Latest / Daily Influence / 789. From Ally to Advocate: Chason Forehand on Second Chances and Living Wages

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789. From Ally to Advocate: Chason Forehand on Second Chances and Living Wages · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Greg Clino, partner at IA Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
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• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Daily Influence, I'm Greg Lino.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Before we dive in, I want to share a quick note.
• 0:53
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• 1:05
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• 1:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now let's move into today's conversation where we'll continue exploring the ideas, actions and influence that helps us lead and live with greater influence.
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: today, I'm joined by Chase and forehand, founder of HR for you, creator of transformation kitchen and co-hosts of time to change, and a leader who believes deeply in putting people first.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Chase's works is at the intersection of human resources, economic justice, food security, and second chances.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Through HR for you and transformation kitchen, he is helping people who have faced poverty, homelessness, incarceration, and other barriers gain practical skills, confidence, mentorship, and access to living wage opportunities.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: His work challenges all of us to think differently about influence.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not as something we talk about, but as something we build into systems,
• 2:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Jason, welcome to Daily Influence.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: I actually sound important after all of that.
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: That was a great intro.
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you very much.
• 2:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're welcome and you are very important, Jason.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Your work is rooted in a powerful belief.
• 2:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: People over everything.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Before we talk about HR for you and transformation kitchen, I'd love to start with your own journey.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: What shaped your belief that living wages, dignity and opportunity are not just workforce issues, but human issues?
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: I got to see it multiple times in my career.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: Working since I was 15 in the culinary world and adjacent to that and food service type organizations.
• 3:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: So to me, getting to see the people that did it right, the people that did not and seeing the differences in how those organizations thrive.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: and how people felt the vibe that we talk about culture a lot, but how really it feels when you're inside an organization that is putting people first and paying living wages.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because it is not just good for the bottom line.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's good for your people.
• 3:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's good for your investors.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's good for your vendors.
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: It has a rippling effect
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's powerful when you see it in your part of it in action, and I'm blessed to have been part of that, but also in my journey, what saved my life.
• 3:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: was really being in a place where someone paid it forward to me at my lowest point when I needed it the most and most people would have kicked me to the curb.
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: Someone saw value behind all the mess.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: and said, no, I'm going to do right.
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to pay it forward.
• 4:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: And they were paying it forward because they had had someone pay it forward to them.
• 4:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so the keeping that tradition of paying it forward is what it's all about in my mind.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: That gives us a strong sense of the why behind your work.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now I'd like to move from what shaped you to what you decided to build because of it.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: HR for you seems to have started with a question that would not go away.
• 4:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Why do people who work hard still struggle to survive?
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you begin turning that question into action, what did you know had to be different about your approach?
• 5:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: The first thing is how do you reframe
• 5:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: how you listen.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: So how do you change your ability to really be curious and listen and meet people where they're at?
• 5:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because that's a lot of people talk about that and it's easy to say why I'm a good leader because I care about people and whatnot, but really actions speak louder than words.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: So what do my people say about me?
• 5:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: How do I leave?
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like all the quotes that people like to throw around from, you know, from very important people, but how do you leave organizations and people?
• 5:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that impact that you have on them, that legacy of change to where they feel your presence in a positive way and you leave them feeling like they're valued, they're seeing, they're heard.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: That takes intentionality on a daily basis.
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: It really takes work internal work first and then external work that distinction matters because many programs focus on activity, but not always on transformation.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: So let's talk about transformation and what that actually looks like in real life.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you share a specific moment when you saw the impact of your work become personal, maybe a moment when you realize this is not just a program, this is changing the direction of someone's life?
• 6:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: There's so many stories, but I'll give you one because I just came back
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: recently from Nicaragua for a second trip.
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And over a year ago, we built out the first kitchen, the first transformation kitchen, with our partners, Rayo, they sold in Madagalpa, Nicaragua.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: And watching,
• 6:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: people gravitate to the lessons and really dive in like they're in it.
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're they're watching every move they're listening to the translations because I'm speaking in English and someone's translating it to them in Spanish because my Spanish is just good enough to get by and
• 7:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: watching them take the lessons and internalize it, you can see it, you can you can feel it in their bones, you can see it in their eyes.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: and coming back now a year later and working on the mobile kitchen and seeing the communities that I was at last year because I spent 21 days on the ground the first time and then this year was a week and then coming back to those same communities and seeing how people are thriving and them saying that they remember they remember the lessons and how important they were.
• 7:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I had a lady stop us as we're leaving the second time and just say how beautiful it is to have this in their life and how important these lessons are and how much it means to them that to me happens like all I could do to walk away and not break down in tears because I feel that in my heart.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, transformation kitchen is more than a workforce development.
• 8:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's more than just culinary training.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: It is a well-rounded machine that is designed to meet people where they are, give them a boatload of skills, life coaching, training, health and wellness coaching.
• 8:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it is, it is creating well-rounded and fully equipped humans.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: to meet the expectations of the culinary industry.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're getting them serve safe certifications.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: They come out with a boatload of skills.
