Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP 332: The God Version of You: How Carlton Young Helps Others Find Purpose

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Carlton Young with 8020 Nation a good neighbor?

Have you ever wondered how a life-threatening experience could completely transform someone's purpose? Carlton Young's powerful journey from surviving a point-blank shooting at age 25 to becoming a sought-after leadership coach exemplifies how tragedy can spark profound metamorphosis.

On this episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast, Carlton opens up about his path from Birmingham's inner city to founding 8020 Nation, where he now dedicates his life to helping others discover their "inner genius." What makes Carlton's approach unique is his focus on helping people become not just better versions of themselves, but what he calls "the God version" of themselves – tapping into purpose that transcends personal ambition.

Carlton tackles the most common myth he encounters: "I'm not ready, qualified, or good enough." Drawing from his military leadership experience that began at just 21 years old, he shares a refreshingly authentic perspective on what makes great leaders – they model the way rather than simply dictating it. "No one buys into a leader that just says do," Carlton explains, emphasizing that true leadership means showing others the vision and helping them see their crucial role within it.

Beyond his work with 8020 Nation, Carlton hosts The Genesis Podcast: The Renaissance of Manhood, focused specifically on helping men develop self-leadership skills. He balances his mission with personal passions for fitness, which he describes as "almost like therapy," and travel, particularly a transformative trip to Greece that left stamps in both his passport and his perspective.

To learn more about 8020 Nation go to:
 🌐 www.carlton-young.com

8020 Nation
📞 +1 (657) 342-2683

Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a growth and leadership development coach? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor Carlton Young, with 8020 Nation. Carlton, how are you?

Speaker 3:

today, I'm doing great. How are you doing today, sophia?

Speaker 2:

I'm also doing great. Now we are so excited to learn all about you and your business. Can you start off by telling our listeners a little bit about your journey, your mission and how you got started in this business?

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, most definitely. First of all, thank you for having me on your platform and your podcast. I truly appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the Good Neighbor Podcast Show. A little bit about my journey Typical young man grew up in inner city, grew up in Birmingham, alabama.

Speaker 3:

Through a series of life events and then mishaps and tragedies, I was shot when I was 25 years old, point blank range. And that began my metamorphosis and the change in my lifestyle to understand that I was left here for a greater purpose, figuring out what that purpose was. When I finally figured out what that purpose was, what that purpose was, when I finally figured out what that purpose was, it was to help transform, empower and equip people to become not the best version of themselves but the God version of themselves. And so, once I figured that out, I started this company, this organization.

Speaker 3:

I've always been one to want to help people kind of be better, either through physical fitness I'm actually a certified personal trainer as well so I've always been in the business of trying to help people become better. And just through, you know, following that path, I've come to this segue where I'm, you know, growth development strategist, motivational speaker, leadership coach. So I'm always just helping people to discover that inner genius that's already placed inside of them. How to unlock that and just to walk out the purpose and the assignment that God has given them for their life.

Speaker 2:

Amen. Amen to that and thank you for sharing your journey with us. Now, what is the most common myth or misconception once you got to the side of getting deeper into the business that you're in now?

Speaker 3:

That I'm not ready, I'm not qualified or I'm not good enough to step into the person that I am destined to be and what people have to understand that it's a journey and as you walk out the journey and as you begin to discover truly who you are and the power that's within you, it's like the process, and if the process is actually who you become, that's the really the prize and the goal, not the platform or the business or the thing that you're looking for. That's just a byproduct of you becoming that version of yourself that is able to help the person that you once were. So that's typically what I run into people is I'm not ready and I'm not ready, I'm not, I'm not good enough, it is not perfect yet. All of those are just excuses that'll keep you from actually taking the step forward in the. In the. In the, the beautiful thing is just the process of discovering who you are and the obstacles that you overcome in that process.

Speaker 2:

Amen. We always want to look for the progression, not the perfection.

Speaker 3:

That is correct.

Speaker 2:

Now we know marketing is the heart of every business, and it sounds like you do that through quite a few ways. Who are your target clients, or who is your target audience, and how are you currently attracting them?

Speaker 3:

My target audience is the person that I once was. That's the people that I'm called to help. The person that made a bunch of mistakes, that grew up not knowing his biological dad, that just always was just trying to figure life out, always making mistakes. That is the person that I'm looking to help. On the individual side, like the individual contributor side, I want to show that person that they can become a version of themselves that they don't even recognize. And then, from a business organization aside, I've always been into management and leadership.

Speaker 3:

I actually in the military. I actually got promoted to leadership at the age of like 21. So I started leading troops at the age of 21. I had like 10 people working for me. So organizations that are looking to develop leadership because leadership is about being able to cast a vision get people to buy into that vision and get them to feel like they are part of that vision. So I'm always looking for organizations you know that have leadership problems or are looking to figure out the best way to develop their leaders. So those are two of my key clients or key customers that I look for.

