2Cups Café
Episode 17: Corvez Braswell
Ever embarked on a journey that reshaped your entire existence? Corvez Braswell did, and he's here at Two Cups Cafe to share his powerful transformation from a turbulent past to a figure of inspiration in the boys' group home sector. Through candid conversation, we unravel Corvez's life-altering embrace of Islam at nineteen and the indelible mark it left on his soul, steering him toward a life dedicated to mentoring young men. His narrative is a stark reminder of the potency of faith and discipline, and the difference one guiding light, like his mentor Mustafa Rahimullah, can make in a community.
The tapestry of our youth is woven with lessons from those who have embarked on the arduous path of mentorship and care. Together with Corvez, we reflect on the essence of patience and understanding gleaned from nurturing court-ordered juveniles and adults with developmental disabilities. Our own history of tough love meets the complex realities faced by today's youth, prompting discussions on fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and instilling life skills in the young people we guide. We don't just reminisce about early job experiences, like my first gig at 11; we look at how these foundations have shaped our approaches to nurturing the next generation.
Rounding off this stirring episode, we tackle the critical issue of financial literacy and its key role in community empowerment. Personal tales of wading through debt and mastering credit underscore our commitment to breaking the cycle for future generations. As we pledge to drive change and create economic prospects within our communities, from food trucks to other ventures, the conversation turns to the actions that speak louder than words. Join us for a meaningful discourse that promises to ignite a flame of hope and strategy for those striving to make a mark beyond the digital world.
Follow Allen C. Jackson - @2cupschronicles
Ever embarked on a journey that reshaped your entire existence? Corvez Braswell did, and he's here at Two Cups Cafe to share his powerful transformation from a turbulent past to a figure of inspiration in the boys' group home sector. Through candid conversation, we unravel Corvez's life-altering embrace of Islam at nineteen and the indelible mark it left on his soul, steering him toward a life dedicated to mentoring young men. His narrative is a stark reminder of the potency of faith and discipline, and the difference one guiding light, like his mentor Mustafa Rahimullah, can make in a community.
The tapestry of our youth is woven with lessons from those who have embarked on the arduous path of mentorship and care. Together with Corvez, we reflect on the essence of patience and understanding gleaned from nurturing court-ordered juveniles and adults with developmental disabilities. Our own history of tough love meets the complex realities faced by today's youth, prompting discussions on fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and instilling life skills in the young people we guide. We don't just reminisce about early job experiences, like my first gig at 11; we look at how these foundations have shaped our approaches to nurturing the next generation.
Rounding off this stirring episode, we tackle the critical issue of financial literacy and its key role in community empowerment. Personal tales of wading through debt and mastering credit underscore our commitment to breaking the cycle for future generations. As we pledge to drive change and create economic prospects within our communities, from food trucks to other ventures, the conversation turns to the actions that speak louder than words. Join us for a meaningful discourse that promises to ignite a flame of hope and strategy for those striving to make a mark beyond the digital world.
Follow Allen C. Jackson - @2cupschronicles
Give me one for the wake up. I'm so grateful For another day to help stimulate the mental Time to strategize. Huddle up where's your sickle. I can feel the moment radiate through the convo. Talk is cheap. Turn your faith into work. I drink my second cup and put my hands in the dirt. Two cups drinking straight drip from the earth. Caffeinated conversation. You heard him here first. One fuck the wake up. One fuck the wake up. Two. Two fuck the work. Caffeinated conversations. You heard him here first. Welcome back to two cups cafe where I'm your host, alan C Jackson, and who I have coming through for a high-quality caffeinated conversation today is none other than Corvez Braswell. How you doing my brother Okay and yourself Doing well, man, I just appreciate you coming out. Man having a conversation with me today. Man, I had an opportunity to get to meet you. We both in the same caregiver space. Man, if you don't mind, just giving my viewers and listeners a little background on yourself, my name is Corvez Braswell.
Speaker 2:I'm 48 years old. I currently work for Skyfall Residential Home under my cousin, antonisha Fagan. I've been open since December 23rd 2022.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:My cousin came up with the idea she's running a girls' group home, okay, and she just came to me one day and said man, look, man, I think you'll be good doing a boys' group home, what you think. We had a few conversations over breakfast and she gave me the play and told me what I needed to do and every task that she told me that I needed to do in order to open up every time I complete something. I bring it to her, and we just knocked it out like that. So what was?
