The Journey to Freedom Podcast
Journey to Freedom serves as an exclusive extension of the Living Boldly with Purpose podcast series—a platform that inspires powerful transformation and growth. Journey freedom is a podcast hosted by Brian E. Arnold. The Journey to Freedom is an our best life blueprint exclusively designed for black men where we create a foundational freedom plan. There are five pillars: Identity, Trust, Finances, Health and Faith.
The Journey to Freedom Podcast
So You Want To “Go Viral”? Let’s Talk About Not Jumping Off Roofs with Jimmy Jean
Looking for a blueprint to build influence that actually changes lives, not just algorithms?
We sit down with author and speaker Jimmy Jean to unpack purpose, presence, and the real work of becoming someone people can trust.
From Brooklyn roots and a single-mom household to a mission fueled by faith, Jimmy shares how community shaped his resilience and why he believes influence is something you earn offline through kindness, consistency, and service long before you count a single like.
We get honest about fatherhood and healing: the fear that surfaced when he learned he’d have a son, the therapy that followed, and the realization that kids need presence more than perfection. Jimmy takes us inside his creative process for The Purpose-Driven Influencer the late-night spark, the roller coaster of self-doubt, and the simple, repeatable habits that carried him across the finish line.
We talk intention over outcomes, letting purpose steer your goals, and why chasing viral moments can leave you empty while a quiet act of service can change someone’s life.
If you’re tired of clout-chasing culture and want a practical, soul-centered path to meaningful impact, this conversation is for you. You’ll hear real stories about encouraging strangers, building daily rituals of stillness and prayer, and keeping “artifacts of purpose” to revisit when doubt creeps in. We don’t just define purpose-driven influence we model it, one small, faithful step at a time.
Listen now, share it with someone who needs a nudge forward, and if the message resonates, subscribe and leave a review.
Your words help more people find conversations that measure influence in meaning, not just in millions.
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All right, all right, all right. How are you all doing today? I can't wait to have uh this conversation. Uh I am so excited today. I have uh Jimmy Dean on today. Or not Jimmy Dean, that would be like sausage.
SPEAKER_00:You're Jimmy. Listen, no hum, no hum. I've gotten that before. It's okay. It's okay.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my gosh, and I don't even need pork people. So funny. Oh, I apologize.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that's hilarious.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, the number one thing that's a good ice.
SPEAKER_00:That's a good icebreaker, man.
SPEAKER_01:That's a good icebreaker.
SPEAKER_00:I love it. I love it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's like we're we're taught like I have a degree in communications, and one of the number one things that they always say is make sure you, you know, the number one peep thing people want to hear is their name. And then I go call you this other dude that I don't know when he was born and how he made all the stuff that he made and so that was so fun. I am so excited today, uh, because it's not all the time that you get to talk to a fellow fell, a fellow author or somebody who's done uh, but when I look at you know, the we've done uh a little over 220 journey to freedom episodes, and then I have one called Living Boldly with Purpose, which is another reason because your your your uh book talks about purpose. Uh and so, like the living boldly with purpose is the overarching, and then I started the journey to freedom uh because I wanted to to talk with black men and to figure out okay, what is it that is keeping us stuck or keeping us going or what you know, just successful stories of black men doing what it takes to win in this life. And so last year, I don't know, I was able to take 18 uh men down to Alabama for a civil rights tour to kind of start talking about, okay, here is our past, here's where we're going, you know, and then now how do you fit into that? And then to have somebody else who then writes and talks about purpose and talks about this uh is just so exciting a show to have, uh, because I think there's so many things that we can at least talk about in the world. And if if the audience, uh and the audience is every, you know, everybody and anybody who's willing to listen, but if there is like young black men who are saying, you know, I don't know, I need to see somebody. Now, I for me, you know, I I always say, well, it doesn't matter, you know. To me, you know, it doesn't matter. I didn't need to see anybody, you know. But then what I found like the reason I actually started Journey to Freedom, so I went to this seminar and it was really good. It was about trust. And it was I was in Minnesota, and there's 500 people in the room, and there's like 30 folks of color in the room. And I'm wondering, like, why are we not getting this information? If if there's folks that have an issue with trust, it is our folks, it is our community. And so I go to this, and so uh I said, Well, I never I don't care, but I just told you there's there was 30 of us that were in the room, right? That means that I'm counting, and if I'm counting when I go into rooms, I guess it matters a little bit, and I've had that realization that I always count when I'm in these rooms, and it's you know, it's not that it's uh it matters or I'm not getting good information, but it is there is a part of me that says, This is my community, these are my folks, these are the people that I grew up with, these are the people that I see struggle, you know. When we watch a roots or watch, you know, uh Amistad or something like that, it almost feels like hey, this is our ancestors, these are the people that built our country and and the people on the backs of the country, and there's just something that's special uh when we find folks of color that are doing stuff. And so what I found is there's tons of us, and we just don't highlight highlight all the issues, we highlight the dads that aren't real good dads, yeah, or the dads that are struggled or whatever it is, we highlight you know the entertainers or the athletes that mess up, and we don't highlight just the everyday people who are making it work and changing the community in a huge way. So, so Jimmy, thank you for being on. Thank you for just if that's all I said, and we were to shut this down now, there would be no, we're not gonna do that because I want you to tell your story. I want you you came to this planet somehow, and you know you weren't born at the age you are now, so you went through some things in your life, and so I'd love to hear about it, and so we'll start there, and then after that, oh my gosh, I can't wait to chop it up with all the other things that we're gonna talk about. You are in a treat, you are in for a treat today, my friends. All right, so Jimmy, the floor is yours. Take it away.
