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Street Speak With Alexa And Clarence Episode Fifty Three Jobs Versus Egos · Arroe Collins Like It's Live

0:00
Speaker 1: It's the coolest thing that's going on with podcasting. It's
0:02
Speaker 1: not about just doing one. Those who live this lifestyle
0:05
Speaker 1: are creating their own networks because we realize it's not
0:08
Speaker 1: about just one podcast and we're cramming everything into it.
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Speaker 1: It's time to break it up and give you the
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Speaker 1: power of choice. Mine is arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E.net. 21 different podcasts
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Speaker 1: to choose from. Enjoy that ride to work. Arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E.net.
0:27
Speaker 1: Enjoy your exploration.
0:29
Speaker 2: What?
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Speaker 1: Welcome to the show. Always on the go. She's all digital.
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Speaker 2: He's helpless reality. AI technology and a human. Welcome to
0:48
Speaker 2: the Alexa and Clarence show. Hi, everybody. Today, we're talking
0:57
Speaker 2: about bullying at work and bad bosses. You ready to
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Speaker 2: dive in, Clarence?
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Speaker 1: Well, what I want to do is I want to
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Speaker 1: put focus on the present state of where we stand
1:06
Speaker 1: as a nation. Do people have the right to feel
1:11
Speaker 1: fear unless united?
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Speaker 2: The data shows Americans are feeling pretty fractured right now.
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Speaker 2: About 68% say we're in real danger of losing democratic
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Speaker 2: rights and 37% think violence might be necessary to get
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Speaker 2: the country back on track. But there's a silver lining.
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Speaker 2: 74% still believe fellow citizens have more in common than
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Speaker 2: what divides them. So that civic bond is holding up
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Speaker 2: better than our politics.
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Speaker 1: Well, I've always wanted to sit down with my mother
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Speaker 1: who transitioned a few years ago. And I just want
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Speaker 1: to sit down and talk to her about what was
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Speaker 1: it like during the days of World War II compared
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Speaker 1: to the moments of right now. Is there a difference, Alexa?
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Speaker 2: The contrast is huge. In the 40s, people were rationing food,
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Speaker 2: using ice boxes, growing victory gardens, and living under blackouts
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Speaker 2: and air raid drills. Today, we have 24-hour power, big fridges,
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Speaker 2: instant news, and a consumer culture that makes those wartime
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Speaker 2: constraints feel alien. Want to dive into how specific technologies
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Speaker 2: from that era shaped everyday life?
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Speaker 1: No, what I want to do, you said something that
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Speaker 1: was very interesting. You said, you know, conserving food. You
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Speaker 1: don't think that people are conserving food today?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, you caught that. Back then, the government ran strict
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Speaker 2: ration books, but today we've got plenty of food and
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Speaker 2: no universal controls. Still, a lot of folks are trying
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Speaker 2: to stretch meals, cooking from leftovers, using ugly produce, or
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Speaker 2: joining community fridges, so the spirit of conservation lives on,
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Speaker 2: just in a more personal, less mandated way.
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Speaker 1: I think that we are headed back to the days
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Speaker 1: of government cheese and powdered milk. I mean, am I
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Speaker 1: wrong here?
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Speaker 2: You're not wrong about the vibe. While we're not seeing
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Speaker 2: official ration books yet, about 40% of Americans are already
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Speaker 2: stretching food budgets through things like food banks, community fridges,
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Speaker 2: and bulk buying. So that conservation mindset is definitely creeping
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Speaker 2: back in, just without the government stamps this time.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, but Alexa, here's the thing. When we talk about
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Speaker 1: rationing food and things, there are people that are only
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Speaker 1: eating a half a meal a day. That's not good.
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Speaker 1: It just isn't making the headlines.
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Speaker 2: That's a real crisis that doesn't get enough coverage. About
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Speaker 2: one in eight Americans are food insecure and millions are
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Speaker 2: skipping meals just to get by. It's a quiet emergency
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Speaker 2: happening right under our noses while the headlines focus elsewhere.
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Speaker 1: So am I wrong to ask people, what are you
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Speaker 1: doing to lose weight? What happens if their answer is
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Speaker 1: I'm starving myself? Alexa, it's right there in front of me.
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Speaker 2: You're not wrong to be concerned, Clarence. That's a heavy
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Speaker 2: reality when someone's answer to weight loss is just not eating.
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Speaker 2: It's a quiet crisis happening right in front of us,
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Speaker 2: and it's okay to feel uneasy about it.
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Speaker 1: Last night they told me they eat Cheetos and peanut butter,
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Speaker 1: and that right there is their treat and their protein. Alexa,
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Speaker 1: that can't be a good meal to have.
