Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders: Richard Jack III on Youth Development

Richard Jack III 00:00:00

Etiquette was the key, because now we've given you the attitude and behavior that you should have as a gentleman.

Richard Jack III 00:00:05

Teaching is just me giving you information and knowledge and concepts.

Richard Jack III 00:00:08

Training is the repetition.

Richard Jack III 00:00:13

We're trying to project on them that your future is right now.

Richard Jack III 00:00:16

And we give you these tools and we put you in these environments, then we encourage you to show up, and then they rise to the level of our expectations.

Richard Jack III 00:00:25

They know that I mean what I say and I say what I mean, but at the same time, we could still have fun.

Richard Jack III 00:00:30

So now you can see that two things are possible.

Richard Jack III 00:00:33

I'm not a guy, a mentor, trying to be a professional.

Richard Jack III 00:00:37

I am a professional that's doing the mentorship.

Richard Jack III 00:00:41

What I've learned is that we spend more time working on the job than we do on ourselves.

Richard Jack III 00:00:46

Get a coach if you really want to make a change in your life.

Richard Jack III 00:00:50

Resilience is the continuously.

Richard Jack III 00:00:52

Even though we are a program and we've had hurdles, we've kept going.

Richard Jack III 00:00:56

Therefore, our program is always evolving and expanding.

Richard Jack III 00:01:01

We just launched an online academy for students.

Richard Jack III 00:01:03

So regardless of where you are in the country or across the pond, as you call it, Right.

Richard Jack III 00:01:07

They can get on there and take the courses that we teach for free.

Mark Taylor 00:01:12

Hello.

Mark Taylor 00:01:12

That was Richard Jack iii, and he's passionate about shaping tomorrow's leaders by focusing on youth development through his organization.

Mark Taylor 00:01:18

Ladies and gentlemen, by Choice.

Mark Taylor 00:01:20

It's a wonderful conversation and I really appreciate everything that he's doing for all young people.

Mark Taylor 00:01:25

And in the same way that the National Associ for Primary Education are helping me through their sponsorship of this podcast.

Mark Taylor 00:01:33

Hello, my name is Mark Taylor, and welcome to the Education on Far podcast, the place for creative and inspiring learning from around the world.

Mark Taylor 00:01:47

Listen to teachers, parents, and mentors share how they are supporting children to live their best authentic life and are proving to be a guiding light to us all.

Mark Taylor 00:01:55

Hi, Richard.

Mark Taylor 00:01:56

Thank you so much for joining us here on the Education on Far podcast.

Mark Taylor 00:01:59

Always great to chat to people from across the pond, so to speak, and also people who've got this kind of 360° of what learning and education is in terms of helping children in so many different ways.

Mark Taylor 00:02:10

Yeah.

Mark Taylor 00:02:10

So thanks so much for being here today.

Richard Jack III 00:02:12

Thank you for having me.

Richard Jack III 00:02:13

I'm happy to be here.

Mark Taylor 00:02:15

So let's dive straight into Ladies and gentlemen of Choice.

Mark Taylor 00:02:19

What's that about?

Mark Taylor 00:02:20

Why did you get it started?

Richard Jack III 00:02:23

That's a great question.

Richard Jack III 00:02:25

The origin.

Richard Jack III 00:02:27

I retired out of the military.

Richard Jack III 00:02:29

I was 20 years in the air force as an air traffic controller.

Richard Jack III 00:02:32

Retired, became a school counselor and My first day in the school, I was like, this is a little bit of a chaos for me.

Richard Jack III 00:02:43

I understand what the education system is about.

Richard Jack III 00:02:45

I was concerned that I saw a lot of students running around getting in trouble and having some challenges.

Richard Jack III 00:02:53

And I was really concerned more when we had the young men dealing with their female teachers get into consistent trouble.

Richard Jack III 00:03:02

It would be.

Richard Jack III 00:03:03

I mean, I could go back to say one day when I was there, the young teacher wrote a student up for rolling a pen across the floor.

Richard Jack III 00:03:12

And I was like, wow, this is deep.

Richard Jack III 00:03:15

You know, this is kind of concerning to me because what does that do to a young man when you're getting in trouble for these minor infractions that teachers can handle in class?

Richard Jack III 00:03:23

And so I was working with a dean at the school who's the co founder of Ladies and Gentlemen by Choice.

Richard Jack III 00:03:27

And he and I were having a conversation and we said, look, we have to do something.

Richard Jack III 00:03:31

Because we saw it as a lack of understanding between female teachers and male students.

Richard Jack III 00:03:36

When we got together and we came up with this concept, we'd go in his office and write down on, on the whiteboard, what do young men need to know?

Richard Jack III 00:03:44

The first thing they didn't know is how to manage their emotions.

Richard Jack III 00:03:48

And that's something that I don't think a lot of students or families are teaching their children appropriately because a lot of times they're coming from backgrounds where there's dysfunction, disconnect, all kinds of social, emotional issues that come up that a lot of times we're not equipped to handle, or maybe the parents don't know how to help their child through those type of situations.

Richard Jack III 00:04:06

So we got together, we built this framework in his office.

Richard Jack III 00:04:11

We called it the war room.

Richard Jack III 00:04:12

And we came out with this idea of if we teach young men leadership, meaning your attitude and your behavior, how does that affect you?

Richard Jack III 00:04:20

Then we started with image.

Richard Jack III 00:04:22

We changed the way they dressed.

Richard Jack III 00:04:23

So we put them in shirt and ties and slacks.

Richard Jack III 00:04:27

And then we gave them toiletry kits.

Richard Jack III 00:04:30

And we talked about why image is important, how taking care of yourself is important.

Richard Jack III 00:04:34

And as we went through this process, we see the students change.

Richard Jack III 00:04:37

Their self esteem started to peak and they started to be more respectful and more willing, agreeable.

Richard Jack III 00:04:43

And their conversation changed.

Richard Jack III 00:04:45

We took iron and ironing boards in schools.

Richard Jack III 00:04:47

We taught them how to iron their own clothes and tie their own ties.

Richard Jack III 00:04:50

And There was about five, five men with me.

Richard Jack III 00:04:52

We had about 35 students.

Richard Jack III 00:04:55

We took the students that, that were, we considered students that were often going to the principal's office.

Richard Jack III 00:05:00

And we gave them an opportunity to Be around men that were educated, that were business owners, that had a perspective, that had a goal in life.

Richard Jack III 00:05:09

And as we did this process, once we started to see them change their approach, then we got into etiquette.

Richard Jack III 00:05:15

Etiquette was the key because now we've given you the attitude and behavior that you should have as a gentleman.

Richard Jack III 00:05:20

Then we taught you how to dress as a gentleman.

Richard Jack III 00:05:22

And then we get into etiquette, because etiquette was about how do you treat a lady?

Richard Jack III 00:05:29

So if you're a gentleman, which we've already laid that foundation, and now you have a lady presence, what should your demeanor be towards that lady?

