1 00:00:00,066 --> 00:00:01,633 What we're gonna do is instead of running 2 00:00:01,633 --> 00:00:03,900 these like traditional vocational programs like we've all 3 00:00:03,900 --> 00:00:05,533 been used to back in our day. 4 00:00:06,166 --> 00:00:07,633 Entrepreneurship is the heartbeat. 5 00:00:07,933 --> 00:00:10,033 They're gonna have to understand a business plan, 6 00:00:10,033 --> 00:00:11,666 they're gonna get taught a business plan, 7 00:00:11,666 --> 00:00:13,500 so that when they go to work the skills 8 00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:14,966 are the No. 1 thing 9 00:00:15,233 --> 00:00:17,233 but your entrepreneurship is the shelter. 10 00:00:17,233 --> 00:00:18,266 That's the heartbeat. 11 00:00:50,300 --> 00:00:55,333 Most people talk about the future of work. Jeremy Qualls 12 00:00:55,333 --> 00:00:59,500 is building it years before people enter the workforce. 13 00:00:59,500 --> 00:01:01,433 Jeremy is the executive director 14 00:01:01,433 --> 00:01:03,966 of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, 15 00:01:04,100 --> 00:01:05,733 he is also responsible 16 00:01:05,733 --> 00:01:09,266 for the College Career and Technical Education program 17 00:01:09,266 --> 00:01:11,133 at Williamson County Schools. 18 00:01:11,766 --> 00:01:14,633 In these roles Jeremy is rethinking 19 00:01:14,633 --> 00:01:17,600 how students are exposed to entrepreneurship 20 00:01:17,700 --> 00:01:21,033 technology and real world problem solving. 21 00:01:21,066 --> 00:01:24,500 We talked about critical thinking, about innovation 22 00:01:24,500 --> 00:01:26,800 and why it shouldn't wait until college. 23 00:01:27,033 --> 00:01:28,900 And how early exposure to building 24 00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:31,366 creating and thinking like an entrepreneur 25 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:34,666 fundamentally changes confidence and opportunities 26 00:01:34,666 --> 00:01:35,633 later in life. 27 00:01:35,833 --> 00:01:36,900 This conversation 28 00:01:36,900 --> 00:01:39,633 reshapes how you think about talent pipelines. 29 00:01:39,666 --> 00:01:41,133 So let's dive right in. 30 00:01:41,333 --> 00:01:44,266 My job is to shout from the tallest mountain 31 00:01:44,266 --> 00:01:47,166 to all the the folks here in Nashville that 32 00:01:47,433 --> 00:01:50,566 entrepreneurship and tech innovation doesn't 33 00:01:50,566 --> 00:01:52,033 begin when you're an adult. 34 00:01:52,033 --> 00:01:53,933 That we have viable companies 35 00:01:54,266 --> 00:01:57,400 at the high school level. And it's really interesting. 36 00:01:58,266 --> 00:01:59,666 The Entrepreneurship and Innovation 37 00:01:59,666 --> 00:02:01,233 Center as we call it the EIC, 38 00:02:01,566 --> 00:02:03,933 has been only been around for seven years. 39 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:07,500 And we subscribe to a group called Uncharted 40 00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:10,433 Learning out of Chicago, that is a an entrepreneurship 41 00:02:10,433 --> 00:02:11,966 curriculum if you will it's a baseline 42 00:02:11,966 --> 00:02:13,000 curriculum that we 43 00:02:13,066 --> 00:02:15,733 we do with our kids. The the center opened with 44 00:02:15,733 --> 00:02:16,966 72 kids. 45 00:02:17,533 --> 00:02:18,566 We have 46 00:02:18,566 --> 00:02:22,200 a maximum of 280 now, with a waitlist of 500 to even get in. 47 00:02:22,633 --> 00:02:25,566 We are the back to back and hopefully soon 48 00:02:25,566 --> 00:02:27,133 back to, back to, back 49 00:02:27,133 --> 00:02:30,266 national pitch champions. And I brought one of my 50 00:02:30,666 --> 00:02:32,733 national champions with me today he's 51 00:02:32,733 --> 00:02:34,566 launched a Ed tech company and 52 00:02:34,566 --> 00:02:37,066 and I think it's it's it's one of the coolest things. 