Welcome to another episode of “Breakfast of Choices”. Today, I sit down with my long time friend, Dr. Markus Smith, a remarkable individual with an incredible journey from adversity to success. Dr. Markus, born in Japan and moving to Oklahoma as a child, shares his experiences growing up in a rough neighborhood on the east side of Oklahoma City. His childhood was marked by gang violence, racial tensions, and financial struggles, which shaped his early years and influenced his life's trajectory.
In our conversation, Dr. Markus vividly recounts his early life, describing how his parents struggled to make ends meet and how gang members became like a second family to him. Despite the harsh environment, he found a sense of belonging on the east side of town, even amidst the violence and poverty. He opens up about his battles with running the streets, addictions, becoming a father at 20, and the impact of his daughter moving to Colorado due to his immature behavior.
Dr. Markus' story takes a significant turn when he decides to change his life, realizing the need for a better future for his daughter. With the support of his mother and mentor, Dr. Markus pursued higher education, completed his first master's degree, and started his teaching career at UCO. His dedication and focus were further fueled by his passion for martial arts, which kept him motivated and disciplined. His journey from street life to academia highlights the true power of mentorship and education.
Dr. Markus and I share our perspectives on personal growth and living authentically throughout our discussion. We emphasize the importance of mindset shifts, and allowing the universe to guide us towards happiness and success. His resilience and dedication to making a positive impact are a testament to the potential for transformation, and I am honored to share his story with you all.
Dr. Markus Smith - Best Selling Author-Book:
Journey Through The Hoods
From Rock Bottom to Rock Solid.
We all have them...every single day, we wake up, we have the chance to make new choices.
We have the power to make our own daily, "Breakfast of Choices"
Resources and ways to connect:
Facebook: Jo Summers
Instagram: @Summersjol
Facebook Support: Chance For Change Women’s circle
National suicide prevention and crisis, hotline number 988
National domestic violence hotline:
800–799–7233
National hotline for substance abuse, and addiction:
844–289–0879
National mental health hotline:
866–903–3787
National child health and child abuse hotline:
800–422–4454
CoDa.org
12. Step recovery program for codependency.
Welcome to another episode of “Breakfast of Choices”. Today, I sit down with my long time friend, Dr. Markus Smith, a remarkable individual with an incredible journey from adversity to success. Dr. Markus, born in Japan and moving to Oklahoma as a child, shares his experiences growing up in a rough neighborhood on the east side of Oklahoma City. His childhood was marked by gang violence, racial tensions, and financial struggles, which shaped his early years and influenced his life's trajectory.
In our conversation, Dr. Markus vividly recounts his early life, describing how his parents struggled to make ends meet and how gang members became like a second family to him. Despite the harsh environment, he found a sense of belonging on the east side of town, even amidst the violence and poverty. He opens up about his battles with running the streets, addictions, becoming a father at 20, and the impact of his daughter moving to Colorado due to his immature behavior.
Dr. Markus' story takes a significant turn when he decides to change his life, realizing the need for a better future for his daughter. With the support of his mother and mentor, Dr. Markus pursued higher education, completed his first master's degree, and started his teaching career at UCO. His dedication and focus were further fueled by his passion for martial arts, which kept him motivated and disciplined. His journey from street life to academia highlights the true power of mentorship and education.
Dr. Markus and I share our perspectives on personal growth and living authentically throughout our discussion. We emphasize the importance of mindset shifts, and allowing the universe to guide us towards happiness and success. His resilience and dedication to making a positive impact are a testament to the potential for transformation, and I am honored to share his story with you all.
Dr. Markus Smith - Best Selling Author-Book:
Journey Through The Hoods
From Rock Bottom to Rock Solid.
We all have them...every single day, we wake up, we have the chance to make new choices.
We have the power to make our own daily, "Breakfast of Choices"
Resources and ways to connect:
Facebook: Jo Summers
Instagram: @Summersjol
Facebook Support: Chance For Change Women’s circle
National suicide prevention and crisis, hotline number 988
National domestic violence hotline:
800–799–7233
National hotline for substance abuse, and addiction:
844–289–0879
National mental health hotline:
866–903–3787
National child health and child abuse hotline:
800–422–4454
CoDa.org
12. Step recovery program for codependency.
Welcome to Breakfast of Choices, the weekly podcast that shares life stories of transformation. Each episode holds space for people to tell their true, raw and unedited story of overcoming intense adversity from addiction and incarceration, mental illness, physical and emotional abuse, domestic violence, toxic families, codependency and more. Trauma comes in so many forms. I'm your host, jo Summers, and also someone who hit my lowest point before realizing that I could wake up every day and make a better choice, even if it was a small one. So let's dive into this week's story together to learn from and find hope through someone's journey from rock bottom to rock solid, because I really do believe you have a new chance every day to wake up and make a change, to create your own. Breakfast of Choices. Good morning, welcome to Breakfast of Choices life stories of transformation from rock bottom to rock solid.
Speaker 2:I am your host, jo Summers and I have here with me today a longtime friend and might as well just say fam. We've known each other about 20 years. His name is Dr Marcus Smith. I am so excited to have Marcus with me today. Marcus is, he's just a phenomenal human. He's a motivational speaker. He's a college professor. He's a realtor. He's a motivational speaker. He's a college professor. He's a realtor. He's a best-selling author. He's a philanthropist. Marcus has given back before he had anything to give back.
