WEBVTT 00:00:02.786 --> 00:00:04.873 Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast. 00:00:04.873 --> 00:00:19.969 In this show, the Texas FFA Foundation will take on a journey of exploration into agricultural science, education, leadership development and insights from subject matter experts and sponsors who provide the fuel to make dreams come true. 00:00:19.969 --> 00:00:22.344 Here's your host, Aaron Alejandro. 00:00:30.150 --> 00:00:36.777 Well, good morning, good afternoon or good evening or whenever you may be tuning in to the Growing Our Future podcast. 00:00:36.777 --> 00:00:41.350 We're just honored that you're with us today and we appreciate you joining us. 00:00:41.350 --> 00:00:45.070 And, as always, we're really excited about today's guest. 00:00:45.070 --> 00:00:56.307 I just love bringing on subject matter experts, people that share their insights, experiences and they're just encouraging and willing to pour into others, and today is no different. 00:00:56.307 --> 00:01:02.412 Today we have James McLamb, generation Youth founder and executive team leader. 00:01:02.412 --> 00:01:05.784 James, thanks for joining us today, thank you, aaron. 00:01:05.884 --> 00:01:07.548 It's good to be with you, my friend. 00:01:07.548 --> 00:01:13.972 We've been friends a long time and I'm grateful for this opportunity to be able to share something with you today. 00:01:14.500 --> 00:01:15.843 Well, I appreciate you coming on. 00:01:15.843 --> 00:01:18.572 It's always fun, like you said, when you know people. 00:01:18.572 --> 00:01:39.725 But I love podcasts because it's an opportunity for me to shut up and listen to you and to say you know here, jane, you know, share all the good stuff, all the good conversations, all the things that we talk about, about what our passions are, and a lot of our passions lie around developing young people, and we're going to unpack some of that today. 00:01:40.347 --> 00:02:07.102 Well, I'm grateful to be here on you and I've told you this story before is you were influencing me before I even knew you, because as a young teacher in the early 90s, I was buying videos about how to teach parliamentary procedure and there were some young guy from Texas that was the host of those videos going through those things, videos going through those things. 00:02:07.102 --> 00:02:10.628 So I got to see a young Aaron Alejandro teach parliamentary procedure as I relayed that to my students in the early 90s. 00:02:11.270 --> 00:02:12.980 Well, you're awful kind and I can tell you. 00:02:12.980 --> 00:02:14.885 I can tell you one thing that hadn't changed. 00:02:14.885 --> 00:02:22.479 I know I've got a lot less hair, got a lot more pounds, but I can tell you that I don't mind arguing still, and that's the one thing. 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:26.769 Parliamentary procedure gives you an edge when it comes to talking and discussing things. 00:02:26.769 --> 00:02:28.992 So thank you for sharing that with your kids. 00:02:28.992 --> 00:02:41.493 By the way, james, we start off this program every guest, every guest I've ever had on here we start off with the same question and that is James, what are you grateful for today? 00:02:42.901 --> 00:02:54.221 What I'm most grateful for today is that in just three days my family and I will be leaving for a much extended vacation in the mountains of North Carolina to be in a cabin. 00:02:54.221 --> 00:02:56.306 I've been monitoring the weather there. 00:02:56.306 --> 00:02:57.909 It's going to be very cool. 00:02:57.909 --> 00:03:07.460 We've got lots of relaxing enjoyment and I just am eager to get and and relax and spend time with most of the family. 00:03:07.460 --> 00:03:14.824 The oldest is is a teacher, an agriculture teacher herself, and her first year, so she'll be not with us the entire time. 00:03:14.824 --> 00:03:17.274 She'll catch the latter half of the the trip. 00:03:17.274 --> 00:03:22.667 But that's what I'm grateful for today is is I'm counting down the, not the days. 00:03:22.667 --> 00:03:24.850 We're down to counting down hours now. 00:03:25.973 --> 00:03:26.554 That's awesome. 00:03:26.554 --> 00:03:30.361 I couldn't agree with you more. 00:03:30.361 --> 00:03:44.871 By the way, you know, as you and I have discussed many times, if you turn on the news or you get to scrolling through social media, sometimes it's real easy to get a little negative and forget all that we have to be grateful for. 00:03:44.871 --> 00:04:06.729 And I think those moments of pause where you look around and say, wow, I got a family, wow, I got a family Not everybody can say I got a family, wow, I've got a good job that provides me a little liberty in a great country, that provides all these incredible natural resources and the capacity to get away and enjoy those moments together. 00:04:08.032 --> 00:04:13.667 You know, like I said, sometimes you just got to look around and realize how, how fortunate we are and how blessed we are. 00:04:13.667 --> 00:04:17.807 And I don't know about you, but I like to be around people that are grateful. 00:04:17.807 --> 00:04:21.589 I have found that people that are grateful have a lot more energy. 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:28.091 They're more optimistic, they're always looking for something good, and I kind of like hanging out with people like that. 00:04:28.992 --> 00:04:29.473 I do too. 00:04:29.473 --> 00:04:35.048 I do as well, and I'll be grateful for every minute that we get to spend there. 00:04:35.048 --> 00:04:41.672 Probably the only thing I will be ungrateful for is having to pack up on the last day and come home, so there you go. 00:04:42.440 --> 00:04:42.922 There you go. 00:04:42.922 --> 00:04:45.771 All right, james McLam, here's what we're going to do. 00:04:45.771 --> 00:04:54.346 You've already said that we know each other, but not everybody knows you, and so I do, and I know your background a little bit. 00:04:54.346 --> 00:05:03.990 But for the listeners and viewers that may not be tuned into your podcast, they may not have read your book, they may not be aware of your pedigree, why don't you take a moment? 00:05:03.990 --> 00:05:06.944 Because I know you did not just fall into that seat that you're in. 00:05:06.944 --> 00:05:20.351 Something tells me there was a journey, there was some experiences, and there's something that brought you to this place in life and why you've chosen to do what you do right now empowering, encouraging and equipping young people. 