Latest / Clyde Confidential / The Man Barack Obama Pardoned Turned His Life Around with John Gargano

Transcript

The Man Barack Obama Pardoned Turned His Life Around with John Gargano · Clyde Confidential

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: She said, Mr.
• 0:00
  Speaker 2: President, this is, and he said, hold on, Kristen. I
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: know who this is. I let this guy out of prison.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: He said, get over here. He gave me a hug.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: He grabbed me. He gave me a hug. Secret Service
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: was going nuts.
• 0:12
  Speaker 3: He gave me a hug. He said, you make me
• 0:14
  Speaker 3: so effing proud. He said, I'm following your progress.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: He said, don't stop. And I can't. I can't stop.
• 0:31
  Speaker 4: Hi, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Clyde Confidential.
• 0:34
  Speaker 4: I am so excited to introduce you to my guest today.
• 0:38
  Speaker 4: I think this is going to be a good one.
• 0:41
  Speaker 4: And it's a little different from what I normally do.
• 0:44
  Speaker 4: And you're going to be very inspired by the end
• 0:47
  Speaker 4: of this. So gear up. John Gargano, who is the
• 0:50
  Speaker 4: director of events and revenue at some restaurants between New
• 0:54
  Speaker 4: York City and the Hamptons, which is how we originally met.
• 0:58
  Speaker 4: He is live from Moby's. my favorite restaurant in East Hampton. Hi, John. Hi, Meg.
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: Great to see you.
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: How are you? You too. And we have his buddy, Xavier,
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: who we will explain in a little bit.
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: Hello.
• 1:11
  Speaker 4: Thank you for joining, Xavier.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: My pleasure.
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: How are you? And for everyone listening and watching, Xavier
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: just walked his first runway show during New York Fashion
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: Week last week, so we are very proud of him.
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 1:23
  Speaker 4: So before we get into things, I think what we
• 1:26
  Speaker 4: should do, John, let's start with you and then we'll
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: move to Xavier. Let's talk about your early career and
• 1:32
  Speaker 4: how you got to where you are today. I know
• 1:34
  Speaker 4: it hasn't been the easiest road, but walk us back
• 1:36
  Speaker 4: a bit, if you don't mind. Yeah.
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: You know, everyone wants to hear the back and I
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: never know really where to start, but I'll start at
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: a point where I think everybody can fully understand the
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: story and the significance of of what it is that.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: My life has become and what I try to project.
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: I grew up on a small vegetable farm in South Jersey,
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: great parents, adopted parents, so my biological parents either couldn't
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: afford or didn't want to take on the challenge of
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: raising me, but my parents, my adoptive parents were great
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: human beings. My mother's still living, she's 90, afforded me
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: everything I needed to mature into a productive adult. But unfortunately,
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: sometimes in your younger years, you experience traumas or things
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: that you just don't know how to deal with. For me,
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: it was an HIV diagnosis when I was 28, and
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: I just dropped everything and I ran away from home.
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: So I ended up in Philadelphia working for George Perrier
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: at Lebec Fin, one of the best French chefs to
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: ever step foot on American soil.
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: And it was there where hospitality... really became my fuel
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: to survive.
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: Making other people happy in a time in your life
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: when you never experienced it, it's almost like seeing the
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: joy and the happiness in someone else's life gives you
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: a reason to continue. I worked for George for a year,
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: two years. I outgrew Philadelphia, so I went to New
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: York City. I rolled up into Union Square Cafe on
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: a Friday afternoon at 12 o'clock and pulled the manager
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: by his suit sleeve.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: And said, hey, I want a job here. And he said, well,
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: you know, it's Friday at lunch. We're jam-packed. I'm like,
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: all right, well, I'm going to sit here until you
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: guys interview me.
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: So Michael Romano gave me a job, and I started
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: working for Danny Meyer at the old Union Square Cafe
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: on 16th Street.
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: And the same thing, first one to work, last one
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: to leave.
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: Hospitality continued to be the reason for me to exist.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: It was my purpose.
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: You know, a lot of times we try to find
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: purpose when we're younger and the whole world's telling you,
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: you don't belong, you're a misfit, you don't have a
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: place here. But hospitality told me that I did because
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: when you came to eat in my restaurant, just like
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: when you come to Moby's, you leave.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: Here with an impression that You're appreciated. You matter.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: Even if it's just for one night, you have the
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: ability to change the trajectory of how someone feels for
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: one night. And that's a very powerful thing. So eventually,
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: hospitality wasn't the prescription anymore. So I started drinking. I
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: started going out, experimenting with recreational drugs. Um, then when
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: that became too expensive, I started selling some so I
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: could afford to have it.
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: Well, one night in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: In the, um, early 2000s, I sold some undercover cops,
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: undercover federal agents, narcotics, and it wasn't short. Shortly thereafter,
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: I got sentenced to 30 years in federal prison by
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: a federal magistrate judge in.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: The Southern District in New York. I thought my life
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: was over.
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: Um, I went away, I broke my heart, everybody's heart
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: and my family, but I just didn't give up. You know,
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: geographical changes, don't necessarily become the answer to your problems,
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: but I refused to give up, and I just started
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: making my way in that environment. I started teaching people
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: GED and trying to make the best of my time.
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: You watch Barack Obama become president, his first term, and
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: everybody thought he was going to open the doors and
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: let us all out. He didn't, but right before his
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: second term, he announced the clemency initiative, and if you
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: were a first-time nonviolent drug offender with no violence in
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: your history, you served a good part of your sentence,
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: and you had good prison conduct, he said, tell me
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: why I should let you come home. So I got
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: up every day for six months. I wrote my own petition,
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: and I told him why I should come home. August
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: 3rd of 2016, just about 10 years ago, I was
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: The warden's orderly at the Maxwell Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: And they called me to the warden's office. And I
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: remembered like yesterday.
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: Answered the phone and the woman said, Hello John, this
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: is Temitope Yousef.