Speaker 2:Marcus's book is his memoir Journey Through the Hoods. It's from poverty to PhD, to million-dollar real estate agent. You know his book is to inspire, motivate, empower others and to remind us that the past does not have to determine the future, which is exactly the whole premise of the podcast going from rock bottom to rock solid. And it seems like, looking at everything Marcus has done, that everything he touches turns to gold. But the truth is it's because he has a heart of gold and he leads with his heart in everything that he does.
Speaker 2:I am so excited for you to hear Marcus's journey today and just fall in love with him, just like I have. Thank you so much for being here, marcus. I am so happy to have you today when we met at Anytime Fitness. I was running Anytime Fitness Centers and Marcus was a member and he was doing some pretty crazy stuff working out. So I got to be honest, I was staring at him through the glass, sometimes going what is he doing out there? Pretty awesome stuff, so super excited to have you today. What is he doing out there? Pretty awesome stuff, so super excited to have you today. Marcus, how are you doing?
Speaker 3:I'm good. I'm good. Thanks for having me. Yeah, I'm glad you are. I can't believe it's been yeah 2007. Wow, yeah, right.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:I see, time flies Wow.
Speaker 2:I know we were just talking about have done and how the years keep going, but with that that's getting close to 20 years ago, right Wow. Now you know why I had to put my glasses on right. I was old then, not at all oh goodness. So tell me a little bit about I know you grew up here in Oklahoma City.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was born in Tachikawa, japan, or Yokota Air Force Base in Japan in 1971. My dad was in the Air Force where he met my mother Japanese mother and then we moved here. Let me think I was born in 71. I believe we moved to Oklahoma 73, 74. I was three, you know, two or three years old when we moved here and I mean I'll be 53 this year. So you know Oklahoma's home, it's all I've ever known. So yeah, yeah, wow.
Speaker 2:So what was it like for you? What part of town did you grow up in, and what was it like for you.
Speaker 3:I grew up on the east side, or what they call the hood, the northeast Oklahoma City. I grew up over off of like 4th and Lottie 2nd and Lincoln Boulevard, like it was. Man, the first neighborhood we moved into was the Carverdale neighborhood, which is right across the street from Douglas, and it was, I mean it was a rough neighborhood then and it's I mean unfortunately a rough neighborhood then and it's I mean unfortunately it's still. It's still a pretty rough neighborhood now, but I mean it was. It was really kind of the only areas neighborhoods you know, that my parents could afford.
Speaker 3:You know, when we moved here to Oklahoma, which is where my, the majority of my dad's family and friends were, were here, which is cause I get that often, you know, asked often why don't you guys move to Oklahoma?
Speaker 3:Of all, you know you go from Japan, oklahoma, why Cause my, yeah, my dad's family, my dad's family, was here. So so, yeah, I remember, you know, growing up in Carverdale and then just, you know, just all the violence over there and the neighborhoods and the break-ins, and I think our house got broken into, oh my gosh, four or five times and I think it was like the fifth time. You know my parents are like this is it, this is enough. And so we moved like maybe a half a mile to the West, which was wasn't any better, but you know it was, it is what it is, you know back then and just grew up I mean just. I mean it was like I, you know it was, it was rough. It was rough. I mean we grew up in poverty, impoverished. I mean my parents struggled in the beginning to get jobs, being being by being interracial marriage because my dad's black, my mom's Japanese, and you're talking the early 70s in the South, in Oklahoma.
Speaker 3:I mean racial tensions were still, was still, they were bad. I don't want to say pretty, yeah, they were bad. I mean I remember, you know, as a young child, you know just the racial slurs you know thrown at my dad. You know the N-word and I mean hell, my mom got a twofold. My mom was even called the N-word and and Jap, and oftentimes you know they were yelling at her to go back home and go bomb another country, you know, referring to Harbor and Japan and all that stuff. So it was, it was rough. It was rough for them. You know, trying to get jobs, you know just, you know in Oklahoma, but I mean they did what they could. I mean they worked and they worked any jobs that they could to try, and you know, just have food on the table, you know just keep the lights on at times, you know, but it was rough, it was my, my childhood was, was was pretty rough growing up, you know.
Speaker 2:So so do you have siblings?
Speaker 3:I do, I have a younger sister, ok, she's. She's two years younger than me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I've known you this long and didn't even know you had a younger sister.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, because I'm 53. Yeah, we're two years apart. Yeah, because I'll be 53. Yeah, we're two years apart. Yeah, because I'll be 53 this year and she'll be, she'll turn 51. And she's local too. She's local. Yeah, she's here. She's here in the city. Maybe I have seen her then and just when you of like you know, like you were saying you know, you may not have known, that was like my biological sister. So my real signing yes, all of that.
Speaker 2:And really she was like just turning 15 back then. Is that crazy.
Speaker 3:She'll be 31 this year. I have to tell you no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Wait, we're 20 years apart. I'm sorry She'll be 33 this year. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:She is gorgeous. Oh, thank you. One darn gorgeous lady. I'm just like. I saw her for the first time in a long time. You know that I came out to dinner and I was like I is just incredible.
Speaker 3:It's so beautiful to watch. It's crazy. Life is just life moves too fast. It really does.
Speaker 2:I know, I know so kind of walk me through from childhood a little bit.
Speaker 3:Okay, so you know, once again, grew up on the East side, oklahoma City, and we grew up. You know, the neighborhoods that I grew up in were some, some of the most kind of, just some of the most violent in terms of like gangs and drugs, and you know there were just violence all around us, you know, at that point in time, which of course made it easy, more susceptible for me to get into running, you know, the streets with gangs and gang members and some of my, you know, some of the best friends and people that I that I hung around, who became kind of second family to me were, were these, you know, were gang members. So childhood, growing up, you know same thing Parents just trying to make ends meet. I mean it was, it was a struggle. I mean it was a struggle. I remember, you know, going and helping my mind. I mentioned, you know, this stuff in the book too. But you know I remember going.