53 00:02:37,366 --> 00:02:39,333 I used to be in my former life 54 00:02:39,333 --> 00:02:42,166 an athletic director and athletics is always 55 00:02:42,566 --> 00:02:43,766 close to my heart. 56 00:02:44,266 --> 00:02:47,066 And I'm not sure there's a single thing in public ed 57 00:02:47,066 --> 00:02:49,733 that has the power of a football game on Friday night. 58 00:02:50,033 --> 00:02:53,466 This is the closest thing that I've ever had to move the needle for me, 59 00:02:53,466 --> 00:02:54,566 specific to 60 00:02:54,566 --> 00:02:56,900 the educational side of things outside of athletics 61 00:02:56,900 --> 00:02:58,400 is this Entrepreneurship Center. 62 00:02:58,500 --> 00:03:00,466 You've got a magnet going down there. I 63 00:03:00,466 --> 00:03:02,966 remember when you first opened. I remember the vision 64 00:03:02,966 --> 00:03:06,300 and this constant. 65 00:03:06,300 --> 00:03:09,066 You're not just shouting from the mountain tops you're also roaming 66 00:03:09,066 --> 00:03:10,833 the valleys and you know 67 00:03:10,833 --> 00:03:12,266 making sure that people understand, 68 00:03:12,266 --> 00:03:14,400 that the water that feeds the valley 69 00:03:14,533 --> 00:03:16,800 is the youth our future. 70 00:03:17,833 --> 00:03:20,566 Yes and all I'm wanting to do is hook the wagons. 71 00:03:20,566 --> 00:03:22,766 It you know a lot of people and I'm 72 00:03:22,766 --> 00:03:24,933 I'm the same way before I took that job. 73 00:03:24,933 --> 00:03:25,566 Is 74 00:03:25,566 --> 00:03:29,533 when you go back in time to your time in high school, 75 00:03:30,233 --> 00:03:33,866 were you a were you able to have a viable company. 76 00:03:34,166 --> 00:03:37,200 You two probably yes, me no way. 77 00:03:37,366 --> 00:03:39,066 Because I didn't have the opportunity, I didn't know 78 00:03:39,066 --> 00:03:42,600 the know how or the resources. And we give all of that. 79 00:03:43,066 --> 00:03:44,666 And then we have an application 80 00:03:44,666 --> 00:03:46,966 interview process where you have 10 high schools. 81 00:03:47,066 --> 00:03:48,133 The highest 82 00:03:48,166 --> 00:03:50,633 achieving school district in southeast United States 83 00:03:50,733 --> 00:03:54,133 and I get to get the 1% of that group to say 84 00:03:54,133 --> 00:03:56,066 let's go build a business, are you kidding me. 85 00:03:56,066 --> 00:03:58,833 It's as good as it gets man, it's it's fun. 86 00:03:58,833 --> 00:04:00,966 And literally we give them some 87 00:04:00,966 --> 00:04:02,966 starting points and we get out of the way. 88 00:04:03,266 --> 00:04:06,333 Fail often fail forward. 89 00:04:06,966 --> 00:04:08,366 Fear not 90 00:04:08,666 --> 00:04:10,966 And don't fear. There's nothing there's nothing to fear. 91 00:04:11,133 --> 00:04:14,133 What is there to fear? Failure? That's how we learn. 92 00:04:14,133 --> 00:04:15,900 Well there is no such thing as failure, 93 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:17,900 actually. In my opinion, I think 94 00:04:17,900 --> 00:04:20,066 there's nothing but learning opportunities, 95 00:04:20,133 --> 00:04:23,566 nothing but change. Even when you're relatively 96 00:04:23,566 --> 00:04:24,233 successful, 97 00:04:24,233 --> 00:04:27,266 compared to something else you might not be so 98 00:04:27,266 --> 00:04:28,666 why compared to anything. 99 00:04:28,766 --> 00:04:32,100 And I love the attitude that I think youth brings 100 00:04:32,100 --> 00:04:35,333 to a challenge. It's all about learning and consuming, 101 00:04:35,433 --> 00:04:37,866 knowledge and I think reflecting 102 00:04:37,866 --> 00:04:40,033 back also the leadership that they're getting. 