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Words from the Wise
Join Words from the Wise with Gary Wise, a retired Navy Command Master Chief, for authentic leadership insights forged in real-world experience. Through engaging discussions and actionable strategies, Gary empowers you to master emotional intelligence, build resilient teams, and unlock your full potential. Tune in for practical advice on delegation, conflict management, and inspiring others, drawn from his over 28 years of service and ongoing leader mentorship headquartered now in Ocala, Florida.
Words from the Wise
The High Road: Navigating Leadership in a Divided World
What does it truly mean to "take the high road" in today's fractured world? For Pastor Mark D Cummins, it's not a cliché but a revolutionary approach to leadership that transforms both leaders and followers.
In this compelling conversation, Mark shares his journey from angry teenager to Marine to pastor, revealing how each stage shaped his understanding of what leadership should be. Growing up in a broken home with a volatile relationship with his father, Mark learned the hard way about choosing between revenge and forgiveness. This personal struggle became the foundation for what he now calls "High Road Leadership" – an approach that begins with valuing people regardless of differences.
Mark makes a fascinating distinction between three leadership paths: the low road (seeking revenge), the middle road (transactional relationships), and the high road (value-based influence). "Middle of the road is transactional," he explains. "I'll do this for you if you do this for me. That's not healthy—it's still about me." By contrast, high road leaders invest in others without expectation of return, seeing potential in people before they see it themselves.
This distinction becomes crucial in today's divided landscape, where nearly every topic splits opinions down the middle. High road leadership isn't about proving who's right or wrong but recognizing that while disagreements are inevitable, disrespect should never be. As Mark puts it, "As a leader, we've got to engage people right where they are, and because we value people, then we're able to bring them up."
Whether you're leading a business, family, church, or community group, Mark's approach offers a refreshing alternative to manipulation-based or position-based leadership. With Ocala growing rapidly—adding approximately 260 new residents weekly—his message couldn't be more timely. "Life never gets easier," he shares. "What we need to do is learn how to do hard better."
Ready to transform your leadership approach? Join us at the Ocala-inspired live speaker leadership development event on July 25th to hear more from Pastor Mark and other local leaders who are making a difference.
And I know I was born for this. I know I was born for this. Don't care for the critics. My words and life is except for us that they can't stop. They just don't get it. I think they forget I'm not done till I'm on top. I know I was born for this. I know I was born for this. I believe. I believe we can write a story. All right, hello everyone, how are you doing? Today? It's Gary, gary Wise. I'm here with Wise Leadership Solutions and today I'm excited because I get to bring to you a very special guest, one of our live speakers at the Ocala-inspired live speaker leadership development engagement event in Ocala, florida on July 25th. Our guest today. He is the lead pastor at the Church of Hope in Ocala Florida. He is the founder and the owner and the lead creator for Mark D Cummins Leadership and Development and he is none other than Pastor Mark D Cummins Leadership and Development and he is none other than Pastor Mark D Cummins. Hey, mark, how you doing?
Mark Cummins:Gary, it is phenomenal to be with you today.
Gary Wise :I appreciate that, man and you're right man, it is phenomenal. I'm very happy to have you here because, as the local leaders in Ocala, I look to you to be not just an example but a voice in the community, and I really want to make sure that we're showing people in Ocala that there are people all around them that can help guide them through this life, and you're definitely somebody that can help with that. So thank you for your time today. Looking forward to it, absolutely. Yes, sir Mark. So you're going to be speaking with us at Ocala, inspired about high road leadership, and I just want to jump right into that. Why do you believe that leaders need to understand what the high road is and how can they best use that as they work to help the people in their world?
Mark Cummins:You know, gary, that phrase high road leader even high road can be somewhat of a cliche right, we've probably had someone in our life a grandparent, a parent, a coach, someone tell us take the high road.
Mark Cummins:And at times it kind of seems like you know, suck it up, buttercup, right? I know this doesn't seem fair, but just go ahead and take the high road and it'll all work out. Well, I think today, particularly those two words combined with the word leadership high road, leadership is more essential perhaps than any other time, at least in my lifetime. You see, more than ever, gary, we are a divided people. I realize your audience will go beyond the United States, but here in the United States we're really divided. Pick whatever topic and 50% have an opinion on one side and 50% have an opinion on the other side.