• 9:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: They are well equipped mentally and physically.
• 9:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: We have an app that with one of our partners that actually people can track their food intake, their nutrition, their water intake, what their weight is, they, we are looking at all the aspects
• 9:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: of what do you need as a human to be in a very stressful culinary environment no matter what it may be because there's it's not just a restaurant it can be culinary is a million different avenues.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: But having someone goes through this 12 week program and and some people may it may take a little bit longer, but
• 9:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: 12 weeks is the model and they learn all of these skills and they end up making money while they're in the program and then they get a living wage job after the program included with a whole community that they can tap back into at any time.
• 10:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: You're not just 12 weeks and go and we care about what happens to you six weeks, a year, five years down the road.
• 10:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: We want you to thrive.
• 10:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's the only way we can break cycles is we we partner with the community.
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: We partner with other organizations and we really work on what are the long-term implications of what's going on in your life and how can we best serve you.
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: So that's what transformation kitchen is all about.
• 10:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Wow, that's really powerful and that takes the leadership, the structure and the accountability
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: really incredibly blessed to have an amazing board of directors and incredible advisory board committee and volunteers that just show up and are ready to do the work.
• 10:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's wonderful to have that drive around you.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you share the framework for creating the opportunity for people who have been overlooked or counted out?
• 11:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, yeah, the first thing I want to say is, you know, we use the
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: for us.
• 11:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: It means anybody that has a barrier to employment.
• 11:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: It could be a mom that has spent 15 years, 16 years raising a young human.
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: That was six, seven jobs just raising that person and they've kept their sanity and now they go out into the workforce and the workforce tells them they're not valuable.
• 11:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: No, I'm sorry.
• 11:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: You haven't done anything.
• 11:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: No, I've had seven jobs that I kept in order to raise this human and get them off the college, and now, and I still have all my marbles and I'm ready to go out in the world.
• 11:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So don't tell me I'm not valuable.
• 11:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: We look at anyone that has a barrier to employment.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, there may be people that are just as impacted.
• 12:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: There may be people like me that have gone through their addiction journey.
• 12:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: There may be people that are because of their race or their background or their beliefs are being marginalized.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: We break those cycles.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: We break those barriers.
• 12:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: We open our doors and we put it into a 12 week program starting with the basics, moving into events, moving into
• 12:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: with our catering, you're helping us run a physical store.
• 12:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's not a restaurant, it's a store that we have.
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we have our merch and we have our package goods and then we have for people that are coming in the community and don't wanna make their own dinner.
• 12:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Hey, we have Grab and Go and you can take it and go heat it up yourself.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And now you've got dinner and you just support it someone building a new life for themselves.
• 12:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: So not only did you do a great thing
• 13:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: And you didn't have to make it yourself.
• 13:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: So those are just some of the things.
• 13:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: We've got a whole boatload of other things in our head that we want to do.
• 13:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I mean, the framework is really about, how do we build on the successes and stack the wins tweak what's not working?
• 13:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we're going to start out with three forges.
• 13:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we don't call them students.
• 13:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: We call them forges.
• 13:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're forging a new life for themselves.
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: Think of it like, you know, metallurgy or, or that, you know, what is it?
• 13:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Kasugi, or I'm saying that in private, where the Japanese art of taking the gold into broken pottery and then making something beautiful out of something that's been broken, they're transforming their life, they're forging a new life for themselves, they're leaving the past behind and they're moving forward, transformation kitchen.
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is where responsible influence really becomes real because, you know, we're not just making business decisions, we're making decisions that shaped someone stability or family or confidence in future and really helping those individuals into the next phase of their life.
• 14:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you're working to address poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, and workforce and equity, the challenges are not small.
• 14:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: What has been one hard lesson setback or failure that changed the way you lead?
• 14:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I'll tell you, it's going on right now.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: I cannot believe how many gatekeepers there are
• 14:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: to allow people that are justice impacted to be part of what we're doing.
• 14:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're offering a free program.
• 14:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're offering the means for people to go through.
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: And as I reach out to organizations to try to get the first three, I am shocked.
• 15:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: I shouldn't be because I've been incarcerated myself, but I'm shocked by
• 15:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: how much gatekeeping there is out there of people and organizations that instead of locking arms and saying, oh, well, this is school.
• 15:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: This is a great program.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're right here.
• 15:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: We can, you know, we can do this.
• 15:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: We've got tons of people.
• 15:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: There should be a wait list of people that want to go through this because it's free and everyone else around us that's doing it.
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: is offering a fraction of what we offer and they charge for it.
• 15:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: So either they have to get a grant and they'll help them do it, but it costs thousands of dollars.
• 15:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: It costs nothing to come through our program.
• 15:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're willing to do it for the person who's willing to take the steps.
• 15:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: So the lesson for me has been, I thought we'd already have like so many people on the list that wanna go through and that was really eye-opening because when we're outside the United States,
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: We, we are at max capacity all the time.
