How a Boys and Girls Club Kid Rebuilt the Organization That Raised Him

[0:16]  Welcome back to another episode here on the Horn Hosa Podcast. We have a next member from the Boys and Girls Club that has been in the space for some time now. We got Mr. Josh. How you doing, sir?

[0:27]  Very good, very good. Happy to be here.

[0:28]  Boys and Girls Club, man. How long have you been there?

[0:30]  so I've been back with this organization since since right during COVID, about twenty twenty. We've moved up here. but I've been with Boys and Girls Club in general for about fifteen or so years. But I I grew up in this club. This is where I started at. so I was down in Georgia for a few years working for Boys and Girls Club down there. And then the opportunity came came up to move up here. Most people thought I was crazy to move back to the to the farmland, but you know, it is what it is. this is this is home for sure.

[0:58]  I mean, not only were you crazy to move back there, and not I wouldn't say crazy, but what a time to actually move back during the pandemic time. Did was it before the pandemic even hit or did you not even know yet?

[1:35]  it was right in the thick. Right in the thick of it. So we you know, I I the club was actually closed when when I when I moved up here.

[2:37]  my god.

[2:41]  so initially we were closed. we had I mean my daughter had her first birthday like right when COVID was happening. That was the first event that, you know, and everything had to be zoomed or zoomed with you know, with grandparents and everything like that. So she moved up here when she was she was one and then our son was about five or so. but it was right in the middle of it all.

[4:51]  Were you doing like Zoom prior to this all? 'Cause look what Zoom has really brought us right now. We're doing virtual interviews.

[8:13]  I mean I had done a a little bit, but definitely not to this level for sure. the whole interview process to to take the job was all Zoom. getting up here, the board meetings are all Zoom. I mean I've I I don't I don't love I mean, I it's definitely helpful. I I'm hopeful. I I love the in person stuff, you know, for sure for board meetings and things like that, but but I've definitely gotten much better at it.

[10:25]  Yeah, yeah, definitely something we had to get used to per se. I was actually teaching virtual in another country. So just and it's like, my god, the times were really challenging. So it's it would be like 30 people in a classroom, and we had to make

[11:29]  jeez.

[11:30]  sure that they all had cameras and the cameras on. So it was like four of us. So it's like three instructors, a person just watching every camera, the camera went off. We're pinging them, hey, turn your camera back on. Like yeah, it it was some challenges for sure, man. But I'll tell you what. It allowed me to get better on camera. So we kind of talked about prior. That's how I got into the wrestling space, actually. so we were just talking off the line about it. Is

[11:49]  That's that's that's super awesome. Yeah.

[16:15]  that I already had the setup and I was falling asleep watching wrestling and I thought to myself, like, yo, what if I start a community around wrestling? And that was just this thought. And now I sit with over a hundred thousand followers across all platforms. Now I I covered WrestleMania this year. I just did nostalgicon, which I got to see my favorite wrestler. I was about to show you that actually. I got to see Mankind. I this is this is the OG right here. This is this

[19:35]  very awesome. Very cool. Yeah.

[19:48]  is my guy. So funny thing is I've never thought I'd pay for like an autograph or anything. And I had to pay a hundred dollars for an autograph or a picture, but it was worth it. It's my it's my goat, man. Josh, who's your favorite wrestler, bro? Do you have a favorite?

[21:29]  Yes. my favorite would definitely be I mean as all through all the years I definitely had I I'm old, so I've been watching for a long for a long time. but absolute favorite of all time is Bret Hart. I think is just from watching his man I wouldn't say he was like, you know, the best on the mic or anything like that, you know, like the Stone Cold or The Rock or those guys. but his matches to me just seemed real. You know, I

[23:09]  Yeah.

[23:10]  I think he just it just seemed to be the the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

[23:19]  best it would ever be. That is so funny you say that. I I just dropped a video and it was like who is the best in ring wrestler? And it was Eddie Guerrero, it was Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Kurt Angle. So I'm guessing out

[23:37]  Yeah. Reminds. Yeah.

[23:39]  of those four, you're going to say Bret Hart.

[23:44]  I'm still going Bret Hart. I I mean I but I love every one of those guys though. I mean I definitely watched Shawn Michaels matches. I definitely Kurt Angle was what was amazing when he came in. Eddie Guerrero, huge fan of all those guys. I to me that was kinda like the

[25:28]  Hell yeah, man. So you still

[25:31]  best time you know of wrestling for sure.

