The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Studio

Faith and Work: Insights from Jeremiah Williams

• Stanislaus State • Season 1 • Episode 8

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Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint-hearted. It requires innovative thinking, self-awareness, continuous resilience and, above all else, faith. Jeremiah Williams, CEO of Oak Crafts by Jeremiah and a Modesto City Councilmember, is the epitome of these traits. From his childhood days living in foster homes in the Bay Area to his turn as a family man and Valley-based entrepreneur, Jeremiah has opted to live by example for the many communities he calls his own. 

According to Jeremiah, community serves as the underlying structure upon which all successful ventures are grounded. Add to that strong familial support, an understanding of one’s strengths and limitations, and a drive to transform passions into reality, and you have a recipe for entrepreneurial prosperity. Regardless of your belief system, this discussion between Jeremiah and Dr. Pablo Paredes Romero is bound to make you a believer in the tenets of business that are shared. 

Co-produced by the Warrior Entrepreneurship and Innovation program and the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing at Stanislaus State. The E&I Studio is edited and recorded in the KCSS studios on the campus of Stanislaus State.
The views expressed by guests on this podcast are not necessarily those of the University.

Welcome to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Studio, where we explore the passion and the purpose behind some of the amazing people in our community and, above all, their stories. I'm Dr. Pablo Paredes Romero and all my career, I've been fascinated by entrepreneurship and innovation from the moment an idea scribbled on a napkin, drawn on a tablet whiteboard and spoken out loud in the shower or in the car on the way to someone's 9 to 5. It's all about the work and the art behind the venture. Jeremiah Williams is easily the most charismatic person I've met in my travels through the Central Valley. The CEO of Oak Crafts by Jeremiah and a Modesto City councilman. His episode traverses faith, family, love, history, philosophy and carpentry with equal aplomb. His panache is leveled out by his gravitas, which is rooted in Scripture. His story is remarkable, a parable in its own way, part showman, part preacher, public servant and pastor. Whatever door through which you enter will lead you inevitably to the pulpit, where Jeremiah spins songs and yarns like records seamlessly interweaving his life story with the wisdom he wishes you would ponder on your way home. What a way to close out our first season. Jeremiah Williams. How are you, sir? I'm doing just fine, Pablo. Want to talk a little bit about community and could you tell me something about the community and group? Well, community just define the word community. Community number one is groups of people who actually consider themselves family and family in the sense of the right frame of mind, the opportunity to actually know what the common goal is for that community. So when we talk about community, there's a civic community, there's church community, there's political communities, there's so many. But to answer the question that I think that you're trying to ask me, the community that I grew up in was people who actually wanted to see me do well. What part of that community is imprinted most indelibly in your DNA? Well, just like DNA, it's made up of so many different parts, and so is my life. Having been through so many communities being involved or being a part of 13 different foster homes in Oakland, California, before moving to Modesto at the age of 15. So when you say community, it's community. It's a village. It's a town, it's a city. It's a group of people. It's so many. So I don't really have what Mayberry Story would be. One community. And we had to go back to Mayberry on that. What as a concept, what does it come to mean to you as you pan on? So many themes, so many important parts of the conceptual community? What does the word come to mean to you in your life today? Well, community to me means togetherness, means collaboration means people with like minded opinions, desires, thoughts and outcomes. So that is one piece of a community. You know, you have the African-American community, have the Latino community, you have the Asian community, you have the Hmong community. You have the Southeast Asian community. You know, so again, community is is is broad. But I think even on the onset of this podcast, maybe we should dive into who Jeremiah Williams is and then we can go from that. What do you say? And that sounds great. Okay, so let's start from when I was a wee young lad. Well, my name is Jeremiah Williams. I was born in San Francisco, California, moved to Oakland shortly after that, of course, with my parents and jumping to the age of 11, you know, things were fine and whatnot until there was a separation in the family. My mom and dad and my dad, they had seven of us in five were taken or were left, excuse me, with my dad. And my mom took two of them. Both of them are no longer with us. They're already gone. Passed away, my mother this year. And then, of course, my my father. 