00:05:20.351 --> 00:05:26.012 So take us through your life and take us through how you got to where you're at today. 00:05:27.180 --> 00:05:40.742 Well, like so many people and you can attest to this as well I'd wandered into an agriculture classroom in the ninth grade at South Johnston High School in North Carolina, not knowing what it was about really. 00:05:40.742 --> 00:05:47.475 Just went there because I grew up on a farm, specifically a nursery, and I knew I had to be a part of that in some way or another. 00:05:47.475 --> 00:05:52.252 So I, you know, wandered into there to find out what was going on. 00:05:52.252 --> 00:05:55.699 Well, that was just what I needed. 00:05:55.699 --> 00:06:09.351 It took a very shy person, someone who felt like they had a lot to offer but didn't know how to package it and how to give it to the world, and it gave me a vision for what could be in my life and who I could become. 00:06:09.351 --> 00:06:34.786 And so, like yourself, I had many opportunities for leadership in the FFA in North Carolina and to serve in capacity on the national level as well, and that led me then to go into agriculture education in college and to teach for almost a decade in North Carolina as an ag teacher, which really inspired me. 00:06:34.786 --> 00:06:35.367 It motivated me, I know. 00:06:35.367 --> 00:06:43.331 Every day I went home feeling so grateful for the opportunity to share in the lives of young people, but also I was grateful for what I was learning from them every day. 00:06:43.331 --> 00:06:51.723 I really felt like I learned more at the end of the day than the students who were in my class when my oldest daughter was born. 00:06:53.404 --> 00:07:17.088 I decided to go back to the family businesses the nursery operations and some other businesses and and take over those responsibilities so that my wife could then stay at home those responsibilities so that my wife could then stay at home and we could provide a family and a lifestyle that would enable us to be able to raise a family at home and provide for them and take advantage of some opportunities there at my hometown. 00:07:17.088 --> 00:07:20.940 But I never lost the passion for working with youth. 00:07:20.940 --> 00:07:33.110 I never lost that desire to impact future generations and really just pour into them and help empower them so that they could see their potential. 00:07:33.110 --> 00:07:39.966 And so it was channeled then into ministry work and missions work. 00:07:39.966 --> 00:07:42.151 Through our church and through some other opportunities. 00:07:42.151 --> 00:07:54.139 My wife and I did mission work with youth, creating ministry teams that led mission trips with youth in mind, serving at youth camps, speaking at youth camps, doing those types of things. 00:07:54.139 --> 00:07:57.567 But all that did was just kind of fuel the fire. 00:07:57.567 --> 00:08:02.187 You know, it didn't quench it, it just kind of fueled it to make me see that things could be bigger. 00:08:03.331 --> 00:08:03.771 That's good. 00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:12.548 And at that same time, I had a sales staff working under me at the nursery that I wanted to equip better. 00:08:12.548 --> 00:08:19.920 And so I went back to where I thought was the best sales training and also along with my values, and that was the Ziegler Corporation. 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:24.428 I said, well, these folks know how to teach sales and their values, along with what I believe. 00:08:24.428 --> 00:08:26.800 Let me go back to them and get that material. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:39.289 So I started really going back and relearning all those things that I'd learned in high school and college and during teaching from Mr Ziegler, but now from a different perspective, from a sales perspective. 00:08:39.289 --> 00:09:04.192 During that process of reconnecting with them and finding out all the information, I discovered that they were starting a new program of legacy trainers where they were going to equip people who had a desire to impact others with Mr Ziegler's timeless principles Principles, you know, on the steps to success and building better relationships and goal setting. 00:09:04.192 --> 00:09:06.245 And I signed up. 00:09:06.245 --> 00:09:07.347 I was part of the first class. 00:09:07.347 --> 00:09:08.831 I wanted to be there, wow. 00:09:08.831 --> 00:09:13.840 And that week things started to fall into place. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:22.129 I began to see all these speaking and things that I'd done through ministry and the things that I've been teaching and all this business stuff that I had learned. 00:09:22.129 --> 00:09:26.750 This was kind of pulling it all together and I began to see a picture. 00:09:26.750 --> 00:09:37.773 I need to redirect my life to focusing on working with youth and equipping them and empowering them to be the best you can be. 00:09:37.773 --> 00:09:40.929 And this was in 2013 when this happened. 00:09:40.929 --> 00:10:04.587 And so, on that last day for those who are familiar with these types of training programs you have kind of a graduation ceremony where you get to stand up and get your certificate and your picture taken with the presenters and for us it was with the Ziegler family and share with them what you were going to do, and I stood there and said I want to take these concepts and I want to repackage them for youth. 00:10:04.587 --> 00:10:10.884 And, of course, there were a lot of folks that were clapping yeah, yeah, we need that. 00:10:10.884 --> 00:10:18.283 But I could tell that most of them were, yes, they were excited about it, but they weren't willing to step into it, and so I spent the next two years trying to figure out how to do this. 00:10:18.504 --> 00:10:20.967 And to begin with, aaron, it was really all kind of me focused. 00:10:20.967 --> 00:10:33.208 I was like I'll get up, I'll form my own team, we'll go around the world, we'll go around the nation, we'll do speaking, we'll do workshops, we'll do great, I'll build a team and we'll just be great, we'll do our own thing. 