Mark Cummins:And I believe that one of the roles as leaders is learning how to bring people together. Moving beyond I'm right and you're wrong to understanding disagreements they will happen, right, some cases, they'll happen often, but disrespect should never happen. And so, in this talk that we'll have together on the 25th of July is really leaning in on how to value people, regardless of how they think, how they act, how they behave, how they vote, how they identify. As a leader, we've got to engage people right where they are, and because we value people, then we're able to bring them up, often seeing the potential, gary, in them before they see it in themselves. That's really what we do as leaders, right, and then we begin to lead them in a direction that will bring a better life for them and those around them.
Gary Wise :So that's kind of the big idea, you know when I think of the word high road and I love when you send it to me as far as what your perspective was going to be for your topic, because I think of the road that's not going to go through the challenge per se. The high road may not always be the easiest road, but it's typically going to be the best road because it's usually one that's going to keep you out of the fray. And that's when I got that analogy for me high road leadership, and so I love it. I'm looking forward to it.
Gary Wise :I hope that the people that come can can take that on board, because when you're working with people as human beings in all ways, you almost always want to do what you can to bring them up by hopefully not knocking them down Right, which I don't think anybody means to do, and leaders especially. You know, like I know, you're almost danged if you do, danged if you don't, but you try your best, right? Mark, I'm curious to know for those of the people that have never heard your voice before, that possibly might have never seen your face before, could you kind of give them some wave tops as to how you became not just the leader you are, the speaker you are, but the human being that you are today in 2025.
Mark Cummins:Absolutely so. You know I grew up in a broken home in the seventies. Back then we used the term latchkey kids parents divorced, my mom had to go back into the workforce. She had no education to speak of except for her high school degree. And so in a few ways, latchkey, you know, lock the door and don't get arrested. It was kind of the parenting strategy.
Mark Cummins:And you know I was an upset angry teenager. I'm five foot seven tall, I think I'm six foot four tall. I was fairly good in athletics but there were limitations of being five foot seven. So college football was outside of you know my future. And I remember watching a commercial on television and it really just kind of captivated me. Back then. Tv was I'm going to date myself, laverne and Shirley, and Happy Days, magnum PI, right, I'm a deal. And you know I was just. I was so tired of people telling me what to do. My mom coaches.
Mark Cummins:I worked at a Perkins pancake house growing up and I had a boss. His name was Chester Lipinski, first generation immigrant from Poland. And you know I remember one time it was a Saturday morning Now back then, gary, like people when they would come to the restaurant you would actually have a smoking section or a non-smoking. Remember you'd go in for your reservations and they would say what do you prefer? Smoking, non-smoking? Remember you'd go in for your reservations and they would say what do you prefer smoking, non-smoking, or first available. I mean, it's kind of crazy. Right, even on airplanes they smoke. But people would order their eggs and dip their toast, smoke their cigarettes, put out the ashes and they would kind of linger. And then it would come back to me, the dishwasher, the dishwashers of America, and Saturday mornings it's just you're trying to get those dishes cleaned, back up on the line for the short order cook to put more eggs, more bacon, more pancakes, to kind of keep it going out. And Chester was always like get these dishes done. And so one day I'm just kind of getting after it and a little bit of the hard crusted on egg, you know, didn't get off the plate. I'm thinking it's no big deal, I stack the plates, take them up there and the cook gave it to Chester. Chester comes back right and gives me a big old hard time about this little flake of egg, right, I'm just losing my temper and and I just tired of people telling me what to do. So that commercial that I saw in between Vernon Shirley or happy days or whatever, it had this guy in a uniform and he's fighting this. You know this dragon with a sword and at the end there's an 800 number. Yeah, I called it.
Mark Cummins:Next day, a United States Marine recruiter shows up at the door and gave me the sales pitch and I'm like I'm going to the Marines. I was 17. So my mom had to sign a waiver. But that really started my leadership journey, one by revealing how narrow-sighted of a framework that I had, because I was tired of people telling me what to do. So what did I do? Go to base training Marines, right, but it took me from 17 to 21 real fast and I began to learn and grow and understand and really I'll forever be grateful for that training and I really I'll forever be grateful for that training.