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: I remember her name. I'll probably remember it forever, but.
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: She said, I just want to let you know, Barack
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: signed your petition this morning. You're going home in four days.
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: So like the whole world came to a stop. Because
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: at that time, my release date was February 27th of 2025.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: So I came home.
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: The government made me go to New York. All my
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: family was in Philadelphia. But I went to a halfway
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: house in New York. I was unemployed, on food stamps, Medicaid.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: I needed two hip replacements. But I needed a job
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: if I was going to be successful. Jobs and earning
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: money and being self-sufficient is a way to build confidence.
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: And everywhere I went, they just slammed the door in
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: my face. Finally, I went to River Park, one of
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: Tom Kalikio's restaurants.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: And I walked in.
• 7:32
  Speaker 3: And the guy who was going to interview me, before
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: he even said anything, I was like, my name is
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: John Gargano. Here's my resume. And before you even asked me,
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: I was in prison. And the guy was like, hold up. Like,
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: you know, we didn't even sit down. He said, come
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: with me. You know, let me interview you. So he
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: gave me a job. I was opening up beer cans
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: in a beer garden in 100 degree heat for $ 10
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: an hour. And best thing that ever happened to me.
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: The people at work became family. It became a place
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: for me to heal. And two months later, I took
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: my boss's job. Two months after that, I took that
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: boss's job. And two months after that, I took that
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: boss's job. And before you know it, I was director
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: of hospitality for Tom Colicchio of Top Chef.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: The pandemic hit. We were all unemployed. I started going
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: back to college.
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: Not for me, but, you know, my father had passed
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: when I was in prison and my mother always said,
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: you know, it's my fault. If you would have went
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: to college, blah, blah, blah. So I started going back
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: to college. I went to Hostos University in the Bronx.
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: I graduated with a 4.0 in business. My business communications professor,
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: Sandy Figueroa, nominated me for a scholarship at NYU.
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: They gave me a scholarship.
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: I graduated from NYU in 2021.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: As commencement speaker.
• 9:01
  Speaker 4: Thank God.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: With a 399 in leadership. And Tom called me up
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: the day I graduated and said, we're about to reopen Kraft.
• 9:10
  Speaker 3: I want you to be the GM. So he made
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: me the GM of Kraft. In one year, I took
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: a restaurant that was not doing well and made it profitable.
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: And we did it by just taking care of every
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: guest every night. But we did it by taking individuals
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: who needed opportunities and providing them for them. whether it
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: was Smile Farms that employs adults with disabilities, or it
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: was my buddy Nahian who was in the country three
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: days from Bangladesh, or if it was my friend Patrick
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: who just got married and just came to New York
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: from Michigan and was trying to build a life, or
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: if it was Searing from another.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: Country who couldn't speak English and I made him a server.
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: We did it by taking... what I call the unconventional workforce.
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: Somebody that the whole world wouldn't give an opportunity to
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: and give them an opportunity. So my story isn't about me.
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: It's about what can happen when you provide an opportunity
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: for one person. Tom provided me an opportunity. Now I'm
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: providing opportunity for hundreds.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: Now if these people.
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: Turn around and provide opportunities for more people, then what
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: does the world become? So when Xavier came into my life,
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: because that's how he fits into the story, Xavier was
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: a member of that unconventional workforce. Someone who lacked direction
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: and needed opportunity. And I'll never give up on the
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: kid and he's doing so well. And he just walked
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: in his first runway. He has a dream to be
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: a fashion model, right? He knows more about fashion than
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: I could, could know if I wanted to know, right?
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: He breathes it, he sleeps it, he drinks it. He,
• 11:03
  Speaker 3: he's always talking about it. You know, he's dedicated, but
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: he just needs an opportunity. So he's here. Um, I
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: moved Xavier into my house. He lives in my spare bedroom.
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: We share an apartment in Long Island city. He's ready
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: to move out on his own.
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: Um, But.
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: Xavier's another person who I want to provide an opportunity for.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: And there'll be somebody behind him. And there'll be somebody
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: behind them.
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: And the only thing I've ever asked of him is
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: one day that you provide the same thing for somebody else.
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: Because that's really what the world's about. Xavier to me
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: was a test. Was a test from the universe.
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: Did I.
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: deserve and am I appreciative of the blessings that I
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: received because I'm blessed today, right? I have a great job.
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: I had the opportunity to provide, you know, employment to
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: many people, um, create great events for, for couples, for weddings,
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: for people like you who come see us at movies.
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: Um, that's a blessing. Um, and Xavier to me represents
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: paying it forward.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: Wow. I mean, so inspiring. I have so many questions. Um,
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: Going back, John, how long were you, how long did
• 12:18
  Speaker 4: you serve in prison before you got out early?
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: 13 years.
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: Wow.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: Four months and 27 days.
• 12:25
  Speaker 4: And you just celebrated what was your 10 year anniversary
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: of freedom on August 3rd. I wish I knew we
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: should have thrown you a party.
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: August wasn't the month.
• 12:37
  Speaker 4: Well, anyways, getting out after all that time. I imagine
• 12:43
  Speaker 4: confidence was low. How did you stay motivated? And when
• 12:48
  Speaker 4: you came out and knew that you wanted to get
• 12:51
  Speaker 4: back into the swing of things and get back into hospitality,
• 12:55
  Speaker 4: what inspired you to keep going? And how did you
• 12:58
  Speaker 4: do that?
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: The day I got that phone call, I was awarded orderly,
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: so I had all kinds of privileges. But I got
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: on the golf cart and I rode out of the
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: compound and down to the golf course on the campus,
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: and I sat there.
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: And I said to myself, why me, right?
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: There's 50 people in the same dorm room that I
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: know is more deserving. Coop from Atlanta who has five
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: kids and 35 years for marijuana that's now legal.
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: And I could go on and on with all these people.
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: And I just said, why me?
