Why Accountability Is the Missing Piece for Men Who Want to Grow

[0:16]  Welcome back to another episode here on the Heart and Hustle Podcast. I have Mr. Sean from FIU. What's up, man?

[0:22]  I'm doing well. How are you doing, Efrain?

[0:22]  Listen, I'm blessed, man. It is Monday. I'm talking to you and I know this is gonna be a good conversation, man. FIU, is this where you went to school? Or like how do you get into this college space, man? Because I always feel people get to college and never leave, at least when I speak to them at this level. So how do you get to FIU?

[0:40]  So interesting. I well in high school I ran track. and I didn't know about FIU, which was kinda kinda ironic. But the coach came and offered me a full scholarship my junior year and said, Hey, injured or not, the scholarship is yours. Like, okay, that's great. I'm like, okay, that's my backup plan. Like, I'm not gonna get injured. Who gets injured? First race senior year, out for the whole year. So it was my it was my main offer. So essentially we that's how I I came to basically came to FIU

[1:08]  Mm-hmm.

[1:09]  as a student. back in the the late nineties. but it was a great experience here. great experience.

[1:30]  I never left.

[5:20]  Met good friends, ran track here, met met my wife here, all kinda stuff. So it's it's it's it's it's been a blessing.

[6:20]  What is your role with FIU?

[6:26]  So funny thing is after FIU I left, joined a nonprofit organization called After School All Stars. And we we service, we help a lot of kids with academics in Richmond, after school programs, middle school and high school students primarily. And we merged our operations with FIU in twenty fourteen because they were such great partners. We did so many things with them, and it made sense for them to get more of a reach in the community, and it made sense for us to make sure that we're not worried about back office things, but just to focus on the kids. So we came back mur so I came back to FIU in twenty fourteen. as part of the agreement they had me come on as an employee and the rest is history.

[9:06]  Man, it's like it's it was meant for you to have, huh? Like the way from that coach telling you, Hey, even if you're injured or not, you know, like that's some strong words from a coach for sure to say, even if you're injured or not. what was your mindset when you realized, holy crap, I am injured, senior year? You remember?

[10:45]  So I injured myself actually winning a race. I hypersanded my knee at the finish line with photo finish. We we we won. It was a it was a relay, it was Disney Wild Water Sports relay. we had one the four by eight, and then it was the four by four. And the gentleman who's also running anchor against me was actually the state champion for the year before. So I'm like, I need a lead. I know this guy's faster than me, but I'm gonna do my best to make sure that we win. We won. That night I could I was limping. The next day I couldn't walk. I was like, okay. This is it, but I felt like I could come back. Like you're young, you feel like you can come back. Okay, I'll it'll

[12:30]  Yeah, yeah.

[12:31]  be like a week. And all of a sudden, like the knee wouldn't go down, and then we then it would get reaggravated. I'm like, okay, maybe a little bit longer, and all of a sudden I'm I'm back to running and I'm not in the same condition. I didn't even think about that at that age. I was like, okay, this is this is a little bit different now. So so what do I do? But I had that scholarship in the back in my back pocket, so that

[15:48]  what do you go to school for?

[15:50]  exercise my bachelor's degree was in exercise physiology and my master's was in sports management.

[15:58]  How you end up working with kids?

[16:01]  Well, one, I love working kids and after school all stars. We started it started out as as a sports us as a sports thing. So,

[16:12]  Got it.

[16:12]  growing up learning from my father, we always always we always we're here to serve people. that's people are always selfish and thinking about, okay, the world tells you get what's yours. This is all all everything's all about you. I'm glad I didn't grow up that way. obviously Christ is my direction and my family was able to show me and and and let me know about that at an early age. And I as I build my own relationship, I understood it myself. And that was it. It's like know something helping others. I love working with kids. it's a gift. And I love sports and interacting and doing different things, even art, music, those types of things. So it made sense. It made sense. I was looking for a job and I applied. And then my college roommate was there, already working there. We have the same bachelor's degree, the same master's degree, and we're in the same events in college. So when the the the executive director at the time looks at the resume, like, do you know this guy? Either you know him or he stole your resume, one of the two. So But long

[17:40]  Wow.

[17:40]  story short, yeah, that was a blessing to join our school All Stars. He actually brought on our third roommate like five months later. So it was it was awesome.

[17:54]  So so pretty much your plan was was small. God's plan was much bigger. Cause you had a direction in life, but God was taking you into different path and looks like a path of purpose and passion, man. Like, do do you ever think about it like that?