2015, who lived with me as he was getting older. And that's a whole nother story. But moved to Modesto at the age of 15, moved in with a couple of guys, went to Modesto High School, graduated from Taiwan, Christian, about 19 years old, decided that record store material wasn't my deal over on Second and H. After coming from Oakland and looked into the sky and said, you know, I think I want I want to do something different than just music. And in that musical world and soul and deejaying, we were very popular. We did a lot of dances gifts and yet his wedding receptions had a great reputation in this community and to this point, to this day has helped my relationship with so many people in this community. We were never really ill willed or anything of that nature. But at 19 I said, you know, I think it's time for me to to live a pure life as best as possible. Let me find a church here in town. I want to marry a church woman. And I did that. That was 37 years ago. We have three children, twin boys that are 35. My daughter's 36 and I have an adopted daughter who was 13 at the time. She's 41, gave me two grandchildren. One is 22 years old. As of last week, the other one is 17. My twin son has two children, three and a half or three and three quarters, which is Zayd and King Jeremiah Williams. So there's another Jeremiah Williams out here. Be careful, be aware, just let you know. And then there's Zahra, who is is going to be a year in December. And so I've been in business for 37 years now as well. I've been an evangelical since 1984, and I really enjoy the community served on 25 different boards in the last 32 years, very open to the community. And the word now, when you say community, now, you know what I mean by community. Community of evangelicals, communities of ethnic groups. But there's so, so many communities. But the community that we need to always be aware of is the community of how we treat one another, the community of how we walk and talk in this life that we live in and how we're able to forgive and how we're able to move forward and not get stuck in some rut of life and not be able to value the human race. And I do mean the entire human race. I think I'm going to have to now work the word intentional into the intro to your show. I want to go back to something you touched on, something really powerful and the day that you wanted to live. I decided to live a more pure life. And can you describe the circumstances, the feeling, the moment? Well, was a friend of mine. His name was Joe Lozada. Some of you may know the Lozada family in Modesto. They started going to this church over on to all of me, and it was a Pentecostal church. And it was just I saw a difference in his in his countenance. I mean, I know the do was you know, I knew it and I knew that something had changed. And, you know, but with a name like Jeremiah really don't have a choice but to, you know, do something more On the religious side, you know, I mean, I know they had a song. Jeremiah was a bullfrog, but that was never me. And I never did have 99 bottles of wine on the wall. So for the most part, it just was a feeling, you know, it was like, it's time, you know? And and I think some people have shied away from the religious connotations of life, and they feel it's more how you feel towards yourself, this, that and the other. But, you know, somebody created this entire wire thing, whether you want to call it a big bang, even the Big bang had to be a creation of some sort. But we we're not here on a religious podcast today. I don't want to get none of you all out there nervous. So for the most part, this is how it's going down for me. For Jeremiah Williams, I am glad that I have God in my life and he is my balance and he is my community. It's such a valuable part of your story from everything that you're bringing. And I, we've been fortunate to have some amazing guests here on the podcast, and I have a hard time not seeing people of faith interweave faith into that which they dedicate themselves to. So you've been a cabinet maker for some 37 years. For almost 40 years I worked for a company two or half years prior to that. Is there. Is there an intersectionality between your faith and your chosen profession when you decided to do. Well, I mean, you know, all of us know that he was a carpenter, you know, or carpenter son Joseph, this, that and the other. And that's fine on that part. But, you know, the creativity. I've always had a Pablo. I was very fortunate, even while in Foster care, I was noticed as having an artistic ability in at Marcus Foster Middle School in Oakland. And like I said, while in foster care and the principal and some of the faculties said you should apply for this art school that's in Oakland, it's the Oakland City schools. And I did and I was accepted. There were 200 plus students K-12, and it was based on very gifted individuals in that community. In our community of Oakland, they ranged from all ethnicities. But the greatest thing, Pablo, that I was able to glean and take from that that is helped me be who I am today, as you were asking that question, is that I noticed that there were many who could do certain type of art. They were able to do pastel paintings or chalk drawings or oil or watercolor or paper making or jewelry making or sculpture, whether it was soapstone or wood landscape portraits. There were some phenomenal, phenomenal artists. Some were very good at at animation. But what was interesting, Pablo, is the fact that not every one of them could do all of those particular art settings. They didn't have that skill because the one who could do abstract could not do portraits, and the one that can do portraits really couldn't do landscape. And the one that could do landscape really couldn't do animation, but they had a gift for their particular area. And so because of that, I recognize people are people and they all have something to contribute no matter what color they are. So there was a larger truth there revealed itself to to the art. That and so being creative and knowing that I could do anything creatively because it was already in my mind to be able to build something, to draw something, to paint something. I said I wanted to make it more practical, so I chose a profession of crafting furniture we work to do. It's fine furniture for several years, three years before launching out and it's really just looking at a project, knowing what to do, knowing how to do it and seeing it. If anything you can see, you can put together. If you can't see it, you won't be able to do it. But if you could see it, it makes it a lot more easier for you to kit it together and put it together and make it happen. How does the vision change from concept to finished project for you? What's the evolution of that like? Well, it's all it's all in the state of my being set in my mind, I should say. So like I'll take a square piece of wood