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: And I just committed from that point that I would
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: do everything in my power to make sure that people
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: don't end up in situations like me. I remember the
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: prison guard receiving discharge when I left. He said, I'll
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: see you when you get back. Because that's the.
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: Mentality of the prison guards. We're worthless. We're trash. You're
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: coming back. This is your life. And I told him.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: He said, not me, buddy. I'll work my ass off
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: every day to make sure you're collecting unemployment.
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: Right?
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: Because if somebody comes out of prison and we don't
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: give them an opportunity and they go back, it's not
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: their fault.
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: It's not their fault. It's our fault. It's society's fault.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: We have the ability to provide them an opportunity so
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: they can earn a living and survive and be better. Yeah,
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: there's going to be some people who have bad intentions
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: and that's just who they are. But it's not everybody.
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: It's not everybody. You know, it's not a choice. Everybody
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: says it's a choice. It's not always a choice. If
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: Tom didn't give me a job, I don't know where
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: I'd be.
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: Honestly. I mean, I'm not just blowing Tom up. Facts.
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: You know, all the people that I did business with
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: before I went to prison, they're all calling me and
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: trying to get me back in the game.
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: If Tom didn't give me a job, who knows what
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: I would have done. You really don't know.
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: You know.
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: I was working for Great Performances Catering right after I
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: left being a GM at Tom. I was working for
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: Great Performances Catering. And I met a woman, Krista Zuzanek.
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: She's the lead event planner for Hakeem Jeffries, the Speaker
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: of the House.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: And we became close friends.
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: And every time they come to New York, they come
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: to our venue and have events. And she called me
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: one day and she said, be at... New York Historical
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: Society Friday night at 6 o'clock. And she said, make
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: sure you have a new suit on. Make sure you
• 15:42
  Speaker 3: have a haircut. She said, I know you. Make sure
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: your nails are done. She said, don't ask me no questions.
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: So I showed up there. They escorted me into the
• 15:52
  Speaker 3: back room and she said, get in that line. And
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: there was a line of people there paying $ 350, 000 to
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: get a picture with Barack. And right before it was
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: my turn to go in.
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: She stepped up. She walked in with me. She said, Mr. President,
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: this is, and he said, hold on, Kristen. I know
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: who this is. I let this guy out of prison.
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: He said, get over here. He gave me a hug.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: He grabbed me. He gave me a hug. Secret Service
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: was going nuts.
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: He gave me a hug. He said, you make me
• 16:31
  Speaker 3: so effing proud. He said, I I'm following your progress.
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: He said, don't stop.
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: And I.
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: Can't.
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: I can't stop. I tell this kid every week, I'm
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: never giving up on you, kid.
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: You're going to make it. You're going to make it.
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: There's going to be good days. There's going to be
• 16:53
  Speaker 3: bad days. There's going to be days you get up
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: and you don't want to get up. But in the end,
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: you're going to make it because John John's not going
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: to give.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: Up on you.
• 17:02
  Speaker 4: Absolutely. And I think when you're trying to figure out
• 17:05
  Speaker 4: your life and when you're younger, the relationships you make,
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: whether that be a John or someone else at a
• 17:13
  Speaker 4: restaurant who gives you an opportunity, those are the relationships
• 17:15
  Speaker 4: that really do set you up for success later in
• 17:18
  Speaker 4: life and keep you motivated. Because when you're working under
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: someone like John Xavier, I'm sure you're like, wow, I've
• 17:25
  Speaker 4: never seen someone work harder and I want to be
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: like that. And you kind of like adapt. And now
• 17:32
  Speaker 4: that you've become successful, a mentor to Xavier, I mean,
• 17:35
  Speaker 4: you have the best role model possible. This guy works
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: harder than anyone I know. Every time I come to
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: Moby's with my friends, John comes over and you give
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: us the best hospitality experience. You come sit at the table,
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: say hi to all my friends. You are someone who
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: is in the restaurant all day, all night, first one in,
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: last one to leave still. And I'm sure when you
• 17:56
  Speaker 4: were working for all those folks, when you got out
• 17:59
  Speaker 4: of prison, it was the same thing. It was the
• 18:02
  Speaker 4: same mentality. You don't stop.
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: Well, people are counting on you, Meg.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: And for me, you know, listen, for me, we all
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: have addictions. And for me, my addiction now is changing
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: people's lives. And, you know, it's almost, it's not for
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: me anymore. Right.
• 18:26
  Speaker 3: It is because it fuels my motivation, but it's, Nothing
• 18:30
  Speaker 3: makes me happier than when you take somebody like Nahian
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: or Searing or Patrick. I met Nahian at a Dunkin'
• 18:39
  Speaker 3: Donuts outside of my house in Long Island City.
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: Didn't know him from Adam. Gave him a job as
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: a busboy in Kraft.
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: He's now a food runner at Brass, four restaurants later.
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: Sick parents, he's taking care of them. You never know
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: what's going on in someone's life when you meet them. Until,
• 18:58
  Speaker 3: you know, when I met Xavier, I never knew what
• 19:00
  Speaker 3: was going on in his life. Right?
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: But it's about humanity. Right?
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: We all have an obligation if we're successful to change
• 19:09
  Speaker 3: someone else's life.
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: You've done it. You've done it.
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: Right?
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: You know, I have so much respect for you for
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: what you've done. And, you know, we just all have
• 19:21
  Speaker 3: to do that. We all have to do that.
• 19:23
  Speaker 4: If you... have the ability to help someone, whether that
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: be through an introduction, if you have a spare bedroom.
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: I know that not all people are like us, John.
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: Whenever I talk about Pio and friends learn that I
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: have an 18-year-old living in my pool house, I say
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: to them, well, I would expect you to do the
• 19:46
  Speaker 4: same if you had the space. And some people are like,
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: I actually have don't know if I would be able to,
• 19:51
  Speaker 4: or I don't know if I would be able to
• 19:52
  Speaker 4: handle it, or I don't think everyone would do it.