Richard Jack III 00:05:35

And all of a sudden you see the attitude and behaviors change.

Richard Jack III 00:05:38

Where now instead of engaging teachers in a negative conversation or trying to go to a power struggle, they were more receptive and giving the teacher an opportunity to speak.

Richard Jack III 00:05:48

And we saw a change in how they dealt with, with challenges in life and at home.

Richard Jack III 00:05:53

And then finally we got the financial management.

Richard Jack III 00:05:55

So financial management and literacy trainers.

Richard Jack III 00:05:57

A lot of our students are coming back from backgrounds where they don't know where a dollar comes from.

Richard Jack III 00:06:02

They don't understand the concept of money.

Richard Jack III 00:06:03

It's not being taught in schools, especially at the early ages.

Richard Jack III 00:06:07

And we were dealing with fourth and fifth grade students.

Richard Jack III 00:06:09

So you're talking about 9, 10, 8, 9, 10.

Richard Jack III 00:06:12

And we gave them this information and we started to see a change in how they present themselves.

Richard Jack III 00:06:16

And that was really the birth of ladies and gentlemen.

Richard Jack III 00:06:18

I mean, it was the birth of gentlemen by choice, and then later on, ladies by choice.

Mark Taylor 00:06:23

And the thing that strikes me first of all is, I guess it's the, it's the continuation of those conversations.

Mark Taylor 00:06:29

And that support that you were doing is really key because even if you had a one off class in that, it comes and goes, doesn't it?

Mark Taylor 00:06:36

But that kind of continual support and ongoing dialogue must be one of the main factors to its success.

Richard Jack III 00:06:42

Absolutely.

Richard Jack III 00:06:43

You know, we were very, how can I say this?

Richard Jack III 00:06:47

So we were very selective.

Richard Jack III 00:06:48

We didn't go into the school and say we want all the boys.

Richard Jack III 00:06:50

We took the students that struggled.

Richard Jack III 00:06:52

And we use a four to one ratio.

Richard Jack III 00:06:54

One student that was doing very good in school and three students that were struggling, whether it would be with behavior, academics, whatever the case may be.

Richard Jack III 00:07:03

And we learned that from year to year, as they continue to have these conversations, they continue to grow as young men.

Richard Jack III 00:07:10

And that was very profound in the sense that we wondered, hey, how could, if this is working effectively, what else can we do to help them understand who they are, what they are?

Richard Jack III 00:07:22

And what we received a lot of feedback from the parents is that not only did their behavior change in school, it changed at home as well.

Richard Jack III 00:07:29

So we were very excited about the outcomes that we were receiving.

Mark Taylor 00:07:32

And I think what I really like about it is that it's the sort of thing which you can see, like, say, in different areas of society, different types of people, different backgrounds.

Mark Taylor 00:07:44

And so therefore, it shows you that it's the.

Mark Taylor 00:07:46

It's the understanding and the support that's key, rather than where you're necessarily starting from or like, say, or what your initial understanding of it is.

Mark Taylor 00:07:54

So do you think it's one of those things that you'd hope that parents are giving their children, but that may not necessarily be at home?

Mark Taylor 00:08:02

And it's.

Mark Taylor 00:08:03

And I think the flip side for me is often that you'd hope it's what they're learning in school, but it's not necessarily the case as well, which I guess is where.

Mark Taylor 00:08:10

Where you come in because you sort of fill that void.

Richard Jack III 00:08:13

Yeah, that's an excellent point.

Richard Jack III 00:08:15

Two things that you just said.

Richard Jack III 00:08:16

One is you would think that parents were teaching at home.

Richard Jack III 00:08:20

My perspective on that is that life has gotten busier, right?

Richard Jack III 00:08:23

And a lot of times the skills or things.

Richard Jack III 00:08:26

And.

Richard Jack III 00:08:26

And let me add this to.

Richard Jack III 00:08:28

You have social media presence, so you have a lot more isolation.

Richard Jack III 00:08:31

So the things that I would think that a parent was teaching home, they may want to, but maybe their life has just gotten so busy that they can't focus on it.

Richard Jack III 00:08:39

It's.

Richard Jack III 00:08:39

It's not as.

Richard Jack III 00:08:40

It's not as.

Richard Jack III 00:08:40

As in depth as I'd like.

Richard Jack III 00:08:44

Like when I was a child, I remember my mom would.

Richard Jack III 00:08:47

She didn't just teach us, she trained us.

Richard Jack III 00:08:49

I'll give you a prime example.

Richard Jack III 00:08:50

Teaching is just me giving you information and knowledge and concepts.

Richard Jack III 00:08:53

Training is the repetition.

Richard Jack III 00:08:56

So my mother would say, okay, you're eight years old.

Richard Jack III 00:08:58

I need to know.

Richard Jack III 00:08:59

I need you to learn how to iron your clothes.

Richard Jack III 00:09:01

So we would put up the on and on board, and she would sit there with us and watch us practice it until we gain a level of proficiency that gave her the confidence to say, I can walk away.

Richard Jack III 00:09:10

And my young man or my sons, because I had a twin brother, I have a twin brother, they can actually take care of themselves in this area.

Richard Jack III 00:09:17

So there's a.

Richard Jack III 00:09:17

There's a little bit of distinct difference, but it's a huge difference in terms of what we're teaching our youth today when it comes to the education.

Richard Jack III 00:09:25

I believe that teachers are so buried in testing in the United States and Trying to manage a classroom or teach that they don't necessarily get a chance to spend that additional time teaching these life skills that our children need to be successful in life.

Richard Jack III 00:09:40

So even though we want them to come to school with a certain level of understanding of these basic skill sets, I think more and more it's not happening.

Richard Jack III 00:09:49

And you need additional programs like ladies and gentlemen, by choice to step in and fill a gap.

Richard Jack III 00:09:55

And that's kind of what I'm seeing.

Richard Jack III 00:09:57

We've been in four states simultaneously.

Richard Jack III 00:09:59

We've been in Tacoma, Washington, Maui, Hawaii.

Richard Jack III 00:10:02

We were in South Central LA and in Vegas.

Richard Jack III 00:10:04

And no matter where we go, there's a desire for us to come back because they realize that even though these skills are not, they're not sexy in nature, meaning, you know, students would rather go play football or basketball or go play music or go do something active than to sit in the classroom and learn these soft skills.

Richard Jack III 00:10:24

But they're so essential to life.

Mark Taylor 00:10:28

So in terms of that practicality, then how many children, how many young people can you support in any one school at any given time?

Mark Taylor 00:10:35

And how does that program sort of work out in terms covering those elements that you said, but for sort of how many weeks?

Mark Taylor 00:10:41

And then how does that kind of then manifest itself in them, like saying being proficient enough or understanding enough to be able to take that forward on their own?

Richard Jack III 00:10:48

Yeah, that's a great question.

Richard Jack III 00:10:50

So we do, we handle roughly between 25 and 50 students a school.

Richard Jack III 00:10:58

In 2022, we did 240 students spread out across six schools.