00:10:33.208 --> 00:10:35.600 And so I was doing some of that and I enjoyed it. 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:43.192 I mean, I remember speaking at a youth conference and the youth afterwards come up and says oh, you're trending locally on Twitter. 00:10:43.192 --> 00:10:44.333 Now Everybody's tweeting you. 00:10:44.333 --> 00:10:45.916 And I was like that's cool. 00:10:46.017 --> 00:10:47.599 I didn't even know what that was at the time. 00:10:47.599 --> 00:10:48.721 I mean, this was around 13. 00:10:48.721 --> 00:10:50.527 I was like I'm trending on Twitter. 00:10:50.527 --> 00:10:51.450 I don't know what that means. 00:10:51.450 --> 00:10:59.852 But yeah, that was when those things were kind of cool to happen, but it really wasn't satisfying as much. 00:10:59.852 --> 00:11:17.897 And it wasn't until I realized that I would much rather train and equip young people to be the leaders and difference makers in their community and then be the mentor and the guidance for them and watch them grow. 00:11:17.897 --> 00:11:19.923 I'd rather do that. 00:11:19.923 --> 00:11:23.432 That's so much more fulfilling than really being the person out in front and on stage. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:26.488 I mean there's nothing wrong with that and I love the opportunities. 00:11:26.488 --> 00:11:27.350 I have to do that. 00:11:27.350 --> 00:11:31.004 I really do, and I would, and I relish them to this day. 00:11:31.004 --> 00:11:42.484 But coming off the stage, even with all the you know people being excited about what you said and you know, getting the, the emotional impact that you see in there, that's great. 00:11:42.484 --> 00:11:54.116 But what's much more satisfactory is getting a text from someone that says James, today I served at a camp and I saw this happen. 00:11:54.116 --> 00:12:00.969 Or, because of what you guys taught me, I'm now a teacher or I'm going into ministry. 00:12:00.969 --> 00:12:04.173 That, to me, is much more satisfying. 00:12:04.173 --> 00:12:05.573 That's that is. 00:12:05.573 --> 00:12:07.015 Is is much more satisfying. 00:12:07.100 --> 00:12:09.469 So that's how generation youth really started. 00:12:09.469 --> 00:12:17.048 I was equipping young people and then we moved on into equipping adults because we felt adults wanted to come to our training. 00:12:17.048 --> 00:12:29.114 I just wanted to deal with youth and college students at the time, but when COVID hit, it gave us a time to refocus and provide some new products and provide some new services. 00:12:29.114 --> 00:12:47.751 And now we equip people who want to be life coaches, that that want to help coach youth to be their best selves, that want to pour into youth, help youth identify where they are in life right now, help them make a plan for where you know, find out where they want to go and make a plan to get there, and so that's what we're doing now with our coaching program. 00:12:47.751 --> 00:12:54.673 So that's really a very quick synopsis of where we've been and where we hope to go. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:05.274 Well, you know, one of the things that we do here on this show is I really enjoy having guests that share their journey. 00:13:05.274 --> 00:13:17.429 And the reason why is because if you will listen to somebody's journey, you're going to pick up these little nuggets of gold, these little opportunities of wisdom. 00:13:17.429 --> 00:13:24.509 And I also believe that if you listen to somebody's journey and testimony, you also find their core values. 00:13:24.509 --> 00:13:34.582 And listening to you share your story and your journey, it's very evident of why you're doing what you're doing. 00:13:34.582 --> 00:13:37.128 You started as a young servant leader. 00:13:37.128 --> 00:13:42.004 You wanted to serve, you wanted to share, you wanted to help, you wanted to encourage. 00:13:42.004 --> 00:13:43.849 And you said you know what? 00:13:43.849 --> 00:13:45.373 I think I'm going to do that in the classroom. 00:13:45.373 --> 00:13:47.947 And you jumped into that classroom role. 00:13:47.947 --> 00:13:49.565 And what did you do? 00:13:49.565 --> 00:13:52.808 Trying to share, trying to empower, trying to encourage. 00:13:52.808 --> 00:14:00.005 And then, because you have the core value of if you want to be better, you've got to make yourself better, you started looking for tools. 00:14:00.005 --> 00:14:02.707 What can I do to improve myself? 00:14:02.707 --> 00:14:06.490 You know who can I hang around with, who can I be associated with? 00:14:06.490 --> 00:14:13.551 And you found that incredible brand of the big Z and you know you pulled into that and you leaned into that. 00:14:13.551 --> 00:14:20.427 And then you know success begets success and you know it was what Zig I love Zig said. 00:14:20.427 --> 00:14:24.182 He said you go as far as you can see and when you get there, you'll always be able to see further. 00:14:25.082 --> 00:14:26.424 And listen to what you just shared. 00:14:26.424 --> 00:14:29.648 You've shared with us serving others. 00:14:29.648 --> 00:14:32.431 You've shared with us setting goals. 00:14:32.431 --> 00:14:34.933 You've shared with us having a vision. 00:14:34.933 --> 00:14:37.817 By the way, I believe the Bible is very clear about that. 00:14:37.817 --> 00:14:41.789 It says where there is no vision, the people will perish. 00:14:41.789 --> 00:14:48.311 Good leaders always have a very profound vision and most leaders will have that vision, based on their core values, of what they want to do. 00:14:48.311 --> 00:14:51.548 And I think when you look at what you're doing today, that's very clear. 00:14:51.548 --> 00:14:57.113 So the reason I share that is for listeners who are listening to the show, especially young people. 00:14:57.113 --> 00:15:18.321 When you hear people share, listen to what they're really sharing Because, again, they're sharing their core values, they're sharing what they really believe in, they're sharing their passion and their vision and all of those things have brought you to this incredible generation youth program that you've developed. 00:15:20.763 --> 00:15:22.123 Well, I appreciate that. 00:15:22.123 --> 00:15:28.106 That means a lot coming from you and to be able to see you put for a reason for him to be prepared. 