Latest / Military Broadcast Radio | MBR Talk / Oscar Mike Radio-Mike Peterson – The People’s Patriot Project joins us

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Oscar Mike Radio-Mike Peterson – The People’s Patriot Project joins us · Military Broadcast Radio | MBR Talk

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Hello and welcome again to OM Radio.
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Hey, we're back. It's 2024.
4:03
It's cold where I am. It's cold where my guest is, but
4:06
he's hot. He's on fire.
4:08
I want to welcome back to OM Radio Mark Peterson, part of the
4:13
People's Patriot Project. Mark, welcome back to OM Radio
4:18
Man. What's going on, brother?
4:21
Well, it's it's, you know, when this drops, it's January, it's
4:24
it's cold here. It's probably colder in
4:27
Minnesota, but we're just lighting up veteran wise man.
4:30
It's it's great to have you back.
4:32
You guys are still doing this after all this time.
4:35
I kind of felt like, you know what?
4:36
I want to, you know, reach out to, you know, my guy, see what's
4:40
going on. You have a lot of perspective
4:43
about what's going on in our community.
4:45
And so we're going to talk about, you know, the People's
4:48
Patriot Project, where you are in the state, the state of
4:53
veterans advocacy. How about that?
4:55
Love it. I love it, man.
4:57
We'll get there. We'll figure it out, right?
4:59
One way or another, one way or another.
5:02
So you start the People's Patriot Project.
5:06
Like 4 years now, right? Four or five years.
5:09
So initially the the paperwork was put in 2012, held it close
5:15
to my heart because I didn't want anyone to steal the ideas.
5:18
And then we fully ramped and launched it 2018 realizing we're
5:23
still losing it. 6000 veterans per year.
5:26
You've lost 6000 veterans for the last 20 years straight and
5:30
it was time to get off the pot, man.
5:32
It was I I wasn't saving anyone, not doing anything and holding
5:38
the close to my heart. So it was time to to put my put
5:42
my mouth or put the put my money where my mouth was, I guess.
5:46
You did that right and you got it going.
5:49
You got Andrea Eichmann behind you and other people behind you
5:53
and the last time we talked to you, you were really kind of
5:57
building out your network and framework in Minnesota and and
6:01
it's really cool, right? You you are in, you know what I
6:05
consider that the northern part of the US, the where you are is
6:09
a big place, a lot of people and there's needs there too.
6:12
There's needs everywhere and you are all fine.
6:14
You're waited to meet those needs a. 100.
6:17
Percent COVID hit and and you guys got through COVID.
6:22
So let's just start there on the exit of COVID.
6:26
What was it like? You know, you had to struggle,
6:29
right? And really get creative to get
6:31
through the COVID years that that two years for a lot of
6:35
nonprofits didn't survive. Yeah.
6:38
What was it like coming out of that mark?
6:41
For us it was kind of like a rebirth so to speak.
6:45
I mean we'd we'd doubled down during COVID.
6:48
I don't know if you're aware and familiar, but the majority of
6:53
the network in Minnesota, I can't say the majority anymore.
6:57
But at that time many of the supporters were educators.
7:02
Andrea and myself both teach school as well and educators.
7:07
And so we looked at each other at a board meeting one day and
7:12
we're like, you know what every Everyone says they're depressed.
7:15
Actually, not everyone. The the news, the media was
7:18
saying we're depressed. We'll never be the same.
7:20
We're not going to make it out of this.
7:21
What are we going to do? Blah, blah, blah.
7:23
And I'm like in my whole in my head the whole time I was like
7:27
this is mindset. What what is your And that's a
7:32
big verb these days mindset. And I'm like, I'm not going to
7:39
say I'm the godfather, but I'm like, no, I'm not depressed.
7:44
Yes, it's different, but I'm like, Andrea, we've got to put
7:49
something out there that gets veterans a place to share where
7:52
they're at. I think that's the important
7:54
piece. And we've heard this.
7:56
And I'm watching OM Radio. I'm watch watching other
7:59
podcasts. I'm, I'm in with Heroes Media
8:01
and Adam Bird. Adam Bird is one of our board
8:04
members. I mean, he's been for, you know,
8:06
five years and was in the the beginning, the godfather of the
8:10
People's Future project. And I'm like, I don't want to do
8:13
a podcast. I don't want to create content.
8:15
I don't want to do any of that stuff.
8:17
And so I'm like, well, let's create a virtual happy hour
8:22
because we're teachers, we're working in Zoom as it is.
8:25
We can create a Zoom on Friday nights and we can start inviting
8:28
people in to to share their ideas.
8:31
Well, we do that and we're having a good time.
8:35
Everyone is talking. Everyone's getting stuff off
8:37
their chest. We're doing little bits like
8:39
what's in your cup? And so we're all sharing what
8:42
we're drinking. And we would get 50 to 100 plus
8:46
people on these zooms that are just, you know, sharing where
8:50
they're at. You know, it's it was weird.
8:53
It was a weird time. People were struggling to a
8:57
point just because they didn't know what was next.
9:00
And let's be honest, who, who really did know what direction
9:04
that was all going to go? I think.
9:08
I think there was a foundation of understanding.