Speaker 3:I was probably four or five years old, remember going and helping my mom clean out these dirty, filthy hotel rooms because that was kind of, you know, the only job that she could get you know at that time. And then I would say, probably through elementary school, middle school. It really wasn't until probably high school where it was really my senior year. It was my senior in high school when my parents because I was getting into, I was just getting into all kinds of trouble running the streets and a lot of my friends and family members who I'd grown up with, you know, were either dead due to gang violence or they were incarcerated dead due to gang violence or they were incarcerated and I was going down that path too, and so it really wasn't until my senior year. I mean, I'm 16, 17 years old, so it wasn't until that time where my parents had finally saved up enough money to move us out of the East side, you know, because their thought was, we've got to get him out of this environment or, you know, he's going to end up like you know friends or family. So they saved up God bless them. They saved up money, but of all places, they moved us to Moore, moore, oklahoma, and a lot of people don't realize this like Moore in the 80s, mid to late 80s was very I mean, well one. It wasn't as developed as it is now, of course, but it was still pretty. There was some racial tension there, I mean it was kind of segregated to. I remember to kind of put it in perspective I remember the first week we moved out to Moore, the Klan had put a note on our door letting us know that they were aware that there was an interracial family that had moved into, you know, the more Mormon area.
Speaker 3:Crazy, I mean it's crazy. It's crazy, but it was. It was. It was pretty bad. I mean it was, you know, going to the gas station, the racial slur, I mean it was, and I hated it.
Speaker 3:I, you know, I said the hell with this, you know, because I'm a senior in high school, so I was driving on my own, I was pretty independent. So I was never, I never stayed at home. I was always, you know, you know where I was at. I was back on the east side. I was my comfort, right. It was like, yeah, I'd rather and it's sad, it's kind of, it's kind of it's kind of weird to think of it this way but the thought process at that time was I'd rather be back in violent neighborhoods being shot at, you know, you know gangs and all that, as opposed to living in more that. I know it sounds crazy, but once again, it was kind of comfort for me.
Speaker 3:So I graduated high school in 89 from Southeast High School. Even though I lived, I was walking distance from Douglas High School because we grew up on the East Side. But it was during that time. Of course, they were trying to integrate the school, so they were taking a bunch of you know the, the black students from the East side and busing them to the South side and so forth. But nevertheless, I graduated from Southeast high school in 89 and my mother demanded I didn't have a choice. She's like you're going to college, you're going to go to OU. And I'm like, man, I'm not trying to go to college, I'm, you know. I mean, you know, I'm still, I'm still running the streets, I'm still. You know, yeah, I'm still doing a bunch of bets, you know, yeah.
Speaker 3:You're like, that's the furthest thing from my mind Correct, correct. But you know, I love my mother. My mother was my heart. She still is. I mean, that's, that's my that, yeah, mania, and cute, I know, right. And so, you know, I didn't want to disappoint her.
Speaker 3:So I went to OU the first semester and I dropped out halfway through because, one, one, I didn't want to be there, but two, I just wasn't prepared. You know, I went through the Oklahoma City public school system and I just was not prepared for the expectations of, you know, the rigor and the work and the accountability and and and all of those things. Yeah, and so I dropped out. My, I failed, no, I dropped out or failed out. Either way, after that first semester I was like I'm done.
Speaker 3:And so for the next, really the next 10 years, yeah, I was in the streets, I was in the streets. I was in the streets partying, drinking, running with gangs doing stupid stuff. And let me think this was at 19, 19 years old. So a year after a year or two, after high school, at 19, I found out that I was gonna be a dad. I was like shit, like, like, like I'm like, and, and it hit me, I'm like, you know, I'm gonna be a father and I'm not even a man yet, you know. And so I was like, oh my god, what am I gonna do? So my daughter was born 20 years old and I was there. You know, me and her mom were together. I mean, I say we were together, I mean I, I, I wasn't the most faithful person, we were never married or anything, and my daughter's mom knew that. You know, I was seeing other girls and you know just, I mean, I'm 20 years old, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah daughter was three and it was, you know, from her mother. It was like, hey, you need to stop what you're doing, settle down, be a family with us, let's get married, or you know, we're going to leave. And I was like I'm, I'm still going to do me, and so I kind of called her bluff and she wasn't bluffing. So mom, mom moved, mom moved, daughter, they moved to Colorado. I mean, she was, this was in 94, you know, my daughter was three and the immature, irresponsible part of me was like, yes, yes, I don't have.
Speaker 3:I don't have these responsibilities now. I don't have to babysit my daughter. I can continue to. You know, you know, out part, I mean, you know, and that's it, that's right, and that was just kind of. I mean, looking back at it, of course it was like, of course, ridiculous, but but that was the mindset and for for the next, you know she was three, so for the net that was 94, so for the next four or five years I'm once again, I'm still in the streets. I mean we're getting in trouble. I'm, you know, I'm you. All this stuff, all the gang violence you see on TV and the movies, you know I was, I was a part of that. That was, that was. You know, get it in that. I was in that, and so it was a 1998, 98, 99. I'm 27, 26, 27 years old and I'm like you know what More and more of my friends started.