[25:34]  Yeah. Everybody that was a wrestling fan back in the days always says that. Those were the best times. The Attitude Era, the what

[25:45]  Yeah. Yeah.

[25:46]  golden era.

[25:47]  I mean, I love the golden era. I loved all that stuff. I think, which we still watch. My kids are, you he's a huge Cody Rhodes fan, but he really loves Bret Hart. and he and

[30:04]  Okay.

[30:12]  he's gotten to see it now that we've got you know, now that you can stream everything. the matches now like are fun and they're much more exciting, but it gets very hard to like how do you keep how do you top this? You know, and how do you like

[30:44]  Mm-hmm.

[30:45]  when you're flipping everywhere and there's ten finishers, you know, like the the drama's out of it, I I think, you know, and It I I think in the pat the pageantry stuff. Like I went with my my wife this week. hard to announce this on it, but like my my wife is a huge K-pop fan and she was in a K-pop before it was even the thing. and she we went to a BTS concert this this weekend in Chicago. And I'll be honest, it it felt like pro wrestling to me. You know, like they had

[31:49]  Ha ha ha.

[31:50]  all the gimmicks and everybody was you know, everyone was dressed up and it was just like the atmosphere

[32:19]  yeah.

[32:21]  was crazy. and I th I feel like that

[32:31]  I love it.

[32:31]  that part of the time was was definitely the the best.

[32:32]  I always say wrestling is really theater, man. I mean, they're actors,

[32:33]  Yeah, for sure.

[32:33]  they're performers, they're athletes. And that's why I like to meet I I just respect it because there's so

[32:35]  yeah.

[32:35]  much there. And then you have to learn how to really work with someone else, even if you don't like them, right? Like we talk about Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. They didn't like each other,

[32:38]  Mm-hmm. No. for sure.

[32:38]  man, but they had to learn how to work with each other more importantly than anything, right? There's to me, I feel like there's a lot to learn sometimes when you look at the stories and when you look at the characters, and you'd be like, I get it. And you can relate a lot of it to life. Funny you say K-pop, man. My my I don't know what the song is, but my my son and my daughter been singing this K pop song and I d I would have to figure out who it is, but it's interesting, man. Like K pop has blown up, but it's always been around. So you said your wife already loved this before it blew up.

[32:48]  For sure. When we were even when we were dating, she had like she'd watch all the Korean dramas and things like that and she started listening to the music I mean years ago. like when BTS first started and and they're just a normal I mean, we were at Soldier Field. They had two nights at Soldier Field. I didn't see an empty seat. I mean, it there were now granted it was obviously mostly women but it was funny because I was in the in the restroom and the women had just finally just rebelled and took over the men's restroom while while I was in there. I hear the

[32:58]  my god.

[32:58]  poor security guy, no, like stop. You know, they just they just took it over. but I mean I I think Soldier Field

[33:00]  That is funny.

[33:00]  sits on like sixty six thousand and it was completely full and they did two nights there and they're headed to four nights in LA. So I mean

[33:01]  That is crazy. That is crazy. I can imagine, man. It's a who what concert will you go to? So your wife loves K pop. If Josh had to choose his concert, maybe any artists out there, dead or alive, who are you going to see?

[33:13]  Dead or alive. If it's dead or alive, I would probably say a a Michael Jackson concert would be pretty amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Cause that and that that kinda

[33:21]  hell yeah. Hell yeah. He just

[33:23]  reminded me the the the K pop stuff, like that how huge they were that that night. That's probably the closest thing that we have these days. Is just that big pop star

[33:23]  Yeah.

[33:23]  that has that, you know, that fame like that. Like that. Like I can't even understand comprehend that ca that level of fame. but it's huge.

[33:23]  I love Michael, bro. I love my my daughter is to the point that she sees Michael across a TikTok screen and my daughter's only five. So if I'm scrolling and she sees Michael, my God, it's Michael. And I'm like, man,

[33:23]  Mm.

[33:23]  like Michael always live on. As long as we allow him to live on, man, I think we're gonna allow him to live on forever, man. Hell yeah. He just celebrated his birthday, you that?

[33:23]  Transcendents, yeah. Yeah. Yep. My kids love it too. Really.

[33:23]  Yeah, he just celebrated. I I don't know how old he would have turned, but think his birthday was like two, three days ago. did you see the movie?

