MAHD House Bar Talk
Grind League Greatness: Court Creativity, Community Triumphs, and Lorain County Challenges
We also explore the pivotal role of dedicated leaders like Ray Carrion in ensuring the success of youth development programs. You'll hear about the challenges of navigating municipal support and the importance of proactive community engagement. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, our conversation highlights the need for passionate and accessible leaders who are committed to making a difference, even in the face of funding shortages and mental health challenges in Lorain County.
Lastly, we delve into the broader picture of city renovation and business development. Using Oakwood Park as an inspiring model, we discuss strategies for sustaining initiatives through stable revenue streams and the potential benefits of introducing a concierge service to support new ventures. Whether tackling personal setbacks or advocating for systemic change, this episode underscores the power of perseverance, meaningful work, and innovative planning in creating a vibrant, supportive, and unified community.
We want everyone to enjoy the show and really appreciate your feed back
We also explore the pivotal role of dedicated leaders like Ray Carrion in ensuring the success of youth development programs. You'll hear about the challenges of navigating municipal support and the importance of proactive community engagement. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, our conversation highlights the need for passionate and accessible leaders who are committed to making a difference, even in the face of funding shortages and mental health challenges in Lorain County.
Lastly, we delve into the broader picture of city renovation and business development. Using Oakwood Park as an inspiring model, we discuss strategies for sustaining initiatives through stable revenue streams and the potential benefits of introducing a concierge service to support new ventures. Whether tackling personal setbacks or advocating for systemic change, this episode underscores the power of perseverance, meaningful work, and innovative planning in creating a vibrant, supportive, and unified community.
We want everyone to enjoy the show and really appreciate your feed back
we're number one jimmy isn't being a cheap ass. You know I'm like damn you heard it here first, right right we're the best you know. They say people that cuss are.
Speaker 1:So I'm an honest motherfucker, put the fish awaygie. It don't even hurt to give birth, not for me.
Speaker 2:Want me to spit 16 bars over this?
Speaker 1:Nothing to do with it. Let's do it. Come on, I'm ready, I want to do it. Bible records freestyle.
Speaker 2:You got a nice beat. I does it's a good beat Madhouse.
Speaker 1:bar talks baby.
Speaker 2:I might sample this shit. Yeah, baby, I might sample this shit.
Speaker 1:All right, here we are. We're doing a little special episode of Madhouse Bar Talks and we got on my boy over here. We swatched out for Guido to Scotty Campana Hello everybody. And also we brought in Darius. Darius is from the Grind League. What's your last name? Darius Winborn, winborn, winborn. Okay, yes, and you started up the Grind League, oh yeah, started up the Grind League.
Speaker 3:We all live a life full of grind, hard work, hustle, but yes, I am the curator, founder and current director of the Grind League.
Speaker 1:And where did this come from, exactly?
Speaker 3:It came from the community, man, that's really where it came from. But I wanted to build the community up. I wanted to do more cool stuff that all age groups could be part of, have a good time, feel like they're connected and fully immersed in the youth and young adults you know and really just bond together off you know familiarity.
Speaker 1:So you're, you're religious, right yeah? That's my, I think my daughter said you go to her church.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, no, I'm going to church. I'm under his open door, uh, lorraine campus. Yeah, thank you, and God bless to them for being part you can see it in your spirit, man.
Speaker 2:Man you can I mean you're happy, you're always upbeat, what you're doing in the community and just you know the name of it.
Speaker 3:You know you're trying to draw people together and it's a wonderful thing, man. Well, that's discipleship right, that's, you know, just going out and being the being a voice, being being a route to being a disciple representation, yeah, trying to lead your community yeah, that's really what it's all about, but doing it in a cool way, doing the way that everyone can connect, everyone can have input and no one feels left out. That's it and what was'm. Not pushing anything on anybody.
Speaker 1:What was the first step, though? Like what really got? I mean, something did it besides just community? At some point you went. You know what? I'm going to start up a basketball league.
Speaker 3:Well, it wasn't. Even that's the thing. People think Grind League is just a basketball league and our flagship activity features three-on-three basketball. But we're really just about overall positive engagement and promoting things that people need to know about. And what better way to do that than to have them in a fun, festive environment, whether it be in a park, a parking lot, lorain or other cities that we've been invited to to bring that community together in this Festive Vibe too.
Speaker 3:So it really started just wanting to do. Something needed to be hosted that was for everybody, that everyone could just listen to music, everyone could come together. And it wasn't just uptight, it wasn't too much for the youth, it wasn't too much for the older crowd, it wasn't too much just for the outsiders. No, it was everything, everybody, one setting, one place. That's what I feel we need more of in this community. That's what I feel we need more of. You know, close to the lake, that's what I feel like we need in our parks. And the young people are. They're responding. Everybody wants this type of environment. Everybody wants these type of events going on. We just need more people to come together and do it.
Speaker 1:So did you have the grind league before you guys painted the the ground at the park?
Speaker 3:yes, so we did so last year when we painted oakwood park basketball courts. Uh, we had been a non-profit for about three and a half four years, so relatively new non-. We are not fully federally or state funded. We're all donations and sponsorships. So, like Madhouse Bar and Grill which I need to come over here and have that chicken, philly, I'll tell you right now, there's great sponsors and businesses, organizations like that that support us. You know businessmen, business people who support us that are able to help us keep going and doing that. Court painting was more of like an example of I'm not just going to create something and use up and complain about what isn't here. I'm going to use what I got, build it up and show you what I could do and hopefully there's other business people, there's other sponsors that are going to see that in me and my organization and they're going to want to back and support other things.
Speaker 1:Painting that court at the park is probably how you got my money. I'll be honest. I mean, I don't know if I would have heard of you before that.
Speaker 3:Same as me no no, no, and that's real. And it didn't start off like yo, I'm going to paint a basketball court and everyone's going to feel, no, just like. What else can we do to uplift and provide more? You know, you can't always expect someone to just see what you're doing and want to pour into it. You're going to have to, you know, show what muscle you can do. So that's kind of where it happened with the court. Whose idea was the court? Oh, it was an idea from God sitting on the couch I love it and then going from there and acting on it and then connecting with people in the community, connect to artists who are confident enough to do it, like Ronaldo Contreras III.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is he from LA or something? No, he's from Lorraine.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, ronaldo Contreras III. He's from Lorraine Relic Clothing III, business owner and he's a video author and photographer, because one of the news articles said that a California or LA artist Yep Zermillion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he came from Los Angeles to do this. Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, zermillion Martin Cernas. He's been all around the world painting courts and walls and he was the one to come out to Lorraine and show the Grind League how to do it the proper way. And hopefully, you know, oakwood is just a start. Maybe there's another city out there or another side of the town that wants their court painted, maybe it's a, you know, a memorial or someone else. But you know, we know how to do it now. So we want to go forth and, you know, paint the whole county if we can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, it's beautiful. I mean it comes out nice and it's gotten a lot of attention and it's really impressive.
Speaker 3:I like that I think the biggest part about the project like that was a lot of people didn't think we were going to get that done. A lot of people didn't have any faith that nothing I did. That's the thing.
Speaker 2:I came down here, I was watching you guys. It was amazing.
Speaker 3:You know what. That's where we really seen the real Lorraine community. Like a lot of people want to rag on stuff, like look for the people who felt like it was a lot of saying we can't. There was so much more who were like, yeah, go, y'all can do this, and it was just like oh, this is what they mean by that 80-20-10. Like 80% are really going to rock with you. 20, you're going to be like nah, but we've seen that 80 come out.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what? There's 80% that are sitting at home. They've got nice backyards and they hang out in their backyards but they enjoy the city of Lorain. They grew up in the city of Lorain, they like the city and even the area in general Leary, amherst, whatever they like it but it takes something to draw them out of the house because I mean, they're comfortable at home. They know they're noticing trouble there Once they put an event together. It's like the black river landings. I mean we all love to go there and you always know it's a great event and it's shockingly has never had any problems. I mean it's always shocking to me that because you see other events and stuff in different big, big events and they always turn into problems and and Black River Landings has always been just a top notch, oh yeah, top notch, oh yes.
Speaker 3:And I think I think that's an example of more can be done without issues. Thankfully, you know we've been able to go for four years now Two day event, labor Day, weekend no issues. The community actually comes together and polices and make sure there's there's nothing wrong and we've never had a lot of auto turners come in, so that's a blessing. But black river lane, all these other opportunities there's places and spaces within the city, in the county to do more events with wide age range, ride, music range, wide interest to come in. We just got to be brave enough, have the right leaders in place and make sure the people involved are promoting it the right way, I just think that your approach with the whole thing, you know, you inspired people, you know I'm from Lorain right.
Speaker 2:When I travel people say where are you from? I don't say Cleveland, I say I'm from Lorain, ohio. I love Lorain, I'm proud of it.
Speaker 2:Right, and when people like you are bringing up flowers, I don't care if it's from the concrete, using artwork hey, rose can grow from concrete, that's right and draw and draw people together, and the cool thing about you and I think your energy brings a lot of that is you inspired people with a thought on a couch. You know inspiration, faith and works Right, and that's what you did and I think a lot of people rose up for you, including myself, including Jimmy.
Speaker 3:So and that says a lot about y'all Like trust me, there are times where I felt like I was losing a battle and trying to even just continue to do a positive community engagement every year at the park, so to even think of and want to talk to city hall members about painting. You know, there are definitely times where it's like, man, am I alone in this? But you know, when people like you who have been a businessman and you guys have been around, you guys have been entrepreneurs out here you know how, how hard it is to get things going and keep it consistent. So you know I take example from that on keep going, keep staying persistent and, you know, with the right backing, you know anything can be done.
Speaker 2:But yeah, inspiration is a big part. We need more out here. You got to plan your work and work your plan.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. If there's no plan, we're going to fall apart.
Speaker 1:My thing is I'm always interested in anything that's positive for the city of Lorain. Anytime they're doing something positive, I'm always interested. I mean I do sponsor a lot of softball leagues for Oakwood Park. I grew up in Oakwood Park. I mean that's a big park. I was there a lot when I was a kid, safe haven.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we played sports, we did whatever. But the thing I liked about what you're doing by far more than I do the softball league is that you're actually because a softball league is great but it's adults. I like the idea that you're getting kids out there, getting them early on, because people don't understand team sports in general, or just they're everything. I mean they teach you every lesson you need in life.