Speaker 1:the initial like when she came to you and said she thought you'd be good at doing it, like what initially resonated within you. That was like. You know what? I want to give it a try.
Speaker 2:Just, you know I got nephews and I got, you know, kids myself. So when she initially seen it, just the father that I am and you know how I raised my kids and you know how I raised my nephews and you know their friends who come to me for advice or you know everybody call me up. You know, like all my nephew friends and just that in general, just things that I stood know um. You know helping, helping kids and everything for sure.
Speaker 1:So I know you came up in the city man, like I know, when I started doing um, caring for young men, it was just so easy for me as a transition because I saw, like my friends, like in the same kids that you know I was trying to help, or I saw myself a lot of times Like how did that resonate with you when you came up, because we about the same age. So you came up in late 80s, early 90s yes, I guess pretty much the same.
Speaker 2:you know, like I told you before, you know I used to gang bang and when I was 19, I became Muslim and so at that point my life changed because it wasn't religion, it was more of a way of life and, you know, sculpture me to be the man that I am now. So a lot of things that I learned along the way and how to carry myself as a man and these things that I passed down with my sons, you know, my nephews and any men or young men that was around me. You know I pretty much installed them. Same values in them.
Speaker 1:Okay, How'd you get you say you was 19. How'd you get introduced to your faith?
Speaker 2:D Angelo D, One of my friends, D'Angelo D. Rest in peace, Booby. He was in this program called YouthBuild.
Speaker 2:Rob Markman yeah, YouthBuild, I'm familiar with that D Angelo D yeah, he was in YouthBuild and Mr Alameen was the teacher over there. Okay, and so you know, we went. He was like hey, man, one of my teachers is a Muslim guy man, you know, he want me to come to one of their Friday prayers. Okay, so I'm like all right, I'll roll with you. So we went One Friday prayer, like cool. He was like we're going to go back next week, like cool. It was like, uh, we'll go back next week. I'm like all right, cool. So next week we went we did this for like three weeks in a row.
Speaker 2:And uh, my cousin, you know he is muslim and I was telling him. I said, man, you know, I want to tell you a little muslim thing, man, you know it's pretty cool. So he was like, oh, you ain't, you ain't come to ours. Um, I was like, yeah, I went over here. He was like, no, we out here. So I end up going out there to their thing. You know, my partner, you know he went back to the streets, you know doing him.
Speaker 2:So it was like you know, but I was interested in it. So, you know, I started hanging out with my cousin. I started hanging out with my cousin, One of my mentors, Mustafa Rahimullah. He passed away, but I go with him to the prayer and just hanging out with him, Mustafa Rahimullah he took me under his wing. We'd be doing little odd jobs cutting grass, fixing on houses, painting, whatever it was to make a legal lifestyle. Rob Markman.
Speaker 2:Yeah making a lot of money. Yeah, honest dollar. We was doing it. So when you know I was with this guy, you know it was like a big brother father figure. You know what I'm saying. He took me up under his wing and you know, it was like all the bad things that I was doing, you know it was, you know, or backslide back into the streets, because you know he kept me right up under his wing and you know, and it was like something that I enjoyed doing you know, so, and you know, as I got to growing in the religion, you know it was like man, you know it was like it's not just like a religion, it's like a way of life, everything from the way that you use the bathroom, the way that you pray, everything.
Speaker 2:So it's like a lifestyle. Rob Markman, that's powerful man.
Speaker 1:I say that from the standpoint of being young and the curiosity. But then the curiosity brought you to the discipline you know and then having a male, and then it made so much sense, like from the work that you're doing now, like you to know if somebody spend enough time together and have on some structure, some discipline, like you say, something legal to do, like your heart is going to get soft to the point to where you'll begin to being able to see that no, there is another way, outside of the negativity. Man.
