Shaping Leaders, Not Systems: Cindy Odom’s Blueprint for Youth Empowerment

[0:00]  You know, we hear this a lot, right? That youth are our future, you know, and where we're going. When you start to have real conversations with you, you you know that they're thinking a lot deeper than people that give them credit for. But, um, yeah, it's just like they actually think about life and the world. And so, if you talk to them, you'll hear their ideas. And so, what keeps me going is that they are our future. And so if you have some conversations with these youth, you'll find out that we're not, you know, people say, "Oh, we don't know what they're going to do, like who's going to be running government, what's going to be happening with, you know, these youth don't care or these youth don't." No, they are very thoughtful.

[0:39]  They are thinking, they are very active. They are listening and they're making they're thinking about what they would do in that seat. And some of them are doing things right now to make a difference. Welcome back to another episode here on the Heart and Hustle podcast. Cindy, yes. We're just going to get right into it. Take us back. How does someone go from premed to purpose-driven nonprofit leader? What flipped the switch for you?

[1:19]  Yeah. So what really flipped the switch is that um I always wanted to help people but really understanding how I could best do that and clearly it was not uh medicine. I I think um you know to be perfectly candid I had an aversion to a lot of blood and so that was really not what I really found out that I wanted to do. it was more um thinking that this would be a means one to help people but also to be you know financially stable. Um and then at the the more I matured through the process I realized that I wanted to help people but I wanted to help them in a totally different way than I had started my journey in the beginning. I love this.

[2:01]  And now you're you're leading New City Kids. Why this mission? Why about loving kids for change uh called your name? Mhm. Kids are incredible. Young people are incredible. And you know, I've spent most of my career either working with directly in the beginning of my career or working for so being at the table where decisions are made about youth and children and that is a passion of mine.

[2:26]  You know, I think that they have a lot of the solutions to some of the needs that we have even right now. um they do great things in the world and I think giving them the platform um to become their best selves is a important part um of what I believe I should be doing here in the world. I love it. I love it. And you've been on both sides. You've been on the for-profit, you've been on the nonprofit. Is there any common leadership thread that really stuck with you? No matter the title, it is allowing people to be their best self. So no matter where people are, no matter who you're working with, whether you're working in the nonprofit or you're working in the for-profit, if people can come into an environment where they feel like they are um appreciated and needed, then you're going to get the best work out of them.

[3:14]  So regardless of whether it's for aprofit or nonprofit is like really allowing people to be their best self, not to create clones, but for people to be their authentic selves in an environment and using their talents to the best of their abilities. I feel like we do get that in the nonprofit side. You said authentic self. It's so crazy. First thing we say is, "Hey, let's be authenticelves today, right?" Like it's so important that you you are really at all times, you know, like show people who you are. I've always felt like people do business with people, you know? So, even in the nonprofit space, like who you are, who you come across with, not just at the table where you're making decisions, but even on the outside, people see that and people, you know, genuinely would continue to just follow that great leader, which is what you've done, you know, for so long. Um, is there any do you remember that moment that made you

[4:01]  realize like I'm here to really serve people, not just systems? Um, I think I finalized that probably in my early 20s. Um, I realized that um that's what I'm here for. Um, but that's where and that's where I made the change, you know, a little sooner in my major, but also um in the work that I do and I find it fulfilling. Right. So that moment when um you just realize that this is where it's at for me and this is where I find my joy.

[4:33]  I love that. I love that. And for those that are are listening in and um they don't know what New City Kids what it is they're hear they're hearing it for the first time. What do they need to know about your work and and why New City Kids even matter? Well, New City Kids is is transformational because what we do and we talk about loving kids for change. Um we're actually a youth uh a teen uh development organization but we do it with through after school center which means that we service youth from ages from grades first through 8th grade but what's unique about us is that we actually hire the teens to work with the youth. So we work with the teens. We help them with their homework. We do um we help them learn musical instruments.