00:15:28.346 --> 00:16:05.106 But if he had never struck out, took the risk and put on the blue jacket, if he had never struck out and took the risk of getting up and saying the creed, or standing up and running for office or saying that I'm going to pursue something of faith, which isn't always the most popular thing to do. 00:16:05.106 --> 00:16:11.121 If you think about all the again, when I listen to somebody's testimony, there's so much gold there. 00:16:11.121 --> 00:16:13.908 Now I'm going to add risk to your background. 00:16:13.908 --> 00:16:25.668 I'm going to add vulnerability to your background and I want young people to understand that the people that they engage with, they didn't just happen into their jobs. 00:16:25.668 --> 00:16:27.381 They didn't just happen. 00:16:27.381 --> 00:16:31.110 There was something behind the scenes that drove all those things. 00:16:31.110 --> 00:16:36.827 And what I like that you have done is you've been very intentional about that. 00:16:36.827 --> 00:16:44.086 You've not always had all the answers, but you've been intentional about the direction that you're headed. 00:16:44.086 --> 00:16:48.313 Yeah, cleo Franklin, who's on my board? 00:16:48.313 --> 00:16:49.075 He's a friend of mine. 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:56.864 He said, I would rather be directionally correct than precisely wrong. 00:16:56.884 --> 00:17:08.084 That's a great statement, Isn't that a great line I would rather be directionally correct than precisely wrong and your path to where you're at today and what you're doing. 00:17:08.084 --> 00:17:11.761 I think if the listeners are listening, there's a lot of opportunity that comes out of that. 00:17:11.761 --> 00:17:13.909 So thank you. 00:17:13.929 --> 00:17:28.946 Well, I've been very blessed to have those kind of opportunities and been blessed with the gift of being able to see opportunities in the midst of the things that I'm doing to see there's something I can do more. 00:17:28.946 --> 00:17:32.584 There's something that I can do more, which my wife accuses me of. 00:17:32.584 --> 00:17:38.682 It says you're never satisfied with the success that you're having with this organization. 00:17:38.682 --> 00:17:42.861 Now you're always thinking, you know, there's got to be more, there's got to be a bigger impact. 00:17:42.861 --> 00:17:44.521 And there's some truth to that. 00:17:44.521 --> 00:17:50.806 And it's not that I am dissatisfied or not grateful, it's just that there's an urgency I have. 00:17:50.806 --> 00:17:55.209 You know there's so many issues and obstacles and problems that youth are faced today. 00:17:55.209 --> 00:17:57.289 If we can just equip enough people, we can. 00:17:57.289 --> 00:17:58.250 We can change. 00:17:58.250 --> 00:17:59.431 We can really do that. 00:17:59.431 --> 00:18:00.311 We can. 00:18:00.311 --> 00:18:01.853 We can make a difference. 00:18:01.853 --> 00:18:02.692 We can make a difference. 00:18:02.712 --> 00:18:22.333 When we first started Generation Youth, it was called Generation Ziegler, because we were basing most of the content on Mr Ziegler and honestly, we thought it was really creative branding because then we could call it Gen Z, which was the same as the generation we were dealing with. 00:18:22.333 --> 00:18:25.441 So, as that generation is getting older, we've seen that we need to open up a little bit for that getting older. 00:18:25.441 --> 00:18:26.844 We've seen that we need to open up a little bit for that. 00:18:26.844 --> 00:18:33.070 But when we first started Generation Ziggler the person who was helping me start it is a good friend of ours, matt Rush used to say hey, we don't want much. 00:18:33.070 --> 00:18:36.988 When we would tell folks what we were doing, he said we don't want much, we just want to change the world. 00:18:36.988 --> 00:18:42.746 And that's really what I've kind of held to I don't want much, I just want to change the world. 00:18:45.050 --> 00:18:49.542 I'm writing that down, let me tell you something. 00:18:49.663 --> 00:18:56.711 Every interview, every time we do these, I'm always listening to the guests, because I don't ever come into these thinking I know what we're going to title it. 00:18:56.711 --> 00:19:00.578 I'm always listening because somewhere along the way they're going to give me something. 00:19:00.578 --> 00:19:10.835 I'll say that's the name of this podcast, that that's good couple things that you just said, by the way, and again I'm just unpacking what you've said. 00:19:10.835 --> 00:19:12.660 I hope everybody was listening. 00:19:12.660 --> 00:19:38.509 Every everybody that's on the call, everybody that's listening in today, everybody, whether you're watching the video or you're tuned into one of the platforms, everybody listening has a birthday everybody's got a birthday, everybody's got a birthday, and on that day that we came into this world, the doctor might have slapped us on the hind end and at that moment we took an inhale. 00:19:41.997 --> 00:19:53.698 I'm here and then one day, when our purpose is served, we're all going to exhale. 00:19:53.698 --> 00:19:58.486 Life is just a breath. 00:19:58.486 --> 00:20:19.875 Life starts with an inhale, it's going to end with an exhale, and if you look at life as just a breath and you want to serve others, it will create a sense of urgency, because you know, there's a James McLean, there's an Aaron Alejandro, there's somebody out there that needs to be encouraged, that needs to hear they've got the tools, they've got opportunity. 00:20:19.875 --> 00:20:26.413 There's somebody that has to have that sense of urgency to let me know that I need to act now. 00:20:26.413 --> 00:20:33.374 And I tell you my experience is this Unless you create a sense of urgency, most people don't move. 00:20:36.125 --> 00:20:36.906 That is very true. 00:20:37.127 --> 00:20:41.016 I think you're wise to talk about an inborn sense of urgency. 00:20:41.016 --> 00:20:50.031 The other thing that I like to tell people is every leader I know and you know them too, every leader that I know there's one important word in their life, and that word is next. 00:20:50.031 --> 00:20:54.660 It doesn't matter if it's a success, it doesn't matter if it's a failure. 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:57.111 They just look at the mirror and say next. 00:20:57.111 --> 00:21:02.269 And maybe your wife needs to hear that that's really what you're talking about. 