Speaker 2:And don't get me wrong, you know we still get caught up in, you know the negativity, but it's more of a conscious now. It's like man I'm doing this, but man, I'm tripping. You know what I'm saying. It's like man I'm tripping, you know because now you know it's like. You know it's like how people know right from wrong and you know, just being brought up in inner city, you know always the wrong way was always the right way for us and the right way was always the wrong way because the right way. You know we got there, but it took us a little bit longer to get there, exactly.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, it's powerful man, because I know I didn't even know we had similar backstories even in that, because you know the negativity and things I had got involved in, mine was different. You know I had became a Christian, but it was more so out of curiosity, the same way, and then my good friend kind of walked me through you know, the steps and the discipline and the life, Like you said, it was a lifestyle and I found myself not, if I'm doing this, I can't be doing that, and that was like the same thing. So, man, that was powerful. I know you said you went to YouthBuild. That was awesome. No, you said, your friend, you was in YouthBuild.
Speaker 2:No, my friend was in YouthBuild.
Speaker 1:Your friend was in YouthBuild. That was that's an awesome program. My boy, dave Gans they call him DG he went through Youth Build.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, dave. Yeah, in Atlanta, dorica Hudson, yep, yep, yep, that was my guy.
Speaker 1:So yeah, he was talking about. He was always talking about man when I was in Youth Build man and you know he wound up getting his GED turned his life around man.
Speaker 2:Yep, I remember Dave. You know his wife and my best friend. You might know my best friend she's saying a lot also Nicole Newsome.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah, that's like my best friend, we've been friends ever since freshman year of high school.
Speaker 1:Oh man, small world, yeah, yeah, for sure. Speaking of Dave's wife, her aunt, miss Trevor Black, she got me. I mean, I ain't had no direction. My best friend, gus, had passed away. You know, my senior year I stopped going to school for like a month. This lady checked on me. We had a job I mean a class called Jobs for Ohio Graduates and I'm trying to tell you I barely got out of high school after that. But she stayed on me. She would call me, she would check on me, she would call me, she would check on me. And when we graduated she wound up turning my name in and I was able to get a job at Jeep at like 18 years old, and that was like my first like God had put her in my life. That was my first positive, real positive thing. Like my mom was like son, please don't mess that job. So I did a lot of stuff. I was like I got, I work second shift, so it was okay.
Speaker 1:But, I was like I got to get to work by 4 o'clock, no matter what I'm doing or what I did when I got off work, I just held on to that man for dear life and I wound up meeting my wife at the factory man and we started a family and you know, the rest is kind of history. But just them positive people in your life when you're young, if you have an ear to hear man, you're going to hear something that's going to put you on the right path, man, and that's beautiful. So tell me a little bit about have you always been? I know you said that everybody called you Unc and you worked with kids in the neighborhood, but was there a desire to start a formal program for you before you started doing the group home?
Speaker 2:Honestly, I would say no, it was nothing. It was just because everything came genuinely. You know what I'm saying. So it wasn't like oh, I can do this and I can do this. It's just like somebody there, I just give them the game. You know what I'm saying. So it wasn't like oh, I can do this and I can do this.
Speaker 1:It's just like somebody there, I just give them the game.
Speaker 2:So when she came to me with the opportunity, I'm like, all right, cool. I didn't think of it how it is now, so it was just like just do what I do. Naturally, rob Markman, yeah for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1:I mean I started mentoring. It was a program years ago called Covenant Youth Development and my brother and my friend, they were working there but they was like, hey, come on, let's mentor some kids. They was in college at the time and I was, you know, I was just, I was working in the factory or whatnot. So I was like, all right, kind of like one of them things. So I would go for a couple hours, maybe three, four hours on a Saturday, man, and it was a court, court ordered juvenile program and you just spend time with the kids. Back then, you know, we used to go hoop and run and do all types of physical activities with the kids and that was like my first real formal introduction into doing youth work and, man, it just stuck with me.
Speaker 1:So I got my start actually from caring for individuals, though formerly with I worked with adults with developmental disability.
