Leading with Purpose: Dr. Darryl Diggs on Education, DEI, and Building Meaningful Relationships

In this episode of Gateway to Growth, host Jamal Cornelious sits down with Dr. Darryl Diggs, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at the Special School District of St. Louis County, for a powerful conversation about leadership, education, and the impact of relationships.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Diggs shares how his journey, from living overseas to growing up in St. Louis, shaped his perspective on people, community, and service. Through a wide range of experiences in education and beyond, he developed a leadership philosophy rooted in curiosity, authenticity, and helping others reach their full potential.

Dr. Diggs breaks down what diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility really mean in practice and why the work is often misunderstood. At its core, he explains, it is about creating environments where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to contribute, whether in schools, workplaces, or communities.

The conversation also explores the realities of navigating large organizations and building a career with purpose. From early jobs and unexpected mentors to leading through challenges like COVID and complex school systems, Dr. Diggs shares lessons on staying grounded in your values, asking better questions, and keeping your “fire” alive.

Along the way, he reflects on the importance of relationships in St. Louis, why curiosity is a leadership superpower, and how leaning into hard conversations can create stronger, more meaningful connections.
This episode is a reminder that growth is not linear, and that staying true to your purpose, building relationships, and continuing to learn can open doors you never expected.

Connect with Dr. Darryl Diggs:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-darryl-s-diggs-jr-b780967/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-darryl-s-diggs-jr-b780967/ 
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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

All right, welcome back to the Gateway to Growth Podcast, where we have thoughtful conversations with the people who make St. Louis work. Our guest today is Dr. Daryl Diggs. He is the Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at the Special School District. We're excited to welcome him today to talk about building a career in education and beyond. Dr. Diggs, welcome. Thank you for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

All right. So love to have you introduce yourself a little bit and just give us your background. What's your role right now? What do you do? Because that's a bit of a mouthful. For sure it is. You know, so it sounds like you have a lot on your plate. We'd love to know more about your current role, what you do, and also a little insight into the special school district.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Oh, 100%. So, first of all, thank you for allowing me to be here in the space and starting off with that question. And you're right, it is a mouthful, you know, even on a good day. Um, but I'll I'll say this, and I think I've perfected boiling it down into what is digestible. And so, yes, the the title is huge diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. And they all need, they all mean different things, you know, intentionally. But if we're really doing the work of connecting people together, doing the work of uh helping children, you know, um actualize their best selves, you know, via their potential, then we have to make sure that we are doing two things. Creating an environment where it's a great place to learn, and also an environment where it's a great place to work. Right. So when I when I think about my journey through education, my uh lived experiences here in St. Louis, um, it it has to involve those two things. I think my path to this point has allowed me to connect with people, humanize the lived experience, but then also um dive deeper into curiosity, right? Like how is life affecting you know this individual? How can life be different or better, whatever better may be? And again, that's something that's very subjective. But having said that, my role within the special school district is just to do just that. We are all across St. Louis County. We have staff in every school district in the county, um, St. Louis County, and our staff work specifically to elevate students who have um a particular need. And there's a wide range of needs that young people have, and and that's what we're tasked with doing. And I believe we're doing uh the best work possible when we're in that space.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Absolutely. That's great. I love the the insight on the special school district. I think it's honestly one of the best kept secrets in St. Louis, and it probably shouldn't be. As somebody who has kids in the county and the districts, I had no idea that the resources were centralized and they were coming from one essentially larger support district that supports the entire ecosystem, so that any kid who has those additional needs and who needs that additional support is getting folks who are put in from a centralized team of experts. That's a really cool process. I don't think most people are aware of that.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

They're not. And just to go just a little bit deeper into that story, so the special school district uh started by four parents, four mothers who wanted something different for their child, right? Their children were um experiencing um outcomes that didn't fully see them as individuals, that didn't uh feed into their soul, their spirit, you know, their knack to be great. And so these parents, what they've done is that they they gather together, they lobby the state legislature, they found a social worker, they found an administrator, and through that, over decades and over time, now we are, I believe, the 13th largest employer in the state of Missouri with over 6,000, you know, staff, teachers, administrators, but more importantly, from the numbers' sake, it's all about the service, right? There are young people who uh unfortunately cannot speak for themselves. We have staff to support that and be that bridge. We have young people who may not be able to be the most mobile that they would like to be. We have staff, equipment, and resources, you know, to help in that space too. And so what makes the special school district special and unique is that we're one of very few districts like this setup across the country. Right now, by being unique, that allows us the ability to refine our practice, you know, to allow us to see our better selves and also um um bend the arc of the moral universe as it's been said, right? And and more often than not, when you work with the most marginalized individuals in our communities, it's going to take so much energy and a thought process to go deeper, to go further. What else are we not seeing to make sure that each young person has a voice and each young person sees themselves as being great?