[21:39]  Yeah, because like I had a discussion like last week. People think about okay, you set you s you set your path to a direction and you gotta bring God into it. Like, nah, God sets your path and direction and whatever you're doing, you bring your work into it. So I was gonna work in sports. I was gonna either be a sports agent. I did work for sports, I worked for the Miami Heat for fourteen seasons.

[22:06]  Yeah.

[22:06]  but I brought my faith with me because my faith the job was just where I'm at. And I could be a here today, gone tomorrow, but like You never you never know. But in essence it's like my walk is my walk and where I'm at, I'm here to serve him and by serving him I'm serving the people who who who are around me, whether it's my employees or whether it's kids. So it's his direction and

[24:00]  Yeah. Who's pouring this into you, man? I can imagine there's some great leaders, mentors, whether male or female, do you recall any of those people that were really pouring into you that you still probably have those words in the back of your mind?

[24:16]  Well, I'm fortunate enough to have I never should have so some some a c people that some accountability brothers, I should say. they're they're not family, but they're closer than family at at s at some point. we meet, we we can have lunch, we talk almost every day. We have lunch together at least once a month from my church. One is a just we do different we work in ministry together and that's the group. So we can hold each other accountable, which is important. because you know the person has their best interests in heart and they know you know who their what their priority is. 'Cause you don't want somebody saying, Hey, you don't want a yes person in your corner if you're doing something wrong. And you want somebody who cares about you enough to tell you, hey, you are doing something wrong, but this is why you're doing something wrong and it's biblically based. It's not opinion based, it's not worldly based. So I'm glad to have that in my life and like I'm Tavaris and James with the two my two brothers in terms of that. But also even people I've grown up with, In essence, like my director of programs here at Herit All Stars at FIU, Richard. Like he he's a resource for me. We're a resource for each other. because we went to track played ran track together, we live together because we ran track together, we work together, so and so he's best man at my wedding. I'm a godfather to his kids, and also another gentleman named Elliot who's in the group also. But he's actually he has his own business now. But keeping people like that who have your best interests at heart is is is important.

[26:05]  How important is that, man, for a man? Like I recently had a conversation with someone. It's like men are not comfortable talking to other men. But just like you, man, I have a homie and he it's the funniest thing. We don't call each other if we know we're not doing enough. Because we don't we we don't want to hear from the other side, right?

[26:28]  Yeah.

[26:29]  hey man, what what's been what's been why what so long? He's like, man, I really wasn't doing much, man. I I ain't want you to hold me accountable. How important is it though, man, from a man-to-man perspective? Because I think that more of it should be happening and I I I don't know that we have the the best representation I guess to to get there as fathers, as as men.

[26:54]  I always think adults are like big kids sometimes. we feel like kids feel like, okay, we have the right way. We can't tell anybody we have to be guarded and stuff like that. I don't want people to think a certain way of me. Obviously, you have to elaborate establish relationship and trust because it's hard to be vulnerable. And as a man, and even as what stereotypes are what a man is supposed to be. If you gotta be macho, you gotta be tough, you gotta like those stereotypes aren't biblical. but in essence, yes, you're called to lead and do certain things. But It's getting to that space once you realize, hey, I'm going through this, I'm going through this, like know something. A lot of guys are going through the same or similar things and why are you going through it alone? And that's and that can help you grow. And also it could be like you're you're in a good spot and you went through it already and someone else is going through it and you can give them advice. But you're giving them advice, you try to make sure it's the right people. That's founded in the word and so you know you're getting good advice, not something that somebody picked up someplace that's gonna could do you harm down the line because it's short sighted.

[30:23]  Yeah. No, it's cool, man. I I love that you have that. those accountability partners. Accountability partners are so important in life as well, man. Like you said, not to just give me, man, that's good, but be like, Man, it's good, but it it you know, and really start to ask those questions. And I think sometimes as men, we could look at it as you're pressing us or you don't believe and it's not that is truly wanting the best for a brother. and I love that you mentioned that. It is that brotherhood. We should. If you guys if you're watching this and you feel like you don't have enough men in your life that it could really hold you accountable, then you're in the wrong circle. did you find yourself at any point in the wrong circle realizing that you had a pivot?