00:21:02.269 --> 00:21:05.424 Okay, I got this text today from this person, but guess what? 00:21:05.424 --> 00:21:07.972 I want to see what text I'm going to get tomorrow. 00:21:07.972 --> 00:21:16.467 Who's next, who's the next one? 00:21:16.467 --> 00:21:18.776 And if you don't look at it that way and you don't look at it with that, sense of urgency, you may miss it. 00:21:18.796 --> 00:21:22.747 Yeah, the great thing is, our last coaching class that we did was the first one we did virtually. 00:21:22.747 --> 00:21:25.170 So I love stuff that's live. 00:21:25.170 --> 00:21:26.511 I really love in-person stuff. 00:21:26.511 --> 00:21:43.719 But I saw a need for a virtual one, so we did a virtual one back at the beginning of the month of May and we had three internationals that were on this call One person from Canada, one person who is in Guatemala and then one is in Nigeria. 00:21:43.884 --> 00:21:48.257 So for me next is what are we going to see in those three countries? 00:21:48.257 --> 00:21:53.570 How is that going to impact them, especially in Nigeria? 00:21:53.570 --> 00:21:57.615 Nigeria has the largest percentage of youth population in the world. 00:21:57.615 --> 00:22:01.615 60% is under the age of 19. 00:22:01.615 --> 00:22:09.778 60% of their population and by the end of this century they will be the second biggest country in the world behind India. 00:22:09.778 --> 00:22:11.430 Somebody's going to say what happened to China? 00:22:11.430 --> 00:22:13.134 Well, you need to look that up and figure it out. 00:22:13.134 --> 00:22:16.034 China is actually going to be down around number four by that time. 00:22:16.034 --> 00:22:21.817 They're dropping in population, but Nigeria is exploding. 00:22:21.817 --> 00:22:26.565 In Central America, guatemala has the highest youth population. 00:22:27.026 --> 00:22:31.796 I didn't know that until the person sent me a text the next week and said, hey, I just found this out. 00:22:31.796 --> 00:22:41.548 You know this is the opportunity we have, and they're going to be using this content and curriculum to work with missionary kids in Guatemala. 00:22:41.548 --> 00:22:47.527 So the children of missionaries that are coming there to spread the gospel in that country. 00:22:47.527 --> 00:22:51.607 She's going to be teaching them and coaching them in this content. 00:22:51.607 --> 00:23:01.426 So there's another ripple effect there, because not only is it going to impact that country, because she's going to be doing it with natives as well, but think about that when they go back home. 00:23:01.446 --> 00:23:20.198 Because she said they're from America, they're from South Korea, they're from all over the world that are pouring into there, not just the United States that are sending missionaries, or other countries as well, and so that international group is now going to hear this content go out. 00:23:20.198 --> 00:23:21.186 So that's exciting. 00:23:21.186 --> 00:23:22.611 That kind of gets it up. 00:23:22.611 --> 00:23:23.914 So that's the next for me. 00:23:23.914 --> 00:23:24.936 Where's this going to go? 00:23:24.936 --> 00:23:28.528 What's my text next year going to be about? 00:23:28.528 --> 00:23:32.919 Hey, they're teaching this stuff in places that I had no idea it could reach. 00:23:33.265 --> 00:23:37.757 Just make sure you get that little filter thing turned on, where it'll translate the language barrier. 00:23:37.757 --> 00:23:40.693 Get these texts and you'll know where it's from. 00:23:40.693 --> 00:23:42.632 I want to circle back real quick. 00:23:42.632 --> 00:23:46.276 I don't do this with every guest for obvious reasons, but with you I can do this. 00:23:46.276 --> 00:23:52.913 Let's circle back and let's talk a little bit about the fact that you did come from agricultural science and you came from FFA. 00:23:52.913 --> 00:24:00.925 What are some of the things that you learned in ag science and FFA maybe on the highest level that you kind of still employ today? 00:24:00.925 --> 00:24:08.558 That they're skill sets you learn, then, that you can still employ as adults that you believe help you get along in life. 00:24:17.325 --> 00:24:20.107 Well, the core things that we teach in Generation Youth is based on the problems that we have determined. 00:24:20.107 --> 00:24:24.895 Youth have the major categories that youth have based on our interviews, and that's dealing with self-image, building, effective relationships and goal setting. 00:24:24.895 --> 00:24:53.796 And goal setting and if I reflect back to my high school experience, I was blessed enough to have those kind, have someone in the form of an ag teacher and then through FFA leadership on different levels, pointing to me constantly on how to build and maintain a positive self-image, how to effectively build relationships with people and be the kind of person that people want to be around. 00:24:53.796 --> 00:24:56.053 And then how do you set goals? 00:24:56.053 --> 00:24:58.333 What's the importance of dreaming and setting goals? 00:24:59.385 --> 00:25:16.336 Aaron, those were things that a young James took for granted, because if I was learning them in the introduction or what was it called the fundamentals of agriculture class in ninth grade at South Johnson, then, to be sure, everybody in that school was learning, but they were not. 00:25:16.336 --> 00:25:22.117 The person in my junior English class sitting next to me did not know the power of dreams. 00:25:22.117 --> 00:25:24.192 They had not heard the things that I had heard. 00:25:24.192 --> 00:25:41.255 So, yes, I was learning these skills, these tangible skills, through horticulture classes and ag mechanics classes, those skills that were very employable things that I could have used immediately if I had felt called to go into those industries. 00:25:42.097 --> 00:25:47.292 It was more those personal development that they were learning those leadership skills. 00:25:47.292 --> 00:25:51.423 They were teaching me personal development that they were learning those leadership skills. 