The Other Half Podcast
The other half can be many things. Most of all it is your perspective, your narrative, your side of the story. We are here to hear the other half of the story.
The Other Half Podcast
Navigating Tattoos in the Workplace, Cheaters & Breaking Traditional Barriers FT. Dre
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A candid conversation unfolds as The Other Half Podcast welcomes Andre Hernandez, bringing fresh perspectives on tattoos in professional environments. The episode opens with a lighthearted debate about whether anyone would fly someone out for a second date—unanimously deemed too expensive and risky by all parties.
The discussion takes a vulnerable turn when the hosts and guest share personal experiences with infidelity. Andre reflects on discovering his ex with a coworker, while Erika acknowledges being cheated on in every relationship except her current one. Beyond the pain, they explore how these experiences build character and enhance one's ability to recognize red flags.
Andre's journey from school counselor to aspiring police officer forms the heart of the episode. His candid explanation of leaving education for better financial opportunities resonates with anyone who's faced similar career crossroads. "I'm still too hungry and motivated to just stop at education," he explains, revealing his ambition to eventually become a school resource officer where his mental health background would prove invaluable.
Cultural upbringings become a fascinating point of comparison when Andre discusses his Filipino household, challenging stereotypes about strict Asian parenting. This contrasts with Erika's less structured Hispanic upbringing, sparking a broader conversation about how cultural backgrounds shape our development.
The conversation shifts to lighter territory with their dream dinner guests and Andre's surprising past as a New Balance-sponsored soccer player. Full of authentic moments and meaningful insights, this episode delivers genuine conversation that feels like catching up with friends.
Subscribe to hear more authentic dialogues that balance serious life topics with the humor and perspective that make The Other Half Podcast a must-listen experience.
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Opening Icebreaker: Dating & Flying Out
Speaker 1Have you ever cheated or been cheated on? If so, what happened?
Speaker 2That's a long story, you want to go first.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, you want to go first. Who?
Speaker 2Erica, bring us in. Erica, bring us in. What do you mean? Bring us in, Erica?
Speaker 1Intro hey guys, what do you mean?
Speaker 2Bring us in Erica.
Speaker 1Intro hey guys, we're back With another podcast.
Speaker 2Number three.
Speaker 1Number three we have a special guest. Let's hear that intro girl what?
Speaker 2up Let us hear that intro. We need an intro.
Speaker 1I don't have an intro.
Speaker 2Coming to the stage, we got the buffest Filipino. I know A WWE enthusiast. Come on man. Come on man. Used to be a counselor, now he's a security guard, so he'll throw you out of school in a heartbeat, andre.
Speaker 3Hernandez, how's it going? The?
Speaker 4crowd goes wild. I'm good. I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker 2Hold on. We got a crowd over here, you got a sound on. Oh, that's the wrong one, huh no that wasn't, that was kind of weak, that's the crowd. There you go, had to find it. Welcome to the podcast. Appreciate it, man.
Speaker 4Welcome to the podcast. Appreciate you having me on here this your first podcast. Yeah, if you stutter, it's alright. Alright If you mess up, it's all good.
Speaker 2Derek can mess up all the time, so it's cool.
Speaker 4It's all good.
Speaker 1No, I don't, I'm a natural.
Speaker 2Alright, we got our icebreakers Powered by Hella. Awkward, you know, it's black-owned, asian-owned, oh yeah.
Speaker 4Okay.
Speaker 2Minority-owned.
Speaker 3We got sponsors? No, not yet.
Speaker 1Oh, not yet. Just shout them out, man, just showing them All right, ready, mm-hmm, let's do this first one. I have two cards today.
Speaker 3Uh-oh, because I want to do something a little different.
Speaker 1Oh, you got an extra card, All right. Are you letting someone fly out all expenses paid on the second date?
Speaker 4Am I letting somebody fly out All?
Speaker 1expenses paid on the second date.
Speaker 4Hell no Nah.
Speaker 2I can't do. It 't why I got trust issues.
Speaker 4Yeah, you gotta, you gotta trust them, bro, like second date I don't know about that even it's all paid. I don't know. I like to slow play, well I guess.
Speaker 2Here's the thing if if you make it past the first date, then I know you're worth a second date a lot of times but it depends on the situation, right are we talking? Are we actually?
Speaker 1I would say you're talking, you like the vibe, you like them.
Speaker 2No red flags yet I might, yet all expenses paid, is crazy though that is because that means, because I'm that you're paying for them right, that means you're paying for everything.
Speaker 1That would be a no for me. Dang Right away.
Speaker 2Nope, you're paying for everything.
Speaker 4Nope, no no.
Speaker 2It's too expensive. You're going to have to do something.
Speaker 4It's too expensive, I can't do it.
Speaker 2You're going to have to pay for the meals. Pay for the Uber.
Speaker 1Pay for something I feel like I did that with you.
Speaker 2You did that with me.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, you lived down the highway.
Speaker 2That doesn't matter she ain't right, she's flying me off Anytime. We went out to eat. Remember that time I came to get you.
Speaker 3Remember that time I bought you that $200 jacket yeah pulled up in an SRT Pulled up in an SRT Cor Corvette. Oh my gosh At.
Speaker 4Zoomies, that's crazy. Where's the love?
Speaker 2None, none, you feel me?
Speaker 1Yeah, we went up to the cashier and they asked us oh, are y'all together, Y'all dating?
Speaker 2Right away, he said nah. We just friends.
Speaker 1Nah, we just friends, we didn't know at the time Exactly True.
Speaker 4See you, erica Hayden. Bro, you changed your answer. I still stick to no.
Speaker 3Yeah, I probably. I say no, I'm not gonna go To something. A lot better In my opinion. Yeah, it's too expensive, it's crazy yeah it's crazy.
Speaker 1It's crazy.
Speaker 4People really do do that, though, yeah, I know Facts and they be getting their heart broken and on top of that, women be getting Flown out a lot. But no man. It's.
Speaker 1But would I get flown out? Yeah, by who? No, I'm saying if somebody wanted to do that for me.
Speaker 3I would probably accept it.
Speaker 2You hear this.
Speaker 1No.
Speaker 2Next question. Nothing expected, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3Okay, the second one is this one is a little, you know, I think everybody can relate have you ever cheated or been cheated on?
Speaker 1if so, what happened? That's a long story, you right, oh yeah, you want to go first. Who?
Speaker 2andre, you go first.
Experiences with Cheating
Speaker 4You are yes oh yeah, um, have I ever cheated? No, have ever been cheated on. Yes, most recently, shoot. Y'all know the story.
Speaker 2That's my god sum it up, just sum it up, real, real, yeah, yeah, yeah, uh basically I was with my partner, my ex, for about a year, year and a half okay and long story short.
Speaker 4her and you know a co-worker of hers that you know just so happened she was friendly with and we don't have to go to the solicitor. Yeah, it got a little too friendly. And to sum it up, I mean- Erica set us up, didn't she? She got a whole family and whatnot.
Speaker 1Dang. No, because yours is more wild to me. Which one you know? The one that's got the little proof that wasn't getting cheated on. She was just crazy. Oh, that's true, that was just a lie.
Speaker 2I got cheated on. I was at lunch at work, right, and you know the ex, we were on a I guess on a break, but then we were. I'm thinking we're back together. And then I look on her instagram and she got a whole boyfriend and all that. You know it'd be like this one. So sometimes you gotta take a hell to find treasure.