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yeah, having that laser focus is a definitely a competitive advantage. It allows you to really just figure out how to innovate for this population of students who needs us. Awesome. So we talked about where you are now. I'm really curious about your superhero origin story. How did you come to this? I mean, you've been you're in a space now where you are both in education, but also in the business side of education on the HR side too. So you have this interesting intersection in a career that has landed in a space where you get to support so many people across so many places. I'm curious how that all started for you and how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

You know, if I were to talk to my younger self about what's happening right now or how I got to this point, I would have thought I was lying or um definitely not telling the truth. So my origin story really starts in Memphis, Tennessee. I I call Memphis, Tennessee um my home, my place, my place of peace. And the reason for that is because that's where my grandparents are. That's where my uncles and my aunts, you know, the large majority of my cousins. Now, I do have family across the country, but there has to be this place, and that is Memphis, Tennessee. And so, how did I get here? I think that's probably a little bit most interesting. So mom and dad, high school sweethearts, went to school in Memphis. My dad, Lamoan Owen University, HBCU. My mom, she was um back and forth and went to TSU, you know, Tennessee State. And so as my father graduated from college with a math degree, he was picked up by the government, and that moved us from Memphis to San Antonio, Texas for training. And then from San Antonio, Texas, then we jump out overseas to uh to Panama, to Guatemala, and and so that's where my brother and sister were born, you know, respectively. And so with all of that, you know, then at some point, there was always a thought to come back home. But in order for us to get close to Memphis, we landed in St. Louis. And so St. Louis, even though I've lived here the majority of my my life in adult life, um, I find this to be my second home. And this is why. Everything that I've experienced here in St. Louis has allowed me to sharpen the sword and the saw for who I am right now. So what I'm doing right now came through a wide variety of experiences since I've landed in St. Louis. So for example, when we moved back to St. When we moved to St. Louis, uh, we lived downtown on Gentry's Landing. That was my first experience with snow, right? So, so that's that's a story in and of itself. But even beyond that, we have to go to school, right? We there's I have a brother, a sister, there's three of us. I'm the oldest. So we ended up enrolling, or I was enrolled, in uh Benjamin Banneker Elementary School, formerly known as Colored School number five. In that experience, that's when I started to just really lean into history, like what's going on in the city, uh, why are the things the way they are? And so then from there, we moved out into the county and went to Storm and Stufflin, which was on, which is on Chambers, and then jumped into the Hazelwood School District. And so through those experiences, transferring schools, and then also having an experience living overseas, this opened up my eyes to see people, to see um the gifts, the potential, but then also the struggle. And so I'm gonna fast forward a little bit. From then until now, it's uh almost serendipitous how we happen to be here together today. Some things happened that weren't very great. You know, some things happened that was a blessing in disguise, but but all in all, um the through line uh is relationships. The folks that uh helped me get to this place were through the relationships built here in St. Louis.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

I found that St. Louis is very much a relationship town. And it's not just they say that about most places, it's who you know. But when you are good at what you do, when you put in the work and you're willing to show up for people and show up authentically, people in St. Louis recognize that. And I think it's you know, the proof is really there. The show me state is alive and well in the St. Louis for real. If you show that you're dedicated to the work that you're doing to the communities you're serving, people will see that, recognize that and get behind you 100%.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Oh listen, that needs to be on a t-shirt somewhere. There there have been times where a hard conversation or a very difficult moment um necessitated us to just lean in a little bit deeper. And now, I'm gonna be honest, those are the longest standing relationships that I've had. Uh, and it and it came through us having to wrestle together. Not literally, but you know, figuratively for sure.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