Speaker 2:And when I went to the event that he had, it was from the smallest kids, families, individuals, different cultures, different people Came from all walks of life Music, you know everything. It was wonderful, yeah, and there was a police presence there and there was no trouble.
Speaker 3:And providing something that is affordable and free is something that you know we're blessed to be able to do. It's not easy. This year we're able to have our intro league going into the event Labor Day weekend to be totally free for 17-year-olds. So we'll have three-on-three basketball and art booths out there starting June 10th all the way to August 2nd. Mondays and Fridays. Second Mondays and Fridays the hard part is for me.
Speaker 3:When I grew up, I always had, like my dad, who was willing to put me in something that was quality, organized and I would be able to show my talent and develop.
Speaker 3:Not every kid has that these days. No, outside of a father, an uncle, a mother, an aunt, someone who's just familiar with knowing the lay of the land and knowing what's the best option for them. And I'm no terms a coach. I mean, obviously I can be a character coach, something like that but I'm in no terms trying to build a program that takes away from other coaches or other organizations. I really want them to look at the Grind League that if they see an event they can tell their clients or their people, their network. You can be at that. I'm going to be at that. D grinds for us. He wants to provide something positive for y'all. So that's how I want every coach of any sport to look at the grind league activities going forward, because we need more of it, and then we can push the message that we want to push to the young people that they need to hear Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Sure, and it keeps them out of trouble. If nothing else, at the very least it keeps them doing something positive, at the very least.
Speaker 3:Man we was painting that court, we had kids walking up Didn't even want to talk to the DJ or nothing. It was like can we talk to the artist, Can we talk to the painters?
Speaker 1:I'm like yo he's right there.
Speaker 3:No, there, there are kids that came out and helped us and they wanted to talk to the artists. They wanted to talk to Ray, they wanted to talk to Zermillion. I'm like yo, they're right there. They don't want to talk to the DJ, like it's cool. That's fine, because when I played my music they want to know about that. But the interest goes everywhere. So we have to showcase and then we can gauge interest and figure out well, maybe we should do something.
Speaker 2:And I feel you picked the right place to start. Yeah, because you know, with Lorraine, it is multicultural there's, you know it's the international city, so it draws a lot of different people together. You had an incredible council person in Ray Carrion. You know that supported everything you're doing. That park was his focus, he was all in. Where do you find that? Where do you find where a municipality, a mayor or the council people surround and really embrace someone with their ideas, like you have? It's a special thing.
Speaker 3:No, it is special. I'm fortunate that they're even willing to hear me out. The biggest thing about it is I'm just going to be there. I don't know. I knew Ray Carrion was the councilman at the time, but I don't go into any situation needing to know the top person. I just need them to know that I'm out trying to do something. So a lot of people want to say, oh, I need to know the person, they need to know about me.
Speaker 3:I got to like well, why don't you just start first? You know you might draw them in by you just doing the good work you're trying to do. You don't necessarily need to kiss a ring immediately or or have somebody be buddy buddy with you before you decide you want to do your part. No, you just got to go out there and do it and right here and when someone was like you know you're out here doing this, call me, text me if you need a question, I would, because I'll tell you straight up I ain't going to start too much beef. But there are some other council people. I hit them up and I'll be straight up.
Speaker 1:I think I'm going to need names. You're going to need names, I'll give you names. I'll give you names. I ain't scared, I ain't even scared.
Speaker 3:There are some council people out there who there are some Mrs. Council people, council, people out there. I ask them questions.
Speaker 1:They would tell me go ask Kerryon.
Speaker 2:Yes, because Kerryon cares.
Speaker 3:That's right, he's the only real leader. That's one thing. But leadership information if I can't get it from the council, people where I live and I have to hit up someone else, that's not good.
Speaker 1:No, that's not good. That's not good, that is definitely not good.
Speaker 3:Especially if you've been a council person for years and years and years and years and years. People know your names and we can't get the same input.
Speaker 1:Well, it's real simple. How long has Ray carried on? How long was he actually a councilman? Was that four years? Yeah, maybe, maybe four years.
Speaker 3:If you ask some people they'll think he's been eight or ten.
Speaker 1:Don't think he's been eight or ten. He's done more work than they've done in 20.
Speaker 2:I grew up with Ray, I grew up around Ray and he happened to be my son's traveling baseball coach for four years. So I traveled with him every weekend. I mean they played a lot of baseball. He's always been a leader. He's always gotten people together. Ray comes from a very special family. His dad was the community economic development guy for Puerto Rico before they came here.
Speaker 2:When Ray came here he could already speak English. Not only did he get to speak English and go to high school but go to college and kind of emulate his dad and doing the same type of stuff for the city of Lorain. But he loves Lorain so much I know him intimately that what he did for South Lorain. Man is big and when he finds people like you, young people like you, that kind of have the same passion and inspiration, you know Ray's going to embrace you every time these other council people you know I'm a political guy right?
Speaker 3:No, no, I know, I know, I know, I know.
Speaker 2:I know where all the bodies are buried right, I know who these people are, and Ray Carrion is maybe the best political guy we've ever had in the city of Leroy.
Speaker 3:Oh man, there's some people.
Speaker 2:Because you know you're comparing Ray now to other people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that's. I don't want to say it in a negative way, but unfortunately that's just not the reality. From what I've learned doing this nonprofit community work type stuff, volunteering I've learned not everybody's on that. And that's okay. But you know, that's where I tell other people who live in some of these other like wards and communities that say, oh, I want to do something, you're going to have to do it. If you're going to wait for someone to give you the okay or the gusto, it's not going to work.
Speaker 2:So you know, in Lorraine there's there's more debating and arguing than there is these. You know, this council or this democracy we have, it's never really worked in Lorraine.
Speaker 3:You know we've been out to some other cities to provide community togetherness fest vibes at events and you know we've been fortunate enough to actually sit down with other mayors of the cities about community togetherness fest vibes at events. And you know we've been fortunate enough to actually sit down with other mayors of the cities about community togetherness fest. And one thing that I've learned is a lot of outsiders see the potential in Lorraine but they don't understand why we don't get certain things together, and I don't mean we as in us in this room or just, like you said, the formation, the conversations that turn into arguments, that turn into a delegate and turn into versus. You know, but one thing about just touching right here, that in myself that starts at, you know, leadership by example. He had a leadership that he could see by example and it just fell into place. I had leadership in my family that I didn't even know about but I would just always hear about. Rest in peace, cousin Minnie Wade. She helped with that part of the group to help create.
Speaker 3:Yeah, see, I know you know she helped create early college with that whole group and she still got her name on that sign at the campus Best sweet potato pie ever. Oh, she cooked too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but she. Every year. She'd call me Scotty, I got your pie, come and get it, and I'd run to her house. She was awesome.
Speaker 3:Oh, I've been to Kuzmini's house in summertime, I remember in the wintertime. I remember her baking pies for multiple people. I've been out there. She had me outside doing yard work and the ladies were in the house talking about community work. I'm coming in trying to eat lunch. She's telling me about the meeting. I'm like I don't know nothing about this meeting.
Speaker 2:Her house was an epicenter for politics for Lorraine.
Speaker 3:I didn't even know that. And now she's gone. And now to see that I'm doing more community work, it's like the seed had been planted. And now to see where I'm at and starting to go and I meet people that say they know of her and all these other people like my grandmother who worked 28 years in Lorain County Juvenile Detention Center.
Speaker 1:She probably knows me. She knew a couple of my friends growing up too.
Speaker 3:She most definitely knew a couple of my friends too. So it all is coming together. It's all making sense.
Speaker 2:Jimmy's not as bad as he acts.
Speaker 1:I was at one time. I was pretty bad, we all got a past, though right.
Speaker 3:I was terrible, I I was pretty bad. We all got a pass, though right.
Speaker 2:I was rotten, I was terrible.
Speaker 3:I wasn't the best either. I mean, I was a CD student. I was getting in trouble too, so you know. But obviously we find a way right, yeah, sure Well.
Speaker 1:I seen a thing the other day that said that it's typical of, if you look at most entrepreneurs and business people, most of them did not do that well in school and it's because school teaches you to go to work every day and somebody who's built different is usually not going to go to work every day, just like he didn't want to go to school every day. You know what I mean. It's just it's a different concept and that might be true, it might not, but I've heard it it might, you know.
Speaker 3:I mean it sounds not, but I've heard it, it might you know. I mean sounds right too. I went to learn county jvs so they taught a lot about learning your trade, being a professional in your trade position, whatever level it is, and also being part of the machine if you're in a small mom and pop company or if you're running your own company. So those three aspects that they were teaching us in high school, I feel like once I graduated, I was to just if they would have gave me $5,000, $10,000. Once I graduated, I felt like JVS's teachings would just put people on the course and just go. You know, I really appreciate that. What?
Speaker 1:did you take at?
Speaker 3:JVS I took bakery and pastry and culinary arts, so I was on a whole other realm.
Speaker 1:But you know, opening a restaurant is probably one of the hardest things you know. That was a nice nice facility.
Speaker 3:You were in over there, right. Oh yeah, real nice, real nice the guy that built.
Speaker 1:It must have been amazing you're looking at. Oh, you're in the contract yeah, we did the work in there he built more stuff than you know what man?
Speaker 3:I'm gonna need your help then, because if we get some land, we're going to need to build it.
Speaker 1:No, I could definitely help with that. All right, that definitely can help with that, for sure.
Speaker 3:In-house, you know, in the first five years. You know names on that sign and going forth. You know I'm hitting up them. Names first.
Speaker 2:He built Quaker Steak and Loop. He built my house. He built my sister's house. He's done stuff for the casinos downtown. He's worked some big projects. That's what people don't know about Jimmy is he's done some big stuff.
Speaker 3:Oh man, I gotta talk to both of y'all then, because we've got something going.
Speaker 2:Well, I could definitely help you on the non-profit side. Well, I could definitely help you on the nonprofit side. Oh, I know you can. You know I could show you how to go to the Secretary of State, get that done for yourself, because you're piggybacking, probably with a church right now or something.
Speaker 3:No, no, no. We're totally independent, so we just have partnerships. I was down in Columbus last year at the state address. We're partnered with NAMI Ohio National Alliance of Mental Illness.
Speaker 2:But you are piggybacking, it's not your own. No, no, this is my own. The Grind League is totally. We're not under anybody and I'm not trying to minimize it.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no no, I just want to let the people know, because a lot of people think we are because of the motion and the action, that we're doing, because then people will give you money, because then they're getting a tax break.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, no 501c3.