Speaker 1:I did that, man, for probably like three or four years and I believe to this day that that's one of the things that helped me, like with my temperament and my approach with my young guys, because you got an adult with developmental disabilities, no matter like he might do something, 20 times the right way. And then that 21st time he might just be be like forgot how to do it and you can get frustrated like man, I just saw you do this yesterday and why you can't do this and do that. But then I had to understand like what it was like no, this guy might be able to do something, sometimes he will, sometimes he won't. I had a guy every morning you gotta tell him, remind him, you gotta wipe the milk up after you eat your bowl of cereal. You would think after doing that for six months straight he might get it. But if something's going on that he can't get it, then you had to be patient. So I think that helps me a lot with juveniles.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got a 13-year-old. I got to do that every day, yeah, so you know. Again, we got similar backgrounds because my mom, you know, she has an agency for individuals with special needs. You know, and that's like my background too. You know, I've been doing that for, like you know, 15 years. You know, I still work on the back end with her. You know I work applying for her clients and everything you know, going on interviews with the caseworkers, Like the provider fairs and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, that's awesome. So you already know like working with that population you have to be kind and understanding. You know, and that's the biggest thing, because when we came up it was kind of like everybody was like you should know better, you should do this, you should do that, and you know it was like hard line, hard discipline. If you didn't do it that's because you didn't want to do it. But then I found out, you know, just from learning more these days. I know it can be manipulated sometimes, but different traumas that people go through, you got to give them a little extra grace, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because a lot of times like don't know you personally, but me personally, you know I didn't come up in a household being abused, or you know none of the traumas that the boys that we have in our group home go through, so it's something that I couldn't relate to. Okay, because when I go out hustling, shoveling snow or cutting grass or carrying groceries, pumping gas, I came home my money was my money. My mom didn't take my money. You know what I'm saying. So a lot of these kids you know they brought up on tough love, which we was brought up on tough love, but it was a different kind of tough love.
Speaker 1:Okay, no, I see what you're saying. So we had tough love, but it was directed somewhere. They might have tough love the way it's just tough.
Speaker 2:It's physical, physical tough love yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like when I started my own family, I had all girls, so I had four daughters right.
Speaker 1:So three of them are adults now I got an 11-year-old. She's about to be 12. But it's so different dealing with young men than it was with my young ladies. But you know, they made their mistakes too and they continue to sometimes. But my approach it was like man with a boy. It was just so different. But they cling to you in a different type of way though, like when the ones that really looking for an adult figure and I had to watch myself because sometimes I could be tough on them, because I got my first job when I was 11.
Speaker 1:I worked at a waffleaffle House under the table bussing tables. So I understood. I got tough love from my grandfather. He was like man. He sat me down, showed me all the bills, what the grocery bill was. Back then they had the little checkbook log and they had to manually write everything out. He was like hey, man, you had to get a job. I'm thinking like man, ain't nobody going to hire me. I'm 11 years old man. My grandmother found this old guy. She was Catholic. We went to the Catholic church. I was in the Catholic grade school. She found a guy, said my grandson needs a job because I got my friend. We're on a restaurant I'm thinking like, oh, this was coming together all quick. I'm like what's going?
Speaker 2:on. I'm like let's set up.
Speaker 1:So she took me over there. Man, the guy talked to me in the back room Next thing. You know, the next weekend, man I was working I'm talking about not like hey, little guy coming, like no, get that table clear, wipe it off. They could smoke back then in the restaurant. It was choking. I remember them days, all of that. So my first job, man, I got man, I was making $3.33 an hour. Man, it was under the table, but the dude was so shrewd man he still figured the taxes out and take them from me. He still took my taxes out and handed me the cash like what was left over. Man, I did that for like two years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my first job was Sears. I worked there in the stock room and I can remember when I got my first check I already had my hours calculated. This is what I'm getting.
Speaker 1:Man, I got that check and they took them taxes out.
Speaker 2:Man, I cried, man I cried man, I ain't going to lie. I cried. I asked my mom, like man, why is he taking this off? She's like taxes, uncle Sam.
Speaker 1:I was like man I don't owe him nothing, I worked for that man, uncle Sam, I was like man.
Speaker 2:I don't owe him nothing. I worked for that man. I was pissed. You know what I'm saying? I cried, hey, I ain't had no understanding of that For sure.
Speaker 1:For sure. So since before the group, I know we had spoke a little bit before, I know you had Send my Trace.
Speaker 2:You have any other entrepreneur endeavors that you did coming up? Oh man, I I tried just about everything, man, and you know um. You know, one thing I ain't afraid to do is um bet on myself. I heard that you know um, I had um three different landscaping, um, well, not landscaping, lawn care businesses.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:You know um. You know, I did trucking two times in a row. Okay, had a party bus.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then the Groupon thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we kind of same vein man. I remember I don't man, they used to sell burritos at work man. Back when they had burnt CDs. They used to make little movies. Man, I always wanted more than one stream of income, and that's one thing about me, even with some of the other stuff I do. I'm interested in coffee. I was complimenting you on your beard one day. I said, man, you got your own oil Because I was looking to develop an oil and some other stuff.