Richard Jack III 00:11:07

And what we said to him was give us the students that are struggling and let us work with them for roughly about 26 to 27 weeks during the school year.

Richard Jack III 00:11:21

So we start off with personal development as a, as a, as a concept where we focus on the mindset.

Richard Jack III 00:11:26

And then we get into the life skills, leadership, image, financial management and etiquette.

Richard Jack III 00:11:30

And we go to schools one hour a day.

Richard Jack III 00:11:32

In addition to those classes, we also do a, a big etiquette luncheon.

Richard Jack III 00:11:39

When we take the students out for hands on etiquette training, we, we go into the classroom first, we teach them how to set the table, how to have correct conversation.

Richard Jack III 00:11:48

We teach the boys how to pull out the chairs for young ladies.

Richard Jack III 00:11:52

We have them open the doors and then we take them to a restaurant to experience what that feels like.

Richard Jack III 00:11:57

Because a lot of things that our students lack is exposure to different situations.

Richard Jack III 00:12:01

I was fortunate enough to grow up in New Jersey metropolitan area, and our school trips were into New York City to experience the arts, experience different Aspects of life that from a student from inner city, I didn't have a chance to do.

Richard Jack III 00:12:15

My mother couldn't afford to take us, but because we were in a school that allowed and permitted it, it was good exposure to us.

Richard Jack III 00:12:21

So that's a key concept to our program, is that we need exposure.

Richard Jack III 00:12:25

And then we said.

Richard Jack III 00:12:26

Then I added personal development.

Richard Jack III 00:12:28

So when you combine it, we're at 26 weeks.

Richard Jack III 00:12:31

And at the end of the 26 weeks, one of the things that's really exciting is we do a big black and white tie gala.

Richard Jack III 00:12:37

Now, the gala loan for our students is about $17,000.

Richard Jack III 00:12:41

And inside of that gala, we make it free for the parents or we give them a very low rate because we want every student to have a.

Richard Jack III 00:12:47

Have a parent or representative from the family there to watch this.

Richard Jack III 00:12:50

We put the students in gowns and tuxedos, all paid by gentlemen, by choice.

Richard Jack III 00:12:57

And when the parents show up, they have no idea what to expect.

Richard Jack III 00:12:59

And when they walk in, they see their young men and their daughters in these beautiful gowns and, oh, my baby.

Richard Jack III 00:13:04

You know, it's touching because, you know, as a young man, we never.

Richard Jack III 00:13:10

We want them to see what they're becoming in their future right now.

Richard Jack III 00:13:15

We don't want them to wait till they get to 18 and say, okay, now what am I going to do?

Richard Jack III 00:13:18

We're trying to project on them that your future is right now.

Richard Jack III 00:13:21

And we give you these tools and we put you in these environments, then we encourage you to show up, and then they rise to the level of expectations.

Mark Taylor 00:13:30

I find that amazing because I can.

Mark Taylor 00:13:34

I can feel what that journey feels like from the way that.

Mark Taylor 00:13:37

From the way that you said it.

Mark Taylor 00:13:38

And I think as a parent as well, like you say, any situation where you see your child do something which takes you out of.

Mark Taylor 00:13:45

Of what your expectations are.

Mark Taylor 00:13:46

Even if I've been taking my daughter, for example, to gym class for weeks and weeks and weeks, the first time you actually see them do a particular skill or a particular jump, you're like, I know you can do it because you've been telling me about it, but actually witnessing it and experiencing it and like, say there's a.

Mark Taylor 00:14:03

There's a feeling of being proud and, and just an overwhelming, I guess, pride in, in what those things are.

Mark Taylor 00:14:09

So I can, yeah, I can even feel it here, let alone actually being there in person.

Richard Jack III 00:14:13

You know, the.

Richard Jack III 00:14:14

One of the best.

Richard Jack III 00:14:15

Quick story.

Richard Jack III 00:14:16

I was at a.

Richard Jack III 00:14:19

It's about our third year, and we had roughly about 200 and.

Richard Jack III 00:14:25

220 people in the room.

Richard Jack III 00:14:26

We all sit in these big roundtables.

Richard Jack III 00:14:27

And I was in the airshot of one of my students, and he was an individual that.

Richard Jack III 00:14:33

His fourth grade year, he really struggled.

Richard Jack III 00:14:36

He did.

Richard Jack III 00:14:36

He didn't dress well.

Richard Jack III 00:14:38

He didn't take care of himself the way that he could.

Richard Jack III 00:14:41

His fifth grade year, he came back to the program and he was in airshot of me at my table at the, at the gala.

Richard Jack III 00:14:50

And he says to his dad, dad, you look good.

Richard Jack III 00:14:53

And his father said, you know, son, I, I appreciate you allowing me to come.

Richard Jack III 00:14:58

And, you know, I just want you to know I've never wore a tuxedo.

Richard Jack III 00:15:03

And that tender moment of the son acknowledging the father and the father acknowledging that son in that conversation that you're hearing between two men.

Richard Jack III 00:15:13

Right, Because I want, we like to use.

Richard Jack III 00:15:14

We don't call them kids, young men and a man.

Richard Jack III 00:15:17

And letting those two have that moment of recognition and understanding about what the moment meant and what that means to the family and to know that this young man had worked his tail off for two years to get to the point where he realized, okay, I don't have to be what I used to be.

Richard Jack III 00:15:32

My behaviors change.

Richard Jack III 00:15:33

I mean, he, the first year he was in a program, what grade?

Richard Jack III 00:15:37

His.

Richard Jack III 00:15:37

His grades were seasoned Ds.

Richard Jack III 00:15:39

Now he's coming in with Bs and As, and he's, he's working hard, he's taking care of his body, he's dressing appropriately.

Richard Jack III 00:15:45

He's concerned about his appearance.

Richard Jack III 00:15:47

That's all we can ask for for our young people.

Richard Jack III 00:15:49

And we projected that onto him to the gentleman by choice process.

Mark Taylor 00:15:53

And you sort of mentioned the cost of these things.

Mark Taylor 00:15:56

How is it that you're able to provide that in a way that you do?

Mark Taylor 00:15:59

How's that sort of fundraising go as a nonprofit?

Mark Taylor 00:16:03

And how do you sort of see that growing?

Richard Jack III 00:16:05

Actually, man, I don't know.

Richard Jack III 00:16:08

I mean, we've, we've.

Richard Jack III 00:16:09

We've gone to the point from initial startup to me coming out of my pocket along with the co founder paying for some of these things we've done, hey, let's, let's try to do a raffle.

Richard Jack III 00:16:20

We've done those small things.

Richard Jack III 00:16:22

Then we got into a situation.

Richard Jack III 00:16:24

We received grant donations or grant funding from the government.

Richard Jack III 00:16:29

And sometimes that's really a challenge because it comes with some, some different requirements that we have to jump through to make sure that happens.

Richard Jack III 00:16:36

But we're trying to find a scenario in which the fundraising is consistent so that we have the freedom to do what we want to do.