103 00:04:40,233 --> 00:04:42,466 From people like you and other leaders 104 00:04:42,466 --> 00:04:45,066 in Williamson County and throughout this region. 105 00:04:45,133 --> 00:04:46,833 Talk to me about how you're engaging 106 00:04:46,833 --> 00:04:49,366 with the Nashville Technology Council the Greater 107 00:04:49,366 --> 00:04:51,666 Nashville Technology Council? I since 108 00:04:51,666 --> 00:04:54,733 being in this role I'm also my other responsibility is 109 00:04:54,733 --> 00:04:55,500 is being over 110 00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:57,466 all of college and career technical education 111 00:04:57,466 --> 00:04:57,866 for Williamson 112 00:04:57,866 --> 00:05:00,333 County. So we have 140 teachers across 10 buildings 113 00:05:00,533 --> 00:05:04,366 34 programs of study. So I immediately 114 00:05:04,366 --> 00:05:06,633 when I took the job I've always considered myself 115 00:05:06,633 --> 00:05:09,100 a techie even though I couldn't create or do anything 116 00:05:09,100 --> 00:05:13,266 tech wise. But I maybe a futurist I loved watching 117 00:05:13,266 --> 00:05:14,666 emerging technologies and thinking 118 00:05:14,666 --> 00:05:16,666 okay how can we use this for better efficiencies. 119 00:05:17,133 --> 00:05:19,466 So I always stayed on top of those things. So immediately 120 00:05:19,466 --> 00:05:21,766 when I got that job the first place I went was to our 121 00:05:21,766 --> 00:05:22,233 it coding 122 00:05:22,233 --> 00:05:23,500 people was like alright what are we building, 123 00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:24,333 what are we doing? 124 00:05:24,566 --> 00:05:28,333 Right. That's how I discovered Anthony. 125 00:05:29,033 --> 00:05:31,300 Are we solving any problems are we creating anything? 126 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:33,500 And they said yeah we got a couple, I said we're good we're gonna have an open 127 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:36,833 mic night at the EIC, and I want those 128 00:05:36,833 --> 00:05:39,666 tech people to come. And I'm gonna get a 'Shark Tank' of tech 129 00:05:39,666 --> 00:05:41,966 folks and we're gonna see what happens. 130 00:05:42,366 --> 00:05:46,533 Anthony was a byproduct of that. But I just 131 00:05:46,566 --> 00:05:47,800 I immediately 132 00:05:48,700 --> 00:05:50,233 reached out 133 00:05:50,233 --> 00:05:52,433 at that time to the NTC. 134 00:05:52,433 --> 00:05:54,966 This was been 7 / 8 years ago, 135 00:05:55,133 --> 00:05:57,400 Elise was coming on board 136 00:05:57,866 --> 00:05:59,266 and Elise and I were on the Williamson 137 00:05:59,266 --> 00:06:00,733 Forward trip we got to know each other 138 00:06:00,733 --> 00:06:02,866 and and figuring things out. And then 139 00:06:03,333 --> 00:06:06,133 the thing I love about Mark Blaze. 140 00:06:06,433 --> 00:06:10,300 Mark called me he's like in his awesome dialect, 141 00:06:10,300 --> 00:06:11,433 of course I have my own southern 142 00:06:11,433 --> 00:06:12,366 dialect, we couldn't understand 143 00:06:12,366 --> 00:06:14,933 each other for the first five minutes. It was great we laughed, 144 00:06:15,033 --> 00:06:17,166 now what did you say slow down. 145 00:06:17,166 --> 00:06:20,466 He's like hey man I've heard all about you I wanna come see you, and I was thinking 146 00:06:20,466 --> 00:06:22,700 okay this guy's new he's not gonna come down and sure 147 00:06:22,700 --> 00:06:24,133 enough he came down the next week. 148 00:06:24,133 --> 00:06:26,200 We spent I don't know, we had to 149 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:28,233 literally kick each other out and say let's 150 00:06:28,233 --> 00:06:29,533 we gotta go back to work. 151 00:06:29,833 --> 00:06:33,100 And it's just it's a constant thing on my radar, 152 00:06:33,100 --> 00:06:34,700 specific to the tech industry. 