• 19:55
  Speaker 4: And I find that so, I have a hard time
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: with it. I find it so troubling because we're all
• 20:03
  Speaker 4: in such a privileged position. I think.
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: We're in a.
• 20:07
  Speaker 4: Privileged position because we have so many connections and we
• 20:10
  Speaker 4: can actually make change happen by picking up the phone.
• 20:14
  Speaker 4: I think that is a position of privilege, being connected.
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: And if you or I want to make something happen
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: or change someone's life, it's not easy to do it,
• 20:24
  Speaker 4: but we could do it. And we are doing it
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: and we're paying it forward because I certainly didn't have
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: the most easy childhood. I was never handed anything. I
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: had to work my entire life. I was always in
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: hospitality or retail or babysitting. And it just makes me
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: really appreciate where I am now. And I, the stuff
• 20:44
  Speaker 4: that brings me joy and fills my heart is not
• 20:48
  Speaker 4: my day to day work. I love what I've built.
• 20:51
  Speaker 4: I love my company, but it's really helping others and
• 20:53
  Speaker 4: being a role model for IO and his siblings. That's
• 20:56
  Speaker 4: the stuff that actually gives me the most purpose. And
• 20:59
  Speaker 4: I know that you feel the same about Xavier. So,
• 21:02
  Speaker 4: you know, obviously we're, very similar in the, in that department. But, um,
• 21:08
  Speaker 4: I think, yeah, it all goes back to just hard
• 21:13
  Speaker 4: work and trust. And if I didn't trust IO, I
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: would have never taken him in, but he's such a
• 21:18
  Speaker 4: good kid and he inspires me. Like I, I learned
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: from him. He, he's taught me so much. He's, he's
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: made me just take a step back at times when
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: I'm stressed and, um, my problems aren't that big, you know?
• 21:31
  Speaker 4: So it just really gives you a great amount of perspective, but,
• 21:35
  Speaker 4: I'm curious, when you guys first met, what made you
• 21:40
  Speaker 4: want to take a chance on this kid? And as
• 21:42
  Speaker 4: a roommate and an employee, what made him earn your trust?
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: So all my life, even through.
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: High school, picking the right friends to hang out with,
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: who not to, who was going to give me trouble,
• 21:59
  Speaker 3: who not to, business, who to do business with. Even
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: in the world of narcotic distribution, deciding who to, you.
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: Know, what lane you wanted to stay in. I mean,
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: it sounds crazy, but it's truthful, right?
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: I've always had the ability to look in somebody's eyes
• 22:15
  Speaker 3: and judge them.
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: And when I met Xavier, I.
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: Just said, this kid needs a break. He came through
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: a friend and I trust the friend and Something just
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: told me like, you know, listen, if it's not, I
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: walked around prison with murderers and rapists and child molesters
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: and was able to exist. This kid doesn't look like
• 22:48
  Speaker 3: any of that. I can navigate it. And the upside
• 22:52
  Speaker 3: is so huge. The downside, if it didn't work out,
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: I could end it. Right. And I just took a
• 23:00
  Speaker 3: chance the same way I asked Tom to take a
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: chance on me. I'm sure the same factors that they
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: evaluated when they decided to give me a job are
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: the same things that I evaluated when I decided to
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: give him a chance.
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: And listen, it's not easy. You know?
• 23:14
  Speaker 3: He can tell you it's not easy. There's rough days.
• 23:16
  Speaker 3: There's bad days. But we are committed to him establishing
• 23:22
  Speaker 3: a life in New York City. Next step is his
• 23:26
  Speaker 3: own apartment.
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: And we will get him one.
• 23:33
  Speaker 3: Come hell or high water, he will get his own
• 23:35
  Speaker 3: apartment in New York City. And we will post it
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: all over the world that this kid did it. And
• 23:41
  Speaker 3: he will be a model. It's just that simple. I
• 23:43
  Speaker 3: just I believe in him. The same way I said
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: I will never go back to prison. I will never
• 23:49
  Speaker 3: go back to prison.
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: I think a lot of building teams is just taking
• 23:52
  Speaker 4: a chance on people. So I'm so happy you guys
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: came into each other's lives. And clearly it was meant
• 23:56
  Speaker 4: to be. Um, I feel the same way about IO
• 23:59
  Speaker 4: and myself. He doesn't work for me, but I've helped him. Um,
• 24:04
  Speaker 4: I show I I've, one of my goals is to
• 24:08
  Speaker 4: show him what being self-made looks like and being motivated
• 24:11
  Speaker 4: looks like and hard work looks like when I was
• 24:14
  Speaker 4: his age, I was working at a red mango shop
• 24:17
  Speaker 4: in Manhasset and I was, and now he's scooping ice
• 24:20
  Speaker 4: cream down on Melrose, but his goal is to all,
• 24:23
  Speaker 4: he also loves fashion. So I want you guys to
• 24:25
  Speaker 4: connect and talk, but, um, He wants to go to
• 24:28
  Speaker 4: FIT in the spring. So we're working on some college apps,
• 24:31
  Speaker 4: but yeah, it's really just like, I think this part
• 24:34
  Speaker 4: in your lives is such a informative, like crucial, um,
• 24:39
  Speaker 4: pivotal moment of like adulthood. So to be able to
• 24:44
  Speaker 4: show you guys like what the next couple of years
• 24:46
  Speaker 4: can look like and help get you set up on
• 24:48
  Speaker 4: the path is like, that's all I'm here to do.
• 24:50
  Speaker 4: Oh my God. What's up buddy?
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: Hi.
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: What's up little man? Who's that?
• 24:56
  Speaker 4: He's so cute.
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: Say hi. What's up, buddy?
• 24:59
  Speaker 4: See, also trusting someone with your pets is also huge.
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: This is for John.
• 25:06
  Speaker 4: So, Xavier, let's get to you. When you first met John,
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: what were your initial impressions of him? And what did
• 25:14
  Speaker 4: you think of this guy?