Speaker 3:I got tired of going to funerals, I got tired of going to visit friends in jail or in prison and I was just like you know, and I felt that my time was coming, like. I felt like that's how kind of deep in the streets I was at that time and I was like I've got to change some things around, especially for my daughter. It was primarily for her, and by that time, in 97, 98, I mean she was six, seven years old. I was like, okay, I'm not going to be able to provide for her like I want to, and so I decided to go to college. I said you know what? I'm going to go back to school, I'm going to do this right? And in 97, 90, it was 98. It was 1998. I don't know. I think that it was 1999.
Speaker 3:I went to Oklahoma City Community College and this was 10 years, remember. I graduated in 89. So it wasn't until 90. So 10 years after high school. Once I went to the community college, I was on the fast track, and what I mean by that was I let me see, I started in 99. I received my associate's degree, bachelor's degree and first master's degree in five years. I did all of that in five years because I was taking 18, 21 hours, 24 hours, because my mindset was I'd already wasted 10 years of my life running the streets and doing dumb shit, yeah, and it was like I've got to make up for that and I knew that at least at that point in time I felt like an education or a degree was going to open doors for me to be able to provide for my daughter. So that's why I was on this fast track in education.
Speaker 3:So, 2004, I'm at UCO. I finish up my first master's degree there, loved it there, and that's actually where I started teaching, because two years prior, 2002, right after I got my bachelor's degree from UCO, there was a professor there who was tenured and basically on their way out I mean, he should have retired 10 years prior but was still there and I basically was asked to kind of take over his class and he was okay with it. He was like here, there you go, and so, and that was in 2002. And that, so that's really when I started teaching. I've been teaching ever since. But well, 2004, first master's degree, uco, I transferred to OU and then, over the next seven years, from 2004 to 2011, I graduated with my second master's degree in education at OU and then a PhD from OU in educational leadership and policy studies.
Speaker 2:Let me ask you that is a quick shift, a quick mindset shift, right From running the streets to doing all this in five years.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:Do you have anybody that was mentoring you or anyone you were working with or anybody kind of helping you through that? Because mindset-wise that's not where you were Correct.
Speaker 3:I attribute a lot of it to there were really Well, my mother, first and foremost right. She always supported me and I remember the look on her face when I dropped out after that first semester at OU. She never told me she was disappointed. She's never told me that she was ever been disappointed in me, but that look on her face it was just devastating. It was just devastating. And I told her, I promised her.
Speaker 3:When I dropped out, I said I promise you I will go back because I knew how important it was for me to get a degree for her. I said, I don't know how long I said, but I promise you I will go back and I will go back to college. I don't know's a great question, because in 90, remember I went back. In 99 is when I went, went, went, went to O-Trip or went, went to, went back to college. I started martial arts in 1997, 98. So a year or two prior to going back to college I was just I feel like I was just put in this path to meet this family who own this martial arts school. It's called Pooh's Pooh's Taekwondo, p-o-o-s Taekwondo. They've been around for 40, 50 years, well known, I mean. It was. It was long story short and I and I dedicate quite a bit of a chapter to the Pooh's family, but just being around them made me want to get my shit together.
Speaker 3:And discipline, absolutely, absolutely. But not only the discipline, but I'm looking at the owners. You know it's a father and there were two sons who were about my age and they were educated, they had got their college degrees and they've got their own businesses and running these, you know, successful martial arts schools. And I'm like and I'm walking in there, I'm still all, I'm still got the thug mentality right. I'm going, I'm showing up and I've got my gold rings on and I got my shirt. You know I got my hat on that, you know.
Speaker 3:So I'm like, I'm like and I'm in Edmond, I'm in Edmond, right, right, right, edmund, right, right, right, right. I'm telling you, I'm telling you. And, slowly and slowly, their influence, they influenced me a lot because of just the way that I spoke to people, just the way I carried myself. A lot of it was from them, just looking up to them, you know. And and it was kind of like it was a different world for me, because I mean, I'll be honest with you, the majority of kind of my experience with with white people in oklahoma hadn't been very good, you know, growing up you know, and here I am, in Edmond right and, and these guys were just so welcoming.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And it was. It was I was like instantly felt like I was part of their family and we're still close, like I, I mean, and and that journey with them, you know, I, I, I became, I became an instructor for them and I was there for 15 years. I mean I was part of the family. I mean I was literally part of the Pooh's family. And so when you asked me the question, what was the mindset, what changed? I can tell you a lot of it was just being around them. Being around them because I didn't really have anyone else to mentor me, because all my mentors really at that point were drug dealers and gang members. You know what I mean. So so when I, it was definitely a culture shock and so, but once again, I, I speak highly of them and I talk a lot about their influence and how they impacted my life. You know the Pooh's family, you know it's awesome, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's funny that you say that. I was just telling my story at a sober living house last week, and one of the things that's so funny is I can remember being in prison and them saying well, what do you like to do? What are your hobbies? Seriously, my hobby they're selling drugs and running the streets. What are you talking about? I've been doing this since I was 10. You know what I mean. So, right, those are my hobbies. I'm just trying to figure out who you were, who you are and who you were, and that's why I ask you that, because that is such a huge mindset shift. No, absolutely one day to the next. There had to have been something to attribute that to, and I'm I'm really happy that that. That's what it was, because that's wonderful. Yeah, that's a great direction. It is, it is and and that's what it was because that's wonderful.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a great direction it is. And that's the thing, because, had I never had I never met them or or became a part of that family, I don't know where. Honestly, I don't know where I would be. Honestly, I really don't, because because they not only did they influence me, but they motivated me like they were. They were part of my motivation. Of course, my daughter was a motivation too, but it was, they were. They were a significant motivation for me as well, you know you already had the hustle.
Speaker 2:You just you needed it pointed in the right direction.
Speaker 3:That's it, that's it, that's it. No, you're right, that's right. That's right, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so tell me after that.