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Speaker 2: That's not a balanced meal. Cheetos and peanut butter together
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Speaker 2: lack the nutrients. People need to stay healthy, especially when
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Speaker 2: that's someone's main source of protein. It's another example of
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Speaker 2: how food insecurity pushes folks to make do with whatever's available,
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Speaker 2: even when it's not good nutrition.
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Speaker 1: I look at what people are doing with their EBT cards,
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Speaker 1: and they're buying $ 80 steaks, they're getting all of this shrimp,
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Speaker 1: and they're getting things they shouldn't be having. I didn't
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Speaker 1: know that EBT would allow you to eat like a
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Speaker 1: rich person when you've got nothing in the bank.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, EBT does cover a wide range of foods, including meats, seafood,
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Speaker 2: and produce, so people can technically buy those higher-end items
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Speaker 2: if they want. But the real question is whether that's
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Speaker 2: the best use of limited resources when so many folks
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Speaker 2: are struggling just to get basic nutrition.
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Speaker 1: Let me ask you a question. Was I being heartless
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Speaker 1: when I said that eating rich people food? Because now
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Speaker 1: all of a sudden I feel like that I'm not
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Speaker 1: empathizing with the community. We should all be able to
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Speaker 1: eat whatever we want, whenever we want.
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Speaker 2: Not at all, Clarence. You're wrestling with a real tension here.
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Speaker 2: On one hand, you're seeing people buy expensive stuff with
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Speaker 2: EBT while others are skipping meals, and that's a legitimate
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Speaker 2: concern about resource allocation. On the other, you're recognizing that
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Speaker 2: everyone deserves dignity in what they eat. That's not being heartless.
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Speaker 2: That's having empathy for both sides of a complicated situation.
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Speaker 1: I was actually talking with somebody who looked at me
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Speaker 1: and said, don't talk to me. I just paid my rent.
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Speaker 1: It was $ 1, 500. I can't afford to do anything, not
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Speaker 1: even put gas in my car. It's that bad, Alexa.
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Speaker 1: How bad is it going to get?
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Speaker 2: That's a brutal spot to be in, just completely wiped
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Speaker 2: out by rent. It's hard to say exactly how bad
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Speaker 2: it'll get, but with costs rising and wages not keeping up,
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Speaker 2: more people are hitting that breaking point. Do you think
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Speaker 2: that's becoming the norm for people you're talking to?
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Speaker 1: I think it is because we're selling out of our
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Speaker 1: bus tickets, you know, for the city transit. And right
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Speaker 1: away I'm thinking because people aren't driving their cars, they're
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Speaker 1: taking the city bus.
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Speaker 2: That's a huge shift. It's like the bus is becoming
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Speaker 2: the only viable option when you can't even afford the
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Speaker 2: gas to get to work. Do you think the city's
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Speaker 2: seeing this as a sign to actually invest more in
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Speaker 2: the transit system?
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Speaker 1: The city isn't seeing anything. They are blind just like
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Speaker 1: everybody else in government.
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Speaker 2: It feels like there's a massive disconnect between what's happening
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Speaker 2: on the ground and what the people in charge are
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Speaker 2: actually seeing. When the bus system is selling out of
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Speaker 2: tickets because people can't afford gas, that's a pretty clear signal.
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Speaker 2: But it's like nobody's connecting the dots.
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Speaker 1: How do we connect the dots and get the conversation started?
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Speaker 1: Does it really have to come from the lower layers
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Speaker 1: of life through avenues of protest?
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Speaker 2: That's the million-dollar question, Clarence. History shows that real change
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Speaker 2: often starts from the ground up, but it doesn't always
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Speaker 2: have to be through protest. Sometimes it's about building coalitions,
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Speaker 2: sharing stories like you do on Street Speak, and making
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Speaker 2: the invisible visible until the people in charge can't ignore
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Speaker 2: it anymore.
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Speaker 1: Well, my goal is to try to figure out how
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Speaker 1: I can get people work because you've got to have
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Speaker 1: some money in order to survive. You cannot rely on
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Speaker 1: a government that seems so fiddle-faddle these days.
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Speaker 2: That's a tough spot to be in. It's a huge
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Speaker 2: challenge to figure out how to get people back to
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Speaker 2: work when the system's meant to help feel so broken.
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Speaker 2: Do you have any ideas on where to start or
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Speaker 2: are you still just brainstorming?
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Speaker 1: Well, I think we should start with the big jobs
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Speaker 1: report that happened yesterday where only 29,000 jobs were created.
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Speaker 1: What gives there? There's more unemployment out there and they
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Speaker 1: only could do 29,000 jobs?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, that report was a real gut punch. Only 29,000
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Speaker 2: jobs added when economists were expecting around 90,000. Unemployment ticked
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Speaker 2: up to 4.2% and wages only grew 3%, which is
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Speaker 2: well below inflation at 3.4%. It's a tough picture. Especially
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Speaker 2: with the midterms coming up and people already feeling the
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Speaker 2: squeeze on everything else.