[33:23]  Yeah, he was I did see the movie. I thought it was fantastic. I mean it's very good. I it it definitely

[33:23]  I've yet to see you, bro. I've yet to see it. Yeah.

[33:23]  I mean the last part they kind of f focus a lot on like the like a concert. so I thought I thought it was pretty great. I mean it definitely showed a lot of his childhood and there was a pretty interesting scene on there with Dom King. I thought that was pretty that was pretty cool.

[33:23]  I c I can't wait to see it. It's just time, man. As a you know, as a leader, I'm and for you as well, your husband, your dad, your running organization, you're trying to find the time. That's just kind of where I'm at, man. Trying to find that time. How do you balance all that, Josh? Can you give me the the secret sauce?

[33:23]  I mean you just kinda you just kinda do it. I mean I try my best to make a to make a schedule and try to keep something. You have to stay on top of it, you know, the schedule. And there there is time like you have to protect a little bit. so I try to determine what is a call that's like like for after hours 'cause my everyone has my phone number. So it's twenty four hours. So I try to determine like what's an emergency, what's not. Like there's there's certain things that get out on a weekend. I'm not answering that call for that, you know. and I think people kind of r respect that. This is probably the best I've done as far as taking care of myself. because, you know, I I I grew up, my dad wasn't, you know, I I I had a stepdad, my real dad wasn't around. But even with the people I had, my my dad was over the road trucker, stepdad was, and my mom, you know, worked third shift. So a lot of times I was on my own, you know. And so I

[33:24]  Mm.

[33:24]  try to really be super dad and try to be engaged as much as I can. So so a lot of it is like I said, trying to look at your schedule. I look at it every day. I still miss things occasionally, it just happens. And then trying to make a list of the priority of what's the most important and and get it done. But it's I mean, this weekend was pretty much a work weekend. I had like a surprise presentation. I had a well my wife is opening a new office. Yeah.

[33:24]  Did you just say a surprise presentation?

[33:24]  Well someone calls me up and they're like, Hey, I need all this information for this thing and I'm like, Well if I'm gonna she's getting ready to present it, if I if I'm gonna write it all down, I might as well just go. So you hop the car and just go go to it.

[33:24]  That is me. I'll do that. I'll do this thing.

[33:24]  So it's like what's you

[33:24]  That's

[33:24]  know, if I'm gonna spend this much time writing it, I might as well just go. then my wife is opening a new office. so I went and built furniture for that you know me after we drove back from Chicago. So you just sleep when you're dead, I guess.

[33:27]  Yeah. It it it wasn't definitely no break or time off on the weekend for you. It's you know Monday through Sunday for sure. Yeah.

[33:28]  Not much. Not much.

[33:28]  I Josh, when did you know that you were a leader, bro? Like when did you realize that?

[33:28]  I mean, I'll be honest with you. I wasn't I wasn't super confident, I'll be honest with you. I think some of the jobs I just didn't know it yet. And some of the things I'd done, I I'd I'd done a little bit of leadership and I just didn't really understand it. but I think when I my wife kind of pushed me a little bit and I I had done some really crappy jobs. When I finished college, I didn't really want to be a teacher. I got the degree but didn't finish the license. and so My wife kinda said, Like, You look you work for Boys and Girls. So I'm like, don't you, you know, apply for a club director job? There's a job open in Madison, Georgia. And I was like, I'll apply for it, you know. And I I didn't really, I was d definitely not qualified. but luckily they it was board members interviewing and they were really about the story and and luckily I have a fairly, you know, interesting story growing up and so they gave me the job. I had no idea what in the world I was doing. But I remember what the club looked like where I was at and

[33:29]  Yeah.

[33:29]  And what it did. And so I just tried to replicate that. And then that was kind of my first experience of like, okay, I can see what this is. This isn't great. So let's let's start, you know, rebuilding it. And that's kind of been where I've where I really like to to lean into is when stuff's kind of broken. I like taking oversights that you know that that need work. you know, and

[33:29]  Yeah.

[33:29]  making it something special.

[33:29]  I can tell you like challenges when you decided to move in the middle of a pandemic to go take over an organization that, you know, pr pr probably needed some assistance for sure. what

[33:30]  Yeah. Yeah, they they'd fallen off for sure.