SPEAKER_00:Well, Brian, um, first of all, I just want to say thank you um for creating a space where men can be vulnerable, where we can tell our truth, when we can let it all out and not feel ashamed about our story, our history, and the things that we've gone through. And so, first I just want to say thank you, and I just want to give you your flowers and honor you for that. Um a little bit about me. My name is Jimmy Jean, um, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I am a um I am a husband, I am a father, uh, was raised by a single mom in Brooklyn, uh, and also to by some powerful and strong women in my life who uh who helped me excel, who taught me the importance of resilience and and service and and giving back. And um for me, my now my mission is is to do the same for others. I think whenever you whenever your life, when you've when you've been poured into so much, I think you feel a sense of responsibility to do that for others. And now for me, now my mission is really all about helping people live with intention and meaning. And I know what it felt like to grow up and have and feel like your life didn't have any purpose. And so now that I I feel like I'm living on purpose, now I uh I'm the messenger of purpose. So uh so this is a little bit about me.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my gosh, and so um I Brooklyn is just an interesting city. I've been there. I have uh two two of my boys uh were born in Brooklyn, or they're born in Harlem Hospital, but they lived in Brooklyn uh before we adopted.
SPEAKER_00:They were actually on the I was I was born in in Killer County, uh as they used to call this Kings County Hospital, but they call it Killer County.
SPEAKER_02:Gotcha.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my god. Obviously, obviously, I'm alive and so I'm here, so we're good.
SPEAKER_02:So you're here, so they didn't include uh to move forward. Uh but you know, interestingly enough, yeah. I'd love to just even kind of talk about your identity growing up because you you only knew what what your family had, right? It's not like we all have all these different, you know, oh well, I you know, I didn't grow up in this and I didn't grow up that. You just know who you are and you make it work. Yeah, but as you got older, to be able to look back and reflect on you said you talked about really strong women that kind of guided you in the responsibility that you felt. Yeah, at what point did the rest of the neighborhood or the other kids that were part of your schooling and that kind of stuff that maybe didn't turn out as well as you did, or what we would, you know, you know, maybe into the streets and stuff, what kept you so grounded uh during this time as your identity was shaped?
SPEAKER_00:Well, um, first of all, I'm I'm Haitian and uh I got a lot of threats. Uh a lot of threats. If you don't, if you make sure you don't, you know, like hit the books and and and all sorts of things, but I'm only kidding. But what kept me, what kept me grounded is um it's the people, it's the community. Um it's uh you know, I was raised by a single mom, and so you know, now as a parent, I realize how much it takes to raise just one kid. So imagine a single mom raising, you know, I have uh I have two sisters. Imagine the responsibility that comes with that. And so I think it's community. For me, it's been my my aunt, it's been my grandmother, and these two people who played a pivotal role in help raising me, um, and they keep me, they kept me safe. You know, my mom was she would wake up four or five o'clock in the morning and drive a taxi to provide for us. And, you know, and yeah, and so so when my mom was working and grinding for us, just to just to keep a roof over our head, sometimes I will spend my summers with my my aunt. And and I would miss my mom because you know she was she was working so hard for us. And but you know, just so it's just really community that really helped uh ground me and and shape me and and poured so much love into me. And and I think that's just why I am who I am today.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you for sharing that. One of the things that I love to ask black men, especially black men who are parents, because you know, one of the things, and then you have the unique um you know perspective of you know being have being raised by a single mom and then a community that comes behind you, yeah. And so we we talk so much because I believe that every child needs a dad, and I'm sure you probably don't know too many people who don't believe in that, yeah. But sometimes what we don't talk about is what it means to be a dad. Like, how did that change your existence once you became a parent and then you felt this responsibility different than you know your upbringing because there wasn't that huge are you trying to get are you trying to get me emotional, man?
SPEAKER_00:This is too early in the show. Like, you know, like come on, man.
SPEAKER_02:You gotta know, man, because it's uh there's so many people that I talk to on the show and stuff that say I'm doing everything I can to be a dad. You know, I mean, some of the things, the hoops that we've had to jump through, you know, to see your child when when the relationship doesn't go well, or you know, the system isn't geared towards dads being able to be that, yeah, you know, and it sounds like you have this great relationship that you you do have them with your kids, and yeah, you you you that's your life and why you why you exist. Yeah, so I just want to kind of hear about it a little bit. Yeah, so a little bit emotion and that's yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I you know, I you know, I you know, I remember hearing this saying that it's it's hard to be what you cannot see, yeah. But but I think it's not imp it's it's not impossible. And growing up growing growing without a dad, I think when I had my son, there were a lot of insecurities that's that I thought that I kind of dealt with, be uh around manhood and what it means to be a man. And as soon as I found out that my wife was having a son, all the trauma, all the stuff that I've been, all the work that I've done in therapy that I thought, like, oh, I'm good now. All of it came back to the surface. Is like, holy cow, I'm having a son. How am I gonna raise a son when never when someone never taught me how to be a man? And it frightened me. There was so much fear, so much anxiety. And I said, I have to double down on therapy right now. I have to, I have to double down in therapy to help me deal with these emotions and this anxiety. And so when my son came into the world, I felt like what am I what am I gonna do? What am I what am I gonna teach him? And um and then as I started just doing the work, and I realized all kids need is for you to be present. They want you to be present, right? They won they want you to love on them. And so, you know, all this narrative that I created about like and felt this pressure, it that pressure started to go in the way because and one of the things that helped me, one one day I took my uh my nephew uh to the supermarket and and he said, he said, Uncle Jimmy, can I can I can I pay for can I pay for uh the uh I think I got him a toy or something, and and he wanted my card. And so I gave him the card and and as he's paying and