knowing that I need to build three shelves for shelves. It needs to go 22 and a half inches this way, 45 inches this way, which would equal 67 and a half inches. So how can I get that out of this square piece of wood? So and that's the same concept of how can I live on this earth with what I have given to me to make it a beautiful piece of art for not just me, for but for the other person. When and how did you feel most creative in your career? I mean, it's still evolving. I'm still, you know, looking at that's better than the last one or that's terrible than the last one. So there is no end to that in my mind. I mean, you know, I mean, it's not like you can just say this was the masterpiece. Now I've done some nice pieces and I'm proud of those pieces. However, you know, I'm waiting for the next challenge. I'm accepting ready for the next challenge, what's going to be. But what it is, is not only is it for me, it needs to be for those who are observing it, those who are going to possess it, those who are going to admire it, you know, I'm saying. They're living with it. Is part of your process. Yeah. Them looking at it and going, wow, that's a very nice face. You know, So it's it's it continues. To remarkable to to speak to creative people about the things that inspire them. The journey through to the finished project. What was it like for you the first time that you built something and said, Whoa, took a step back, maybe had an involuntary leave, quicker breath? What was that like? Well, I was about 13 years old and I built a pool table and I bought all of the little balls that go with it and the rack. And and then I made the pool table where the balls actually went down to the front. I mean, and I was in foster care at that time. I built, you know, dog houses. I actually one time I was going to this local church while I was in foster care in Oakland. Of the 1303 16 Market Street, just a block or two was this church. And they had a scene that they were doing for a play. And so in my 15 year old mind, that was no, I was 14, 14 year old mind, I said, I'm going to do that backdrop form. So I took a four by 82 of two, four by eight sheets and built this huge backdrop, painted all of the scenery and then screwed it to a skateboard and walked it three blocks to the church for the play of a journey. I mean, you know, I'm I tell you, if you hear nothing else and hopefully you catch this, people do what people want to do. Whatever you want to do, people do it. If you don't want to do it, you won't do it. And the fact of the matter is, is people do what they want to do. If I if you don't want to do anything in life, you won't do anything. But if you want to do something, you're going to do it. You're going to find a way to do it, no matter your circumstance, no matter your situation, no matter your surroundings, you're going to find a way. And I've always been determined to always make sure I do what I can while I can. I think people unnecessarily bifurcate separate business and creativity very often. So I'm curious, when did you first become aware that your artistry was now something that you could do professionally? 19 years. Old, Something around at 19. Years old? 19 years. Old. What was that. Like? That was when I said, okay, I need to find a job. God is going to provide for a family, which I did not have a family at that time. And that was a part of is starting to. And I walked into Stewart's fine furniture with a with a wooden briefcase that I made and said, I can do whatever you want me to build here if you give me a job. How did you say that. To the to the foreman that was there? And they hired me on the spot. That's brilliant. And fortunately, after coming out of that, working for them, I would go to different people's homes that needed projects done, whether it's kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanities. And so we would talk about it and they would tell me what they wanted. I would listen and they probably would think I was crazy because I was doing my head up in the air, you know, just kind of thinking in the other. And then so after about 20 minutes or 30 minutes of them telling me what they want, then I would sit down and draw the entire thing three dimensionally with a price. With a price. But of course, of course I'm amazed by people with visual imaginations. So you're seeing this the entire time as vividly you describe that you throw your head right. And you see this vision in your mind, right? And then it just happens. You just go to it. Yeah. In that state, when you're creating in that sort of flow state, are there thoughts? Does it happen completely intuitively? What is that process like? What's that feeling like? You know, it's it's like the tennis player, you know, Serena Williams, they were born to do that. You know, I'm saying Tiger, he was born to that. Now you can't do it all the days of your life because your body changes and whatnot and your skill set. But the point of it is there are people who are born to do certain things. And I challenge people to find out what you were born to do. And if you can find which you were born, do Pablo like what you're doing. And this is a part of, you know, reaching into the soul of the mind of the individual to pull out some truths and some some strengths that you can also apply to yourself as well as share. I mean, that's what you do too, and that makes a big difference for so many people. Then we hope so. We hope so. Some some people make it a lot easier, I think, than others. But I'm also curious about a couple of different things involving your entry into a business community. Any business community, you seem the very naturally gregarious person. Networking is a huge part of starting a business. What was it like entering that first room? You know, I was like, again, I was in the last 32 years, you know, sitting on 25 different boards. And I've been in business for 37 years. So it just tells you that, you know, people do business with people they know and at the same time, it's a joy and it's a strength to yourself. If you can encourage somebody, you