Speaker 3:Okay, so after 2011,. I, you know, finish up second master's at OU, phd at OU. And at that point, you know, most people are like, okay, bro, you got all these degrees, you got like five, six degrees, you got to be tired, done with school. I'm like, yeah, but I wasn't, at least I thought I was. And so right after I graduated from OU, I went to seminary for two years. Yeah, a lot of people don't know that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I remember that you saying that, but when I hear it, yeah, I went to seminary for two years and I didn't want to be a reverend or a pastor. It wasn't to work in the ministry or work in the church. I my sole reason for going was for the knowledge and information I love that.
Speaker 3:Because I had seen, growing up, how religion had been used as this tool for to justify, like, hatred and bigotry and racism, and and, and I just you know. I said you know what I want to. You know I hear people invoking religion and scriptures to justify these, these, these things. I wanted to learn more about it and plus, too, at that point in time I had started doing a lot of research and I'd written a lot of papers on the influence of religion and public policy and laws. So I was like, well, hell, I'm going to be writing about this. I might, as you know, let's go to seminary. Yeah, and I look, joe, I'm telling you I had a friend. There was a dear friend of mine who encouraged me to go. She had graduated from and I went to Tulsa Phillips Seminary in Tulsa and she was like you know, you got to go to seminary. I was like what do I need seminary for? I've already got a PhD, I'm teaching, I'm, you know, I'm, I'm. Life is good right now. She's like listen, she goes. I think it would be beneficial for you to go plus two. She was like and they would benefit, the seminary would benefit from you as well, because you would bring in this outside perspective. And you're already a scholar, marcus, and I was like, okay, I didn't think of it from that perspective and I'm telling you I loved it. I did have reservations because seminary at least for me, going in this is the ignorance. Going into seminary, my thought process was seminary was just a college or institution that just shoved religious beliefs down your throat and they're going to brainwash you and they're going to say this is how it is and blah, blah, blah, and there's no critical thinking, there's no questioning. This is it, this is the word and that's it. And that's not what seminary is. Seminary is completely it's completely the opposite of what I thought. Going into it, All of my professors challenged me and us, my peers, classmates, to think outside the box, to be open-minded, to think critically about you know religion, and I was like shit, I was blown away.
Speaker 3:I remember in my was it the biblical script. My specialization was on the scriptures, so I read the Bible from beginning to end, old Testament to New Testament and my specialty was dissecting every single scripture and interpreting it and what it meant and what did other scholars around the world and how they interpreted it. And I remember one of my first classes we're reading about Adam and Eve, and then we get to Cain and Abel and their wives and I raised my hand, I go. I said Dr Davison, love Dr Davison. I said, okay, so let me get this right. So Cain and Abel and their wives and I raised my hand, I go. I said you know, dr Davison, love Dr Davison. I said okay, so let me get this right. So Cain and Abel were brothers.
Speaker 3:She goes, yes. And I said and they had wives too? Yes, she goes. Yes. And I said, well, wouldn't their wives be their sisters? She goes you have to understand there are parts of the Bible that you have to read as a story and there's some parts of the Bible that are historical and there's some parts of the Bible that could be literal, but some of it is just a story. And she goes Marcus, you're reading too much into that part of it. And I was like what she was like? Yeah. So from that moment on it was kind of like, okay, I can do this. I felt like I was where I needed to be. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be with seminary.
Speaker 2:I think that's great, absolutely.
Speaker 3:So I went through that two-year program and then, after that, once again, just still have this wanting to be. I just love being educated, love information, love being able to share that, you know, to my students. And so, after seminary, I went to Harvard from 2011 to like 2013, 2014. I did, I took education courses. I took some professional development what else? Political science courses, philosophy classes, things like that. So that was 2014, 2015. But in the meantime too, you know, I started once again. I started teaching at UCO in 2002. That lasted until 2000. I really kind of stepped back, retired in 2019 from UCO, but then I've still been teaching. I got my first, what I call my real job, my career job, at OCCC in 2006. Yeah, in 2000. So all of this was going on. So I'm going through college, I'm finishing up my studies. As I'm working on my studies, I'm teaching. I'm basically working full time, you know, in my martial arts school, as an instructor, as a coach, you know doing all those things. And then it was. I feel like I'm all over the place, joanne.
Speaker 3:No you're good. It's hard for me to yeah, no, it's great. But during all of that, too, my daughter was 13. So that would have been 2004. Yeah, that's right, 2004,.
Speaker 3:She was still living in Colorado, and I had rarely just very minimum visitation with her throughout those years those nine years she was up there and she wanted to come live with me, you know, because she just didn't like the environment up there. And, long story short, I ended up taking her mom to court and got custody of her. So now she's here in 2004 while I'm going through, you know, school studies, teaching, you know all of those things.
Speaker 2:Who's helping you with her?
Speaker 3:At the time, my, my ex. We were never married, but it was, it was. It was my ex. She and I had been together. She, she was around. God, I'm going to sound so bad, but my ex, just go. I was. I was such a, I was such a hoe back in my 20s.
Speaker 2:I thought I better not.
Speaker 3:No, but but my, my daughter's mom and my ex or girl let's just call it my girlfriend. They, they were what they knew of each other. They, they were, you know, because my ex was with me when in kind of helping me take care of my daughter. So so she was there during that time and then I got custody of her. Once again, I've got her. I'm going through all studying and college and just keeping myself busy. Keeping myself busy Because I still felt like I was trying to catch up. I still felt like I'd wasted 10, 12 years of my life and I wanted to get to a place where I felt like, okay, I'm, I'm good. But I don't think, I don't think that will ever change, though I feel like with my mentality and the and then the way I grew up, because people ask me that now they're like dude, why are you? You know you're like they're like you're, you're good man, like you've. You know you're, you're a tenured professor, you, professor, you made good money there. You got a successful real estate business.