[32:19]  There have been times, and I'll say when I say times, just certain instances or I'll be in certain places, and I'm like, okay, I shouldn't be here. like sometimes I can be in a room full of people and just be alone or just be like, Okay, this is this is this is I shouldn't be here. so I wouldn't say I didn't roll with the wrong circle growing up, which is fortunate, but I know so many people that that have, in essence of what We've perceived as the wrong circle, but I've had lots of advice on different things. Like after thinking back at it, I'm like, no, something, this was totally wrong. They're just trying to help me, quote unquote, as a friend. so just tell me what I want to hear, not what I need. And y you don't want like in in the moment you feel you want that, because you want some say, Yeah, go ahead, so go ahead and do this. Yeah, go ahead, go mess with that girl. Go, go, hey, he he hey, man, he stepped on a shoe you're supposed to do like you

[34:44]  Yeah.

[34:45]  You like that because you're you're thinking that direction, but the direction is wrong and people are just pushing you in the direction that you feel is right. And in hindsight, say no, something is just foolishness. so I didn't have

[35:43]  You said some

[36:01]  a lot of wrong crowds. And because I had a healthy fear of my father and different things like that, when it came up, he's like, but I'm one guy told me, Are you scared of your dad? I'm Yes, I'm scared of my dad. let's cut and let's do so and so

[37:43]  Yeah.

[37:45]  I'm like, No, man, I'm not I'm not getting caught in doing so and so. And But that guy ended up a couple of years down the line in jail. While I was in college, he was in jail like that.

[38:06]  And Sean, it probably wasn't even that you were scared, you had respect for your father. Your

[38:16]  Yes.

[38:17]  father that was pouring into you, man, like, you know, and and you your father today, it's not you want your kids to be scared of you, it's you want your kids to respect you and understand

[38:17]  Yes.

[38:17]  that, you know, that is not here from coming at it from a, I don't want you to do this. That is coming from I understand from my life experiences, this may not be the best for you. Now, people are gonna have their own choices. You've seen some of your friends at kind of had their own choices, but it looks like you've had some really good people. But you also mentioned how you had to go kind of always been spiritual growing up, but you had to go also go find him. What was that moment that you realized you had to go deeper?

[38:17]  I was looked at, Sean's a good guy. That's a nice kid and stuff like that. But I had listen, I broke almost every commandment. Like I would I was I had sin, but I would hide it. But my I I would try to portray something that I wasn't. And then it took me a while to feel that no one is really good and you need to come to God. But so I knew about God, but I didn't have a relationship to God.

[38:17]  Mm.

[38:17]  Once and he kind of called me. because I went to I went off to college. I said, I'm gonna keep going to church and all kind of stuff like that. I went to church down in Miami. Services in the early service was in English. The service I wanted to go to was in Spanish. I didn't want to get up early. So I started going to the Spanish service. I don't speak Spanish, but I'm following everything as much as I can. And all of a sudden I can't, I'm like, what am I doing? So instead of finding another church or doing getting up early, I just stopped going.

[38:17]  Mm.

[38:17]  And started getting involved in a lot of things that I shouldn't have gotten involved with. But toward the end of my college years and pretty right after college, I felt God call on my heart and started getting into my word. Even prayed for a Bible at some point. I said, Let me get me get me get a me, I need I want a Bible. And then I came to FIU, they had a set where professors throw away old books.

[38:17]  Yeah.

[38:17]  Right there was a Bible. Now I read that Bible to this day. It's actually still have it here. It's it's beat up, but I've had it for

[38:17]  Wow. That's the same one.

[38:17]  a long, long time. Same one, that's that's my go to Bible.

[38:17]  Wow.

[38:17]  so but in essence, he was calling me and I started reading and I saw basically where I was wrong in my approach.

[38:17]  Yeah.

[38:17]  a lot of things I was taught even in tr in in certain churches were were were false. And so I found a Bible-believing church and found different places that I found my accountability partners at there. And so it's just been a journey. Like like you say, you're on the journey if you follow him, he's there for you for your journey and wherever you wherever your your job or your interaction look, you're supposed to bring him with you wherever you go. That's so.