Mark Cummins:And I, ironic enough, my spiritual journey actually began in the Marine Corps as well. I was looking out with Japan and, you know, tired of going to chow hall and you know, as a Lance Corporal and a Corporal E3, e4, you don't have a lot of cash. And so there were I didn't know they were missionaries, but they would invite guys to go to the USO and they would pay for breakfast and they would begin to share. How you know, god really isn't a killjoy and he's not mad at you. On the contrary, he's madly in love with you. And I began to kind of lean into that story and so I began my spiritual journey and, following after Christ came out of the Marine Corps, started my educational pursuit and a bachelor's, master's, I went on to have an earned doctorate and then over the years, in the role of a pastor, I just I always kind of felt disconnected. You know, guys are getting up and working every single day, going out and and I'm at the church, and it just seemed to be disconnected. So I was always looking for an avenue to create a business, a company, and I came from the perspective and we can talk about it more.
Mark Cummins:But I really believe the greatest leadership book ever is the Bible. I know some guys or gals are watching and they're like you know, mark, I don't know I've leaned into it, but I tell you we could look at any author that's out there, tony Robbins, whoever the guy is that you're following that, you think Simon Sinek, whoever it might be, old Dale Carnegie. Those principles are just reworded from scriptures, and I think, if you and I choose and people can choose however they would want to define leadership, but to me the best definition of leadership is influence. That's what leaders do. There are a lot of people who call themselves a leader, but if you look behind you and no one's following you, right, he's going for a walk.
Mark Cummins:So leadership is about influence, and when you kind of just look statistically around the world even today about a man who I believed was also god, but lived and died I mean 33 years, that's all that he lived on this earth and then he ends up influencing, like the whole world, then every generation since. So so I I decided that I wanted to get outside, so to speak, from the walls of a church and the steeple and just get where people are at, and so that's that's when I launched uh mdc life and leadership development company, and you know I'm in the role of a pastor and so obviously that's a full-time gig, but I do have clients that I work with in Ocala and some nationally and globally, and the whole idea, kind of the whole purpose, is partnering with leaders to reach their full potential. I just believe that people have another level and I want to come alongside of them and help them to experience that next level 100%.
Gary Wise :You know, I relate with everything that you just said and honestly, I think most leaders will, because we understand the parallels between faith and what's required to take people to go somewhere anywhere in this journey. Right, almost any follower wants to put faith in their leader and almost all leaders are asking for followers to please give them some faith and some trust and some hope. And we'll try to get there, because it's never a sure thing, right? I mean, that's the the funnest things in life have a little bit of risk to them and you have to just put yourself out there a little bit. And I remember one of my. There was a men's group I went through once upon a time and we were doing a series on the Last Supper and I remember going through that conversation and recognizing that this is like a turnover, like essentially, jesus is giving a turnover to his followers and saying, hey look, guys, I had it, you got it. I don't even think you realize what I'm telling you just yet, but in a few days it'll all be clear and figure it out. And that was when I really first like, oh my God, this is a leadership book. And since then, when I approach it from that perspective. I'm never let down right and I pick a story, any story. I can almost always find something of value in there when it comes to leadership, and I think that's just a very simple truth that will continue to manifest the greatness of the book and the gospel.
Gary Wise :Mark. Not everyone knows this about you, so I will tell the world. Um, mark, not everyone knows this about you, so I will tell the world. Mark is also an iron man, which is, you know, I'm also, uh, blessed to be five foot six, you know, in life, so maybe you got to hide on me. My grandpa said that I was tall enough because my legs reached the ground. You know, I never knew how, how, how short I was. My wife erica, and she notified me of that because I always thought I was six. I still think I'm six feet tall. You know what the heck, but you know. So I could definitely relate. And so then, looking at the things you do athletically, I'm very inspired by that and I'm just curious if you would be willing to share with the people. You know what's a typical day like for you know, a Mark D Cummins Ironman coach, extraordinaire. What do you do day in and day out that makes you so consistent and so so, so ready to take on the challenges of the life.
Mark Cummins:Yeah Well, I love the word consistent. It's not always the sexiest word in the world, but I think it's the most successful word. So I'm at a stage in life and when I started racing marathons and then, ultimately, ironman races, my daughters had graduated from college and so I'm an empty nester, so to speak, and so all that time that I had invested with two daughters in the home, I had some discretionary time and I've always enjoyed the typical kind of PT that we learned in the military a little bit of run, pull-ups, get to the gym, do some workouts. But I really began, as I was headed towards 50, to look at particularly the Ironman race as an endurance and really as a metaphor for life and in leadership. You know, grit and resiliency, being able to withstand the tests and go the distance. Really, the difference between someone who would say that maybe they haven't reached their goals yet and they look at somebody and says, look how they have it, look how they have reached their goals, and their success, really the only difference is not so much ability, as it is an attitude that you're just not going to quit. You're just not there yet. I haven't reached that.