You know, honestly, you you talk about your childhood, and I think looking back, even some of my best friends from childhood, you literally did have to wrestle. And then that's how you meet people. You go through a little bit of conflict, and then you realize who you are, what you care about, what you're willing to fight for, both figuratively and literally. And I think that's where some of the best relationships are born from that conflict.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

For sure. And that's how you become seen, right? Um, very often we we see people, we meet folks, we we we brush by, we brush by one another, and we don't really get to build that connection, you know, and so we develop this story in our head about someone, but unless we sit down together, have this level of conversation, then we can really see like, okay, they're they're about that life, right? They really want to help me. They're um steeped in service. And all right, what can we do together?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Yeah. So one of the interesting things about your journey, you've been in this space where you have navigated so many parts of the education system, both from being influenced by your experience with it to now being a person who's leading within it from different districts at different levels. I'm curious, on all those steps of the journey, were there any major pitfalls or pivots or things that you really hit that you felt like you had to adjust and allowed you to step back, gain some clarity, and think intentionally about what's next?

SPEAKER_00 10:36

There was a moment in my education experience where um I operated with my first thought. And through that, I learned that you know what? I didn't do my research. I didn't ask deeper questions. And so now, as I am across the county, working with many different communities, working in many different schools and school districts, um, there's a couple things that I do on the back end just to make sure I'm meeting the need and service on the front side. So, for example, I ask deep questions to understand what has happened before I got there. What would they like to see, you know, moving forward after I leave? Because there lies an opportunity for coaching, right? And so there was an there was a situation where I created an event. I thought that it was gonna be great, right? Everybody's gonna love it. And not only were they gonna love it, we will be able to really learn about our community. Where but where I missed the mark is that I didn't connect with the people that lived the experience. And I I did something that I would be very critical of if somebody else were to do. I created a narrative. I created a story. And most incidences don't need a story created, they just need it to be told accurately. And then how do we raise the water so that all ships can float and sail at the same time? And so, you know, through that experience, I I lean in a little bit more on curiosity asking just some some deeper questions, like, okay, where are we trying to go? Um, how are you affected by this? How are kids impacted by this work? If we were to close our eyes, and again, this is one of my questions that I ask if we were to close our eyes, what would we see, hear, and feel that best connects with your work as an educator and also the learning that we need our kids to have at an excellent level, right? So uh for me to get there, I had to I had to stumble a little bit and hit my nose.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

You know, I think uh those of us who are communicators by trade, I think it takes a while to realize that the most effective part of communication is learning how to ask the right questions. It's not about taking up the air in the room, it's not about talking and being charismatic. It's about how do you ask a question that gives someone else a stage to represent themselves, have a conversation that we haven't had before, to give you a perspective that doesn't always get represented. And I hear that through line of curiosity and asking those deep and thoughtful questions. And it's so necessary right now. I wish we could get more folks in that space to really have that practice of seeking to understand the people around them and not just making those assumptions or as you said, telling a story for them, crafting that narrative on their behalf. People have a story, people know their story, they know their background, they know their needs. It's really about how do we give you a stage if I have one? How do I give you that microphone so that you can tell it accurately, like you said?

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Yeah. And and just just a small little nugget, like it's okay to step back, right? Like it it's it's okay to give an authentic and curious question or a statement or just a wondering and then step back. Let let let the let the spirit of the room like fill the room. Um, but then also, okay, is this what I heard? Right. And and I think through that we can we can we can clarify some some misconceptions. We can also uh strengthen our perspective that we're gleaning and asking authentically from from each other. And so in the work that I'm involved with now, it's it's really about that. I was in a school district yesterday, and the purpose was talking about having hard conversations around uh dignity and making sure that we uphold that, right? Making sure that everyone is given um uh a dignified existence, but then also understand that you have a loyalty or a leaning. In some spaces, we call it bias. And you know, not to go into PD mode right now, but being curious allows you to navigate all these wide variety of spaces, and that has allowed me to be here where I am through my, you know, checkered past.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Yeah, well, well, speaking of your not so checkered present, I'm curious. You've had an opportunity, you're from all over, and you have deep roots in Memphis, but yet you chose to bloom here in St. Louis. And I'm curious why did you choose St. Louis to stay? A lot of education leaders end up being a bit more transient because you need to go into a leadership role, and sometimes that means moving to a different district, and sometimes that means moving to a different state or city for a different district. But you were very intentional about building and crafting your career here. And I'm curious why St. Louis was that place that you felt you you could just take root here.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