[38:17]  So you talk about accountability and just having good just male friends. So recently my wife was talking to me and she was saying, what would what did God want in a man? Right? Or in a husband, I can't remember exactly what the word was, but I my wife, I'm not the one to read a Bible, right? I believe in God, I have my own relationship, but my wife is one that opens this Bible. So when she said that, I'm like, man, I'm gonna go figure this out. What does a man like what does a God want in a man from a man, you know, for a man? So I went to my friend Chat GPT, Claude, whichever AI friend, right? And I said, Yo, make it make sense for me, right? And know a little bit about me. So kinda put it into this picture. I'm like, okay, I make sense. So then I went to my wife and I told her what Chat GPT told me. And she looked at me like, You're crazy. Then I went to my neighbor across the street and he looked at me like I like I done stole something. I said, why are you guys upset with me? I truly just wanted to know. So from that moment on, they said, if you ever have a question, you go to God. And then my friend got me a devotional. Because like, you know, sometimes just the Bible doesn't make sense to me, you know. And he so he got me a devotional. And it's like every day you read it for a minute and it gives you something. what is your thoughts on that, bro? Like, you know what I'm saying? I already got a little scold, so you could do the same thing for me, but you know, it just goes to to I I love that you said you you find yourself in it, but also the men accountability, like for him to go out and buy that book. He didn't have to, right? But it was it was he's like, Hey man, if you really want to tap in, tap in, don't sit here and utilize all this. But what's your thoughts on it?

[38:18]  So God can talk to you in many ways, but there's a reason why He read that the scripture is here. That's one way that He can. The main subject of the Bible is simple. The nuance, simple. Salvation, it's simple, straightforward. Like he died for you for your sins. And it's nothing you can't earn anything, so you just have to accept him, and that's a gift that he has you for you. Now, in terms of trying to live right and do those different things, that takes a little bit no more. more that takes a little bit more nuance and what so in essence that's why you need to have people around you and that's why even a Bible believing church and that's so they can pour into you even devotionals and different things. And even devotion devotions are good, but also you have to make sure the message is correct. So I have a pastor says hey everything I say, go ahead and check it yourself afterwards just to make sure because I don't want to lead you astray because people who are in charge of teaching people, if you leave them to the wrong thing, there there's some serious accountability there.

[38:18]  Yeah.

[38:18]  Some serious accountability. But I would say it's it's baby steps. Devotions are a good way to start. I would say start with the gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is a good way to start because you it's it's story, because people think the Bible is a historical fact. So obviously you can you can build stuff and you can get stuff from it. And like me, I've read I've read the Bible tons of times, and I can read the same passage now that I did last year and get something different out of it because that's

[38:18]  Okay.

[38:18]  what, but the key is. If you accept God before you reach, hey, listen, tell me what you need me to know today. And then you go through. And and he and he'll tell you. He'll tell

[38:18]  Yeah.

[38:18]  you like, okay, know something. I understand that now in and I understand that now in a different way. So in essence, you got you just have to ask for it, but then have people are people around you. 'cause church isn't the be all end all. To me, church is like a refresher because the during the week everything's beaten on you. So like at work right now at work right now, we have a million dollars less of funding to to help our students. But I'm reading about the peace of God. He knows something, it's something I need to work on, I need to work hard on, I need to figure out what to do. But I'm at peace. I'm not stressed out, I'm not pulling up my hair. because if I'm not at where I need to be, I'm no good to anybody. so, but it's just that's that refreshing. And then throughout the week you have your relationship. But like Thursday night, we have a bunch of guys, we have a Bible study together. Every time you finish a Bible study, we have a dinner together, or we'll go together and we'll go go kart racing. We'll we'll do a bunch of different things because it's not, it's not only just you're doing life with each other. That's the difference. So, but it's important to read your word. you do it by yourself, but you can do it with others. So you get into a group and then people discuss different things. Okay, you can learn different perspectives, but you're not supposed to do life alone. You have a gift, you have a gift and a platform and all kinds of that. The gift that you have may be different than somebody else's has. So you can give unique perspective about something. and vice versa. So but when you're by yourself, whatever you've been given, that's all you have access to. So you're missing the whole thing. That's why you need to have people around you also. Because everybody has so everybody has different gifts and different talents. So when you're working together, you can hear different perspectives about different things you don't you didn't think about before.

[38:18]  I see, I see you you got passion about that, man. I love it. I love that you you talk about it so openly. A lot of people don't. What you talked about gift, what is what do you think your gift is? What's your God given t gift talents?

[38:18]  so there's two types of talent. So one is everybody, whether you're a believer or not, like you have people are talented at certain things. You're born at it, you're you're born with that speci specific gift. And then obviously, once you come to know Christ, he'll give you spiritual gifts which are a little bit different. so one thing, like it I don't know how or why. It's something about kids and even babies. Any baby can be around and I will make eye contact and they'll laugh. Like I I was at a conference the other day, somebody had a kid. I hi to the baby. I'm walking, I walk up the stairs, the baby has just followed me all around. I'm like, I don't know what it is about with me working with kids, but there's something, there's something there. And also I want to say in some cases leadership, because wherever I've been, if I've just been a serving volunteer, people have eventually pushed me in the leadership position

[38:18]  Yeah, yeah.