Mark Cummins:So Ironman racing and for your viewers who might not know, ironman consists of three athletic disciplines swim, bike and run. So you swim in the open water for 2.4 miles, either the ocean or a lake. Then you bike 112 miles and then you run a full marathon 26.2 miles. And so you do that all compressed in about. Well, you have 17 hours. There is a cutoff. If you don't finish within 17, then you're DQ'd. But most of them, a lot of people, do it in around 12 hours or so, and it just became a great metaphor for endurance and so so there's a training component. But basically, if you looked at my day, I'm going to do it in reverse order, because I believe every good day starts the night before.
Mark Cummins:So back in the day, you know, packing your gear, prepping, so I always start the night before, and I've really, you know, as a younger man, you know who needs sleep. I don't need no sleep, just give me another cup of coffee and energy drinks, but all that is a bunch of nonsense. You know we really need sleep. There's lots of data out there today, good sleep hygiene, and so it starts with a good night's rest, and so you know I do some wonky things. I've got some blue blocker glasses that I wear to start, you know, getting the light out of my eyes, kind of winding down that night, really thinking through. I want a really good night's sleep because, much like you know our cell phones, they have incredible potential but if they lose their power there's nothing that you can do with that cell phone. That's the same thing with our body emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually. So I start with a good night's sleep and then I get up early and I do some things that are maybe different but they're good for me.
Mark Cummins:Again, your viewers, maybe on another podcast or another time we can unpack it but one of the first things I do I get up, you know, go to the head, go to the bathroom, kind of get squared away for the morning, I hydrate and then I have a cold plunge here at the house. It's chest and I keep it at 43 degrees, and so I get in there for four minutes and kind of just wake up and kind of get everything going Lots of dopamine, I mean it's a great high. And then I get up and I begin to kind of warm that up and then I'm going to do something physical next, whatever that might be in the training cycle for that day there's going to be a physical chunk. Then the next thing is is I'm going to lean into my mental and my spiritual space and that's going to be, you know, some Bible reading, some prayer, some devotion, something that I'm reading. I've got my journal, I'm looking at my day. Where am I going to be? How do I need to think through this and all that. So that's really kind of just getting me set up, kind of just getting me set up, you know, for for my, for my day, I, I, you know I'm, I'm a huge proponent of, of hydration. I think a lot of us are just walking around tired because we're really just dehydrated, so I'm always looking to be hydrated. I love coffee, but a lot of research is out there that some of some might not like this, but the best way to have your coffee is about two or three hours after you wake up, to let the cortisol and a lot of the chemicals drain out of your brain, and so usually I'll start having that first cup of coffee about three hours later.
Mark Cummins:I practice some restricted eating. I'm usually not eating, uh, until probably noon, or or one high protein uh, all throughout my day. Uh, there are cheat days, uh, one of my mentors, you know, says hey, ain't nothing wrong with birthday cake on your birthday? Uh, we like to have it every other day. So I'm, I'm, I'm nutritionally looking at what I'm eating all day long. Again, it's fuel. I'm trying to fuel my body physically, my brain, mentally and emotionally.
Mark Cummins:Then I would have you know, if you want to use the word a professional lane, I've got the professional lane of being a pastor. And so staff, all the different outreaches, all the different nonprofits, mission organizations that we're working with, sunday's always coming. So we're always prepping the upcoming Sunday. We really lean into our next generation space. So the preparation of how are we really, you know, not just having a space for babies, toddlers, elementary, middle school, high school, but how are we systematically training them so that as they go through that process and they graduate from high school, just like there's a scope and sequence in our schools where we take a young person from kindergarten to high school graduation we have a scope and sequence. So we're looking at that every day. So that's that lane.
Mark Cummins:And then the lane of leadership development, different clients, how I'm checking in with them, where they're at. Then I'm married. This past week we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary Congratulations. I saw that, thank you. And so there's that time when Linda and I are checking in with each other, spending you know, where are you, how? You know high communication, valuing each other. Then the day is starting to come to an end Again.