153 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:36,300 Cause I feel like the innovations 154 00:06:36,300 --> 00:06:37,933 happen fastest at the tech, 155 00:06:38,100 --> 00:06:41,100 so I really love to attach everything 156 00:06:41,100 --> 00:06:42,833 we're doing to the tech aspect. 157 00:06:42,833 --> 00:06:45,733 And hopefully we're providing an infrastructure 158 00:06:46,066 --> 00:06:49,033 and a jumping off place for these for these folks to go 159 00:06:49,033 --> 00:06:50,666 into that industry. 160 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:52,100 You know you 161 00:06:52,133 --> 00:06:54,266 we talked a little bit about the you never fail 162 00:06:54,266 --> 00:06:56,333 you only learn, it's the 163 00:06:56,333 --> 00:06:58,833 the your relationship with failure as an entrepreneur 164 00:06:59,033 --> 00:07:02,166 and it took me late into my 40s to 165 00:07:02,166 --> 00:07:04,433 learn that lesson or to be taught that lesson. 166 00:07:04,633 --> 00:07:06,300 Why are we not teaching 167 00:07:06,300 --> 00:07:09,100 kids that lesson? You're you're an exception. Why are 168 00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:09,833 why is that 169 00:07:09,833 --> 00:07:12,800 this not more universal teaching lessons like that? 170 00:07:13,666 --> 00:07:15,733 I'm gonna try to be careful here because I'm 171 00:07:16,033 --> 00:07:19,000 scared something. When I was a principal way back 172 00:07:19,666 --> 00:07:21,333 I subscribed to that theory. 173 00:07:21,833 --> 00:07:23,933 Let's get away from rote memorization. 174 00:07:24,233 --> 00:07:27,266 Let's get away from 74 problems for homework. 175 00:07:27,266 --> 00:07:29,433 Let's get away from all these things that we've 176 00:07:29,433 --> 00:07:30,766 traditionally done. 177 00:07:30,833 --> 00:07:33,433 And let's put kids in a place of success. 178 00:07:33,966 --> 00:07:35,433 And do it at a quantity 179 00:07:35,433 --> 00:07:39,166 where it's manageable from a teaching aspect of 180 00:07:39,166 --> 00:07:40,933 if they don't know what they're doing. 181 00:07:40,933 --> 00:07:44,533 What are we kicking out to get them there? And if they do know what they're doing, 182 00:07:44,666 --> 00:07:47,700 where do you send them? So that's the first problem 183 00:07:47,700 --> 00:07:48,333 that we solved 184 00:07:48,333 --> 00:07:50,833 as a principal. So you go back to now these days. 185 00:07:51,666 --> 00:07:54,100 The problem of it is I think people in public 186 00:07:54,100 --> 00:07:56,666 ed moves at glacial speed. It just does, 187 00:07:56,666 --> 00:07:57,833 always has been. 188 00:07:58,066 --> 00:07:59,933 We're still stuck in 1984, we're playing 189 00:07:59,933 --> 00:08:02,133 Pac-Man we think that's AI, right. 190 00:08:02,666 --> 00:08:05,033 AOL as they use yesterday, we're still on AOL. 191 00:08:05,033 --> 00:08:06,733 What AOL is that gone now? We're still 192 00:08:06,733 --> 00:08:07,833 we're still looking for a mail, 193 00:08:07,833 --> 00:08:09,266 they didn't realize they shut it down yesterday 194 00:08:09,266 --> 00:08:11,366 after 30 years you know. 195 00:08:12,666 --> 00:08:14,866 I want to move at business speed and I'm fortunate 196 00:08:14,866 --> 00:08:17,133 enough to be in a facility and a system 197 00:08:17,133 --> 00:08:18,100 that allows me to to 198 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:20,833 to play in that sandbox. Because we have the abilities 199 00:08:20,833 --> 00:08:22,900 at the EIC in the in the incoming 200 00:08:22,900 --> 00:08:24,400 Innovation Center to do so. 201 00:08:24,833 --> 00:08:26,700 The funny thing is when I go out to