we're just playing around and we're just having so much fun, and it just really like the realization of what like parenthood and fatherhood really mean, it's just it was just like being present, being just having fun with him, like not taking life too serious. And so um I think just that moment just with him and being present, it's just like that's it, because that's what I wanted as a kid, and so I get to I get to change the narrative uh about what fatherhood, I get to redefine it. And so for me, what I define as fatherhood now, which is like being present with my son, uh loving him, being silly. Um, and the great thing about being a father now and not having is I got I get to simultaneously heal my my inner child. That the the the little Jimmy that needed a hug, the little Jimmy that needed his father to be there, the little Jimmy that needed someone to say, I'm proud of you. Like, as I'm doing that with my son, um playing with my son and being present with him, like I feel like I'm getting everything that I didn't get uh as a child. And it's crazy. And you know, the other day that um I just came back from uh Tampa um speaking about my book, and um my wife, she uh uh she had a cake waiting for me. And and the next morning, you know, my son, he was so excited, and he was just saying, you know, happy birthday, daddy. It wasn't my birthday. What he really was trying to say is congratulations, but you know, because because he connected a birthday cake and in in balloons to like birthday, yeah. And and and just hear him saying, Daddy, congratulations, like I'm proud of you. And he's a three-year-old, and I was like, that's it, that's all I need, man. That's all I need.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my gosh, it is so so so neat and so so cool. I was I was just as you were talking, and I'm I'm listening and I'm reflecting back because my kids are grown now, and so yeah, I I'm thinking like the proudest days or my my happiest, joyous days were the days they were born, uh, and then the days that they graduated from high school. Like, whoo, we got to hear and we made it, you know, through that process. And now, so I I used to be a teacher, so I've kept my teaching credential, and I'll substitute, substitute, you know, for my grandkids sometimes, and I won't let them know, and I'll just show up at the school, and just to be present as you know, Papa just showed. Of course, they don't call me, you know, you know, doctor, you know, they call me Dr. BA, you know, when I'm Pops, Dr. Pops. Yeah, they they're like Papa Papa, now they're the hero of their school, you know, and how much does that cost me? You know, it's like sometimes we think all this is necessary, the toys I buy and the games that I have, and all those things, but it's just yeah, you know, it's it's just you like you said, it's being present, you know, it's it there's all that other stuff doesn't matter to them, you know, and we think it does, and we you know, we think that we have to sometimes buy some of that. Uh, but I you know, my identity has changed you over the years that you know now that my oldest is what 37, so you know, and he and he works for Pixar. So I'm the I'm the I'm like the proudest, you know, dad in the world. My son works for you know that's awesome. Yeah, but because I'm a different person, because I spent that time understanding I need to be present. Now I didn't have to be like when they were playing little league baseball and there's 67 games in a you know in a season. I don't need to be at all 67 games because we got to eat, you know. But at the same time, you know, if I'm at some of them, most of them, you know, uh that that's all they care about. They want to know that they can say this is my dad. So thank you so much for for just sharing that. I do want to talk about your book because you just mentioned it. And you know, if you can, uh, this is your first book. And you know, before we were in the green room and we were just talking about what it means to be an author, and I stopped Jimmy. I said, Jimmy, wait, let's let's have this conversation as part of this podcast. So maybe just take me through before we talk about the uh inside of the book, let's talk about the process. Because you know, in order to write a book, you have to start feeling like you have something to say that somebody else would want to read or somebody else could benefit from, you know, because nobody just wants to write a book, just that it doesn't help anybody. I guess there might be somebody, but I don't think you would sell too many copies if you don't think that it's going to help somebody. Um, and so maybe kind of just walk through your thought process when you decided I'm gonna write a book.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, well, I had a lot of ideas for books, all right. Like I started books, stopped. Uh but this was I knew this was the one. And I remember the day that the idea and the download of the book came to me. I was I came home one night and uh was in my living room, it's pitch black, and and I was just I just sat there just in silent and um just kind of thinking about life and like what are some of my next steps, like what I want to do. And the idea just came to me, the purpose-driven influencer. And I was like, oh wow, like this is it. This this is the idea. This is this is the idea that I've been waiting for for a long time. And I just remember praying and just like asking God, like, like I have a book in in me and I have an idea, but I just don't want to write a book for the sake of writing a book. I want to write a book, number one, that's gonna help me, and number two, that's gonna help others. Um you know, there's a beautiful, there's a beautiful quote that says, um, if there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must be the one to write it. And and I created what I wish existed in the world for me for a very long time. I looked for uh a like a guide for influencers, but like influencers like myself, who is a purpose-driven influencer, and it didn't exist, and so I created what I needed, um, and and that's how the idea came about.
SPEAKER_02:Cool. So as you're thinking and you're saying, okay, I I want to write this, um, and you you say God kind of gave you, you know, the steps. What do you think prepared you most, you know, in your life's journey to be able to write this?
SPEAKER_01:I'm getting deep on it.
SPEAKER_00:Man, man, I mean, where do I where do I begin? Um I think uh hardships often create ordinary people for extraordinary destinies. And and I think for me, it's just it's been a culmination of all the things that I've gone through. It's the hardship, it's the it's the rock bottom, it's uh it's the it's being raised by a single mom, it's it's it's fatherlessness, it's not having uh strong male rop male route models growing up. Um it's uh it's it's it's the the lack of belief in myself at at certain points in my life. It's uh not having a healthy self-esteem, not feeling worthy. Um and I think when you when you mix all of those adversities, right, it's it's that scene that your your mess becomes your message. Um and so I I always believe there's uh no test, no testimony, and and no mess, no messaging. So when you mix everything, all of those things into the pot, I think this is what you get. This is what you get.