You're a man, such a phenomenal question. And and you're right, I did not choose St. Louis, but I chose to stay. Um, and and I have to say, I'm just gonna double down, it's gonna sound cliche, but it's because of the relationships. So, for example, I've I've been to a bunch of different schools um and also a bunch of different post-secondary um institutions, and in each stop, I developed a connection or a relationship with someone. I've had many part-time jobs here in St. Louis, and in each one of those, I developed so many relationships and skills. And so I believe that if I can be the sponge in all of these spaces, I can give that to my kids. I have two boys, they are nine and eleven. They're very curious themselves. And so I uh speak to them, preach to them about, you know, being kind to one another, obviously, but also lean in. What can we learn in this space? What has this uh taught us? You know, what can we do differently, you know, in the future? And so here's an example. Um, and and I I share this story often, actually. When I was pursuing my master's, I went to Missouri Baptist University. And the reason why I chose that school is because it was connected to my school district at the time I worked in Parkway. And I'm thinking, like, hey, it's right there, the commute would be easy, we can just make this happen. But in my in my first class, there was a gentleman named Scully Sticks. I forget the course that he taught, but I do remember this. It was over the summer, the room was hot, and it was filled with a bunch of people just trying to make it. What I appreciated about this moment in my life is that he pulled no punches, he was very intentional, and um he marked up all my papers. And I hold on to that because of his level of expectation for all of his students. And so I internalized if he can have high expectations for all of these people in this room under some wild conditions, I can do the same. And so in me staying um here in St. Louis, what can I do that perpetuates that from what I learned in his classroom? Right. I had another teacher at Hazelwood Central High School, his name was Mr. Barnes, human physiology teacher. Again, he didn't play. Right? And again, he didn't play because he had high expectations. What can I do to impart that across the county? And so that's that's the work, and and and I stayed because my family's here. Mom, dad, sister, my brother's in Kansas City. Um, met my wife here. So so we're here, we have roots, and we're gonna make sure that those roots grow and connect to other people because of the experiences that I was able to gather.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Yeah. And we're gonna make sure that the city that we live in, we can have an impact and we can create the world that we want for our kids. I love that high expectations focus too. I've always said that children are a product of their expectations. It's not that we are there are schools that have fewer resources, there are schools that may have a lot of on paper disadvantages, but if we set the expectation and empower them to meet those expectations, give them the tools that they need, there is no limit to a child's potential and what they can be, and what they can grow up, what they can create if we set the expectation and make it reasonable and give them an opportunity to meet that. It's one thing to set an expectation that's out of touch. It's another thing to very much say, This is what you're capable of, I see it, and I'm gonna do everything I can to empower you to reach that.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

And uh to to to to add on, what about one step further? What could that look like? Let's figure it out. Now think about this, and I'm I'm gonna use an analogy that I grabbed from someone else, and it is this in education we have ladders. Everyone has a ladder. There's also rungs on the ladder, and sometimes we stay on the first and second rung because of life circumstances, uh the system, the structure, the bureaucracy, all the things, right? Sometimes we are limited in how far we can climb up this ladder that's for ourselves. But in my work, whether it's personal or professional, you know, what can I do to help individuals get to the next one together? Get to the next one after that again, together. And so then as we go through that process, sometimes our ladder is leaning up against the wrong wall and we don't know it. Right. And so, in the spirit of, you know, diversity, equity, and inclusion and accessibility, like this work has been going on long before me. What can I do to add a rung to that ladder so that we keep going so that when the next person jumps into the space to do this great work in service, they add a rung. And we all collectively make sure that we're leaning in the right way. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

You know, going back to your title and you talk about diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility. I think it would be hard pressed to not kind of touch on the elephant in the room because DEI is one of those things that's been a little bit under fire. And it's one of those things where people have a preconceived notion of what it is, what it does. And I'm curious, how would you define that work of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility?