these general 202 00:08:26,700 --> 00:08:28,066 ed classes, and say hey 203 00:08:28,133 --> 00:08:30,433 I know you're running a senior level English class, 204 00:08:30,433 --> 00:08:32,133 why don't we shift the mindset a little bit 205 00:08:32,133 --> 00:08:33,433 let them come in and be our PR 206 00:08:33,433 --> 00:08:36,300 firm for our kids. And do corporate memos, 207 00:08:36,300 --> 00:08:37,766 you can get the exact 208 00:08:37,766 --> 00:08:40,633 same standards that you're trying to cross over. 209 00:08:40,666 --> 00:08:42,000 It may not be Hamlet, 210 00:08:42,133 --> 00:08:43,966 but it's real life, and it's relevant. 211 00:08:44,166 --> 00:08:46,266 And it's a little bit overwhelming 212 00:08:46,266 --> 00:08:49,366 sometimes if you haven't been in a situation like the 213 00:08:49,366 --> 00:08:50,400 EIC. That's what I see. 214 00:08:50,433 --> 00:08:52,766 If you haven't been in a situation where you've 215 00:08:52,966 --> 00:08:55,700 got an Anthony, you've seen Anthony have 12,000 users 216 00:08:55,700 --> 00:08:57,533 worldwide before you graduated high school. 217 00:08:57,533 --> 00:09:00,300 And you realize that the last two months of his career 218 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:03,500 was not spent in a classroom. That I sent him to every single school district 219 00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:03,733 within 220 00:09:03,733 --> 00:09:05,766 driving distance to meet with their superintendent. 221 00:09:06,033 --> 00:09:08,133 That is 10 times more important than anything 222 00:09:08,133 --> 00:09:09,400 he's gonna learn in a classroom. 223 00:09:10,233 --> 00:09:14,200 And until we can wholesale do some things like that, 224 00:09:14,533 --> 00:09:16,300 it's just the public educate or 225 00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:18,933 any education system has to get into 226 00:09:19,466 --> 00:09:22,333 that realm of understanding the power. 227 00:09:22,366 --> 00:09:24,333 And how to back up, 228 00:09:24,733 --> 00:09:26,866 give the kids a little bit of ownership, 229 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:31,866 help them fail help them refine and do it again. 230 00:09:32,466 --> 00:09:33,666 When we open the Innovation 231 00:09:33,666 --> 00:09:34,333 Center in August 232 00:09:34,966 --> 00:09:36,866 We're gonna open up with five programs of study. 233 00:09:36,866 --> 00:09:38,500 Five programs that have never been done in 234 00:09:38,500 --> 00:09:39,633 Williamson County history. 235 00:09:39,933 --> 00:09:42,700 Aviation, kids can get private pilot license. 236 00:09:43,266 --> 00:09:44,966 Cyber security, artificial intelligence. 237 00:09:44,966 --> 00:09:46,533 We've done cyber before, but 238 00:09:46,533 --> 00:09:48,466 artificial intelligence is gonna be in tow with that. 239 00:09:48,666 --> 00:09:51,100 Hospitality and tourism is a brand 240 00:09:51,100 --> 00:09:53,500 new program where kids are learning everything 241 00:09:53,766 --> 00:09:57,333 every aspect of the restaurant and hotel industry. 242 00:09:57,333 --> 00:09:58,800 From the front of the house to the back of the house 243 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:00,066 house and everything in between. 244 00:10:00,533 --> 00:10:01,866 We've got a firefighting 245 00:10:01,866 --> 00:10:04,233 program that we are with the city of Franklin. 246 00:10:04,766 --> 00:10:06,466 And we have a heavy 247 00:10:06,466 --> 00:10:08,866 machine technology program that in energy power 248 00:10:08,866 --> 00:10:10,766 generation with Thompson Caterpillar. 