00:25:51.423 --> 00:25:57.990 They were teaching me the things that built my character as much as anything that I know of. 00:25:57.990 --> 00:26:17.862 I was fortunate enough to have four agriculture teachers and in my book in the back of it I dedicate part of it to them, and I know I would not have had the opportunities in life and have felt the call of service if I had not seen it modeled by them, and then not only modeled by them but instilled in them by me. 00:26:17.862 --> 00:26:29.861 I mean, they kept me on a path that they saw in me something that I knew was there, but they saw opportunities for me that I didn't know existed. 00:26:31.404 --> 00:26:31.727 Gotcha. 00:26:32.189 --> 00:26:38.153 You know, when you come along, I think every kid comes to that point now where they're dealing with their self-image and they're saying I think I can do something. 00:26:38.153 --> 00:26:45.445 And then they have to make that decision Do I go after it or do I just consider myself a failure and I'm not going to be able to do it? 00:26:45.445 --> 00:26:46.768 But everybody has that moment. 00:26:46.768 --> 00:26:48.490 With that I think I can do better. 00:26:48.490 --> 00:26:52.156 But a lot of them just don't have any support. 00:26:52.156 --> 00:26:53.960 They don't have any of this. 00:26:53.960 --> 00:27:03.795 You know those soft skills to help them move forward on that these teachers instilled in me so that when I was at that point I knew I could do better. 00:27:03.795 --> 00:27:12.007 They gave me the skills to do it and then showed me the place that I could do it and they opened a door to a world that you know agriculture. 00:27:12.007 --> 00:27:14.153 Education is the best kept secret. 00:27:14.153 --> 00:27:18.675 A lot of times in schools People just don't know what they're getting into when they walk into that class. 00:27:20.465 --> 00:27:21.471 Couldn't agree with you more. 00:27:21.471 --> 00:27:29.971 We could have a whole podcast on that one topic, but I do agree with you. 00:27:29.971 --> 00:27:38.140 I think there are some things that we learned through agricultural science and through FFA that are very unique compared to other classes in school. 00:27:38.140 --> 00:27:45.277 I simply put it like this you know, some people argue we need to get back to the basics reading, writing and arithmetic. 00:27:45.277 --> 00:27:47.652 Okay, the three R's, I get it. 00:27:47.652 --> 00:27:48.923 I always tell people yeah, let's get back to the three R's. 00:27:48.923 --> 00:27:49.582 Let's get back to respect responsibility and arithmetic. 00:27:49.582 --> 00:27:49.689 Okay, the three R's, I get it. 00:27:49.689 --> 00:27:50.292 I always tell people yeah, let's get back to the three R's. 00:27:50.292 --> 00:27:53.617 Let's get back to respect responsibility and resiliency. 00:27:53.617 --> 00:27:55.721 Let's get back to the basics. 00:27:55.721 --> 00:28:03.971 Let's learn to respect ourselves, our fellow man, be responsible for ourselves, our homes, our community, and learn to get up when you've been knocked down. 00:28:03.971 --> 00:28:06.547 Not everybody's going to get a trophy, I'm sorry. 00:28:06.547 --> 00:28:12.038 It's just the challenges that we face in the natural world require resiliency. 00:28:13.125 --> 00:28:26.904 But I think the thing that really separates ag science kids and FFA kids from everybody else is sports can teach teamwork, band can teach ensemble Speech and debate can teach communication skills. 00:28:26.904 --> 00:28:36.431 But there's something that you learn when some life depends on you that if, in the world of agriculture. 00:28:36.431 --> 00:28:38.416 You don't do your job, something dies. 00:28:38.416 --> 00:28:45.958 That creates an inborn trait that people will carry with them for the rest of their lives. 00:28:45.958 --> 00:28:49.965 They will carry that with them into everything that they do. 00:28:49.965 --> 00:29:05.009 So I do agree with you that ag, science education and FFA not only gives us some of the positive soft skills, but I would also argue that it gives you some internal core values that no other program can give you. 00:29:07.153 --> 00:29:11.519 I think, too, you know the part of what kind of instilled things into me. 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:18.076 Do you remember the aims and purposes of the FFA that we had back in the? 00:29:18.076 --> 00:29:23.755 It used to be in the manual before they went in, with the mission statement and those types of things. 00:29:23.755 --> 00:29:27.631 We had the it was either 10 or 12 aims and purposes. 00:29:27.631 --> 00:29:31.137 There was a poster that was on the front of the classroom. 00:29:31.137 --> 00:29:33.849 That's that where my seat was. 00:29:33.849 --> 00:29:43.207 Every time I sat down and I looked up, it was right in front of me and those things talked about things like leadership and citizenship and character and scholarship and so everything. 00:29:43.227 --> 00:29:54.855 When I sit in that class, not only was I learning about, you know, cows, sows and plows, but I was learning about this and service was on there and thrift and patriotism and cooperation. 00:29:54.855 --> 00:30:09.296 I remember those things that were there and just seeing that constantly in front of me just was reinforcing things that I had grown up with, learning from my parents. 00:30:09.296 --> 00:30:15.857 But now I was seeing it in a package, in a different way that I was saying you know, this can be a part of my life as well. 00:30:15.857 --> 00:30:17.788 I wish that I had. 00:30:17.788 --> 00:30:18.530 There was a post. 00:30:18.530 --> 00:30:19.494 I wish I had that poster. 00:30:20.085 --> 00:30:21.528 Well, you're on to something you know. 00:30:21.528 --> 00:30:23.053 You and I both know this author. 00:30:23.053 --> 00:30:25.077 He's pretty pretty good author. 00:30:25.077 --> 00:30:28.171 He's written a couple of books and his dad wrote a bunch of books. 00:30:28.171 --> 00:30:58.913 But this guy named Tom Ziegler I've heard of him before Ziegler I think one of the things I like that Tom talks about are the 10 virtues, and those virtues are timeless, and I think that's what you're really getting at is the things that you were encouraged to pursue, the concepts that you were encouraged to empower and put in place in your life, are really they were virtues and, as a result, you now share those virtues in the role that you play with Generation Youth, and I think that's a cool thing. 