From Kansas City to Global Impact: The Salt Man Turns 50

Fifty years of life brings with it a tapestry of memories, lessons, and moments that shape who we become. In this deeply personal episode, I open my heart to share the journey that has brought me to this milestone birthday and the vision that pulls me forward into the decades ahead.

My path has taken unexpected turns as I've served as pastor, mental health advocate, author, trainer, and founder of the SALT Initiative. The acronym SALT – Serve, Affirm, Love, Transform – has become more than just a framework; it's become my identity as "Mr. Saltman." This philosophy extends beyond serving others to embrace self-care, creating balance that allows authentic living of the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.

Whether you're new to The Salt Talk or have been with me from the beginning, I invite you to wake up, own your purpose, and remember that your best days are always ahead when you choose to live with intention. Join our growing community as we continue this journey together!

Chapters

• 0:15 Welcome to a Special Birthday Episode
• 1:25 Growing Up with Real Ministry
• 3:08 The Birth of Salt Initiative
• 5:45 Learning in the Valley
• 7:22 Vision for the Next 50 Years
• 10:05 Closing Gratitude and Purpose

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Well, hello everybody, grace and peace. Welcome to a very special episode of the Salt Talk. Today, the mic feels a little different because this isn't just another conversation about faith, mental health, leadership and purpose. This is personal. This is a celebration of 50 years of life, love and service, and I'm inviting you, my friends, my family and listeners to sit with me as we take a journey, my journey. We're going to look back on where God has brought me, from the work he has allowed me to do and the vision he has placed on my heart for the next 50 years and beyond. So, whether you've known me for five decades, five years or five minutes today, I want you to hear my heart, because this episode isn't just about me. It's about how purpose unfolds when you say yes. So thank you so much for listening. This is Jermaine Alberti and this is Assault Talk.

Speaker 1: 1:25

Well, 50 years ago, I was born in a place called Kansas City, missouri, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, great barbecue and amazing jazz music, and it just seemed at the age of 16 that God decided that this world needed another servant. And I was blessed to grow up in a family where my mother took us to church on Sunday mornings. We had good dinners at the church, we laughed, we loved and we lived. We laughed, we loved and we lived. And I'm so grateful for just a life where, yeah, it was tough, but my mother showed me how to press through that toughness. You know, I watched her work hard, I watched her love hard. I watched her love hard, I saw her compassion for people, and while in my early years I didn't know what the word ministry meant, what my mother showed me was so much genuine love and empathy and compassion for others and that defined my life. That was real ministry. And what I knew was was that I was called to be somebody. I was called to be somebody in God and I was called to this world. And so, over the years, I'm so grateful that God has expanded my territory and I've been blessed to serve as a pastor, as a minister, as a trainer, as an author, as a consultant, as a mental health advocate, and my journey has taken me to many pulpits, classrooms, boardrooms and community centers, and it's been a privilege to stand in spaces where faith and mental health intersect, and sometimes peacefully and sometimes painfully, but always with a purpose. You know, over these 50 years I have been a national trainer of mental health first aid since 2008, training thousands and life-saving skills. I've been blessed to be the co-author of a book bought up inside African American teens and depression. I have been an advocate for trauma informed theology, cooking faith leaders to address the wounds of their congregations. I've been blessed to be a part of the. I am so excited about developing the Wake Up, own and With Purpose coaching program, which I believe will help individuals discover and sustain purpose in my life. Work Seems to have finally just been placed in me to move forward with being Mr Saltman.

Speaker 1: 4:40

You may be wondering what in the world, mr Saltman? Yes, mr Saltman. You may be wondering what in the world, mr Saltman? Yes, mr Saltman. Salt stands for serve, affirm, love and transform. And when I thought about my life and what I wanted my life to be, it was to be in service to others, affirming others, loving others, loving others, transforming others. But then it turned to that of self-care for self and serving self and affirming self and loving self and transforming self and being able to live out truly that second commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself. And that's why I'm so excited to be the founder and principal of Salt Initiative LLC, because with Salt, I intend, for the remaining years that I have on this earth, to just continue to be the difference and build a Salt community. And it was out of this salt community, this desire to be the salt of the earth, that was born the salt talk. The salt talk was born out of my belief that will transformation happens in conversation and when we exchange stories and learn from each other and remind ourselves, will transformation happens in conversation and when we exchange stories and learn from each other and remind ourselves that love is foundation, that service affirmation and love and transformation salt, that these aren't just nice words but they are the recipe for community healing. And I am so very, very excited that I am going to take this podcast, along with many other things that are developed, and we are going to, as I just said a little earlier, build a community.

Speaker 1: 6:45

You know I just want to say this much that I've been doing a lot of reflection, and no life is without valleys. I've had seasons where I've questioned my worth, my calling, even my faith. I've had moments of crisis, times of loss, times of failure, times of heartbreak. But here's the truth God does some of God's best work in the valley and it's in those moments that I've learned that resilience isn't about bouncing back, but it's about standing firm in the storm. And so I am so excited that I've been blessed to be on this earth for 50 years, and there ain't no stopping me now. Ain't no stopping me now. Listen, the best is yet to come, and I've spent the first 50 years learning, growing and serving. In the next 50 years, that's about that multiply impact.

Speaker 1: 8:08

I have a vision that I believe that God has placed on my heart. Moving forward, I have a desire to expand the SALT initiative globally, bringing trauma-informed faith leadership to churches across continents. I would love to train 10,000 more individuals in mental health first aid in the next decade. I would love to publish more books that blend faith leadership and mental wellness, that blend faith leadership and mental wellness. I would love to continue to build a wake-up on and with purpose and build retreat centers for leaders and caregivers and change makers. Most importantly, I would love to do what was done for me, and that is mentoring the next generation of faith leaders and advocates to carry this torch forward, and my prayer is that when people look at my life, they don't just see what I've done, they see the God who made it possible. My great uncle said this and I'll never forget it, my great uncle, henry Jones. May the works I've done speak for me.

Speaker 1: 9:28

My friends, 50 years have taught me this Life isn't measured by titles or accomplishments, but by the love you give and the lives you touch. As I move forward, my commitment is to keep serving, keep affirming, keep loving and keep transforming. One conversation, one act of kindness, one purpose-driven moment at a time. So to every listener, whether you're 15, 50, or 85, wake up on that purpose, and the best days of your life are always ahead of you if you choose to live them with intention. So listen, I am so very grateful for every breath, for every lesson, for every opportunity to serve, and may my life continue to be the salt and light in this world. Well, my friends, this is a Salt Talk with Jermaine Albrey. I want to thank you for celebrating with me, and here's to 50 more years of purpose.