Speaker 3:Yeah, board and all that. Yeah, so we're. Yeah, no, we most definitely want people to know that. All the way, do you have a website? Yeah, no, thegrindleagueorg. Thegrindleagueorg. You can find all information about us, how we started. What's coming up next?
Speaker 2:You, you guys got a mission on there. Oh yeah, our mission statement.
Speaker 3:Youth and Young Adult Advocacy is our focus and whether it be through positive mental and physical health, local aid, awareness, and now we're also starting to expand our outreach. So Community to Governance Fest is something that started at Oakwood Park, but we'll start to expand into other cities, other events, so you're trying to work with mental illness too. Yeah, so I'm in the process of obtaining my Ohio peer supporter for mental health as well. I've also received training through NAMI Ohio and through the state board for first aid mental health.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, you're doing it, right, man?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it's not just about activities and sports and seeing who's the best, but it's about building strong minds as they go forth on this grind of life. Yeah, he's got a vision. He's definitely got a vision that I don't have.
Speaker 1:I talked about it yesterday when I was on the podcast. I talked about it and I said, you know, I just don't have that vision. I mean, when I see that and that court needs painted, to me it needs a black sealer on it, maybe we paint the pole red and put a new rim, and to me that's all it takes. But you see that like art part of it, that that actually brought everybody together, that actually got people's attention well, and that that I I would have never seen, that I'd have never seen it yeah well.
Speaker 3:Well, not even just the art piece, but the mental health aspect. Scientifically it's been proven that when you paint walls and things around the neighborhoods, young people you know ages from five all the way to about 35, they feel a sense of pride in their community. So you're already changing the outlook on what people think just by driving past and seeing a blue court or a painted wall. These type of things go a long way. So, from the art, mental health aspect and the fiscal, you know that's, it's all right there. And then, once you get all the vendors around, now you're pushing prevention, you're pushing recovery, you're pushing gang prevention, you're drawing groups together and then expressing your mission, yeah, by doing things like with art and with music and with activities.
Speaker 2:But how do you get your mission out? By gathering right. I love it. We're talking about faith, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah faith-based yeah.
Speaker 2:How did Christ get the word out? City to city, gathering people, right? And that's what you're doing, man, and it's a wonderful thing. Listen, there's young people out there that are watching you. I'm talking 8, 10, 12, 14 years old. Going man, I want to do stuff like that.
Speaker 3:Oh man. That's a scary thing.
Speaker 2:Like Jimmy said, we weren't all good students, right. Yeah, because we're the type of personalities or characters that have to be inspired by something, get excited about something. You know Jimmy, in construction he worked with different people, like the Starbucks, or different people star builders right, they inspired him for him to do what he's doing. Then in the restaurant business right, he got excited and did well because he was engaged with it, he was plugged in, he was maximizing his experience. And that's what I see from you You're maximizing it and it's incredible. And how old are you?
Speaker 3:Can I lie?
Speaker 1:No I wasn't sure, we want the truth. I want the truth.
Speaker 3:No, no, I'm 33. And 33? Well, there you go. I got a baby face. I'm trying to use it to my advantage. You know what?
Speaker 2:33 is right. What's that? I mean? That was the age of Christ.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, it's the age of God, see but the point is is.
Speaker 2:I don't want to go into that. Oh, no yeah no, no, going to be kids that 10 years from now you're going to be being called or read the paper and you're going to go wow, he's doing stuff like I used to do, yeah, or that I'm doing yeah, or he was at the park one of them years, absolutely.
Speaker 3:And when I say that's the scary part, I don't mean in a negative way, but I mean in a way where, like I, I, I would love to see someone watch what we're all doing Me, ronaldo, the rest of the group, g3. I would love for them to see what we're doing and do it one up or two times up, because I'll be right there in the crowd, yelling, screaming, rooting, like I'm a, I'm a family member, cause I'm going to be like this is dope, this is raw. So I can't wait to see I. So I can't wait to see the next young person who's going to watch what we're doing and it's just like yo, I can't wait to take it to the next level, because if they want to intern or if they want to be around us, hey, we're going to give them the straight reel. You know, grind, grit, no soft skill. We're going to build them up, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Little Ray is only. I've known Little Ray most of his life. You know I he's only like 23, right?
Speaker 3:24? I think Renato's 26.
Speaker 2:Oh is he? Yeah, I think he's 26,. Yeah, but still, I mean he's, you know a lot younger than you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, and that was important for me too, like even painting this court. I'm like yo, I can't paint this court, no offense. But I was like I can't paint this court with, like I reached out and I assembled a group of artists who are wide age range, but I was like I can't just assemble a group of people who are older, you know, established artists from the city. You know I have to have some younger, you know right. So I brought them all in a room, um once, and then that room got smaller to about three people, you know I.
Speaker 2:And then you know we got what we got because people want to be involved until they know they have to work. So a lot of them faded away right oh 8, 10, 12-hour days.
Speaker 3:We were really out there. Once we really got out there, we were grooving the first two and a half days. Then the rain came and then we were out there at night. You know, we were out there with the lights on. We're out there just trying to get it done, because it's dry at 2 o'clock in the morning and we're like yo, it's completely dry and the wind is blowing.
Speaker 2:You're watching the weather app like minute by minute as we're outside out there.
Speaker 3:So like it really took some grind and some grit, like my volunteers that I got from that whole quarter painting process. I'll ride with those volunteers any day. They can call me for anything. I got their back in the trenches. But I also know they've been with me in the toughest situations. When I was like yo, you can leave if you want to, they're like yeah, no, I'm here with you, so psh.
Speaker 1:Can't beat a ride or die.
Speaker 3:No, no, you deal with the grind league. I'm going to bring along some people with me.
Speaker 1:You're going to be like, okay, they're going to get it there, right yeah? I mean that's appropriate.
Speaker 3:The same with building buildings. You can't be out there building buildings with someone who's scared to. You know, bang the hammer or you know what you need to do, the pool or drill whatever they got to drill. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Just like the metaphor you just made about building buildings. Right, yeah, jimmy starts a job. You know how many guys drop off that job through the process of that job? Oh many, but guess what? The building still gets built. Yeah, you see. So when you had that big group, you know, again, god kind of filtered it out and it came down to the core and you got it done, with them or without it. And that's that's what I see the grind league doing. They, they go from a to Z, they finish things.
Speaker 3:Oh, finish things. Oh yeah, we finish things. And I'll tell you what. There are some organizations out there who they really were wondering if we could even finish the job once. That pain came.
Speaker 2:A lot of them were expecting you not to finish.
Speaker 3:Oh, some thought we didn't raise enough money and we weren't going to get it done.
Speaker 2:I don't know if you remember how many times I drove up in that grass. Yeah no One of the times you pulled up.
Speaker 3:I was gone trying to pick up a donation check. I'm like yo.
Speaker 2:But I'm saying I was excited every day to get there to see how far you guys are going, because I wanted to see the end result, because I knew there would be an end result.
Speaker 3:Oh no, I wasn't going to go all that way to promote, make videos talking about hopeless paint Oakwood Park. I wasn't in fundraising just to fall short and be like, oh, we can only pay half the court Because no, and I don't want to keep going.
Speaker 2:I don't want to keep talking, but the point is you've developed a lot of credibility. Now people know that Darius is going to. When he starts it, it's going to be finished. There's not going to be no middle ground, there's not going to be no halfway. It's A to Z, and now other people are going to jump on board.
Speaker 3:Now other people are going to invest some money and get excited about it. Oh yeah, I know they will. I know they will. I just hope that they appreciate the fact that my mind isn't just set on what they're seeing. There's a whole lot more, but I don't want to scare nobody.
Speaker 2:Because, look, we want you to scare people, Scare them.
Speaker 3:No, I will, but you know once I get some things done, because like.
Speaker 3:I said, this is going to be the fifth Community Governance Fest this Labor Day weekend, saturday August 31st and Sunday September 1st, at Oakwood Park. Our fifth year. After this fifth year, I've been telling my group of volunteers we growing up, we like a toddler with muscles right now getting stuff done. We growing up after this fifth year. So if you ain't rocking with us after December, listen, it's going to be pretty hard, not hard, but it's going to be like you're going to really have to look at us like we are El Centro. We ain't got a building yet, but look at us like we got a building. Look at us like we can go anywhere because we can.
Speaker 2:You're setting the bar high.
Speaker 3:Yeah, after this 50-year. Yeah, those names on that sign, y'all locked in, y'all good. Because when we go to these other cities and do community togetherness festivals, when we go to another city and we paint a court, y'all going to be there, y'all going to be right there with us. And when we get bigger and we expand and when I finally get I got my staff together when I find the funding to get the staff together, a lot of people who got funding, I'm telling you right now they're going to have to put up and show up, because we're going to do a lot with a little and it's going to make a lot of other organizations around here be like well, what's Fundraisers? Here's the thing I've only done about two fundraisers.
Speaker 3:Our last fundraiser was a Cavs night. It wasn't as lucrative for us but it was still a great turnout. We had 30 people. But yeah, we need to do some. You know, fish fry or steak, we've got to get to that. But yeah, you know, we've also got to get to some real funding so we can do this year round.
Speaker 3:Well, you mentioned El Central right. Mm-hmm, have you reached out to them and said hey, can you mentor us a? Little bit I have, but there hasn't been a staffing that's been there for a long amount of time to actually stay there and get a relationship Well, you know, in the newspaper last week they talked about the Boys Girls Club here in South Lorraine possibly closing down.
Speaker 1:I did. I did see that. Oh yeah, yeah, they're having some funding shortages of some sort.
Speaker 3:Okay, so a group like you- we got to talk after this because I already got something I wanted to talk to you about. But we got to talk about this. There's a location not far from here we going to talk, we going to talk Didn't even know that we going to talk. We're going to talk, didn't even know that we're going to talk, though.
Speaker 2:But do you understand how you could possibly bridge that gap or fill that gap?
Speaker 3:I already have it in place. Did not know that that was even going on, because that pushes things up, so I got to talk to you. That's weird.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean it was brought up that they're having some funding issues and part of that problem is Lorain County, for the Boys and Girls Club has done the majority of the funding around here, oh yeah. And then they connected them to the Cleveland everywhere else and now they got funding shortages. I assume they're not going to cut out from all that funding, if I'm being honest.
Speaker 2:Oh no.
