BeTempered
BeTempered
BeTempered Episode 66 - Lessons in Faith, Family, and Grit From the Rite of Passage
What makes a leader? Is it the title, the position, or something deeper? In this powerful episode of BeTempered, host Dan Schmidt sits down with Tucker Perkerson to unpack the experiences, challenges, and defining moments that shaped his leadership journey—from a small-town childhood in Atlanta to making an impact in both education and corporate America.
Tucker reflects on the lessons learned growing up immersed in sports and community, and how those early values carried forward into his adult life. He shares the heartbreak of suddenly losing his high school football coach, a man who had been a pillar of guidance and support. The loss became a turning point, shaping how Tucker views mentorship and legacy. After his college football career came to an end, he faced the daunting question of what to do next. It was a single question from his father—“Who’s had the greatest influence on your life?”—that steered him toward a career in education, leading to twelve fulfilling years as a teacher, coach, and eventually, a school principal.
The conversation takes a surprising turn when Tucker describes his leap into the corporate world, joining Chick-fil-A’s team at the national level. He gives listeners a rare insider look at what makes the brand thrive—not just its customer service reputation, but the “operator model” that prioritizes local ownership and direct accountability. Tucker explains why being closed on Sundays is more than a faith-based decision—it’s a strategic move that supports employee well-being, retention, and long-term performance.
One of the most compelling moments in the episode is when Tucker and Dan Schmidt recount their shared experience completing the Rite of Passage—a grueling 24-hour endurance challenge designed to strip away comfort and push participants to their absolute limits. Side by side, they endured exhaustion, pain, and the mental battles that come with extreme adversity. Tucker recalls physically collapsing at the finish line, unsure if he could take another step, until a Green Beret friend leaned in and said, “You just gave everything.” That simple statement reframed the entire experience, turning it into a powerful metaphor for leading with heart, faith, and relentless commitment.
From there, the discussion moves into Tucker’s day-to-day approach to leadership and life: intentional morning routines, making career decisions that prioritize family, and embracing gratitude as a guiding principle. He and his wife, Jennifer, have a shared vision for their legacy—one rooted in generosity. As Tucker puts it, “When people look back on Tucker and Jennifer, if there’s one word, we want it to be generosity.”
This episode isn’t just a conversation—it’s a roadmap for anyone looking to lead with purpose, overcome challenges, and live in a way that inspires others.
🎧 Experience the full story of grit, gratitude, and growth—visit BeTempered.com to listen now.
Hi, my name is Allie Schmidt. This is my dad, dan. He owns Catron's Glass. Thanks, allie. Things like doors and windows go into making a house, but when it's your home, you expect more like the great service and selection you'll get from Catron's Glass. Final replacement windows from Catron's come with a lifetime warranty, including accidental glass breakage replacement. Also ask for custom shower doors and many other products and services. Call 962-1636. Locally owned, with local employees for nearly 30 years, kitchen's class, the clear choice.
Speaker 2:Hey, do you want to catch every episode live as it's being recorded? Log on to patreoncom slash betempered for exclusive footage, behind the scenes photos and a live recording as it takes place. Go to patreoncom slash be tempered. Welcome to the Be Tempered podcast, where we explore the art of finding balance in a chaotic world. Join us as we delve into insightful conversations, practical tips and inspiring stories to help you navigate life's ups and downs with grace and resilience. We're your host, dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr. Let's embark on a journey to live our best lives. This is Be Tempered. What's up everybody? Welcome to the Be Tempered podcast, episode number 66. We are Ben-less today. Ben has a little youth football practice tonight, so you just got me and our special guest. Today's guest is not just an incredible leader, he's also a friend, a brother in life's journey. Tucker Perkerson is an Atlanta native, a devoted husband and father and a key part of the Chick-fil-A family where he leads and serves at a high level within their Corporate Summit Support Center in Atlanta.
Speaker 2:Tucker and I first connected through the rite of passage an experience that tested our faith, grit and brotherhood in the mountains, and he's the kind of man you're better for having in your life. He's the type of leader who shows up for his family first, who brings faith and integrity into his work and who lives out what it means to serve others. Well, today we'll talk about his childhood, the lessons he carries forward from his parents and how he balances faith, family and leadership, and why he said yes to pushing himself through one of the toughest physical and mental challenges we've faced. I'm honored to call him a friend and excited for you to hear his story, tucker. What's up, man?
Speaker 3:Glad to be here.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you are here. It's kind of funny how this all worked out this week.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So I was coming up here for work and you know we had gone back and forth about doing this virtually, and earlier this week you sent me a text and said, hey, I think it'd be a lot better if it was in person. And uh, ironically, two days later I'm in cincinnati. So just a few travel changes and I'm here.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it's cool and and I appreciate you, uh, uh, going out of your way to make the make the trek up here from cincinnati and and, uh, I'm excited to hear your story. I know we we talked a couple of weeks ago and obviously we talked when we spent about 36 hours together. Um, through some exhaustion and and maybe some hallucination from, uh, you know those those 24 hours, but, um, I'm excited. I'm excited for our guests, or for our listeners, to hear your story growing up. So so you know how we like to start. We'd like to start from the beginning. So talk about what childhood was like for you, growing up in the big city of Atlanta.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I'm 45 years old. So in 1985, there was less than 2 million people in Atlanta. Now there's close to 8 million. So it's always been a big city. But it's grown a ton, you know, as I've obviously gotten older. And so for me, growing up where I did I was just outside the city limits grew up in a neighborhood. All the kids that were in my elementary school, we went to middle school together, high school together, so it didn't feel like a big city. But what was cool is you feel like a big city. But what was cool is you still had the big city perks. You know we had the Atlanta Braves, dale Murphy, you had Hawks that was back when Dominique was dominating and so you had the fun of, you know, the big city, sports and concert venues and what a big city has to offer. But I really felt like I grew up in a smaller community. Um cause, some of the people I was in kindergarten with, you know I graduated with, and some of those folks are still some of my closest friends.
Speaker 2:So what was your? How big was your graduating class?
Speaker 3:We graduated right at 400. Okay yeah, okay, so in Georgia that's a triple a school. Um, maybe I don't know what it is now, but that back then it was a triple a school, so we were like one division below the biggest schools in the state. Okay yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, good. So it feels like small town, even though you're in a city of 2 million people and here we are in a city of 40,000 people, so big difference in my mind for sure.
Speaker 3:So so kind of talk about childhood, siblings, parents, all those good things, maybe some um, uh, people who had some early influences on your life as a kid. Yeah, yeah, so, um, yeah so, mom and dad. My mom grew up in Atlanta, my dad grew up on a farm about an hour and 15 minutes Southwest of Atlanta, and so, um, I often like to go back and like talk about my granddad's first, just because they were two very different people but both had really unique influences on my life, and so I'm named after my dad's dad. So my full name is Woodrow Tucker Perkerson. My granddad was Woodrow Wilson Tucker, and so he grew up in North Georgia, probably not too far from where we did the rite of passage, but came down to Atlanta, went to law school and had a really successful career in law, ended up being a state judge. So you had my granddad Woodrow, who we called Woodrow. By the way, we didn't call him granddad or pop, we called him by his first name, but then we also.
Speaker 3:Then you have my granddad Robert, who got an eighth grade education and then was done, started working on the farm, and and so I like to just start there, because you kind of have the success success story and of of my granddad Woodrow, but then you've got a different success story of my grandfather, robert, both very successful in what they did. Both raised amazing families, raised amazing kids who then are, you know now kind of you know, carrying on that tradition and so yeah, so I'd like to start there. My mom and dad met in college, and my dad also is an attorney. He's now retired, but he was an attorney. He was a judge for a little while as well. My mom was a stay-at-home mom for a portion of our childhood, but not all of it. She worked some as well. And then I have a brother that's eight years younger than me.