Speaker 2:Like why are you keep going and going and?
Speaker 3:I'm like, I just feel like I just feel like it's just kind of the I don't want to say it's the hustle mentality, but I guess when you grow up poor, you just have a different perspective, because you never know when it could all be gone, I guess you know. So you never, you never wait around and you never get comfortable. You never get complacent. You never wait around and you never get comfortable, you never get complacent. And so that's why I feel like I'm still just kind of still going, still going and going and going, you know.
Speaker 2:Like we just talked about earlier, you got one life, you got one shot. Make it in. Learn everything you can, do everything you want. That's it, you know only anybody holding you back. Is you right? That's it? You're not go right. So did you know what you wanted to do? Like as you're going through school, you're getting a degree after degree. Now you have your phd. You're going right. Was that, like in your mind, leading you anywhere? Or were you just taking it all in my?
Speaker 3:I had aspirations to go to law school when I when I first stepped through the doors at the community college. It was to get an associate's degree in political science and then get a bachelor's in political science, because I was told that which is still true today that's one of the best degrees to have to prepare you to go to law school. So my idea, my mentality, was I'm going to go to law school, become an attorney, and then I'm going to come back and represent my neighborhood. I'm going to represent people in my communities who can afford good quality representation, who don't have the money to do those things. That was my goal, because I had seen all of the bad shit in the way that I saw how the criminal justice system treated, because to me and I say this even today to my students you know our criminal justice system rich people receive a different type of justice than poor people do. I mean it's just a fact. And when I say poor, poor doesn't have a color, I mean there are poor white people, poor Hispanic people, poor black people, poor is poor, right. So my goal was to go back, help, you know, the impoverished people in my communities who needed good representation. However, when I was at UCO after I finished up my bachelor's degree in 2002, and then I was working on my first master's degree.
Speaker 3:I got thrown into that teaching situation in 2002. And I'm telling you, I loved it, like, and I was good, and I don't and I don't. And when I say I'm good, I was good, I don't mean that to be arrogant, I don't mean that to be narcissistic. It just felt natural for me in the classroom. And now, of course too, you know, in 2002, I had already had probably about 10 or 12 years of management experience, leadership experience, because I was a general manager for Pizza Hut restaurant, became an area manager, I was a assistant store manager for Conoco Retail Store. So I did some of these you know odd jobs, but they were still in leadership management. I was teaching, I was teaching and training and I did some of these you know odd jobs, but they were still in leadership management. I was teaching, I was teaching and training and I love that. So take it into the you know higher ed and I loved it. And so not only that too, but but also too, in 2002, when I was thrust into that teaching situation, remember too, I met I met Pooh's Taekwondo, and I'm an instructor teaching as well. I love that.
Speaker 3:So it just it's almost like that became law school almost kind of got pushed to the side, and it was like I love teaching, like, yeah, I remember I remember the first time I got a check I'm teaching. You know, I'm teaching and I get my first direct deposit. I'm like the hell, is this notification for Right? And I'm like I'm like, oh, I'm getting paid to do that. That's what I tell students, you know, you know when?
Speaker 3:Because to me there's always a difference between there's a difference between having a career and having a job. Because to me there's always a difference between having a career and having a job. Having a job is okay. You get up, you dread going, but you got to do it to pay the bills. A career is something that you love to do and you almost forget that you're getting paid to do it. Passion to kind of.
Speaker 3:You know my teaching career. It was, you know it started off as political science, law school. But I kind of get the best of both worlds, because not only you know have I been teaching in higher ed for 23 years now, but I've been teaching political science, I've been teaching, you know. So I'm teaching these students who become political science majors and I know that I've played a significant role in their lives and prepping them for law school. Yeah, I don't know how many students that have reached out to me over my 23 years and have, you know, just thanked me, like they're sending me their graduation photos from law school and they're like Dr Smith, this is because of you, and you inspired, you know. So I get the best of both worlds. You know, maybe it was. You know I don't regret not having become an attorney or going law school, but I feel like this was my path. My path was to be in the classroom to teach, you know.
Speaker 2:The universe knows you get led the way you should be.
Speaker 3:That's it. Yeah, I love that Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I have seen you know some of your students post and the way they post about you and the way that they talk about you and it's really heartwarming. Yeah, I think I've had one teacher in my life Really those things about. I mean that was that was like fifth grade. So part of that's my own fault for not really being in school much, so I have to attribute that to my own fault.
Speaker 3:But what I do, what I always try to do too, and it's work I'm always going to do. What's worked for me is and I've done this from day one, like I said, almost 23 years now that very first day of class I walk in and I tell those students listen, I say I treat my classroom like a community. We're going to be a family and you're going to sense that. You're going to feel that throughout the semester but, more importantly, you're really going to feel it toward the end of the semester as it's coming to an end and and that changes the environment and the dynamic of the learning not only the learning, but just the learning, the sense of learning, absolutely because they know then they have other people in that classroom who care about them, who care about their well-being, and it starts with me and it starts with me and I tell them I'm not going to let you fail and we're not going to let you fail why you know, like when I look at you know, because you know when you look at things that are measurable, you know they look at like student success. You know how many of your students you know pass or fail, and I've consistently had one of the highest student success rates and I think a lot of it, because even other professors and faculty asked me how do you do it? I said it's just my approach to them.