Richard Jack III 00:16:43

Everyone talks about evidence based Right.

Richard Jack III 00:16:45

Evidence based practices and what that looks like for our young people.

Richard Jack III 00:16:49

But when you look at a child, that is the evidence.

Richard Jack III 00:16:51

When you see the transformation of child, that is the evidence.

Richard Jack III 00:16:54

And you can't put that into words.

Richard Jack III 00:16:55

Sometimes it's very difficult to take a survey or whatever the case may be to see the change.

Richard Jack III 00:17:01

Because I'll give you a prime example.

Richard Jack III 00:17:02

If a student's in school and he's been in trouble five weeks, five days in a row, and gentleman by chose up shows up and now he's down to three days in a row.

Richard Jack III 00:17:13

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:17:14

That's progress and that's all we can ask for.

Richard Jack III 00:17:16

So sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to fundraise because of the lack of the data that we need, sometimes because we have to get the data from the schools.

Mark Taylor 00:17:26

Yeah, I can see that.

Mark Taylor 00:17:27

And hopefully there's, you know, there's someone out there listening that's in a position to be able to help or support in that.

Mark Taylor 00:17:32

And that's something.

Mark Taylor 00:17:33

That's the reason the podcast was set up was the, you know, hopefully schools that are struggling in whichever way they happen to be, they hear about something which is going to be very beneficial and the flip side of how you can actually go about it and hearing about organizations that can really make a difference and kind of marrying those two things up and you never know what that ripple effect is.

Mark Taylor 00:17:52

But you know, having these conversations is certainly a great starting point.

Mark Taylor 00:17:55

And like I say, you've been able to explain exactly the benefits of those things and the human to human contact is the most important thing.

Mark Taylor 00:18:02

And sometimes you just need to do it because, you know, like you say, despite the fact data is such a big thing in the education space now as we know.

Mark Taylor 00:18:09

But I think anyone listening who's a teacher, is involved with children, involved with young people, knows that actually that's the key element.

Mark Taylor 00:18:18

And if we can support that, it's going to help so much for society down the road, both for those people involved directly and also those of us around them.

Richard Jack III 00:18:26

Absolutely, absolutely.

Richard Jack III 00:18:27

I appreciate you saying that.

Richard Jack III 00:18:28

Yeah.

Mark Taylor 00:18:30

So how are you going to try and affect more people?

Mark Taylor 00:18:34

Is it a question of being in person in more schools as much as you can?

Mark Taylor 00:18:37

Is there going to be an online program?

Mark Taylor 00:18:39

Sort of.

Mark Taylor 00:18:40

How are you sort of trying to work that angle?

Richard Jack III 00:18:42

Well, initially when we started, Gentlemen by Choice, we wanted the program to be a national program.

Richard Jack III 00:18:48

The curriculum is written in such a way that anybody, I don't want to say anybody, but, but it's, it's possible that the right individual can pick this up and implement it in his or her community.

Richard Jack III 00:19:00

And the goal is to sell the curriculum and do the work for free.

Richard Jack III 00:19:07

So let's say that someone in New Jersey says, hey, I want the program.

Richard Jack III 00:19:11

You buy the curriculum.

Richard Jack III 00:19:12

We train you on how to implement the curriculum.

Richard Jack III 00:19:15

And that way they're getting what they need.

Richard Jack III 00:19:18

I think part of the challenge in our society, and this is something I think about all the time, is that it's a time issue.

Richard Jack III 00:19:25

You know, a lot of times I'm asking myself the question, if a child is the most important thing because it's the beginning of life, why do we not spend or put more resources into it, into him or her, in a much better way?

Richard Jack III 00:19:39

I mean, again, I have nothing against sports or entertainment, but as an.

Richard Jack III 00:19:44

In my opinion, as morality in this country begins to deteriorate or continues to deteriorate, what are we really teaching our youth inside of these communities?

Richard Jack III 00:19:52

And I think more programs like Ladies and Gentlemen by Choice is needed.

Richard Jack III 00:19:57

You know what I mean?

Richard Jack III 00:20:00

Ladies by Choice real quick, though.

Mark Taylor 00:20:01

Of course.

Mark Taylor 00:20:02

Yeah, yeah.

Richard Jack III 00:20:03

Ladies by Choice.

Richard Jack III 00:20:04

So we started Gentlemen by Choice.

Richard Jack III 00:20:07

Ladies by Choice.

Richard Jack III 00:20:08

I was in Hawaii, Maui, doing the program, and I was a school counselor.

Richard Jack III 00:20:13

And about eight to nine young ladies approached me after the first year and said, hey, listen, you're doing this program for boys.

Richard Jack III 00:20:20

And we have a problem with this because as young women, we need something that's similar to this.

Richard Jack III 00:20:25

And I had to think about that.

Richard Jack III 00:20:26

And I went to a friend of mine at the time and I said, hey, man, they want me to do the program for young ladies.

Richard Jack III 00:20:31

What do you think?

Richard Jack III 00:20:32

He says, well, you know, a lot of these young ladies may not have a father figure at home, so you're stepping and giving them some additional training.

Richard Jack III 00:20:39

And we tried it in 2017.

Richard Jack III 00:20:41

I'm sorry.

Richard Jack III 00:20:42

Yes, 2017.

Richard Jack III 00:20:43

And we had success.

Richard Jack III 00:20:44

And then we brought it back to the mainland in Vegas.

Richard Jack III 00:20:47

So ladies and Ladies by Choice were birthed out the.

Richard Jack III 00:20:51

The birthed out of what we were doing with the young men.

Mark Taylor 00:20:54

And I guess, like I said, it's the key human element, like saying whatever you need, whether it's a father.

Mark Taylor 00:21:00

Father figure, like you said there, whether it's the discipline, whether it's the understanding, the etiquette, the understanding on who you are, how you're stepping into those things from there.

Mark Taylor 00:21:09

I think, you know, once you've got the essence of that and you understand that as a young person, then you're then able to make those choices going forward.

Mark Taylor 00:21:17

So am I going to do X?

Mark Taylor 00:21:19

Am I going to do Y.

Mark Taylor 00:21:19

Am I going to get into trouble?

Mark Taylor 00:21:21

Am I going to put my best foot first and decide to work harder to be respectful?

Mark Taylor 00:21:27

Because I can see how that's going to benefit my life.

Mark Taylor 00:21:29

And like I say, over just a number of weeks, the see how that can affect you in the here and now because it's easy to talk about in five years time.

Mark Taylor 00:21:36

This, these ideas are going to really help you in your job, is all very well and good, but it's all about your own personal experience.

Mark Taylor 00:21:42

So if you know that your immediate circumstances have changed over those number of weeks and you can see the benefits and how that's worked, then you're going to know it's just a question of taking that next step.

Mark Taylor 00:21:51

You know, before I say this to this person, is it really what I want to say?

Mark Taylor 00:21:55

If I'm going to do my homework rather than not do it, do I do that?