00:30:59.845 --> 00:31:22.308 If I remember right, the back of my first manual that I had had had words on it that were related to those purposes leadership and citizenship and scholarship were on the back of that manual and I just remember it very, very distinctly about those types of things and it was kind of like, you know, it's kind of like what the teacher's really purpose of being there was. 00:31:22.308 --> 00:31:31.772 You know was to do that more than just teaching us farm business management skills but to teach us, you know, these character skills, these cooperation skills. 00:31:33.807 --> 00:31:36.194 So let's kind of stay with where we're at here for a second. 00:31:36.194 --> 00:31:41.192 So you're up in North Carolina, I'm here in Lone Star State. 00:31:41.192 --> 00:31:42.455 I don't know. 00:31:42.455 --> 00:31:44.872 Do you happen to know how many high schools are in North Carolina? 00:31:44.872 --> 00:31:46.195 I do not. 00:31:46.306 --> 00:31:47.151 I look it up while we're talking. 00:31:47.151 --> 00:31:47.775 No, you don't have to do that. 00:31:47.775 --> 00:31:47.955 I do not. 00:31:47.955 --> 00:31:48.882 I'll look it up while we're talking. 00:31:48.903 --> 00:31:49.566 No, you don't have to do that. 00:31:49.566 --> 00:31:50.769 I'm just sitting here thinking out loud. 00:31:50.769 --> 00:31:54.657 Texas has more than 3,000 high schools. 00:31:54.657 --> 00:32:00.273 Now think about that for a second 3,000 high schools. 00:32:00.273 --> 00:32:03.430 Every one of those high schools are going to have a graduating class. 00:32:03.430 --> 00:32:08.146 So 3,000 plus high schools are all going to be graduating people this year. 00:32:08.146 --> 00:32:09.653 The kids are going to get out. 00:32:09.653 --> 00:32:16.932 They're going to be looking for a job, a scholarship or an opportunity A job, a scholarship or an opportunity? 00:32:16.984 --> 00:32:20.329 My question to young people is always this what's your competitive edge? 00:32:20.329 --> 00:32:23.733 What separates you from your peers? 00:32:23.733 --> 00:32:25.675 What separates you from your colleagues? 00:32:25.675 --> 00:32:27.184 You have to have something. 00:32:27.184 --> 00:32:31.233 It could be something as simple as a simple, strong handshake and a yes or no sir. 00:32:31.233 --> 00:32:32.195 Yes, ma'am, no ma'am. 00:32:32.195 --> 00:32:34.366 It could be the way that you present yourself. 00:32:34.366 --> 00:32:36.050 It could be a handwritten thank you. 00:32:36.050 --> 00:32:36.270 Note. 00:32:36.270 --> 00:32:43.334 Little things like that could be the competitive edge over a similarly qualified applicant. 00:32:43.334 --> 00:32:46.988 Scholarship applicant, job applicant, opportunity applicant. 00:32:46.988 --> 00:32:49.596 Point being you got to have a competitive edge. 00:32:49.596 --> 00:33:00.051 James, in your mind, what would be three things a young person could do that would give them a competitive edge to succeed in life? 00:33:03.439 --> 00:33:26.955 one of the things I encourage my own children to have and I've got two that are out of high school now 23 and 20, was number one to learn a hands-on skill while they were in high school, not necessarily something that they were going to use as a career or a job opportunity, but the fact that they learn that hands-on skill teaches them so many other things besides that skill. 00:33:26.955 --> 00:33:27.855 It teaches them patience, which is going to be very important on thison skill teaches them so many other things besides that skill. 00:33:27.855 --> 00:33:30.181 It teaches them patience, which is going to be very important on this. 00:33:30.181 --> 00:33:33.248 It teaches them to value the quality of work. 00:33:33.795 --> 00:33:46.184 For instance, my son really got into welding in his agriculture class and got a little certificate for doing, you know, welding in his class as he was getting through. 00:33:46.726 --> 00:34:00.441 That's not something he was interested in, but still to this day I have noticed, when he does work, those qualities that he was graded on in that welding skill it translated. 00:34:00.441 --> 00:34:14.382 So, you know, learning that hands-on it teaches you far more than just that skill, but in the background it does give you something to fall back on, or not even fall back on but to build upon. 00:34:14.382 --> 00:34:37.054 If you find an interest in that, I think you know you guys had a speaker out at Texas FFA a few years ago who is very much an advocate of teaching skills training again and that's Mike Rowe, and I'm a big follower of his as well and I love the fact that he feels like that there's not enough of that and he's looking at job opportunities and the work ethic that goes into that. 00:34:37.054 --> 00:34:43.635 We're not training those folks enough, but it's so much more than that, so that would be one thing no, I'm gonna listen. 00:34:43.755 --> 00:34:46.804 I hope everybody listened to what j just said. 00:34:46.804 --> 00:34:49.398 This is the goal that comes out of this podcast. 00:34:49.398 --> 00:34:56.876 Hands-on means that you're learning quality of work, service your service. 00:34:56.876 --> 00:34:58.621 Did you meet a deadline? 00:34:58.621 --> 00:35:00.644 Did you learn critical thinking? 00:35:00.644 --> 00:35:02.228 Did you learn to problem solve? 00:35:02.228 --> 00:35:05.740 All of that comes as a result of that hands-on. 00:35:05.740 --> 00:35:07.865 James, that was excellent. 00:35:07.865 --> 00:35:08.807 Keep going. 00:35:08.807 --> 00:35:11.079 You're doing good Well, he said three. 00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:12.623 right, let me think Well. 00:35:12.623 --> 00:35:18.969 The second one is and there's such a push for us anyway is to be involved in some kind of service activity. 00:35:18.969 --> 00:35:22.438 While you are doing it, Learn to serve others. 00:35:22.438 --> 00:35:30.101 Now in North Carolina and I looked it up there's about almost there's 980 high schools, both public and private, in North Carolina. 00:35:30.101 --> 00:35:42.260 But in North Carolina most school systems, public or private, require a certain number of hours of community service in order for you to do before you're eligible for graduation. 