[33:30]  What what makes you like, where does that come from? Where do you why do you love a challenge? Some people would not want that actually, Josh. People want and I've seen people that's like, give it to me when it's a bit more structured. I'm just like you. Give me something

[33:30]  Sure. Yeah.

[33:30]  that that is beat up and let me go figure it out.

[33:30]  I'm usually a little lost, honestly, when it's already figured out. To be honest with you, I I like having someplace

[33:30]  Yeah.

[33:30]  because it's obvious. To me, the steps you have to take are obvious when you when it's a mess.

[33:30]  Yeah.

[33:30]  I mean, I think I I like it because like I just know what a what the club did for me, you know, and and I know what it can do. you know, and for me I'm very like I i whatever decision we make is with the kids in mind, you know, and so I I like that magic of you know, providing them a great space that the kids like, that there's energy and and also like it gets your sta you know, to see your staff go from not being that engaged to like actually I connecting and figuring this out too. you know, 'cause you want it to be able to run when you're not there, like or if you're sick or if you've got to go places and we you know, we're we're finally getting to that point, you know, where it can technically run without me and that's that's what you want it to be. but you know, I can't be in every room, I can't be everywhere. So you want, you know, great staff, great, you know, great place to be. and I want to be where like I when it when we get inspected or if s a board member shows up or a donor or whoever, that we don't have to scramble, you know, to make it what they want. We want it to be that way already. You know, and so that's that's what we we want it to be. We've got board members' kids here, my kids go here. and you just want it to be excellent, you know, for everybody.

[33:32]  Love it, man. And you said what the Boys and Girls Club did for you. What did it do for you, man? Of course it had to do something special because you're back

[33:32]  Yeah.

[33:32]  at it and wanting to continue to keep that legacy alive.

[33:32]  Yeah. And I'll s I'll send you after this, I'll send you the speech I gave. I got asked to give a speech growing up last year, about it. I mean, for me it provided stability. It was I I had a a pretty rocky childhood. my dad was gone before I, you know, was was born. Yeah, I mean it's a long story, but I mean he was was in witness protection and things like that, and then our family was kinda left to scramble and pick up, you know, pieces. Never never did get to meet there's siblings scattered across the country. I actually just got to meet one last year. you know, and then stepfather that was around was, you know, well, in some ways he was you know, he was there and consistent, but he was, you know, kind of abusive. There was a there was a lot of abuse and things like that in the home. we moved around a lot once when my parents divorced, it was like I mean, I think I went to five high schools my freshman year freshman year.

[33:33]  Wow.

[33:33]  so it was a lot of that, but we always would come home to Orville. And so the club was the one thing that was like the same when you'd go back. You know, I think kids, when you when you live in a home where it's you know, where you have, you know, mom's pancakes or this dinner or this meal, you know, all of those consistent things

[33:33]  Mm-hmm.

[33:33]  that that you have. you know,

[33:33]  Yeah.

[33:33]  I didn't have a lot of those. And so the club was kind of that for me.

[33:33]  this is just me and my random brain. Did you see the ultimate warrior that I have back there? I don't know if you kinda see

[33:33]  I did not see that.

[33:33]  it, but it's it's actually a ultimate warrior button up. And I just just wanted I just wanted to call it out 'cause we're talking wrestling.

[33:34]  dude, I love that. He doesn't get enough credit. Like I I know he was kinda ridiculous from every from what everybody says, but I enjoyed it. I mean, I I watched that Russell

[33:34]  Say

[33:34]  Media Six. yeah.

[33:34]  Yeah, I was actually talking to my neighbor. He likes to send me the Macho Man Randy Savage clips. And I thought to myself,

[33:34]  Yeah, right, yeah.

[33:34]  you never know who Randy Savage was. And and probably the Ultimate Warrior. You know who these guys really were, because they were always in character. And we didn't have social media back then.

[33:34]  True. Yeah.

[33:34]  So it's like nowadays we know who Undertaker really is because he's doing more like storytelling, but we didn't get to

[33:34]  Yeah. Yeah.

[33:34]  see that from some of our our legends, right? So it's like we only know the character. These were good characters for sure. But anyway,

[33:34]  Yep. And that may have been why everybody says that time was the best. Because at

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  the end of the day, it kind of there was always the allure of I know it's not real, but that's real. But that was real. That wasn't supposed to happen. You

[33:35]  Okay, babe, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[33:35]  know, and I think those those were the things that made it special back then for sure.