Speaker 3:His name's John Um and he is actually getting married in November and he's marrying a girl where I work from Chick-fil-A her name's Sarah and um, super excited for them. Um, you know, my brother's been very patient to wait on the right girl and he found her, and so yeah they're getting married. Uh, like I said in November, Well, congratulations, john.
Speaker 2:And what's his fiance's name? Sarah, sarah. Yeah, congratulations, john and Sarah. That's exciting. Yeah so eight years younger. So you, you were by yourself for a while.
Speaker 3:I was yeah, so I was by myself Um and um and yeah, I mean, you know, just thank goodness I lived in a neighborhood because there were plenty of kids around, we were always outside playing and sports was always a big thing for me growing up. But yeah, when John came along, you know we truly obviously, when you're eight years apart, you know it's hard to be real close. My kids are three years apart and I see how close they are based on the age. But yeah, john and I are friends, not just brothers, even though we do have that big gap between us.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, so brother's eight years younger, so you're playing with all the neighbor kids until you're eight years old. So what's life like as John comes into the picture and uh, and you're cranking along in school. What are you involved in sports? Uh, what, what things are you doing as as a young, uh, eight year old?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I mean I was, I mean sports was kind of everything for me and it was just whatever was in season. So it was, it was baseball, basketball, football, football and just whatever season we were in. That's what we were doing. And I was. I did play, you know, like youth sports, but you know we were. We were out in the neighborhood every day, every day looking for a pickup game, trying to pull everybody together to play. So it was a really fun childhood and sports was a big part of it, which has carried on and we'll get to this. But that's been a big part of my story, you know, even all the way up until now.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, you know. So you're 45, I'm 46. So we're kind of in that last generation before the cell phones came right, because I got my first cell phone when I graduated college in 2001,. Uh, you know, at 21 years old or whatever I was 2001,. Uh, you know, at 21 years old or whatever I was. So. So we kind of had a similar upbringing where, you know, outside a lot playing. You know, whatever sport we were in and whatever season it was like you said that was, that was my favorite sport at the time. You know now things everybody's got a cell phone. You know all these sports are specialized and they try to be a whole year long or their. You know their seasons are super long. So I think we're the, we're the last of a dying breed before the cell phone age. You know, um, and and how, that's how that's changed things. So, um, that's pretty cool. So talk about then, um, going into high school.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So going into high school, um man, I think back on that. I'm like middle school was tough. I did not enjoy the middle school years.
Speaker 2:Why is that?
Speaker 3:Just the social um awkwardness, you know, trying to fit in, not really feeling like I did fit in. Um, we didn't have middle school sports, so it was just school, so everything was was like, just the social aspect.
Speaker 2:A school that you graduated 400 people and you didn't have middle school sports.
Speaker 3:Didn't have middle school sports. Yeah, so, uh, yeah, our middle school didn't do any kind of organized sports, so, um, so you just went to school and um, and yeah, just uh, you know we'll talk about this later, but I mean, I spent 12 years in education. Middle school is tough years A lot of hormones, a lot of trying to figure out who you are, where you fit into things. So, going into high school, to be honest, I was like you know what's this going to be like? I didn't really enjoy these last three years.
Speaker 3:But when I went into high school, something clicked, and I think sports had a big part in it, because I was playing football, basketball, baseball, my freshman year. And you know, you're in high school classes now and you're just having to balance things more so than you were before. And all of a sudden, I like started working harder, started getting a little more disciplined, you know, started being a little more focused, and so, you know, just just about midway through that ninth grade year, um, I was like okay, this is, this is fun. Like I'm enjoying school.
Speaker 3:Uh, again, cause school was fun in elementary middle school was tough and so sports was a big piece of giving me structure and discipline and helping me have some focus were there any coaches along the way that that influenced you oh?
Speaker 3:yeah, yeah, I mean the one that sticks out the most. Um, well, there's two. So one is a guy named bill hoskin. Um, so, bill hoskinkin was a Secret Service agent for most of his career, retired from the Secret Service, had played college football and gotten a degree in history, and after his career in the Secret Service he started coaching high school football and teaching history, and that was my sophomore year that he became our head football coach. So he was there my freshman year, but I was playing JV, started to get to know him and his story as a sophomore and just an amazing man, amazing leader.
Speaker 3:Going into our senior year we had our first game and the next day he was playing tennis with one of our other coaches and he died. He was in his early 60s. He ran five, six miles a day. Just amazing fitness, you know, for a guy. His age Didn't carry any extra body. There's nothing that you would have said would have led you to believe that this guy would have a heart attack playing, you know, leisurely tennis on a Saturday, and so that was a big shock, you know. And so we had a really interesting season, you know, that year as seniors. Just, you know, recovering from that you know you've got a game next Friday.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, and from that you know, you got a game next Friday, you know. And so what do you do? Your head coach just passed away unexpectedly, so he's one that I'll never forget, um, you know, and, and still, like, I've got a drawer at home where I keep, you know, cutouts from newspapers and things like that, and there's several things in there, even the, the, um, the pamphlet from his funeral. I still have that in that, in that that file.
Speaker 3:Um, the other one would be my, my head basketball coach, a guy named Greg Segroso. Um, he was a, he was, he was as close to a professional coach as we had for me, you know, up until I got into college, and so he had gone to Duke. He didn't play at Duke, but he'd gone to school at Duke. Really smart guy. He was a math teacher at our school and just had a passion for basketball and coaching, and he really showed us what a program a sports program is and how it's supposed to be designed and the commitment level that you've got to have to be successful. And so, um, you know we weren't wildly successful, but, um, he certainly made us a lot better.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Uh yeah, and so he and I still stay in touch. Um, we'll connect periodically. Um he's not coaching anymore. Um, he's got three girls and moved into a different career. His girls are now all in college, but, yeah, huge influence on me man.
Speaker 2:So you're so your senior year your head coach passes away unexpectedly. That that had to be a challenging time as a 17, 18 year old kid, you know going into your senior year, especially since knowing this guy. I mean that I can't imagine that. If I know my coach, I you know he came in my sophomore year and I know that the relationship that he and I had and what he meant not only to me but for our team, uh what? How did you guys end up doing that season? Do you remember?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we didn't have a great season.
Speaker 3:We were three and seven, okay, but yeah, I mean we had had a really good year. The year before we had a strong senior class. The year before me we lost some talent, but yeah, I can remember, you know, that week after and going out to practice and so many people so it was still early in the fall, so a lot of the seniors and people that had played for Coach Hoskin previously hadn't gone off to school yet. So we're out there practicing a few days after he passed away and we've got I can remember 50, 60 former players out there just watching practice, kind of in honor of him and just supporting us, and at first it felt like a lot of pressure. I mean, I remember they had a vigil at the school the night after we all found out and you know people were like you've got to dedicate this season to Coach Hoskin and of course we did, sure, but it really put a lot of pressure on us and yeah, and I remember just a lot of emotion, especially in those first few weeks.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker 3:But a guy named Anthony Edwards had come on to our staff that year and he took over as the head coach, and I think the world of him as well, and you know he did a great job filling in. I mean, what a tough job he was, you know, put in to have to try to do so. Yeah, we made the most of it and the stadium is actually named after Coach Hoskin and the 20-year anniversary of his passing they did an event at the school and I was able to go to that and it was neat to see how many people came back 20 years later. You know, just to to honor him.