249 00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:13,100 What we're gonna do is instead of running 250 00:10:13,100 --> 00:10:14,666 these like traditional vocational programs 251 00:10:14,666 --> 00:10:16,966 like we've all been used to back in our day. 252 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,100 Entrepreneurship is the heartbeat, 253 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,166 they're gonna have to understand a business 254 00:10:21,166 --> 00:10:23,100 plan, they're gonna get taught a business plan. 255 00:10:23,100 --> 00:10:24,400 So that when they go to work 256 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,433 the skills are the No. 1 thing. 257 00:10:26,666 --> 00:10:28,666 But your entrepreneurship is the shelter, 258 00:10:28,666 --> 00:10:30,500 that's the heartbeat. So I can go work for 259 00:10:31,533 --> 00:10:33,000 Thompson Caterpillar as an 18 year old 260 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,500 straight out of this program at $100,000 and a truck, 261 00:10:37,333 --> 00:10:39,366 but five years down the road I'm gonna realize 262 00:10:39,366 --> 00:10:41,600 I can do this business elsewhere on my own. 263 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,400 But I don't know how to I don't know how to do it. 264 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,166 We're changing that narrative. 265 00:10:45,166 --> 00:10:48,533 So we're gonna take traditional vocational program and flip it on its head, 266 00:10:48,533 --> 00:10:49,866 and we're gonna make it innovative. 267 00:10:50,466 --> 00:10:52,433 And it's gonna be all entrepreneur driven. 268 00:10:53,933 --> 00:10:57,566 Oh can I get an Amen. Can I get an Amen, I feel like the 269 00:10:57,666 --> 00:10:58,300 I don't know 270 00:10:58,300 --> 00:11:00,900 the energy I just want to jump on it and ride it. 271 00:11:01,066 --> 00:11:03,633 And so we've talked a little bit about 272 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,300 helping and how the community helps. 273 00:11:06,366 --> 00:11:09,866 And we've talked about the nature of our community and the nature of helping. 274 00:11:09,933 --> 00:11:12,400 Let's let's get rid of that and just say 275 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,733 how can we help you? What are three areas 276 00:11:14,733 --> 00:11:17,600 where we can empower the things that you are doing? 277 00:11:17,700 --> 00:11:20,800 Time. Talent. Treasure. 278 00:11:21,366 --> 00:11:24,766 Now today. Today. Today. 279 00:11:25,900 --> 00:11:28,300 The EIC the current Entrepreneurship Center 280 00:11:28,366 --> 00:11:30,500 has 150 mentors built in 281 00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:33,100 which is pretty cool man. To have 150 282 00:11:33,100 --> 00:11:34,633 business adults like yourself 283 00:11:35,500 --> 00:11:38,100 come in and pour themselves into our kids. 284 00:11:38,100 --> 00:11:40,433 One day a month that's all we ask. 285 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:42,600 And what happens is when they start 286 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,100 attaching themselves to a company 287 00:11:44,366 --> 00:11:45,933 all of a sudden there's Mark Cleveland walking 288 00:11:45,933 --> 00:11:46,933 in on a Wednesday morning 289 00:11:46,933 --> 00:11:48,700 at 8:00. What's up man, he's like 290 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:50,833 oh I got a meeting with Anthony, I was like great 291 00:11:50,833 --> 00:11:52,300 and we just going about business. 292 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,333 That's what we do in the in the entrepreneur 293 00:11:54,333 --> 00:11:57,433 center it's really I mean I saw three today adults. 294 00:11:57,666 --> 00:11:59,000 We don't set those meetings 295 00:11:59,133 --> 00:12:00,266 the kids are setting those meetings. 