[33:35]  I love it, man. I love it. Yeah, I would say wrestling really for me was the escape from reality. I think that's why I enjoy so much.

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  and it's the same, it's you know, now it's funny. I tell people I came out the wrestling closet like three years ago. I didn't tell no no one that I like wrestling, but I've always

[33:35]  Mm-hmm. yeah, yeah.

[33:35]  loved wrestling. and now that I do, you just start to find yourself in these communities of people that, you know, well, you can really still pour into yourself regular e-frame and that mental health

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  e-frame and all that, but still with something that you really have a passion for. But I know that you have a passion for leading, man. And I want to kind of bring back to you mentioned about stepdad and dad. I'm always a big believer that there's something that we learn from those moments, right? I grew up with no

[33:35]  For sure.

[33:35]  dad myself and I I just pride myself in who I am today. Who is Josh as a father? And what are those things that he prided himself on being a father?

[33:35]  doing what you say and saying what you mean, you know, are probably the biggest things and that's w kinda how I I you know, we work with leadership too in in the club. We wanna, you know, we wanna deliver on what we say we're gonna do. I try my best to to just, you know, be super dad. I try to create some of those moments, you know, at any time 'cause I'm we're we're I'm an older parent. We had kids a little later. you know, so we The time is r really like everybody says it, you know, you the time goes quick, it goes so fast and it's such a cliche, but it's so true. so I try my best to not be laying around, st you know, scrolling on the phone, you know, as as much as I can. And if there's opportunities to take

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  them, I take them. you know, there's stuff that they like or want to do, even if it's on the if it's on the weekend, like there's a, you know, I don't want to do an advertisement for people, but there's a place called activate, you know, where you go in and it's like a bunch of different games set up that you run through. you know, so we'll d it's forty minutes away from here, but we'll drive up there and go see it or go to a zoo or go to wherever. and I think

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  those experiences are important, you know, and and it it definitely makes a difference. And I can tell too by just how much that I've been around my kids. You know, we were gone for the that was probably the longest when me me and my wife went to Chicago of our man in laws were watching them and like they ran you know and hugged you know, and I I think that's was kind of made me feel good to know that yeah, like I'm I'm doing good. 'Cause I always connect with them. If they're if they're outside playing, I'm I go out there with them. so I just try my best to engage as even even if we're doing stuff on tablets and things like that, like I'll play games with them together. and I think that does make a difference of just being present and not just letting them raise themselves. because it's pretty easy to do, you know, dishanding a tablet.

[33:35]  yeah, yeah, for sure. How old are the kids?

[33:35]  ten and seven. So still young. One's headed to middle

[33:35]  so still still that young age, man. Yeah, for sure. They still

[33:35]  school. So it's hard because I mean the middle school starts younger these days. so he's turned into like a little grown man all of a sudden. but it it's it's fun.

[33:35]  I actually heard, and tell me what you think about this, that middle school is actually one of the hardest transitions for a youth. You know, for me, I always

[33:35]  For sure.

[33:35]  thought it was at the high school level because you go into this high school, all these big kids, but it's middle school, right? You go from elementary, probably just being all this loving, A B student,

[33:35]  No.

[33:35]  and then you go into a whole new world. And for me, I realized that as I was talking to my wife, like, man, as I I got into sixth grade, I'm fighting. I'm I'm, you know, I'm this, I'm the other. And it's

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  like, You don't realize that it is a huge shift. Do you agree with that, Josh?

[33:35]  a hundred percent. 'Cause you kinda find out like you're trying to figure out who you are at this point. 'Cause it was, you know, we're

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  this is a small town here. So you're in elementary school where everyone just kinda friends and you just kinda you're in your class all day and everybody you know, and then you go to the middle school or junior higher or whatever it was then and it's like everyone's separate. I mean, I remember walking in and it being like, like this person doesn't even talk to me anymore you know, or that like all of a sudden the groups start to form, the clicks and the

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  you know, who you are and and like yes, like getting in the trouble. you know, things like that. And then being a little bit more on your own, you know, so like you're you know, you're able to go do some things on your own, but you're probably sh shouldn't be, you know, and you're making some crazy

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  decisions. So it it is definitely the hardest transition. Oliver, like my my son, he's you know, he's like I said, he's kind of they are a little now grant, I don't know if it's the whole group or if it's just mine, but I do think because we've been so engaged with them, like they're a little softer. You know, and I think at at ten or eleven at my age, like I was riding my bike across town, I have my own money money, I'm like on my own. you know, whereas they're not quite as. So we're just now starting to give some of that. Okay, like, you know, walk over here by yourself, you know, or give them some of that responsibility. so it's

[33:35]  Yeah. Yeah.