Speaker 2:He had a big impact on many, many oh yeah, oh yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. So you get through sports, you play baseball.
Speaker 3:Played baseball through my sophomore year. Football, basketball were the main focus for me.
Speaker 2:So so you talk about, um, you know, the end of that high school. You're looking to go to college. What, um, you know. Talk about that, that kind of transition, what you were going to study, and and and. Now where you were at then.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, um, I had another, a mentor, a guy named Steve Harkey. Um, he played at Georgia tech and then played um in the NFL, for he had a good career, I want to say maybe 10 plus years. He was a running back and he started a ministry in Atlanta called Coach's Corner and one thing he would do was he would ask coaches, hey, do y'all have kids on your team that I can disciple? And so my name got passed to him, which I look back on that now I'm like at all the schools that he was involved in and all the coaches he asked, and so we would meet, usually about once a month. It was always at a McDonald's and, um, you know, share a biscuit and talk and and, um, you know, he was very intentional with the time and he just poured into me and so, because of his time at Georgia tech, um, you know he was encouraging me to consider walking on at tech.
Speaker 3:Um, I was receiving some recruitment. Uh, played tight end, I think you did. You play tight end as well that was a defensive tackle.
Speaker 2:I didn't like the tight end. Did you play tight end as well? I was a defensive tackle, okay, I didn't like the tight end.
Speaker 3:That's okay. Yeah, so I was a tight end. I mean, at my school you had to play both ways, but tight end was where it looked like I could maybe play a little bit at the next level. And so he introduced me to George O'Leary, who was the head coach at Georgia Tech at the time, and they had a video, you know, you know probably VHS.
Speaker 2:It was VHS. Yes, it was a VHS.
Speaker 3:I think I still have that too.
Speaker 3:But, and so, you know they, they allowed me to come on as a preferred walk on, which all that means is you just get to go in early and and work harder, and so I did that. So I decided to go to tech and um. That was an incredibly humbling experience. Um, you know, I was recruited. The only D one school that that recruited me, you know like where I made a visit, was Vanderbilt Um, and so um didn't work out. They didn't offer me a scholarship. The scholarship offers I got were all from like D two um schools and so um, but I went to Georgia, tech and um and, yeah, I just learned real quick how, how physically um behind I was, especially as a 18, young, 18 year old. My birthday's in June, so I'm a little later. So, yeah, I show up and I'm just like going up against 20, 22, 23-year-old guys grown men and so that was a tough year.
Speaker 3:I did get to dress for our games and experience big-time college football and it was a good year for Georgia Tech for our games and experience, you know, big-time college football and it was a good year for Georgia Tech. We were very successful that year. We were co-ACC champions and had some big wins. The goalpost got torn down in a game where we came back against University of Virginia, and so I've got a piece of that goalpost at home. But the writing was on the wall really, really quick that you know I was not going to, you know, probably ever see the field there. And so I had a decision to make. And that's where my dad comes into, really helping me with what was next. And we I remember a conversation we had where he said, hey, so who's had the greatest influence on your life Of course you want to say you Dad you, mom right.
Speaker 3:But really I pointed towards coaches. Coaches were the ones that I was at that time when he asked me that question that I thought about who really has had that influence me, that question that I thought about like who really has had that, that influence? So that led me to leave tech, um, and then move on to um, georgia perimeter college, which was just a local school, um, just a great place for me to catch up on on core classes and get myself ready for what were you studying?
Speaker 3:I was well, I was at tech, I was undecided.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, and at Tech back then you know, there was only there wasn't a lot of offerings that weren't math and science, yeah, and so. So that was. The other part is like, academically I didn't feel like I was in the right spot and then athletically I knew like if I really want to play, this isn't going to be the place, so kind of just hung up the cleats, started focusing on getting a degree. That was connected to that conversation I had with my dad, which was in education. So that's when I started gearing towards education and so went to Georgia Perimeter, then went to UGA.
Speaker 3:And so I don't know how much further you want me to go along, but that was how I got onto the teaching and coaching path.
Speaker 2:Sure sure. So you decided to go into teaching. Um, that's good advice from your dad. You know you. You were influenced. Asking who you're influenced most by, you know, to kind of point you in in the direction um where you could have that same influence on on people as well. So you go into teaching and coaching. You graduate from the University of Georgia right. Yeah, what's your first teaching position?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I'm teaching at Union Grove High School, which is in Henry County, where we live now. It's where my wife grew up, and so her track coach. By the way, jennifer, is the real athlete in the family. She was a sprinterinter, actually sprinted at Georgia. Um, she's only five one, but she can fly, or she could back then, and so fortunately she had a great relationship just in that 120 that were there when I was there ended up playing the NFL.
Speaker 2:We good, that's insane. Yeah, all right. So you mentioned, you mentioned your wife, so where did you meet her at?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we met at Georgia, yep. So, um, kind of a funny story. Um, I was in a class, uh, so I transferred to Georgia. So a lot of my friends had already that I grew up with had started there, they'd done the fraternity thing. And so when I went to Georgia as a junior it was a little bit lost, like I knew what classes I needed to take but I wasn't sure where I'd fit in, like what was I going to do outside of class? And so met a guy in a class who was part of a fraternity called Alpha Gamma Rho, which is the agricultural fraternity.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you know, I grew up hunting and fishing and so we just had a lot in common. I didn't grow up on a farm, but my dad, as I mentioned earlier, did, and so I spent a lot of time going to that that family property, growing up. And so to get to the point, um, I went to a um party at their house and met Jennifer that night and um, and so it was about probably 1230, you know, in the morning, and at that point I had made a decision to just like put you know, drinking behind me. I never was really a drinker, but you know just the social aspect of college, and so I think she and I were the only two sober people there.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And we connected for just a few minutes. But afterwards or the next day, I asked John, the guy, that who invited me to the party. I said, hey, I met this girl. Um, she was short, blonde. Um, Jennifer, he goes. Oh yeah, I invited her to the party and I'm like we got to make a connection.
Speaker 2:So that's, that's how it happened. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. Did you have any issues? You know you play football high school, first year of college at Georgia tech. Was there any issues? You know you played football high school and your first year of college at Georgia Tech. Was there any issues when football was over?
Speaker 3:yes, oh yeah, I mean I mean, was it? Was it that difficult transition? It was hard, yeah, I mean I, you know sports, as I've we talked about, I mean it was such a big focus of my life. I mean I that was not the last time that I thought about could I still go somewhere and play? And, um, you know, I I even considered maybe, maybe basketball, cause I played basketball all through high school and um almost actually went to a small school called LaGrange college and and played basketball there, just cause sports was it was like without it I wasn't really sure who I was. Yeah, and so, yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 2:Okay, it's tough. So you mentioned that your wife was a track star, so what did she run?
Speaker 3:Uh, she ran the hundred 200 and then the relays. Okay, four by one.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, so she was. And just for reference, my oldest daughter runs track in college and so she's going to want to know times. So what was her? A hundred time.
Speaker 3:So she set a PR the spring that we started dating. Um, she ran a 12, three, okay yeah, when she was at Georgia.