SPEAKER_00 20:43

It's it's it's um it's a set of words that can quickly get lost in conversation, it can quickly become weaponized, it can quickly become uh the boogeyman or um uh a divisive topic to continuously separate people together. And so this is how I conceptualize it, and it is this if if we're on earth to serve, then we also have to be on earth to serve and find out what it takes for you to reach your greatest potential, your greatest outcome. We're we're all here to to to add to this moral fabric, right, that is connected to all of us. And so when I think about diversity, yes, we can talk about um race, we can also talk about um socioeconomic status, we can talk about you know where folks live and you know all the things. Yeah, we can walk into a room and it can be very diverse or not. But then comes the question for us to get the greatest outcome, do we need more people? Who are the people? How are the people? And then where can we go next? Now when I put all that together, yeah, it's all about inclusion though. That's the word that sometimes gets lost. Equity gets, you know, beat up a lot. But if we're really trying to be focused on making sure everyone has a seat at the table, that we're able to get the greatest ideas, that we're able to move forward in the best way possible, then we have to focus on the ideas in the room and make sure that all of those ideas come to the table in a way to where we can then make the best decision. I've been in many rooms, many, many rooms, where I'm the only one, either the only male, the only black male, the only guy with glasses, right? Regardless of how I show up or how people show up, do we have systems and structures to make sure that we're listening, that we're watching, and that we're asking better questions? And so, yes, it's a title, it's heavy, again, it could be weaponized, but if we really want the greatest outcome for our communities, we have to be really conscious about okay, how is it showing up in this community? Are we othering people unintentionally? Now, if we're intentionally othering people, that's malice, that's not great. My work is to not be on that side of the coin. Right? So it's a roundabout way of saying this is is not what people think, but it is a gift for all.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Yeah. I love that. You know, I think the the through line of what you've been saying the whole time is really curiosity and seeing people for who they are, what value they bring. And then finding a place for them to be at the table, to be in the room, and make sure their voices are represented. And that's that's really it's distinguishing characteristic agnostic. It has nothing to do with anyone of a particular race or anyone of a particular background. It's if we all exist, we all have different experiences, backgrounds, and everything, cultures that create us, how do we come to the table, get in this pot of gumbo and make sure it's fully seasoned?

SPEAKER_00 23:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

Like that's it. That's it. That's it. And we all eat. Yes. Like we all have to eat. You know, having more perspectives has never made something worse. I agree. Having diverse perspectives, having people with new and fresh ideas has never made something worse. It's never like, you know what, we were gonna make this product, but now that we have these extra ideas, uh, it's kind of ruined everything. And we just, you know, we'll just rather not serve an extra 20% of the population to meet needs that we didn't know about.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

So true. And there was something you said a little bit ago, just about how the work evolves, right? And so a good portion of my day-to-day work is in the human resources space. And the reason why I mentioned that is because if we're attuned to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, you see all four of those daily in the HR space through hiring and also through retention, and also through just how we work together in this interpersonal space. And so through the work, um, I just try to help people understand that okay, are there things that we're doing that shuts people out? So, for example, here's a real quick example. Um I my both of my kids participate in soccer, right? Mine too. If if you walk in with any, you know, soccer paraphernalia, right, then I'm gonna have a leaning towards you, right? I might want to know more. Like we're we're gonna talk about stuff that's not even related to the profession, right? But is that creating an environment to where I'm shutting somebody else out, even if they don't walk in with um uh a hat, a shirt, or a logo, right? You know, that creates an unfortunate opportunity to where we're you know, bias may be shutting folks out, and they may have the greatest skill or knack to impact our business. Right. And so I have those conversations, you know, in the in the HR space, but it's more so about um building community through conversation. And sometimes that conversation can be hard, but we can do it.

SPEAKER_01 25:59

Yeah. I mean, the best conversations are substantive conversations are hard. There's only so long you can talk about the weather and your favorite sports team. Yeah. Let's figure out who people really are, what really matters, and how we can help them be at their best. So I want to shift gears a little bit because I think your career has been in a type of environment that I think is unique. And it's an opportunity that we have a lot of younger listeners who are building their careers. And one of those first roles might be in an organization that might be large, might be highly bureaucratic, have a lot of processes and systems and things that are either very rigid that you have to figure out how to navigate. It may be a large organization where you have to figure out how I can be seen so that I can set myself up for the next thing. And you are an example of someone who has successfully navigated uh highly bureaucratic organizations that are large and matrixed and they have different levels, and there are formal reporting structures, but also the informal influencers who you need to connect with. So I'm curious, what advice would you have for somebody who's trying to navigate a larger institution? Could be service-oriented, could be education, could be for-profit, because I think how they function is very similar. But how are you, how would you give them advice to navigate that larger, complex organization?