encourage yourself. Now, if you could discourage somebody, then you discouraged yourself. It works both ways. Now, I'd rather encourage somebody and be sincere and be honest and be transparent and help a cause that I feel that I want to be a part of. And then it just transitions into and I never I never do it to where I advertise my business. You know what I'm saying? I do it because I have the opportunity to do that. And it's also a part of creating not just a cabinet, but creating a relationship, something that that stands the test of time. And everybody really wants a true relationship with individuals, you know, friendships, acquaintances, people, you know, they want to know if someone's genuine because they they need that because there's so many fake people out there that, you know, they they say you're Miguel or you're mega, but none. You know, I'm saying that they're you know, they're fronting is something that they want. And I always want to make sure that when I'm around people, they'll never get the perception that I want something from them. But I always want to make sure that they can get something. For me. That's an impressive distinction to make. I, I think that this is just my opinion. I think I see people that are very giving without being giving it some sort of seems like it comes so naturally that people intuitively pick up on it. Yeah. You know, I, I'm wondering, what were your thoughts on the evolution of this area, this region, in terms of the business communities? Well, I served 12 years on the but still Chamber of Commerce. I really felt for some of the businesses that opened up and, you know, some are still going on today and some are just not. And it it breaks my heart because, you know, they put all their their blood, sweat and tears, you know, savings, mommas, savings, daddy's savings, who's ever savings into this idea that, you know, people told them that they would do well knowing that this is not that business for them. So I try to encourage them the best because, I mean, I want people to, too. If if my community were back at that word community and the community that I'm speaking of, the Stanislaus County Modesto Turlock series, you know, surrounding areas, if our community does good, then we all do good. You know, but if we're not and we're all failing and no one really wants to be honest, then how can we we get anything done. So yet when I when I look at that transition and helping and and being a part of, you know, the business world, my heart goes out to those that are are trying to, you know, no venture no gain. I get that. But at the same time I wish there were something that people can go to you know how to how to start your business dot com locally and have you know people speak to you and tell you the real truth of you going to work 24 seven. There's going to be days you don't feel like doing anything, but you need to get up and get it done you know. So my heart is in the business community deeply because I want to see them successful. Whether it's selling popcorn and peanuts or whatever they want to do. Location is in the right spot. All of these things, you know, play a role into it. But I will say this if someone is listening to this, never give up. Just keep trying, keep moving forward. And if it comes to the point where that particular venture is not for you, then close it down and move on to something else, but something tells you that you can be that entrepreneur, so be it. You may have just chosen the wrong profession. Do you think be people get into it for the wrong reasons? No. I think a lot of people, 99% of the people get into wanting to be a business because they feel like they want to call the shots. They want to make the decisions. They want to be able to have, you know, their choice of how they work when they work. But what you have to understand is there are so many facets of business. You know, you have your e-business, you have your your physical businesses. You know, you have whether it's an appliance store, whether it's a a cabinet shop, whether it's a clothing store, whether it's a T-shirt company, whatever you do, you have to do it with passion and you have to also make sure that you're the one that's going to motivate yourself and encourage yourself. Because if you look for it outside of that, you may not get it. Can it be manufactured passion? I mean. Well, I mean, every manufactured I guess it depends on if it's manufactured in the USA or overseas. But we're now entering the part of the conversation about world trade. I mean, everything is manufactured. You know, I'm saying that you're your meal is manufactured, your clothing is manufactured. And I don't mean by the clothing itself, but you're manufacturing how you want to appeal to your constituents or your community. So everything is kind of manufactured in a certain way. But no, it's you have to have passion. You have to have passion. You have to have determination. You have to have tenacity. You just have to have all out goal that you got to make this happen. But you also have to be have wisdom. You also have to have integrity. You also have to have real people who got to tell you the truth that, no, that stinks. Don't do that. Wait for the next train. What's it like to find that support group and understand and that you have that support group at that point in time? Because I find that people go on non looking for that kind of honesty. Yeah, that kind of direction. Well I mean, you know, for me and this is for me, but you know my source comes from on high, you know, I mean if I, if I try to tap into a source like solar, you know, the sun's going to go away and the moon is going to come out. If I tap into a source like, you know, electricity, it will have a drought. We won't have any water to to move. I have a source that is continuous, that is innovative. So I'm sorry if if you feel as though that you know, you don't need that source, but I need that source and I'm glad I have that source. And he has pointed me in the right directions, told me when to when to stop and when to go. And that's what helps. But if I just