296 00:12:00,266 --> 00:12:01,800 Because we treat it like real world. 297 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:03,966 But those mentors 298 00:12:03,966 --> 00:12:05,833 we are always. We wanna 299 00:12:05,866 --> 00:12:08,633 continue growing that people roll off roll in whatever. 300 00:12:08,866 --> 00:12:12,600 I like to cover every sector too so if we need some 301 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,400 IT experts we have them if we need 302 00:12:14,533 --> 00:12:16,366 people that are signing NDA's and legal, 303 00:12:16,366 --> 00:12:18,500 we have that. We have patent attorneys on 304 00:12:18,533 --> 00:12:21,000 all those things so yes. So I 305 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,700 remember when the Entrepreneur Center was a shovel 306 00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:24,766 dig here and 307 00:12:24,766 --> 00:12:27,666 and when we were with Michael Burcham and everybody 308 00:12:27,666 --> 00:12:29,000 was putting this thing together. 309 00:12:29,300 --> 00:12:31,166 And I personally went down 310 00:12:31,166 --> 00:12:33,300 and took the mentorship training 311 00:12:33,300 --> 00:12:35,633 program that he offered. And became a mentor. 312 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:36,700 And one of the reasons 313 00:12:36,700 --> 00:12:38,800 was I I thought you know I'd like 314 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:40,966 to imagine that I could be a better mentor 315 00:12:40,966 --> 00:12:44,866 in my own organization. Talk to me about you, 316 00:12:44,866 --> 00:12:46,466 that's a lot of mentors 317 00:12:46,466 --> 00:12:49,733 you're attracting to to create this energy 318 00:12:49,733 --> 00:12:52,166 cauldron. And how are they 319 00:12:52,166 --> 00:12:54,733 oriented how are you helping them get engaged? 320 00:12:55,366 --> 00:12:58,100 You know what we do is, we try to keep it high level. 321 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,166 And the reason that is 322 00:13:00,933 --> 00:13:02,566 most of the conversations 323 00:13:02,566 --> 00:13:03,566 you're gonna be having is 324 00:13:03,566 --> 00:13:05,900 it was with a teenager in the ideation stage. 325 00:13:06,266 --> 00:13:08,400 And probably there's a greater better chance 326 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:10,633 than not that that's a terrible idea. 327 00:13:10,966 --> 00:13:12,566 And we tell them and we 328 00:13:12,566 --> 00:13:15,000 we inform them that is what they're wanting to hear. 329 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,933 They're not wanting you to sugarcoat it. I don't want to 330 00:13:16,933 --> 00:13:18,966 these kids are so high level. They don't want to spend 331 00:13:18,966 --> 00:13:21,266 six months on a product, and you come back and say 332 00:13:21,566 --> 00:13:23,700 "hey man I hate to tell you that's not a good idea." 333 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,066 I should have said this before but. 334 00:13:26,133 --> 00:13:27,533 Why didn't you tell me earlier? I've already spent 335 00:13:27,533 --> 00:13:30,066 6 months on it. Cause they're working that fast. 336 00:13:30,266 --> 00:13:33,366 So we say be open and honest and 337 00:13:33,666 --> 00:13:36,700 provide your networks for them. If you can't do it 338 00:13:36,700 --> 00:13:37,733 there's somebody in your network 339 00:13:37,733 --> 00:13:39,166 that could possibly help them. 340 00:13:39,433 --> 00:13:42,533 So then as it gets deeper level 2, level 3, level 4, 341 00:13:42,533 --> 00:13:43,966 you know those kids that have been in the program 342 00:13:43,966 --> 00:13:45,433 for two and three years where they're 343 00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:48,666 way past the the the the children's stage. 