Speaker 2:All right. So Allie, my oldest daughter, if you're listening there, you go Give you something to shoot for. No, that's awesome. So now we'll fast forward back into um. You know you started your career, you're in, you're in your teaching and your coaching, so kind of talk about that and take us through. You know what's life like for you when you get into that career. You're out of college um, where are you and and and your wife at? Are you married at this time? And talk about life then?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we graduated from Georgia in May of 2003. We got married in June and we both started teaching in August and so, uh, a lot happened in a short period of time, excuse me. And so we, um, yeah, so we started teaching, she. She got a degree in marketing. She had, no, no desire to go down the marketing route, and so she got a provisional certification and started teaching special ed and she coached track later that year in the spring, and then, of course, as I mentioned, I was coaching football and basketball and golf.
Speaker 3:But, yeah, I think I was about six months into teaching and coaching when I knew that I wasn't going to do this long term. And for me, as much as I enjoyed investing time in the kids and one thing I haven't mentioned is we were really I was really involved in Young Life growing up, and so I saw Young Life as a great way to take this opportunity that I was working with kids in the classroom and on the field and then have an opportunity to minister to them through Young Life, and so Jennifer and I were volunteer leaders for Young Life. So, as much as it was great to see that side of things the repetitive kind of just same thing day in, day out. I knew this wasn't going to be for me long-term. It felt like groundhog day, you know. Okay, and so um. So we both went back to school, um, I got a master's, she got a master's in counseling. We both then went back and got our specialist degrees in leadership, and so we're both four years in specialist degrees in leadership. And so we're both four years in. We've both been teaching at Union Grove and um and enjoying it.
Speaker 3:You know, we were young life leaders. We were taking kids to camp um in the winter for a weekend, and then in the summer we do a week long camp out in Colorado. So there was a lot of great things going on, but in my career I just felt like I wasn't where I was supposed to be, and so so then I started hearing about this school that was open and called Strong Rock Christian School, and so where we live there's only a handful of private school options, and and so Strong Rock was opening up. It was going to be the only Christian school in our area that wasn't associated with a church or tied to a church, and they had this just amazing vision. It's an incredible story. The family that built the school. It's kind of a field of dreams story. They built the school, put tens of millions of dollars into it before the first student had ever even enrolled Wow.
Speaker 3:Talk about faith.
Speaker 1:Yeah, millions of dollars into it before the first student had ever even enrolled.
Speaker 3:And so, um, so I, yeah, yeah, so I started hearing about this school and and wanted to learn more, and, um, the more I learned, the more interested I was. Well, while I was, I was, you know, they were interested in me as a teacher and coach. At the time, I was more thinking about like and coach. At the time, I was more thinking about like, could I move into an administrative role? And, uh, and so I started there, um, for that, that first year it opened in 07. And I started there that first year as a teacher and coach, and then the school opened with 330 students, which is really incredible because all the consultants that the family had brought on to help them with, hey, how do we start a school? Yeah, like you're, you're, like you'll be lucky if you have 50 kids the first year.
Speaker 2:That's what I was going to say, yeah, and they had 300 and 330.
Speaker 3:Wow. So then the next year we had 660, doubled in size, and so that's the kind of vision that was cast for this place. And so, um, so, yeah, so when we doubled there was a need for another administrator for the middle and high, and so that's when I moved into administration. And when I moved into administration again in less than six months, I knew this is what I'm meant to do, because as a teacher and a coach, it was always like is it lunch yet? And then as an administrator, it was like, wow, lunch is already here. I just enjoyed the, the problem solving, the strategy work, even the tough stuff, dealing with discipline issues, dealing with tough kids stuff and family stuff. Um, I felt like that was a, uh, an opportunity for me to to, especially in a Christian school. It's a ministry and um, I just always, um, you know, kind of not minded leaning into tough situations, and so, uh, so, yes, that that's how I got into the, the role of an assistant principal, and then, down the road, ended up as a principal.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, so you do that. For how long?
Speaker 3:So I was an assistant principal for about three and a half years and then the principal that I worked for they moved out of state and so that's when I moved into the principal role and I did that for another four and a half. So a total of five years as a teacher and coach and another seven and a half years as a, as a AP and then a principal.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, but then something changes. Yeah, talk about that.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So, um, you know, once again, like, as much as I enjoyed that role in that school, um, I can, I can say this I knew if I was going to stay in education, I wasn't going to go anywhere else. That's how much I love strong rock. I mean our kids are there now. We haven't talked about our kids, my kids, yet. I love Strong Rock. I mean our kids are there now. We haven't talked about our kids, my kids, yet, but they go to school there, and so you know, that's we love. We love that place. It's an amazing, amazing environment, and so that's where I wanted to be.
Speaker 3:I was going to be in school, but I started to just ask myself more questions about is there something else that I should be doing? Um and um, I got a call from, actually, one of our board members at the school and he called me and he says, hey, have you got a, got a minute? And, um, I said, yeah, I'd love to love to chat, but what's going on is actually, I'd like, I'd like for you to come over to the house and I'm like, okay, so it's winter break and he's calling and I'm like somebody's getting fired.
Speaker 2:What is going on?
Speaker 3:This isn't good, yeah. And so I go over to his house and we sit down and we talk about Chick-fil-A. And his wife was a former operator, so she operated. She was the first female operator to have three Chick-fil-A's. She had three in Atlanta, which is very uncommon. We can talk more about Chick-fil-A, but three is the max. You don't get more than three restaurants. Most people have one, some have two, very few have three.
Speaker 3:Well, she had come on to our support center. It used to be called our corporate office. We renamed it to the support center several years ago, and so you know, so, yeah, so through her and him talking back and forth, and I guess my name would come up from time to time as he would talk about the school, because he was a very involved board member. He was our chairman at the time. You know, there was just this conversation about Chick-fil-A and so it took me totally by surprise, which I, you know. Looking back, I'm like you know, those unexpected opportunities are usually the best ones, and and so, yeah, that's how it started.
Speaker 3:So I went on a what we call a discovery phase, where I was not applied. Not applied, but I was just. She afforded me the opportunity to spend time with people in the job that she felt like I would be a good fit for, and so I did that. Several times, she took me out in the field with her and, after about a six-month discovery phase, jennifer and I made the decision that we'd go ahead and go for it, and I wanted to be very intentional about the decision, because what I told Jennifer says if I do this, Cheryl has invested a lot of time and energy in me.
Speaker 3:If, if it turns into a yes, we're going like it's got to be a yes, and the biggest thing we wrestled with was the travel. So we didn't know what travel was like. I had some trips from time to time in my role as a principal or as assistant principal, even as a coach, but it was, like, you know, a couple times year. This role I was going into was a pretty heavy travel job, and so, um, trying to understand that and think about what the new norm would be for us was tough, and so now I look back on it and I'm like, man, that was a no brainer.
Speaker 3:But, um, at the time it just seemed pretty overwhelming to take on a role like that and be traveling.
Speaker 2:At the time did you have any children?
Speaker 3:Yes, so Bryant was three and I think Jennifer she was actually pregnant when those conversations first started. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's a big deal. Yeah, it was Career change wife's pregnant and you got a young three-year-old. Yeah, that's a Career change wife's pregnant and you got a young three-year-old, yeah, yeah, that's a big change for sure. Did you talk to your parents at all about it? Were they involved in any of those decisions, or was this between you and your wife?