SPEAKER_00 27:15

In in that space, uh, that's a great question. We could probably do a whole other podcast on this. So I I would say this, you know, two things. One is be really uh conscious of your values. So advice number one to seasoned professionals, you know, newer professionals, all points in between, understand who you are regardless of the room that you walk in. So understand your values. The next thing that I would encourage people to do is also understand your purpose, right? There, a former superintendent said this, and I say it often, definitely to myself, is that there will be times in which you need to make sure and double down and use your pain to propel you into your purpose and then your purpose to just drive everything you do after that, right? And so, with those two things, regardless of the size of the organization or how complex it is or how bureaucratic you know it may be, just be ten toes down in who you are and your purpose in serving. If we go in with a mindset to elevate the game in a purposeful way, who can turn an eye to that? Like people need you, and and people will continue to seek after you because you are solidified in your authentic self and it could be a business need and and grow whatever organization you happen to be connected to. So I happen to mess around a little bit and share a few stories in the form of a book titled uh The Fire Within. And it's and it's about when purpose meets bureaucracy, right? And so in in this book, I I share um a story, I use firefighting as the overarching theme, but it is it is this the fire within you is steeped in your values and purpose, and there will be times in which organizations will try to squash that fire, micromanage your existence and also put out a purpose that runs contrary to the good work that we're all here for, right? And so, as we are passionate individuals, you know, we we have a gusto about us. The goal is to maintain your fire because what happens when it gets extinguished is that you leave the profession. You get burnt out, it impacts you, your families, and also uh your existence.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

Yeah, and sometimes you don't leave, sometimes you just get stuck and you're just there as a shell of your former self. And there's nothing worse than coming in excited and energized with that fire, with that purpose, and seeing that light slowly go out in someone. So when I that's some of the advice I give is sometimes the best up for someone is out. If you're in a space where they they won't turn that hose off and they won't keep stop trying to extinguish that fire, it may not be the place for you. You need to find a new place so that you can figure out how you can be, revisit your purpose, realign to a new organization. But sometimes that's a new team, sometimes that's completely a new organization. But make sure, I love that you say it keeps your values front and center, keep that purpose front and center, keep that fire burning. And if you, if there are too many forces against trying to keep that fire burning, it might be time for a transition. And there's nothing wrong with closing a chapter and opening a new one. I mean, as you can attest, I can attest, you know, 20-something years of this of building a career, it's not linear and nothing is the final stop. You can pivot and change as many times as you need to to build the career, have the impact and live in your purpose. You know, it's it's not limited.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

No, not at all. And and I and again, I I mentioned this, you know, this morning on the way in uh to a friend of mine. At some point, we have to continue to learn, continue to grow, and whatever that looks like, let's do it. But then once once we're done learning and growing, connecting and and developing these these relationships, right? Because again, it's ongoing, we have to press play. You have to press play because then you really get to flex what you've acquired over time. When I when I first started, so part-time jobs, small history. I worked at McDonald's, I worked at a call center, I worked at a U-Haul, I worked at uh a document scanning facility, um, big box stores, retail, all the things. I learned everything there that I'm using right now, and that is how to work with people. Soft skills. Continue to develop that, you know, and as I'm giving a small nugget to to the future or those who may be listening, all of these connections, you know, set you up for your greatest, your greatest achievement. We just don't know it yet, but it's coming, right? And um, with that on the horizon, that should be the motivation to keep going. Work is not gonna be great every day. And you will have to be your own hype man, right? I'll, you know, I sometimes I play some rap music on the way into a meeting, depending on what it is. But then after that, it's all in the service of young people, at least for me. And then let's go be great.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

Love that. You know, and and you don't always have to be your own hype man. I think one of the one of the other parts, and you talked about this consistently, are the relationships. And some of the most challenging work environments that I've had to navigate have been places where I've made some of the strongest relationships. Because the people who are in there and fighting through that fire with you, you know, you guys know each other differently. They will support you and show up. And this could just be navigating, if you're early in your career, who helped you navigate a very challenging class. Friend of mine helped me get through finance 310, and I will never forget it. He's still my go-to guy for any finance questions, you know. But who what are those, who are those people who are in those spaces for you? Because there's a special bond for those people that that showed up for you in a unique way. Nurture those relationships, you know, and sometimes lean on each other while you're in the challenging situation so that you can pursue, you know, really persist and get to what's next.