9:10
But again, none of us was in control of what our space was
9:16
doing. And so we're following that.
9:18
And again, every week, ours, this little virtual happy hour,
9:22
kept growing and kept growing, kept growing.
9:23
And I looked at everyone after a while and I'm like, you know, we
9:27
can't do this on Friday every night because those are the
9:30
nights I would really want to go out and have a good time.
9:32
And. And so we moved into Sunday
9:35
because no one has a good time at Sunday nights.
9:37
You know, of course we didn't realize we were going to be
9:39
competing with the NFL at that point, but we don't compete with
9:42
the NFL anymore anyway. We went on Sunday nights at
9:47
6:00. We got you 6 at six.
9:49
That's an amazing branding element if you're in the
9:53
Midwest. If you're not in the Midwest, it
9:54
makes absolutely no sense whatsoever because it's not at
9:59
6:00 when we're our show's on in California and or in on the East
10:04
Coast. But to be honest with you, we
10:07
came out of COVID, we had started bringing on Boots on the
10:13
Ground organizations and we had started networking and we had
10:17
started. We brought Tony Turner onto our
10:21
show to sing his music and the next thing I know, you know, a
10:26
couple months later we have Chris Turner on our show.
10:30
Yep, another. One.
10:31
And Chris Turner says, hey, you know what, in two months we're
10:36
going to be down in Nashville. He's in Nashville, but I'm going
10:40
to do the Stop 22 tour. I'd like you guys to come down
10:43
and check it out. And Andrea and I looked at each
10:46
other, 'cause we were the primaries at that time.
10:48
We had a Shad Turner out of Texas who was helping with the
10:51
podcast at the time. And so we went down to to
10:55
Nashville and I thought we were just going to step into a space.
10:59
Now some of our friends, some of our network, Adam Jones with
11:04
Feed the Heroes Foundation out of Georgia and Tony Turner.
11:07
So one of the things we do for veterans is a recalibration
11:11
retreat and we knew Tony and he's fine with me sharing this.
11:15
We've been, he was, he had his struggles.
11:17
And I'm like, I looked at Andrea and I said this is a
11:20
recalibration retreat. We're going to bring Tony and
11:23
his wife into Nashville. We're going to give him a wine
11:26
and dine weekend. It's not going to cost him a
11:28
thing. We're going to let them enjoy.
11:31
And we'd networked with some other musicians and we had
11:34
talked with some other groups and Adam Jones came up for it
11:38
and it was it was our own little.
11:41
But when we got there, there's Oscar mic radio on, there's
11:45
Danny, Rocco, Donatella and there is.
11:49
I can't even remember all the people that.
11:51
I mean, it's we, it's our platform.
11:54
We've got this picture of all of us together and it's just like
12:02
and so it gave us an opportunity to network and just absolutely
12:07
accelerated everything forward. And I started watching more OM
12:11
radio, started seeing how you guys did it because you guys
12:16
were the pros at the time. And I'm like, you know what?
12:20
We've got to do better than what we're doing now.
12:22
And we're going to create a different format.
12:24
And we graphics came in and new platforms came in.
12:27
We went from Zoom to stream Yard.
12:29
We, you know, and we started entertaining all these veteran
12:36
and 1st responding musicians, which there are hundreds of and
12:39
no one even stops to realize. Let's talk about the classics.
12:43
I mean, Willie Nelson's a veteran.
12:45
Johnny Cash is a veteran I knew. I knew Johnny Cash was Willie
12:48
Nelson served. Yep, Yep.
12:51
Check it out. Check it out.
12:53
I'll have to. I want something.
12:55
To your name, Elvis Presley. I mean, Elvis Presley served,
12:58
but what's really cool is we have Amelia Presley, who's like
13:02
a second cousin to him and she's a veteran as well and in the
13:06
music industry. And we love Amelia Presley.
13:08
But again, there's there's all these nuances and all these
13:12
pieces that stack together, and then we've got just this
13:15
plethora of amazing, legitimate recording artists that the world
13:21
doesn't even know of. What's the thing?
13:23
I mean, I will. I will say this.
13:24
I'm, I'm sitting there Sunday night just kind of chilling out.
13:27
I'm, I'm done playing Xbox. You know, I'm kind of getting
13:30
ready for work. You guys will come up and I'll
13:31
check in and I'm like, how do you all do it?
13:34
There's like a different artist on every week.
13:38
And they're good. I'm not a country guy, you know
13:40
that. But I'm like, I can't.
13:42
I can't lie, Tony, these people are good at what they do.
13:45
Like, like. How's that work?
13:49
There's no answer. In fact, two weeks ago I was
13:52
sitting in Nashville for another reason, some amazing pieces.
13:56
And I called up Chris Turner and we're sitting there together and
13:59
he's, he's OK with me sharing this information, but he's like,
14:02
Mark, if I hear another person say, why aren't you playing on
14:06
mainstream radio, I'm going to punch him in the face.
14:08
And he's not punching anyone in the face.
14:10
But he's just like everyone else sees the value.
14:13
Why can't I get that step? And I'm like we're working on
14:16
the step, brother. We're working on it.