Speaker 1Yeah, you never know.
Speaker 4Maybe it was a lack of communication, maybe it wasn't maybe she was just foul, that's true, but all men gotta go through it though no, you don't have to, but it does.
Speaker 2It builds character. It builds character For sure. I'll say that.
Speaker 3In what way.
Speaker 2You need to have your canon moment, because I know what I don't want to deal with. I can spot a red flag now.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 2And you know.
Speaker 4Facts no, he's still in the booty now.
Speaker 2Sometimes you just gotta let karma come around.
Speaker 4That is true. Now you look like you're on vacation in Cuba.
Speaker 2Hold on man.
Speaker 1Now look at you. Where's your fedora at? He has one. Oh, you got one, that's funny. Yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2Y'all do me.
Speaker 1Of course.
Speaker 1I've been cheated on and I don't know why I feel like most women have yeah, everybody has no, but honestly, I just think, if you allow it the first time, like it happened to me the first time, and then I took them back, it happened again. It was like a you know, they don't respect you if you let them. That's's why you know, you just don't allow it. Sometimes you can't help that it happens. People are just dirty and grimy, you know. But yes, I have been cheated on every single relationship Except this one.
Speaker 2Nah that's good, I was about to say I was about to say. Anyways, we're going to move on. Erica said that's a bad question, dog.
Speaker 1If you have been cheated on or if you've cheated, tell us what happened In the comments.
Speaker 2Facts, facts we wanna know.
Speaker 1Also, would you ever Fly somebody out? All expenses paid, no Vice versa no.
Speaker 3I got bills to pay.
Speaker 2It's dudes that do that, though, I know Alright, so look, today's topic is Tattoos in the workplace.
Speaker 3Mmm, mmm, all right so look, today's topic is tattoos in the workplace. So those of you who know Andre on the game, we call him Dre. You feel me, I'm feeling.
Speaker 2Uzi or whatever you want to call him. You feel me? That's his gamer tag by the way. You working in a school, you got tattoos, which is crazy because we didn't grow up with teachers with tattoos or anyone at the school had tattoos like that. So how is that?
Speaker 4A lot of people, when they first see me, they're very kind of not taken aback in a negative way, but they're more like, oh, you're tatted, and I'm like, yeah, yeah, I am, and that doesn't you, you know, change the fact that I can do the job well you know, facts. So I'm like my parents. You know, obviously is like that's my character. This is represents me, right um I. I know what I'm capable of.
Speaker 4I know what I'm able to put on the table to help my co-workers or know my team become more efficient, and so I think it just adds another layer to me, because they see me and they're like, oh well, he sticks out.
Speaker 2So that boy, he got layers.
Speaker 1I got layers, you feel me you need a one right here.
Speaker 4I know I should get a leg one, but you know taxes are expensive.
Speaker 2I ain't gonna lie to you, I'm one of the legs, Lee, but I don't want. My upper leg is the most sensitive part. Oh, really I'm not doing that yeah.
Speaker 4I thought about it, but I'm like, if I do have extra bread, I feel like right now I'm just done, just because.
Speaker 2I got everything that I needed, yeah.
Speaker 4So I'm like, if I'm going to get another tattoo, I'm going back to Iowa to get tattooed by my artist self, for sure.
Speaker 1Okay yeah, my artist self for sure?
Speaker 4okay, yeah, for sure. Have you ever had a tap out? Have you heard of that? Yeah, like I just learned about painful too painful, like basically.
Speaker 1I think it's like you get tatted until you can't take it anymore. Uh, you can get as many tattoos as you want. I've never had that before no, that's crazy.
Speaker 2I just learned about that.
Speaker 4Yeah, see some people got too much money, they be doing all that. Yeah, I'm like, I'm not.
Speaker 3No, it's completely free, it's free, it's free.
Speaker 1But you just they do it in uh dallas. I have a friend that goes and gets it done.
Speaker 4It's free my god that's crazy, yeah I don't know, I see. If I'm putting stuff on my body, I want it to have meaning. I don't want just anything random on my body Because like yeah, I feel like your skin, I mean your body, is like a canvas, right? So like I want to put something meaningful on there rather than something random, you know.
Speaker 2So what about that Scooby-Doo on your back?
Speaker 4Oh man, that's a different story Really.
Speaker 2Nah, I just want to. For me, I never had a job where, no, I did. I never had a job where? No, I did, I did so. I was working at Verizon in barber school and when we started it was very like dress up shirt dress pants, all that.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 2Dress shoes, but eventually they were like oh you can wear jeans and you can let your tattoo show. So, because of my arm tattoo, I had a long sleeve, but then they switched to policy, yeah. And I was like, hey, can I get a t-shirt? And they was like, nah, nah, you good, just keep the long sleeve, dog. And I was like, dang, you're going to switch to policy and not get a window t-shirt exactly, but it did me dirty.
Speaker 1I just feel like it's crazy that we're in 2025 and it's even a thing yeah.
Speaker 4I feel like it's very surprising when you meet somebody that has no tattoos.
Speaker 2I feel like everybody has at least one, even one, just one minor, small one or you got something, but you haven't had to deal with this because your tattoo isn't really like Mine's between my fingers.
Speaker 1But that has been a thing where they took, like when I went to the bank, it had to be hidden.
Speaker 3That's crazy.
Speaker 1Mine's's hidden. But I have always wanted, like hand tattoos. Now I can, because I don't, I won't be in a different profession yeah but yeah, I want like hand tattoos, kind of like a hannah, but yeah kind of like drace yeah, no, he ain't gonna.
Speaker 2They ain't real tattoos.
Speaker 1And then I want a rose, one down my arm, it's so expensive though.
Speaker 4It is.
Speaker 1It's the only reason why I haven't done it.
Speaker 2I'm going to get a portrait of Erica on my nipple.
Speaker 1We should go to Vegas and get one there.
Speaker 2You seen on TikTok they got one where it's like $10 for a small one.
Speaker 1Yeah, they're small Like these.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 1So you can't get more than one, then huh.
Speaker 3You can't. Oh, you should go do that.
Speaker 2That'd be fun.
Speaker 1Yeah, erica's never been to.
Speaker 2Vegas, so I gotta take her.
Speaker 1Oh really no, I've never actually been Like in Vegas.
Speaker 4I've only been there To like say I'm going there next month you are.
Speaker 2Yeah, wrestlemania, wwe See that leads to the next question. Matter of fact, let me check my question because I'm going to make sure I get it right. Yeah, how is life being a WWE influencer? Because he watched WWE steal, even though it's… it's popping, you know it's popping.
Speaker 4It's become a mainstream again. It is A lot of people would be posting John Cena turned heel the Rock. It's just huge. No, it's fun. I like being able to showcase what I've always liked. I feel like for the longest time I kind of was like I'm not going to put that so public Because I'm like oh, I'm kind of embarrassed.
Speaker 3It's professional wrestling.
Speaker 4But I'm like, no, I like what I like, and I know there's other people out there that like what I like. I know there's other people out there that like what I like, and so I'm like no, I'm going to just do me and post what I want to post, and since then I've posted a few videos that have gone viral and whatnot. I ain't going to lie.