[5:20]  We help them with uh college um doing college tours, FASA, like all the different things that teens really need. But as we do that and as we develop their leadership, they actually take that leadership and they work with the first through 8th graders. And it's amazing. um you know when they come into the the organization sometimes they view it as just a job but by the end you know you'll never walk into a new city kids and not have a teenager put their hand out and say hi how are you like you know give you give them give you their name and ask you about you they have they learn so much from day one to sometimes sometimes year three and sometimes year four but they learn so much and um so it's youth development at its best and it starts early. So, our youth first

[6:09]  through eighth graders become our teens who we employ in our as our teen life interns who become our alumni who go into their communities and make great difference within their communities. Yeah, you created a good cycle within what you guys were were doing and and and I I want to kind of go back to something on um no kid will not extend their hand, shake your hand with confidence, right? introduce themselves and ask you how are you doing? I think that's so important like why what made you tell me that part because to me I think it it it shows the confidence right it shows respect it shows confidence uh it kind of demands respects as well so why did you why you tell me that why is that so important because they step into the moment they're not afraid and that's one of the

[6:55]  things you know they don't fear because you are an adult because you are in a different age range that they shouldn't be talking to you they think that they have something to offer they know that you they believe you do and they want to engage with you. And so they actually are understanding and harnessing their own power. And so it's it's amazing when you see it. I like that. I like that.

[7:17]  Yeah. I had a call. I noticed that you slipped that in. I'm like, wait a minute. I I know where I why I'm so excited about that, but I want to know where you were going with that. What's even cooler is that you're in four cities. Like what what does the heartbeat that stays consistent no matter the zip code? Like you're in four cities now. What is that heartbeat? Yep.

[7:36]  It is. It is loving kids for change because we believe when we create a community of love that that just resonates everywhere and so you know we have four events a year and at each location has an event and every youth will say New City Kids is a community and that's important because everybody needs some place where they feel accepted where they feel encouraged where they get uh true feedback you like keep it keep it real, keep it honest. Um and um where they can fail forward. So, and still be cared for and and loved and and that's important to us and that's important to the youth and that keeps them coming back.

[8:21]  How do you get kids to believe in themselves before the world even knows their name? I think that's a huge thing within our our teens and our just our youth. Giving them responsibilities and helping them to succeed. So giving them the proper training, giving them the responsibilities and then stepping back, not out of the picture, but far enough back where if they need assistance, we can step in, not to take over, but to give guidance. And so they build their confidence as we do that with young people. Love that. Love that. And I remember you telling me that leadership doesn't require a title. I love that as well. Um, break that down for us. What does that what does that real leadership look like in action? Leadership looks like confidence. It looks like knowing who you are, what you're supposed to be

[9:10]  doing, and leading no matter what your title is. That I step in, I own what I do every day. And I don't need a title to define me. I know that when I come in, whether I'm the first person you see in an organization, any organization, is that I own who I am. And I show up every day. I like that. Listen, exactly. Lead by example, right? You're already leading by example. And you you build that culture as well. You know, how do you build a culture where people don't just show up, but they actually grow up? Yeah. Where does that come from? How do you get that together? Is that you you care about people. You let them know that. You give them the tools that they need to grow.

[9:53]  you have tough, you're not afraid to have tough conversations because you're not looking to destroy people or to make them feel less than. You're looking to give them the tools that they need to take themselves to the next level. And it's not so much about telling people, it's understanding who they are. When I say, well, you know, bring your best self. You know, you come to work every day, you bring who you are to that environment, but you also bring your your dreams and your ambitions and where you want to go. And when you start to have conversations to understand who people are and where they want to go and you begin to connect that way, people feel appreciated, which means when people feel appreciated, I mean, you know, we all can probably think of examples. They they move differently.

[10:34]  And so it's creating an environment where people can grow and learn. That's who they are. What a good place to be in, right? Yeah, I know you go home every day and just so excited to know the work that you do or this, you know, some days may be better than others, but you did share a story with me that um I can kind of recall and I would love for you to kind of highlight the story a little more. So, we got lucky, right?