Speaker 2:So the one day. So not today because it looked kind of scrunchy.
Speaker 1:I was like man, a little beard envy going on. The one I'm like man, brother, beard is luscious.
Speaker 2:But you know what, though, man and that's another thing In Islam the men are supposed to grow their beards. So me coming in at 19 and having facial hair, so I was like 19 with a beard, and you know it wasn't popular then, you know what I'm saying. So you talking 95, you know dude walking around with a full beard. You know people looking like?
Speaker 1:Right Back, then you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:So now it's the end thing. You know, everybody got it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, being bald and bearded is all right now, yeah, got it. So, yeah, being bald and bearded is all right. Yeah, for sure. Oh, man, that's what's up, man. So, um, what type of things? Like you try, I know you, you instill work ethic into your boys, but what's what's type of things you like to do with them to kind of expand their minds?
Speaker 2:you know, right now I got it. I got kind of a mixed group, okay, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:So, um, right now I just get a feel for them and like some of their interests is okay you know, because you know some like to go to urban air, some don't even like to go to urban air, some like to go play basketball, some don't like to play basketball. So, um, we just um, just last week I just had them going there. There everybody pick letter. You know I had A and B, you know I got six boys now so I had them pick A and B, so I got the B group, the A group. So it's not like I put you guys together, I put you guys together. So now when we have two staff, you know you take group A, you take group B, you know and just do things. But it's kind of hard because you got some people and like right now my house, like I said, is blended. I got three kids, three boys there and three of them they got autism. Okay, and it's different levels of the autism.
Speaker 1:So it's not the same. So there's sensories and all the different things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you know, but they high functioning, so it's not like they just sitting there staring at the wall. They talking everything, so it was like trying to find things that catch their interest. You know the common thing everybody like to park. So we go to the park.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's beautiful.
Speaker 2:You know we go to Dave and Buster's. You know One of them. I've been telling my middle son that I don't take him fishing ever since he was like five years old.
Speaker 1:He's 13,.
Speaker 2:So eventually I'll have to get some fishing poles and go fishing.
Speaker 1:My little brother loves fishing, man, I mean, we take some of my boys all the time. I say this from my audience and everybody. I don't mind fishing, but I don't like taking them off the hook, rob Markman, me and you both.
Speaker 2:I got to get gloves, everything I can put the worm on the hook, everything.
Speaker 1:I'll be out there hoping I don't catch nothing.
Speaker 2:That's it, I think, what got me. One time I was trying to take a catfish off and the little fin poked me, and ever since then I'm like man look if they swallow the hook.
Speaker 1:I'm just clipping that boy.
Speaker 2:I ain't even fooling with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think going fishing, getting the guys outdoors, first started like doing group home. So I'm talking about I started like about 12, 13 years ago and it's been such a big shift because back then it wasn't like all the online gaming. They, boys, still had to. They had a cell phone. It was the one. You had to hit the button three times or send a letter on the text, you know, like that. So they had. They might've had some minutes, but it wasn't the same. Now these kids are so connected to the wifi or to their phone. They don't want to go outside. They want to have their own little world right in that box. I'm like, no, you got to get out and experience life.
Speaker 2:Rob Markman. Yeah, and a lot of times and I see that with my middle son and I'm always on them, but as coming up, you know that was like the babysitter, you know what. I'm saying here, go play on that tablet. You ain't even got to worry about him bothering you for six hours. You know what I'm saying? You realize? Eight hours and went by like oh I ain't even fed him yet Let me hey you hungry.
Speaker 2:Rob Markman, right, you know what I'm saying. So it's like you Like the technology. Yeah, it then came in and it kind of got everybody, even with me. I was sitting up there just recently realized how bad my eyes is. Man, I'm looking, trying to see stuff and can't see. And I'm like man. It's these dang phones, man, keep them up to your face man and it's messing up old phones, man, keep them up to your face, man, and it's messing up your eyes, man, you know.