00:35:42.260 --> 00:35:44.005 You have to complete that in some way. 00:35:44.246 --> 00:35:47.016 So some people they're just checking it off the list. 00:35:47.016 --> 00:35:49.838 But some see opportunity in that. 00:35:49.838 --> 00:35:55.342 They see an opportunity not only to serve but maybe to find a passion for their life, them to be really involved with serving. 00:35:55.342 --> 00:36:10.523 Now for my daughter it was obviously through the FFA. 00:36:10.523 --> 00:36:11.748 She's an agriculture teacher. 00:36:11.748 --> 00:36:13.175 She poured her life into that. 00:36:13.175 --> 00:36:20.036 My son is an Eagle Scout, so that was part of what he had to do anyway, but that attitude that he did. 00:36:20.036 --> 00:36:26.661 Now, when they're going to look at opportunities for jobs and folks they can talk about, hey, I'm here to help. 00:36:26.661 --> 00:36:40.086 I'm here Cause they learn some valuable skills, so hands-on, making sure that they have an opportunity to serve and I would encourage to to find opportunities to serve in leadership roles. 00:36:40.086 --> 00:36:41.420 That would be the third thing. 00:36:41.820 --> 00:36:42.443 I like that. 00:36:44.518 --> 00:36:57.130 Now, when I say leadership roles, I'm not talking about trying to be that top officer, necessarily, or that top patrol leader or scout assistant, scout leader or something like my sons had the opportunity for. 00:36:57.130 --> 00:37:08.974 But there are always opportunities in schools for you to step up and lead in some way or another, for you to step up and lead in some way or another. 00:37:08.974 --> 00:37:20.905 Someone always needs help for some kind of project, for someone to stand up and say I'll be in charge of that, and maybe there's only a couple of people that you're working with at a time, but you are learning some valuable skills. 00:37:20.905 --> 00:37:24.666 So leadership, service and hands-on would be the three that I would say. 00:37:24.666 --> 00:37:28.242 If you got those three in your belt, you're a step ahead of everyone else. 00:37:28.923 --> 00:37:33.182 I know that some folks will say, hey, really dive into the coursework that you're doing and have the classes. 00:37:33.182 --> 00:37:36.996 I'm not negating that at all, I'm not diminishing that at all. 00:37:36.996 --> 00:37:49.048 But, all things being equal, those people who've got those other things are going to be the ones that I hired first we've done done a lot of these podcasts, james, but I got to tell you those are three. 00:37:49.434 --> 00:37:53.927 Those are pretty solid right there, and not only do I like them. 00:37:53.927 --> 00:38:02.248 I like them because, as you unpack each one of those, there's three more points that you could take off every one of those. 00:38:02.815 --> 00:38:04.784 So you gave us three, but I guarantee you I could put nine of them on a piece of those. 00:38:04.784 --> 00:38:07.014 You gave us three, but I guarantee you I could put nine of them on a piece of paper. 00:38:07.014 --> 00:38:09.579 That's good stuff, james. 00:38:09.579 --> 00:38:16.182 Real quick, tell us how we can learn a little more about Generation, youth and leadership development and maybe where to get a copy of. 00:38:16.182 --> 00:38:17.746 I've got this book here. 00:38:17.746 --> 00:38:19.981 Maybe somebody wants to get a copy of that. 00:38:19.981 --> 00:38:21.266 Where might they do that? 00:38:22.554 --> 00:38:23.576 The book Tomorrow's Youth. 00:38:23.576 --> 00:38:41.972 Thank you for showing that the book is our attempt to empower people who are working with youth with, first off, the knowledge of what we have discovered the major issues and problems the youth face today and then some practical solutions that they can have to help overcome that. 00:38:41.972 --> 00:38:45.121 They can find the book on Amazon. 00:38:45.121 --> 00:38:48.849 It's very easy to find there Tomorrow's Youth, and just put in my name. 00:38:50.494 --> 00:39:00.951 James, tell us again a little bit about where we can get a copy of your book Tomorrow's Youth, and also a little bit about Generation Youth and leadership development opportunities. 00:39:02.014 --> 00:39:04.137 Well, tomorrow's Youth can be found on Amazon. 00:39:04.137 --> 00:39:05.719 It's very easy to find there. 00:39:05.719 --> 00:39:08.202 We'd love for you to get a copy and tell us what you think. 00:39:08.202 --> 00:39:10.063 You'll find my email in the back of it as well. 00:39:10.063 --> 00:39:28.516 You're free to send an email and tell me what you agree with, what you disagree with, and we can have a great discussion from that URL of generationsiglercom. 00:39:28.516 --> 00:39:29.298 So they'll go to generationsiglercom. 00:39:29.298 --> 00:39:30.503 They'll find all the information for everything to do. 00:39:30.503 --> 00:39:33.632 It'll have a section there for our podcast, our blog. 00:39:33.632 --> 00:39:42.780 There'll be a link over to the coaching program or you can go to the coaching program URL, which is generation-youthcom, which. 00:39:42.780 --> 00:39:49.523 All of that will be merged together by the end of summer, but generationsiglercom will still be active for quite some time. 00:39:49.523 --> 00:39:54.606 That the URL will, and you can find out all the information that you'd like about us. 00:39:54.606 --> 00:39:55.416 How to connect. 00:39:55.878 --> 00:40:05.217 We are retuning, refining, reorganizing the youth certification program that we've done to meet new needs. 00:40:05.217 --> 00:40:11.643 It was a wonderful program, but the post-COVID world needs a different approach. 00:40:11.643 --> 00:40:21.916 So we're wanting to change it up a little bit and create a leadership certification that meets the needs of youth, maybe on different levels. 00:40:21.916 --> 00:40:39.751 We're looking at having a more of an introduction program and then a more of advanced program that's very similar to what we had to kind of get to meet the needs of youth where they are and to help teachers and those who work with youth be able to empower those young people that they work with in the best way possible. 00:40:41.275 --> 00:40:41.835 Very good. 00:40:41.835 --> 00:40:44.920 We appreciate you sharing that, and I would encourage anybody. 00:40:44.920 --> 00:40:53.510 If you get a chance, whether it's their online offerings or their in-person offerings develop yourself. 00:40:53.510 --> 00:40:58.038 I tell people all the time if you want to know what the future is, grow it. 00:40:58.038 --> 00:41:03.523