14:20
There has to be, in my opinion, an event, an event that
14:26
accelerates these guys. I we're working on that.
14:29
I know where you want to know what's going on 2024.
14:31
And I don't want to get completely off the subject
14:33
because this is a great conversation here.
14:35
But we're looking at doing an event in 2024 that will be that
14:39
step that helps these veterans. Here's the deal.
14:43
This weekend we had a better musician booked.
14:46
He got hold of us today. He said he can't make it.
14:51
I reached out into our network, did a couple posts, said hey
14:54
blah blah blah. But then I hand picked, hand
14:58
picked just because I I wanted to reach out to someone and I I
15:01
reached out to Dom Cruz and Dom Cruz is out of Texas and this
15:04
guy is one of the the coolest rhythm and Blues.
15:10
Amazing artists out there. I mean he's he's amazing.
15:15
I I love his music. 2002, 1021, we did an event up here in
15:23
Minnesota. I brought Jen Ford, BJ Leggett,
15:27
Don Kerrs, the real Doug Lane. Stephen John was supposed to
15:32
come up and we did an event in Minnesota.
15:34
The coolest part about it was the after hours show that we get
15:39
to be involved with where we're sitting in this large room out
15:43
of Airbnb. They are all playing and we're
15:46
eating these rib eyes and life is amazing.
15:48
We're smoking cigars, we're drinking bourbon and it's my
15:52
private little concert, the down and gritty stuff.
15:55
But they're playing off each other and they're saying well
15:58
let's you know, do it. Next thing I know, Gen. 4 Dom
16:01
Cruz and BJ Leggett creates a three group piece down in Texas
16:05
and they start touring Texas together and that's exactly what
16:09
we want to do. That's exactly the pieces we
16:11
want to put together. That's that's that's it.
16:15
That's because. Look, look, folks, you can.
16:18
I'll have it. The link in the OM radio show
16:20
post if even if you're not bored on a Sunday night and your team
16:25
sucks, if you're a Pats fan, your team definitely sucks right
16:28
now. Just letting you know.
16:30
And I'm not even a Pats fan, but at 6:00 Sunday night, well, 7:00
16:33
our time, you'll watch some great musicians, especially if
16:39
you love country music. And I'm not a country music fan,
16:41
but I can promise you it's not a waste of time.
16:45
Well, Travis, if I can interrupt for a second, even if they don't
16:49
want to do that, they can tune into Weepy 3 radio, which is all
16:54
these guys, exclusively veteran and 1st responder radio.
16:58
Thank you, Mark. Thank you, thank you for
17:00
reminding me. So you got to give me the link
17:04
so I can put in the OM radio show post.
17:06
I'll. Give it to you.
17:07
Yes, you got. It's going to take me a second,
17:10
but. Well not right now, not right
17:11
now. After the show it's like yeah,
17:12
yeah, yeah, yeah folks this is like mind blowing right now but
17:18
you you have like a whole like I don't know Squadron, I'm, I'm an
17:23
air wing marine of like talent ready to go out there and start
17:27
dropping bombs. I wonder if YouTube will be
17:29
monetize me for that? So we've we've ran into a little
17:33
niche and we didn't. This is absolutely nothing we
17:36
had planned, nothing that we wanted to necessarily this.
17:40
We didn't plan this. But we've got roughly 170 plus
17:44
musicians right now. We've got roughly 8 comedians in
17:49
the network right now And the the nice nuance in this is
17:53
during our show and we have boots on the ground
17:55
organizations. Every single one of them do an
17:58
annual event and they want entertainment so they reach out
18:02
to us because they know they have.
18:04
We have the network and we sign up musicians for these events
18:08
and we don't we don't charge anyone for that.
18:10
We we want to make sure your event is successful.
18:13
We want to make sure that you have talent there that draws
18:16
people to your event and we feel that's a way that a we're giving
18:20
back to veterans by making sure those guys now they don't come
18:24
free. I'm going to be here's, but
18:27
here's the difference. You can get an Aaron Lewis for
18:30
$30,000 or you can get a a Chris Turner for $5000.
18:36
I mean that's kind of the difference and.
18:38
I've seen, I've seen Chris perform like 6 times and let me
18:42
tell you what that is, That is $5000 well spent.
18:45
He he leans it out there every time.
18:48
Absolutely. Well, and I'm not going to put
18:51
Chris's stuff out there, but you know, if you're a friend of the
18:53
family, he will. He will take care of you and not
18:58
I I want to leave it at that. I mean, he doesn't.
19:01
He doesn't help himself out all the time.
19:03
He wants to make sure everyone else gets taken care of.
19:06
That's a very real, like, interesting slice of a veteran's
19:10
advocacy, if you will, that I haven't really considered that
19:13
you do have all these. Because again, Mark, it's like
19:18
where, where, where are these people coming from?
19:21
And you know, if you can have them funneled to you, you can
19:25
get them out there. What a way to help them out
19:29
'cause they appreciate it. We call it a trifecta.
19:31
I mean, they are. It's therapeutic for them to do
19:35
their music. Now let's be real, not all the
19:38
music that these veterans and 1st responders are talking
19:40
about, being in the trenches and and throwing grenades and stuff
19:44
like that. You know, they've got real life,
19:48
real music. I mean, you know, country.