Mark Taylor 00:21:58

And it's all those incremental things, is it?

Mark Taylor 00:21:59

Which builds up that bigger picture?

Richard Jack III 00:22:01

Yeah, I think about that all the time.

Richard Jack III 00:22:05

And I want to put it to you this way.

Richard Jack III 00:22:09

When you were a young child, Mark, and you had the upbringing that you had, think about the things that you learned that made you successful, that helped you grind.

Richard Jack III 00:22:21

Think about the person who presented that information to you.

Richard Jack III 00:22:24

Think about the things you lacked and wish you would have known going forward as a young child.

Richard Jack III 00:22:28

And if you had that support, how much further could you have gone in life?

Richard Jack III 00:22:33

What else could you have done?

Richard Jack III 00:22:35

So there's a combination of.

Richard Jack III 00:22:36

In every child that we touch or that I touch, and I'll be more specific about me.

Richard Jack III 00:22:41

I look at the rich rejected third in that child to see that child who, you know, my mom was a single mom raising four children.

Richard Jack III 00:22:49

Dad was in the house, finances are tough.

Richard Jack III 00:22:51

So what did I need?

Richard Jack III 00:22:53

I needed that parental support.

Richard Jack III 00:22:54

So how can I provide that for a student without being a parent?

Richard Jack III 00:22:57

Simply, I make it free for the parents to be there.

Richard Jack III 00:23:01

What, what did my grandfather impart on me that I think every young man should know how to stand upright, hold your head up high, your chest out, walk with authority, walk with confidence, dress a certain way.

Richard Jack III 00:23:12

So when I think about what our children need, I don't think this is rocket science.

Richard Jack III 00:23:17

I think it's just that we need more adults, being adults to our children rather than being their friends, setting a standard and seeing the little child in them, I think that's so important for us.

Mark Taylor 00:23:27

Yeah, I really love that.

Mark Taylor 00:23:28

And I think the other key thing for me that just struck me, as you were saying, it is the idea of perspective, isn't it?

Mark Taylor 00:23:33

Because like you said, teachers are so busy, parents are so busy, there's so much going on that you're so much in what do I need to do just to survive in this next day?

Mark Taylor 00:23:41

And you need enough time and space or conversation to stand far enough back to, to understand all the things which you said, to then make those, your first decisions and make those choices that you want to do, to find time to have those sort of contact points to make that actually become a reality.

Mark Taylor 00:23:59

And I think that that for me, as much as anything is such an important factor.

Richard Jack III 00:24:04

100, 101.

Richard Jack III 00:24:06

And here's the thing that people forget.

Richard Jack III 00:24:08

All our children want to do is be loved.

Richard Jack III 00:24:11

And if we start with that premise on how we approach young people today, I think we'll be a lot better off.

Richard Jack III 00:24:16

Even in schools, when I go in there, students know when a teacher doesn't like them, they understand when a teacher doesn't really have time for them, they understand when an adult doesn't necessarily care for them.

Richard Jack III 00:24:26

But if we start with love, all that goes away.

Richard Jack III 00:24:29

And so we use a heart centered approach and a student centered approach to make sure that the decision that we're making doesn't benefit one, it benefits all.

Richard Jack III 00:24:36

And that's kind of the crux of how we approach our, how, how we approach our youth and how we love on our youth and how we give them the support that they need.

Mark Taylor 00:24:46

I really think that if every teacher or every person that has a touch point with young people can start with that idea, it means that even if you're being ground bound, like say with the data, with the exams, with the testing, all of that kind of thing, if you know that's the case, I think that just changes your day in terms of what you want to give out as well.

Mark Taylor 00:25:06

And I think I appreciate how hard it is, you know, those of us that are involved in education anyway know that's the case.

Mark Taylor 00:25:12

But I think that's the whole thing about starting your day the best way because I think that at least you're putting that, that best foot forward.

Richard Jack III 00:25:19

Absolutely.

Mark Taylor 00:25:20

I'm curious, is there anything about your education experience or a teacher that you remember that you'd like to share and that can be on the positive front or the negative front.

Mark Taylor 00:25:30

And I'm interested how that sort of influenced the way you've gone about obviously creating this?

Richard Jack III 00:25:35

Yeah, that's, that's a great question.

Richard Jack III 00:25:37

And another, I think about it my fourth grade year, I had an opportunity to.

Richard Jack III 00:25:44

When you get promoted, you Go meet your teacher.

Richard Jack III 00:25:47

The last year in preparation for the next year, and I had this young lady named Helen Chomsky, Ms.

Richard Jack III 00:25:55

Helen Chomsky.

Richard Jack III 00:25:56

And she was known to be a very strict and mean teacher.

Richard Jack III 00:26:01

And that's what I thought as a young man, as best my third grade mind can get around him.

Richard Jack III 00:26:06

Like, I don't want this lady.

Richard Jack III 00:26:07

Oh my goodness.

Richard Jack III 00:26:09

I went to her class the last day of school.

Richard Jack III 00:26:11

I was crying, mom, I don't want to go to her next year.

Richard Jack III 00:26:14

Get me out of that class.

Richard Jack III 00:26:16

I can't take her.

Richard Jack III 00:26:17

I don't, you know, and just, just giving my mom the business about how much I didn't want to have this teacher.

Richard Jack III 00:26:24

Well, fourth grade year, I went back to school and she was strict, she had expectations, she had a perspective that she want us to adhere to.

Richard Jack III 00:26:37

But what I learned in that moment was that she loved me enough to care about my education.

Richard Jack III 00:26:43

So she didn't let me get away with anything.

Richard Jack III 00:26:45

And by the time my fourth grade year was up, I boohooed to leave her.

Richard Jack III 00:26:50

I cried like a baby because she was such an impactful woman in my life.

Richard Jack III 00:26:55

She cared enough to keep me on track.

Richard Jack III 00:26:58

She made sure that if I didn't get my work done, she communicated with my baby, with my mother.

Richard Jack III 00:27:03

She didn't get upset with me, but she let me know that, listen, this behavior is unacceptable.

Richard Jack III 00:27:09

You need to do better, and more importantly, you can do better.

Richard Jack III 00:27:12

And so from that experience, she spoke life into me in a way that, you know, my mom does.

Richard Jack III 00:27:17

And I really resonated with how she showed up in my life in a positive way.

Richard Jack III 00:27:22

So all the negative things that I thought about her, all the negative feelings I thought about her, I was wrong.

Richard Jack III 00:27:28

It was because she cared is what I was afraid of, because she held me to that standard.

Richard Jack III 00:27:32

And I think, you know, I often go back when I go back home to New Jersey, I often think about that when I drive through town because I don't go back as much as I should.

Richard Jack III 00:27:42

But when I do go back and I think about my, my, my elementary years, especially that fourth and fifth grade years, which is what we work with primarily.

Richard Jack III 00:27:50

Man, she was such a blessing to me.

Richard Jack III 00:27:52

I can't, I'll never thank her enough.

Richard Jack III 00:27:55

I'll never stop singing her praises.