Mark Cummins:I don't have children at home anymore so often doing some type of training in the in the evening. It could be a walk, it could be yoga, it can be do something, it can be something, and that one is usually with Linda, uh, so we're able to have a conversation as we go through, um, whatever the day happened or what's in front of us. And then I'm um, uh, winding, beginning to wind that down. You know you get up early. You got to go to bed early, uh, and wind things down. I'm reading something. You know, occasionally if there's a show that we, like we're going to, we'll tip in and and uh and watch that show. Um, but again, then that's, I'm right back to bedtime, and so I'm prepping what's happening tomorrow. I'm getting set back up a good sleep hygiene and and I've been doing that I turned 60 next month. I've been doing that at least since my late 20s out of the Marine Corps.
Gary Wise :You know what I love about that is number one. Yes, your results speak for themselves, but people always ask how do you get to the result? Well, it's the consistent behaviors you choose to do every day right, and it's the little things that you're doing and as you just laid that out. For me, anyway, all I hear is repetition and consistency, and none of that in it by almost every one of those things by themselves are manageable. Put that all together, it's it is a very, very impressive schedule, but it's also something that works for you and I can relate to that because I know how hard it is to have that repetition and consistency. So thank you for sharing that and I hope it inspired inspires everyone else is watching this, just like it inspires me, and I think we all we all go through our ups and our downs, and our downs and our highs and our lows, especially now that you've recognized him and empty master.
Gary Wise :I've got a little more time in my hands, vice what I might've had when my kids were younger or my kids were teenagers or whatever it was, but I'm willing to bet that, like you said, even if we go back to those times in your life, you were going to have those same principles and all good things.
Gary Wise :All good things that I think leaders should be listening for and looking for, because repetition is the secret to consistency, at least in my opinion. It's knowing how to manage that balance and not losing yourself through the day in and day out of life's changes and consequences Right, changes and consequences, right. Mark, you know, I know, you got through a lot in your life Again, joined the Marine Corps, rose up through the world of being a pastor, had a family, raised your daughters, done all the great things in your life. Is there any specific challenges that you think really have prepared you, not just for the things you're dealing with tomorrow, but especially for this concept of high road leadership that maybe you'd be willing to share with the people that might be coming to hear you speak in person on July 25th?
Mark Cummins:Yes, several. One is the relationship with my dad. It was very volatile and in many ways I always kept it at arm's length and inside of me, the thought of revenge Inside of me. Not high road leadership, low road leaders. You did this to me, so I'm going to do this to you, right? You made me feel like a loser, I'm going to make you feel like a loser.
Mark Cummins:And that that mentality you see it in politics, you see it in marriages when they don't go the distance and they break up, and you can see it in the dad and child relationship, you can see it between employer and employees, employer and employees. And so, you know, I struggled for a long time. You know, I think as children, you want the hand of blessing of your father on you, and when that's withheld, it's real easy to get to the low road right. And so, without a doubt, kind of the dysfunction of that relationship began to shape how I was thinking and I began to say out loud you know this, this is less than best, and when you're on the low road, you're what I'm really like. I let my dad continue to do those things to me, even though I was a grown adult, because I and leadership. You know, as a leader, the word forgiveness is not just a relationship word, it's really a human word, because if you're interacting with any human being it's always going to be messy, and we all have good intentions, but we often disappoint each other, we drain each other, we show up less than best. So if you're going to be a high road leader, you've got to become familiar with practicing forgiveness. Now I realize not everybody comes from a faith background, but for me and my faith it has become a strength, because I watched that forgiveness modeled by Christ and so I watched how he demonstrated it, and so now I'm modeling what my mentor, savior, did for me, and so I did that with my dad Then in the role of pastor.
Mark Cummins:There have been many times that people thought that I was the devil incarnate, and I understand that Sometimes it was my own fault, sometimes my own insecurities, my own, you know, lack of self-awareness, how I said what I said. You know you can you can say things, gary, that are truthful, but if you say it in an ignorant, mean, disrespectful way, then everybody loses the truth. So I've had to learn that when I lean into people's lives, I love them, I visit, I'm there for those moments. And then later, when perhaps I make a decision that they thought was less than best, it's not going how they want, then they detach Again, even in the role of a pastor, that low, or even Gary, let's not just say low road, let's call it the road he has dangerous, because middle of the road is transactional.