[10:57]  How did his journey reflect what New City Kids is all about? Like that transformation it it what did we you know what did it teach about grace, growth, and second chances? I would say grace, growth, growth, second chances, and relationships because, you know, we talked about being really honest and true um with um our youth. We, you know, Lucky lost his job at New City Kids, but he didn't lose his relationship. And so, um, Lucky was a a a young man in 2016 who came to New City Kids and he went, um, very smart and he came in as a English, um, teacher for the younger kids. And what occurred is over the summer he went to, uh, he went home to Haiti where um, a war broke out

[11:49]  and he wasn't able to get back for like four months. And when he got back, he had he had gotten placement into um one of the um more prestigious uh public schools in New Jersey. But when he when he got back um he had lost that and he was in a school that wasn't as progressive and he kind of lost his way a little bit and um he was working at New City Kids and he kind of, you know, he couldn't keep himself motivated and he actually lost the job at New City Kids. So he was no longer a Teen Life intern with us, but one of the things about New City Kids is that everybody has a one-on-one, meaning that everybody has a mentor, somebody that they work with. And so he kept meeting with his mentor even though he was no longer working at New City Kids. So much so that was so valuable to him that he even

[12:37]  volunteered for one of our events. And so he kept that that momentum. He he still had that adult that was encouraging him in his life. And so what occurred was that he did come finally come back to New City Kids. Um he ended up um deciding, you know, he worked really hard to to on his SAT really hard. He got accepted in about seven colleges. Um and he did ex he is doing extremely well. You know, he's um now working he's um he's our alumni, but he's a senior at the at Southern California and he's a finance and international relations major. he's doing extremely well. But so what's important for us is relationship that even when we had to give him a tough answer like you know you can't work here because you're not doing what you need

[13:24]  to do we understand why that we didn't let him go fully right we kept the relationship with him and he even said that new city kids was more than a job it was a journey for him. Yeah, that's so good. You could literally bottle that up and, you know, show donors, you know, what that that moment. That's so good.

[13:45]  And what's your hope for every lucky out there watching or even listening this right now? that they reach their full potential, that they are everything that their heart desires, that they have for themselves, that if they're at a point where they can't even they can't see that because sometimes we, you know, things get foggy and they can't see that that New City Kids is there to step in and to help pull that that that purpose out of them with them along with them in partnership so they see their greatness where whatever that is. If that that's being a veterinarian tech, if that's being, you know, working on Wall Street, I mean, you know, whatever that is for them that they find their joy in what they do. That's it. Yeah. You got there's no reason to go chase anybody else's dream. What is your dream?

[14:28]  Absolutely. You know, so I love that you uh talked about that. And and when I kind of go back to the nonprofit space, where you also stand out to me was that most people don't really link nonprofit with AI. really nonprofit seems to always kind of drag on innovation, but you're you're doing it. What made you start exploring tech in in this space?

[14:48]  It's really I won't take any real credit for it. I think it's my staff. You know, you bring good people in who are innovative in their thinking. You know, you want to hear from folks. You don't want people just to work from for you, but you want to hear from them their ideas. And so, we've used AI as um for idea generation. Um we've also used it for um guidance like with uh getting ideas with grants and those things. And so you know it's my staff who really is on the cutting edge of really bringing that into the organization.

[15:20]  If the Heart and Hustle podcast has ever sparked any idea or made you dig differently, do us a favor. Make sure to guys share this, post it on LinkedIn, or even text that nonprofit friend that you just have. Whatever works. This is what keeps the conversation going and allows us to just grow this community together. Seriously, we appreciate you. I love it. And you called AI uh a co-pilot. And ever since you said that, I mean, Microsoft actually owns the name co-pilot. But I always tell people now like, yeah, it is a co-pilot. It is a passenger in your in your, you know, car. So, because it is true, people think that AI is really going to replace you. No, someone that understands AI will replace you, right? So it so like people just kind of got the wrong message there. But when it comes to things internally and externally, is

[16:09]  there anything else that you feel like um if you guys can use AI to do something, automate something or help you may maybe it's communicate better? What what would you love AI to actually do in your space? I think more of communicate our message, right? So, you know, cuz everybody learns and understands differently and I think AI has the ability to um be able to get your message out in different ways and give you suggestions about that. So, I think that that is one of the things that I think is important as we're looking to um share what we do, you know, across um the US and everywhere else that we want to make sure that our messages are clear and concise and that we can get them out.

[16:52]  Uh Cindy, I never asked anybody this, but it just came to mind just sitting here thinking about how we're having this conversation on AI. But do you think AI could actually free us up to be more human in how we serve? I think so. I think it can take away from some of the minutia, the smaller things, the things we get caught up with, you know, trying to write the perfect email, trying to make sure that our point is getting across and we spend an hour and a half in something that, you know, can somebody AI can come in co-pilot, right?