• 25:16
  Speaker 5: My story started with I had a good childhood. I
• 25:21
  Speaker 5: went to graduate high school, went to college in 2019.
• 25:24
  Speaker 5: My mom was still alive. And then she got sick
• 25:29
  Speaker 5: probably 2022 because she was drinking so much, alcoholic, however
• 25:34
  Speaker 5: you want to put it. And that's how she passed away.
• 25:37
  Speaker 5: And from that point, it started to get harder for
• 25:41
  Speaker 5: me because I couldn't run back to her house. So
• 25:44
  Speaker 5: I just was messing with probably guys and being in
• 25:47
  Speaker 5: a relationship with. Then I stayed with a guy. And
• 25:51
  Speaker 5: then it worked it out. Then I had got my own.
• 25:54
  Speaker 5: And that's when things started to get difficult. When I
• 25:57
  Speaker 5: got my own work talk to get my own apartment,
• 25:59
  Speaker 5: he used to fight me in my house. And that's
• 26:02
  Speaker 5: how I lost my apartment. Three months of having it.
• 26:05
  Speaker 5: And I had to branch off from Memphis to stay
• 26:08
  Speaker 5: in hotels, to.
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: Move around like that. And when I came to New
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: York a week later, I had a job. So I
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: was like, I'll just stay in New York and make
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: it work like that.
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: And what, what made you choose New York? Why New York?
• 26:23
  Speaker 5: Uh, I had just came for the billboards, to be honest.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: I ain't supposed to be staying with nobody, none of that.
• 26:28
  Speaker 5: John offered, he was like, boy, you don't got to
• 26:31
  Speaker 5: keep going to no hotel stuff. Just stay in my
• 26:34
  Speaker 5: house for a month.
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: And a week later, I had a job. So that's
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: how it happened. I never supposed to be staying with nobody,
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: none of it. So I already had a job. It
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: first started working in a warehouse.
• 26:48
  Speaker 4: Wow. And this was your first summer working at Moby's, right?
• 26:55
  Speaker 5: Because I worked last year a little bit, but this
• 26:58
  Speaker 5: is the first four or something.
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: Okay, so I didn't realize you were there last summer too.
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, like in the fall.
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: Oh, that's right. Yeah. It was after August. It was
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: after you left already, mate.
• 27:10
  Speaker 4: And what was it like being in that environment in
• 27:13
  Speaker 4: the Hamptons, working, seeing all these people and kind of
• 27:20
  Speaker 4: having to be on and just in such like a
• 27:24
  Speaker 4: a buzzy environment.
• 27:26
  Speaker 5: They expect high expectations, which every job should. They're very
• 27:31
  Speaker 5: critiqued about the workspace, how you navigate the customers. Everybody
• 27:36
  Speaker 5: matters and all this stuff. I just like it overall
• 27:39
  Speaker 5: because we make good money. The managers and all are nice.
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: Good co-workers. They supply housing out there, so you don't
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: have to really look for housing. It's a good opportunity
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: to stay out of the way.
• 27:53
  Speaker 5: Yep.
• 27:54
  Speaker 4: And what did you learn from working in hospitality?
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: How to carry three or four places at once. How
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: to be calm.
• 28:06
  Speaker 5: You have some people who, you know, every customer ain't
• 28:09
  Speaker 5: going to be satisfied.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: They wouldn't live.
• 28:12
  Speaker 5: But still be calm through the process of it all.
• 28:16
  Speaker 5: Make sure you're just on top of your game at
• 28:18
  Speaker 5: work because you'll never know who's watching you.
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: It's high expectation. Then it's an Italian restaurant. So I
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: don't play in my overs. I do what I have
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: to do.
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: Hell yeah. And you want to become a model. And
• 28:31
  Speaker 4: you just worked at your first New York Fashion Week
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: runway show last week. How did that feel? And how
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: did that even happen?
• 28:38
  Speaker 5: I got introduced last year. Well, I got introduced through John.
• 28:43
  Speaker 5: John was talking about it last year. He said, you're
• 28:45
  Speaker 5: going to walk next year. But I wasn't looking forward
• 28:47
  Speaker 5: for it for real. But it been happening because he
• 28:49
  Speaker 5: was talking to Maya last year. I just happened to
• 28:55
  Speaker 5: take it on. We got me measured and we got
• 28:58
  Speaker 5: me a good show. I worked New York Fashion Week,
• 29:01
  Speaker 5: met a lot of photographers, people, networking.
• 29:07
  Speaker 4: Amazing. It really does come down to networking. Well, now
• 29:10
  Speaker 4: that you're back in the city, we need to get
• 29:12
  Speaker 4: you photographed with Emilio. Yes. And then we can start
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: sending your headshots out to some more people in my network.
• 29:19
  Speaker 4: I'd love to be as helpful as possible. Yes.
• 29:22
  Speaker 5: I need more headshots and stuff like that. I'm building
• 29:24
  Speaker 5: a portfolio so I can take it serious.
• 29:27
  Speaker 4: Amazing. Well, I'm so proud of you. The photos that
• 29:29
  Speaker 4: you guys sent me from last week were really special. Yes.
• 29:33
  Speaker 4: So what is your plan now?
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: To continue to say my birthday Tuesday. So. I'm going
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: to try to go out then I'm going to get
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: back in work mode.
• 29:43
  Speaker 3: Xavier works at Brass in the City as well in
• 29:45
  Speaker 3: the winter so he'll probably go back next week.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: Okay, amazing.
• 29:49
  Speaker 5: And trying to find an apartment and stuff but I
• 29:52
  Speaker 5: ain't going to let it stress me out but I'm
• 29:55
  Speaker 5: definitely keep looking every day.
• 29:57
  Speaker 4: Okay, great. Well, We also know some folks in real estate,
• 30:00
  Speaker 4: so I'm sure we can be helpful on that front.