Mark Cummins:It's Gary, I'll do this for you If you do this for me, and that's not healthy, this for me, and that's not healthy, it's still about me. I'm willing to do something for Gary as long as I get something for me. And so that middle of the road and we all know kind of the cliche, you know the only thing that exists in the middle of the road is roadkill, and so you know, leaders can't just be focused on a low I'm going to get back at them or even middle, let's just keep it fair. You know, you give a little bit, I'll give a little bit. No high road says.
Mark Cummins:I'm starting with Gary Weiss. I believe who he is, I believe the potential, regardless of what you've said, regardless of what you've done, I'm going to lean in and on the front end, I'm going to deposit into your life, regardless of what you do for me because, as a leader, a high road leader, my generosity comes from a place of security. I'm not trying to get something from you, gary, I'm not trying to get you to do something. See, a lot of leaders, gary, misunderstand motivation and manipulation. I'm going to motivate you because I can see, as a leader, I can kind of see where you could be and so I'm going to coach you to get there. That's different than a leader who wants something from you and to get something from Gary I got to get him here. Now that leans into the manipulation space.
Mark Cummins:This high road leadership, and particularly as we lean into Gen Z, gen Alpha to Gen Z, gen Alpha, Millennials being authentic and showing up that. I want good for you Because everybody is going to lead right, particularly as we get older. You're going to lead somebody younger and more than any other time, that positional leadership, because you're the boss, because you have the office that has the window, because it just doesn't matter. As a leader, we're trying to lead people to share a common vision for our company, for our team, for our church, to head in the same direction, unified, so that we can experience the success and the goals that we're all looking for, and that's a challenge today, and that's why high road leadership is a tool that every single leader needs in their leadership toolbox, definitely, you know and for me, when it comes to everything, everything you just said is spot on Perfect.
Gary Wise :And for me, when it comes to everything, everything you just said is spot on Perfect. And first I want to start with thanking you for sharing about your dad. So many people out there will relate, because we all have things we went through in our life and, unfortunately, parents sometimes can be less than best, and so I think a lot of people can connect with having similar memories and or challenges in their life. Having similar memories and or challenges in their life, and then to see you, where you've come from, and being able to forgive which I tell my students all the time in class like one of the easiest things to do is to just forgive someone. It's not to say you forgot, it's not even to say that it was okay. It's just to say I'm not going to sit here and hold this against you forever, because I don't have the energy for that and I'm just not going to keep putting myself in the same place to let you do wrong by me. But that's just another healthy decision I'm going to make. So, as I take control of my life, I'm going to make a move Right.
Gary Wise :And then you talked about how you know high road leaders are going to be people that are not manipulating, and that's so critical for me. Again, I tell my students who are now my followers. I told people in the military I love when someone's leveraging me. I do as long as you're telling me that you're doing it, as long as I'm in on it. I just hate when I don't know what's going on and I feel like you're taking advantage of me. That's where I get a little suspicious, and I think leaders, more often than not, they do their followers a disservice by just not telling them everything that they need to know. And now here's the other thing, that part of that, though followers have a responsibility to be listening and paying attention, because it's not the leader's job to always catch them and say, hey, did you get all that? At the end of the day, we all got a responsibility in this life, but I think that leaders that are working their best to be not just high road leaders but the best they can be for their people they're going to work on, I think, telling them all the information that they know and, hopefully, building that trust up so when they don't have the information, they can still get the followers to support them, because it's probably, unfortunately, a crisis. You know Now this particular event we're hosting in Ocala.
Gary Wise :I'm trying to get people to come in person in Ocala to hear leaders that are all coming from Ocala. And I'm doing this number one because kind of some people said that it was first. People said it couldn't be done. Then I went to your event last year so I lived to lead and I was like there's a whole room full of people that are interested in the same stuff that I'm interested in. Oh, my gosh, okay. And then the next thing was I know that we're growing and so I guess my question for you, marcus where do you kind of see Ocala or leaders in Ocala going next five to 10 years, and what's your perspective on how people can best swim, guide, row the right direction so we can all be on the same team?