[17:20]  Walk beside you. so to speak, and get that done quicker so that we can be freed up to do more of the creativity. Yeah, I I I definitely agree, man. It's just so crazy how people are still living in this fear. I get it. You know, something new, something uncomfortable, but I definitely do agree with what you're saying. When you think about everything you've experienced from premed to CEO, what's your biggest leadership lesson thus far? Trust yourself.

[17:47]  You're so good. You're so good to be You're so good. I don't know about that but I you know you you know it's a journey when they say it's a leadership journey it's a leadership journey if you you know if you growing and developing and you know you have to know what you know and you have to trust yourself and sometimes it's it's a lot of book knowledge but sometimes it's in you knowing um what you should do and at the end of the day whether it's good bad or indifferent you have to know that you've trusted yourself um in your decision making. What keeps you so fired up? Even I'm pretty sure you have hard days, but what is that thing that um because I what I see a lot of leaders do is that they they're pouring into others a lot of the times and no one's pouring into them, right? It creates those hard moments in our lives. But what keeps you even on empty cup keep just going. Yeah.

[18:36]  Um it's the youth, you know, we hear this a lot, right? That youth are our future, you know, and where we're going. And um when you start to have real conversations with you, you you know that they're thinking a lot deeper than people always want to give them like that give them that give them credit for. All right. But um yeah, it's just like they actually think about life in the world. And so if you talk to them, you'll hear their ideas. And so what keeps me going is that they are our future. And so if you have some conversations with these youth, you'll find out that we're not, you know, people say, "Oh, we don't know what they're going to do, like who's going to be running government, what's going to be happening with, you know, these youth don't care or these youth don't." No, they are very thoughtful. They are

[19:24]  thinking, they are very active. They are listening and they're making they're thinking about what they would do in that seat. And some of them are doing things right now to make a difference. No, I I 100% agree with that. I am um part of the foundation at my old high school. And there's this young man, he's 17 years old, has brought uh I think raised $20,000 to bring like a Holocaust Holocaust museum to the school to give that education. Um there's there's like this property that is so many years old and now the school system is trying to buy it, but it's for the community. like he's so involved and I'm sitting here like, man, this dude's only 17 years old, but he's so involved with what's happening in the community and what's happening long term. And those are the people that you want to kind of bring

[20:10]  into these nonprofits, you know, and and I would challenge any leader that is sitting with the same board for the last 5, 10 years. You got to change it up. You got to diversify because there's so many young talented people that I think are great in the nonprofit space. Um, one, I think there's this this stigma on what a nonprofit really is. And then also, when you join a board, I've joined a board where I didn't feel heard. I didn't feel, you know, I felt like I was just taking up a seat, you know, per se.

[20:38]  But I'm someone that's active. How are we making changes? We're looking long term. So, I kind of love that you guys within your own systems are creating that, right? Some of those people that are working within New City, they will be on the board. They will be your next CEOs and your your next I love that. They are. Some of our staff were actually students. We have a staff member who was five years old at New City Kids and they now are in a director position at New City Kids. There we go.

[21:03]  We have board members that were youth at New City Kids and now they are full families, PhDs, M's degrees sitting on our board of directors. Love it. So yeah, we definitely they are extremely valuable to us in the work. Cindy, why is now the right time for people to get involved with what New City Kids is doing in the mission? Because we are focused forward. We are focused on what's next. We are focused not only on what's happening, right? Because we're bringing youth in. We're hearing their stories. We're helping them to grow and develop. But it's not for us, it's for the next. It's like what's happening next and making sure that we are developing you know we have a chance to help to develop these leaders um into what you know we need in this world

[21:51]  moving forward. So what we do is extremely valuable because th this is the next generation. Do you do you have a small act of love that can really spark a big change? Um a act of love is I would say within our program would be to um you know what very many very few people I think people don't feel um seen and heard and I think providing an opportunity where people can be seen and people can be heard their voices heard you know so you may not have an answer but you but you listen Not just you hear but no I listen I I hear I mean I hear you like that's resonating. So I I I

[22:40]  think that that is it you know that we give a platform for kids to be seen and to be heard. Yeah that's so good. I was actually talking to a leader earlier today and um just talking about when it comes to our youth as parents it's get off the phone you know and spend that time and when you're talking to them look at them in their eyes. Yeah. you know, um, and and a lot of the things that we're the conversation that we're having, New City Kid is doing, but I think it also comes into our parenting style for those that are listening. You know, we're in a space where, yeah, phone may maybe we're making a lot of money on because our phones, right, we're content creators, but at some point we have to realize that they our kids do want to be seen, you know, heard. And I think longterm what it does, it really helps um that child come