19:51
You lost your pickup, lost your dog, lost your wife, kind of
19:53
stuff, real stuff. But we've got the gamut, we've
19:58
got screamers, we've got R&B, we've got opera.
20:03
I didn't think I was going to ever like opera.
20:06
But if you get the chance to listen to Jesus Hernandez, he's
20:10
The Walking tenor. He will change your life.
20:14
It is. It is another level of
20:16
amazingness. And I I got goose pimples
20:19
talking about it. I.
20:20
Could see you in a tux mark you know, enjoying from the box seat
20:25
in the opera. I should.
20:27
I can just go through my text and I got a green weepy 3 tux.
20:31
You. I'm sure you do so, so, so this
20:36
is really like expanded your horizons of different things
20:39
that you didn't even think you were going to be doing.
20:41
I mean, what? What's?
20:42
This, I mean, it takes focus off of our mission, to be honest
20:47
with you, but. Let's swing it back here.
20:49
What is the mission? What?
20:52
So our mission is, and it's our mission statements changed since
20:58
we started this because at the beginning we were the classic
21:01
and we got a lot of branding groups and marketing groups say
21:05
we don't even want to work with you because you have the exact
21:09
same mission statement as all 46,000 other organizations.
21:15
I'm like, oh, really? OK, we're going to fix it
21:17
because the first one is to honor and and to support
21:20
veterans and 1st responders. And again, everyone that is in
21:24
the first responder world wants to honor and support veterans,
21:27
first responders. I'm like, OK, fine, let's find
21:30
something else. So we are now the shock and awe
21:34
in combating the silent, deadly, and invisible enemies of our
21:39
daily heroes. And we don't touch.
21:42
Just PTSD. Everyone.
21:44
A few years back, someone said, oh, you need to specialize.
21:46
Specialize on what? We got people dying every day.
21:49
I don't care to specialize. When you go fishing, you throw
21:53
on different lures, you throw on different baits to catch
21:56
different fish. And that's why, for example, we
22:00
don't specialize in our music either, because I need that
22:03
screamer guy. If you watched Hurt Locker, you
22:06
know that that guy didn't listen to Kumbaya and or the OR Taylor
22:12
Swift when he was getting ready to go on defuse bombs.
22:16
He was listening to Screaming Stuff and I I can't remember
22:21
verbatim exactly. I'll go back and I'm like, Oh
22:23
yeah, I should have remembered who this is.
22:24
Kind of stuff, like the metal stuff.
22:26
Yeah. Oh, you ask for rock all the
22:29
time. And we're like, we got you.
22:31
Die tired. Check them out.
22:33
Die tired every time. Yep, I'm on it.
22:36
Die tired. Check them out.
22:38
Every time I find a right group, a rock group, I think of Travis
22:42
Partington. I'm like, we got to put this out
22:43
there. We got to let Travis know This
22:45
is who we got coming on. Yes.
22:48
Uh huh. Die tired on it, on it.
22:51
So. So it is about shock.
22:53
It's funny you mentioned this thing about not just focusing on
22:57
PTST and the reason I kind of want to pick your brain about
23:00
that for a little bit, Mark, is some people not only in our
23:03
community but also, you know, clinicians and people who
23:07
support us are like, you know, we we've given all this money.
23:11
We've come to golf events, more cycle rise runs, you know pool,
23:16
whatever. And you know what's happening
23:19
with that. And there, there there's
23:22
certainly other challenges out there, but I don't know about
23:25
you, but I sense a little little fatigue in in our community with
23:29
advocacy about PTSD. I'm not saying it's not a
23:33
problem. It is.
23:34
But what's your what's your answer to that?
23:36
Well, I. I don't know.
23:40
I have a great answer because there's a great organizations
23:43
out there that are doing great. Mighty Oaks is doing an amazing
23:46
job. From what I understand, there
23:48
are VAS that do an amazing job. You know, I do hear you know the
23:53
other side of it that there's some of that aren't doing a
23:55
great job and then find and that's why we did what we
23:59
decided to do. I'm not answering your question
24:01
right now, but we wanted to make sure we were creating a network
24:06
that no matter who was on the other side of the line, we would
24:10
be able to reach out into the network and say, hey, we've got,
24:14
we've got your, your lunker on the on the hook, let's call them
24:19
up, let's have this conversation.
24:21
We don't do referrals. We don't say, hey, here's a
24:24
phone number, call it, here's an e-mail, e-mail it, here's a
24:27
website, go to it. I call the organization with the
24:31
person on the line and we build a relationship.
24:34
That's what we do is different. I can honestly tell you anyone
24:38
that's entered our network, their phone number is in my
24:41
phone. I've had conversations with
24:43
them. They know that they can call me,
24:45
text me, message me at any given time.
24:48
My lines are open 24/7. We don't stop.
24:53
It is there's no end in this. This is no finish line.
24:58
There's no destination other than the mission.
25:01
The mission is our destination and we're here to help on all
25:04
levels. So getting back to the fatigue
25:06
piece, I don't know if there's an issue of fatigue other than I
25:13
think there's more of an issue of confusion and that's that's.