lean it on my own understanding, I'm a fall short. What would you say has been the most powerful learning experience they've had as a small business owner? Learning experience? They're all learning experiences and to point out one, you know, I'll give you one. A good friend of mine told me a good night's sleep is a good thing for you. You're up against the wall. You're not sure which way you're going to go. We're not sure how this is supposed to play out. Just take a good night's sleep. As an insomniac, I absolutely 100% agree with you on this. When you get some sleep and things start looking like a photocopy of a photograph, right? And you wake up and you go, you're refreshed and then you can just handle it a different way. And 99% of the time you've got a fresh set of mind because you've rested. I believe I know the answer to this question, but I will ask it. Go ahead. Who or what has been your greatest teacher? Everyone I've encountered everybody. Pablo Cesar, even even while keeping even Tovar who you can't see, who has a beard that looks like Moses. I'm just telling you I'm learning something from him, even as he is his mannerisms. And the whole night I learned from everybody because I believe anybody I come in contact with, I'm supposed to know something. I'm supposed to figure something out from my own life, as well as look at their life and know that things could maybe be better for me based on how I see them operating. Because I always have questions. All of us always have questions. But the answers are always in front of us. The finest teacher is always a student. Yes, sir. If you wanted to be a teacher, what would you teach? I would teach people how to have a family and how to be a family person and how to be and have integrity and have have strength, inner strength. And I would I would teach them, just like the folks that worked for me over the years. Two of them have their own shops now, and they look at me as as their father figure, you know, and I look at them as my son figure. I don't look at them as, Oh, you went out and did your own thing and you're cutting it. No, because there's room and there's there's room for everybody. I don't want you to learn how to just build cabinets. I need you to learn how to be a human. I need you to learn how to be a person. I need you to learn how to be a family man, a father. I need to learn how to be a husband. I need to learn those things, those practical principle things. It's going to make you a better man. If you could become a better man, your cabinets will look beautiful. The Jeremiah Williams School of Cabinetry being launched right here, right now. Absolutely. There we go. There you go. And greater life lessons. Absolutely. And talk about family with such candor. What role have they played in your success in your life, in your learning? Well, you know, it's as a father and as a husband, I look at it like that's the greatest thing you can you can have regardless of mindset and attitude. Or. How they feel. And the thing about it is, is interesting is I never chose them and they never chose me. Those kids didn't choose me and I didn't choose them. I had them, you know, So if I have them, how can I take care of something that was given to me? And that's how I look at it when it comes to fatherhood, when it comes to being a husband, you do the best you can. I mean, we don't have opportunities to be taught how to be, you know, you don't get that downloaded into your brain. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Okay. I'm going to be a great dad today because I just get downloaded. You know, the the I seven, the 15 in my brain. And I know exactly Google who lives with me, you know. No, you have to learn. That is a wonderful opportun ity and that is to be a parent and a husband. I want to go back to jeremiah and his early career. What was he like? Hard working. You know, there were times I missed opportunities to go to Disneyland and Great America with the kids because I was making sure I paid the bills. I was making sure that everything was great. You know, that they wouldn't have their electricity turned off because, you know, no, I took it very serious. And because of the fruit of my labor and because I worked hard and still do, because I'm going to go back to work, get dirty again, because I've got some things that I'm moving around at the shop. But at any rate, the early days, you know, when I'm sitting there by myself

and it's midnight or 1:

00 in the morning, I'm looking at it like and I say this, I use this phrase, it's not gonna to always be this way, but when it not that way, I want to make sure I'm comfortable. It's a powerful phrase. And I look at another thing, a phrase for folks out there. When you're looking at a circumstance, a situation in your life and you don't know how you're going to get through it, look at it as you're already through it. And before you know it, it's done. So frame it in the past tense. Yeah. Like, oh, man, I'm doing I got three more hours of this. Well, look at that. Look at the third hour. Don't look at the out the the third hour prior to the third hour. I mean. Where did Jeremiah then see himself now. Then I knew that if I kept going and moving forward and my source was still right there, that I would be able to I'll stop and say this when I had my daughter and I was like, okay, we'll stop right there. We just started our business and Savannah came around and I was like, Ooh, okay, I'm just going to stay with one child. So, you know, I wanted to make sure I could take care of the child. I didn't want five or six children and I couldn't take care if I could take care of five, six children and you take care of 5 to 6 children, you're out there. God bless you. Keep doing it. But I wanted to just take care of the one. Come to find out wife is pregnant again. I'm like, Oh, no. And then I finally got over the fact that she was pregnant with one. I went to see my sister in Fresno and she was having twins. I'm like, okay, good riddance. I'm glad to see you're having twins. And then we come back home and it's, you know, four, three, four