Speaker 1:They're going to separate before they do that I would imagine. Yeah, they can never close completely. They're killing it. They do the pull tabs to bring them in money and they do. I mean they are. I mean I wouldn't, I wouldn't count on them being gone.
Speaker 2:I would think they're gonna be here to some degree that because they attach to cleveland, cleveland's taking a lot of those funds they're drawn from them for sure yeah, and I would.
Speaker 3:I would assume that they will never really close and, like other organizations out here, maybe the program isn't as many weeks as it once was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it might die down. They like to feed a lot of kids.
Speaker 3:They'll always have their Boys and Girls Club I like the idea of the mental illness, though.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think that mental illness is a big problem in the country in general, but definitely in a depressed area like Lorain County. I think mental illness causes a lot of that, and some of that is people need medication. Some of that is people don't need medication. I mean, some people are medicated that shouldn't be medicated.
Speaker 3:Some of them are self-medicated Well.
Speaker 1:I remember no, that's very true, that's very true. But I remember my mother years ago. They put her on an antidepressant whenever we were on when she was working at Lorraine Products, and she would come home from work and she'd stop and grab a 40. My mom don't drink, you know what I mean. She'd have some wine here and there, but she don't drink. She'd stop and have a 40. She she took herself off. She goes. I didn't give a shit if they fired me. She goes. I didn't care about anything. She goes. It was crazy and she was only on him like a month. She went off him, she goes. This doesn't make any sense. So some people are medicated.
Speaker 3:That doesn't need to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she figured it out. Yeah, she understood it. The beer told her, though Maybe somebody else might not have noticed because they didn't have that beer there. Right, but the beer was the part that showed her that she was doing wrong. But mental illness definitely needs to be addressed. More than anything, it needs to be addressed.
Speaker 2:Well, it's been a big topic in Lorain County for the last couple of years.
Speaker 1:It has. Yeah, my daughter worked with Nord Center for a long time. She was a caseworker but she's got two kids and it's too hard to work right now. But she, that's her love, that's her passion. She likes to to work with the.
Speaker 3:You know helping, you know the underprivileged I gotta, I gotta connect with her then, because there's definitely some things going on where she would definitely be interested in giving you a hand.
Speaker 1:I'm certain of it she speaks very highly of you and she goes to your church oh man, I gotta.
Speaker 3:I got to connect with her. I've probably seen her face so many times didn't even know she's connected. One thing that I've been realizing is there's really a when I was with NAMI Lorain County and now their office has gotten a little smaller and they're doing less. But when I worked at NAMI Lorain County, I used to lead young adult peer support groups and these support groups were really just a call of action for young people to come together in either Zoom or in person, and we would just lead a support group. So I'd be leading it. One thing that I found though that was hard from an administrative standpoint was we wanted more people in our youth support youth young adult support group. Young adult support group was 18 to 35. We wanted people in this group, but there was no time to actually connect or get to them or get in front of them. So how do you? How do you let them know they're a support group, if all, if the only thing you do?
Speaker 1:social media. Man, that's how you got to do it. You got to put, you got to put it out there.
Speaker 3:But majority of the young people are dealing with a severe or a consistent mental health condition. They're not sitting on facebook following nami right? No, they're not, and a lot of people aren't going to just go and but they'll follow you exactly. They don't follow tiktok, they'll follow something. There needs to be a point of access that relates to them, that goes where.
Speaker 3:So whether it's a, they'll follow you Exactly, they'll follow TikTok, they'll follow something. There needs to be a point of access that relates to them, that goes where. So whether it's a TikTok platform that reminds them about the youth group or the support group, whether it's other people in the community who are willing to say hey, madhouse is going to close after closed hours or before lunch, they're hosting young adults. You got to hit them, you got to go at them. You can't just like a lot of organizations have done out here in the past. You can't just say, hey, we do it, we host it, we make one flyer for it and if someone comes, they come, if not, it's okay.
Speaker 2:We got the grant money for it. But the diversity of the things that you're doing. You do a lot of different stuff. You gather people. If you got one or two on board every time you did that, you know it will grow. You affect just one or two or ten. You know it's big. You got to. You know one thing I've seen about you that you're a long thinker. Yeah, you know, and to be entrepreneurial you have to be a long thinker. You can't. You know you have short-term goals in sectors to get to the main objective right, and I see you as a long thinker. A lot of people aren't long thinkers. You know they don't have a big plan.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think a lot of us. We have a plan in our head about what the end looks like, but we didn't think of anything we'd have to do just to get to that point. And you know, being a small business owner, you know DJ, media company I've learned that even when it comes to providing a good time with someone through music, everybody in here has a taste. We're going to touch everybody's taste just a little bit, but we have to make sure throughout this four-hour event we're going to come back to everybody. You know I'm going to play classic rock jams and mix it in with everything else, but when we're at that last two hours we still got to remember that we hit those same people that we hit earlier. We can't lose them because we played too much of a certain section of the genre. We've got to get to everybody and that's the same with these events.
Speaker 2:So you've got to kind of figure out when you do these events how do I affect everybody? If it's a graffiti-type art thing, you know that's more of a hip-hop culture thing, but how do we bring other groups in that will still appreciate it?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and that could be as much as okay. Well, he has that art section there, but we have more of a um, nature and aesthetic to the landscape of the southern part of the county. So now you have that that veer of rural to urban art display and then you got the ball players out there, then you got a little bit on the music on it and now you got the tables out there. People go around and they can relate, or there's food and there's vendors, like all these things are doable, especially out here. I know and I've seen that it's just hard because certain names people don't trust or they like, hey, I don't want that same interaction that happened over there to happen over here. So the grind league is really big on hosting it in a way that is going to be good for you mentally and physically in the space that you're in.
Speaker 1:I love it. So do I. I love it. I'm hoping that everything he wants to get done gets done. I mean, I think it's great, I'm here to support you. If you guys want to do a fish fry or something, maybe we'll do a summer fish fry. How's that? Because we never have it and it's always in the fall and stuff. Maybe we'll promote a.
Speaker 3:I would love to do that and I need to do something like that I really do.
Speaker 3:I think that's the biggest thing we need help and volunteers with. Like, my biggest thing is we need help doing that. I've never done a fundraiser fish fry or steak dinner, so dinner. So I need to go around and look and see how they're done and then I need to figure out can I get that many helpers Can? What's the location I can get it at? You know who can really help me cook all this stuff? Cause, again, as you guys see me doing the get motive, doing the positive stuff, I still need someone.
Speaker 3:I'm, I'm, I'm doing that and I'm writing emails and I'm doing all this, so I definitely need the help of someone to give me the information of no, we got to run this fish fry like this Because I'm going to be like wow.
Speaker 2:Let me say this to you about that Number one, on the nonprofit you have an advisory board, right, yes, okay, maybe a lawyer, accountant, yeah, right. And then you have a board, right, yep, okay. And then so that has to be like your core team, right? And then I see an event. If you could make this happen, I think it'd be neat that you had another thing at Oakwood Park at some point, right, and you do this event with Jimmy, like the fish fry thing, but at Oakwood Park. If you could talk to the city and the new council person for South Florida.
Speaker 3:Antonio Baez yeah.
Speaker 2:Another passionate guy right, having a food truck type thing at the park where you charge each food truck a hundred bucks to come. You get 30, 20, 30, a whole park full of different food trucks and you get 80% of the money right, and then 20% of the money you give towards that pool to let kids get in free. Now you're developing a partnership and then around that park you have different things going on. The one end of the park you have hip-hop music. On another end of the park you might have some other type of music. You have some art displays. You have, you know, ray with his clothing, ray with his clothing and do that whole thing. But you utilize the whole park a basketball tournament, maybe also a home run type thing, not a softball game or maybe a softball game for celebrity softball, but then maybe a what's it called when you have a home run, home run, derby, home run, derby type thing?
Speaker 3:Yeah, with softball, but then maybe a what's it called when you have a home run, Home run derby, Home run derby type thing. Yeah, with softball yeah, with softball.
Speaker 2:But how do you get the community together, generate revenue and then share some of the revenue because you know now you're helping everybody?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's actually, man. I love that you said it. We got to talk when we're off this. It's doable. The only hard part that I found is some of the things to accomplish in order to get it done. There's too much of that part of the nonprofit does this and there's certain people who are like, well, why? Why, you got to get that, and that's. That's the part of the pool. We're already talking to the city about, you know, doing a pool event, but trying to get all the people together. Sometimes it's hard because it becomes like a competitive thing and it's the hardest.
Speaker 3:It's like you got to be the salesman, you got to sell it, and I've been selling, I've been selling, I've been selling for a while, but I can't sell anybody. Cooperation Sure you can. No, I can't sell them. For them to cooperate Sure you can. Not if they've already been cooperating the wrong way with their people, not if they've been cooperating wrong.
Speaker 1:Tell them, scotty, you give them an offer they can't refuse you give them an offer they can't refuse, and that's the.
Speaker 3:You might need me involved. I'm a negotiator and that's the part. I don't as our organization. We're not in a business trying to strong arm. I'm not no no no, no, I know exactly what you mean, but it Bernie always says punch him in the face.
Speaker 1:He never means to punch him in the face.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. I mean it's just no. I totally get the saying. It's the part of wanting to work with other people but then not trying to put the pride aside. Sure, it's the hardest thing. I'm telling you, I've had so many memes with so many people that I want to have the work and do some with, and then two days later, oh we don't want to, Darius.
Speaker 1:you're getting bigger now, though, and the bigger you get like right now you're getting bigger. People are noticing you. I mean, you're making the same people that, a year and a half ago, weren't talking to you they have a different tune, right now they want to get on board. I promise you, I mean you're making headway, I mean you are really making headway. No, I feel it.
Speaker 3:It's that point where it's like yo, I need you to just come with this and follow this. Don't come with this and try to look. I got this planned. I know how we can get this going. I got some good guys outside of the advisory board in my board who I can go to and give good information. It's just some. I need people to really just back with this. Maybe, maybe trying to be the point of this fear, like just get with the side, cause we still go, get in the body.
Speaker 2:Everyone wants to be the boss.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man Like now where I'm at a time, like I said, after his fifth year, like let's get to I'm. I really want to get on that step in that direction of like, look, no, I need you to come and be with this. Under this, you're going to be right beside me and follow me.
Speaker 2:Yes, have faith in me.
Speaker 3:Yes, that's what you're asking yes, yes, and I'm getting to the point where I feel like after this fifth year, you know, I'm going to get to just saying that, instead of being like yo, your feet are getting planted on the ground.