25:16
OK, so so explain that. The confusion is our veterans,
25:22
when they come and are transitioning and some people
25:25
don't like the word transitioning, but we're here
25:28
where we're at and one of the viable words in our network when
25:31
they're transitioned into the real world, they only know of
25:35
the VA as a resource. They might learn about their
25:40
their community leadership or their community BSO.
25:45
They might learn, but they don't understand that there are a
25:51
plethora 46,000 organizations in the United States that claim
25:56
they are here to help veterans and 1st responders.
25:59
Those organizations also haven't been vetted.
26:01
So this adds to the confusion. You know, everyone thinks they
26:05
need a service dog. Everyone thinks that they've got
26:10
this is going to sound terrible, but there's a lot of people that
26:12
think they have PTSD. There are some people that have
26:16
PTSD, and I'm never going to argue with anyone that they
26:18
reach to me and say I have PT. OK, let's go through that.
26:21
Let's talk to that conversation. Let's let's let's build this
26:24
relationship. Let's find out where it goes and
26:27
we'll get you to where you need to go.
26:30
We got a lot of people self diagnosing because they never
26:32
had the chance to go see their their organization.
26:36
We have a lot of people that over medicated on these
26:39
cocktails that they're getting a from their private provider and
26:44
or the VA And again I'm not saying don't take your pills but
26:49
at the same time we were hearing story after story after story
26:53
that maybe there's another way to do this.
26:56
Maybe there's another way maybe you need to get off the couch
27:01
and do a little bit more than your video games and eating your
27:06
your hot Cheetos and and stuff like that.
27:09
Again not an attack on these people and they need to learn
27:11
that piece. I mean, there's that commercial
27:13
out there for Planet Planet Fitness that says low energy,
27:18
come in here. I'm like, well, if I got low
27:20
energy, the last thing I'm going to think about doing is go work
27:22
out. That's that's not going to be on
27:24
the list of things to do. But we're learning, you know,
27:28
fitness might be a piece. We've, I believe, interactions,
27:32
relationships. And Imano, Imano, you know, on
27:36
our show, they call me Pause because I will get my paws on
27:40
you. I've never been a hugger.
27:43
It's really weird because I've never been a hugger.
27:45
But since I've started this and started the joke of it, I mean,
27:49
Travis, you don't have a beard, so I can't touch your beard.
27:52
But it's like we're beard to beard baby.
27:54
We're going to do this. It's safer to go beard to beard
27:56
than than what our drill Sergeant ceased to say back.
28:00
I'll go beard to beer any day and not do butt the mud or the
28:05
other way. So.
28:06
It's a lot of work. It's a lot of work.
28:08
Do you still? It's a tremendous amount of
28:10
work. This is a marriage I didn't see
28:13
coming and I didn't realize. I thought.
28:17
I thought the vision was we were going to be up and funded within
28:22
five years. And then within five years I'd
28:25
be walking around the property that we have for veterans and
28:28
1st responders, sitting watching across the lake drinking my
28:32
Bloody Marys at 7:00 AM in the morning with a guitarist over at
28:36
the Fire pit playing music and veterans, you know, throwing
28:41
flower petals into the lake. You know, that's that's the way
28:44
I visioned it. And we're not quite there yet.
28:47
We're getting there, We'll get there, but we're not quite there
28:49
yet. Well, it's really exciting.
28:52
It's really exciting to see you know what you're doing and how
28:58
you're doing it. And and you know, to your point,
29:01
I see a lot of organizations that will not go outside.
29:06
You know their area of operation and you know they they wouldn't
29:10
possibly think about going to somebody else's event or saying,
29:14
hey, I can pitch in and help out at your event or you know, you
29:17
can't come to my event because it's mine.
29:21
And I'm like you're you're closing yourself off to the
29:25
power of the relationship and. Right.
29:30
And you can't how? If you're not willing to give
29:33
help, how can you ask for help? So you know there's there's some
29:37
learning there you can do too I guess.
29:40
You know, just talk about the state of advocacy.
29:44
What are some and I can't believe I'm having to say this
29:46
but but hear me out here. What are just some basic things
29:51
that someone who's either starting a nonprofit or involved
29:54
with one in our space can do to be effective?
30:00
A, you can't talk about it. You got to be about it.
30:04
Of those 46,000 organizations we talked about, only 10% of them
30:08
are even close to even doing anything.
30:12
And we've made it our mission to be available to be visible and
30:18
and to help where we can. I mean Eric Oglenshager down in
30:24
Round Rock, TX did an event. I I've met the guy once and we
30:30
came down to his vent. The event is about his son.
30:33
His son died on one of the VA cocktails of the weekend before
30:38
he got a bed for treatment. And the next thing I know you
30:42
know I walk in and and he's running the raffle for the gun
30:46
raffle and I'm like, Eric, this is your event.
30:50
I met the guy this is the second time I go get out there I'll
30:54
take care of this. He had no qualms no worries.
30:56
I mean I'm I'm not going to do anything I mean but I then was
30:59
in charge of his gun raffle and so I'm sitting there with his
31:03
guns and with his money pile and taking tickets and making sure
31:07
that their the job was done. When I when we walk the We the
31:11
people walk into an organizational event or meeting
31:14
or anything, we are there to support.