Speaker 2I went through your comments one time. It was no bad energy, nothing negative.
Speaker 1I was like what I know. There's a whole community out there.
Speaker 4See what happens when you do just what you like, exactly, exactly. You find other people and you know, I've been to a few shows where you know it's nothing but pods of energy. Honestly, the community is awesome, so I'm excited.
Speaker 2Man, that boy out here in the community, I know you rich.
Speaker 1I know I feel like you're so active.
Speaker 2Andre done, gone viral in all his accounts if you like, bro.
Speaker 4No facts I have. When he first got out here, I met him.
Speaker 2He's like yeah, man, I'm an influencer for counselors.
Speaker 4I was like what yeah man?
Speaker 2Then you go through his page. They got a little wild man. When you go too deep in them comments, I know they get a little wild.
Speaker 4People just be blunt, yeah, just to say the least, and I'm like I wouldn't be that blunt.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, that's wild.
Speaker 1That's cool though.
Speaker 2Hey. So let me ask you this how was it growing up in an Asian household? Because you know they have a what's the word?
Speaker 1Is it like stigmatized? They got like a stereotype, I guess yeah.
Speaker 2Of, like all Asian parents.
Speaker 1Yeah, because I have Asian friends too.
Speaker 2Not angry, but like super strict and stuff like that. So how was that?
Speaker 4So my parents, they were never really like strict.
Speaker 2You never got beat.
Speaker 4Look, I got my butt whooped. You know what I'm saying If I started acting up, but I'm glad, I'm honestly, I'm appreciative of the way that I was able to grow up. Uh, my parents were never like, oh, like, you can't do this, this and this, but I yet still had the freedom.
Speaker 4they trusted me to do what I want, because they wanted me to experience life you know, and uh, I'm grateful for them just because of the fact that, yeah, like you know, they've been able to help raise me and really give me a good perspective on what life is about so yeah, I wasn't. It wasn't like, oh, like it's so strict now I'm gonna become a rebellious now that I'm out of the house on 2018.
Speaker 1But yeah, there's a difference yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4So like they gave me some leeway, but also they were like yo, like you get your head structure?
Speaker 2yeah, I had structure, yes, it was organized so yeah, erica, erica, uh, she was telling me how some some people say they get beat at home. Yeah, I had some parents streak.
Speaker 1Yeah, I have a couple uh vietnamese friends though vietnamese sorry my knees vietnamese, whatever you just said it and shut up and basically they would tell me how they would get beat just for, like, not having A's. If they had a, b, they would get beat, that's crazy and like I mean abuse. Like she literally told me yeah, I was, yeah, I was abused, that's normal. Like getting burnt, like literally get her mom would get like a lighter and just like burn her.
Speaker 3Damn.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 2That wasn't like. It wasn't like that for me.
Speaker 1She need me to call CBS no.
Speaker 2I'll call CBS boy.
Speaker 1Dang. That's crazy. No, I think there's a difference. I think that maybe I think a lot of Asian households have a lot of structure. Yeah, I also feel like you guys are really good with finances for the most part.
Speaker 2I'm going to say this though, filipinos, y'all sound like Y'all just had a regular upbringing, some of y'all crazy.
Speaker 3I know my boy Jazz.
Speaker 4Oh yeah, my boy Jazz Crazy. He built different Facts. He built different Jazz is cool, though. Shout out Jazz.
Speaker 2Shout out to Jazz, but Dang, I lost my train of thought.
Speaker 1You think it's different than how you were raised In a black household.
Speaker 2Like Asians. Yeah, oh yeah, is there structure, I feel like other races, are more family-oriented Of course there's structure, but I feel like in the black community it's a little more relaxed now. It's not as strict as my mom. More relaxed now, it's not as strict as my mom. The way she raised me and the way she's raising my siblings is two completely different things. But I understand that.
Speaker 4She's older now, she's grown and she's at a different point in her life than she was when she had me, but let me counter it with this, though See how some of these kids are being raised nowadays.
Speaker 2You see it firsthand, you're looking at school dude.
Speaker 1It's crazy, he's all I see it in your house.
Speaker 4I'm like you guys are fine, but not some like. It's just crazy to me that some of these kids have the audacity to be real up and confronted with you and be disrespectful and I'm like that would have never flown, like at all and I graduated not long 10 years ago, 2015 in high school young 2015 erica when you graduate you know how old I am yeah, I was born in 88, okay well, it would have been 06 damn.
Speaker 3Damn, I didn't graduate actually until 2019. I had a rough life. We made it, though.
Speaker 1One day we're going to talk about my story and my life, why it's the way it is. I didn't really start living until I was like 25.
Speaker 2That's when you met me.
Speaker 1I met you when I was 26.
Speaker 2I was the start of your life for real. It's crazy, huh? I met you when I was 26.
Speaker 3Yeah, I was the start of your life, for real it's crazy.
Speaker 2Huh, it's cool. No big deal. No big deal.
Speaker 3Dang yeah.
Speaker 2Hey, but look, I feel like, are your parents like Straight from the Philippines, or?
Speaker 3no, yep, they are Yep.
Speaker 2First generation, first generation, man Damn. So when they came over here, did they have to get like a visa and all that Yep had?
Speaker 4to do all that, and then they got citizenship.
Speaker 3Yep, that's what's up.
Speaker 4Yep, that's what's up.
Speaker 1And then they had you here.
Speaker 4Yep In Iowa, obviously.
Speaker 1Okay, but In the.
Speaker 4US. Yep, my mom. She immigrated. She was the first one to immigrate and then she bounced around Because she worked in the lab for, obviously in the medical field. She was first living out in LA and then lived in Houston for a little bit. It's kind of like travel nursing.
Speaker 3She was able to travel.
Speaker 4Then she ended up in Iowa. That's when my dad finished school. That's when he flew out. That's where they pretty much started their lives together.
Speaker 2They already knew each other, like they were already together.
Speaker 4Yeah, when she was doing all this over here. Yeah, he was finished up school.
Speaker 2So who's older, your mom or your dad? My dad Dang. Yep, that's crazy. Yep, that's crazy.
Speaker 1I feel like I've heard the story before.
Speaker 2Have you One of my friends.
Speaker 1Yeah, have you, it's one of my friends uh, yeah, danielle, that's how her parents met. Her dad was a traveling nurse or something, but no his parents were already together.
Speaker 2Oh, okay, yeah that's cool don't know nothing about that girl, yeah they was married there was.
Speaker 4They got married in the philippines and then they split because obviously she had to go, she was done, she had to work, want to come to the United States, and then Maybe Filipino parents, just nicer, probably Y'all ain't like regular Asians, man, we different, that's for sure.
Speaker 2Yeah, I ain't gonna lie to you. I had a. I got an Asian dude I cut. He's hilarious, he's like yeah, man, I'm dead inside, but he to.
Speaker 3Nothing.
Speaker 1I told you yeah, I wonder what it is or why. I think it's just passed down.
Speaker 4I think it's just the norm, it's their norm.
Speaker 1But yeah, but then you would think they would grow up and be rebellious. Yeah, I know I was. I wasn't raised in the Asian home.
Speaker 2That's because you you're Mexican, y'all crazy. It's different. That it's different. That's different. Y'all are crazy, how Y'all just are. Everyone knows Mexican women are the wild right. First of all, yeah, give us an explanation.