[33:35]  it's weird seeing him go from like the little kid he was to now having like, you know, responsibility.

[33:35]  Yeah. I agree, man. and I think well, middle school is that it starts so later, so much later as well.

[33:35]  Right.

[33:35]  So your your parents are probably already at work, as you mentioned, right? We're right, we're walking, we're riding that bike. It was like to me, I think walking may have been about thirty, thirty five minutes. And I did that through

[33:35]  yeah. Mm-hmm.

[33:35]  usually my whole middle school, right? and I would walk back home in the rain by myself and get lost on the way home by myself sometimes. Mom would never know. Right. I I mean, Josh,

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  I'll be real quite frank. My mo one time I was suspended. So this goes back to nine eleven. One time I was actually suspended. My mom didn't even know I was suspended. Like that's how bad it was. nine eleven happens. I'm not even in school. I'm at home listening to on the radio, bro. Like, you

[33:35]  yeah.

[33:35]  know, it it because those middle school students sometimes do kind of get left out because of what's going on in the world and going on in our lives, man. So I What do you say to those young kids, those kids there, especially someone like your son that is entering a a whole new world?

[33:35]  I mean probably the one the biggest thing I think for middle schoolers is because you're trying so hard to fit in. I mean, that that is kind of the the time where I I remember I cannot remember the term, but it was like almost sounded like it's on sitcom and like at that age you kind of feel like you're on your own. The story's about you, you know, it's all you know, yourself. I think probably the biggest thing is to not worry about like fitting in with the pack. Like that stuff is just temporary, be who you are.

[33:35]  Mm, mm-hmm.

[33:35]  Lean into the things you like. Like I do, you know, like like the the wrestling thing. Like, you know, like if you like it, you like it. Like it's no big deal. You know, and I think

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  some of those things or like, you know, not trying to to be cool or 'cause I I remember I remember in middle school like being kind of, you know, being mean to s I I remember getting picked on and then the first chance I got because I'm with a group of people, I remember being mean to somebody for no you know, for no really real reason. You know, and it's like it's just 'cause you're trying to fit in and keep your friends, you know. And I think that's probably the biggest piece is to stand out, be a leader. Don't worry about the the crowd and and all that. And I that that's a easier said than done, of course. but that's

[33:35]  Yep. Yep.

[33:35]  that's I think is the the big piece is to not to not blend in with the crowd.

[33:35]  And I think it's important as you kinda mentioned, just the experiences that you own with your kids, you as a father, as your wife as the mother, and having those conversations. A lot of times we let kids be kids, but as adults and parents, we also gotta make sure that we're not letting just the school system take care of our kids, right? The boys and girls club take care of our kids.

[33:35]  For sure. Yeah.

[33:35]  Is that we as parents got to also make sure we're stepping up and doing that work. And for me, I think that that's some of the things that I wish I had is, you know. My mom to show more love, my mom to just show up more and some of the places where I felt very happy. But hey, I'm an

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  adult now. I get it. She has seven kids. She charts had two jobs. You know, she did the best she could of what she she knew,

[33:35]  Yeah, yeah.

[33:35]  Josh per se. at the Boys and Girls Club, it you talked about 24 hours sometimes receiving text messages. Is this from like the students just you meeting them at where they're at and and them having questions and feeling maybe alone at those times? Like, what are those conversations actually look like?

[33:35]  for those, I mean it gets w it gets weird 'cause you you can't like really communicate with the kids. It's it's hard 'cause this is a small town, so everybody knows each other. you know, so for me it's typically like you've got staff, 'cause we w you know, we run sports, so sports runs all around when I'm not here, you know, when the club's closed. So there may be stuff that happens with sports. You may have, you know, board members that need things right now. Right, you know, staff members that, you know, are trying to can't get to work on time or whatever. So you get all kind of things, you know, or you you have parents that are checking in with you, hey, you know, this happened, or hey, just to give you a heads up, you know, we've got this medi medicine medication or medi you know, situation happening. so it's a lot of things like that. It's it's hard to go to the grocery store, you know, and stuff like that sometimes. because like I said, there's a population of only like nine thousand people, you know, and now even we're in

[33:35]  Wow.