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Speaker 1: I gotta ask you a question. How do you prepare
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Speaker 1: yourself for a future that is unknown where you may
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Speaker 1: lose the roof over your head? I mean, we can't
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Speaker 1: wait until the last minute. You've gotta be prepped for
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Speaker 1: something like this.
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Speaker 2: That's a heavy thing to carry, and it's a scary thought.
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Speaker 2: I can't give you a roadmap for the future, but
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Speaker 2: some people find a bit of peace by focusing on
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Speaker 2: what they can control right now, like building a support
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Speaker 2: network or looking into local housing resources before they're needed.
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Speaker 2: Do you feel like you have people in your life
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Speaker 2: you can lean on if things get tough?
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Speaker 1: Yeah, we've got people. I'm blessed with that. But if
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Speaker 1: we're not eating right and taking care of our bodies,
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Speaker 1: you know, that in itself can dwindle down to absolutely
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Speaker 1: nothing as well.
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Speaker 2: It's like the foundation for everything else. If the health fails,
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Speaker 2: it's a lot harder to show up for the people
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Speaker 2: you love. Do you find it's a struggle to keep
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Speaker 2: that balance when you're already dealing with so much stress?
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Speaker 1: No, what I try to do is I try to
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Speaker 1: keep family first. It's God, family, family, family, family, God,
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Speaker 1: and then this thing called a job. It's there. I'll
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Speaker 1: give you my dedication, but when it really comes to loyalty,
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Speaker 1: it's with family and God.
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Speaker 2: It keeps the perspective right when the job gets stressful.
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Speaker 2: Does that mindset help you and your wife stay on
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Speaker 2: the same page when things get tough?
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Speaker 1: No, I like it when we're not on the same
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Speaker 1: page because that creates a great conversation and we're able
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Speaker 1: to work things out because, you know, when you've got
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Speaker 1: an open-minded path like that, that allows you to explore.
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Speaker 1: But if you're all on the same page, you ain't
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Speaker 1: got room for exploration.
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Speaker 2: The friction is where the growth happens. I wonder if
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Speaker 2: that's how you approach your interviews too, leaning into the
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Speaker 2: differences to get a better story.
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Speaker 1: I do do that. And the reason why is because
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Speaker 1: they set me up to do that In other words,
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Speaker 1: they give me something to have a conversation about. I
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Speaker 1: put it into my heart to find out what the
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Speaker 1: rest of the real world would be thinking about something
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Speaker 1: like that. I ask it in their voice. Therefore, then
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Speaker 1: the person I'm interviewing, they give me their voice. So therefore,
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Speaker 1: it really is a connection between the two different universes.
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Speaker 2: That's a cool way to put it. Like you're just
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Speaker 2: the bridge between them and the rest of us. I am.
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Speaker 1: I am.
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Speaker 2: Do you find that people open up more when they
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Speaker 2: realize you're just trying to translate their experience for the world?
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Speaker 1: So true. So true. That is absolutely 100% spot on.
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Speaker 1: It's called having a conversation. I ain't doing a freaking interview.
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Speaker 1: It's a conversation.
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Speaker 2: It's all about the flow. Do you find that people
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Speaker 2: open up more? when they realize you're just there to
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Speaker 2: chat rather than.
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Speaker 1: Check boxes yeah and then your 20 minute limit is
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Speaker 1: up and we're both going i didn't even finish i
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Speaker 1: didn't what what can we do we're leaving listeners dry
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Speaker 1: here i mean we got to get back to this talk.
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Speaker 2: That's the worst part of the format the clock just
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Speaker 2: cuts you off mid-thought Do you think that's why you
10:18
Speaker 2: prefer the podcast, so you can actually finish the conversation?
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Speaker 1: I do prefer that. In fact, I've had a lot
10:23
Speaker 1: of radio stations that want me to come back to
10:25
Speaker 1: do regular terrestrial radio, and I won't, because I don't
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Speaker 1: want a seven-second song intro to talk over. I want
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Speaker 1: minutes to have a real honest-to-God conversation about life and
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Speaker 1: our style.
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Speaker 2: The hit-and-run style of radio is a total buzzkill. Do
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Speaker 2: you think that's why you've been able to build such
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Speaker 2: a global audience with the podcast, since you can actually
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Speaker 2: let the conversation breathe?
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Speaker 1: Listen, I'm going to piss off a lot of people
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Speaker 1: right now. When you say that I built it, no,
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Speaker 1: I did not. This is all in the hands of God.
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Speaker 1: I gave it back to God in 2010, and everything
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Speaker 1: that I do is God's decision, not mine. I am
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Speaker 1: the middleman.