Speaker 1:so I just got like these glasses. You know they can't, you know, tell. But the last time I went to the eye doctor the lady asked me do you want this, do you want that? You know these type of lenses. Then she was like, sir, you know, time for you to order some transitional frame. I'm thinking like, all right, that's cool, you talking about the ones you go outside and it get dark and it get light. She's like no, you need a slight bifocal. And I'm like no, I can see it. But then she showed me and I was like I just went ahead, broke down and did it. Man, now I can tell when I don't use them.
Speaker 2:Man, you know, one of the funniest things ever, man. I remember I got this Lego thing for my son for his Xbox, okay, and I'm sitting up there trying to put it together, and I'm sitting up there with the box and I'm so used to technology I'm trying to read and I couldn't see it. And I did this with the box, tried to enlarge the box. I said what the hell? He trying to make it bigger?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's funny man, that's funny. So it's Two Cups Cafe man. I came up with Two Cups because I just noticed I started using it as a philosophy for life. The first cup what wakes you up in the morning, what's inspiring you, what's getting your juices going? When I was younger I used to just wake up and work, just get to work. I didn't have that time or just reflection. I know you're a man of faith, so you know you have your time, your prayers and stuff like that, but what inspires you, like what's waking you up in the morning? And then the second cup by the time I get to that, that's my work, like what steps am I taking to implement it or what is driving me to get the job done?
Speaker 2:You know, I think you know when I, like you, said man of faith. So when I wake up, first thing I do make my prayer. You know, like our prayer come in at four or something in the morning. So you know we got certain times that we got to pray. So you know we got certain times that we got to pray. So you know I'm starting my day off you know, worshiping my Lord.
Speaker 2:You know I get up, you know, and what's driving me is to have something for my kids, you know, to leave something behind and you know, just let them see. You know the man that I am and you know, hopefully am and hopefully some of me rub off on them. And I don't know if I told you I always use this thing. I look at life like basketball or football. I know I'm past halftime, you know the halftime bell and ring. I don't know if I'm in the third quarter or the fourth quarter. Okay, you know what I'm saying. So it's like um, you gotta, at this point in life, you gotta make everything count. You know, you gotta. Um, you know I, I tell my son all the time like dude, you know.
Speaker 2:Know, man, I'm telling you everything, man, and you know it's so hard for kids who have dads. You know what I'm saying. You know because I told him. I said man, you don't respect that, you have me as a dad. I said because I'm always there, I've always been there. You know what I'm saying. It's going to take for me to die for you to respect that, because right now you live in life. You're like all right, my dad got me. You know what I'm saying. He's going to yell, but he's going to hold me down. If I need this, he's going to be there and it's like one of them things, man, even with the boys in the group when they come in, I sit know.
Speaker 2:I let them know exactly who I am. You know what I'm saying? I don't sugarcoat anything you know, and I let them know what I expect. And you know, me and Ewan had similar youths.
Speaker 2:And you know, we had that conversation where I can deal with somebody you know having a behavior with my kids with autism. I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is disrespect, because I tell them. Once I let another man come in my house and say what he gonna do and what he ain't gonna do, at that point this is his house. Right, you know. It's not my house. You know. I know I got off track no, I'm with you, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:But you, you know, like the kids there, whether they black, whether they white, you know, whatever the case may be, you know what I'm saying. I accept them for who they are.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you know and I try to help them individually you know what it is that they're going through.
Speaker 1:Yes, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:You know I had a guy, you know, just trying to test me and see how I can. You know it came through he was homosexual you know what I'm saying, so it was like ah man, I don't know if I can do that you know what I'm saying, and I was like I'm fighting myself. Then I said, man, you know what, if a person need help, I got to be able to help them, regardless of what it is.
Speaker 2:So I said I'm going to go and I'm going to accept them and you know, and I'll try to help them. You know I don't look past. You know his preference. You know, so when he came, I was transparent with him. I said you know, originally I wasn't long as you're not forcing, they don't know other kids here or you're not um, you know walking around here um you know, you know advertising.
Speaker 2:I said man, you know we don't just, you know we don't just rock and roll. You know he end up um emancipating out. And you know it was like no problem. Like you, he had a little boyfriend like come and pick you up, all right, hey, as long as y'all ain't sitting on the porch holding hands and kissing and making nobody else feel uncomfortable, then that's what it is. But on the flip side, even if a boy had a girlfriend, you know, no sitting on a porch, making nobody feel uncomfortable.