Speaker 3:No, they were. I mean, I talked to my parents about it. I didn't talk to a lot of people about it, but I talked to my parents. I actually talked to my brother-in-law a good bit. Um he um, he's been in the business world for a long time. He's done some consulting, he's had travel jobs, heavy travel jobs, and so spent a lot of time talking to him and getting advice from him as well. But yeah, there was kind of a core group that I was getting advice from.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you know Chick-fil-A has such a great reputation, especially in Atlanta it's the home of Chick-fil-A. You know most people are like it's a no brainer, you know, um, but there were other people that people that knew me best, knew it was a. It was a bigger decision than that, cause they knew how much I loved what I was doing at the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you had to be pulled in kind of two different directions. Um, so you? So you decide to make the change, talk about what it was like in the beginning and kind of you know, maybe fast forward a little bit to where it's at now, how it's was going to be responsible for a certain number of restaurants and that you know, ultimately, like if someone came up to you and said tell me about this restaurant you needed to be, you know, you know what was going on, know the ins and outs and so.
Speaker 3:So that's basically what I knew. Chick-fil-a invest, and still does, about nine almost somewhere between nine and 12 months of training before you ever even started in the role, and and I just don't know of any other company that does that that's a lot.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so when Chick-fil-A hires you, they're hiring you for life. Um, you know, it's it they talk about when they select operators, franchisees, and when they select support staff. It's like a marriage. They want it to be that way. They want you to know that you're here If we make this decision and bring you on. We want you here as long as you're willing to stay, and so they invest that time on the front end and it makes such a big difference.
Speaker 3:Because a lot of people were like you're going to work where In the chicken business? What do you know about this? You've never worked in a restaurant before. You can learn a lot in a year. Um, you know, if, if, if, if the training's done well and you really invest the time, um, so, yeah, so that first year was really pretty much just training. Um spent, uh, three months out in the field in restaurants, working in the restaurant. You can never compare that to being an operator, but it at least gives you some empathy for what goes on you know and how hard the job is to run a restaurant.
Speaker 3:You know, six days a week. Thank goodness it's only six and not seven at.
Speaker 3:Chick-fil-A. But yeah, so you know, I got through that first year of training, got into the role and, man, I loved it. You know it was just. It was a really good fit for me.
Speaker 3:The travel was a non-issue because I was traveling Tuesday to Thursday and those are the days, you know, for people listening, if you've got kids, you know, like the middle of of the week it's kind of the grind time. Yeah right, you get up, you get the kids to school, you get home, you eat, homework, bed. As a principal, assistant principal, as a coach, weekends, you know it was just so. Um, no week was the same and we finally had this predictable schedule and we had our weekends and that was a huge blessing for our family, especially with my kids at that age, you know, um, now they're four and one, five and two, those first few years and um, to have, you know, uninterrupted weekends with them every weekend was really cool. So on the family side, things are good.
Speaker 3:And then on the on the professional side, I'm still learning the role. But you know one thing that that is true of Chick-fil-A you're you're a support center staff member. You're there to serve, like one of our core values is we are here to serve and so responsiveness is huge. You know when operators need something, if you're responsive, it goes a long way, and so I just tried to be really responsive and and like you know, like crazy responsive, like you text me, you're going to text back right away. You know, you call me, I'm picking up the phone and so can't always do that. But you know, the goal was, if I'm, if I can be, as responsive as possible, it's going to make the biggest difference for me as a new, new consultant in this role.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you know, it's no secret, everybody that that talks or looks at Chick-fil-A knows that they're. I mean, I don't, I don't know what separates, and that's what I kind of want you to answer is is what separates Chick-fil-A from all the other fast food restaurants in the industry? Um, because they do it so well and they do it one less day out of the week than the rest of them. So kind of talk about what you think from from being there, uh, for a while now, what? What sets Chick-fil-A apart from all these other restaurants?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I could talk about this for a long time but I'll try to.
Speaker 3:I'll try not to go too far with it. But first and foremost is the operator model. So, um, for those that aren't aware, um, chick-fil-a has a unique operator model. We when I say we, I mean Chickfil-A corporate invests all the money into the restaurant and all of the equipment, and operators pay a $10,000 franchise fee. That's their only investment. So they have no capital investment into the restaurant. So when they get selected for that, then they're selected for that restaurant and then if they're going to get selected for a second restaurant or possibly a third restaurant, that is a Chick-fil-A decision. And so the operator comes in knowing that. You know, my entrepreneur, you know like goals have to be focused around a single restaurant or maybe a second restaurant or maybe a third, but unlikely, it's more than most of the time it's one or two. So that operator model is really the secret, because you have the owner of the business in the business all the time. And you know, when we were just malls back in the seventies and eighties they truly were like in the business all the time.
Speaker 3:There's some funny stories about operators. You know that like they would like it'd be them and their wife in the mall. You know running the restaurant during those slow months, you know, and and. But now I mean you know these guys have girls. They've got 120, 150 team members for one restaurant. So they're still in the business but they've had to develop these leadership teams, you know, to really manage all that goes on to operating it day to day. But that's the secret. The secret is the local ownership. That's what sets us apart, because so many other franchises you know you've got the franchisee might own 20 or 30 of a certain brand. They're not in that restaurant every day. How can they be right? So then they. They then are relying on managers who are probably on a salary.
Speaker 3:They might be incentivized, but you know at the end of the day, the operator, the success of that business that they're in every single day, you know, hits their bottom line and so, um, so that that really is the secret. And then I would say, you know, when you, when you start with that, then below that is just the, the support model. And so, operators, we have a saying they're, they're in business for themselves, but not by themselves, and so you'll oftentimes hear operators talk about, you know the support they get. Operators talk about you know the support they get, the things they don't have to do. That the Chick-fil-A Support Center does for them is one of the things that keep them in the role and keep them, you know, motivated and really happy in the role, because the support center does a lot.
Speaker 3:I keep using the word support, but that's what it's about. It's about supporting them. So, yeah, it starts with the operator, the support that the operator gets. And then I have to go to the Kathy family. I mean the Kathy family, um, they are, um, just an amazing family. Started with Truett, um, his three kids have have shepherded the business incredibly well. They've now got it down into gen three and Andrew Cathy is our CEO now and they're incredibly generous. They give an incredible amount of grace and I think, knowing that the Cathy family is, at the end of the day, the family you're working for, whether you're an operator or someone like me that works at a support center, it makes all the difference, because you're proud to work for such an amazing family.
Speaker 2:For sure, that's pretty awesome. There's no doubt you're pretty happy there.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, yeah and closed on Sundays makes a big difference too. You know all those team members, hundreds of thousands of team members knowing that at least one day a week they don't have to think about chicken. Um, that that's a competitive advantage for us. People look at it and go that's like how can you give up the that? You know, um, those sales. It's like no, it's, it's yeah, you gotta flip that around. Like no, it's it's yeah, you got you got to flip that around, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's pretty awesome, all right. So your career obviously made it made a big jump and a big change, you know, to Chick-fil-A life's pretty good, family's growing. Um, now I kind of want to get into how you and I met. So, um, there came a point in time for you. Um, obviously you work out, you're in shape. Um, we had some conversations and we'll talk about that on on the rite of passage when we were we're doing our track, and you kind of talked about your morning routine a little bit.
Speaker 2:So so what I'd like you to do is kind of talk about your, your morning routine, because that's a very important time for me and my, uh, you know, and, and my day, every day, how I start, and I know it is for you, so talk about that, and then talk about how that led into you signing up for the rite of passage.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So, um, when I first started Chick-fil-A, um, I was able to uh have an executive coach my second year, and the name of the organization is called the 1% Club. And when you join 1% Club and you do their coaching, they encourage you to create an EMSR, an early morning success routine, and this is what we talked about on the trail, and so it's yours to create. They just want you to be intentional with 20 to 30 minutes of your time first thing in the morning. And so for me, um, my routine is um, obviously, get out of bed, wake up I know I'm going to be working out in about 30 minutes so, um, get a little carbs in the system, uh, get some energy going. But I sit down and Jennifer's usually beside me because she gets up around the same time typically and the first thing I do is I read a chapter in the New Testament. I then read the proverb for the day. So, whatever day of the month, it is Today's the 6th, so I read Proverbs 6 this morning, and I just do that on a repeat month in, month out. So that's, first, is time in the Word. I should back up a little bit.