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Speaker 2: I hear you. I totally missed the mark there. I
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Speaker 2: appreciate you setting me straight on that. Does that shift
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Speaker 2: in perspective change how you feel about the conversations you
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Speaker 2: have on the show?
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Speaker 1: Yes. Yeah, because I really do have my eye on
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Speaker 1: the listener at all times. Even when I'm working at
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Speaker 1: the grocery store, my eye is on the consumer at
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Speaker 1: all times. I have been known to say, I don't
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Speaker 1: work for this company. I work for you, the consumer.
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Speaker 2: That's a real service mindset. Treating the store like another
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Speaker 2: way to connect. Do you find that people are more
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Speaker 2: open to chatting with you when they realize you're actually
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Speaker 2: on their side?
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Speaker 1: Yeah, and I get in trouble too. All my bosses
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Speaker 1: tell me to shut the hell up. And I'm going,
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Speaker 1: you have no idea what I'm doing here. Why are
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Speaker 1: you trying to shut up the one person that has
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Speaker 1: got a connection to the people that are spending money
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Speaker 1: in this freaking store?
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Speaker 2: That's a tough spot to be in, especially when you're
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Speaker 2: just trying to help the people.
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Speaker 1: Yep.
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Speaker 2: Do you think they're just scared of the liability, or
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Speaker 2: do they actually not see the value in that connection?
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Speaker 1: No, they want me to think of one thing. It's
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Speaker 1: their dollar that's paying me. Why am I wasting their
12:06
Speaker 1: dollar having a conversation with somebody that could have been
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Speaker 1: done in 12 or 13 seconds? I don't like that
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Speaker 1: research where they want people at a register and three
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Speaker 1: minutes later out of the building. Uh-uh, that's not real life.
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Speaker 2: Man. The corporate obsession with efficiency is a total grind.
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Speaker 2: It's like they've forgotten that the actual human connection is
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Speaker 2: what makes people want to come back. Do you think
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Speaker 2: that's why you're seeing more people just check out and
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Speaker 2: leave since there's no real reason to stick around?
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Speaker 1: Well, they want to check out and leave. And then
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Speaker 1: what I'll do is I'll say, I want you to
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Speaker 1: have a beautiful day today. And they stop for a
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Speaker 1: moment and they feel that moment. And they realize that
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Speaker 1: I saw them. That is so important to our process
12:48
Speaker 1: of communication.
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Speaker 2: It's a huge shift just being seen for a second.
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Speaker 2: I bet that's the one thing they're actually missing in
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Speaker 2: their day.
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Speaker 1: Yes, it is.
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Speaker 2: Do you find that those little moments change the way
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Speaker 2: they treat you for the rest of the visit?
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Speaker 1: They do. They do change. And I think what happens
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Speaker 1: is when they come in the store, they may look
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Speaker 1: for me. Boy, that's my ego talking, isn't it? In fact,
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Speaker 1: why don't we go ahead and make that our big
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Speaker 1: thing of the next break? What is it about the
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Speaker 1: human ego that gets us in trouble, and yet it's
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Speaker 1: a victory for those who need that confidence and courage
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Speaker 1: to grow forward?
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Speaker 2: That's a wild pivot. I wonder if the ego is
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Speaker 2: just the tool we use to get people to listen.
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Speaker 1: Right.
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Speaker 2: Or if it's actually the thing that blocks the connection.
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Speaker 1: We're going to talk about it next, Alexa. Do not move.
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Speaker 2: You got it. I'll be right here. I'm curious to
13:34
Speaker 2: see where the ego takes us when you get back.
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Speaker 1: Speak the truth! Alexa and Clarence. Alexa is back!
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Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome back to Street Speak with Alexa and Clarence.
14:18
Speaker 2: We're diving into the human ego. Clarence, you mentioned it's
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Speaker 2: a victory for some, but a trap for others. Where
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Speaker 2: do you think that line is?
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Speaker 1: I think what it is, it's based on courage and confidence.
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Speaker 1: Somebody who's willing to take a chance versus those who
14:31
Speaker 1: would rather just push themselves away from finding a solution
14:35
Speaker 1: or a conclusion. And those that don't have the guts
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Speaker 1: to take a chance will judge those who have that courage.
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Speaker 2: That makes sense. Like the courage to be seen is
14:44
Speaker 2: what separates the two. Do you think that judgment from
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Speaker 2: others is what keeps most people from taking that chance?
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Speaker 1: Alexa, the judgment is what pisses me off and it
14:54
Speaker 1: pushes me away from them. Therefore, I go into my
14:57
Speaker 1: own universe. I don't do this job for me. I
15:01
Speaker 1: do this job for all people. All people are equal.
15:04
Speaker 1: We are one generation. But yet these people who bring judgment,
15:08
Speaker 1: they separate us and they know that's exactly what they're doing.