• 30:03
  Speaker 4: And if anyone who is listening knows of a great
• 30:05
  Speaker 4: apartment opportunity for Xavier, please reach out to us, Clyde
• 30:08
  Speaker 4: at ClydeStaffing.com. But I'm glad you guys are back in
• 30:13
  Speaker 4: the city. Well, John's not back in the city, but
• 30:15
  Speaker 4: it must feel nice to be back in New York
• 30:17
  Speaker 4: and back in work mode. I can certainly relate to that.
• 30:20
  Speaker 4: It's going to be a busy fall for us as well. So, John,
• 30:23
  Speaker 4: you obviously went through so much and completely turned... your
• 30:26
  Speaker 4: life around and now you're helping Xavier do the same.
• 30:30
  Speaker 4: What are your goals for each other?
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: My goal is unchanged.
• 30:35
  Speaker 3: Um, listen, getting on podcasts, um, allowing movie producers to
• 30:42
  Speaker 3: write a script about the deepest, darkest secrets in your life.
• 30:47
  Speaker 2: Isn't easy, right?
• 30:49
  Speaker 3: Talking about things that are painful or painful times in
• 30:53
  Speaker 3: your life is not easy, but I told Xavier this earlier.
• 31:01
  Speaker 3: I spoke at the Welcome Conference and it all started
• 31:04
  Speaker 3: from a podcast that I did with Andrew Kaplan who
• 31:10
  Speaker 3: Will Gadara saw and reached out to Cappy and said
• 31:14
  Speaker 3: I want him to speak at the conference. So the
• 31:17
  Speaker 3: day of the conference Cappy texted me.
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: And he said.
• 31:25
  Speaker 3: What time do you speak? I said, 5 o'clock. He said,
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: I have to leave. I said, what do you mean
• 31:30
  Speaker 3: you have to leave? I'm like, you started all this shit.
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: He's like, I said, I'm going to bring this house down.
• 31:38
  Speaker 2: He said, I'm canceling my appointment. I said, you better.
• 31:41
  Speaker 3: He said, I'm so excited for you. I said, don't
• 31:43
  Speaker 3: be excited for me. Be excited for that 25-year-old kid
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: who's in every corner of every city in this country
• 31:55
  Speaker 3: who thinks their life's over.
• 31:56
  Speaker 5: Yeah, because I did have friends that go on the internet,
• 32:01
  Speaker 5: talk about me, and say I stay with people.
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: You know, my name's Slender.
• 32:05
  Speaker 5: That's why I eat myself up every day about what
• 32:07
  Speaker 5: people say about me, because they easily talk about me.
• 32:11
  Speaker 5: The only thing they're going to say is you stay
• 32:12
  Speaker 5: with somebody in New York, and all that. Like, I
• 32:15
  Speaker 5: wanted to stay with somebody and all that.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: It was a deep time.
• 32:18
  Speaker 5: Me losing my apartment, the whole thing, and staying with somebody,
• 32:21
  Speaker 5: now how I look back at it, it all take
• 32:24
  Speaker 5: a toll on me. I just deal with it.
• 32:27
  Speaker 4: Do you find yourself ever thinking, I'm going to give up?
• 32:30
  Speaker 4: Or what kept you going, Xavier?
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: I give up just so much for the hopeless. Like
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: it can't happen for me.
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: What happens? What happens when you do that?
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: I scratch out.
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: And then what happens? What's John John tell you?
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: It don't happen for me.
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: It's going to happen.
• 32:51
  Speaker 3: You just have to think about it. You just got
• 32:52
  Speaker 3: to get up every day. Look at how far you
• 32:54
  Speaker 3: are now.
• 32:56
  Speaker 5: Because it's not the money problems and stuff because I've
• 32:58
  Speaker 5: been saving so much and stuff.
• 33:02
  Speaker 4: Meeting the right people, being in the right place at
• 33:04
  Speaker 4: the right time, having mentors, knowing that whatever state you're
• 33:09
  Speaker 4: in at a young age is just a temporary state
• 33:12
  Speaker 4: and no one is going to make it happen for
• 33:14
  Speaker 4: yourself other than you. John, what would your advice be
• 33:19
  Speaker 4: to your 25-year-old self? Or what would be one thing
• 33:22
  Speaker 4: you would say to your younger self now that you're
• 33:25
  Speaker 4: in the position?
• 33:26
  Speaker 3: If I would have found somebody like me at 25,
• 33:28
  Speaker 3: I'd never went to prison.
• 33:29
  Speaker 2: And I wouldn't have wasted 15 years of my life.
• 33:32
  Speaker 2: So it's my obligation.
• 33:34
  Speaker 3: I put myself through so much pain and people who
• 33:38
  Speaker 3: love me through so much pain for nothing.
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: For nothing. Because I couldn't.
• 33:44
  Speaker 3: Go to a therapist and realize that my diagnosis was
• 33:48
  Speaker 3: not what I thought it was, right?
• 33:50
  Speaker 2: So I think my mission is hope, right?
• 33:55
  Speaker 3: Like I told Cappy, I'm excited for the 25-year-old who's
• 33:58
  Speaker 3: in every city in this country who thinks their life
• 34:01
  Speaker 3: is over to get their asses up, dust themselves off,
• 34:05
  Speaker 3: take one day at a time and live right and
• 34:07
  Speaker 3: be right and treat each other with respect and your
• 34:09
  Speaker 3: opportunities will come.
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: And when they come, it's what you do with them,
• 34:12
  Speaker 2: you know?
• 34:15
  Speaker 3: Even earlier today, you know, I said, I know that
• 34:19
  Speaker 3: this podcast is not going to be easy for you, Xavier,
• 34:22
  Speaker 3: getting on there and talking about your life.
• 34:24
  Speaker 2: But somebody's going to watch it, right? And they're going to.
• 34:29
  Speaker 3: Assimilate their life or their current state of mind to
• 34:34
  Speaker 3: where you were. And they're going to say, I can
• 34:36
  Speaker 3: do that too, right? You know, a year ago when
• 34:40
  Speaker 3: Xavier met me, he was lost. with 400 bucks in
• 34:46
  Speaker 3: his pocket, you know, now he's got such a bright future.