Speaker 2:see, people are seeing your feet firmly on the ground now. Now you can reach down and help people. See, they believe in you now, which they didn't. They didn't know. If they could, then If you can filter out that political bullshit, okay. And whoever the council person is, or whoever the person is that didn't believe in you before, guess what you do? You don't need them anyways. You filter them out. When they come to want to help you again, then you set some real challenges for them. You set the bar high for, oh, you want to get involved now. Okay, raise me $5,000. Get me some opportunities. Bring it to the table, then we'll discuss it. I'll tell you if I want to get involved now. You see, that's how you got to do it. Like he said, you got to punch him in the face. We're from Lorraine man, we're tough people.
Speaker 2:Hey, you got to be tough with these people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, in our first five years I'll be honest with you I've been playing the nice. I've been playing, you know, I've been playing the new organization, trying to get you to just understand and appreciate me. Just shake hands, bro. After that court pain, after some organization said they would help and they didn't, because they seen that actually got done, oh, I've been getting calls from Columbus. I've been down to Columbus getting some help about the framework.
Speaker 1:You were at the All-Star game too, right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh yeah, we got invited to All-Star weekend. We were showing off that court All-Star weekend. Would I tell you after this fifth year, yes, are you talking? Yeah, this is exactly what I'm trying to get to, because I got to it for an hour. I'm like man, I'm talking to some people. I Like well, we painted the court, we did this, went to All-Star weekend. I've gotten calls from other community people telling me I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:And it's going to happen again. There's going to be a point. You're going to get to a point, darius, where you're going to get on top and things will go down at some point. You'll lose some people's respect. You won't be able to grow or whatever it is. It's human nature works. But once you get there and you don't stop and you keep going, you get a whole another group and you maintain anybody you lost. I promise I mean that. That is something that because I I I mean scotty will tell you. I, I lost my shit, what I don't know. 10 years ago or something. I, I had a big company, I closed it all up, sat on a couch and didn't do shit, you know, and I said I had to start over. But I had to prove myself that I could start over. You know what I mean and I lost a lot of people's respect. But I have it back now.
Speaker 3:How did you get to that point where you kind of was just like screw everything?
Speaker 1:How did I get there?
Speaker 2:Well, I think COVID probably had a lot to do with it. Some of it right.
Speaker 1:No, this was way before.
Speaker 2:COVID.
Speaker 1:I'm talking like back when I lived in the apartment when I moved in my apartment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was a tough time for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I went through a divorce and basically what happened was is that at one point in a conversation I just went you know what I'm done I threw my hands up and I didn't go do any more work. I didn't do anything. I actually was staying in one of my empty apartments that I owned and I just said, to hell with it, I'm done, I'm not dealing with this bullshit and it's just not worth it, no more. And I and I wish I wouldn't have it's a, it was a, that was my biggest film.
Speaker 1:My uncle, dale, who I, I, you know, he he gives me you ever seen the poem never quit. Okay, he turned me on to that I had never seen it at that point in my life, and he's right, that's the key you never, ever quit. And the other thing is you never, you never, worry about what you lost. You know, that's the biggest point that people, when they want to move forward and that was mine too I hate. I had this big house, I had this, I had that, you know, and I'm I'm like all upset about it, like you know, and never mind sitting around being grateful for it, because 15 years before that, if I had what I had, I'd been happy. You know what I'm saying. Like, it's just the way it is.
Speaker 1:So forget about what you lost. Once you regroup, once you get there, you regroup, you figure out what you need to do to move forward and you start making those steps and it'll happen it always does to everybody.
Speaker 2:Everybody goes through it. Everybody has to regroup at some point in their life. Usually you know what's cool about regrouping is your next time out like you were your next go at it, that you don't just know what to do now, you know what not to do.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Which gets you to the place faster. You see, to do Absolutely which gets you to the place faster. You see, I've learned a lot through the different things I've done. When I've regrouped, the list used to be like 300 things to get done, right. Well, now you know what not to do and makes what to do easier. Does that make sense?
Speaker 3:No, no, yeah, no. I had a situation like that recently where I felt like I had all these things on a list that were going to or gotta get done. Some weren't relevant, right, yeah, yeah. And after having the conversation I went down to Columbus, came back up and I think about half of the stuff to me wasn't even big. They were all just like to me like a video game. They were all like side missions.
Speaker 1:Sure sure.
Speaker 3:Half of the stuff was like side missions where it was like, yeah, they would help. But really it's like these 10 things that are really the basis and they're you know so Well, when you went to Columbus, see iron sharpens iron. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You see, they got you sharpened, they got you. You know, they got you some help.
Speaker 3:Oh, we got some backing from outside the county who was like no, you're going to be our one in the county. Yeah, so that's awesome. We got to talk about this.
Speaker 1:All right, yeah, that's awesome, that's good, that's wonderful.
Speaker 3:When you talk about loss, though, I feel like at this point, like being just a single guy. No kids, I'm a DJ, I'm trying to find even more DJ gigs and I'm just a community guy, Like I'm finding that, like I have.
Speaker 3:I have a lot, but I have very little and, um, I'm really just trying to expand on having more, um, meaningful things. So if that means my like I just lost some DJ gigs, like, if, if that means that my input around the community and the other gigs I have is even more concentrated and even better, so be it. Like if I have to, you know, go even further to do DJ gigs, but I'm doing less but I'm getting what I need, and every time I go out people are talking about Grindleek stuff. Well then, so be it. You know, I'm a lonely guy for the most part, so I just put everything into my ideas and my thoughts and I'm just like hoping now that people with more money are willing to bring me along and hear my ideas. So I have more things to pour into, cause I feel like there's a lot that I can put into and I haven't lost a lot cause I haven't had a lot.
Speaker 1:But you, you really have to start looking at a revenue stream for them, for the Grind League, that you can maintain on your own, because the problem with when you have people backing you and supporting you, as soon as you piss them off, you lost it. Yeah, I mean, if you can get, and most charities that are out there that are successful have some sort of Revenue, revenue of some sort that they're bringing in and it's a tax-free earning for the business. I mean, you know, whether it's bingo halls for churches or I know the Boys and Girls Club is pull tabs. They do the crack pull tabs or whatever. That's where they make most of their money.
Speaker 2:I think Could you do pull tabs too.
Speaker 1:I believe as a charity you can yeah.
Speaker 3:That's something to think about. Yeah, no, we have about two things that I have that could be revenue streams. One of them is not going right now just because we don't have financial backing for it, and then the other one is just, you know, like you said, we got to get some type of funding to get us going so we can get that like a storefront or we can get a location we can start selling out of that's your key thing.
Speaker 3:You want brick and mortar well, I don't absolutely need, but I need something where I can house and I can get this stuff done, because we do have streams of income that we can do consistently that I'm actually apprenticing for, but I just don't have the spacing. Um, I got guys, you got materials, but I got.
Speaker 3:I got a whole whole crate of leftover paint and new paint in my bedroom apartment, like where a kitchen table would be. I have a pallet and I have a bunch of paint. So you're really thugging it in a positive way. You're really getting to it.
Speaker 2:But you're going to reflect back on this 10 years ago. What I've learned about you is you're going to reflect 10 years now, oh yeah, and you're going to go, look how far we've come. We used to work out of my apartment, out of a bedroom, out of my apartment. You know what I mean. And then you're going to be able to say, hey, we have a facility now, we have revenue streams, we're a solid nonprofit.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like you said, you set the bar high, like in El Centro. El Centro has done so much for the community and you know that's good stuff, man.
Speaker 3:I want people eventually to think of the Grind League as being the housing for anything youth, young adult and young parent related, anyone who's going from that transition of into high school, out of high school into college, into parent or adulthood. If they need a resource and they can't go to mom, dad or aunt and say, hey, how do I get, they should go to the Grand League building. There's a hallway for the social workers and all that other stuff. There's a hallway for the physical health and all that, and then there's an area where we all can just come together for support groups, for meetings, for engagements inside, for you know, he didn't say I want it to be.
Speaker 1:He said it's going to be there.
Speaker 3:He said it's there.
Speaker 2:That's the way you talk, brother.
Speaker 1:That's the way you do it.
Speaker 2:Well, that's it, I love it. I love it. Not if no. If that's it, I love it. I love it. Not if, if no, ifs.
Speaker 3:When it's going to happen. It's just I know now because you know when you start a nonprofit or get into the community you put a lot of stock into. I can do this, I can do this and we need this.
Speaker 3:I haven't met a lot of people who are older, no offense who have been doing nonprofit stuff for so long and they've been through ups and downs that they're so angry and they're so mad at how things didn't work out, and I can understand, because there's so many different areas of this you have to cover, so you can't be all helping, all helping, but you never took care of any sponsor or you never took care of the paperwork. And then you know, or you can't be, so so on it that you lose it and then you bring in other people and then they take it over and then you're not in anymore and then it's not even what you wanted it to be. So I'm realizing that our support and our funding is probably going to come from outside the county other than establishments and people like yourselves who know this is what we need. It's going to come when it comes, in a big way.
Speaker 2:You know what the difference is, though what's?
Speaker 3:that.
Speaker 2:What the difference is is those people that are frustrated they're nonprofits, are not going really anywhere. They, they, they get too emotional about their original plan. You got to have advisors around you and you have to be able to be resilient and persevere through the plan and say hey, you know what? This is not working for us. I thought it would, but I was wrong. Right, and we're going to change that approach and this approach and, before you know it, you have this cohesive thing happening. You know, and that's where I think you're going to be much better than most, because, one, you have a strong faith. I believe in that man, strong faith. Two, you've been inspired by this. And three, I hope you know that in order for you to win at it, you're gonna have to be um objective of yourself yeah and and no matter what you thought may happen, you gotta allow this thing organically to happen a little bit.
Speaker 3:Oh, totally, the plan wasn't to start a nonprofit at all, right, like I'll be honest with y'all. The fourth thing would probably be I can laugh off anything and when I'm meeting these people and we talk and stuff like same way, I'm chuckling with y'all. I'm just like it's not that bad.
Speaker 3:Like we can do da-da-da-da, so I can laugh off and just poly off. A lot of stuff Just rub off me and I can see some have been like, wow, how is he able to just laugh? I don't know, I don't know. But one thing I'm noticing, that is the mission. If it's not fulfilled, with people who actually believe In what you're trying to do, it's not going to go very far. We recently I had to understand that we had a situation with Oakwood where I feel like there should be a water fountain next to a basketball court.