[23:27]  back home and know where home is. love it. And you know, because I was one that I didn't feel heard or seen or loved. And I tell you what, I see the way that I have my relationship with my mom, which is very normal. I see her maybe like I talked to her maybe once a month. She used to live down the street and I've seen her once every 3, four months, but that's just what what's kind of built at home, you know what I mean? And so we got to be very mindful when you talk about her and seeing how that really impacts the future of your relationship with your child. Yes. you know, so that is so good that you kind of brought that in because yes, so many kids will tell you, I just don't feel heard or seen. The lack of confidence start to kind of dwell down a little bit. So, I love what the first thing you mentioned that I remember was shake their hand, look in your eyes, tell you who they are because how many times do we see kids walk into rooms

[24:14]  with their head down? No, walk up head high, right? You know, you are somebody, right? Absolutely. So, I do love that. Um, we're about to start wrapping up, but where do people get more involved? Whether it's just information, donations, is do you guys have the website? What is the website, social media platforms? What are those social media platforms? So, we do have a website. Our website um is um new city www. of course uh newcity.org or and we have we actually have our um we have Instagram and we also have um uh Instagram, Facebook, all of those social medias um outlets that you can find New City Kids on. Some of it will say New City Kids Grand Rapids or New City Kids Detroit or New City Kids Patterson, New City Kids Jersey City,

[25:02]  but this New City Kids, we are on all the social media platforms. Yeah. You have four now. Is the the goal longterm to have more locations? Yeah, we we have we actually have we're in four cities, seven sites. So, okay. We just launched a new site in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We have three sites in Jersey City. We have one in Patterson, New Jersey, and one in Detroit. So, we're looking to do more.

[25:30]  When you took over the location you're at, where were you guys um at? Did you guys already have these in place or was this kind of growing with uh you you at the helmet if at all? Yeah, so actually we had uh at that time we had six sites and now we have seven. Copy, copy, copy. Well, listen, time's coming to an end, but we still have that time for that blind question. Are you ready? Yeah, I'm ready. This is a really good question actually. Um our last leader asked, "If you could write a letter to your 16-year-old self, but it could only have four words, what would it say and why?

[26:04]  Love yourself deeply, comma, intentionally. Say it one more time. Say one more time. I feel like I interrupted you. Say it again. Love yourself deeply. Trauma intentionally. There you go. I love it. No, because I know I I I for people that are watching it, they had to hear without me interrupting you. That was so good. That was so good. And you thought so quick on your feet. That's another great thing about leaders when it comes to improvising, when it think when it comes to thinking quick on your feet. Oh yeah, you got to have that skill. Like that's another that's one of those you could tell really the different leaders at that level as well. Somebody that can just think quick on their feet, no stress. And the way that you answer that was so good. What is your question to the next leader? My question to the next leader is

[26:51]  um what would you what would you do? This is a oldie but goodie I think. What would you do if you were not afraid? That's good. That's a good one. Okay. I like that. I like that. I like that. I like that. A And Cindy, as we wrap up, is there any other words that you have for those that may be watching that need to know um a message from a leader like yourself, whether it's our our youth, whether it's our parents, because I think when it comes to our kids, it's some we all play a part in this, right?

[27:23]  It takes a village to to raise these kids. And maybe there's an aunt out there that just needs to hear something. What is that message? It would be intentionality. It would be to be intentional about the youth that are in your life. Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, or whether you are a youth, be intentional about what you do. Be intentional about how you love, who you love, and how you love them. Be intentional about loving yourself. Um, I think that's important. people, you know, when you have so much negativity around you, it's just important to know that that people care and that you that we let them know that. I love that.

[27:59]  Well, Cindy, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it. If you guys are still watching, make sure that you guys do like, subscribe, um, and just tag someone down below that just may need to hear this. Cindy, it was a pleasure having you here. We thank you so much. Hope that we get to do this again later down the road. And, uh, this has been the Heart Hustle Podcast. We'll catch you guys on the next episode. Thank you.

[28:17]  To air.