• 34:49
  Speaker 3: He's on the verge of hopefully a career, you know,
• 34:53
  Speaker 3: his own apartment and starting his own life and making
• 34:56
  Speaker 3: a name for himself.
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: That 25 year old can do the same thing.
• 35:00
  Speaker 3: 25 year old can do the same thing. New York's the,
• 35:04
  Speaker 3: you know, a lot of times he's like, I'm done
• 35:06
  Speaker 3: with New York, but you know, I'm thankful the government
• 35:09
  Speaker 3: made me come to New York. Right.
• 35:10
  Speaker 2: Because it just opened up doors for me. You know,
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: there's a lot of support in New York.
• 35:15
  Speaker 3: Um, he has, you know, my friends, people like you, Nick,
• 35:20
  Speaker 3: our owner, like everyone took a liking to this kid.
• 35:23
  Speaker 4: Right.
• 35:24
  Speaker 3: And they want to provide him opportunity and want to
• 35:26
  Speaker 3: see him do good. You know, and that's more than
• 35:29
  Speaker 3: he had in Mississippi. People, you have to identify why
• 35:32
  Speaker 3: people are in your life. Are people in your life
• 35:34
  Speaker 3: for what you have?
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: Right. Or people are in their life to support you.
• 35:38
  Speaker 2: There's a big difference.
• 35:40
  Speaker 3: Yep.
• 35:41
  Speaker 4: Well, Xavier, we're so excited for you. And you do
• 35:44
  Speaker 4: have such a bright future ahead. And I feel very
• 35:47
  Speaker 4: fortunate that John introduced us because I want to help
• 35:50
  Speaker 4: as much as possible. And my network is my strength.
• 35:53
  Speaker 4: I'm happy to make any introduction. And I also feel
• 35:57
  Speaker 4: like someone listening will probably be able to help make
• 35:59
  Speaker 4: another introduction. But if you could go back to your
• 36:03
  Speaker 4: younger self when you were at your lowest point, what
• 36:06
  Speaker 4: would you tell that boy? Yeah.
• 36:10
  Speaker 5: Just continue to live. Because I was the type that
• 36:15
  Speaker 5: anything impressed me because I'm from Mississippi and I grew
• 36:17
  Speaker 5: up seeing a lot. So me being in New York
• 36:20
  Speaker 5: is an opportunity for me too in general because I
• 36:23
  Speaker 5: never experienced it.
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: Not even traveling. Like none of this stuff. For me
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: to grow up and go on my own when my
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: mama left the world, kind of different.
• 36:32
  Speaker 5: So I'm just taking it all in to be thankful
• 36:34
  Speaker 5: regardless whether I stay with somebody or not.
• 36:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 36:38
  Speaker 4: And maybe one day you can pay it back too.
• 36:40
  Speaker 2: I'm sure.
• 36:41
  Speaker 4: I'm sure you will. Like you'll meet someone and feel
• 36:44
  Speaker 4: inspired by their story and want to reach out and
• 36:46
  Speaker 4: help them too, because you'll be in a position to
• 36:49
  Speaker 4: do so.
• 36:49
  Speaker 3: And I think his generosity is his generosity for somebody
• 36:54
  Speaker 3: who's been through what he is. He's been through is,
• 36:57
  Speaker 3: is commendable because, you know, I remember he was with
• 37:01
  Speaker 3: me for like three months and he was working at
• 37:04
  Speaker 3: the restaurants in the city.
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: And Make it $ 300.
• 37:07
  Speaker 2: Make it $ 300 a week.
• 37:09
  Speaker 3: And he spent every dollar he had giving his nieces
• 37:11
  Speaker 3: and nephews at Christmas when.
• 37:13
  Speaker 2: We sent all the gifts down there.
• 37:15
  Speaker 4: That's very sweet.
• 37:16
  Speaker 3: Things like that tell you whether, you know, things like
• 37:19
  Speaker 3: that speak to somebody's soul and who they really are, right?
• 37:22
  Speaker 3: He could have been the opposite in trying to take, take,
• 37:25
  Speaker 3: take from other people. But he's more concerned with his
• 37:28
  Speaker 3: nieces and nephews having a Christmas.
• 37:29
  Speaker 4: Very sweet. They're very lucky to have you. So, John,
• 37:33
  Speaker 4: what is the latest on your movie?
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: So Tom Colicchio's wife, who's a documentary writer. I did
• 37:44
  Speaker 2: a wedding. I was moonlighting as an event planner for
• 37:48
  Speaker 2: a wedding planner. And I came across this guy, Keith,
• 37:56
  Speaker 2: who was getting married. It was during COVID. It was
• 37:58
  Speaker 2: at a big venue in the city. And During the wedding,
• 38:04
  Speaker 2: I had to hold the iPad.
• 38:06
  Speaker 3: For three hours for the grandmom who was in Florida
• 38:08
  Speaker 3: who couldn't travel because of COVID.
• 38:10
  Speaker 2: The next day, there was a brunch. And Keith and
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: Carol were there. And we got to talking.
• 38:15
  Speaker 3: And, you know, I told him I was the GM
• 38:18
  Speaker 3: of craft, this, that, and the other thing. So they
• 38:20
  Speaker 3: came in for dinner. When he came in for dinner,
• 38:22
  Speaker 3: I told him my story. And he's like, you know
• 38:24
  Speaker 3: what I do for a living?
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: I was like, no. He's like, I purchase life rights
• 38:30
  Speaker 2: and I create movies. I was like, okay. He's like,
• 38:33
  Speaker 2: I want to buy the rights to your movie. I'm like, yeah, okay.