Speaker 2:

Now, when it comes to leadership or someone becoming a leader, what is the number one key piece of advice you would give someone along that journey?

Speaker 3:

one key piece of advice you would give someone along that journey To become a leader is, honestly, that you have to model the way. You have to be able to show the way, and people actually have to see you doing the very thing that you're trying to get them to buy into. No one buys into a leader that just says do you know? You remember, as you were growing up, your parents would say, do as I say, not as I do. Well, that's not a good, that's not a good model for leadership. You have to actually show that person how to walk whatever vision that you have out and show them the benefit of walking that vision out, not just for you but for them. So it's just being able to model the person that you want to be, or you know, the role that you are trying to fill is getting the person to believe in that particular goal. Like they say, a leader knows the way.

Speaker 2:

They go the way and they show the way Right, right. Like Moses, you have to be transformed along the journey.

Speaker 3:

Exactly, exactly. Again, it's just getting people to believe in the vision, showing them why you believe in the vision and then giving them a reason to enhance whatever goal or whatever you know vision platform, wherever they're going. I want to be able to say I was a part of that vision, so good leaders are always able to do that thing and just to be able to put themselves in the person under them, put them, put yourself in their shoes and be able to empathize and sympathize with them and understand that. You know life happens, but I'm going to keep showing up every day and I'm going to show the people that I am trying to cast a vision for that. I care about them more than I care about the thing 100 percent.

Speaker 2:

It's all about becoming that 1% better each and every day.

Speaker 3:

That's my motto.

Speaker 2:

Now, carlton, I would be surprised if you said no, do you have your own podcast, or have you ever thought of having your own podcast?

Speaker 3:

Yes, I actually have my own podcast. It is called the Genesis Podcast, the Renaissance of Manhood. The renaissance of manhood um, it's more focused and based on uh, like men becoming leaders again and and just becoming healed, transformed, empowered and equipped to one just lead their lead themselves, like that's the first goal of leadership is you got to be able to lead yourself. So oftentimes we, as men, we're not able to even lead ourselves. So how can anybody else buy into the vision? So I share my journey. I share I have guests on that share their journey of how they were transformed. You know every obstacle that they've overcome, because there's not a person in this life that hasn't been faced with obstacles. The difference between the people that are doing the thing that we want to do and us is oftentimes they just attack that thing head on and they just kept moving. So, yeah, it's called the Genesis the Renaissance of Manhood. It streams on YouTube and other platforms as well.

Speaker 2:

Now, outside of work, what do you and your family like to do for fun?

Speaker 3:

Outside of work. I like to take care of myself, so working out is kind of a hobby for me. It's therapeutic, it's almost like therapy for me. So working out, taking care of myself, being healthy, being the best version of myself that those stamps in the passport filled up. We went to Greece recently, a couple of years ago, for our anniversary. That was an amazing, beautiful trip. So that's one of my, you know, favorite things to do is to travel. They say traveling is like reading a book you don't really don't understand the world and how it works until you visit other places, you know. So that's one of our number one things to do.

Speaker 2:

Oh my goodness, greece is somewhere I actually want to go. That's pretty cool.

Speaker 3:

You need to take the trip. I would. Actually, that's one trip I would take again. It is beautiful. We went to, we flew into Athens, then we visited Mykonos and then we went to Santorini and then we flew back to Athens to come back, but each one of those islands are beautiful, the food is good, um, the weather is great, the people are friendly. It's just an experience that you know, you, that I always remember, so I actually want to add that to my like revisit that list.

Speaker 2:

That's one of the few places I want to revisit. Well, carlton, I'm sure all of our listeners. What they really want to know today is where can they go to learn more about 820 nation oh, so to get more information on me, you can go to wwwcarlton-youngcom that is again carlton-youngcom, um.

Speaker 3:

You can go to youtube at I am 80 20 nation, instagram at I am 80 20 nation, and then facebook is just my name, carlton Young. Those are the main platforms that you can find me on. You know, I'm available for keynote spots, motivational speeches, workshop facilitation and then individual one-on-one coaching as well, and then group coaching too. So those are some of the things that I focus in on, but the best place to find me is wwwcarleton-youngcom.

Speaker 2:

Well, Carlton, I really appreciate being on the show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, sophie. I really truly appreciate you having me on. Like I said, what you're doing is an amazing thing highlighting local businesses. And I said what you're doing is an amazing thing highlighting local businesses, and I will continue to pray for your success and growth of the Good Neighbor podcast and continued success.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPFriscocom. That's GNPFriscocom. That's gnpfriscocom, or call 469-221-9345.