SPEAKER_00 33:15

Oh, there's there's a few people for me. Um, first, I would say, when I was working at Walmart, we were stocking shelves. Uh his name is Aaron Simmons. Him and I, we I remember it to this day, we were sitting in the toy aisle stocking shelves, and and we just made it, we we we made, we made a plan. And he said, Listen, Diggs, I'm going back to school to go to become an electrician. I can't keep doing this. Hey, I'm gonna try to figure out this school thing and go be a teacher. So we we made it plain in that moment, and then we held each other accountable to it. And so if it wasn't for that conversation in the toy aisle at Walmart on Zumbell, I don't know if if this would be a thing right now because we lit a fire under each other and he went on to go do great things, you know. I'm doing, you know, in this space now. And then the second person who I would mention, his name is um Brett Coberness. Him and I led together in um in an environment that was in the midst of COVID. So if you think back, some schools were in-person, some schools were virtual, some did a hybrid situation, ours was hybrid, and it and it was challenging. And again, that's that's that can be a podcast series. But the reason why him and I stay connected is because we saw each other in a leadership conundrum that was difficult, to say the least. And we had to lean on one another to get through and to and to continue to elevate the profession, connect with our teachers, our students, and our community. And in order to do that, we had to be vulnerable with one another. We would get up early in the morning before school started and we would lift weights together and just talk. At the time, he had a little girl, now he has two, and so we were you know going through that. At the time, I still had you know two boys, you know, by that time. And and so through this, I found myself, not only was I mentoring him, he was mentoring me. And and through this vulnerability um and relationship building, that's that's how I believe um it helps me think through and connect with others. And we're all still connected today, those two people I mentioned.

SPEAKER_01 35:33

I love that, man. Those those relationships come from those almost unexpected places, but it's always a trial by fire. I love that. So curious for you, what is next? I mean, you alluded to it briefly. You've got a book coming out that you're that you just recently launched. It's out, it's out of the world.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Yeah, and I already have versions two and three in my head. Okay. So, you know, what what's coming up is is a few things. You know, one, um, what's going to continue is the service of others. That's number one. Number two, yeah, I put together a book that was a culmination of a couple ideas, and and it's out there in the world. But I would like to expand that because all of us are operating within organizations, some big, some small, some complex, um, some not. You know, some um have lost their way, but okay, how can we come back? And so I'm gonna put together a series to help people through those pieces. The book uh has a strong layer of satire to it. Um, I I like to think I have a funny bone. Um, but then outside of that, uh personally, I would like to get back into triathlon and see where that goes.

SPEAKER_01 36:39

I will cheer you on, but I will not participate. But if you want to run a Spartan race together, I've got you back. All right, we can there, we can lift some heavy things and roll through some mud. Let's do it. I've got you back. Let's do it. Well, Daryl, it's been an absolute pleasure having you today. I appreciate you bringing a guest and really bringing your authentic perspective and telling your journey, telling us, you know, a few of those really important nuggets around being curious and remaining authentic, keeping that fire. I think if, you know, we take away nothing else from this episode, it's understanding that you go into a relationship, into situations, be curious about the other people, learn about their journey, what they bring to the table, and then be authentic yourself. Stay connected to your purpose, your fire, your passion, the thing that really keeps you going. And don't, you know, take those others for granted and don't ever let that fire extinguish. So really appreciate you taking the time to join us today on the Gateway Growth Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Thank you. This was great. Um, and and you know, one more you know, quick nugget, you know, for those who are listening, you got this. We can do hard things and we can always be great. And press play.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

Press play. And with that, we'll wrap. Thank you for coming. Been a pleasure. Thank you.