months into the pregnancy. And the doctor says, oops, there's another one. I'm like, Oh, so then there's twins. So I'm like, Oh, no. And so I finally got through that. But I looked up, said, you know, I don't know how in the world I'm going to, you know, take care of this family, but I'm going to do my best. I'm a work hard as hard as I can. So the Jeremiah then says, I don't know if I'll be able to put diapers on them and give them clothes, but I'm going to do that. I'm a worker and make sure that that happens. And I were able to do that. And so, yes, if you're out there and you're I have a young family and you're not sure, just trust me. You just do what you're supposed to do. And if God gave you that child, which he did, because it just wasn't something that just happened, then it's going to be okay as long as you're intentional about raising that child. Who were Jeremiah's earliest allies. You know, some there was some fellows that I worked with at Steward Sign Furniture that was always supportive. I've always had, you know, people give me strength in my life, even while I was in this one foster home, this woman, even though she was kind of tough on me, it was interesting. But she always said, you're going to go somewhere and you're going to you're going to be something in life. Even though she was tough on me and was unfair. So I can prove in court now. And then the podcast took a turn. But, you know, bless her heart, she's gone now and we've kept in contact. I I'll say this, we have kept we've kept in contact with a lot of the homes that we've been in in Oakland. And we'll go back and see them even to this day. There was so many people that dispute put a put a little bit of this, put a little salt, you know, too little sugar, you know, put a little cream in my life. You know, I'm saying, you know, throw out some candy asado or some some foil, you know, I mean, these people, you know, and these are individuals that just always would say something encouraging and strengthening. And, you know, so to say one person, of course, you know, at 19 years old, that's when I started going to church. And I had a really good pastor who calls me son, and I call him dad. And we've been you know, it's been 34, 39 years, you know, And so, I mean, I just have had I've been so fortunate. And I think a lot of it has to do with Pablo is being forgiving. You get stuck in your life if you just can't if you can't forgive people, you're going to get stuck. And you can make all the money you want and you won't have no one to share it with because you're so, so ornery, you're so disrespectful and you're so not so into yourself and not your community, then you can make all the money in the world and be and be terribly depressed over Jeremiah. Now, he'd say to start a conversation with Jeremiah. Then what's up, dude? So like, hey, you know, I would look at him and say, Man, you worked hard. I'm still working hard. We're doing all right and we're taking care of our family. And our family loves us and that's what counts. And that's what I would tell him. And I would tell him, How come you were skinny then and you're little Chip? Not chubbier, but you got little more weight now, What's going on with that? How come I couldn't stay £180? And now, since you all don't know, you know, I'm not fat, overweight or anything like that, but I am care of my health. What do you see yourself as now that is different from how you saw yourself then? Easy. The word would be accountable. Accountable. I'm accountable to a lot of people and I was less accountable to people because of the volume of people that I did know. And now in in my role of life, of community servant accountability is yes, the word. Looking back, did you think you were wired for it then? You know, in life there's it is learnings. You learn. You learn how to be more accountable. You learn how to be more receiving and accepting and forward to helping people be people. You know. The essence of what you're saying or what I sense is the essence of what you're saying, is that being accountable to people is something that's something of a journey. And I think we're all accountable on some level to people. But accepting it, being accepting. Accepting the accountability even to your neighbors, how you carry yourself, you know, you're accountable. I mean, that's life. Now, when you don't accept the accountability that you feel as though you can do anything you want to do and not be accountable to those that are around you, whether whether or not you know them or not. It's just the fact that being accountable helps you to be even more accountable. It may be something we get away with more a younger being that solipsistic, it's like you see everything, the lens of you, right? As opposed to when you have a family. Yeah. Or become more opened up to a certain type of community. And I think then in the last year, the last couple of generations, I think there's been a marvelous step forward for underserved communities. I'm Latino, African-American, and our eyes are being in the right anyways. What does it mean to be an African-American leader in the current business? Climate accountability. You know, I want to be accountable to young people who don't really see locally, tangibly people in their community that they can say, okay, this dude, this guy, this man, this individual, this sir, is truly trying to do what he's supposed to do. He's not, you know, going crooked ways, doing crazy things, living a certain lifestyle that, you know, it's not conducive to quality of life when it comes to the whole horizon of quality of life. And without saying too much, but for the most part, you know, being African-American, it's really important that I step above reproach. I step above and do things even more than the typical individual so that it would help those who don't really, because you're a product of your environment. So if you're not around African-Americans, you know, or Hispanic or Latino, you know, you don't know how to respond to them, act toward them. So I look at it like my job is to help bridge that gap and give