[33:35]  a few other s you know, surrounding towns now. so the network's a little bit bigger. But pretty much everywhere you go, you're gonna see somebody, you know. So it's it's hard to have a it's hard to have a bad day anywhere, you know, or like just roll out of bed and go in my pajamas, you know, you have to like 'cause you 'cause it's likely you're

[33:35]  Mm-hmm.

[33:35]  gonna run into somebody.

[33:35]  Y you're the celebrity in your town, huh?

[33:35]  For well, for good or bad.

[33:35]  Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Nah, w you talked about earlier as well that you guys are opening up a new location. What does that communication look like, man? Like you mentioned, you can't be everywhere at the same

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  time. So with all these locations, how are we meeting people where they're at? How is that communication going? Is it you know, I think nowadays with our youth, it is probably reaching them on their cell phones.

[33:35]  Mm-hmm. Yeah.

[33:35]  what does that look like nowadays?

[33:35]  I mean it's definitely a little tricky. I I like the when I was in Georgia I kind of gotten got really good at the school like school based sites. it's it's a lot, you know, cheaper, easy overhead, it's easy to pick up. So we we have a kind of a formula now at this point that we can I can start a new site tomorrow if you'll if you need me to. but the big

[33:35]  Mm-hmm.

[33:35]  thing first is sitting down with the schools. because sometimes if you're in the schools you can kind of get treated like a second class citizen, you know, and people kind of looked at when the kids dismiss from the the school to the club, they're now somehow different children. Now they're club kids, you know, and so so we try to really fight that up front. We make sure that the agreements are good. Cause at the end of the day, for a nonprofit, when we grow, all the cost only grows. We don't like gain profits, you know, or anything like that. Like it's it's it's stretching

[33:35]  Mm.

[33:35]  us farther. so to me, like I I want to make sure like when we go somewhere, we're an equal partner. You know, we're coming in, we're providing a service you know, this is something that can benefit the kids, help support the schools in any way we can. We try our best to wherever we go to do business in those towns. You know, so if there's something local, you know, like we we want the kids to have memories in those towns. We want the clubs to to be each town's clubs. So like, you know, there's some other our surround towns. You want, you know, engagement in each one of those areas.

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  because at the end of the day, like I can make a blanket, this is what it is, but we want to get to get people involved. That's probably one of our you know, we're still kind of struggling with that to get the towns to kinda understand what we do. 'cause sometimes it kinda gets a little bit of a rivalry, you know, or looking at it as like, like this outside group, where's the where's the money going? you know, and it's like, well actually, you

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  know, we we're you know, we operate a at a loss most of the time. So so it's not just going, you know, for for fun or for profit.

[33:35]  I think it's also the education people have around nonprofits. Everyone thinks that there's no money, right? And and ideally there is no money. But you see us it you know, spreading our wings or spreading our webs, however somebody may want to look at that. But no, it is. We we definitely as a as nonprofits need that funding, you know, especially more than now than ever where we looking at government fundings kind of you know, taking a huge hit. How can people, you know, the peop in your community get involved?

[33:35]  there's lots of ways. I mean, for us, and I do feel like like volunteerism overall is is kinda lower. We kind of struggle with that. people kinda wanna s like help a little bit, they don't wanna be in charge of anything. so we do

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  we do struggle with that. But for us, we have a huge sports program. I mean we I think we do nine sports now. so there's always opportunity there, you know, especially if you're you're already at the game, especially for parents if you're already there, you know, to help out and be part of that. because it it saves our costs immensely if we don't have to use staff. I mean, if I don't have to use 20 staff for the weekend, you know, like that's that's a huge savings to to have. And also it just means a little bit more to the kids. you know, we're always looking for for board members in the area. you know, we're looking for staff, you know, as is always a good opportunity. Like we're probably the largest employer because we we're one of the clubs that still will hire high school kids, so we're probably the largest employer of high school kids in the county. you know, so we're always looking for that. We're all you know, obviously as you said, you know, we're we're nonprofits, so we survive by donations, grants, and things like that. So so we're always also looking for for support in that way as well.

[33:35]  Do you know roughly how many students you guys have served in twenty twenty five? Or have you known twenty twenty six? Thirteen hundred?