Speaker 1It's because you know what, In Mexican households I feel like the dad. I didn't have a dad growing up, by the way y'all, so I was raised by my mom my whole life. But normally in a regular Hispanic household the dad is always at work, Always. It's kind of like he's there but he's not there, Right, and the mom is usually around. But the mom our moms are like like. My mom, honestly, was not. She was so busy working and going to school. She didn't know what thing I was doing. She assumed she was so busy working and going to school.
Speaker 3She didn't know what thing I was doing.
Speaker 1She assumed. But I just feel like they're not very involved because they're so out of tune of what's going on.
Speaker 2You was out in them streets acting a fool.
Speaker 1Yeah, I was out at like clubs by like 15, 16.
Speaker 3I was drinking by the time I was 16.
Speaker 1And I was just out because I didn't have a dad to lay it down, right, I don't have anybody to really like put me in place. My mom was working, going to school. She didn't have time for that, so no one was really around. Yeah, I think it's different. I just feel like that's normal in a Hispanic family, though, if you think about it, that's why a lot of Hispanic women get pregnant really young. That's just my opinion. There's just no real structure at all.
Speaker 2Your mic they can hear me, y'all can hear me, I know that's just what I think traditionally Hispanic women are, just you know what are you talking about? We're just spicy you can't handle the heat, stay out the kitchen, okay. I'm gonna tell you right now, dog Andre, you dated a Hispanic woman yeah it was rough, huh yeah, that's, yes, yeah, that's a yes, okay, but like
Speaker 1full hispanic or like she was mexican.
Speaker 4This is back in iowa. It wasn't long, but it wasn't long.
Speaker 2We're talking about iowa. Yeah, hold on man, hold on man, it's still mexican.
Speaker 4Yeah, there's a big, there's an avi hispanic mean?
Speaker 1what are y'all trying to say when you from it?
Speaker 2is.
Speaker 4Where I'm from it ain't none. Well, obviously I grew up in a very predominantly white community, but then when I moved out and then lived up in the central part of Iowa, the capital, that's when it became more diverse. Actually it really became more diverse when I went to college honestly, that boy was in college.
Speaker 2Where you go to college at winpen university what?
Speaker 4where is that at? That's not asian. No, I don't know. It's quaker bro. Yes bro, quaker school man quaker school yes you know the quakers, not quaker oats, don't be getting mixed up I only know quaker oats, because I know, you know about Quakers. I mean, you grew up in that part of Iowa.
Speaker 2Hey, no, quaker Oats is right there. Yeah, exactly On the river.
Speaker 4Yeah, his hometown stinks. We made cereal. His hometown stinks.
Speaker 2They do stink. They be getting the stench, but look, if you work there or you know somebody that worked there, they'll bring you 45 boxes of cereal. I kid you, not Everything, captain Crunch. All that bro.
Speaker 1Oh my God, girl, we would have stocked up if you know somebody. But y'all in Iowa got the worst potholes of all time.
Speaker 4That's just his town.
Speaker 2That's because of snow.
Speaker 3That's because of the snow. It deteriorates all the elements of the weather.
Speaker 2That boy work construction. Yeah, the weather, that boy work construction. Yeah, man, that boy work construction before I just be knowing stuff like that. That's funny, hey. So what brought you to arizona? Exactly?
Speaker 4uh, so I graduated from my grad program with my master's degree in professional school counseling and then then after that I kind of came to a crossroads because the school that I was interning at I really wanted to work at, and so I interviewed and I ended up not getting it. But then I'm like you know what I feel like I've maximized all my opportunities here in Iowa. I need to start fresh. I need to get out of Iowa anyways.
Speaker 4And I was thinking about it and so I was like at first I was like really like frustrated because I didn't get that job, because I really liked the school that I interned at. But then I was like you know what, let me put myself, uh, out there and like see what's where I want to go I have the freedom to do so, I have the power to do so, and so, um, I was looking around and I really, at the time, wanted to live in Seattle Washington.
Speaker 4Why I was really intrigued by it. I don't know, just the vibe, and I've seen pictures and all that. I've never been. We've talked about this. Bro, it's rainy as hell out there, I know, but I like the rain You've never been. I've never been. I need to, though you got to visit, I will, but I realize that now because I love living out here. But at first I was really looking to move out there. But then I'm like, nah, it's too expensive. I was looking up all the-.
Speaker 2You're going to be emo out there.
Speaker 4The cost of living I'm like I can't afford that and if I'm going to be paying that much, I could be paying that amount for a bigger place somewhere else, so I'm like okay, let me look elsewhere.
Speaker 3I knew, for a fact.
Speaker 4I wanted to be on the West Coast because I had family at the time that lived in California. I wanted to be close to them, and so I was like, okay, well, where else? I never thought about Arizona until I literally came across like a YouTube video, because it was my YouTube algorithm talking about living in Arizona. So I clicked on it and that's really what. Like transpired it and I went down a rabbit hole of like living in Arizona and the cost of it and the prices, and then after that I was like yo, I want to move out here.
Speaker 4It's at the time affordable, yeah close to california and it's a whole new, fresh start, and it doesn't rain all the time, it's all sunny and I'm like I'm like I've never heard about you know, I've never heard a bad thing about arizona besides the heat, right, right.
Speaker 4But I'm like, okay, the heat is the heat, that's it. But so then I finally made, um, I just applied for like every high school that I every school, honestly, that I could look at, because I was on a job listing site and I just applied. I didn't know any where these schools were at, but I was. I just want to be in arizona and I applied, man, for at least like 20 plus positions, cause at the time this was like March, february of 2021. And so this is like the hiring season for like schools right now, cause they're trying to figure out you know who's returning next year and all that.
Speaker 4And so just put up, I just put myself out there and eventually, you know, one of the schools that ended up being, you know, the first school high school for me that I worked at, uh interviewed me, loved me and, yeah, from that point forward it was march 2021 and I was hired, I accepted the position and looked up the. I looked up the uh community and uh, and it was like a very similar to the community that I was working at previously where I did my internship and it was really nice up and coming. And then, yeah, from there I was like I got to visit, I got to check this out.
Speaker 1What city was that that you got in?
Speaker 4Queen Creek. Okay, I work out there right now.
Speaker 1Yeah, so it is not how it used to be.
Speaker 4No, it's crazy how much it's developed within the last couple of years.
Speaker 1You know how it used to be Well because I just had a client that came in yesterday. A client not my client and she was saying that they had a house out. They have a house out there, but their mortgage is about to be paid off. They're going to sell it and move to the Midwest Because, she said when they moved out there it used to be so affordable. They bought their house for $100,000. It's a five bedroom, two bath.
Speaker 2But nothing was out there, right. No Costco, no Target, no she said now it's worth over $700,000.
Speaker 1Yep. It's insane, and that's why I'm like dude.
Speaker 4I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to afford a house at this point Anywhere in Arizona. I don't know.
Speaker 1And I know and everything just keeps going up. But I'm like it is, it really is.
From Counselor to Police Officer
Speaker 4But yeah, that's how I ended up out here. So, man, yeah, that sucks.
Speaker 2You're going to stay, yeah, you're going to stay. Yeah, for good.
Speaker 4Yeah, I'll probably as of right now. Yeah, for good.
Speaker 2I have no intentions of moving anywhere else.