them a better view of what an African-American individual is. And number one, he's just as human as you are. Bleeds like you do, is hungry like that. You are and wants the same things. You want your family. You want your children to go to college. You want your children to be successful. We all want the grass to be green. That's why we water our own and don't try to water somebody else's. But the fact of the matter is, is we as African as minorities. Pablo, your in, you know, black and brown. We're held to a higher higher calling too. But it's cool. It's fine with me. Oh yes. Because of the fact that. All right. I mean I had one one guy that I've known for many years says, How come you talk like that? Like I'm talking right now? How come you. I'm like, what? What do you want me to, you know, butcher the king's English and talk like, you know, like slang and all that so you can accept me. You know, first of all, that's not going to get me anywhere. You know, I can be me, but at the same time, I can be proper, too. And there's nothing wrong with you know, being able to articulate correct English and describe what you want to say without using any of the four words or four four letter words. I mean, I don't have to I don't have to go that way. I can pause and I can think of a word. If I can't, then I could use another word. But that defines who I am. And so I can't be amongst people who could do more for me if I treat them like I treat the dude on the on on a corner and say, Hey, what's up, man? What you doing about it? I don't know. I could still go that route. Yes, absolutely. But I'm not articulate what makes sense so that there's clarity in what I'm saying. Touch on themes of leadership and representation matters and representation being a responsibility. What do you feel makes a good leader? Honesty, honesty, compassion, humility, sincerity. You care. You really care about the individual and who the individual is. That is what makes the difference. Because I it's like it's reciprocal. I would expect someone to feel that to treat me that way. Right. So how can I treat someone else a certain way and then not and expect to be treated another way? Why don't I treat people the way I want to be treated? So then it works out even much better because of the fact that if I'm treating them the way I want them to treat, they're going to treat me the way I want it. I had a mentor who echoed that statement in some way used to say that I always extend professional, courteous. I don't always get it back, but I was extended and it reminds me of that book or film that changed your life, the. Greatest selling book in the country and in the world for the last 2000 years. I mean, the I believe that's the number one. That was that was funny. You asked that question because somebody had mentioned that. And then there's you know, there's a lot of your books that people read that are motivational and whatnot. But man, the greatest book that I've ever read, bar none is that one, because it has so many nuggets and truths and realities. But, you know, when you when you go to some of these other books that are out there, there's some people who are readers. Some people say readers are leaders. But in the philosophy lying of of life. Yes. But then I'm that guy who some things here's a phrase for you. Some things are taught and some things are not. So you can be taught something in reading, but if you don't catch it, it was just a good read, right? So I'm the guy, I'm the observer, I observe, I look at so many different things. I read, you know, things that are even on bulletin boards on the highway. I'm not just this guy who's just, you know, ultra spiritual and this, that and the other. No, I just look at things a little different. So that's my read. My read is people. Do you see yourself as a high achieving individual? Do you think of yourself in those terms or. No, I don't look at myself as high achieving. I just see myself as just keep reaching. You know, they say when you're when you're so high up, don't look down, right? Because it might be scary. I just keep looking up anyway, because there's nothing else to look down to. I mean, am I high achieving? No, I'm just doing what I feel like I need to do and get it done. You know, I'm certainly looking at it like high achieving, you know, I can't even compare. And, you know it you can't even compare yourselves amongst yourselves. It's not wise. So the fact of the matter is, it's like you just keep doing what you know, what you need to do. And if you you're ascend, then great. You know what I'm saying? But guess what? When you get to the top, there's not very many people. They're just letting you know. What role does spousal support play in this part of your journey? You know, my wife, she she hasn't paid a mortgage bill since we've been married. She hasn't paid a rent bill, a phone bill, a car note since we've been married. You know, I don't put pressure on her. I want her to be a woman. I want her to take care of the home. I want her to take care of the children. You know, now there's, you know, grandchildren. I want her to feel as though that, you know, she's the queen of the house. So there is the role for her, for me, is to just love me, you know, cherish me, don't try to understand me, because that's that don't work in that never works in any relationship. Just let just letting you all know you can never understand, you know, another person. What you can do, though, is just love them anyway and respect them and honor them. But you know, my wife, she's she is Hispanic, so all my kids are black. Second, I may be a new word for you all. You could spell it any way you want to. My mother in law, who's fully Hispanic, has never got into my wife and I's relationship. She's never came in and said, You should do this or you should do that. I respect her for that. Her name was Maria Rodriguez. You probably think and that's a whole lot of Maria Rodriguez here. So but for the most part, she though she lived in south. She lives in South Modesto. Very humble, very caring, loving individual and spouse. She is not