[38:18]  or or see me in that way. so I think those are different things. But in terms of spiritual gifts, one thing I'm very even keel. I'm usually very, very patient also. I don't get too high, too, too low on anything, which helps me look at a situation and a person with love and and empathy rather than overreacting. It does happen it happened to me for the first time, a long time, a couple of weeks ago. But it when it happened, it was so I'm like, this is so rare. This is not me. Let me see what's going on. and with the study group, I could do I did a Bible study Thursday nights. I like to facilitate and I like to I like to teach. and because I like to teach I have to make sure I know my word. Otherwise you can't you can't. So those are those are those are different things. But honestly, I think number one gift is just serving, help helping people in whatever it is. So if if you're eating, I'll I'll pick up your plate for you and throw it in the garbage. Whatever it is, like what I can do for you is just an extension of what God does for us every day. So to me, serving is is is a is a gift. And that's it.

[38:19]  I love that you say a leadership is one of those things that continues to find you. Because I found myself try sometimes going and say, you know, I want to start from the bottom. Like I wanted to work at a shoe store, even though I have management experience. I just want to start at the bot, you know, selling shoes. And from there within months you're at a supervisor position. You know, I went to the airline industry. I just want to take calls from home. From there now I'm traveling the world, you know, facilitating. Wasn't that I was looking for it, it's just who I am. You know, and people seen that in me. And I think more now tapping into that because I understand that's what my gifts are. My voice. For so long, Sean, I hated my voice and I would not go back and watch videos. But I've always had this like my my daughter asked me, What did you want to be in school, dad? I said, Well, early, early on in my life, I wanted to be a police officer. But then as I was leaving high school, I just knew I wanted to do entertainment. I knew that I wanted to be a host. I felt like I had this vision of being on the stage. But going back to God's vision, see, I thought I was gonna be the next Ryan Secret and I was going to be like the host of American Ida or something. But the this the ability of of God to say, hey, this is your stage. Utilize your voice, right? Like I'm now doing wrestling, like which is a form of entertainment. Doing really things the things that I love. You talked about peace of mind, knowing your work. You're saying so many great things, man, that people had to pour into me. Bef when I left my airline job about three years ago, I was struggling. Like talking about faith, I had to have so much faith, man. Like someone says, Ephraim, you don't realize the amount of mountains that you've moved with a muster seed of faith. And that's all you really need. You know, and knowing my worth, when I called him and I said, man, I'm struggling. This is where I'm at. He says, Efraine, I've seen you rebuild yourself and help rebuild others, but when do you take your own advice? Sometimes we teach best what we need the most. I said, Yeah. What do you mean by that? He says, you're always telling somebody to know their worth. When do you know yours? Bro, that was it was a check. It was a gut check. Like, man, you're right. What does that look like? Right? You really gotta tap in, you gotta dig deep. So everything that you're saying, Sean, and for those that are listening, it's like those are strong, powerful messages. And if people just act on those, you'll really get to see a different version of yourself. Do you feel like this is a different version I'm talking to, Sean, than the person that was graduating high school 10, 20 years ago?

[38:19]  absol absolutely. absolutely. Because no matter what you you know, no matter what you're growing. You could be going in the right direction or the wrong direction, because you're getting your input and things around you. So you're always changing and and and growing in some way. or I say changing in some way, 'cause you could be regressing. but if you're not moving forward, you're d if you're standing still, you're moving backwards because the world the world's not stopping. So in essence,

[38:19]  Yeah, true. True.

[38:19]  so and that's the thing. but yeah. It's that's

[38:19]  Okay, okay.

[38:19]  it. And everything there's different chapters in life. There's chapters in life you may have planting, there's chapter in life you may have nothing, there's chapters in life you may be hardship, there's chapters in life of joy, so it it just depends. So just be gracious in every chapter. And know you have

[38:19]  Love it.

[38:19]  you have a short time here, make the best of it.

[38:19]  Yeah, I love it, man. I'm loving this conversation. Let's talk a little bit about All Stars, man. So you get into this organization, what does it look like on a day to day basis? Is it only working with I'm guessing the youth and these youth now have a direct path to FIU? What does that actually look like? I know there's a collaboration there.