Speaker 2:No doubt.
Speaker 3:We don't have a water fountain next to a basketball court. I'm not placing blame on anybody.
Speaker 2:And there's plumbing in that park. It's already there.
Speaker 3:Early 2000s. It disappeared for whatever reason. Yeah, it used to be there.
Speaker 1:Used to be there when I was a kid. It was there For whatever reason it used to be there.
Speaker 3:It's not there anymore. There's still a basketball court there, For whatever reason it used to be there. It's not there anymore. There's still a basketball court there. Yeah, I had people saying well, when y'all going to do the fundraiser, Listen, some things I can't take the battle on because we got other outreach and stuff to do here to expand. Trust me, there's a part where I had this talk to my other advisors where they're like it's real quick, an organization can get concentrated on a small sector of this big bubble you're already creating right there, let's call Antonio and bitch.
Speaker 1:No, let's go.
Speaker 3:I talk to them. They don't know when they're going to put that water line in, so when?
Speaker 2:you got an answer like that.
Speaker 3:it's like ah, you know how you get that water line in?
Speaker 2:No, I don't know when they're going to put that water line in, so when?
Speaker 3:you got an answer like that.
Speaker 2:It's like ah, you know how you get that water line in. No, I don't know, this is how you do it. You go to all these plumbers in Lorain and say, hey, who wants to do the water line for free? We'll give you a tax benefit. And you, through a nonprofit can let's say it costs $10,000. Through a nonprofit can let's say it costs 10,000, you can go 20% more than the bid If you look at your bylaws, to generate someone to do that for you for free.
Speaker 3:I understand that, but why? That's the part where? That's the part where we can get stuck focusing on something that we need.
Speaker 2:No, you hand that off to the councilman there. You say, hey, we'll honor the tax benefit, get it done for us. And then what does that small plumbing business get out of it? There's water already there, there's plumbing already there. All they have to do is dig a trench, get it to the areas where they want water. Um, access right and and then they, they get a.
Speaker 3:they actually get their, their money back yeah, yeah, and I feel like that's something that.
Speaker 2:But you pass that baton. This is your idea, this is our need for us to fulfill what we want to do at oakwood park. Uh, mr bias, we to get this done. Could you be our point guy for it?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm realizing off of an email, basically to do that, I'd have to leave that and right now, because of the other stuff I want to get accomplished, I can't leave that right now?
Speaker 1:No, no, you need help. Yeah, you need help.
Speaker 3:You need some people that you can hand off things to, because I want to do that, but then it just realized now I'm back to focusing just on Oakwood when now we have all this reach of other in this county, I get it and it's like man, like how many emails we got to do for someone over there to get started on that? Are they going to really wait for every nonprofit to do that? Like we can't wait for every nonprofit to do that?
Speaker 2:Like we can't. But I also look at if you take Oakwood Park as your model and see how much you can accomplish there. Then when you go to other places let's say Lakewood, let's say, you know, south of Cleveland, wherever it is, you can say we did this, this, this, this and that and we really uplifted not just the basketball courts.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the whole park, the whole park.
Speaker 2:You maximized it, you figured it out right and hey, this is our blueprint. So just you might want to think about it that way. You know when you're marketing a business right, people, especially entrepreneurs, right, we're going to market the whole country, no, you market your backyard Then you go outside that and you keep showing how you've gained ground and then, before you know it, there's an opportunity. But you know you have your own plan and I believe it.
Speaker 3:No, no, that's exactly what I was talking about. Like I just had to talk with a brand about helping us doing something like that and it's like's be. I'll just be.
Speaker 3:I'll be straight up and say there are people, other organizations, in other parks who who have like a type of a land trust yeah, you know all that stuff, we're not going there not, not, not even trying to go there yet until somebody has some real help, obviously, obviously we know what we can do to help get to our line. The building got to have somebody in there once or two to help us get together because again, we got a lot of outreach stuff that we can be doing. I don't want to just stay so built up on building something and then say later on they don't want to give us any type of A friend of mine named Carl Nielsen.
Speaker 2:He owns Nielsen Jewelers. He was a Port Authority guy right, nielsen Jewelers?
Speaker 3:okay yeah they've been.
Speaker 2:it's like a 200-year-old jewelry business. I don't know if you know that no, 200-year they've been around.
Speaker 3:At that location for 200 years 160 years.
Speaker 2:Oh dang, it's like fourth generation, fifth generation. So Carl has a real passion for Lorraine. Him and I have been friends a long time and he had a great idea that we need a concierge in Lorraine. When you're a new business, when you're a nonprofit, when you have something, questions, you don't go. You know, no one knows where to go. Do I go to the building department? Do I go here? Do I have a point person? You approach them and he goes okay, here's your new business.
Speaker 2:So these are all the things that you need to do. You're a new nonprofit. This is your mission, this is your goals. All right, to fulfill this, go here, talk to this guy, do this and they open the door for you. When you go into the city of Lorain, you walk in the city hall, you don't know which way to go, what floor to go to, who to talk to, nothing. And I think, just like a hotel, a hotel has a concierge. He knows where all the services, all the systems, everything is at. He knows the mission of the hotel, he knows everything. Right, that's what we need in the city of Lorain. Carl Nielsen came up with that.
Speaker 3:I agree with that. I so agree with that because that person would have been the person that would have been the eyes for city hall when Rover was here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:When black and all that stuff. So that way, if anything happens, they can pick up and just get with that event person or the agency and say, hey, we're going to do this, this, we want to do it like this, this. Yeah, I totally agree, we need a person like that.
Speaker 2:A concierge team, maybe two or three people, that you go to and they lead you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, no, I love that idea, then, mr.
Speaker 2:Baez is not overwhelmed. Now the concierge says Mr Baez, we need your help in South Lorain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, like a city manager.
Speaker 2:Kind of like a city, like an outreach.
Speaker 3:It's like an outreach manager, kind of like a city manager. Yeah, no, it's like an outreach manager. No, really it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but that's an inside joke. Oh, okay, we need a city manager, right?
Speaker 1:Well, because I don't know if you know that I learned it from when Tia was in here. Lorraine is one of the first one of the like, one of what? Four that are not that don't have a city manager. In Ohio, only four cities that don't have a city manager in Ohio.
Speaker 3:I believe that. I believe that Because there's, like other people, chargers Right.
Speaker 1:Right, they're all different. They're run differently, so, based on the way we're run, we're run. How is it called? There's a charter and a.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't exactly know the term. I can't remember the term.
Speaker 3:I remember hearing people talk about those terms, though, but yeah, there's a couple other things we don't have in our city or county.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Accountability, accountability. That's right, hey, sometimes, yeah, hey, we like that in life period.
Speaker 3:Right, but I had a question though you guys, seeing as you guys are both businessmen and seeing as you know, I talk to a lot of young people and we end up talking business, how long do you I want to buff you of young people and we, you know, end up talking business, do you? How long do you both? I'm on both of your screens how long do you think it'll be before? Uh, broadway, downtown Lorain really is popping. This is all that from from the water to basically the 20 years 20.
Speaker 1:That's a, that's a. That's a loaded question.
Speaker 1:Give me the loaded answer Currently keep running Democrat officials through there who are more worried about the left priority than business, rather than a Republican. You know generated offices that are going to be more business friendly and things like that. It's going to be 20 years, but all it would take to make it happen in five is to have a business-friendly office in there that does some things to help people generate money for themselves. Some tax breaks going out trying to draw people in there. I mean, that's what I think.
Speaker 2:That's my personal opinion, but well, you have to create a core democracy first, meaning you got to have republicans and democrats on council working together how do they?
Speaker 3:well, it does happen, but how they work together great debate creates great resolution.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if people are telling their sides, it gets to a place where it becomes. You figure out, okay, he's a little right, but he's a lot right. This is the way we're going to go. You see, in Lorraine it's always been the Democratic. The Democrats run everything and because a lot of them have a lot of personal interest, right and they, you know, council is controlled.
Speaker 3:Hey, my own family that I mentioned. She was a Democrat.
Speaker 1:I don't, I'm not knocking and I have nothing against Democrats.
Speaker 2:No, no, no.
Speaker 1:I don't either. I'm just saying that the world needs both. Yeah, it does need both. I mean, you can't just be right wing conservative and you can't have got to have some social. Social, you know equality, equality and and equity. But we need both. The problem is lorraine hasn't had the other half of that right. That's the problem, because your medina's, your amherst, I mean, they're being run by conservative. You know governments well. We're an industrial community, you know you governments.
Speaker 2:Well, we're an industrial community. You know, you had the Ford plant here, you had Lorraine Products, you had different large companies, right, and our mentality is still we're an industrial city? Well, we're not. We have the largest mouth of any river, in Lake Erie right, we had a large port with, with shipyards. Right, we have maybe one of the longest shorelines. Right, but Cleveland and Elyria in the past I don't know about. Now they've taken from Lorraine, you know, any of the social services or anything. They're always in Elyria. Mm-hmm, they're not in Lurie.
Speaker 2:Everything that is of county is in Lurie, is in Elyria, right, and then you have this democracy here. That is, to me, tainted, because there's not a lot of debate, which we don't create a lot of resolution and we don't try new things. We're still doing things the old way. We have the most beautiful waterfront, most beautiful river systems. We have some of the most beautiful park systems. Right, rain is pretty easy to get to, right, but we just can't get it together. And I remember 20 years ago saying it's 20 years out, dang Right. And then I started to believe in things right, and I watched it. You know, if you go and I love Lorraine- Maybe, more than most.
Speaker 2:right. But look at downtown. You know these restaurants are closing down. They're closing down. There's nowhere to go for people. That's why what you're doing, you're creating new things for people to do. That's like what Bob Early did with Rockin' on the River. You know he was creative, it was different. It's a different thought. Yeah, and he brought it to Lorraine. Lorraine didn't do that.
Speaker 3:No, I know he did. I called him to see like bro, is there any way I could like be a side DJ for you or anything Like you need, like I'm a quality guy? He was like you know but and I was like no, that's exactly what. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Thank God we have guys like Tom Brown, brad Mullins, the Carl Nielsens that were at the. You know Carl's no longer at the port but you know you still have some good people here.
Speaker 3:Man, I'm trying to do ribs on a river.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a rib fest. We used to do that. We got to talk about this show.
Speaker 3:You know, what I love to see. Like you know where the finger piers are, say that again Finger piers, finger piers.