going to be like me. I don't I don't expect her, nor do I put it on her to be in all of these different functions. There are some that I want her to be a part of. And, you know, they say opposites attract. She, you know, she's more recluse, she's more quiet. She's not the, you know, congenial person like myself, but she loves her children. She loves her husband, she loves her home. She loves being in Modesto. She loves her church. And that's all I can ask for. So she does not mirror your energy? Oh, absolutely not. There's not no, no. To complete this sentence. Okay. Recently I've decided to retire and about a year and a half recently decided to build eight tiny houses on half of my property That's downtown that we owned recently. I've done so many other things that I'm not even remembering at this point. But recently I've been able to hang out with Pablo and Frankie. Frankie has a first name too. I was going to go to Last Name, but Frankie hanging out with these guys. So yeah, recently I've been able to, you know, I see Pablo in the community, see him at different venues and whatnot, and I'm thankful for this opportunity today to kind of get to know him even more. And he as well know me a little more because you know what? We're all in this together. And the only way we can make this world a better world is is together because we are stronger together. So the longer I do what I do and the more I. The longer I do what I do, the more I learn that there are more ways to catch a fish. And it doesn't have to be with a hook in a worm. I prefer dynamite, but does. You talk about sushi? I was there already be in pieces. Just get out there and. Make it happen. Never give up. Rely on the sauce keep your mind positive or we can even do the ABCs. And the ABS is. Always believe be believe in yourself. See consider things from every angle D don't give up E eternity is waiting for you, but you still have things to do. F finish your race. I can go on and on and on, but you know, we don't have that kind of time and brilliant. There will always be people who. Don't understand you. There will always be people who won't like you, but you keep liking you because what matters if you can't keep yourself standing up, nobody's going to help you. You know, I'm saying you have to and there's more. But you go on to your others. Life has taught me to. Life has taught me. And this is my model that time tells all stories. Whether you were right, whether you were wrong, whether you were indifferent, whether you did the right thing or you didn't do the right thing. Time tells all stories. My philosophy on life and work is. There's nobody out there to do it, to get it done, Move forward, be happy. Bless God. Winning teaches you. That you might lose, but keep going. Losing teaches you. You can win, but you can also lose. But keep going. God works through me first. When he when I was in my mother's womb. We're taking it back. Being a business leader means you have to. Stay focused because people are business and businesses are people. What I wish new career professionals knew about relationships and networking is. You need them. Random association. You know the rules. Say a word, say the first one that comes to mind, please. Framework Foundation. Control. You never have it. Faith always seek it. Work ethic. Never stop. Word is the truth. Kindness always possess it. Observation with sincerity. Altitude. Keep climbing. Charity. Love is better than hate. Goodwill should always be your desire. Charisma. Better be smooth, baby Build anything and everything but with the right foundation. And now we come to the segment we affectionately known as the 11 first appropriated by Proust, then taken by PVA, finally to Lipton and not so finally appropriated shamelessly by ourselves here at the show. What is your favorite part of starting new finishing it? What is your least favorite part of starting something new. Figuring it out? What interests you the most? The finished product? What interests you least. The time it takes. This, of course, is a radio station. So we have to ask this question What music, artist, genre or song reminds you most of your early days in entrepreneurship and innovation? I've got sunshine know on a cloudy day. What food or beverage reminds you most of your memories of your first startup. Hash browns. Hash browns can't go wrong with hash browns in. So what profession non entrepreneurial do you admire the most? The simplest whether they're working at McDonald's, Taco Bell. The fact of the matter that I know it's not even entrepreneurial that janitorial bus drivers you know when I when I think of your common you know sales person at Walgreens or Wal-Mart that right there humbles. What job prior to entrepreneurship did you like the most and why? Working at a record store at 11 years old? Mama seven. Yeah, it's cool. I'm a shameless collector, so I have to say this. Oh, okay. What job Prior to entrepreneurship did you dislike the most and why? I didn't work anywhere at it. Like, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Well done, thou good faithful servant immediately thereafter. What idea or innovation would you like to pitch him her They it with the universe as your marketplace. No innovation. Love God. Jeremiah Williams. Thank you so much for stopping by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Studio. Thank you, sir. And I want you all to know, if you never met Pablo, he's a cool looking, suave kind of guy. So just letting you know. We treat our guests well enough. Some nights have their teeth about us. Thank you, sir. No, he's suave. Trust me. Ladies and gentlemen, he's suave. Even greater than Rico Suave. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Studio. This podcast is part of the Warrior Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, affectionately known as the WEI. Our series is recorded on the campus of Stanislaus State at the KCSS Radio station and produced by Frankie Tovar. Follow and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. I'm Dr. Pablo Paredes Romero, wishing me the best of everything. Always.