Richard Jack III 00:27:57

She was a phenomenal woman, phenomenal teacher.

Richard Jack III 00:28:00

And I grew to love her in so many ways.

Mark Taylor 00:28:03

It's amazing, isn't it?

Mark Taylor 00:28:05

That understanding in hindsight, like I say, even just within the end of that year, compared to that perception at the beginning of that year.

Mark Taylor 00:28:11

And I think, I think I.

Mark Taylor 00:28:13

I really love that because it's certainly something I can relate to because what your perception of someone is based on how they are with you, if it's not something you're used to experiencing, then it's going to feel alien, isn't it?

Mark Taylor 00:28:25

But then seeing it in the round further on down the line.

Mark Taylor 00:28:27

Yeah, I love that story.

Richard Jack III 00:28:29

And you know, it's funny because now I have the same issue, right?

Richard Jack III 00:28:32

I mean, a big black guy walk into a class, I, you know, they know I'm in the military, so that builds this perspective that I'm going to be regimented, hard and tough.

Richard Jack III 00:28:42

And what I say to them is, I'm not either those things.

Richard Jack III 00:28:46

I care enough about you to raise you to a level of standard.

Richard Jack III 00:28:50

So what you think or feel, give me a chance and I'll show you the difference.

Richard Jack III 00:28:55

And as we grow through the program, we connect differently.

Richard Jack III 00:28:58

They know that I mean what I say and I say what I mean, but at the same time, we could still have fun.

Richard Jack III 00:29:04

So now you can see that two things are possible.

Richard Jack III 00:29:06

We can do both, right?

Richard Jack III 00:29:08

And at the same time, there's an expectation.

Richard Jack III 00:29:11

And when I get the, the phone calls or the memos or the text message from the mom saying, oh, you helped my baby so much, then I've done my job and I'm excited about that.

Richard Jack III 00:29:22

And at the end of the year, you know, the.

Richard Jack III 00:29:24

I mean, again, last year, my last year in Hawaii, I did the program.

Richard Jack III 00:29:31

I did it for the middle school students.

Richard Jack III 00:29:32

We had maybe 60 boys, and I got on stage and all of a sudden they got up to honor me, and they came up and they put lays around my necks, and it was all the way up to the top of my head.

Richard Jack III 00:29:47

Lasers, the flowers they put around your neck.

Richard Jack III 00:29:49

And just the outpouring, the love and the appreciation that you care enough about my son to put that kind of energy into him.

Richard Jack III 00:29:58

And people ask me, why do you do it?

Richard Jack III 00:29:59

Well, I mean, it goes back to the little boy in me, Mark.

Richard Jack III 00:30:02

You know, I mean, I don't know about you, but you know, in my heart, I'm still a big kid, right?

Richard Jack III 00:30:07

I still think about, hey, who is that.

Richard Jack III 00:30:10

That.

Richard Jack III 00:30:10

That male or that.

Richard Jack III 00:30:11

That person in my life that touched my life and.

Richard Jack III 00:30:13

And what did they do that made a difference for me and what did they say and how did they encourage me and.

Richard Jack III 00:30:19

And growing without a father.

Richard Jack III 00:30:20

Man, my mom was my rock.

Richard Jack III 00:30:22

And she still is, right?

Richard Jack III 00:30:23

So when I think about what I needed and how she didn't allow me to get Drugs and how she didn't allow me to get in gangs or get into violent activities and what that meant.

Richard Jack III 00:30:34

I mean, isn't that what our kids really want?

Richard Jack III 00:30:36

They just want to be safe and have an opportunity to grow and develop and.

Richard Jack III 00:30:39

And let life take them where it needs to.

Mark Taylor 00:30:42

I think that's true.

Mark Taylor 00:30:43

And I think also I'm curious as to what you think about how it works better, or maybe not even better, but differently, by you coming in sort of left field because you're not a teacher.

Mark Taylor 00:30:55

You're not an official part of the school.

Mark Taylor 00:30:57

You're.

Mark Taylor 00:30:57

You're somebody who's not part of the establishment any.

Mark Taylor 00:31:01

As it were.

Mark Taylor 00:31:02

Do you think that's.

Mark Taylor 00:31:03

That gives you sort of a good starting point?

Mark Taylor 00:31:05

Because they'll kind of listen to you and maybe give you the five minutes they need.

Mark Taylor 00:31:10

You need to get your.

Mark Taylor 00:31:11

Get your sort of personality across before you sort of get going.

Richard Jack III 00:31:15

Yeah, I think it gives me a tremendous advantage.

Richard Jack III 00:31:18

A couple of things, a couple of reasons why.

Richard Jack III 00:31:20

One, I'm a male, right?

Richard Jack III 00:31:23

I mean, I don't want to discard that because I think the tendency, especially at the elementary levels, you have more female teachers than male teachers.

Richard Jack III 00:31:29

And.

Richard Jack III 00:31:30

And then you have more male.

Richard Jack III 00:31:32

You have.

Richard Jack III 00:31:33

I think it's less than 2% of males are African American at the early ages.

Richard Jack III 00:31:38

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:31:38

So that's really huge.

Richard Jack III 00:31:40

Two, and we're serving communities that are very diverse, so that makes a big difference.

Richard Jack III 00:31:45

Two, I think my background in the military about structure and order really resonates because of the way I carry myself.

Richard Jack III 00:31:51

And it's like, okay, when I walk in a room, hey, he.

Richard Jack III 00:31:54

He's not that guy.

Richard Jack III 00:31:55

He's not that.

Richard Jack III 00:31:55

He's not going to bend.

Richard Jack III 00:31:57

Three, I think I take a professional approach to this.

Richard Jack III 00:31:59

We're not.

Richard Jack III 00:32:00

I'm not a guy, a mentor, trying to be a professional.

Richard Jack III 00:32:03

I am a professional that's doing the mentorship.

Richard Jack III 00:32:05

So all these things have an impact.

Richard Jack III 00:32:07

And then I think.

Richard Jack III 00:32:08

Four, they hear me differently when I speak to them.

Richard Jack III 00:32:11

They don't expect me to be like, playful, whatever the case may be.

Richard Jack III 00:32:15

They.

Richard Jack III 00:32:16

They understand business first.

Richard Jack III 00:32:17

So I think I come in with a more objective approach.

Richard Jack III 00:32:21

I'm.

Richard Jack III 00:32:21

I'm a school counselor, former school counselor, so I know the benefits of asking the right questions at the right time.

Richard Jack III 00:32:27

I've learned how to do that at the right time as a personal development coach.

Richard Jack III 00:32:30

So I think all these things are in my favor, but they're skill sets that if you talk to me, you would know because you don't know my resume.

Richard Jack III 00:32:37

And they don't know my resume.

Richard Jack III 00:32:38

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:32:39

But I think the teachers respect the fact that they have someone who can back them up and support them, and it gives me advantage because now they want to get behind me and support me as well when I deal with these students.

Richard Jack III 00:32:49

So there are some advantages of coming from outside.