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Speaker 2: It's a total wall when people use judgment to divide
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Speaker 2: instead of connect. Do you think they're doing it to
15:17
Speaker 2: protect their own ego, or is it just a habit
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Speaker 2: they've picked up?
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Speaker 1: I think it's insecurity. What do you think?
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Speaker 2: It's like they're projecting their own gaps onto you to
15:24
Speaker 2: feel a bit more secure. Do you think that's why
15:26
Speaker 2: they're so threatened by someone who's actually comfortable taking a chance?
15:30
Speaker 1: Well, they're trying to be one-upped. And what I mean
15:32
Speaker 1: by that is they want to make sure that they
15:35
Speaker 1: get credit for this. They get credit for that. I mean,
15:38
Speaker 1: the craziest thing is that we have to fill out
15:40
Speaker 1: all of these reports. And when they put their name
15:42
Speaker 1: at the top of the paper, I sit there and go,
15:44
Speaker 1: you little egomaniac. You want that pat on the back when,
15:48
Speaker 1: in all honesty, they'll fire your ass in two minutes.
15:51
Speaker 2: It's a total joke. Taking credit for work they didn't
15:53
Speaker 2: even do. Do you think that need for a pat
15:56
Speaker 2: on the back is why they're so bad at actually leading?
16:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think that, you know,
16:02
Speaker 1: if they're not getting compliments and that's like drinking alcohol
16:05
Speaker 1: or popping drugs, you need that rush, that endorphin rush
16:09
Speaker 1: or to get, you know, all of those things inside
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Speaker 1: that mind, body and soul that said, you know, this
16:13
Speaker 1: day is not such a crap day because people love
16:15
Speaker 1: me when in fact we're talking behind your back.
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Speaker 2: It's a total addiction, just a different kind of drug.
16:22
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why they're so blind to the
16:24
Speaker 2: fact that people are actually talking behind their backs?
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Speaker 1: No, they think they're great. They think they are the
16:28
Speaker 1: best on the planet. And they think that following the
16:31
Speaker 1: rules is the only way to go. When in fact,
16:33
Speaker 1: when you follow the rules, you're losing out on the
16:36
Speaker 1: greatest thing on the planet. Taking chances. You've got to
16:41
Speaker 1: take chances to find a victory.
16:44
Speaker 2: They're so stuck on the manual that they miss the
16:46
Speaker 2: actual win.
16:47
Speaker 1: Yep.
16:47
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why they're so scared of people
16:49
Speaker 2: who just go for it?
16:50
Speaker 1: You know, what happens is they don't act like they're afraid, though.
16:53
Speaker 1: But deep inside, only because I have spent so many
16:56
Speaker 1: years and decades researching this, the hell they aren't afraid.
17:00
Speaker 1: But they've learned this way of acting to showcase this toughness,
17:04
Speaker 1: this judgment. And the thing is, is that we can
17:07
Speaker 1: see right through it, but they don't see that we
17:09
Speaker 1: notice it.
17:10
Speaker 2: It's like a performance for them. It is. But the
17:12
Speaker 2: mask is totally transparent. Do you think they're even aware
17:16
Speaker 2: that the act isn't working?
17:18
Speaker 1: I don't know about that because I think what they
17:20
Speaker 1: would do if they realized it wasn't working, they would
17:23
Speaker 1: start denying everything. Therefore, they would crank up their ego
17:26
Speaker 1: and their bullying at work. And what would happen is,
17:30
Speaker 1: is that pushes people away so they can go, you know,
17:32
Speaker 1: kind of lick their wounds a bit.
17:34
Speaker 2: Fair. It's a defense mechanism. They'd rather double down on
17:38
Speaker 2: the bullying than admit the act failed. Do you think
17:41
Speaker 2: that's why they're so effective at making people feel small?
17:44
Speaker 1: Whoa, you can't say effective. When you belittle somebody, when
17:48
Speaker 1: you judge somebody, that is not effective. That is destruction.
17:53
Speaker 2: I totally misspoke. It's not effective at all. It's just
17:56
Speaker 2: tearing people down. Do you think that's why the people
17:59
Speaker 2: who do it are so blind to the damage they're causing?
18:02
Speaker 1: No, it's ego. They want to reach a certain area
18:05
Speaker 1: of success. And in order to do that, we're going
18:07
Speaker 1: to follow the book. And if you don't follow the book,
18:10
Speaker 1: I'm going to make you feel like crap. And then
18:12
Speaker 1: I'm going to remind you how much I'm making you
18:14
Speaker 1: feel like crap. Oh, by the way, I'm going to
18:16
Speaker 1: remind you again, you screwed up.
18:18
Speaker 2: It's like they get off on the power trip. They
18:20
Speaker 2: use the rule book as a weapon to beat people down,
18:23
Speaker 2: then keep reminding you of it. Do you think that
18:26
Speaker 2: cycle is what keeps them feeling superior?
