I started my podcast, battle Bud and I just anything how to fix your car. Everything is on here. Yeah, you know how to handle depression, like different ways. You know that help other people. Like how to handle anxiety, different techniques, like there's a lot of stuff that you can learn on online, right?

Speaker 2: 1:00:46

You just got to control what you're doing. Yeah, you got to control, oh yeah, yeah man Fellas, this has been an amazing conversation. I don't want it to end, but let me ask you how can someone reach out to you and do you have any closing?

Speaker 4: 1:00:59

comments. Well, if you want to reach out to me, you can reach out to me at 832-264-0122. If you're, if you have kids or you have, you know someone that has a child between the age of three through 12 and they're looking for youth sports to become a part of, I definitely can get them connected or find someone within their community that they can connect with. You can also connect with me on social media at Dr Motivate or at Iowa Colony Junior Pioneers or at the Donald Brown Developmental League. Any of those ways you can get in contact with me. I'd be happy to talk to you. You can also visit the website wwwdbdleaguescom, and there are programs there that you can put your kids in, and I'm working on getting a link there. So if you want to donate or you'd like to give of your time, you would be able to submit that through the website.

Speaker 3: 1:02:05

And until then, until he gets that up, just contact him directly for donations and stuff.

Speaker 2: 1:02:11

Yeah, amazing, awesome. I'm going to be sure to put all that contact information so everybody can reach out to you. Matthew, what you got, man.

Speaker 3: 1:02:17

Yeah, man, you can always reach out to me 832-561-9593, 24-7. If you went through a traumatic event if you're dealing with somebody that's been through a traumatic event.

Speaker 3: 1:02:27

If you have a family member in your household that's suffering, reach out to me. If I don't know the answer, I'll get it. And if I don't know the answer, I'll get it. You know so. And if I, if I don't have the facility, I can get one. If you don't have the money to go to the facility, you know, sometimes I'm able to get scholarships for people through facilities that will take them on free of charge. It just depends on on how many people are in the in each facility, but usually I'm able to get people in there.

Speaker 3: 1:02:52

I actually just got an officer in a facility in Florida a few months back. It wasn't a few months back, it was Christmas Eve actually, yeah. So on Christmas Eve his wife reached out to me and I went and got him, shipped him off to Florida within two hours and he was in a facility for three months. Came back a different man, bro, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, and he's doing well and taking care of his family right now and living life good and closer to God at the same time, and he's, he's doing really good.

Speaker 3: 1:03:23

But yeah, on my website is birdwellfoundationorg. All the numbers are on there. All the information for the Birdwell is on there. If you want to look up Camp Valor, you can also look that up on the website as well. All my books will have a link underneath and the Battle Bud Project Incorporated. That's also a 501c3 and battlebudprojectcom. You can look that up and that's dealing with mental health within the community, and we also raise funds for kids that can't afford, like if they're a tuxedo for a dance or you know stuff like that know, yeah, yeah school supplies you know stuff like that.

Speaker 3: 1:03:58

Well, that all ties into mental health, right right so so, yeah, so we do fundraisers for them as well and for that non-profit. And I have one of my cousins, eric edwards. He lives in alvin and he's a teacher and coach at alvin junior high, but he's on the non-profit with me and he's awesome and he's helping me raise funds for different things and he's kicking butt doing that too.

Speaker 2: 1:04:21

So so saturday april 13th 13. Tell the people why they should be there and what are you supporting?

Speaker 3: 1:04:27

yeah, so, um, april 13th 11 am, uh, there's right after the we're gonna have a prayer and the national anthem and then right after the we're going to have a prayer and the national anthem and then right after that there's going to be a MC ride that's going to leave the park right after that and then the event starts. But we are supporting the rebonding of the community and first responders and veterans here. Over the last 10 years or so, you know that bond has been slowly separating and it'll be a good deal to bring that back together with the community or their people in uniform. So they're here to serve us and we need to be there to help them as well, because they're there helping us overseas.

Speaker 2: 1:05:09

Can they find the information online?

Speaker 3: 1:05:12

Yeah, so on Facebook there's an actual event page for it the Hometown Heroes event and you'll see all our sponsors and stuff there. There will be a I think I mentioned the live auction.

Speaker 3: 1:05:24

Yeah yeah, yeah, so that'll be at 3 o'clock. That's going to be huge. If y'all can make that, make it. Invite your whole family out there. There'll be food out there, different kinds of food, tons of vendors for shopping, bounce houses for the kids, different raffles and a lot of information out there for people that need help. Or if you know anybody that needs help, you can go out there and we can load you up with some info on where to get help.

Speaker 2: 1:05:49

Dope man, I appreciate you both for being guests on the show today. It means a lot and thank you for dropping knowledge. Man, always giving back to the community, taking care of our youth, our veterans, our first responders. I look forward to working with you guys and learning you know as we grow. You got a friend in me now.

Speaker 4: 1:06:06

Look, oh my, oh wait, I'm not supposed to talk right, you got it talk. One thing that I left out is I'm doing leadership development for the youth between the ages of 5 through 14 during the summer months, and I'll also be doing some summer programs for kids. So, parents, if you're looking for opportunity for your children to be engaged in leadership development, relationship, skill building, social skills, you know, again connect with me and it's going to be special.

Speaker 2: 1:06:41

Awesome.

Speaker 4: 1:06:41

Amazing.

Speaker 3: 1:06:44

Be sure to buy some tickets for the raffle oh go ahead and be sure to check in for the run to recovery. So the 5k that's going to be at the event. At 10 am we're going to be doing sign-ups, so just show up, and at 10 am we'll have somebody out there taking payment. And what do we want to do? $20 a person.

Speaker 4: 1:07:04

Yeah, so for kids that are between the age of zero through, you know there could be some crawling out there. Zero to 17 is 15. And then 18 and up is 25. Okay, 25.

Speaker 3: 1:07:16

Yeah, 15, and then 18 and up it's 25. Okay, 25, yeah so, and then you know, and we'll take venmo and everything else too, or in cash as well, but but yeah, that run will be, we're gonna do what.

Speaker 4: 1:07:25

10 to 11 yeah, it's gonna be 10 to 11. Please show up by 9 15. There you go, 9 15 and then we will. We'll get going and if you beat me or Matt, you might get a donut.

Speaker 2: 1:07:40

You driving in the car, you driving the car, you running the room. Matt got to work. Excuses.

Speaker 3: 1:07:50

I heard excuses I might walk.

Speaker 2: 1:07:52

Yeah, baby, as always, if you're in crisis, be sure to call 988 or text 988. If you're a veteran, press 1. And if you're uncomfortable, be sure to just man reach out to somebody, as always. You know we love you. And Charlie Mike, Yo yo yo. What's going on? Everybody, it is me, Soulja Hard Hardwell, Redcon1 Music Group and thank you for listening to Charlie Mike, the Podcast, Yay.