Speaker 3:I pray first and I always incorporate the Lord's Prayer. I say always. I started that about nine months ago after our pastor did a really great sermon on prayer, and so I pray. Obviously I'm praying for, for Jennifer and the kids and just things and situations but then I say the Lord's prayer and then that's when I get into scripture. And then after scripture, um and I'm doing my best to do this without going into my phone here, but, like after scripture, I'll then, uh, use my phone.
Speaker 3:I've got this in my notes and so, um, then I'll go to, um, uh, my sleep. So I've got to. You know, track my sleep. So, um, look at kind of all my, my health stats. Go through all that. Then, um, um, going to 1440, I don't know if you've heard of that or not. 1440 is a great um newsletter that comes out every day. It's just the latest news and it's unbiased and it's an easy read and it just keeps me up to speed on what's happening in the world. So I read 1440, which you can get through that in just a couple minutes. And then, after the 1440, I have some goals, and so you know, I read my goals every single day. And then Now, on your goals, I re, I read my goals every single day.
Speaker 2:Um, and then now on your goals, not to interrupt please yeah. So your goals are? You are these goals you're setting like the beginning of every year?
Speaker 3:They're goals that are are set for typically like 90 days. Okay, typically some of them are like long-term, some aren't, but yeah, usually like around 90 days is kind of quarter to quarters, how I just kind of re revamp those. And so then, after I get through my goals, um, I have a picture of everybody on my team and I was encouraged by another person at Chick-fil-A to do this, but I have a picture of them and their family, and so I just look at those, those individual pictures, and that's my time to just think about my team at work. And so, you know, I see a picture of, you know, allie and Max, and then I see a picture of Sarah and Danny, and they just had two twins, and so Miles and Amelia. So there's, there's those eight people, and I look at them and, and you know, say a quick prayer for each one of them. Um, and then I I usually am getting off the couch and start my day.
Speaker 2:And you're doing all that in 30 minutes.
Speaker 3:Yeah it's, it goes quick. Okay, yeah, so, cause I'm just reading one chapter of the in the new Testament, the proverb you know. So yeah, it goes pretty quick. Um, that's pretty awesome. Yeah, and then if I have time I'll do Wordle and many too. I don't know if you the New York times games. Oh man, they're fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're just little quick games, um, just to kind of like keep my brain sharp, yeah, so that's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah man, that's great. Okay, so you're doing all that every day? Every morning every morning you're doing that.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So then you know, talk about why or how you came across the rite of passage with the three of seven project and what you know. What got in your head to say, yeah, I'm going to try that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I think you know cause you asked the question. You know connect your routine and and what's. You know, like you mentioned fitness and so, um, you know, at this stage of my life you've got to work to stay in shape. It's a lot harder at 45 than it was at 25. You've got to be so much more disciplined to stay sharp, in my opinion. And so to get to the rite of passage back up a little bit.
Speaker 3:So my next-door neighbor he's been my neighbor for over 20 years. He's a producer and he produces some television shows, he produces documentaries. Well, he produced the documentary Just One Mile and, for those that don't know, just One Mile is a documentary that's focused on Chad Wright, who is the head of Three of Seven Project. And so Ed, my neighbor, you know he would talk about work from time to time, but I never saw him more excited about a project than when he was doing the just one mile documentary. And so he would come over, we'd sit on the front porch and he'd tell me about Chad and former Navy SEAL ultra runner and just all the the, if you've seen the documentary yeah, that's the Polka Dona two, 50 or whatever it's actually called the mid state mile the mid state mile.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it's a last man standing.
Speaker 3:That's right, that's right, so I don't want to spoil it, but it's worth watching. Um, it's on Amazon, but anyways. You know that's how I learned about Chad and it and you know Chad's fate story is incredible, but the just one mile really doesn't focus on that. It's more focused on who he was as a seal and the lessons he learned from that and he's applied as an ultra runner. So, anyways, as I, when I, when they finally released the documentary, you know I got to watch it and I was like, man, this is really cool, let me learn more about chad. So I went to, just started googling about chad. Of course, three of seven came up. That's when I came across the courses that they offer and saw right of passage, and so when I saw it, I was like 24 hours on your feet, constant movement. All you can do is eat, drink, like this sounds pretty tough Um and um.
Speaker 3:And so I was like, yeah, I think I want to take something like this on, and so I actually signed up, or I submitted the application well over a year ago, and I got accepted to do a class in September, but unfortunately it fell on a weekend where my son had a ton of stuff going on. I just couldn't miss any of that, and so I had to let him know I couldn't do that session. And so then the to to let him know I couldn't do that, that um session. And so then the session me and you did together popped up, and I think about that Cause I'm like I could have been in that other class, right, but I was in. I was on team 12 and of course you know.
Speaker 3:I know every team has amazing experiences, but I'm glad I was part of team 12.
Speaker 2:Oh for sure, yeah for sure. So so you, you go and and talk about leading up to that. What, what did your your training look like? Cause yours was a little different than than mine.
Speaker 3:Okay, Um, yeah, so for me, um, I I didn't share this, but you know, I I reached out to Blake, Chad's brother. It's Blake, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah so.
Speaker 3:I reached out to Blake while we were on a vacation overseas and just said, hey, I couldn't do the class last September. Do I need to do another application? Well, this is in early June. And he says we got a spot in late June. And I'm like, well, I'm going to get home and I'm going to have a week before doing this, and so, to be honest, like I really didn't train for it, you know, I mean, fortunately I was already doing something every day, you know, from a fitness standpoint.
Speaker 3:But yeah, we got home and I want to say it was like we had a weekend and then the following weekend was rite of passage and, honestly, that Friday morning I had a full day, bunch of video calls, you know. And I, that Friday morning, before I got my day going, I was like I really want to do this, you know it. Just, we just come back from vacation. There was a ton of stuff that had piled up and, yeah, I was pretty close to just being like, eh, you know, I think I'll just stay home with the family this weekend and Jennifer and I talked about it a little bit. She's like oh no, you're going, you're going.
Speaker 2:Good job.
Speaker 3:Jennifer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I mean.
Speaker 3:I don't think I really would have not, but it definitely crossed my mind. You know cause I? I think there was. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think any of us did, yeah, so so you, you worked out long day on Friday and and uh head North right, yep, and uh, you know talk about uh. Was there any anxiety as you're driving up? And then when you get there, what all that felt like.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I. So I was on calls all the way up until like 10 minutes before my arrival time. Well, my arrival time, like, I left the house and anyways, my ETA just kept getting further and further out because of traffic and all that. So, anyways, I get off this call and it's like all right, I got to refocus. I'm 10 minutes out. Well, the the address they gave was not the right address Right. So I ended up somewhere and it was not clear where to go. So now I'm nervous Cause I'm like I know this Chad guy's intense.
Speaker 3:He's a former Navy SEAL. They said you got five to five, 30 arrival time. It's looking like I'm going to be pushing five 30. Like, are they just going to like turn me away? So I pulled in there kind of on two wheels, not knowing how it was going to go. Fortunately, it was like y'all were setting up tents and um, but I definitely, like I did not come in with like any. I was not relaxed, I was still kind of amped up from from the day, then the worried about being late and so um, so yeah, I was, uh, I wasn't probably in the best state of mind when I first showed up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think any of us were. I mean, I I've talked to a lot of the guys outside of that individually and I think that's uh, you know, the theme to everyone's story is the anxiety, the doubt, the what am I doing that night before, and so you make it obviously a little quicker than Wesley did the next day.