Speaker 3Because I like the job about it.
Speaker 4I'm trying to get into. I'm like, okay, I can't really like just up and move. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2my family's out here. Now you are out here, I'm like you know what I'm saying. Like your family out here, shout out, kenny, he did what he did like his mom, cuz come on, yeah, so I'm like, okay, like we got.
Speaker 4I'm like, at this point I'm like, where else would I want to go? I mean, it's gonna be no matter where I move it's gonna be expensive, but it's expensive. I'm like I don't have enough money to do that anyways right now. So I'm like I'm really just trying to get into what I want to get into and then, yeah, kind of just build from there, and if I the calling is for me to move, then so be it but as of right now, I'm staying yeah yeah, we love it here too yeah, I ain't moving.
Speaker 2Let me tell you how I met Andre. Somebody booked on my bookse, right? He booked a haircut with me. I knew it was a 515 number, right, came in. Yeah, man, let me get this haircut, let me do this, let me do this.
Speaker 1Let me do that. I didn't sound like him. Did you know him on TikTok yet or no?
Speaker 2No, I never met this guy before. I never met this guy before. Turns out he was going to a barber shop that my sister used to work at.
Speaker 1Oh, that's right, Kelly, come on man.
Speaker 2Actually, my cousin owned that shop Shout out Blue Blades in Des Moines, let's go. But yeah, that's how I met him. I was like hey you know my sister. He's like, yeah, I was like, oh, you know him Little guy, this guy. She was like, yeah, that's Andre, yeah, that's how we met.
Speaker 4That's crazy Small world man.
Speaker 2Ever since then, you know, I've been taking him to school every day man. You know what I'm saying. That's my stepson right now. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4Axe Learning from my dad.
Speaker 1Yeah, I remember when he said to me, because I remember when you were like, oh yeah, I met this guy, I guess from cutting his hair, and you're like, yeah, he has a TikTok, blah, blah, we're going to go to breakfast with him. Because, remember, we were already planning to go to breakfast and I'm like who and why and when? And then, yeah, it was cool Because I have a hard time meeting who and why and when? Who? Yeah, and it was cool. Yep. Because I have a hard time meeting people. That's why.
Speaker 2That boy ordered something he didn't even like too.
Speaker 1The hot chocolate, remember? Nope, you know what he ordered the cinnamon toast.
Speaker 3And a hot chocolate. What was it? The cinnamon toast, the hot chocolate Cinnamon.
Speaker 2What is it? Cinnamon, something? It was the French toast, the cinnamon roll.
Speaker 3French toast, yeah, and he didn't like the coffee or hot chocolate or whatever it was.
Speaker 2Yeah, man, you didn't like it, see, man.
Speaker 1I know, and you wanted to go there the other day, remember.
Speaker 4They got one in Queen Creek. No, they had a decent. We went there another time. And I actually had a decent meal that time around. But yeah, I brought it up the other day and you were like nah, it's closed, they shut it down.
Speaker 2They changed it. Somebody else bought it and they renamed it Different owner, but they got that same one in Queen Creek, so it's probably close to your house Probably.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Biscuits. One day I'm going to just pop up at your work and be like are you trying? To go get breakfast who me.
Speaker 1No, I work in Queen Creek right now, but I'll be in Mesa.
Speaker 2Mesa Gilbert. That's like on the border of Mesa Gilbert and Chandler it is.
Speaker 1But even like going back to the potholes, queen Creek has by far the worst roads, in my opinion also. I'm pretty sure that's how I got a flat. Why? Because there is a pothole in every road, because they're like it's like they're trying to build roads.
Speaker 4Yeah, a lot of construction down there too, because one way in, one way out.
Speaker 1Yeah, yes, yeah it's like there's not enough room for all that it's growing.
Speaker 2That's why they need to put more another way in that way out another highway, something, something like that so I know that you're You're trying to be A police officer, right?
Speaker 1Yes?
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 1Freeze, get on the floor. So I know you're in the middle Of trying to do that.
Speaker 3Yes.
Speaker 1And then what's the rest Of your plans for the year?
Speaker 4So I mean right now, my plans are Fully focused on just that.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 4You know I was, yeah, basically just to get into an academy, whatever, whatever agency picks me up, because at this point I'm just I'm just trying to get in. So you know, I've got a few big opportunities on the way right now that are happening here pretty soon.
Speaker 4So I'm hoping that, like that picks up and that ends up, you know, being locked in and I can start my journey and start an academy here soon. But that's my, my, that's my plan right now. It's fully focused, fully fledged, on just that specifically, just because the fact that, like you know, I'm just trying to get to where I want to be, I want to do something I want to do, I already did enough counseling at the school.
Speaker 4I'm like I realized later, uh, within my last week or not last week last year, of being a counselor, I was like I'm already doing this for students, faculty parents, you know I'm already, you know, building rapport with the community and whatnot, and I'm like, well, the only way up, because I'm like I want to make more money, I want to move up, you know. And it got to a point where I'm like, look, look, I need to look out after myself. And I was starting to look at, uh, other school districts that I wanted to work at and uh, I was like, dang, like y'all ain't paying, like it's crazy like yeah, they're not, yeah, teachers yeah, it's oh my god it's, it's crazy.
Speaker 4So I was like, okay, like I applied for a lot of schools, and you know they were. I was grateful enough for the fact they were able to give me an opportunity hey, you could become a counselor for us, and you know they were. I was grateful enough for the fact they were able to give me an opportunity.
Speaker 4Hey, hey, you could become a counselor for us, and all that and great people, but just the pay wasn't right there and I was getting paid a lot less than I was getting paid, you know, at the school I was at so I was like, okay, I need to like take a step back and like, okay, do I really want to do this right? And so my main thing was, too I'm like I want to move up on the ladder, and the only way you can move up within education is to become an administrator, and I don't want to do that. That's a full-time, 24-7 gig, you know what I'm saying that's hard work.
Speaker 4And don't get me wrong shout out to administrators because like what they do is hard. Right, I can never do it, but I'm like I. I like my weekends, I like all that.
Speaker 4But, I was like I want to do something more. I want to. I feel like I've got. I'm too. I'm still too hungry and motivated to kind of just stop at education. I'm like, let me kind of go outside of my comfortability and go after something that I always, low key, wanted to do, and so I was like all right, cool, let me start applying to become a police officer. And you're?
Speaker 2trying to get paid yeah.
Speaker 4So like I've, yeah, I've already, you know, been through the whole process of you know, like the polygraph, the psych, the medical, all the steps you got to do, and I already did that once and you know all the other agencies that I'm going through.
Speaker 4I'm gonna have to do it again. But the thing is like, once you're through all with all that, then it's you're golden. And that's why I'm just trying to get in at this point, because the fact that, like, once you're in, you're in and I could after do a few years, so I really wanted to move to a different agency I can, but the opportunities are there and it pays well like. That's what I want. I want to.
Speaker 3I want a retirement you just want to be comfortable? Yeah, I want to be comfortable I want to do.
Speaker 4What I want to do, I've always had an interest in law enforcement and I had an opportunity back in high school. I took a criminal justice class that uh, at the time the lieutenant of the police department of my hometown, he was in charge of it and he actually gave me a call, uh, this summer in between from the end of my senior year to upcoming my freshman year of college and he offered me a spot to become like a reserve officer at my hometown and at the time I had to turn it down because I already accepted a scholarship to play soccer collegiately.