SPEAKER_02:Oh man, it's so so good. I asked you this before the show, but I like this is where I stopped you and I said, you know, we were thinking about you know how many books you might have in you. And it was a question that was asked of me by by maybe a first or second interview, and it's it has stuck with me uh over the over the over the years. What you know, how how many do you think now that you've written one and you know the process and what it takes, uh, how many more do you think you have in you? First, I was telling you about the process of yeah, I was gonna begin the yeah, I want you to tell you the process.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think any any creative process takes you through a roller coaster of emotions. And I think I was telling you this about you go from I can do this to I'm confident to this is terrible to I'm terrible, I suck, and and then and then you go back to like, yeah, I can do it. Um, and so it's a roller coaster of emotions. Um, but you learn so much about you uh through that process. And I think it's not it's not really it's not really the accomplishment of the book that I'm proud of. I think it's it's who I got to become in the process and what I've learned about myself. And would I would I do it again? Yeah, I think I would do it again. I think uh this is probably not the last one. I I don't want to put a cap on it. Um and but like I said, I want to make sure that the message is the right message, and I'm not just doing things just to, you know, I'm not writing another book just to write another book, but there there has to be some sort of message behind it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, oh my gosh, I just it's so cool. I um when I was asked that quite when I was asked that question, I wasn't as bright as Jimmy and saying, Yeah, I think I have more in me. My my my response was uh this is good enough. This process took me through the emotional ringer, and I don't know if I have it in me.
SPEAKER_00:Trust me, it it did that, it did that to me. I there I there were plenty of times where I quit on this book, you know, and and then part of me was like, Man, I am why did I tell people that I was writing a book? Because then then you get you get those people, hey Jimmy, um what happened to that book that you said you was working on? And then now you feel this like, and you know, I'm a I'm a little uh I have this uh about me. I'm I'm a little competitive with myself. And so part of me is like, okay, all right, I I I I I gave you my word that I sell it in my book now. I gotta I gotta follow through. And so um part of that was just like, well, I I put it out there now. I gotta I have to I have to follow through. So um yeah, it's uh it's a beautiful process. Um and I think um if I can do it, anybody can do it. And I think there are a lot of people who have a message, and not just a book, but it could be it could be to start a podcast, it could be uh, you know, to maybe write a movie or whatever it is. Um, you know, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. And I would say to have to whoever's watching is that just start the journey. You don't have to be perfect. Um, you know, uh, even when I was writing a book, what I learned is that you know, you can't write and critique yourself at the same time. Um because what that does is it erodes your confidence. And so uh you think of yourself as an artist, and you just some days I had good writing days, some days I didn't. Some days I was just throwing enough paint on the canvas to say that I did something. And um, you know, I remember my wife uh went on days I didn't want to write, on days when I felt like days I didn't feel like I had it in me in. And I was just like, she said to me, just write two sentences. That's it. Just give me two sentences today. I'm not saying to write a paragraph, just give me two sentences today. And as you know, you start writing, you know, it's like doing push-ups. If someone dares you to do five push-ups, you're not gonna do five push-ups, you're probably gonna end up doing 10, 20 push-ups, right? Because you just once you start, you just keep going. And and once I started putting my fingertips on that laptop, you know, the words begin to flow, and then all of a sudden I had, you know, three paragraphs. And so, um, so whoever, whoever is in this creative process of of making your art, just start, you know, every single day. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, it could just be one thing that moves you forward to get to the end of that goal.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my gosh, so so true. And I I remember the the weight that was lifted once I saw my book on the shelf, you know, and I was the I was a special ed kid that was told that I wasn't gonna mount to anything and that I wasn't going to be able to. So to write, you know, dissertation is one thing, right? There's like it's gonna sit on a shelf forever, nobody will ever read it. Yeah, you know, but when you write a book that is for the everyday person uh to be able to do it, and then it gets put onto the shelf, and you're going, wait a minute, this is this is really cool. That weight was lifted off. And so now my writing process involved because the technology caught up with my brain, right? So now instead of me trying, you know, the person who got a D minus in typing, and that was a gift, you know, back in the day to get that the D minus, I can now speak to my computer and I can talk. And I I wrote my entire book talking to the computer, not having to do a keyboard, not able to do any of that. And so since my first one came out, I'm now on I just finished book four a week ago. It's uh one coming out at the end of this month, and it's like this is this. I don't I when I said I don't have another book in me, I didn't think I did, and now three books after that, they're just coming out and flowing, but it's because of chat GBT and technology and stuff like that that can do what everybody else told me I wasn't capable of. And so for those of you, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:No, I was gonna say I I identify with you and you you're talking about being a special ed kid and and the struggles of of of school and now look look who look who you have become, right? And like I struggled in school as well, too. Um, you know, I was left back in the third grade and uh I ended up uh having to drop out of high school um and managed to get my GD, managed to go to college, but I had a lot of struggles. I had a lot of struggles with with school. I at one point I I didn't think that I was I was I was smart. And because of that limiting belief, I think a lot of that held me back in my life and also too held me back from pursuing a lot of my dreams. And so now as we fast forward, I'm I'm an author, it's uh it's so gratifying and um so fulfilling, but it's just a reminder to myself that you know, regardless of what happened in your past and your background may have played a role in who you are, but it it doesn't have a say on who you can become.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my gosh, you were saying like all the like so um the reason I started doing podcasts and making sure, and now that I coach and teach people how to do podcasts is for that exact reason, is because all the things that it gives you, you know. I I don't know if you've ever heard this because you're on a podcast with you, but eight out of ten people who start a podcast never get to 10 episodes. Wow, and you go, wait a minute, there's all these things that podcasts can do, whether you, you know, everybody wants a hundred thousand listeners or you know, the whole world watching and wants to be famous, but there's so many ancillary things that it can do. Like, I'll ask you this what have you ever done in your life that you've been really good at, or just kind of good at, or just plain good at that you only did 10 times? Nothing, it ain't nothing you did, you only did 10 times, you can't hire you and be good as high, right? And so, why do people quit so quickly expecting these results to happen and not real because uh there's a guy named Myron Golden always talks about uh all work works, and it might not be working for you, but it's working on you, yeah. And so to do what you did and write a book, yeah, that whole process worked on you. Now it's gonna start working for you because it's gonna be published and you're gonna make some money and it's gonna sell and all those wonderful things. But think about all the things that it worked on you to become the person that you are right now as a result of writing it. All the stops, all the starts, all the non-belief, all the belief, all the things that you get to the finish. Well, imagine that for all these folks that we're talking to today in their lives that are believing they're not enough or believing that they can't. You know, could you be if if you only had 10 days with your kid, would you be a good dad?