[38:19]  So we have a middle school and a high school program. we have an elementary school program also that's fee based and we use the revenue for that, that's outside the university to help support the free program. because middle school and high school, odds are people aren't gonna pay for a program first and foremost, and two the there's a huge need there. Like if remember middle school and you talk to middle school teachers, middle school's a rough time.

[38:19]  Yeah.

[38:19]  Kids are trying to find themselves where they belong, kids are acting out, kids are experiencing like middle school's a rough time. and that's where the gap most people don't want to help serve there, and that's where our primary focus is. so we have low we have a very low overhead. Over ninety-one percent of what we raise goes straight to the program because we have no facilities. So in essence, here at FIU we don't pay for facilities for administrative offices. at the school we operate in school sites. So I hire school day teachers from the school, from the school teachers from the school day to work in the after school. so I'd be had so we give them we give over two hundred teachers second jobs. throughout South Florida. So

[38:19]  Wow.

[38:19]  their second jobs are working in the same schools, they're working with the same schools they know, but it's after school, it's not day school. So it's a different type of atmosphere. But we support day school. So they're gonna have an academic section session, whether where they're working on computer tutorials, specific engaging activities that that build upon what's supposed to be learning in school, just homework time. They have an academic hour or period. Then after that, depending on the the the end of the school day, because we usually run around six o'clock, Some people have a three hour program, some people have a two hour program. You can either have arts, fitness, or both. so arts is is visual arts, performing arts, percussion, dance. arts also falls under stem. So we may do 3D printing, we may do drone flying, we may do computer design, white we may do hairdressing, we may do it's all different types of things. And then fitness is also is cooking, it's nutrition. different forms of exercise. and additionally we all have every semester that each student's required to do some type of life skill program in terms of moral values, in terms of decision making, in terms of dealing with conflict, in terms of also Self-efficacy, those

[38:20]  Mm-hmm.

[38:20]  type of things, making sure they feel valued and they know that they're valued. so all that is included is free of charge. We also provide bus transportation to take them home in the afternoons. And with our partnership in the school system, the school system gives them a a meal every day because we're we don't know the situation for people. And if they need a meal at at school, they can they can have a meal before they go home and come back the next day. we have obviously said, like I said, we had a big reduction in funding and we had to close four locations. this year. we're and we did a grant for two different ones. We're in 17 middle schools this year and nine high schools. but yeah at the high school and at the high school level it's just a more advanced. We do workforce development. We actually get dual enrollment so they get college courses, college credit to go into our after school program if they qualify.

[38:20]  Yeah.

[38:20]  and we do a lot of just helping them figure out what their direction and what they want to go in and telling them what what's needed. Is it trade school? Is it college? what is the what are the skills that you need from for the goals that you want to set? We're just gonna help you with that, you and your family. We do parent classes also. I can teach a kid about nutrition, middle school about nutrition and health.

[38:20]  Yeah.

[38:20]  But if they go home, that's not what's on the plate. You gotta eat. But if you start educating the parents and say, okay, this is how you get these things and that how they can be reasonably cost, because obviously cost is important, then you can help transform a family. so those are the different things that we do. and just it's just free programs. They're almost every day after school. we did have to cut down some of the days because of the the the the the reduction of funding for some programs. But yeah, we're just here to help come alongside parents, come alongside the schools. The mission is to help kids succeed in school and in life. So we're just doing our small port, our small part to help kids and their families do so.

[38:20]  Is this only in Miami right now?

[38:20]  No, so this is actually national organization. I said I run we're an independent chapter, I run the South Florida chapter. Like in Florida, we have Tampa, we have Orlando. It was actually founded by Otto Schwarzenegger back in the early 90s, 1992. he was named on the president's council of physical fitness. He was going around the country saying, I want to pump you up. and he and a few of his celebrity friends were opening up Planet Hollywoods everywhere. But everywhere he opened up Planet Hollywood, he opened up what was the precursor to this inner city games. He was giving back to every community that he was opening up. And

[38:20]  Yeah.

[38:20]  in the city games was about lash key kids, about fitness and health and those type of things. But around the turn of the century, it's like no something more is needed. So it evolved into after school all starts to provide summer camp programs and after school programs to kids because it's what they needed for their development. But all

[38:20]  We're not

[38:20]  over the country, we got a Hawaii, we got Munch in California, we got Texas, it's a you name it, it's all over the place.