31:17
We're not there to gain. We'll put out a donation box and
31:21
everything that comes in that donation box, we tell everyone
31:23
it's going straight back to the organization where they're
31:26
supporting. We do a ton on social media.
31:29
And again I'm sorry, I I selfishly am doing this because
31:33
it's a therapeutic for me and B1 of the greatest messages I've
31:39
heard in my life is you saved my life.
31:42
It's a humbling statement to hear, but again, I mean, because
31:46
I'm not I, I don't have the power.
31:49
I'm not God. I mean, let's face it, but when
31:53
someone has put enough faith in me to make sure that I know that
31:57
what we've done in our event has saved their life, I'm going to
32:01
keep doing what we're doing one at a time.
32:04
We're going to keep going. We run ourselves ragged.
32:10
And it is. It's not in vain.
32:13
It's for a purpose. We are constantly tired, not a
32:18
complaint, because the energy comes when we get to to hug our
32:24
our our new best friends and touch beards and and eat great
32:27
food and drink cigars and listen to great music and and know that
32:31
the other people are feeling the same way I'm feeling inside
32:34
because we're making a difference.
32:37
I was going to, I was going to ask, how do you, how do you
32:39
recharge the battery? Is that how you do it?
32:43
Events. Honestly, events are how I
32:44
recharge the battery. I I'm get a little every Sunday
32:50
before our show from about 1:00 to 2:00.
32:54
Thirtyish. I get a nap.
32:57
That's my recharge. And then we we I ate my dinner
33:01
at 3 and I'm on on the in the platform by 5:00 and then 6:00
33:07
we're live and then we're back at it the next day at 4:30.
33:11
And like I said me and Andrea are are busy teaching during the
33:14
week and we do a lot of stuff with our education, not only at
33:18
our state but national level. We've got an organization with
33:22
the National Education Association called Heroes in the
33:25
Classroom. And I I can get into that story
33:28
some other time about why that had to be put in place.
33:31
But it had to be with a police officer that shot a guy in in
33:37
Minnesota and who happened to be part of the education world.
33:41
And me and I I'm getting into it.
33:43
Sorry. Me and Andrew are Washington on
33:46
an education March and I hear F the police with the whole
33:50
vernacular. And I'm like, I'm, I'm not doing
33:52
that. I'm sorry.
33:55
We're not going to do that. I'm very tight with my state
33:58
leadership. I'm very tight with the national
34:00
leadership I built. When I say I we built the the
34:05
heroes in the classroom for the purpose of we have children that
34:10
have mommies and daddies that are police officers,
34:13
firefighters, EMS deployed. We have some of our our
34:18
educational members who are part of first responder organizations
34:23
and who have served, myself included.
34:26
So we're not going to F anybody in the educational system and
34:30
we're not going to do that game just like we don't do it
34:32
anywhere else and we find a way to to fix the problems and you
34:37
know we've taken it on the chin a little bit in in that world
34:40
when it comes to how police officers have acted in our
34:43
world. And I I have to remind people
34:46
you know what, not everyone's that clean cut all American
34:48
soldier we there were there were turds in the military as well
34:53
and there are turds in every niche of the world as well.
34:56
And so have those real conversations.
35:01
We talk about everything. That's the other part.
35:04
Talk about the hard conversations.
35:06
Talk about sometimes. What I'm hearing is show up and
35:11
and and help out. Be involved.
35:14
Involved, you know, don't, don't, don't withhold, but be
35:18
involved and then be authentic. I mean that's the one thing that
35:22
I got, you know, from you all when I met you in Nashville and
35:25
I've watched you all grow over the last couple years is, you
35:28
know, be true to what your, your mission is.
35:32
And and so, you know, we're coming into, you know, 2024, you
35:37
know, we're out of COVID now. You know, we've been out of war
35:41
now for a while, even though the world is just seems to be
35:44
blowing up around us. It's just crazy, you know, what
35:49
does, what does advocacy look like?
35:52
And they're not just for you all.
35:53
But think about this. I mean, if, if, and I hope we
35:57
do, we stay out of war for a while.
36:00
One thing I'm noticing is the World War 2 veterans are are
36:03
dying off. The Vietnam War veterans are
36:05
right behind them. Everybody's forgot about Korea.
36:08
But it it's it's it's going to start getting smaller in the
36:13
next 5 to 10 years. What do you think advocacy is
36:17
going to look like? Well, I think there definitely
36:21
needs to be a change. We were talking about this the
36:23
other day and I jokingly said, you know, no one wants to sit in
36:27
that, that dark smoke filled, beer smelling VFW or Legion.
36:34
I mean everyone's drinking lattes and doing yoga these
36:37
days. So I mean we're gonna have to
36:39
we're gonna have to change the the narrative a little bit.
36:42
But I think that's the direction for lack of a better word, we.
36:47
And again our branding kind of it's not about the People's
36:53
Patriot Project. But our branding says we we're
36:56
working together, we the people, the initial foundation of the
37:02
way that and we get in, not the argument.