344 00:13:49,066 --> 00:13:51,266 That's where they get those individual 345 00:13:51,300 --> 00:13:53,300 hooked in and they really make the magic 346 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:55,100 happen. So I've been exploring this topic 347 00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:56,900 for a while on my podcast 348 00:13:56,900 --> 00:13:59,666 and I'm thrilled to be a part of this project. 349 00:13:59,933 --> 00:14:02,966 I wanna recognize something. I've always thought 350 00:14:02,966 --> 00:14:03,966 growing up in corporate 351 00:14:03,966 --> 00:14:05,400 America running my own companies 352 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:07,733 that I was I would be a mentor I would mentor. 353 00:14:07,733 --> 00:14:08,866 other people right. 354 00:14:09,066 --> 00:14:10,900 And then I remember there was this moment where 355 00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:13,366 if I rolled it back I'm receiving 356 00:14:13,366 --> 00:14:15,700 mentorship from people in a Fortune 500 company 357 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:18,533 I'm working with etcetera. And now I think 358 00:14:18,533 --> 00:14:21,100 that mentorship is a two way street period. 359 00:14:21,266 --> 00:14:26,266 At all times. I'm learning as much from this young eager, 360 00:14:26,300 --> 00:14:28,166 it doesn't matter if they're high school or 361 00:14:28,166 --> 00:14:29,600 maybe just right out of college 362 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,600 I'm getting as much mentorship upward 363 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,433 you know or or you know collectively 364 00:14:35,666 --> 00:14:38,666 in that experience. As I might even hope to offer them. 365 00:14:38,733 --> 00:14:41,300 I'm excited to hear about your programs. 366 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,866 What happens is our kids get 367 00:14:45,866 --> 00:14:47,766 offered internships usually on the spot. 368 00:14:47,766 --> 00:14:50,033 It's never fails. People are like 369 00:14:50,233 --> 00:14:53,100 how old are you again? I'm like 17. They're like 370 00:14:53,733 --> 00:14:55,466 let me check with HR. Do you have a car. Yeah yeah. 371 00:14:55,466 --> 00:14:56,033 Right I mean it's 372 00:14:56,033 --> 00:14:59,300 it's really remarkable. I've heard somebody say too 373 00:15:00,633 --> 00:15:03,833 I kind of felt like okay we're missing a boat on this when we first started. 374 00:15:03,833 --> 00:15:06,500 Before we kind of shifted to where we are the current model now. 375 00:15:07,366 --> 00:15:09,733 We brought in a cyber security class 376 00:15:09,966 --> 00:15:13,366 to be the Cyber Geek Squad for our programming, 377 00:15:13,466 --> 00:15:15,066 for our kids that are building businesses. 378 00:15:15,066 --> 00:15:16,933 So if you need a website, need this, need this 379 00:15:16,933 --> 00:15:17,833 these guys are here. 380 00:15:17,833 --> 00:15:19,933 Let's give them real world relevancy right. 381 00:15:20,866 --> 00:15:21,366 Mentor 382 00:15:21,366 --> 00:15:24,500 sitting at the table and the mentor's like what if you had this and this and this and that. 383 00:15:25,333 --> 00:15:27,333 He said you talking about this and that guy said, 384 00:15:27,333 --> 00:15:29,300 you just didn't do that? He goes oh yeah. 385 00:15:29,566 --> 00:15:32,666 He said yeah what are you doing tomorrow at 4 o'clock. 386 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,533 And then I was like okay I've let's shift 387 00:15:35,533 --> 00:15:38,833 our thing because it's exactly what you said it becomes a two way street. 388 00:14:41,233 --> 00:14:43,266 Well I've heard that.