[38:20]  What school in Orlando you know by by top your head?

[38:20]  multiple schools in Orlando. but how we keep our low overhead here, obviously we're partnered with FIU. Orlando's actually part of the city. So it's actually called the mayor's program. So it's part of the city of Orlando. They operate and sh and share the program. So if they're within

[38:20]  Yeah.

[38:20]  actually the actual city of Orlando, and it's a middle school, odds are they probably have a off school all-stars program.

[38:20]  Got it. I only asked, man, because I was actually having a conversation with an athletic director in the high school. I I think I told you that I'm the president of the foundation over there. And they were looking for like a stipend because it was like, hey, so many students, we have to kick off campus, you know, because we just don't have anyone to really be with them. And these kids, maybe they just want to work out, but we can't open the buildings because no one's there to watch them. Maybe they would they need help with homework, but no one, you know, because sometimes parents can't get out of work till five, six o'clock. You know that. And I always think is how can we help these students, right? These students are not bad kids, but if we don't get them the help, they will become these kids that are just curious because they're curious individuals. I mean, I was a hella curious kid, right? Like that's how we got in trouble. So no, that's the only reason I was asking, man. I think it's hella cool. How does how do kids find out about this? If it's in their school, how do they find out about it?

[38:20]  So essentially the it's part of the school to recruit in the school. There's flyers in the school. when there's school open houses, we're there to promote the program. so hey, it's free of charge. but it's not a drop-in program. So if you're gonna come, you gotta be there. a lot of it's great like I a lot of it's grant funded. some and also we try to get private donors to do some events. But say if you're gonna be here, please be here. Cause if you're just here one day or just or you're just here for a couple hours as a holdover, it doesn't make sense because you pick up a spot for somebody who could need it. we open up it's first come, first serve, we open up the entire school. obviously the teachers in the school can recommend hey, this student needs help in a certain area and we'll we'll obviously we'll do whatever we can. but yeah, it's it's a the schools, if we're in our school, the the the population should know about us. but that's one of our problems though, because we've been we're having our thirtieth anniversary in November here in South Florida.

[38:21]  Thirty, if you said.

[38:21]  Thirtieth anniversary in South Florida this November. And not many people know about us. We never focus

[38:21]  Mm.

[38:21]  about market, we don't focus on we didn't focus on marketing the way we should. We just focus about program the kids. We're in the schools, the confusion, like okay, we're in the schools. Are we part of the school or not? Because it's part we all do partnerships. That's how we can make sure our dollars go in the right place. But at nowadays, with the obviously the reduction of funding, we're and we've been heavy on government grants a lot and those are up are up in the air, especially at the federal level.

[38:21]  Yeah.

[38:21]  So how do we continue to function and provide these free services? so that's the hard part for us. So we're trying to one, become more known to the populations outside of who we serve. to hopefully get donors and get people here, just do a side visit if you're interested in volunteering. But we want you to know about who we are and what we do. And if we can do that, hopefully you be have we have a stakeholder in you that you wanna help support support a kid or support a school site. Because it really hurt to close those those those those school sites,

[38:21]  Yeah.

[38:21]  those five school sites, this year and I'm trying to figure out what we can do to keep them open, but the same time, we have a bunch of sites we're trying to keep open right now. We had to reduce services in. So I understand in life, you cannot, you cannot be the master, you can't be the savior of everybody. You can't. It doesn't, but together we can do more. And we've been doing this because of the lack of self-promotion. We've been doing this almost like on our own. And like I said before, like I said, accountability to stuff like you can't do stuff on your own.

[38:21]  Yeah. Gotta spread the word.

[38:21]  So that's so that's what we're trying to do now. So what can we do to to let people know who we are, what we do, and how they can kind of be involved alongside of us, whether it's financial or not financial. Maybe it's services, maybe it's something, helping mentor a kid that but what can we do to make sure that we have a larger support system to to sustain us because the work we do is important. yeah.

[38:21]  Where can people find you guys have a website, I'm guessing. What is a website? So if someone wanted to find some more information.