Speaker 1I already had all my plans. God, you've done a lot.
Speaker 4Yeah. So I'm like, ah, and to this day I still think about that. I'm like, what if I went this route? But then again, if I would have taken that, I don't think I would be here right now. Yeah, you wouldn't be here. And so I'm glad I took this road of let me go through education and work in mental health for a little bit and gain the experience, because now I'm fully fledged, I think, more prepared than ever to become a peace officer, and so I'm excited just because I know what I can bring to the table and what awareness I could bring to a community and what I could help do to help elevate a department.
Speaker 4because of my experience, Especially here in Arizona.
Speaker 1I feel like that's going to be good and if you ever run into the youth, I feel like I could see you really handling that. My goal is to become a school resource officer at some point.
Speaker 4You know I want to be working in the school as a police officer where I could help you know, what.
Speaker 2I'm saying and I've got that experience, you're going to have to rig up fights again. Yeah, but what if one of the kids put you in a headlock?
Speaker 4Man, that's not going to happen.
Speaker 2I don't know these kids like 6'5 now dog, I know I don't know what they're eating, but they're. Roy sandwiches.
Speaker 4I'm like man. They do not look like high schoolers the way that when I was in high school. All right, Let me ask you this, yeah.
Speaker 2When you become a police officer. If you see Erica speeding, are you?
Speaker 4giving her a ticket.
Speaker 2I might give you a warning. Yeah, be real, I'm going to give you a warning, because when he was in Washington it was a dude. I cut Erica's morning because when he's in washington, it was a dude, I cut.
Speaker 1It was like oh, my husband cut your hair, she used me to get her out of you.
Speaker 2Feel me, no, no, no, don't use my resources. No, what it was was.
Speaker 1He recognized my last name. He recognized my last name and then this you look, she wasn't gonna tell me either. April said mom got bored over soon she got home yeah, soon she got home oh yeah, no, I did not even try to use that, but he just let me go and he told me to tell you hi give her a ticket no, you need to give him a ticket because tell me why. Why are?
Speaker 2we going I'm gonna be out of here going 80 in a 60 I'm gonna be out of here. Why are we going?
Speaker 160 in a 45 a.
Speaker 2Avery, but I'm going to be out of his jurisdiction.
Speaker 1You're going to get the most tickets and hey, work is work.
Speaker 4To be fair, a lot of people be speeding out here, man.
Speaker 1Everybody does.
Speaker 4Even Erica.
Speaker 1Yeah, man, no, it's just crazy, I just think that TikTok, I got to send it to you too.
Speaker 2It's so yeah, you want to move out to arizona like I've said before on my tiktok be prepared, be prepared for the heat and the traffic.
Speaker 1It's like trying to scare y'all. It is wild it is and I do think it's california drivers coming out here, mixed in with arizona drivers snowbirds coming in too, yeah, so it's like a perfect mix of drivers.
Speaker 2Fast, right, yeah, oh my gosh everything's fast I've just seen a accident right here in front of Walmart. There's always an accident.
Speaker 3Every intersection also.
Speaker 2Before the police got there too.
Speaker 1Okay, wait, I got a question, Then we can close this out. Speaking of driving, my opinion is you know when you're at an intersection?
Speaker 2right, oh my gosh Andre.
Speaker 1You know when you're at an intersection and let's say you're turning left, yeah, and the light is blinking yellow.
Speaker 4Uh huh.
Speaker 1Then you're going to turn left. Stop, okay. Then you have the cars that are turning right.
Speaker 3Right.
Speaker 1You get what I'm saying.
Speaker 3On the opposite side.
Speaker 1Picture this intersection.
Speaker 4Okay.
Speaker 1Yes, they're turning right.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 3You're going to turn left.
Speaker 1Do you go all the way into the intersection when it is blinking yellow about to turn red?
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 1Do you know that, police officer, that when you're in the middle of that intersection and that light turns red because you're waiting for all these other cars? To turn right and you don't have a chance to go. You get a ticket for that.
Speaker 2So what she's saying is traffic coming this way is turning left and you're going this way, you're trying to turn left.
Speaker 4Yeah, you're in the middle of the intersection Right. You're trying to take that left. It's blinking yellow.
Speaker 2Her thing is if this line is backed up, she won't get in this line to turn left, even though it and it turns red. But, you're supposed to get in the middle lane right.
Speaker 4You're supposed to get in the middle lane. Thank, you. You're supposed to get in the middle.
Speaker 3Guys, you are not supposed to go into the middle of the intersection, because if that light turns red If it's the middle lane.
Speaker 1No, no, no, it's a turning lane, it's a left lane.
Speaker 2We learned this in Driver's Ed, specifically, You're supposed to that middle of that intersection and that light turns red and you turn, you're getting a ticket. Oh, if you, okay, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4If you don't have a chance to turn at the light, yes, and you're out there too far. Yes is what she's saying I'm not talking about. He said you're gonna get a ticket, but you're still supposed to turn right, yeah, but if it turns red you can't turn because it's well, I'm still turned.
Speaker 2But if I'm in the middle over the intersection I'm getting a ticket because I'm not getting hit exactly.
Speaker 1Y'all tell me what you think. But that that's what he said, and I agree, because I'm so sick of people doing that. I'm waiting for you to turn right, turn right, turn right. I got the yellow light. I can't even turn. It's already turned red by the time and I've been stuck in the middle of the intersection. Turn, turn. I'm saying erica be on tiktok she'd.
Speaker 2TikTok.
Speaker 1She be on TikTok oh, is this what he said? He said on TikTok yes, it was on TikTok told you see but it's accurate.
Speaker 4Let me ask y'all this question Arizona drives me nuts, let me ask y'all this question, since we talking about careers if y'all could, would you y'all have the opportunity to switch up your career? If you had the opportunity, you could make as much money as you want, would you switch it up. Or is there a time period in your life where you really you wish you would have switched up earlier? Oh, wow both it's kind of like a double you want to go first.
Speaker 2Um, I haven't had to switch up because when I got to washington I knew I needed a career and I didn't have a career, right. But let's say the podcast takes off. Let's say my youtube. My youtube is starting to take off. I would try to somehow balance both, yeah, but I wouldn't do both of them fully. Um, I feel like you can't put all your eggs in one basket. But I don't really have a situation like that because I'm a barber, I already make my own schedule and I can make as much money as I want and all that.
Speaker 1So you would never be an influencer instead I hate the internet, you could be, the you could be the next vick blent no I hate the internet
Speaker 2the internet he does not like here's why haters man because I literally go through comments sometimes and it's like just a thousand hate comments and the guy is not even saying nothing wrong. He's a nice guy, it's just a opinion. Yeah right, there's a barbara influencer and he is just talking crazy about people and he's building a brand off of that. He's making a lot of money, but it's like you're literally spreading negativity, like I can't even buy his clippers because he's so negative?
Speaker 1yeah, so you could be the opposite of that I mean, yeah, but there's still people.
Speaker 2People on the internet have no respect for you.
Speaker 1You have to not care about what people say, though.
Speaker 2But it's like it's just a thing To be negative towards people. Yeah, it is, but that's the thing I think.
Speaker 1For me.