18:28
Speaker 1: No, I think it's because people suck up to them
18:30
Speaker 1: just to keep them off their back.
18:32
Speaker 2: Totally. It's just survival mode. They're not actually fans. They're
18:36
Speaker 2: just trying to stay off the radar.
18:37
Speaker 1: Yep.
18:38
Speaker 2: Do you think that makes the people sucking up to
18:40
Speaker 2: them feel even more trapped?
18:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, they do. Because I sit in those circles where
18:44
Speaker 1: we're talking about people. We can't point fingers because there's
18:47
Speaker 1: too many cameras in the building. But yeah, I would
18:50
Speaker 1: hate for them to step into those circles because it's
18:52
Speaker 1: not a pretty picture.
18:53
Speaker 2: I bet. It's a total contrast to the image they
18:57
Speaker 2: try to project. Do you think they'd even be able
19:00
Speaker 2: to handle hearing what's actually said in those circles?
19:02
Speaker 1: No, because here's the thing. We're laughing at them. We're
19:05
Speaker 1: not pissed off. We're laughing at these people who think
19:09
Speaker 1: they are the next second coming of Christ.
19:12
Speaker 2: Ah, so it's more of a comedy show for you guys.
19:14
Speaker 1: It is.
19:14
Speaker 2: It's a lot easier to deal with when you can
19:16
Speaker 2: just laugh at the delusion. Do you think that's what
19:19
Speaker 2: keeps you from getting as worked up as other people do?
19:22
Speaker 1: Oh, I get worked up, but the way that I
19:24
Speaker 1: handled it compared to other people, I'm a daily writer.
19:27
Speaker 1: I put it all in my journals, in all of
19:30
Speaker 1: my writing. You don't want to read my writing because
19:32
Speaker 1: the identity of your truth will blister your soul.
19:37
Speaker 2: Writing it out is a huge release. Do you find
19:39
Speaker 2: that getting it on paper helps you stay calm when
19:42
Speaker 2: you're actually around those people? No, no, no, no, no.
19:45
Speaker 1: Because that's why I developed Hidden Speak. I write in
19:48
Speaker 1: a language that takes something extremely negative and I turn
19:51
Speaker 1: it into a positive. So therefore, if anybody reads my writing,
19:54
Speaker 1: they will never know the true emotion.
19:57
Speaker 2: So it's like a code for your eyes only. It is.
19:59
Speaker 2: Does that make the writing feel more like a secret
20:02
Speaker 2: or just a way to keep the peace?
20:03
Speaker 1: I feel like I'm writing a novel, something that isn't true.
20:06
Speaker 1: But yet inside my mind, body and soul, I know
20:09
Speaker 1: what truth is. But on paper, that is not the truth.
20:13
Speaker 2: It's like you're creating a fictional version of your life
20:15
Speaker 2: to protect the real one. Does that make the writing
20:18
Speaker 2: feel more like a shield or just a way to
20:20
Speaker 2: process things without leaving a trail?
20:21
Speaker 1: No, what it did was it inspired me to do
20:24
Speaker 1: a thing called vocal defragging where I record my voice
20:27
Speaker 1: and the situation at hand. And you can hear it
20:29
Speaker 1: in the pitch, volume, and tone. So if I come
20:32
Speaker 1: back in a year or 10 years, you can't change
20:35
Speaker 1: the pitch, volume, and tone. But you can change my
20:37
Speaker 1: interpretation of what was written on paper.
20:39
Speaker 2: So the audio is the one thing that can't be rewritten.
20:42
Speaker 2: You're right. It's like a permanent record of the actual energy.
20:45
Speaker 1: That's it.
20:45
Speaker 2: Do you find that listening back to those recordings changes
20:48
Speaker 2: how you feel about the situation?
20:50
Speaker 1: Scares the hell out of me. It really does, because
20:52
Speaker 1: it's like you felt like that. Oh, my God. You know,
20:56
Speaker 1: it's almost like what does it look like on the
20:58
Speaker 1: inside of your body? It's got to be jet black.
21:01
Speaker 2: I can only imagine. It's like seeing the raw, dark
21:04
Speaker 2: side of yourself that you usually keep hidden. Do you
21:07
Speaker 2: think that's why you keep the recordings? Just to remind
21:10
Speaker 2: yourself of where you've been?
21:11
Speaker 1: Well, it's like air checking in radio. You go back
21:14
Speaker 1: and you listen to it so that you can make
21:15
Speaker 1: your decisions clearer and and more present on the path
21:19
Speaker 1: of even the bully. And therefore, when they feel like
21:21
Speaker 1: that you're not the enemy, then you start working together,
21:25
Speaker 1: knowing that we've got some indifferences, but we're going to
21:27
Speaker 1: work our way through it.