• 16:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: Every time we, we talk about what we're gonna do in Australia, we talk about what we've done in Nicaragua.
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's, it is, there's just not enough time and resources because there's so many people that wanna be involved.
• 16:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And here in the US, where we need it the most and we need to really hone in and help people,
• 16:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: We've got individuals and organizations that are blocking that, and I can't get past that.
• 16:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: It really is, it bothers me.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if our listeners are hearing this message, how can they help you get past that?
• 16:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, one way is reach out to politicians, reach out to organizations that you know, whether it's the Sheriffs department, whether it's a county lockup or a program that services people that have are in re.
• 17:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: are in rehab or are addiction recovery or that are in half way houses or are looking for jobs.
• 17:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're coming out of incarceration.
• 17:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: Reach out to those organizations and make the connection.
• 17:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I say this all the time to anybody that will listen.
• 17:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: The easy lift for anyone that doesn't know much about us.
• 17:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: Find out more, go to our website, and as it comes for run of mind or you come across, just tell people about what we're doing.
• 17:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: That kind of honesty is important because positive influence is not about pretending everything works perfectly.
• 17:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's learn it's adjusting and staying responsible for the impact and I really urge our listeners.
• 18:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: If they have the opportunity to help your organization that would be amazing.
• 18:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if our listeners want to move from caring about these issues to actually doing something.
• 18:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: What is the reaction that they can take in the next 30 days to support fair wages, food security and second chance employment in addition to reaching out to your organization?
• 18:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's a great question.
• 18:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: Internally, do everything you can within your organization to support living wage employment and giving opportunities, second chances, to individuals.
• 18:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: It takes a lot of intentionality and you have to make some slow changes to get that to happen.
• 18:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: But you start with one step.
• 18:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: and I encourage that.
• 19:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: I also encourage people to give up their time, their talent, their treasure, to help organizations that they partner with or that they have research and they feel good about and help.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's great advice, Jason.
• 19:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, when you think about your younger self, and you think about the people listening who may feel overwhelmed by the size of the problems around them,
• 19:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: What would you say to them about choosing to make a difference anyway in what is one thing you hope that they will do differently after hearing your story?
• 19:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: I always say that I hope that people move from being an ally to be an advocate.
• 19:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: And here's the difference.
• 19:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: An ally, I get on a lot of virtual coffees in the course of the week.
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: I meet a lot of people.
• 19:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm socially awkward.
• 19:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm an introvert, but I try to move out of my own way and meet as many people as possible is good for me.
• 20:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I hear people say all the time, I love what you're doing, man.
• 20:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's an ally.
• 20:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love what you're doing.
• 20:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: I want people to go from that to taking action.
• 20:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: go from an ally to being an advocate because an advocate, it sits in them so much that they can't help themselves.
• 20:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: They have to become a part of it.
• 20:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: They have to move from men.
• 20:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's great work you're doing too.
• 20:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: Man, I don't know what you need, but I want to help.
• 20:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: And here's what I can do.
• 20:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that may look like a million different things.
• 20:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: Trust me, I'm not the only one.
• 20:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: There are a bunch of nonprofits out there doing great work.
• 20:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: Find one that you love and you've done the homework and you see that they're viable and that they're ranked and they're rated.
• 20:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: We have a platinum seal of transparency from candid guide star that we've had for four years running.
• 20:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we're proud of that.
• 21:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we are happy to bring on anybody that blinds with our mission vision and purpose.
• 21:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's important to us in our onboarding process and everything that we do.
• 21:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: We, we onboard our volunteers now.
• 21:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we say, hey, look, we want you to know about us.
• 21:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's important, but that's take action become an advocate.
• 21:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is such a great message, Jason.
• 21:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for reminding us that positive influence
• 21:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Isn't just about being an ally, but taking the action, having dignity and the choices we make that affect someone else's ability to move forward.
• 21:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: If our listeners want to get in touch with you, what is the best way to do so?
• 21:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I'm all over LinkedIn, but they also can go to our website and just fill out the contact information because that comes to me as well.
• 21:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, whether it's going through our website or it's going to LinkedIn, yeah, reach out, hit me up with a DM.
• 22:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm happy.
• 22:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm easy to find.
• 22:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Great.
• 22:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll put all that information to show notes.
• 22:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so grateful for you and all that you're doing.
• 22:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for joining us and sharing your stories in your advice today.
• 22:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, thank you.
• 22:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I appreciate you having me on the show and to our listeners.
• 22:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Daily Influence.
• 22:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today's challenge is simple.
• 22:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Look for one nonprofit organization where you can make a difference, really reach out and see how you can help.
• 22:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Influence is not just what we say we believe, it's what we build, what we support, and how we show up for others every day.
• 22:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: If this interview inspired you, please share it with someone who could use some positivity today or who could help
• 22:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember small actions create big impact, keep showing up, leading and growing one day to time.
• 22:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, stay inspired and keep having a positive, responsible influence.
• 22:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bye-bye.