37:05
But I'm willing to have the conversation because we do have
37:08
groups of people in our country that say they haven't gotten
37:10
their fair share. And I'm like, OK, let's have
37:13
that conversation. I'm willing to hear you.
37:15
It hasn't been perfect, hasn't been perfect.
37:19
But show me a country that has had the same progress as the
37:23
United States has had in less than 300 years, less than three,
37:29
I mean you you can say generations but 300 year old
37:32
people and we're we're coming on the boat.
37:36
I mean let's face it that's that's not that long.
37:40
So I think we've done an amazing job of learning and amending the
37:50
broken pieces to write and I the the unfortunate piece and I'm
37:54
not the the guy in the room to have this conversation and I
37:57
don't get the to be the guy that leads the the tip of the spear
38:01
on this one. But you know, you've got to let
38:04
some of the past be the past and and look for progress.
38:08
And I'm willing to work on the progressive process with you.
38:12
I'm not willing to to sit and Stew in about the past and say
38:15
I'm responsible for it, 'cause I I wasn't here for it.
38:18
I will definitely help. I will definitely help make this
38:22
world, make this country, make my community a better, better
38:27
place by accepting all, learning more and and proactively
38:33
accepting and and just like boots on the ground being
38:36
active. You said the advocacy, I mean
38:42
the the The thing is all of us joined the military for a
38:44
reason. All of us joined to be on a
38:46
first responder unit for a reason.
38:50
I I guarantee you when you were walking into the recruiter
38:54
station, you weren't looking at the money signs or the dollar
38:57
signs when you're doing that. All of us had an innate idea.
39:00
Now, not everyone. I mean, some people went in
39:02
there because that was the best option for education for them,
39:06
and I get that. And some of them took the the
39:09
reins and ran with it. Some of them chose not to.
39:13
Some of them did it for just college money, get that too.
39:16
But overall in in the big piece of life, people did it because
39:23
they want to do something bigger than themselves.
39:27
And I think we need to remember to do that.
39:31
That's for lack. It's a mantra.
39:34
You know, we always ask what are you doing?
39:37
What are you doing? If who's committed, the chicken
39:39
or the pig, be involved? Am I hurting anyone?
39:43
Helping. No, I'm not.
39:46
We had the civil discourse here in Minnesota for during right
39:51
after COVID and we were thrown under the bus a little bit by
39:56
community because we were taking rations and supplies down to
40:01
those that were, you know, helping with the.
40:05
The civil unrest and well why aren't you helping your
40:08
community? Well, did you hear about the
40:11
three semi loads of food that we took down on the community
40:14
Because the people that don't people donated peanut butter and
40:18
spaghetti sauce to us and it had no business going to our guys
40:22
that were on the front lines. So we donated those that those
40:26
trucks to the community centers down in that area.
40:28
So it's not our primary mission. And again, you know, some people
40:32
like to I'm going to throw money at the little bloody and muddy
40:36
puppies and kitties at night on the commercial with Sarah
40:40
McLaughlin singing in the arms of an Angel.
40:42
And and that's not me. I I'm not going to throw money
40:45
at puppies and kitties. I'm.
40:47
I'm going to take care of those people that have given me the
40:51
reason and purpose to lay my big fat head on the pills of freedom
40:54
every single day. And then I I don't have to worry
40:57
about who's coming in my back door.
41:00
I know if I dial 911 someone will be here to save my ass.
41:04
Those are the people I want to take care of.
41:06
And I you would think that the 90% of the country that doesn't
41:12
sign the line of any way. You would think that they would
41:15
want to make sure that there's someone on the other side of the
41:18
911 call when they call and but I don't think they they connect
41:22
all the dots yet. We'll we'll get it.
41:24
We'll make it happen. What's the thing?
41:27
I mean, there's a huge action component to what you all do.
41:32
What? What is your mission?
41:36
You mentioned some big event in 2024.
41:38
Can you, can you talk about that?
41:44
Yes, you don't have to. No, no, no, no.
41:49
I think there needs to be at some point there needs to be a
41:52
time where we launch, but we we have signed some random of
41:56
orders. Is that right?
41:58
MO us, Yes, random understanding based on some because we are
42:07
creating an event in a main venue, we'll we'll say Nashville
42:15
where many people can gather and we're using, not using, but we
42:23
are going to use professionals. Now I say professionals, but our
42:30
musicians are professionals. But well, we're going to have A
42:37
listers, B listers, and C listers perform.
42:41
And then our, our musicians, the people, not the people, the, the
42:47
veterans and 1st responders who are as equally as talented, play
42:53
on the same stages with them. It's kind of, I mean if you look
42:59
at it, it's kind of like I don't know if you watched the last few
43:03
days or nights of American Idol. I mean, let's get some product
43:06
placement here when when the contestants get to play with
43:11
their their real life idols. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
43:15
I mean, not exactly like that because you know what our
43:19
narrative is about America. And again, there's other
43:23
countries that are amazing too. But I I'm going to take care of
43:26
my backyard before I take care of someone else's backyard.
43:30
Our our we're going to focus on America and and what the talent
43:34
of America. And then the event, I'll tell
43:38
you the events called the Parade of Heroes and there is just a
43:43
week long experience. There's nothing like it
43:47
happening right now and we're working and talking with some
43:54
upper media networks. Maybe that's all.