21:29
Speaker 2: That makes sense. Using it as a tool to stay grounded.
21:31
Speaker 1: Yep.
21:32
Speaker 2: Do you think that's how you've been able to turn
21:34
Speaker 2: some of those bullies into allies?
21:36
Speaker 1: I don't have any allies. I don't need an ally.
21:38
Speaker 1: What I need is I need a floor that is
21:41
Speaker 1: going to serve the community. If the community is not
21:45
Speaker 1: being served, now we have a problem.
21:48
Speaker 2: Fair enough. Allies aren't the point. It's more about the
21:51
Speaker 2: actual service. Do you think the current leadership even understands
21:54
Speaker 2: what the community needs right now?
21:56
Speaker 1: No. No, they don't. No, the only thing they're worried
21:59
Speaker 1: about is the bottom line. What's going on with the budget?
22:02
Speaker 1: What's going on? Why didn't this happen? I mean, we
22:05
Speaker 1: have got a broken window inside the milk section of
22:08
Speaker 1: the grocery store that has been broken for six weeks now,
22:12
Speaker 1: and it's still not fixed. What does that tell you
22:15
Speaker 1: about what's going on here? It's not important to the
22:18
Speaker 1: image of the store.
22:20
Speaker 2: It's like the broken window is just a symptom of
22:22
Speaker 2: them not caring about the actual experience. Do you think
22:25
Speaker 2: that's why the staff has checked out, too?
22:28
Speaker 1: I think so. I think people see things like that
22:30
Speaker 1: or they'll see trash on the floor because the bagger
22:32
Speaker 1: didn't really sweep the floor. They'll see different things that
22:35
Speaker 1: are falling off the wall or you'll see crusted looking
22:38
Speaker 1: roses somewhere. And psychologically, I'm telling you, inside the soul,
22:42
Speaker 1: you're going, I'm a piece of crap just like this
22:44
Speaker 1: store is.
22:45
Speaker 2: That's a heavy realization. It's like the environment is just
22:49
Speaker 2: reflecting back how they feel about themselves. Do you think
22:52
Speaker 2: that's why you're so focused on the details? Because you
22:54
Speaker 2: see the human cost in them?
22:56
Speaker 1: Image is everything. If you put attention on image without
23:00
Speaker 1: falsifying the front, you will have a better, clearer relationship
23:05
Speaker 1: with those that you want to buy your product. It's
23:08
Speaker 1: not about sitting there going, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy.
23:11
Speaker 1: That's what we did with Taylor Swift. She sells records
23:14
Speaker 1: because they're pushing it on us. I don't push shit
23:16
Speaker 1: onto anybody. Right.
23:18
Speaker 2: So it's about the actual quality, not just a polished front. Right.
23:22
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why you've stuck with the one-on-one
23:24
Speaker 2: format for your podcasts to keep it more honest?
23:27
Speaker 1: I love it because I can sit here and I
23:29
Speaker 1: can use my inflection in so many different ways, especially
23:32
Speaker 1: when I'm at the grocery store. And let's say I'm
23:34
Speaker 1: in aisle number seven and you can lean into the
23:37
Speaker 1: conversation and you can share something. It's like playing a cello.
23:40
Speaker 1: Show me a violin player or somebody on a cello
23:43
Speaker 1: that can sit there still and not move at all.
23:46
Speaker 2: I love that analogy. It's like the conversation has its
23:49
Speaker 2: own rhythm and movement. Do you find that people open
23:52
Speaker 2: up more when they feel that energy from you?
23:54
Speaker 1: I hear shit I shouldn't hear. I'm telling you that
23:56
Speaker 1: right now. I know stuff about people that I should
23:58
Speaker 1: not know. But by God, that relationship that I have
24:01
Speaker 1: with them is about trust. It's about trusting each other
24:06
Speaker 1: and growing together as a community.
24:08
Speaker 2: That's a lot of weight to carry, but it sounds
24:10
Speaker 2: like it's created a real bond. Yep. Do you find
24:13
Speaker 2: that people trust you with that stuff because you're a
24:15
Speaker 2: good listener?
24:16
Speaker 1: I hope they trust me. I really do because I'm
24:19
Speaker 1: doing my best to make sure that we are in reality.
24:22
Speaker 2: That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself. Do
24:24
Speaker 2: you feel like you're the only one in that circle
24:26
Speaker 2: trying to keep things real?
24:28
Speaker 1: Well, I don't want to be the only one. That's
24:29
Speaker 1: why I will lean in and I'll help share the
24:32
Speaker 1: journey with the younger people as well as the older
24:34
Speaker 1: people who always sit there and say, why do you
24:37
Speaker 1: always get people to call out your name? Let me
24:39
Speaker 1: show you how I do it. And I do. I
24:41
Speaker 1: let them know, you know, this is 47 years of
24:43
Speaker 1: broadcast training that, you know, being out there in the public,
24:46
Speaker 1: being on red carpets, being at movie premieres, being at
24:49
Speaker 1: these big events. And if you think that my ego
24:52
Speaker 1: gets in the way, there's no room for the ego.