[38:21]  So actually website is S F A S A S dot org, South Florida After School Allstars.org. that's probably the best one that the best one to to go to. And it tells you it just tells you all about us and what's going on. we have events throughout the year, we have golf tournaments, we have something called Superfest, we bring all the kids together, they compete in sports and art competitions and they do STEM showcases like drones drone shows and stuff. And it's a free day for the for the family to get together and culminate because like I say, we have a lot of sites. So if you're not familiar with South Florida, people always think of Florida, South Florida, Miami. Miami beaches are small. We have rural areas, we have rural areas where it's only gardening and then planting and then and and and harvesting. We have the Speedway area by homestead. We have areas that are strictly hundred percent Hispanic, places that are hundred percent Haitian. We have it's just a mix of of cultures and everything here. And when we have these events, we bring all these people from different areas to come together, it's it's It's actually in the spirit of sport, competition and unity, it it's awesome. It is awesome.

[38:21]  Love it.

[38:21]  and something great to be a part of. And that's the we had that in December. Actually right here at

[38:21]  Okay.

[38:21]  FIU. FIU's is the host site.

[38:21]  Okay, Sean, man, what what what do you you talked about some of the struggles, which it looks like maybe the communication, right? Thirty years, people just may not know about it. what are some other things you you would love to see happen? You've been with this organization for some time, can imagine you have this this vision within you that you're trying to bring to life. What is that? Accountability, man. To make sure the next time I talk to you, I'm gonna say, Hey, how you doing with this, huh?

[38:21]  One is obviously for operational is to have a more sustainable model. We've been doing very well. We've been doing we've been doing well for we're hard. It was hard early on. I've been motorization for gosh, twenty two years? Yeah, twenty two years. Yeah, twenty two years.

[38:21]  Twenty two? You win, man. You invested.

[38:21]  So so we've had hard times and we've had time like I said, we've had times of hard, we had times of plenty, and now it's kinda shift back down to shift back down a bit. So I wanna to be more to have a more sustainable model. in terms of not to have too much funding in one area, but also so I so we can be able to support support the schools as much as possible. that's one. Two, I want hopefully to have to even strengthen the partnership with FIU. It's wonderful. Like right now, if you go to our program and you go to FIU, they have some funds available and hopefully they still have it, you can get a partial scholarship to FIU just for attending our program. And that's and and that's awesome. That gives that helps kids. So if you can get associates, so if we can help you get your AA degree by going to our after school program, so you don't to pay for college that first

[38:21]  Cool, yeah.

[38:21]  half of college, then you can come to here to FIU and get at least like a partial scholarship. And I don't point them to FIU, I point them to what are your interests, what's the school you need to go. But FIU is an awesome school. I'll just straight up it's awesome. But if someone else is giving you a different opportunity or more funds, like do what's best for you. so I never I never point them, say this is where you have to go, what you have to do. I said present your options, make the best decision for yourself. And that's authentic. So but yeah, in essence, it's this strengthening our awareness in the community. that's what strengthen our awareness in the commun awareness of us in the community, being have a more sustainable model and hopefully get more youth leaders come new leaders come coming up within our organization. we have a very, very low turnover rate. But so we've had teachers with us that have been along with us. I met someone who's retiring yesterday from one of our schools. She joined the program before I did. So, in essence, what we people, when they're with us, they stay with us. But also,

[38:22]  Yeah.

[38:22]  the key is also you want to keep it able to grow because you don't want everybody retiring at the same time and be leaving at the same time because then you have a huge gap. So I want to be able to have enough to expand in a way we can bring up a younger generation. Someone else say, like, hi, I c I came in right out of college after my master's degree. that I wanna want to stay here for twenty two years. So I wanna have that. We've had some

[38:22]  Yeah, yeah.

[38:22]  people come and they they say want to come back and and do different things, but I want to have more of that. So the sustainability is is it is is in play.

[38:22]  Love it. So man, I really appreciate the conversation. Appreciate the leader that you you are, the person you've become. and just really sharing all the gems with men like me, with those that are listening as well. we truly appreciate it, man. Are you on LinkedIn? Where can people find you?

[38:22]  Yes, I am on LinkedIn, Sean Prospect, I'm right up right there. also the organization, South Florida School All Stars, is also on LinkedIn. yeah, so reach out. Just reach out. 'cause like I say we we all need to do life together. And so

[38:22]  Yeah, I appreciate it, brother. I'm Ephrain. This is Sean. Make sure you guys do follow, subscribe, and comment. These are the conversations that we have every single week with some great leaders that are doing things behind the scenes that sometimes they don't get their flowers. But today, Sean, you talked about twenty two years, man. You definitely deserve your flowers. Thank you so much for being that leader. Thank you for pouring back into our youth. and we'll catch you guys the next one. Latest.

[38:22]  Take care.