Speaker 2I feel like I've grown so much that I wouldn't care, but Because the reason I'd stay a barber Is cause, like I don't have to do, I barely even post my haircuts, and all that.
Speaker 1I can talk to the youth.
Speaker 2I'm happy where I'm at. I love cutting hair. It's wonderful. Me, on the other hand. Yeah, go ahead, erica, tell your story.
Speaker 1No, mine's both. So I really wish I would have. Honestly, no, I wish I could have started waxing sooner, because then I probably would have had my clientele built up by now. My goal would be to go into a studio with somebody else, but I didn't do that. I actually gave up on that two years ago when I got through training. It was too much, but now that I think about it, now I'm starting in the front, so I'm learning all the ins and outs of the company that I'm going to be working for and waxing for, so it's actually more beneficial because I know how to like talk about product and everything. So in a way, it happened how it's supposed to. However, if I could, my dream since I was like 12 was to be an influencer, so I've always wanted to do YouTube and stuff. My problem is I'm not consistent, so I've really held myself back a lot. Yeah, she ain't, but I'm doing better we. So I've really held myself back a lot. Yeah, she ain't.
Speaker 2But I'm doing better. We've done a podcast every Sunday. Better late than never. We three in a row right now. We three for three, we for three. Yeah, 100% from the field.
Speaker 1So, if that ever took off. I honestly I wouldn't wax. I'm not that in love with waxing that it's like something that I only want to do that.
Speaker 2No, I only want to do that. Yeah, no, I love this kind of I feel like you'll like the when, like the relationship you build with your clients with waxing.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2I don't think you'll ever like fully want to stop waxing. It'll just be like OK, maybe two days a week.
Growing Up in Different Households
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, no, yeah. So I've thought about that too, because even if I start waxing and I do it five days a week, my goal would be to eventually just be part-time waxing at that center, just because it's overwhelming. You're doing like 82 to 85 people a day back to back in 15 minute, 15 minute um sessions. So I don't, that's overwhelming. I don't want to do that full-time. That's just not my goal. My goal would be to go down part-time. But if I could be an influencer on the side, then there you go, you better be posting, cousin I would have been a lawyer a lawyer yeah, criminal justice yeah hell, yeah.
Speaker 4Yeah, that's good, all right. Another question for y'all. I've never asked this question, but I always ask to people. I just haven't asked to y'all yet. Now that opportunity. So right, oh all right.
Speaker 2So this ain't a police question, is it?
Speaker 4no, it ain't. Uh. So if you could have a dinner with three, any three people in this world, living or dead, and who would you be at the dinner table with?
Speaker 2living or dead.
Speaker 1Go ahead, erica you said celebrities or just anybody, anybody um?
Speaker 2I already know I already know, yeah, go ahead erica.
Speaker 1Well, you said not just celebrities. My first one would be my brother-in-law, mike, because I would do anything to see him again, so that would be the first one that's the only person I've ever lost alive, um. Secondly would be alia, because that was my inspiration to sing, because, if you don't know, I do or I did sing. Thirdly, oh man, only three three it's between kim kardashian and karuchi, oh, or chris brown. I can't pick Sheenan Carucci.
Speaker 3Oh, or Chris Brown.
Speaker 1Chris Brown, I can't pick. You mean, oh man, I mean you're already alive. We're not talking about you, okay.
Speaker 4Dang, she ain't gonna have you at the dinner table. Sorry, that's crazy.
Speaker 1Not significant either I don't want to answer this question no more Go ahead, All right look, I'm gonna go.
Speaker 2Marco, who is Marco? Marco, my boy. That's realistic, though we went out to eat one time. That's my boy. Marco's the funniest guy on earth. No, my God, I don't know who. Marco is my boy. Um, marco is the funniest guy on earth. No, oh my god.
Speaker 4So marco is my homie going off track here, but marco is my homie that we met through what, we meet what how did we met through? You? Yeah, you met him through me. We went go-karting two years ago, yeah, but marco is like my home he. I met him, uh, working a mental health job a few years back 2018. And man, this dude oh my God, he is so funny. Man Shout out, marco man.
Speaker 1Yeah, I'll have to meet you sometime. Funny dude a lot. So now, marco All right, my three.
Speaker 2I'm going to go. Obama for sure. What Obama for?
Speaker 4sure, hey, I respect that. You feel me, you feel me bro. Obama be chill, Bro.
Speaker 2He warned us about everything that's going on right now. You ain't seen. Leave the World Behind.
Speaker 4Hey watch Leave the World Behind dog. You know he directed that.
Speaker 2He did Him and like, yeah, okay, so I'm going to go. Obama, that's tough because I need somebody smart, somebody. Ah, that's tough because I need somebody smart somebody, ah, that's tough smart einstein for dinner. No, I mean, like that's tough. I don't know you, know you?
Speaker 1I want to have dinner with people I can learn yeah yeah, man, I could learn, you got a hip-hop artist that you like I'm gonna go
Speaker 4j cole I would say j cole I, I do, j cole boss I'm gonna go pastor michael todd, you got to keep the faith in there.
Speaker 2You feel, max, that's one of one of my uh, one of them pastors that I like a lot. Facts Keep it. Black excellence. You feel me. Black excellence, my boy.
Speaker 1Wow, yours are shocking.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Let me ask you something Andre.
Speaker 2Yeah, you was good at soccer.
Speaker 4I was, I was good at soccer.
Speaker 2How good were you at soccer?
Speaker 4I was so good that I actually got sponsored by New Balance my sophomore year Dang Dang. And then what? Let me get some New Balances. So I did it for. So there was this competition, worldwide competition, right, and they took like the top 20 people like around the world. What you had to do is you had to like, so it was the new balance blackout squad, right and 20, they chose 20 people from out throughout the world. We got to send in video and basically from that video it showcased like your skills, like you post, like you plan, like highlights from a game, or you know you doing trick shots or whatever Right. You had to stick out. And so you know you doing trick shots or whatever right. You had to stick out. And so you posted your video and then after that there was a voting portion for it, right.
Speaker 4And so at that point they I can't remember I think they notified me saying like hey, like you're like one of the top people that you know we're looking at um, and then at that point you had to get people to vote for you um in order to get in right, and so I essentially got you know all my teams like vote for me and all that I like contacted everybody like this is like, yeah, my sophomore year, and so contacted people like they used to be teachers at my high school, my friends, obviously, my family and all that contacted anybody that I could get a hold of that had an email address. Essentially that would put their vote in right, and so I got enough votes to where they came out with like a weekly ranking for I think like a month and the first week I was number one around the world top 20 I was there and once you made that final cut because they came out with the weekly updates of like who's ranked and whatnot.
Speaker 4Once you made that final cut because they came out with the weekly updates of like who's ranked and whatnot. Once you made that final cut and you were within the top 20, that's when you were able to gain that New Balance scholarship or sponsorship. So basically, from that point forward I got in and every month they would send me like huge boxes of like cleats, backpacks, socks, like workout clothes and all that it was super cool.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 4So that's probably One of the Things I've Highlights it's been such a long time, yeah, highlights that For me Playing a sport, that definitely was A huge thing.
Speaker 2You got NILs Before NILs Facts I did.
Speaker 1I got a question for him Remember. Hold on, hold on Okay okay, and then I got one more.