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely not. Yeah, and I and I and this and this is what I talk about also in the book is that the process of becoming a purpose-driven influencer.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:We live in uh we live in a microwave society where uh you know the day that you open up an account, an Instagram account or social media account, and you give yourself the title influencer, it immediately means that you're supposed to have a million followers and a million subscribers, right? Uh like but influence is is something that is uh it's something that is um it's earned over time, it's something that you build, and uh we can't fast track our destiny. Um, you know, and you know, uh you can you can buy fake followers, right?
SPEAKER_01:Of course, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Right? But guess what? Fake followers means equals fake influence.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:Right? And and so you cannot fast track this this this process of of influence and and leadership, and um, and and it's it's a day-to-day thing. And um, and this is what I and I I speak about that in in the book, it's a it's a process. The man, the man on the mountain didn't land on the mountain, right? He had to climb. And I think it's the same way with influence, right? If we're gonna become who we were created to be, if our influence is gonna get to where it's gonna be, then we're gonna have to make peace the fact that we're gonna have to climb that mountain.
SPEAKER_02:Can you help me to define, you know, because it's the per purpose-driven influencer, yeah. And sometimes I think we struggle what it means to be an influencer. When I think of our younger generation and they say, Well, I want to be an influencer, what what does that mean? And how do we define that in a way that it could be something that we strive for?
SPEAKER_00:Man, I think um I think when people when people say they want to be an influencer, I don't I don't even think they understand what that actually means. Um, what kind of influence, what kind of influence do you want to be? Right? It's it's it's why I call myself the purpose-driven influencer. Because I'm not just an influencer, I'm not an influencer for the sake of having influence. I don't believe in having influence for the sake of having influence. Um, and and you know, there's a there's a saying in the in the book where I go, you know, many, many, many influences are called, but but few have chosen the path of purpose. Uh and and and so the the call to be a purpose-driven influence is out there. The invitation is out there. So if you want to come over on this side, you can. This is the side where it's there's more fulfillment in this side, there's uh there's more peace on this side, there's more identity on this side. Because if you just want to say I want to be an influencer, sometimes that just means I want to be seen.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, seen and heard.
SPEAKER_00:And that's I want to Yeah, I want to be, I want to be seen, I want to be popular. Uh, I want to be I want to be the person that is known that that drives all the the luxury cars and go on on the exotic trips, and I want to post it, and I I want to get as much subscribers and views and and look at me and look at you know, I'm cool, but but at the end of the day, how is that edifying? Right? How is that helping anybody? And so uh the purpose-driven influencer is someone who just has a a uh a higher purpose, um, and they're grounded in something much deeper. Um, and that's and that's and that's the separation, and that's the difference between someone who's just an influencer for the sake of having influence and someone who's driven by a higher purpose.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you for sharing that because you know, I I talked to some people that want to go viral, right? Show me how to create a video that goes viral. I'm gonna you know, I'm gonna do some entertainment there, I'm gonna do something stupid, like jump off the roof into you know, into sand and get myself hurt and stuff like that. And then go, well, but then I'll be an influencer. No, you'll just be a person who created an entertaining video doing something stupid, and possibly a person who got hurt, yes. Oh my gosh, and so uh like John Maxwell wrote in one of his books, he said, we talked about leadership. He said, if you're a leader and there's no one following you, you're only taking a walk, you know, and so I love that thought process because I think people believe that being an influencer means that you're persuading somebody to persuade somebody to do something or coaxing somebody into doing something that they might not normally do, and so you now influence them to do something, and like you said, I think they got that backwards because I don't think you get to declare yourself an influencer, I think you go out and serve and help people, you know, yeah, they're influenced by what you're doing, absolutely not necessarily by what you're saying.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, am I right in that or yeah, but I also think that um influence is really not about just being online, it's it's every day, it's every single day. And so when I had to I had to make this shift in my mind because growing up, right, you know, even before I knew what the word influencer meant, like influence was modeled to me, you know, like my grandmother was the first influencer I knew, right? But she didn't have social media back then, right? It's just that her, she allowed her kindness and her generosity and how she treated people, she let that do the talking, right? It was you know, no one was giving her likes or no one was saying, you know, uh, I'm gonna follow you and I'm gonna I want to be one of your subscribers. No, because your greatest influence is how who are you offline? And for me, my focus, my focus is like, who am I offline when nobody is watching? Right? And I think every single day there are plenty of opportunities for us to be influential, right? Every day you walk by that person on your job that you know they're a little down and out, right? And you can tell they probably need a little pep talk, a little encouragement, but you ignore it, right? But then you get on social media, right, and you want to spread the good vibes. Yeah, come on, every day you're given these opportunities uh to be influential, and so for me, I I try to focus on who I am offline rather than who I am online, and if I can if I can be better off stage than I am on stage, that's that's what it's all about, man.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, yes, but when you start thinking about and and then you know, in in their title is the word purpose, yeah. And the question that I love to ask is I, you know, the podcast that I have is called Living Boldly with Purpose, you know, and so when I think about the word purpose, I love to ask, can you live in purpose and not serve others? And maybe you can answer that as you you know think about a purpose-driven influencer, because I want to be an influencer, right? But I really don't like people, I don't want to serve people. Can you live in purpose without serving others? Maybe you can answer that your best way you can.