43:58
I'll say it. All right.
44:00
All right. So it sounds very interesting.
44:02
So how can? People I wish I could say more.
44:05
I'm also we we we're smart. I don't know if we're smart but
44:08
we let me rephrase that. We never over promise and under
44:13
deliver. That's not being smart.
44:14
That's just we we want to make sure everything's in place
44:17
before we say, hey, this is it and we got to make sure
44:21
everything, all the ducks are enrolled.
44:23
And the crazy part is there's a real significant financial piece
44:28
of this that needs to be an upfront piece and we don't
44:33
necessarily. So our mission first is taking
44:36
care of veterans and 1st responders.
44:38
I have a hard time laying the deposit of a six and seven
44:42
figure type scenario when I've got veterans that reach out to
44:47
me that just need to have food in the refrigerator or you know
44:52
rent for the month or or something like any ask like
44:56
that. So we'll close down with this
45:00
How can people help you all with your mission?
45:04
That's a great question. You know time, talent and
45:08
treasure. And you know what's the time
45:11
element is as simple as liking and sharing and letting your
45:16
network and family and friends understand that there is a
45:20
viable mission. And that's different than any
45:23
other organization. That said, they helped veterans
45:25
and 1st responders in the past. We are boots on the ground.
45:30
We're putting our paws on you and we're making a difference.
45:35
You know, talent, if you can run social media, if you can have a
45:42
special knack in fundraising, if you have some managerial skills,
45:47
if you like planning. I mean there's we have a
45:51
plethora, plethora of opportunities there from working
45:55
on our radio station with working on our, our live casts.
45:59
I'm working on our setting up events, booking musicians across
46:04
the country for other events. I mean it literally is a 24 hour
46:09
job that we're doing and again we we do shows like this and 0
46:16
complaints. If I'm doing shows like this I
46:19
can't be worrying why we're not getting emails because our
46:21
e-mail server's down today kind of stuff and and that's OK we'll
46:26
we'll get it figured out. But I'd like someone to figure
46:30
out that for me right now if you can figure out my e-mail issues
46:34
at all because I we're in critical.
46:37
I I think I can say this we were just recently this week we were
46:41
announced the Reads Across America liaison and area
46:46
Director for Fort Snelling here in Minnesota.
46:49
That's 240,000 grave sites that we we are helping take care of
46:55
that we're the we are the organizing organizers for Reads
47:00
Across America here in Minnesota.
47:02
So another piece that we again, we're here supporting another
47:06
organization that's doing good. Things just happened this week,
47:10
but I can't get my emails to talk to them about it.
47:16
Got to find out what servers you're using, what servers
47:18
you're using. So it's it's.
47:20
It's an MX. It's an MX issue with our domain
47:24
server right now. OK.
47:27
Yeah, I I know the issue. I just got to get all the
47:30
parties that are playing together to get it done.
47:33
Yeah, yes, you do on that one. Busy.
47:37
People. All right.
47:38
All right. You know, Mark, we met in
47:41
Nashville. I've seen, you know what you do,
47:44
I enjoy coming on Sunday nights. It's just the the sheer breadth
47:48
of people you talk to and the talent you have is really
47:51
amazing. And you know, I'm, I'm a big,
47:54
you know, supporter of you all and you know, I appreciate being
47:57
able to share, you know, my show on the public People's Patriot
48:02
Project page. It really means a lot to me and
48:04
all the best man for what you're doing.
48:06
I mean, you know, and I love that you get, you know, fueled
48:09
up by helping the people. 100% And I mean let your network know
48:15
and I know you've got a great network of supporters.
48:18
We don't want them as supporters.
48:19
What we want them to come on and share their missions, share
48:22
their story. Again, it's easier when they
48:26
reach out to us because you know what, out of general courtesy, I
48:29
don't go to Travis's show and say, oh we're going to cherry
48:32
pick this guest and put them on ours right away.
48:35
We will reach out and have conversations, but you know
48:39
what? You want your story and your
48:41
mission out there and you've done Travis's show.
48:43
Reach out to us and we'll gladly do that.
48:47
And again, Travis does a great job advocating for some of his
48:50
guests and us vice versa. And Travis knows that he can
48:53
reach into our network anytime. And now that's it's all part of
48:57
what I know this these two brothers are getting down and
49:00
doing. Well, we'll we'll definitely get
49:03
beard to no beard or beard to bald one day we'll figure that
49:06
out. But Mark, it's been a pleasure
49:08
talking with you. Can't wait to see you again in
49:10
2024. And all the best.
49:13
Hey folks, I'll have the links to the radio station Die Tired,
49:18
the the Facebook page, everything.
49:20
The People's Patriot Project. Andrea, you owe me for next
49:23
time. I miss you.
49:25
And we will see you all soon. Mark.
49:28
Thanks again. Patriot pride.
49:32
As you say in OM Radio, we are mission flight.
49:35
Stay tuned for more. Check back next time we are out.
49:40
Thank you for listening and watching OM Radio where our
49:44
active duty service members and veterans are in action and the
49:48
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