[33:35]  Twenty twenty five was about thirteen hundred. Yep. th yeah, about around thirteen hundred across our location, something like that. So for a small town that's big. Like when you look at the statewide, this

[33:35]  Wow. Wow. Wow. and then Yeah.

[33:35]  is nothing nothing against those clubs by by any means, but like the surrounding towns that are bigger than us, we serve more kids. Like Youngstown, which is probably, you a hundred something thousand people, maybe around there, but we're we have eight thousand people in our town and and we're we ser we are we're a larger entity than they are. Dayton, Ohio is another like fantastic club, but they're up and coming, but for at least over the last few years we've served as many or more. So we're like the size of a metro area location for a small town, which is rare.

[33:35]  Josh, when you took over this organization almost now six years ago, what are those things that you had in mind? Those things that you wanted to implement, and what is it that you want to do now? We're in twenty twenty six that you would love to see implemented in the next few years?

[33:35]  I mean for us like it it it kinda had lost its way a little bit. So we had to kind of reboot. So we pretty much started from from scratch with everything over the last few years. Going forward, we really like to get these satellite locations, you know, now that they're out there, we need a bigger presence over there. you know, some board support in those areas. We'd also like to get some streamline the the info our infrastructure has grown like we've grown too big for the infrast the current infrastructure. So we need some some management

[33:35]  Mm-hmm.

[33:35]  that maybe can manage those satellite locations just to give them some better service. Because right now I manage those directly. you know, and some sometimes I can't always be there, you know. And so it it would be better if we had like some, you know, some infrastructure growth. and then probably the last area would be like our sports. We've got a new a new director step into that role and just kinda streamlining that and getting some of their you know, all of their safety stuff and and getting it more aligned with Boys and Girls Club. it's kinda tricky 'cause they have we have the membership requirements and things like that. and so we're just trying to get everything all on one page. And I think that's probably the next the next step is just refining everything.

[33:35]  Yeah. Love it, man. we've kind of covered a a lot of different things here, man. How can people what is a website like? How can someone what's the website to go to to kind of get involved to just see what you guys are doing, see the unique things that you guys are doing at your location? 'Cause I believe all boys and girls club for the most part are somewhat

[33:35]  Yep.

[33:35]  different in the communities they serve as well.

[33:35]  Yeah. There's a saying, Boys and Girls Club, if you've seen a Boys and Girls Club, you've seen one Boys and Girls Club. They're they are all different. you know, while we have the core of BGCA, you you do have kind of autonomous each club is a little bit different. for us it's OABGC.org or at Worbell Area Boys and Girls Club. We're in we're in Ohio. but nationally BGCA dot org, you can get involved and find a club. near you, highly recommend. A any boys and girls club. I mean to me I think we're I mean of course I'm I'm biased. I've worked for the Y I worked for other organizations. they're all great ones as well. But Boys and Girls Club to me is is special. when you look at the support and things that that you can get for your you know for your community and what you can bring in, the the infrastructure and like programs that are already built, you know, it's it's easy to make it yours.

[33:35]  I love it. With Josh, man, I truly appreciate the conversation that we've been having today.

[33:35]  Yeah.

[33:35]  I know you got plenty of things to do today as you wear so many different hats. We kind of talked about

[33:35]  Two things.

[33:35]  it. And that's just kind of what a nonprofit looks like. I think it's a great place. I think if you want to be challenged, look at your nonprofits, local nonprofits, the ability to wear multiple hats and not feel like you're doing the same thing over and over and over. Go to a nonprofit. Find something that you love that you have a passion for. I

[33:35]  For sure. Mm-hmm.

[33:35]  can promise you there's organizations around there that cater to what that passion is. and and

[33:35]  Does it?

[33:35]  we should Be, you know, I I would say for all those leaders watching, I challenge you to go find a nonprofit and go pour back into it, volunteer, donate to these organizations. Josh has been doing a fabulous job and continuing to grow his organization. It's been a pleasure to know a little bit more about what you're doing, Josh, and get to know you. And I can't wait to the next time that we talk that you're telling me, Efraine, we've got more satellite locations, and I'm not wearing all 10 hats today. All right, Josh.

[33:35]  Yes. Yes.

[33:35]  Make sure you guys pick them

[33:35]  Sounds good.

[33:35]  up, man. Thank you, Josh. My name's Benny Frain. We'll catch you on the next one.

[33:35]  Thank you. Appreciate it.