SPEAKER_00:Can you live in purpose without serving others? Absolutely not. Um, you know, this is a beautiful quote by John C. Maxwell is where he talks about um significance. You know, significance is when um success is when you add value to yourself, but significance is when you add value to others. Um if you're not doing stuff for others, then what's life has no meaning. And I think that you're uh I think the word purpose uh also gets a uh there's a misconception about it. It feels like a heavy word. Um but we're always serving others. And that could be in your job, that could be in the home as a husband, uh, as a wife. Um, and so you're always you're always serving somebody. Now you may not enjoy serving, right? You might be doing it upset, right? You might be that waiter, the waitress in the restaurant. You don't really like being a waiter or waitress, but you're you're just doing the job, but you're actually serving. Um, and so I don't think you can live in purpose uh and not serve others, um, because we're always responsible for the people that that are in our lodge in some way, somehow.
SPEAKER_02:When I think about your title and you know, maybe how people will take it when they first hear it, the purpose-driven influencer. Well, my purpose is to influence others when the reality is your purpose is to do what God put you on this earth to do, and therefore influence people through that. Am I correct in that? Is that kind of what you talk about in the book a little bit?
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely absolutely. I think for me, um, and that just even goes to identity. I think um, you know, um my faith is my faith is the fuel behind my purpose. Um I have purpose because of my connection to to God, right? To the Creator. Um, and and I think um God's gift to us is our potential, and our gift back to God is developing it. And and knowing that I've been blessed with so much potential. Potential that I I haven't even tapped into. There's a uh there's always gonna be that thing that uh that speaks to you, that tells you that you were created for more. And even and even in the moments when I was off purpose, right, purpose will always show up in my face, right? It's and even the moments where I was discouraged, right? I would find myself encouraging people. I'm like, hold up, like I need this right now. And so, you know, my faith has played a big role in in why I have purpose. This is the reason why I have purpose, and so um, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so it kind of reminds me of like some of the goals, you know. And I think my my mind shift is changed on on goals because kind of like what you're talking about is is you do the work and then God does the rest because you can't control some of those outcomes. And a lot of the times, at least in my early career, I would you only tell set this smart goal or set this goal, and I would say, so let's say my goal is to have a hundred thousand people watch our podcast. Yeah, there's nothing I can possibly do to control that, yeah. Whether people decide to watch it or not, right? I can have a goal to do the activity and serve others and make a great podcast and have a wonderful conversation with you. And if that decides to make a hundred thousand listeners, it does. If it doesn't, that's not what I control. So my goal shouldn't be all these outcomes that I can't control because then I'm really not living in my purpose. I mean, am I am I hitting that?
SPEAKER_00:No, the goal, the goal, the goal shouldn't be the outcome, the goal should be your intention. Oh, nice. Okay, right. Like, what is my intention? My intention is to serve and to be impactful. Now, out of that, if you get a hundred thousand people, right? That's such a blessing, that's amazing. But the intention should be the intention should always be how can I serve, how can I help others, how can I be impactful? And out of that, if the 100,000 comes, then you know that's great.
SPEAKER_02:But Jimmy, you say that's easy, but how do I really truly live an intention? How do how do I do that? How do I wake up every morning living an intention and not in serving myself or trying to reach my own goals? Or what do you have to do?
SPEAKER_00:It's it's it's it's an everyday process, it's not a one-time thing. I'm constantly recalibrating my focus. I'm constantly like, you know, even with the book, like I want it to do so good, like I really do. I want it to do good, right? But I have to I have to ground myself in the intention of this is about being impactful, it's about making a difference. And um and every day, and and this is why this is why I'm so I tell people make sure that your biggest influence is offline because because I'm gonna give you an example, social media, right? You can see you can post something, right? And you can probably get, I don't know, probably get 15 likes on something, right? But then you get 300 people that viewed it. So 300 people viewed it, but you only got 15 likes, right? Why didn't all those 300 people why why they didn't like it? So you know, more people, more people are watching than they're liking. And if you start allowing your um allowing your self-esteem and your identity and your self-worth to get caught up in the numbers, right? You're never gonna be, you're never gonna be all that's gonna take you off purpose. And so I just try to make sure that I'm impacting the people, the everyday people that I see. And so I'm and so to answer your question, I'm always recalibrating my focus uh to make sure that like I'm grounded in what I'm supposed to be doing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, because it's and I love the fact that you're saying about being offline, and you know, like they say the integrity is the person you are when no one's looking.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:Maybe walk us through um some of the things that are part of your daily routine that help you stay grounded every day that you wake up, and none of us are perfect at it, right? Because we all we're all human and we're all got a long way to go. Uh, but what are some of the things that you do uh to make sure that you're what you feel like you're doing is right?