Speaker 2:Isn't that the—? It's an opening where ships used to rest until the river was open.
Speaker 3:Okay, I thought it was like something on a port.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's on a port. Okay, it looks like fingers. So it's like something on a port. Yeah, it's on the port, it looks like fingers and ships would. When the river had other ships in it, they would go there and wait their turn. Okay, having a Ferris wheel at the end of that thing, you know charging for rides, people would just come for that. You go to Atlantic City, man.
Speaker 3:That Ferris wheel generates a lot of money for them, right Putting stuff down along the waterfront, not just in that one port site, but spreading it out, making it more like almost an amusement type thing to draw people down there. I feel like that's and I had to ask y'all that question because I be at the parks a lot and I'm talking to young people and when I was 15, 16, I thought about it. To my age right now, I thought I could buy an apartment downtown. It'd be low-key, cracking, Not like Cleveland. But I thought when I was 15, by the time I was 30, I could have an apartment down there. It'd be damn near being downtown.
Speaker 3:I talked to a lot of people. They don't know. They say 20 years and they like 14, 15, but a lot of us who are 30 now we thought at 20, this would be about here now. So I had to ask y'all that just because I'm like. You know, the questions are starting to come up more and more.
Speaker 1:You need leadership that's going to see that. I mean, if you go and look at like a downtown Willoughby, have you been there before? Yeah, I have. Okay, that's what you're looking for to happen there, right?
Speaker 3:Basically downtown.
Speaker 1:Simple and just Just like downtown Willoughby. I mean they have apartments, everything. That's a conservative run city and I'm not saying that I want Lorraine to always be conservative. I don't mean that it doesn't mean to always be conservative, I don't mean that but it needs some conservative leadership in there. It really does. I mean that's why I like what you're saying when you talk about doing things with mental health and things like that. I love that. The giveaways I'm not a big fan of. You'll never find me real involved in giving away food or trying to help Now kids' shoes or something. That's one thing, but giveaways, I think, are the worst way to spend money for poor people. Basically, I mean I think that you need to put in systems where they can earn it themselves. You know what I'm saying and that's a big part of me, but that far does not mean that I don't believe in like what you're doing or social, and I believe in that. I just don't believe in giveaways because it makes a lazy society.
Speaker 3:Hey, I'm a certain nonprofit but I don't believe in handouts.
Speaker 1:But that's what the city does more of than anything. That's what they think the answer is more homeless shelters. In fact, isn't that what they were talking about doing at the old St Joe's? Absolutely, I mean, that's the kind of stuff that's ruining a city. You put a homeless shelter at that St Joe's. How about this? It'll never happen. How's that?
Speaker 2:Do you know Nord Center? You know they get grant money right and then they go find people that have mental health issues around the country. They put them on buses and bring them to Lorraine.
Speaker 1:Oh, sure, yeah. It's terrible Keeps their funding up. I've talked to police.
Speaker 2:They're in hospital like emergency rooms, and there's people there and they meet them. You know, what are you doing here? You don't need the hospital, we're cold. I want somewhere to go. Well, you're homeless, yeah Well, can don't know where to go. Because you know, I'm from Denver. I was put on a bus to come here, and then they're kind of dealt with a little bit and then they're kind of put in the street and you know, and Lorraine has been kind of a dumping ground for a lot in a lot of cases, that's what pisses me off. Yeah, it pisses me off. You know, and I don't know exactly how NORD works, but groups like that, I think sometimes they help a lot of people, but in many cases they hurt the community. Yeah, it's about some money.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a mental illness place. That does I mean you need it.
Speaker 2:It's got to happen, but there's got to be some sort of, you know, checks and balances. But why aren't they building instead of putting people downtown?
Speaker 1:Lorain to house them. Why aren't they buying something that is kind of outside of that area?
Speaker 3:Yeah, Amherst South, Amherst Perfect place for it, yeah, but build no, no, no, I'm not saying those places, but somewhere where they can put a small community to set people up like that.
Speaker 1:I mean something I did see some places like in I think it was in LA they were doing tiny houses or something. They were real tiny, they were like a room basically. They had them stacked up and stuff.
Speaker 3:I was looking they had a place in. There's other nonprofits that are taking sections of, say, like Lurie County Airport area. They're taking sections and they're building a bunch of tiny home areas.
Speaker 1:I don't believe in that. I don't believe in that at all. That's not to me. That's giving away. That's where I'm talking about. I don't believe in that. I believe in you know you don't let somebody sit out there and freeze. I do believe in that.
Speaker 2:But at the same time, tiny homes still cost $30,000. But you got to make them earn it? Yeah, but a homewood house is $180. But you got to make them earn it a little bit, to take ownership in it, to be good stewards of it. If they get something free, you know they're not going to cut the grass, they're not going to plant flowers, they're not going to do things because you know you got to have some skin in the game, even if you're homeless.
Speaker 1:Well, it comes down to if I give you something right now, if I give you a pair of shoes, okay, and you like those shoes, they're free. Maybe you don't care for them all that much, but you didn't have to work for them, you don't give a shit. But now you got to go buy your shoes. You had to earn the money to buy those actual shoes. You're probably not going to take the shoes that I just gave you for free.
Speaker 2:You want something a little nicer, and I mean, and that's how it comes up and you want to take care of the shoes that you bought, sure.
Speaker 1:But you're going to. I mean, once you work for something, you want something better than what they're giving you. But when they give it to you, it's good enough. You don't need anything else. You know what I'm saying. So if they give you just enough to go buy, a lot of people don't want to rock that boat and I see it all the time. I get people that come in here for jobs and they won't take the job unless it's under the table because they don't want to mess with their benefits and this and that and it's irritating to me, because here they got a chance to make real good money and they don't care.
Speaker 1:They don't want to rock the boat when it comes to anything else.
Speaker 2:Look what happened to COVID. Yeah, oh it was nuts. Covid was the worst thing ever.
Speaker 3:Listen, COVID was the worst In our business.
Speaker 2:I got our employees together right. Yeah, my wife and I's business.
Speaker 3:And we went and took them to Sam's Club, got them groceries, got them clothes.
Speaker 2:I almost swiped this for you, no, but you're right, and we got them stuff. And I said all I want from you is when we're ready to come back, that you're excited. You come back because you knew we helped you, right, as soon as we're ready to open up again. See ya, no, we can't help you. What do you mean?
Speaker 2:nobody I helped you. I put money in your hands, I bought you groceries, I got you stuff to help you through this process. I was sensitive to your needs. Then, when I was ready for them to come back, now we're making too much money, government's giving me too much. So, again, what Jimmy's saying is absolutely right you have to have skin in the game. And I didn't make them have skin in the game and I lost. See, that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:Well, and if you don't have the skin in the game, you're okay with what you got. That's right. You settle If you don't, but once you have to earn it and work for it, you don't want just that. No, you set the bar. You know what I'm saying? Right, right, right, right.
Speaker 3:It changes everything and the idea of quality of life not even just, you know, the American dream, but our idea of quality of life is even from a young people's perspective, like my own perspective at one point is really contorted. Some will say we don't want to work a whole lot, we don't want to commit this and that, but yeah, we want the highest of brands, we want the best quality of foods and stuff and it's just like well, the skin you put in is very little.
Speaker 3:You know, what I'm saying I just feel like that's one thing the Grand League wants to push is that we got to put more into what we do have in order to have that skin in the game. And if you feel like you have no skin in the game, you know you got to get yourself in. You know, but I feel like Lorraine is something that is full of potential. A lot of people outside the city they tell me all the time about how great that court painting is and how it changed a little bit of their outlook. I just wonder what more could be done, done, I know I have my ideas. Um, I know the grind league. We want to do some more place making and want to provide, and we want to be one of those ones that are like man, they're really trying to upkick the city in a good, cool way, you know.
Speaker 1:But I'm interested because I'd like 20 years, because time man, I'd love to see it.
Speaker 3:Everybody that seems like to see it, because I'd love to see it, because that seems like to be the concessions at the end of 20 years. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:And I think that that's if you stay with the current type of approach and people in office, it might not ever get there. I mean you gotta, first of all, you gotta remember there is a bad taste in the mouth for not, for, not to say it's not a bad team. People in that don't know Lorraine and didn't grow up like me and Scotty. We love Lorraine. We grew up there. That's like our. To me it's home. You know, like I remember, my first wife was from Avon. I tried to get her to move to South. In fact we did, but it was like pulling teeth. She didn't want nothing to do with it and I'm like to me. I'm like I got to beg you to live over here in this great neighborhood that I love.
Speaker 2:You know, that's how I felt about it.
Speaker 1:But I mean that's just the way we are. But other people away from Lorraine, they don't see it that way. They look at Lorraine as trash, whether they know what it is or not. So first of all, you have to get that out so that people know that that's not the case. Things like this park did it. And second off, you've got to get some sort of conservative leadership. Now, it doesn't mean that they can't be Democrats or whatever, but they've got to be conservative. They have to think in the mind of business and building profitable places for people, because people don't want to invest unless they're going to make money. And people with big money don't want to invest unless they're going to make big money. You know what I mean. So I mean it's just so you have to have that, that capitalist ideas to some degree, to make something like that turn into a downtown Willoughby.
Speaker 2:I think to answer your question a little better, I think the faster we get a guy like Ray Carrion as mayor, then that 20-year curve becomes 10, 8. Amen, you know what I mean? Because he can go and talk to these people. He can talk to this side of the aisle. He is likable, he is very smart, he's energized. People want to work with him, he's established his foundation of integrity right and I know Ray Ray would never, ever take advantage of the situation. He would want to set a legacy to say, hey, let me be the leader that shows you guys how this is done, and then people are going to follow. So my answer is 20 years, unless we get a guy like Ray Carrion being the mayor.
Speaker 3:Probably 50% less. Yeah, yeah, I can agree with that. Yeah, yeah, no, no, we need that because it seems like that's. It's good that I got your perspective, because it seems like that seems to be the perspective from different age groups.
Speaker 1:It's just like they're all like 20. Well, the thing is is that the leadership and friends of leadership that are in office for the most part right now have been connected since the 60s and 70s. That's a long time.
Speaker 3:Isn't that somewhat of a problem, though?
Speaker 1:I mean, it's not the same people, it's not the same people, but they're connected to the same people.