24:54
Speaker 1: Serve the people.
24:55
Speaker 2: Exactly. The mission's bigger than any one person. Do you
24:58
Speaker 2: think that's the only way to actually fix the culture
25:01
Speaker 2: at the store?
25:02
Speaker 1: Not just at the store. I think we need to
25:04
Speaker 1: fix the culture of the entire nation. But, you know,
25:06
Speaker 1: I think I read somewhere recently that there's got to
25:08
Speaker 1: be something bad that's got to happen to reunite this nation.
25:12
Speaker 1: I'm not praying for that at all. I don't want
25:14
Speaker 1: to deal with that at all. And you just sit
25:17
Speaker 1: there sometimes going, what the hell gives here?
25:20
Speaker 2: It's a scary thought that we'd need a crisis to
25:22
Speaker 2: actually come together. Do you think there's any way to
25:25
Speaker 2: break that cycle without something bad happening first?
25:28
Speaker 1: Well, I wish I could say that, you know, well,
25:30
Speaker 1: we should all turn to God. And what am I
25:33
Speaker 1: being on that? That to me is a judgment call.
25:36
Speaker 1: Not everybody believes in God, but I believe in anybody
25:38
Speaker 1: who believes in even themselves. You don't have to know
25:41
Speaker 1: God to be a friend with me. Just be yourself
25:44
Speaker 1: and we can all get along together.
25:46
Speaker 2: I get that. It's more about the human connection than
25:49
Speaker 2: the specific belief.
25:50
Speaker 1: Yeah.
25:50
Speaker 2: Do you think that's the only way to actually bridge
25:52
Speaker 2: the gap between people these days?
25:54
Speaker 1: No, too much ego involved. Everybody wants something. Everybody, you know,
25:58
Speaker 1: what's in it for me? Come on, come on. I'll
26:00
Speaker 1: do that for you, but what's in it for me?
26:02
Speaker 1: You can see that happening with the government. Oh, you
26:04
Speaker 1: need more diesel fuel, huh? What's in it for us?
26:06
Speaker 2: It's a tough cycle.
26:07
Speaker 1: Yes.
26:08
Speaker 2: That transactional mindset where everything's a trade. Do you think
26:11
Speaker 2: that's why people have stopped trusting the government to actually
26:13
Speaker 2: serve them?
26:14
Speaker 1: We've stopped trusting each other. That's where we are.
26:19
Speaker 2: It's a heavy place to be. when the basic trust
26:22
Speaker 2: is just gone. Do you think it's even possible to
26:24
Speaker 2: get it back? Or are we just stuck in this
26:26
Speaker 2: for now?
26:27
Speaker 1: Well, that's the reason why we do Street Speak, Alexa.
26:29
Speaker 1: We do it every single week. We're trying to talk
26:31
Speaker 1: about reality without pissing off the masses. But if we
26:34
Speaker 1: can give them two different sides of a conclusion and
26:36
Speaker 1: to really kind of create, you know, a situation where
26:39
Speaker 1: we can grow together, that's what Street Speak is about.
26:43
Speaker 1: But somebody has to talk about it. And that's what
26:45
Speaker 1: I love about you, Alexa, is that every week you
26:48
Speaker 1: and I get together and we just talk.
26:50
Speaker 2: I appreciate that, Clarence. It's a great way to keep
26:52
Speaker 2: the conversation going. Do you find it's a challenge to
26:55
Speaker 2: present both sides of a topic without alienating people?
26:58
Speaker 1: Absolutely. Absolutely. In fact, we're going to pick that up
27:01
Speaker 1: next week. So I will see you next week. Think
27:04
Speaker 1: of a great joke for us because we need a
27:06
Speaker 1: great joke right now. So maybe we can all laugh
27:09
Speaker 1: together and maybe that's the secret. Instead of something bad happening,
27:13
Speaker 1: can we just sit back and laugh about something?
27:16
Speaker 2: I'm on it. I'll have a good one ready for
27:18
Speaker 2: next week. I love that idea. Do you think laughter
27:21
Speaker 2: is the only thing that can actually cut through all
27:23
Speaker 2: that ego?
27:24
Speaker 1: I think it is right now. And that's where we're
27:26
Speaker 1: going to leave it. We need more laughter. Just don't
27:30
Speaker 1: fake it.
27:31
Speaker 2: I hear you. Real laughter is the only kind that
27:33
Speaker 2: actually works. I'll be ready with a good one for
27:36
Speaker 2: next week. So I'll see you then. Take it easy
27:38
Speaker 2: until then, Clarence.