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I think number one is um you gotta stay connected, you gotta stay connected to the source. Um, and so for me, that's that's the that's beginning the day with prayer, stillness, uh, meditation, um, and uh it's setting an attention for the day. And sometimes my my prayers is just simple. You know, use me, God, use me, use me, use me for a purpose that is uh yeah, yeah. It's it's it's use me. Use me, use me for a purpose that is greater than myself, because I know for me that when I'm when I'm being used, that's that's when I'm I'm the most joyful. That's when I'm the most alive, that's when I'm the I'm the most fulfilled. That is when I know that like, okay, yeah, this is this is why I'm here. This is the reason why I'm here, you know. And you know, quick story. The other day I got in a I got in an Uber, and um there was this uh this guy, uh he's an actor, and um and we connected and we followed each other on Instagram, and he was telling me, you know, that he's getting married and uh he's engaged, and I'm like, man, you should do it. This is gonna be the best decision of your life. And uh and um I haven't seen him in a long time because we just connected on Instagram, but I called an Uber not too long ago and he picks me up. He picks me up again. Yeah, the same same guy, awesome dude. Uh his name is Jason, by the way. And um and as we're uh talking and and we're talking about his story, and but there's something that just felt inside of me to encourage him. And I told him, I said, hey Jason, I don't know, man, but just there's something to tell me that I just want you, man, to keep going. And I know I know you're doing your acting thing, and you're but also too, you're you're you're driving Uber, like you're you're you're you're doing this to support yourself. And I just want you to know that just because you're doing what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do, does not make you not legit with the craft of being an actor and uh your you know your real purpose. And and then so as we got off the car, as we were about to, he's about to drop me off, there was just something that said to me, you know, let's just pray. And so, hey man, so I just I just prayed with him, and it was just such a powerful moment. We're both crying in the car, and um and then he looked at me, turned around, and he said, You have no idea how much I needed that. You have no idea how much I needed that and how impactful that was for me. And we exchanged numbers and now we're connected. But um, and as I got and as I got off, I got off the car, I was like, that's what being a purpose-driven influence is all about. That's it. That is, I said, that is purpose, and no one saw that, right? There's no likes, there's no comments, there's no fan fear, right? There's no, you know, that is that is purpose, and that felt so good to be used, and to be a vessel, to be used uh like that, and and to just meet someone where they are, and to be able to be a vessel, uh, and to give them what they needed. And so that's it. That's that's it right there. And so, and that was my prayer, you know, before I left the house. The prayer, the prayer, and the intention was like, use me today, like I, you know, use me, right? And so, so then get into Uber and then you have this experience, you're like, that's it, that's it.
SPEAKER_02:And I love that because you know you don't have to be an author, you don't have to be a podcaster, you don't you don't have to be an influencer, you don't to just say use me. Yeah, you don't write, and then and then and then be used, right? I mean it's yeah, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_00:It could be it could be in your marriage, it could be it could be, it could be single, it could be literally anything. And um and and and that's and that's the message that I'm trying to get across is that you don't need a big platform to have a big purpose. All you need is a big heart. That's it, that's all that's required.
SPEAKER_02:I want to jump back a little bit, and this will probably be, you know, I'm gonna give you an opportunity to kind of talk about what we didn't talk about. But I jump back into your story, and you talked about when I think about health, and I think about what it takes to be healthy, because one of the things it's it's hard to, I'm not saying you can't be used by God, but if you're not doing well and you're not and you're struggling to get up, you're struggling to do stuff, it seems to be a little bit harder. And you talk about, you know, as black men, we very rarely will go to the doctor even for high blood pressure, let alone from something called therapy. Like I go to I go to the barbershop for therapy. He's talking about what that has done to help you to be able to be used.
SPEAKER_00:Well, um, you can't do well if you don't feel well, right? Um, so I think just health isn't is very important, it's uh it's vital uh to your purpose. Um, and like you said, a lot of black men, they you know, they don't want to go to the doctor. It's like you have to be in some sort of excruciating pain to actually go to the doctor. Me, listen, I will go to the doctor for any single thing. You can ask my wife, I'm like, oh my God, like, yeah, why am I feeling this? I'm like, uh, I gotta go to urgent care right now, or I'm I'm going to the emergency room, like just in case, you know, and then I and then because I'd rather have the peace because I think when you were responsible for the lives of others as a husband, and you know that there are people that are counting on you, and you know, you want to you want to be there, you want to have longevity. So health is is part of my purpose, it's not I see it as part of my purpose. I don't see it separate uh from my purpose.
SPEAKER_02:Wow, thank you. Thank you for sharing that because you know so many of us are just hey, I'm not gonna go, I'm not me.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I'm going. I'm going.