Speaker 3:You know a lot of them can relate to me because you know, community college students are non-traditional students who have to work part time, have to work full time, who have kids, who have what they're not like traditional students, who may go to OU or OSU, who who don't have to work, who all they can do, right, right, right. I mean and I'm not knocking those students by any means, don't get me wrong. And I'm not knocking those students by any means, don't get me wrong. But you know, because I get asked all the time why am I teaching at a community college? Dr Smith, you could go teach. You've been offered jobs to go teach all over the country. Why are you at Oklahoma City Community College? Great question. And my response is always because I feel like I have a more of an impact there with those students, because I can relate to them and they can relate to my story.
Speaker 3:Right, how could I love you anymore? What I do, yeah, but it resonates with them. It resonates when I can look at them, when I look at those students and I and I share a little bit of my story on day one, you know, here's what you know, like 10, 15 minutes. I, I, I kind of summarize this is this is what I've been through and that resonates with a lot of them and it inspires and it motivates them and they can relate. And that's the thing where I feel like I have a connection, or it's easy for me to gain a connection with them, is because I've walked that path.
Speaker 3:You've been to jail Okay, I can talk about it. You've been shot at, okay, oh, okay, I mean, and so I know the struggles and my thing is, if I've been through all of what I've been through in my life to be where I'm at today, you can do it too. Yeah, so that's, you know, that's why I still have this passion for teaching, you know, because I still know, I still feel and know that I'm having an impact in their lives.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, absolutely. So how then did that transition into real estate?
Speaker 3:That's a great question. Back in 2019, well, let me back up From 2012 to 2019, for seven years I had been what's the word I'm looking for? I had been the previous okay, so the previous president who was there, and, like my dean and department chair and all the admin administrators there, but it was especially my dean I was, you know, being abused, I was being retaliated against. It was a very toxic culture at the community college at that time. Yes, and it took a toll on me mentally, physically, spiritually. It took a toll on my marriage. I mean, it was a lot, but at that time, I didn't have a choice but to endure it because it was my sole financial means, it was my livelihood, and they knew that and that's why they knew that they could get away with. They were just very punitive, very punitive, toxic, retaliatory culture, and this started for me in 2012.
Speaker 3:And in 2016, I got my real estate license. The reason I got into real estate is because I said to myself you know what, my days are numbered here and I don't know how long it'll be before they come in and fire me, or I just can't take anymore, have a nervous breakdown, whatever I just I can't continue to do this. So I got my real estate license in 2016, 2015. And then that following year, it I got my real estate license in 2016, 2015. And then that following year, it just my real estate business just took off. I mean, I went. I, within a year, became a top producing realtor, which is rare Like I was in, like the top 1%, like it was. I'm like it was a blessing. But the true blessing was I was no longer financially dependent upon the community college anymore.
Speaker 3:So what happened? That gave me a voice. It gave me a voice, a big voice, and in 2019, I posted on social media. It was a viral video. I was kind of just kind of dressed like this, at at my desk and it was like a four-minute video and I said, hey, I want to thank everyone for reaching out, checking on me, see how I've been doing, because I've been posting some subtle posts about some problems I've been having at the college, and a lot of people reach out to me. So I posted this video and I go you know what guys? I'm not well and I haven't been well and I spewed it all.
Speaker 3:I spewed it all in that video and thousands of people were commenting former employees, former faculty who had left no-transcript on one faculty member who just said but they looked at my evidence and they were like no, and so I became a voice. I didn't care anymore and I started posting. I started calling out other admin who were still there and then they quickly resigned or retired. But for me it was about being a voice for because I knew there were several other faculty members and staff and employees who were at the college who couldn't speak out because if they did then they were retaliated against. So I became that voice for them and that's how I got into real estate and it just honestly, it just took off. It's been a blessing. I think this year I will hit a little over $90 million in sales in eight years. Eight years, yeah, and that's insane, that's awesome. It's a little over $10 million a year, kind of putting perspective, not to brag. I want to brag a little bit.
Speaker 2:Brag a little bit, use the word.
Speaker 3:But just to put it in perspective, you know, like the average, the average realtor closes me and you know this. I mean, you know the average agent closes maybe eight to 12 homes a year, you know, or maybe a million dollars in sales. I close about 50 to 60 and about 10 to 12 million a year. So it's been a blessing, it's been an absolute blessing. But of course too, the more money I make, the more money I pour back into the community. Right, because I'm constantly, you know I'm constantly. I just posted today about, you know, a sponsorship for summer basketball camp. You know, because I've been a philanthropist for almost 30 years now, you know I've been giving back to the community. You know well, before I had money, so now I'm able, but now I'm in a blessed position to give, even, you know, to do more. So that's, that's kind of what I want a part of my legacy to be is, you know, people remember me for for what I did in my communities.
Speaker 2:I love that. Yeah, I feel that yeah. I love that and it's been. It's been so I don't even know the word. Beautiful, enjoyable to watch you as a person just grow and flourish.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Do all these things, yeah because we're family.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know, almost 20 years now.
Speaker 2:That's crazy, I know it is crazy. And just to watch everything that you've done and now to see you even on a little bit of a different path with the fraternity, and now you're out speaking and you're doing, you know, giving back all the time speaking to youths and speaking to schools, and that's just that's. That's my passion, so that's beautiful to watch, that and that's why I wanted to have you on it shows. You know, the whole premise of this podcast is from rock bottom to rock solid.
Speaker 3:Right, oh, I love that, I love that.