Speaker 1:Same way, I think, probably that young man, man, the authenticity man and the transparency that you gave him, man, that's probably. That's all. Like you said, the respect and just being authentic man, people got to respect that, like you know, I don't agree with you. Know the lifestyles of you know because the way we come, you know in our faith, we, you know Christians, we believe I believe in you know getting married before sex and I know a lot of my young boys.
Speaker 1:they not doing that, you know. So, like you said, like there's certain boundaries and parameters that we try to instill in them and they decide to do other things, you know the only thing we could do is show them that unconditional love, but not to be manipulated in the long run.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and also being consistent yeah, and you know, I tell them I'm strict, but I'm fair. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, I let you know, but I'm fair. You know what? I'm strict, but I'm fair. You know what I'm saying, I let you know, but I'm fair.
Speaker 2:You know, what I'm saying. If it's, you know, whether it's this person or that person, whatever goes for him goes for you. And when I originally started the group home, you know I had my son standing there with me and you know, and I seen, with the boys coming in, boys coming in, him not doing what he's supposed to do, and I'm like, dude, you've been around me 12 years at this point. You've been around me 12 years. You know what I expect and what I don't expect. So I got to be 10 times harder on you because the first thing they're going to say, well, he let his son do this, he let his son do that. And I'm like man, you make my job 10 times harder because I can't punish them for not cleaning their room. If your room looking like this, I can't punish them. If I got to tell you to jump in the shower five times and you not jumping in the shower, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I mean, you're working against me by young teenage boys, man. They don't hard for them to get in that water, man.
Speaker 2:I ain't had cats. Man go in there and run in the water and just stand outside the shower and come out drier than they did, going in there Like, come on, man, your hair ain't even wet, right? I don't know what that is, man, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, man, I'd love to take a shot Smash. Oh man, this has been a great conversation. Man, I know just talking with you. Man, like I said, we recently really connected, actually, just from knowing some individuals that we both care for and just kind of collaborating and getting to know each other man, and I just appreciate, man, you coming out and drinking some coffee with me, man, just spending some time. Um, this is definitely not going to be the last time we we sit down and break bread. I'm interested in and your friend man, uh, that has the, we say get the coffee from indonesia yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotta get some of that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, he, um. Actually he was supposed to come down here yesterday but I got so busy and never um got a chance to respond to his texts. But you did ask. You said I don't know if we over time.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, we good.
Speaker 2:You said you had asked also like where do I see it going?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know. So to answer that, eventually I want to create the group home where I'm at, you know, to target a certain age you know what I'm saying, instead of having you know kids there without you know um to where they have nothing in um in common.
Speaker 2:And, like I was talking to you, I think we had had a conversation and you know one of my ideals, you know, for me, you, anybody who got a group home, if we can, you know, just get. You know, if we get the age group 14 and a half to 18, at that point they can work. So you know, we get it and we promote it. As you know, a job placement, group home, you know what I'm saying. We go to the little neighborhood McDonald's, wendy's, burger King, and say, hey, look, you know I'm Mr Jackson, I'm Mr Braswell, we got group homes.
Speaker 2:You know, at-risk youth, you know, if they come in here and fill out an application, we can let you know that we have get them here to work you know and just build a relationship with different businesses and so now when these kids come they're able to make them some money, and if we can get everybody working, hey, that cut down on second shift staff.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying About six hours at least.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah you know what I'm saying. But just give them opportunity to make their own money and you know, and it be a job placement. And then you know, even if it's, you know, like teaching financial literacy. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, 100%, you know. And by the time they turn 18, you know, have them, you know, to the point to where they got a secure credit card and they can buy their own house and different things, and just give them the game that I know, growing up I didn't Because as soon as I turned 18, it was like what I got, this Swipe.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying? Rob Markman, Jr man Lacey, Let me tell you something real funny.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you get back to it, but real funny. My first time, man, I applied for a credit card at Radio Shack. They gave me $750. I spent it all that day, Never opened the envelope. When the bill came, Like it was just going to go away or something Like, I got them, man. Those guys garnished my check man about two years later I got their money and about doubled it.