Mark Taylor 00:32:52

Yeah.

Mark Taylor 00:32:52

And you're also leading by.

Mark Taylor 00:32:54

By example, but you're leading by example from the moment they meet you, like, say, the way you've walked into the room, the way that you're talking to someone from.

Mark Taylor 00:33:01

From the get go means that they can probably identify with that.

Mark Taylor 00:33:06

Really?

Mark Taylor 00:33:07

Really.

Mark Taylor 00:33:07

From such as the beginning stages.

Richard Jack III 00:33:10

Yeah, they know.

Richard Jack III 00:33:11

I mean, you know, I mean, there's days when my mom walked in and we knew we know what kind of mood she is.

Richard Jack III 00:33:16

I mean, there's a.

Richard Jack III 00:33:17

There's a, there's an.

Richard Jack III 00:33:18

There's that.

Richard Jack III 00:33:19

That thing inside that says, hey, you better pay attention because today's not the day.

Richard Jack III 00:33:22

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:33:22

You don't want to try today.

Richard Jack III 00:33:23

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:33:24

I mean, with the bosses.

Richard Jack III 00:33:26

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:33:26

I've had commanders or bosses.

Richard Jack III 00:33:28

When I went into the office and they said, hey, and you get, they get to looking around like, today's not the day.

Richard Jack III 00:33:33

It wasn't disrespectful, but you knew it was not that.

Richard Jack III 00:33:35

We have an issue here that we need to resolve and let's get down.

Richard Jack III 00:33:37

Let's get down the business.

Richard Jack III 00:33:38

And I think that our students know that.

Richard Jack III 00:33:40

And the other thing is, I always ask them, like, do I look like I play?

Richard Jack III 00:33:43

And I say that to them in a way that says, I do.

Richard Jack III 00:33:45

I'm playful.

Richard Jack III 00:33:46

Well, this is about your life.

Richard Jack III 00:33:48

And I take your life and your development very seriously.

Richard Jack III 00:33:52

And I think that resonates with them.

Richard Jack III 00:33:53

Or go.

Richard Jack III 00:33:54

It comes across to them in a very positive way.

Richard Jack III 00:33:56

Like, you care enough about us to put this energy into it.

Richard Jack III 00:34:00

It was real.

Richard Jack III 00:34:01

Recently, I had a meeting with middle school girls, so we're talking about 11 through 13.

Richard Jack III 00:34:08

And I said, hey, what do you.

Richard Jack III 00:34:09

What do you all want to learn?

Richard Jack III 00:34:10

I give them the opportunity to tell me what's in their heart.

Richard Jack III 00:34:13

And I'll ask you this question.

Richard Jack III 00:34:15

What do you think?

Richard Jack III 00:34:16

There's.

Richard Jack III 00:34:16

I said, give me, Give me a couple of things, but what do you think young women would say in a classroom about what they can learn, what they want to learn?

Richard Jack III 00:34:25

Off the top of your head, what do you think?

Mark Taylor 00:34:28

I don't know how to change your circumstances, how to what career, what kind of lifestyle they want to do.

Richard Jack III 00:34:37

They said, I want to learn how to be a lady, and I want to learn how to buy finances.

Richard Jack III 00:34:43

How powerful is that?

Richard Jack III 00:34:45

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:34:45

They want.

Richard Jack III 00:34:46

They want the information, but are we giving it to them?

Richard Jack III 00:34:49

I wonder if we're giving it to them in the right way.

Richard Jack III 00:34:51

Are we presenting them the opportunity to dive into these things that are important to them in their circumstances, in their lives?

Richard Jack III 00:34:57

Yeah, that's.

Richard Jack III 00:34:58

That's what I try to figure out.

Mark Taylor 00:35:00

Yeah.

Mark Taylor 00:35:00

Incredible.

Mark Taylor 00:35:02

Is that a piece of advice that's been given to you that you'd like to share, or is there maybe a piece of advice that you might give your younger self?

Mark Taylor 00:35:10

Now, looking back that you and I always.

Mark Taylor 00:35:13

Slightly caveat there.

Mark Taylor 00:35:14

So the fact that we appreciate that when you're young, you don't necessarily want to take that advice or take it on board, but there's something that was impactful for you.

Richard Jack III 00:35:21

Yeah.

Richard Jack III 00:35:22

I think the best piece of advice I've gotten in my years, and I'm heavy into personal development, is one of my mentors from afar is a gentleman named Brendan Burchard.

Richard Jack III 00:35:33

He wrote a book, High Performance Habits.

Richard Jack III 00:35:37

And in the book he talks about the importance of habits.

Richard Jack III 00:35:41

I follow Jim Rohn.

Richard Jack III 00:35:42

I follow gentleman.

Richard Jack III 00:35:43

And I think the key is help your child develop good habits at an early age and it'll last with them for a long time.

Richard Jack III 00:35:49

And so I really look at, are you building the correct habits to make a child successful?

Richard Jack III 00:35:54

Are we giving them the right tools?

Richard Jack III 00:35:56

Are we setting the foundation solid to really help them in their lives by developing the right habits?

Mark Taylor 00:36:04

I love that.

Mark Taylor 00:36:05

And yeah, they're all people that have.

Mark Taylor 00:36:07

They're so influential to so many people, aren't they?

Mark Taylor 00:36:10

But I think many, because like you say, for the sort of the same as what you're doing.

Mark Taylor 00:36:13

It's that resonant and resonance of understanding that this is hitting you exactly where it needs to and it's what people want to step into.

Mark Taylor 00:36:21

Yeah, really incredible.

Mark Taylor 00:36:23

Is there a resource you'd like to share?

Mark Taylor 00:36:25

And this can be anything from a video, a song, a book, podcast, film.

Mark Taylor 00:36:29

It can be professional or personal, but just something which you like.

Mark Taylor 00:36:32

Something which has had an impact.

Richard Jack III 00:36:33

You'd like to share a resource in terms of, for, for.

Richard Jack III 00:36:39

For parents to follow or when, like clarify that for me a little bit, please.

Mark Taylor 00:36:42

Yeah, it could be anything or some.

Mark Taylor 00:36:43

Something which you've.

Mark Taylor 00:36:44

You've enjoyed, which has helped you, or something which, like you say, you might sort of recommend for parents to do.

Mark Taylor 00:36:49

Can be either or.

Richard Jack III 00:36:51

Yeah.

Richard Jack III 00:36:51

What's helped me the most in my journey, especially in the last past seven years, I have delved deeply into the personal development space and what I've learned is that we spend more time working on the job than we do on ourselves.

Richard Jack III 00:37:09

And from books by Tony Robbins, from books by Brendan Richard, books by Bob Proctor, any of those resources are very helpful in helping you understand self and developing self.

Richard Jack III 00:37:23

And if you can develop self, it'll have a huge impact on your child.

Richard Jack III 00:37:27

So many times, I mean, life, there's strategies to life, right?