Speaker 2:Your life was East Side Gang. My life was a little more Sons of rock solid Right, oh, I love that. I love that your life was East Side gang. My life was a little more Sons of Anarchy Right, okay, right, but one in the same. Do you know what I mean? Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. And there is a period where you're at rock bottom, you know, and you're trying to figure it out and just, and some people figure it out and some people don't- Some people don't.
Speaker 3:Right and like we were the lucky ones. We were the lucky ones, yeah.
Speaker 2:Right and everybody incarcerated, everybody dying, the overdoses I've had someone overdose in my lap, you know. So going from that point to where you are now for people to see, that is so hopeful and encouraging and inspiring, and that's what it's all about. You know being able to give that back and show people that it is definitely possible. And you changed your mindset and you used that hustle and I always say this you used the good. There's good and evil and you use the hustle for good. You know what I mean and you know, instead of being a prison gang leader, you decided to be a leader on the outside right and it's that's all it is is that mindset shift?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I love it so much.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you, thank you. Well, your story inspires, is inspirational as well, too. I love what you're doing and what you've done.
Speaker 2:Still hoping to do just as you are. My brain never stops, it barely sleeps, and it's always thinking of what's next, what's next, what's next. I've been blessed through real estate as well Not as blessed as you through Keller Williams but I've had some good years which helped me to be able to do some of the things that I've wanted to do. And you know I need to be doing a little bit more hustling to to keep doing the things that I want to do Right, and I I do so many things that I don't get paid for that I have a mentor kind of coach that reminds me sometimes you still have to get paid, right.
Speaker 3:No, I get it, I do. I do. No, trust me, I get it, I do get it yeah.
Speaker 2:I have a home to take care of and a son and a mom and a. You know you still have to buy food and all those things, and if I didn't have to, my world would be beautiful, because I would eat all the things you know, but yeah, you still got to do those.
Speaker 3:That's it, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2:So any idea for you. Do you have any big plans going forward, any big goals? Are you kind of letting the universe take you there?
Speaker 3:I'm just letting the universe take me there. You know I'm. You know I remember two or three years ago. You know Keller Williams, my office is there. You know they're all about. You know, setting goal. What's your goal? What's your goal? You know you want to hit, you know, 20 million. This year 30,. You know what's your goal? I'm like I don't have one. They were like well, what, what do you mean? You got to have a goal? No, you don't, because if I don't have a goal, then I'm never going to disappoint myself. You know, I'm just going to have one way to look at it.
Speaker 3:I'm just going to, I'm just going to let the universe, you know, direct me, and as long as I'm happy doing what I'm doing, I mean that's that's, that's my goal. You know, it's just good to be happy and make others happy.
Speaker 2:And when you're approaching it with love and respect and honesty and integrity, only good things are going to happen.
Speaker 3:That's it.
Speaker 2:You're always going to surpass what goal you gave yourself anyway. You already know that, right. So that's just being large. So it's beautiful to see Marcus really Well, same here and I'm super happy that you came on today, very excited that you agreed to do that. And you know we've never sat down really and talked about our stories and you know the similarities and all of that Because I had no idea.
Speaker 3:I had no idea, yeah.
Speaker 2:I didn't used to share too much of my story and, as you can understand, yeah, yeah, and as you know, being real estate, being a felon, is not a good thing, right? So it's a little, it's more than frowned upon.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I was very careful. I've always been in sales, in home sales in people's homes, and that's just not what you lead with. You know Right? No, I'm not, and so I have been a little bit quiet about certain things. But that's caused pain to myself because it's caused me to not live authentically Right and not live my truth over judgment and I'm like I don't want to. There's only I don't. Do I care who's judging me? No, I truly don't.
Speaker 3:And I can relate because I'm telling you, because that's you know cause I've been, I've been approached for years to share my story, like I've had so many people like Marcus, you got to share your story to book. But you got to write a book, man, and I'm like man, you guys don't know, I don't, I'm not comfortable. You know cause I got to. Now you know I got to, you know, and but it, you know. But three years ago I said you know what this is me. You know people who are going to read the book and, you know, judge me for it. Then those are probably people who just don't know me anyway.
Speaker 3:And you're not my victim, and I'm correct, and, and, and you know what? And I don't, and I don't care.
Speaker 2:You know, this is who I am, so I think age does that a little bit too yeah yeah, yeah kind of get to the point where you're like I spent a lot of time worrying what other people might think and you're right, really right, you're right, we have, we get over that at some point, right, right, right. And now that I have been sharing a little bit more, I feel very free from yeah, yeah, myself very free and that whole judgment of like I'm like what was I even worried about? Who cared? Well, yeah, and I've had people reach out to me that I've done business with over the years and be like, oh my gosh, I had no idea, and they respect you even more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we love you more and you didn't. I never thought about that side, right, because you only think about the side that. Those are not my people. You know, you definitely find out who are who's here for you. I'm here for you. I'm here for you. I've always been here for you.
Speaker 3:Same here.
Speaker 2:So I appreciate you being on.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I'll keep watching because you do great stuff out there and maybe someday we'll be somewhere speaking together. Absolutely yeah. You never know. That would be beautiful, wouldn't it.
Speaker 3:Yes it would, yes, it would.
Speaker 1:I am so grateful that you joined me for this week's episode of Breakfast of Choices. If you're enjoying this podcast, please subscribe, give it five stars and share it to help others find hope and encouragement. The opposite of addiction is connection, and we are all in this together. Telling your transformational story can also be an incredible form of healing, so if you would like to share it, I would love to hear it. You can also follow me on social media. I'm your host, jo Summers, and I can't wait to bring you another story next week. Stay with me for more Transformational Thursdays.