Speaker 2:Hey man, look, it be like that, because once somebody say, hey, you can have this, you're like all right, shoot, I'll figure it out later.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:And the hardest thing in the world to do is give up some money that you already spent. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yep, because I know that's interesting, the financial literacy. I didn't have it. All I wanted to know when I was 18, 19, when I had a decent job was what's the payment? I didn't ask about the interest rate? I didn't ask about. I always wondered. When I first started getting cars, they'd bring me out three of them.
Speaker 1:like you could have one of these, I was just like ah, okay, but I didn't realize, like man, I was paying more for them used cars than somebody that was driving a brand new car with decent credit. Man, it was crazy.
Speaker 2:Hey, look, I remember at one point, man, I was working three jobs. Three jobs and credit was shot. You know what I'm saying. And it's like that's a hurtful feeling, man, to go somewhere and you try to get something. You know what I'm saying the only thing I was able to get was a library card.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. I mean, nobody was messing with me. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:I'm like man, look I got three jobs. I got three.
Speaker 1:Right, you know, man Chicks duh.
Speaker 2:Man and you know, and I can remember going to the car lot and they, like you said, they taking me and showing me what I can get you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Not what you want, not what I want.
Speaker 2:So once on credit got up there and I went to that car lot.
Speaker 1:It was a whole different ballgame. You know, I'm walking around with my chest out like man.
Speaker 2:Don't show me no white cars, man look when I started my trucking business I went and got a dually from Dodge's place, so like a 350? Yeah, Dodge 350. I mean 3,500.
Speaker 1:3,500, okay.
Speaker 2:And I did the car hauler so that was going well for me. So I'm like when I went in there, they like all right, they gave me this and it was like you get free, free oil changes, and you know. I'm like all right, cool. So the next time, like business was booming, so I'm like all right, I'm going to give me a 5,500.
Speaker 1:So that way I can get a five car hauler.
Speaker 2:So I go get the 5,500. So I go in there and dude, he was like I was like we doing all the paperwork and everything. So I'm like, oh, you ain't say nothing about the free oil changes. He was like, oh no, this is more commercial, so they don't do the oil changes. I said huh, he was like no, we don't do it. I said, man, tell them I want the three oil changes. It's like I ain't going to do it.
Speaker 1:I said well, look, I ain't going to sign it, I'll walk away. If you don't give me my three oil changes, I'm walking away.
Speaker 2:So he's like ah dang. I said man, all right, Well, I'm cool, he come back. They give me the three oil changes, Never even used them, Never even used them.
Speaker 1:But it was just like you know, just the credit is leveraged man.
Speaker 2:When you can just sign and go, man, that's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 1:For sure, like I said, we're in the same city, man. We can sit down and talk about those job, work opportunities and the business owners. I don't know, maybe you might have to get us a food truck or something, or I got some other things that guys could do. Sometimes we may have to create some businesses and put some people in place that we might not run them.
Speaker 1:But yeah put some good people in place that they might need some help getting something started. Now they got a work crew and a little bit of extra help.
Speaker 2:You know yeah, no doubt you know, um, because, like I said, um, just with these cats, man, man, just like you said that you was working since you was 11. I was working ever since. Pick would let you on work.
Speaker 2:I was working for Pick and, like I said, man, I got a good mom to where she allowed me to have my money for me. So, that being said, when I was working my Pick jobs, I was saving my money and I was going to buy my own school clothes. I remember one time, me and my friend Ed, his mom, they took us to Detroit, so I got all my money and I'm just going this when IOU and all that was out.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to get these colored jeans.
Speaker 2:Bam I'm going to get home. Man, I ain't tried on nothing.
Speaker 1:I just like the man when.
Speaker 2:I get home, man, I ain't try it on nothing, I just like the color man.
Speaker 1:They learn a lesson. Yeah, definitely, oh, man, that's powerful, but shoot, man, I'm going to hold you too long, man, but we can definitely be building offline, man, and I'd like to just say once again, I appreciate you coming. I like to talk to people. That's about doing something. It's easy to point out the problems, but what can we do to take whatever little steps we can to help change our community and change people's lives? We deal with. So, before I sign out of here, man, anything you want to say in the last words.
Speaker 2:Man just keep doing what we're doing man.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, all right. Thanks again everybody for joining us. Like subscribe? Share the page. You know I'm always looking for new subscribers and also available everywhere that podcasts are available for the audio. Until next time, it's your man 2 Cups.