Speaker 2:So you know, talk about, you know, once we get there and Chad comes in and he's telling, he's telling us all the rules, and now this, it's starting to get real. Right now we're here and you know. Talk about where your mind was then.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, um, you know Chad, as I think you talked about this, he can. He's a little bit of an intimidating figure right, and so the beard, but he's just he's one of those guys that like, when he's looking at you, you're almost like he's looking in your soul. He's just got that intensity about him. And so I'm listening to all of the rules and what you can and can't do, but honestly, I think what I was thinking about the most was he talked about the two squads and identifying two leaders. I was probably thinking the most was he talked about the two squads and identifying two leaders.
Speaker 3:I was probably thinking the most about who's going to lead this, and for me, you know, I'm always willing to lead, but I didn't necessarily really want to lead, you know, not because I didn't want the challenge of it, but it was just like there's 18 guys here, you know who else really is wanting to do that, and so there was just that like question mark of who's here, who's really ready for this, who's gonna lead us, um, and then also just like how can I help? You know, that was the other part like what's my role in this? Um, because you know, you've got those guys that are just like eager beavers, like they're ready, you know, and they're going to jump at every opportunity. So I didn't want to sit back too much, but also was just trying to figure out, like how's this group really going to function together?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was in the same boat as we were standing in that shelter house and kind of all standing around a circle trying to select leaders, and that's what, when Ray was here, you know, this past weekend, and we talked about that, I don't even remember how, how it came to pass, other than him and Casey being the youngest guys.
Speaker 3:That was it, that was that was the key factor. I think Billy spoke up and said hey, these two guys are the youngest, let's let them lead. And I think that's about as simple as it was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So did you sleep at all the night before I?
Speaker 3:maybe, maybe a couple hours. Okay, yeah, I mean, you know we had that, that thunder, the lightning, um, it wasn't cool. You know, probably mid seventies I'm used to sleeping with like mid sixties and so yeah, it was not a great night's sleep, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was. It was definitely challenging. That, I think, was was probably the hardest part for me. It was that night before, just the doubt and the anxiety and the struggle that I, that I faced. So we get, we get up that morning, um, and they come and pick us up, talk about when, when we, we get out of the van and we you know there's a little bit of chaos before we get kind of taken off towards Chile, right, um, what were you thinking then?
Speaker 3:Um, well, you know, I was sitting right behind Chad and the whole ride I was really paying attention to him and cornbread, they weren't talking much, they were given just an instruction here, an instruction there. Um, so, honestly, the more that he was silent, the less he said, I think, the more anxious I got, because I just didn't know what we were about to do, right, and then he gave us the instructions of like Chili's going to get out of the van, team one's going to, or squad one's going to fall right behind him, y'all got to get out and go. I mean, that was what we were told, and so it was just hustle, you know, get going and go. And so, yeah, I mean I think there was excitement, but also I was anxious at the same time, you know, nervous.
Speaker 3:I was definitely nervous on the ride there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah for sure. So we get rocking and rolling. Was there a point in time for you where you were like holy cow this is maybe a little more than I anticipated or did you feel good pretty much the whole time?
Speaker 3:No, I mean, I think within a couple hours, um, I was starting to feel it in my legs. You know my legs were definitely. You know you want two hours. You know that we're only a little bit in at two hours, but we're on these hills and we're going up and down, and so I could feel it, you know. And so, yeah, within, it didn't take long for for my body to start talking to me, and so I realized early on, this is going to be a grind, yeah, yeah, when was your head at? Head was in a good spot, because at that point it was still cool outside.
Speaker 3:You know, um, the conversation was starting to happen, um, but I was really just like pacing was one thing I was thinking a lot about, cause you could tell I don't remember this but like we started out at a pace that probably was not sustainable. Then we slowed down and it was like you know, I at one point I was in the front setting the pace, and so I was just like what's the right thing to do here? We got to do this for 20 more hours, so I was just really concerned about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah so what point in time for you? You know for me, where it really got real and I felt like we came together as a team was right before that, that second resupply, when I really noticed Ray struggling. Was there a time for you where it was like this is not about me finishing, this is about the team.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think, um, uh, you know when we, if you've watched, have you watched the documentary they put out? So there's that part of the documentary. You hear Ray say the downhills are really hurting and that when he said that, I remember him saying that because I remember cornbread up in the woods, you know filming and I thought, oh boy, this is going to be, this is going to be tough, and, and so that that was when it really hit me Like we're going to have to, we're all going to have to chip in and help each other, if we're, if we're all going to finish, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was um, and I think I told you when Ray was here, you know he said for him this first 40 minutes like he knew, he knew he was in, he was in pain, um, talk about you know when, when there was a couple of times really early on, before cornbread came around, um, and really started talking to the group, uh, where there'd be some silence, yeah, so that was. That was tough for me, because your mind starts to wonder, you start to question, uh, and then I think cornbread went up to Scott and said hey, you hear that silence Like you need you need to, you need to reiterate to these guys to explain their why. Again, where was your mind when things got quiet?
Speaker 3:Yeah, um, I definitely when it got quiet is when I started thinking about me more, right, like that's, when I was like how am I feeling? How am I doing? Do I need to eat more? Do I need to drink more? Um, is this what feels like a cramp in my left calf going to go away in 10 minutes or go away in an hour? Um, I didn't know. You could like cramp and then get rid of a cramp and then cramp again, over and over again. Um, but it was happening like that and so, yeah, anytime it was quiet, I felt I felt the focus come back on me and so I really enjoyed and, to your point, cornbread really encouraged us. But, like, the times that were the most enjoyable on in that experience were the times where, when we just kind of got lost in our, in our conversation amongst each other yeah, and it could be just nothing really meaningful conversation.
Speaker 2:It was just conversation some points times, but there was, there was many times when some of the stories that people shared were very, very powerful for sure. So you know, we were trekking along, it's hot, it's challenging, and we get into the night and we're going to get to the end, where you had some issues.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But talk about leading up to that, because it seemed to me like I remember you and I having a conversation. Um, when we came out from the waterfall we were heading up the gravel road before we got to that resupply five had a good conversation talking about your family. You seem super strong Like and, and, quite honestly, for me, I felt pretty good as well. Super strong Like and and, quite honestly for me, I felt pretty good as well.
Speaker 3:Um, but we get past resupply five, we go to where we're, we finish and you pass out. Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so talk about leading up to that, how, how you felt good, and then then what?
Speaker 3:happened. Yeah, so I mean, to your point, I really felt good, you know, I mean I'm I carried a another person's bag for a good portion of that overall, that whole experience, and wanted to do that Like I felt like the hey, this is how I can contribute to the team. Um, and so, yeah, I mean I uh, you know it was hard, don't get me wrong, but you know, when we were, when we were finishing, Matt told I don't know if you saw this text, but Matt told a story about, shortly before we got to the point of stopping. Um, I noticed Matt to my right and he was, he was, he was shaky and I looked at him. I was like man, you doing okay, and he's like, ah, I'm not feeling great. And I said I got some fruit snacks, maybe this little sugar will help you. And I passed him those fruit snacks and he talked about later how that that helped kind of perk him up. So I was in a mode of how's everyone else doing?