Speaker 2I ain't never wore New Balance, but you was. Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, Cooper, Flagg. God dang All them.
Speaker 4I was them before they even became a thing with New Balance.
Speaker 2Well, I've just seen a commercial with Cooper Flagg on it, just yesterday at the gym. Yeah man, that's fire.
Speaker 4I know Dude New Balance. They're comfortable.
Speaker 2Yeah, I want some. I ain't never had a pair.
Speaker 4And they're expensive now too, because people became started wearing them again. Now they expensive. So it's like, yeah, they're trendy.
Speaker 2What's your question? Because I don't got time for this.
Speaker 1All right, I know what time is it, yeah we have 53. Andre.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Would you ever?
Speaker 2Would you ever Audition?
Speaker 1Audition For Love is Blind ever audition audition for love is blind love is blind.
Speaker 4Yeah, I would told you, I told you every time we watch that, we watch that show, yeah, every season.
Speaker 1We're trying to get to every time I'm just gonna tell everybody I watch. Love is blind y'all know you watch. Love is blind too, because I see y'all talking about it every time. I'm like dang. I could see audrey on here.
Career Dreams and Life Choices
Speaker 4I feel like you're a romantic yeah, well, the thing is a lot of them. I don't know who they be picking, but they be just picking people that have a lot of followers and all that and don't have a lot of. I feel like they're all the same.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's getting, it's getting boring.
Speaker 4They're not genuine.
Speaker 2I don't watch the show like week in, week out, but I've seen clips and I've actually seen episodes before and I'm like what is this when you're from certain places?
Speaker 1a lot of them are the same, like Minnesota. When it was Minnesota, it was like a lot of them were similar they were very similar yeah.
Speaker 4I don't know. I feel like a lot of them are just in it for the fame which obviously they are, and what not. But I mean I don't know, would you?
Speaker 1Would you do it for real love? I would do it. Yeah, Absolutely.
Speaker 4I would do it for the actual, genuine, like looking for companionship and whatnot.
Speaker 2I don't care about fame. You're out here trying to get companions. I don't care about fame, you should audition. I should I actually put in the I'm going to be watching with my feet up, Heeline that is not true With the dang shoes on the couch man. This fool Andre got his feet on the couch sitting like that. Hey, andre seemed crazy bro. He came in the shop one day and sat like a first grader bro. It was crazy.
Speaker 1Chris girls applesauce.
Speaker 4You know like where you sit, you're just comfortable. It's like one of those things, man. No, I'd be on it, bro, for real, because I actually put in. What was it? A couple years ago, I put in an application to be on the what is it? The?
Speaker 3Bachelor the.
Speaker 2Bachelor right or whatever.
Speaker 3Yeah, if it's the Bachelor, is it the one where the girl, or it's the man, and then there's a whole bunch of women.
Speaker 4Bunch of women. Okay, so I put in for that.
Speaker 1I never heard anything bad, I'm, but not right now, like you know. Yeah, focus on what you're doing.
Speaker 2I wouldn't make it through love is blind yeah, cause if they open up them doors, and I say it that's why it's called love is blind yeah cause you blind, I know.
Speaker 3I mean yeah, but.
Speaker 1I keep telling them this I feel, like looks matter somewhat right. But if you were blind, it wouldn't matter I'm not blind, though I can see man.
Speaker 4You got glasses on you feel but that's love.
Speaker 1When you can't, it's all about acts, blind dating. That's the problem. That's why people cheat man acts but then again people emotionally cheat too.
Speaker 4So I do I, I do those I do cheat. No man, I do the show man for sure I should do. I should do it honestly, but I'd be on big brother for sure.
Speaker 2The heck is that you know, big brother you too deep in tv, man.
Speaker 4No, my mom used to watch that show all the time exactly I've heard about about lifetime shows, nah not like that.
Speaker 2Lifetime shows, but I'd be, I would go on there. Yeah, lifetime is america's novellas Facts. Facts, I mean of course we got sitcoms, soap operas and all that. General Hospital, but Lifetime. Lifetime would get you crazy.
Speaker 4It'll mess you up but it'll also be some fire. The Young and the Restless man Yep Daytime TV.
Speaker 2Crazy, price is Right, price is Right. Hey bro, my grandma had a TV. Yeah, price is Right.
Speaker 3My grandma had a.
Speaker 2TV. It was like this big bro In the kitchen. It was the oldest TV I've ever seen in my life. And it was no, my great grandma. It was in her kitchen, above one of the shelves, and it would just play. Price is Right all year.
Speaker 1It's like the Echo now.
Speaker 2Oh, you hear.
Speaker 3Bro, price is Right is a good show, it's like the echo now, while you're here, da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, yeah.
Speaker 2Bro Price is Right is a good show. True, it had the old white dude. What's his name? He?
Speaker 4died Bob Barker. Yeah, bob Barker.
Speaker 3He died man.
Speaker 1He lived to. Like what 90-something.
Speaker 2Yeah, 92 or something life. He was old. He had gray hair. I've never seen him without gray hair, see, people, the kids.
Speaker 4Nowadays they don't have the childhood that we had I don't think it's different, but it's like it's not something different about our upbringing.
Speaker 2I feel like bro, it's they never gonna read, they never gonna see vhs they're never gonna see none of the sitcoms. They probably don't know ludacris was a rapper facts like it's things.
Speaker 4That is crazy yeah, yeah, you know, erica lived through some crazy stuff. They probably don't know Ludacris was a rapper, facts it's crazy. And Erica lived through some crazy stuff before us.
Speaker 1You know how many people don't know that dance with Ashley and Will Smith where it's from.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 4They literally don't get it. They don't get it. I'm just like y'all just be picking up anything on TikTok.
Speaker 2Bro, they doing TikTok dances to songs that already got a dance. That's what I'm saying it's the songs I already got to dance. That's what I'm saying. It's crazy, man, Andre, you got to get on there. One time Andre was on TikTok dancing. All I seen was he was shaking his hips boy.
Speaker 4That boy was I got rhythm. I got rhythm because I'm Filipino. I remember seeing you with your suits on Yep. When I was a counselor. Yeah, you were making TikToks. That's Yup, that's crazy Yup, because you know you got to be professional.
Speaker 2Now you want to be professional.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2Hey, y'all should hear Andre on the game. He is anything but professional bro. I'm going to say it, I'm going to snitch.
Speaker 4That's different man.
Speaker 2That's different man.
Speaker 4You hear that, that's different. I've been doing it because screwing with y'all is fun man.
Speaker 1Making y man, making y'all uncomfortable, is fun. What's wrong? Yeah, I gotta listen to that every day, erica.
Speaker 2You don't even have a headphone on, so you don't understand what we're responding it doesn't matter I can't hear you responding to him all you hear is what, what?
Speaker 1all I can hear is you responding to him. Man, if you're on, my tiktok.
Speaker 2You see clips I clips that ain't even nowhere near as bad as it gets. There's one I can't even post because it's so crazy. Oh my gosh, I went to post it, I said nah, nah.
Speaker 1It's on your clips, your stream clips, yeah.
Speaker 2It is.
Speaker 3Facts Go to my.
Speaker 2Twitch Yep. But alright that wraps up this episode. You know, appreciate you coming through.
Speaker 4Thank you for joining. Appreciate y'all inviting me out For sure.
Speaker 3Appreciate it.
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