Speaker 2:You know, I know guys that are 75 years old. I won't mention any names Mayor, auditor, county commissioner, head of the prosecutor's office, county prosecutor. They have taken every opening state rep and they've just moved around and they kept the same guys in circulation. You have to bring new young thinking people to come up with new ideas like what you're doing and that's what. Around for 40 years? 40. That's a long time. So how do we get more younger people involved if it's still going to be the same? Register to vote. Get young people to register to vote.
Speaker 3:Y'all hear them. Y'all hear them. Grindley yeah.
Speaker 2:Finding leadership within that group, helping them become council. People become leaders and us? You know I'm 55. I want to see young people like you take this thing over.
Speaker 3:Hey, some people tell me I should.
Speaker 2:I'm like I don't know, but that's what I'm saying is, you know, I was 23 years old. I bought a building downtown Lorain. I tried to bring a record company, that's right. I did An independent record company.
Speaker 3:You know that you got one of the hottest bands, SIGEO Label, right now aka Company.
Speaker 2:That's right, and we plan on doing some other new things. We're reinventing ourselves at Rival Records, but that's not what I want to get into. I remember calling the mayor's office, calling different people come and see what I'm doing Never, but I remember guys like Jim Burge, lawyer Jack Bradley even Jack Bradley, he's a lawyer there Randy Rakich, danny Matelski, richie Romero they came down to see me but a lot of the guys that were running the city, they didn't want to come and see what I was doing. They didn't care. It was fresh and new. You know, we had a printer downtown, we had the palace, we had some restaurants, we had a clothing store, a jewelry store and I brought an independent record company here with a group called Men at Large.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and they were big, my mom and aunt, they know that band Men at Large, you know.
Speaker 2:But I brought MC Breed, I brought a lot of big acts here, right, they didn't care. That's why I got involved at 25, and I ran Craig Fulton as mayor and he was Republican and we won. And he was a Republican and we won and he was one of the best mayors we ever had, because there was debate, there was resolution, people were talking, there was a conversation happening and they got to a resolution and Craig pressed that he was fought every step of the way but he did it and he's just an example of what can be done. Like you're an example of what could be done, you know. But I'm excited to see young people. I want to sit back in a chair with a cold beverage and say look at these young people, man, look at them doing it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, go enjoy a night out on Lorraine because it's nice and inviting and enjoyable. That's right, you know. Yeah, absolutely yeah, that'd be awesome.
Speaker 3:No, there's definitely some things that you know. I want to expose more of the youth and young people too, so they can have more say, more input, but also just be present.
Speaker 2:Well, I think this conversation brought something to the head. Yeah, okay, is you get young people to register to vote?
Speaker 3:You be that Well we had that voter registration table there the last two years.
Speaker 2:I understand, but I'm talking about really being aggressive with that. Now, guess what Darius is? Because you're the catalyst for that right. You're giving the opportunity to get involved in the movement. You're the leader. Now you get to pick those flowers out of that garden that are rising up fast and then saying, hey, why don't you run for this and why don't you do this, and why don't you help us with our nonprofit or whatever, and start building leadership. Be the guy that cultivates the garden, and then you'll be like me. You'll be 55 one day and you'll be going look at these young people, look at some of the seeds we planted for them, and that's what's key.
Speaker 3:No, I really feel like that's you know, I feel like that's where it's going. I can't wait for some of these 10-year-olds to be 18, 19, 20 and go off to college, because the people who helped us in the court, who watched Community Governance Fest, who helped us with the court, went off to college Four years. I got a staff, you know.
Speaker 3:I'm going to give you this position here, but I'm going to need you to get this council position because we try to do something. No, exactly Some type of mentorship program. Yeah, you know. Yeah, no, we program, we're going to get there, man, we just need a little bit more help with our volunteers and other people who want to help us lead things. If I can find someone who's another young politician who wants to help other youngins, we can do a grind week thing with that person. Let's get them to learn and go out.
Speaker 2:You've got two guys that are in with you, I do. We're here for you.
Speaker 3:I want y'all in on the big, on the big. I get it.
Speaker 2:We got to talk about that.
Speaker 3:Oh no, we're going to talk about that.
Speaker 2:We're going to talk about that. I don't know where we are in the show here, but I can say one thing and I'm proud of you, man, thank you, I'm super duper proud of you. What you're doing, there's nothing really in it for you. You know, as far as this is concerned, you're doing it because you see a need and at the end of the day, there may be some things, but your hard work is going to get you there. Yeah, your passion is going to get you there. The proof, your leadership, the proof of your concept is going to get you there. You're building the model. It's wonderful, man.
Speaker 3:I applaud you, man. Thank you so much, man. It's the generation before me that's really got to let me know, like yo, you're doing it, you're really going. It's not those people who are trying to compete with me. I ain't trying to compete with them, this is all powered by God. It's people like you and others who are willing to say the real stuff right, to support me. That really is like. You know, I got this. Yeah, the guy's talking about trying to text my phone like friendly Nah, nah, we doing it, we're really doing it. We really care. We got the a DJ. So if anybody wants to support me, they can just book me as a.
Speaker 2:DJ, give me a website, talk about it for a second.
Speaker 3:DJ D Grind. Find me on Instagram at 1D underscore grind, or Facebook D dot grind. Grind Mobile Pro Sound Five-star rated wedding DJ on WeddingWire in the night. But all events, just did a Brookside prom a few weeks ago, did another small private school prom and, yeah, man, weddings, all that. So, yeah, everything you see here, man is just me pouring into like it's my heart. But it's also been seeds that dropped from other generations that dropped on me and it's only right that I'm in this position. But I just want to do it right. So when you guys see me out there, just know I'm out here trying to do it right, man.
Speaker 2:All right, I love it. I see that you know God's given you a lot, but now a lot's required by you. You have a lot of responsibility and I see that you're taking that position. I applaud you.
Speaker 3:God bless you, brother man thank y'all so much for having me on here, man.
Speaker 1:Thank you for coming in we really like talking with you. It was fun. I like learning about it.
Speaker 3:I was curious about that, how it all went down and that, what got you excited I learned a lot today yeah, I definitely did yo, this is real good bar talk man, I've been, I've been keeping up with the episodes on youtube. Man, I really like how you do it. I seen you had the beer tasting out there yeah, yeah, I was like you know, I want to be one of them. Beer tasting episodes there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I was like you know I want to be one of them beer tasting episodes I'm about to go beer taste right now.
Speaker 2:Jimmy's like my brother for real. We're like brothers, right. And what he's doing in this podcast he's talking about stuff that people want to hear and he's not scared and he's sincere and he's passionate about it, just like you are.
Speaker 1:I don't know about that, I'm just talking shit.
Speaker 2:No no. I think, that people get the talking shit is part of it. I think a lot of sincere, but a lot of sincere stuff comes out of that. You know his feelings. He's not scared to say what he has to say. Neither am I. I like to just put it out there. I'll regret it later maybe.
Speaker 3:I like to throw it out there. Hey, I feel like we're better off that way than to be trying to pussyfoot around. People walk on eggshells because you don't.
Speaker 2:That's not leadership. Yeah, leadership is doing what's uncomfortable, being authentic here. Listen, real leadership is authenticity, right. It's passion right, but it's being you got to be. That's what I tell artists in music. I want to see you be vulnerable. I don't want you to always dance around and go by the blueprint that other people have done. You got to have vulnerability. You have to put yourself out there, but go ahead.
Speaker 3:I've got to say this real quick because you just said something about the hard times. Let me just pull this up real quick. Recently, saying the hard things, it just came to me and being an Ohio peer supporter and a mental health first aid person the support I say this because it wasn't said throughout this community, but I just found this out, just found this out. So recently we had a young man from malaria high school, bj Todd, recently died by suicide. Now it was not reported or put out there that that was the cause of death, but it is important that suicide prevention is pushed to this community of young people Latino, black, white, interracial, whichever, hispanic, whichever. It is very important.
Speaker 3:I want to let you know parents, young people know about this. Please ask your children, speak with them, talk with them, communicate with them. It is very important that we address this. We can't shy away from it. I'm I'm in height. When I was in high school at learning county j, county, jvs, I lost a mutual friend. Same way, we have to voice these things and get help for our young people.
Speaker 2:There's people crying out there, you're just not hearing them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and so to the family my prayers and to anybody out there that's battling with things or they know someone else is battling with things, please, let's, let's look and let's search for help, and let's not be so shy or scared that we're going to hurt someone's feelings to say, hey, we can, we, we need to be there for people yeah, yeah, amen so, um, I just want to say that I don't, you know, I don't want to disrespect anybody, but I just found that out.
Speaker 3:Um, and no one said anything about anything. But we need to talk about these things because we don't want them to keep going on and continuing and just wonder why. So, anyone who's dealing with something or having an issue, please reach out to your local NAMI or chapter or or Nord center or your local mental health first aid person or anyone who can help you with mental health, and please reach out to somebody and remember that this, too, will pass.
Speaker 1:You know, that's that's the biggest thing with people that are going through something like that is that they don't understand it's going to pass, eventually it will go.
Speaker 2:I was told by a very smart guy. His name is John Murtha. He's my spiritual mentor. Right, silence is power and it will pass. No matter how hard things are, no matter what's going on your mindset, it will change over time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. This life that we have, it's tough. You have to know that. Going into it, you're not going to get everything you want right, but reach out to people when you need help. There's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 3:Sometimes it feels like you have everything. You have everything in order and everything's together, but you go through tough times. It is okay to say you're not okay and reach out to somebody. Absolutely Please do that y'all. Please talk to your young people this summer, Please. That's all I wanted to say.
Speaker 2:Excellent.
Speaker 1:All right, thank you. Thanks for coming in. It was awesome. It went way longer than I anticipated. Man, that's a real one.
Speaker 2:I should have known, though I got Scottie. Yeah, I'm talking, I keep talking shit it's all good man. But you get me excited.
Speaker 3:No, no.
Speaker 2:And I'm not going to hold back.
Speaker 3:No, y'all. I'm sorry, I missed the first time.
Speaker 1:I was like yo on this podcast. All right, well, we're going to get out of here, we're going to talk, we'll go downstairs. We've got some fresh air out there on the patio.
Speaker 2:I'm tripping. We'll do it that way, first time with me in the lights. I'm dressed differently.
Speaker 3:Please visit thegrindleagueorg if you would like to be a volunteer or donate Park League summer programming at Oakwood Park starts June 10th. 2047 East 36th Street, Lorraine, get motive.
Speaker 1:And if you need a DJ, call D-Grod. There you go. All right, peace. God bless Peace.
Speaker 3:Get motive.