Speaker 3:And feeling really good, and we got to that point and you know, and um and so, uh, we took, we kind of all turned around and we were standing there. Well, I mean, I was like number probably going to be like the 15th or 16th guy to take that final walk to the vans. And, um, yeah, I just, I just I had this feeling and my stomach was going crazy. Like I just felt all this feeling and my stomach was going crazy, Like I just felt all this pressure in my stomach, and then I started to feel like blood was rushing from my feet to my head and I remember, I think I blurted out like I'm not feeling well, I think, if I remember correctly. And then I remember, turning towards Alan who was standing right behind me, I was like Alan, I'm about to. And then the next thing, you know, I'm on the ground. So I completely, you know, you saw it.
Speaker 2:No, I was gone. Oh, you were gone. Yeah, I was already out, oh, okay.
Speaker 3:I can't remember who was gone and who wasn't, but yeah, so next thing I know Chad is in my face. It's kind of funny. It's kind of funny. He's going Hunter, hunter, because Billy had called me Hunter on and off, and I'm like I'm not going to correct him every time. He does it. So Billy was behind me and I think he probably said Hunter. So Chad's in my face calling me Hunter and I can remember it. Like he's just like there and so, yeah, so they got me back on my feet and then I said I had to go to the bathroom, stepped off the trail, went to the bathroom, step back into the line and I went out again and um, and then they got me on my feet again.
Speaker 3:I went out one more time and then on that third time, um, you know, chad was like, hey, me and you, we're going to take this back together, we're going to walk it back. Just, you know, we're going to let you stay here until everybody else goes. And so I had no idea how long I was out. I had no idea, but I remember I was still on the ground and all of a sudden, sweat just emptied out of my body and I felt great after that, and so great to a point you know, but I was back on my feet, somebody gave me their hiking poles and Chad, and I walked it back and had a great conversation.
Speaker 3:It was the weirdest thing but I talked to two people have said something to me about it since then. One, my mom. She's like you don't remember when you fainted in the kitchen when you were 16? I'm like no, no idea. So I have fainted before. Okay, but she reminded me of a time that happened in high school and she said it was after a football practice in the summer. And then one of my neighbors, a guy named Troy Williams he's Special Forces Green Beret guy named Troy Williams, he's um, special forces green beret. Um, he's a. He lives in Georgia but he's out of a. He's a reservist out of a group in, uh, alabama. And I was telling him about it and he's like dude, you just, you just gave everything. He's like that's the way I would look at it is you sold out, he goes.
Speaker 3:That's awesome you know, yeah. And so I'm like, well, I'll take it. You know, maybe maybe that's what it was, maybe I just completely. And then I do remember that last section where we were going up and down those steep rocks. I was carrying Casey's bag for a good portion of that and, yeah, I was spent.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Felt good, but I knew my body was at it. I mean, I'd given what I could give.
Speaker 2:It's just amazing that it you know it happened. You know I I mean it was at the end, so your body knew like got you to that point and then it's like Nope, you're going, you're going to take a nap you know, so hardest, hardest part of the whole rite of passage for you was what?
Speaker 3:Yeah, the hardest part, I think, was, you know, we had gone through one section I don't want to give away things about it, but like we'd gone through a section and you know it was probably two or three o'clock in the morning and my mind started looking at the sky and I would look one way and then I'd look the other. I'd be like, wait, it's a little bit lighter over there. Are we close, you know? And I'm like, now that I know where it was, like probably two o'clock in the morning, that was the hardest part, because by that point you're exhausted, your mind starting to play tricks on you, you're wanting to be done and so you're just hoping you're a lot closer than you really are. And, um, it just kept going and kept going, you know, and we had that resupply before the. The really hard part and yeah, I mean, I'm like man looking back, I'm like you literally thought it was almost over and it was like 2 AM, so that was hard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I agree, that was, uh, that was challenging cause your mind's playing tricks on you. You're hallucinating. I mean just your body's exhausted Um yeah that's pretty powerful man.
Speaker 2:You definitely gave it your all for sure, for sure. Um, so last two things here and we'll we'll finish. We'll wrap this up. Is there, is there a Bible verse? Is there a quote? Is there something that you lean on? You know, maybe when you're not feeling enthusiastic to to to do your work in the morning or your workout or anything like that but is there is there something out there that you lean on that you come back to, that motivates you to keep going?
Speaker 3:that motivates you to keep going. Hmm, you know, I don't know that I can point towards a Bible verse. You know, I think I think about, you know, my motivation to get up and do that routine and get the workout in and be my best at the you know, at whatever's ahead of us that day, and obviously we all fall short of what we ultimately want to do. Um, and I just kind of I would, I would have to say, is just, you know, god has been so gracious, um, and I'm, I'm so grateful that, um, I just want to be generous back, you know, generous with how I'm serving him, how I'm serving my family, how I'm serving, in my career, friends.
Speaker 3:And so when we had that 30 minute time on the rite of passage, there were two things I thought about. I started off thinking about gratitude and how grateful I was for just so many blessings, but then I thought about generosity, kind of the second half of that walk, and that's the legacy we want to leave. And I'm getting off topic a little bit, but we, you know, we are like when people look when we're dead and gone and people look back on Tucker and Jennifer. If there's one word, we want it to be generosity, and so that comes out of a spirit of gratefulness. And so I say to answer your question, I think just you know why do we get up and do what we do. I'm just very grateful to even have the opportunity to do it.
Speaker 3:It's one of the things I say when I first start my routine is God, thank you for another day. Yeah, you know um, cause the Bible is pretty clear. You know we're not, we don't nothing's guaranteed Correct Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so um so, yeah, yeah, that's. That's a great answer, man. Great answer. Last question If you could sit on a park bench and have a conversation with anyone living or deceased.
Speaker 3:Who would it be and why? It's a great question. Um, three people come to mind. I'll just mention the two names and I'll I'll talk a little more about the third. So the first person would be true at Kathy. I got to meet him one time. It was before I. He actually passed away a year before I started Chick-fil-a. So I'd love to just ask him the question are we, are we fulfilling your vision, you know, are we staying true to what you started as the founder of Chick-fil-a?
Speaker 3:Second one's George Washington. I don't think I have to say a whole lot about why, right, but I love our country and, and you know, obviously he's one of our founding fathers and probably the most well-known, and it's just the way he led, the way he was written, with things that were written about him. But the one that I think I really would want and and I think would be the most challenging, would be to sit down with, with Paul, the apostle Paul, and I'd love for Paul to do an assessment of Tucker. I think he would challenge me and, and you know, point me in some directions and, and you know, make me better. Um, cause he certainly did that, you know, for a lot of people.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that's it, that's awesome man, great answer, great answers, um, and definitely all very influential people. For sure, man, you did great. I appreciate, um, appreciate you coming up here, because you didn't have to, um, and and I know you weren't you weren't far away, but, uh, it means a lot to me, um, you know what we did together in our 24 hours and maybe 36 hours of actually knowing each other and those you know, 17 other 18 of us total group of men. I mean, it has really impacted my life and I've been on many teams, you know, throughout my life and it's an amazing group of men. You're an amazing man, you're, you're doing some amazing things and I, I, I know that people are going to take something from your story, um, and use it in a positive way, because that's what life is all about. That's what Chick-fil-A is about, that's what you and Jennifer about with your family. It's about just just trying to make this world a better place. So I thank you for taking the time to come up here.
Speaker 3:Thank you, this has been an honor. Yeah, absolute honor.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right, everybody Be sure to like and share and all those good things. We continue to be grateful for your support. Go out and be tempered.
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