Mark Cummins:Yeah, that's a. That's a good question. So you know, florida is growing. I think there's several reasons for that. One, how we experienced the pandemic compared to other people. There was a lot of freedom here. Our local and state government allowed us to lead ourselves and to lead our organizations, and so I think people saw south of Gainesville, straight across from the Gulf and from the Atlantic, and last several years we've had a bad run with hurricanes and so we have people on the coast who they want to stay in Florida, so they've come to Ocala, want to stay in Florida, so they've come to Ocala.
Mark Cummins:Relatively speaking, although our housing market is definitely up expensive in Ocala, compared to the coast it's much more reasonable and you can actually have some land here. All those things, having the College of Central Florida here, florida here, uf, just to the north of us, is very attractive. And then other areas in Florida, those urban zones, have become so congested you just can't get around at all. Now I know here in Ocala many of us can complain because you know our traffic has definitely increased. Us can complain because our traffic has definitely increased, but compared to Orlando, to Jacksonville, to Tampa, to Miami, to Fort Myers, it's nothing. So we are growing. Our local chamber of economic development here has told us, cep, that we're growing 260 people every week. So every Friday another 260 people have landed. We're building new elementary schools. You drive around town and you see multiple housing developments everywhere. So I think one that means change is coming to Ocala and Ocala we've got some really great people, but many haven't seen change. It's kind of been just the same old good Ocala. We've got some really great people, but many haven't seen change. It's kind of been just the same old good Ocala over the years. So, leadership development, those who attend, they're going to begin to grow.
Mark Cummins:Because, gary, the bottom line is this it doesn't ever get easier. It's a myth. People want it to get easier. That's that, it's. It's a myth. People want, they want it to get easier. It'll get easier if DeSantis gets rid of the of the real estate tax, if, if this happens, if this, what life never gets easier? What we need to do, gary, is learn how to do hard better. See, that's what your event is going to do. It's going to bring people together and everything that somebody wants is outside of their comfort zone, because if it was inside their comfort zone they would already have it. So there are people in Ocala who have some relationship goals, they have financial goals, they might want to start a business, they might need to know how to better manage their team Because I'm telling you, gary, one of the deficits today is finding good, competent, culturally sound people to work on your team.
Mark Cummins:And the days of kind of letting somebody you know maybe you know they're not a 10, they're a 6 and a 7 and they're a little bit quirky and sometimes they're grumpy and frumpy. I'm going to let them go and go find somebody else. I'm telling you, if you've been looking for people to hire people, it's challenging out there. So, coming to this event, people are going to learn how to grow the people that they have into better leaders. They're going to learn no longer to see change as the enemy, but this now increases the potential for all of the growth that I would want to have personally In leadership development. They're going to understand okay, I need to learn how to do hard better. I need to become familiar outside of my comfort zone, because I do have goals and I have dreams and I want to experience this.
Mark Cummins:You can scroll all day long on social media and there's all kinds of good content and good communication. But when you come to your event, gary, the difference is this you get to be in the room with other human beings who are equally hungry, because it's a local Ocala event. You're going to be able to network and we really are better people together, and so I really think that's. You know, the next five or 10 years are all. Here's the deal.
Mark Cummins:The next five or 10 years are going to happen, whether or not you like it or you don't like it. Right, you grow or you don't grow. They're coming. Tomorrow is coming next week, next month, next year, next decade. The question is are you willing, are our listeners willing, to grow up into what's coming? That's the key. Otherwise, you're going to end up sitting on a couch with a remote control. You're going to be talking to the TV because of all the things that you see that you don't like. We're coming to this event, gary. You can grow. And now, because that growth and development, you can lean into the culture and the areas that you see less than best. You can become a part of the change and the development in making our world better and brighter.