SPEAKER_02:Well, thank I thank you for all you share with me. I've been really selfish in asking all the questions I wanted to know. Is there anything that you wanted to make sure that we talked about today, whether it's your book or other things that you're doing or websites or whatever that you would like to share with folks, uh, that we didn't get to?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think we covered it. I think we covered a lot. Um you know, um this this this conversation's been it's been amazing. Um you know, I I just I just want people at the end of the day to know that you don't have to have all the bells and whistles to be influential. All right. If if if you feel you're a call to do something, there's a dream and there's a goal on your heart, and put your message out there. Put your message out there. Um you're probably not gonna get a lot of people clapping for you. That's okay. Do it anyway. Um I remember when I first opened up a uh a social media account on Instagram, and I had no followers, and it was just it was just my wife, and uh and she was liking everything and commenting on everything and just celebrating, and and it was just one follower, man. And but the journey begins with one. Yeah, it begins with one, and if you just have one, and then and then one becomes two, and then it becomes three. And I want you to show up for those people just as if you were showing for you were showing up for a million. Um and so, and and that's what being a purpose-driven influence is all about. That's what it's all about, man.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, that's so good. I I remember getting started, and I would like put something up and I go ask my wife, did you see it? She's like, No, yeah, like put you on social media all day. I'll get to it. A year later, she's finally starting to like something, and like, oh my gosh. Oh, it's so neat. But I just love the fact that uh you not only have you written the book, you know, purpose-driven influencer, uh, but you're you're walking the walk and you're talking about you. It's not, this isn't something that you said, I'm just writing a book to write a book so that I can be an influencer so that somebody will notice that I'm alive. You actually wrote it because uh you wanted to help others and you wanted to help others find their spot. Uh and so I should appreciate you. And I hope I I've started a community, it'll it'll launch probably, you know, if I don't know when you're watching this, so it might have already launched by the time uh that it's done. Uh, but it's called Become the Person Becoming the Person Universe, and it's gonna be for folks like you to talk to people and to hopefully we'll do you'll do a book club. Or, you know, I I'm excited about some of the authors that were will come on there and talk about their books and do a book club and walk through it. And so uh if you haven't gone there yet, go it, go check it out. Uh, if you are for the first time and this is the first episode that you've ever watched, uh, I would love for you to hit subscribe and hit the notification button, and all those things uh that just show that you want to be part of. We have over 200 episodes now of the uh the Journey to Freedom podcast, and uh there are so many cool episodes from people that were in prison longer than they were supposed to be. You know, like I had a gentleman who was in jail when the crime was committed and he still spent 19 years in prison. I don't know how that works because he couldn't have committed the crime because he was in jail when it happened, and so from that to attorneys that wanted to kill themselves and rob banks, and you know, from you know, folks that are in new edition and NBA players and NFL play, it's just been fun. Uh, and then your everyday people that are just like Jimmy that are going making a difference, that's it, one person at a time, one person at a time, finding their voice. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:No, I I was I was disagreeing with you, just one person at a time.
SPEAKER_02:You said one person at a time that are going out there and then being able to find their voice, and that is so so important for us is to say, you know what? I guess I probably do have something to say. I've been dreaming about it, I've been thinking about it. It's been something I wake up at night and you haven't been able to take action. Yeah, and when you see myself or you see Jimmy, you go, wait a minute.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and and and and also, Ryan, there are so many people that are watching our journey, you have no idea. There people are watching, they're watching and they're being inspired by you. And you may not you may not get the feedback, you may not get the likes, you may not get the applause, but someone's watching your journey and they're being influenced by you, and and that's why you have to keep going. And they're inspired, they're inspired. There are so many people, you know how many. I sometimes I'll I'll get a comment and and uh and and what I did was uh I started um creating a uh folder in my phone, and I and I call that folder, folder, I speak about this in the book, is artifacts of purpose. And so every time someone sends me like a DM like encouragement, oh my god, Jimmy, I I I needed that message, that post. It spoke to me so much. What I would do, I will take a screenshot of it, right? And I would add it to the folder. And on days when I felt like I was uh, you know, that I wasn't doing enough, or I felt like uh, you know, I'm just another voice out there, I would go back to that folder and I would remind myself, look at all those people who told you that you helped them. And this is why you, and this is why you, and this is why you have to keep going. And so someone is watching your journey, and whoever out there is, like I said, you may have 10 followers or five or whatever, but someone right on social media is watching your journey, someone offline is watching your journey, your family are are inspired by you. Um, and you just gotta keep you just gotta keep going. You gotta keep going.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you said at the beginning of the you know the show, I think it was when we were talking before the show, and you said if we affect the life of one person, yeah, we've done our job for it. We've done our job. And so you because you never know, you don't know who God has placed in your path. Absolutely. And if you're ready to receive it, if you're ready to act, if you're ready to have that voice into and that's the that's the true influence.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, because influence, yeah, influence is not is not it's not measured in millions, it's measured in me, it's measured in meaning. Yeah, oh my gosh, so so cool.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I hope this is not a laugh conversation. I look forward to many more in the future. Uh you know, too, my friends. The amazing people that have been, you know, part of the journey to freedom and now part of my life. And if I would say you've started podcast just because you get to network with some amazing people, it's worth every sec out of. If not one person watches your podcast, but you do not have this network of amazing people, uh, then it's it's worth the opportunity to do it. And so uh thank you for being on today. Thank you for for just talking about your book. The book is uh live a purpose-driven influencer. Go out. Yeah, uh, I think it comes out September 30th, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's it's what it's it's available right now for pre-sale and it's out on September 13th, September 30th.
SPEAKER_02:September 30th. All right, so I can't wait to read it. Uh, do you have one final thought before we end tonight?
SPEAKER_00:Um what would my final thought be? The final thought would be is go out there and make a difference in someone's life. It's you it could be one, it could be two people, like whatever it is, like you have the ability to make a difference, and your message matters, you're worthy of your dream. Worthy of your goals. Go out there and make it happen because if you don't do it, you're robbing the world of the opportunity to experience your greatness.
SPEAKER_02:I love that. Robbing the world of the experience of your greatness. All right, you guys have a wonderful day. Don't forget your God's greatest gift. He loves you if you allow him to. And we'll look forward to talking to you on the next one. Talk to you soon.