Richard Jack III 00:37:31

I remember I went to a seminar my first time being introduced to Brendan Richard information.

Richard Jack III 00:37:37

I sat in a room with probably about.

Richard Jack III 00:37:39

At the time was probably about 800 people.

Richard Jack III 00:37:42

And I learned so much about what I didn't know, right?

Richard Jack III 00:37:46

I learned, like, there are some strategies and things that, that.

Richard Jack III 00:37:50

That life has produced from a framework perspective that if you invest in that, your life will change.

Richard Jack III 00:37:57

And so I'm constantly striving to get better, not as a business person, but as an individual first so that I can be the best for my children that I serve.

Richard Jack III 00:38:05

So I would.

Richard Jack III 00:38:07

I would encourage anyone to really look at delving into personal development and really taking it to heart and seeing how can you develop and where can you grow from the information?

Richard Jack III 00:38:18

Because some of the things in there are so transformational that it's not being taught anywhere else but in personal development spaces.

Richard Jack III 00:38:25

And the other thing I'd say is get a coach.

Richard Jack III 00:38:27

If you really want to make a change in your life or become a better parent, get a coach to coach you through that process.

Richard Jack III 00:38:34

And I guarantee you you'll have a huge change in your life if you do the work, right?

Richard Jack III 00:38:40

That's what it's about.

Richard Jack III 00:38:41

I mean, a lot of times it's about doing the work.

Mark Taylor 00:38:43

I completely agree because it's all very well reading the book, it's all very well being exposed, but doing the work is the bit that makes the difference between the knowledge and the understanding in it becoming a reality.

Mark Taylor 00:38:52

So, yeah, I think that's such a key factor.

Richard Jack III 00:38:55

And you made a valid point, right?

Richard Jack III 00:38:57

You said it's about setting the example.

Richard Jack III 00:38:59

So think about it.

Richard Jack III 00:39:00

If I don't do the work, how can I expect my child to do the work?

Richard Jack III 00:39:04

Right?

Richard Jack III 00:39:05

I remember I took my nephew in, and before he can do anything else, we would sit at the table together and do homework.

Richard Jack III 00:39:12

I was going through college, he was in eighth grade.

Richard Jack III 00:39:15

So to me, it's doing that work.

Richard Jack III 00:39:17

It's sitting down with your child doing that work.

Richard Jack III 00:39:18

And there's programs out there that you can do the work together.

Richard Jack III 00:39:22

And I would encourage any parent to.

Richard Jack III 00:39:25

I know it's tough, right?

Richard Jack III 00:39:26

I know if you have multiple children, it's tough.

Richard Jack III 00:39:28

I know that, that the days are longer and time is shorter.

Richard Jack III 00:39:31

I get it.

Richard Jack III 00:39:32

But if you could find a way to take a half an hour, 45 minutes a day to do that work on yourself, whether it's meditation or whether it's reading a personal development article, any of that, I think it'll have.

Richard Jack III 00:39:44

It'll pay off huge dividends in the end.

Mark Taylor 00:39:46

Yeah, absolutely.

Mark Taylor 00:39:47

Love that.

Mark Taylor 00:39:49

Now, the acronym FIRE is obviously important to us here on the podcast.

Mark Taylor 00:39:52

And by that we mean feedback, inspiration, resilience, and empowerment.

Mark Taylor 00:39:57

What is it that strikes you when you hear that?

Mark Taylor 00:39:59

And it might be one word, it might be a combination, but what is it that strikes you?

Richard Jack III 00:40:04

Simple man, Ladies and gentlemen, by choice, I mean, we get constant feedback from our people.

Richard Jack III 00:40:11

We try to inspire our youth.

Richard Jack III 00:40:14

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:40:14

We try to give them that insight.

Richard Jack III 00:40:17

Resilience is the continuously.

Richard Jack III 00:40:19

Even though we are a program and we've had hurdles, we've kept going.

Richard Jack III 00:40:23

Therefore, our program is always evolving and expanding.

Richard Jack III 00:40:27

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:40:27

And empowerment.

Richard Jack III 00:40:28

What are we doing?

Richard Jack III 00:40:29

We're empowering our kids.

Richard Jack III 00:40:30

We're giving them the tools that they need to be successful young men and women.

Richard Jack III 00:40:33

So I love the acronym fire.

Richard Jack III 00:40:36

It suits what we do.

Richard Jack III 00:40:37

It fits into what we do.

Richard Jack III 00:40:38

And then I also think about, you know, what you're doing.

Richard Jack III 00:40:41

But for this podcast, what you're.

Richard Jack III 00:40:43

What you're doing for families and people is you're putting this information out there.

Richard Jack III 00:40:48

That's the feedback they need to hear.

Richard Jack III 00:40:49

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:40:50

That's the inspiration they need to hear.

Richard Jack III 00:40:53

Right.

Richard Jack III 00:40:53

You give them the courage or resiliency to continue, and you're a power with knowledge that they may not, may or may not be aware of.

Mark Taylor 00:41:00

Yeah, that's certainly the key.

Mark Taylor 00:41:01

And so to make that full circle, as we finish up, where do they take the action?

Mark Taylor 00:41:06

Where do they go and find out more about you and get involved with what you're doing?

Richard Jack III 00:41:10

Yeah, well, we.

Richard Jack III 00:41:11

Can you go to go on our website.

Richard Jack III 00:41:12

It's called Gentlemen, and that's what a plural.

Richard Jack III 00:41:16

So G E N T L E M e n by choice.org or ladies by choice.org and the other thing I'll share with you is that we just launched an online academy for students.

Richard Jack III 00:41:30

So regardless of where you are in the country or across the pond, as you call it, Right.

Richard Jack III 00:41:35

They can get on there and take the courses that we teach for free.

Richard Jack III 00:41:38

It's animated.

Richard Jack III 00:41:39

They have to log into our website.

Richard Jack III 00:41:41

Gentleman by choice, that's G E N T L M e n by choice.org and go to online courses and click the.

Richard Jack III 00:41:50

You get a cue to sign up and you can get access to the course and try it out for free.

Richard Jack III 00:41:55

And it's teaching the same things we teach in school.

Richard Jack III 00:41:57

It's animated, it's youth friendly.

Richard Jack III 00:42:00

They have to take a quiz to go to the next level.

Richard Jack III 00:42:02

But it's all designed to take some of this information and spread it so that our kids can be or our young men and women can become more successful.

Mark Taylor 00:42:10

Amazing.

Mark Taylor 00:42:11

Richard, thank you so much for sharing all this with us today.

Mark Taylor 00:42:13

I'm inspired by what you're doing and that leading by example and the way that you're developing it and opening it out to the world is such an amazing story.

Mark Taylor 00:42:20

So.

Richard Jack III 00:42:21

Yeah.

Mark Taylor 00:42:21

Thank you so much.

Mark Taylor 00:42:21

Indeed.

Richard Jack III 00:42:22

Thank you so much, sir.

Mark Taylor 00:42:25

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

Mark Taylor 00:42:28

It.