Gary Wise :So well said. You know, and I would tell I tell my students this all the time at the school is don't be a zombie, like life is happening every day. You could choose to put on pajamas and walk around high school and act like you're not really in high school, but you're going to possibly not get educated and you're still going to move through the day Instead. How about if you put on some decent clothes, like you cared what you looked like, you went to school, you paid attention to the teachers, you networked with all the kids in your classroom because you never know who's who in high school and you actually got some quality out of the day? And then I tell them I feel the same way about adults that are out there in the world, because I've seen it through my adult life in the military and now the civilian sector. Some people just don't realize the opportunity that is truthfully around them all the time, and when I came to Ocala, I mean I could feel the energy here. If you're expecting to see skyscrapers going up, you're not going to see those right, that's not what's going to happen in 2025. After 9-11, I don't want to be trapped on the 100th floor of some building right. So people are going to be leveraging technology and they're going to be leveraging collaborations and community to build things. And then, for the people that are actually plugged in, they're going to get access to these opportunities. And for the people that are just plugged in, they're going to get access to these opportunities. And for the people that are just wondering why the traffic is more traffic or why there's more people in the schools, what happened to my hometown? Unfortunately, they're not going to know everything and if they're expecting, people are going to tell them. The world is out there for you to get involved in. I tell this to the students all the time and I want the people listening to our voice to know that come to events like Ocala Inspired, meet with the people that are out there discussing with the innovators and the collaborators and the ones that are looking to the future, and let your voice be heard because, honestly, there's enough room for you, but you've got to want to put your hand in the air and say, hey, pick me. And then to your other point and you've got to continue to improve because people can afford to be a little more selective. You know, no longer is there only a certain amount of people to pick from, but, like you said before, I believe the best team that you'll ever have is the one you already have, of course. Yeah, it sounds easy. I'm going to go hire somebody else. I'm just going to fire this person.
Gary Wise :That's a flawed concept, man, like it's hard to find new people. Instead, I'm going to love on you, I'm going to teach you some things, I'm going to figure out what you're looking for, figure out how I can help you get there and there and it's a win-win and away we go right. And I hope that that's what the takeaway that people not only find from ocala inspired, but they find in our community, because I want to have a community full of people that want to not only live here, but want to be a part of a vibrant community. That's that shows why it's so great to live in this part of the country. When I retired from the military, I could have gone a lot of places, and I'm so thankful that God brought me to Ocala, because this is exactly what I was looking for.
Gary Wise :And to the people that are not sure if life is great, go to a Friday night football game and sit in the stands. I promise you America is alive and kicking, and that's where you'll find it right. You're not going to find it on the news, but you'll find it in Booster Stadium watching the Vanguard Knights play somebody right. It's good football. It's a good time, mark, that is what I have for you today. Do you have any saved rounds or alibis or anything else you'd like to say before we wrap up today?
Mark Cummins:I think everybody should just mark their calendar for the 25th of July and just mark that out and make that a commitment. You know, gary, there's a big difference between trying and committing. And I understand the good intentions. People are going to try to come to Ocala Inspire, right? You invite them and they'll say, yeah, I'm going to try and get there. Okay, I want to encourage all of your listeners today to quit trying.
Mark Cummins:When you say you're going to try to do something, it's a built-in excuse, because then I can circle back and say well, you know, gary, I told you I was going to try, but then this happened and that happened. I tried. What we need is to just commit. Commit to a day of personal growth. Everything you just said, gary, you could summarize by simply saying there are really two types of people who are going to go through this day People who are going to go through it. They're going to go to work, they're going to go to work, they're going to go to school, they're going to go to a gym, they're going to go on a road and go through traffic. They're going to go through it.
Mark Cummins:Or the second type of person is people who grow through it. You're not going to be the same. You woke up this morning and you grew. You learned some moments during the day, you won. Other days, you learned and you grew through it. That's what Ocala inspire is. You come and it won't be a day that you just go through. You will grow through this day and, as you pillow your head at the end of 25 July 2025, you would have grown your capacity. You're going to grow your energy, your security, and your identity and the sense of all things tomorrow is going to be deeper rooted in you. So I encourage all put this on your calendar, commit to it, and I will see each and every one of you on Friday, july 25th, at Ocala Inspire.
Gary Wise :I really appreciate that man. That was perfect. I'm going to wrap it up here. One thing that you didn't say, that I'm going to say it for you, is Mark wrote a phenomenal book. It's called Iron Parents. I'm going to put the link of that book in the description for this video. So anyone who's interested in his parenting philosophies or his ideas behind having a strategy in which not only to live your life but to help raise your child, take a look at this book and give it a go. It's a good read, I promise you everybody. Mark, if you could stand by, I'd like to talk with you a few minutes. After this is all said and done and for everybody that's listening to our voices. This is Wise Leadership Solutions, word from the wise, and we are signing off. Thank you everybody. This I know. I was born for this. I believe. I believe we can write a story.