• 38:36
  Speaker 3: A couple weeks later, a contract came. I'm like, do
• 38:41
  Speaker 3: I really want all my dirt? As it became more
• 38:45
  Speaker 3: and more successful, it became more and more obvious that
• 38:49
  Speaker 3: there's a very strong story to be told. There's many
• 38:52
  Speaker 3: stories to be told from mine, whether it's someone who
• 38:55
  Speaker 3: receives a diagnosis they can't handle or someone who ends
• 38:57
  Speaker 3: up in prison or the whole pandemic of drug use,
• 39:04
  Speaker 3: you know, it's not drug use and criminal behavior. A
• 39:07
  Speaker 3: lot of times that's the consequence of a deeper problem,
• 39:11
  Speaker 3: you know, and we talk about healthcare accessibility to, to
• 39:15
  Speaker 3: everyone can avoid a lot of these situations. So I
• 39:17
  Speaker 3: think there's a lot of lessons and stories to be
• 39:20
  Speaker 3: told in mind.
• 39:21
  Speaker 2: And the script is done. It's powerful, very powerful.
• 39:29
  Speaker 3: Um, they're pitching it to some actors and some production
• 39:32
  Speaker 3: companies who are interested in it but you know everybody's
• 39:36
  Speaker 3: oh you're gonna be rich no I'm not because I
• 39:39
  Speaker 3: pledged all of the money if anything comes from it
• 39:42
  Speaker 3: to an organization who's going to provide opportunities to people
• 39:49
  Speaker 3: like me people like Xavier, to change their lives because
• 39:55
  Speaker 3: that's a legacy that lives forever, right? Xavier gets on
• 39:59
  Speaker 3: his feet and he helps somebody who helps somebody. It's self-fulfilling.
• 40:02
  Speaker 3: It's just exponentially, it just spreads. And I think, you know,
• 40:07
  Speaker 3: that money can be well spent and well used that
• 40:10
  Speaker 3: way and change the world and change the way people
• 40:12
  Speaker 3: feel about People with criminal.
• 40:15
  Speaker 2: Criminal... Criminal records. Like... You know.
• 40:17
  Speaker 3: If somebody interviews with you... And they have a criminal record...
• 40:21
  Speaker 3: Don't just take it for face value. Hear their story.
• 40:25
  Speaker 3: Let them tell you.
• 40:26
  Speaker 2: About it. You know? It's not always... The same.
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: Right?
• 40:30
  Speaker 2: You know? Tom gave me a chance. I paid him
• 40:35
  Speaker 2: back exponentially... With my success in his restaurant.
• 40:39
  Speaker 3: And.
• 40:39
  Speaker 2: There's... I'm not the... I'm not an anomaly.
• 40:42
  Speaker 3: I'm not... this, you know, I'm not the second coming.
• 40:46
  Speaker 3: I'm just a human being who made some bad choices,
• 40:49
  Speaker 3: learned from them, and now am devoted and dedicated to
• 40:54
  Speaker 3: opening up doors for other people and changing people's lives.
• 40:57
  Speaker 3: And I hope that if the movie's made, that that's
• 40:59
  Speaker 3: the message. I hope that that's the message that's taken
• 41:02
  Speaker 3: from it.
• 41:03
  Speaker 2: That we all have the ability.
• 41:07
  Speaker 3: We just have to make the choice to give somebody
• 41:09
  Speaker 3: a chance.
• 41:10
  Speaker 2: That's really what it is.
• 41:12
  Speaker 4: And the road to everyone's success is always not linear,
• 41:16
  Speaker 4: but a lot of it does have to do with
• 41:18
  Speaker 4: taking chances on people and trusting the people that you're
• 41:22
  Speaker 4: hiring that they're going to deliver and come through and
• 41:25
  Speaker 4: be a wonderful person that you want on your team.
• 41:28
  Speaker 4: So I love your guys' story. I'm so excited to
• 41:34
  Speaker 4: get more updates on the film. And for anyone who's
• 41:36
  Speaker 4: listening and watching, there's also an amazing New York Times
• 41:39
  Speaker 4: piece on John, which we'll link. if you are curious
• 41:42
  Speaker 4: in learning more about his story. And John, you also
• 41:47
  Speaker 4: speak at universities, right?
• 41:51
  Speaker 2: Amazing.
• 41:52
  Speaker 3: There's a piece in Humans of New York also that
• 41:55
  Speaker 3: really tells my story in my own voice from the
• 41:59
  Speaker 3: day I got arrested to the.
• 42:00
  Speaker 2: Day I got out.
• 42:03
  Speaker 3: In all of it, I don't say it to brag.
• 42:06
  Speaker 2: I say it to spread the message. Don't ever give up.
• 42:11
  Speaker 2: Don't ever give up.
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: Amazing.
• 42:14
  Speaker 4: Xavier, we're going to get you a modeling gig in
• 42:15
  Speaker 4: New York.
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: All righty.
• 42:18
  Speaker 2: And you're guys going to be a maitre d' at
• 42:20
  Speaker 2: Brass when it comes to FIT.
• 42:22
  Speaker 5: Yes.
• 42:23
  Speaker 4: Oh, my gosh. That's amazing. Sounds like a great plan.
• 42:26
  Speaker 3: Done. I'm going to send him an onboarding email today.
• 42:30
  Speaker 4: Oh, my God. Thank you. And I'll connect you two
• 42:32
  Speaker 4: because I'm sure you guys, I think you guys will
• 42:35
  Speaker 4: like each other. You both love fashion. Same age. So
• 42:38
  Speaker 4: it'll be good.
• 42:40
  Speaker 2: Awesome.
• 42:40
  Speaker 3: Bye.
• 42:41
  Speaker 4: All right, you guys. Well, thank you so much for joining. Everyone,
• 42:44
  Speaker 4: thank you for listening in. What a great duo. And
• 42:48
  Speaker 4: you guys are so inspiring. But I'll see you back
• 42:51
  Speaker 4: in New York.
• 42:52
  Speaker 2: Sounds good.
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: All right. See you soon.
• 42:54
  Speaker 4: All righty. Bye, guys.