Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Jahmai Brown was failing every class with 55s across the board, smoking weed before school, and drifting through the hallways with no sense of direction. A principal, a report card that went home to two disappointed parents, and a mentor named Mr. Washington who told him straight what his life could become changed the path. Jahmai Brown, IT Specialist at BuzzFeed Inc., talks with Ashley Russo about the Harlem mentoring program that refocused him, the summer school exam that stood between him and graduation, and the ERG work that brought Thurgood Marshall Academy students into BuzzFeed for Black History Month.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Ask Ashley
00:43 Meet Jahmai Brown
01:19 Growing up in Harlem and finding Thurgood Marshall Academy
03:03 The mentors and Brothers on a New Direction
07:56 Turning 55s into a turnaround
11:51 Two disappointed parents and a wake up call
14:27 Missing graduation and the summer school exam
16:12 From soul food kitchen to a tech career
20:30 Leading the ERG at BuzzFeed
22:55 Black History Month and bringing students back to school
28:00 One thing he'd tell his younger self
You can follow Jahmai Brown here:
In Ask Ashley, Founder, Thoughtleader and award-winning media personality Ashley Russo sits down with leaders who bring purpose and humanity to business.
Each episode explores how people navigate uncertainty, lead with empathy, and create meaningful change in their organizations and lives. Listeners gain practical insights on resilience, leadership, and financially confident decision-making amid disruption.
This podcast is brought to you by Ask Ashley. If you’re interested in building a confident, purpose-driven wealth plan, reach out to Ashley at ashley.russo@nm.com.
00:00:01:17 - 00:00:29:23
Ashley
Welcome to Ask Ashley, the podcast, where we shine a light on the unsung heroes of the workplace. I'm your host, Ashley Russo, financial AI board member, thought leader and wealth management advisor. Each week we sit down with inspiring leaders, exploring their journeys, motivations, and the real challenges they face, from job insecurity to the evolving role of AI in a world where many feel overlooked.
00:00:30:00 - 00:00:43:04
Ashley
These guests are building hope and connection for their colleagues. Join us as we uncover their stories and discover how they're making a difference, one conversation at a time.
00:00:43:06 - 00:00:57:16
Ashley
Hello, everybody! Ashley Russo here. I am excited for today's dynamic guest. Our original conversation is actually still in my brain. So let me, let me. I won't share too much. Please introduce yourself.
00:00:57:18 - 00:01:18:23
Jahmai
Hi, everybody. My name is Jahmai Brown. I'm an IT support specialist here at BuzzFeed, Inc.. I'm from Harlem, New York, born and raised and just excited to be here. And just give a brief synopsis, not brief, but give as much detail as I can about just the space that I've entered and why I'm in it.
00:01:19:04 - 00:01:34:18
Ashley
Yeah, yeah, you've got a powerful story, and I'd like to start with just your childhood, considering where you grew up and never going to school in your neighborhood and the where you ended up for high school. Will you give our listeners just a capture review of that?
00:01:34:19 - 00:01:56:00
Jahmai
Yeah. I mean, I was born in the Bronx first, but I grew up in Harlem. I bounced around through a couple of high schools before I actually ended up back in my neighborhood school, and that school really did help shape me into the man I am today. I went to Thurgood Marshall Academy during my sophomore year of high school.
00:01:56:00 - 00:02:14:01
Jahmai
So the middle of my sophomore year high school, my mom snatched me out of the school I was in. She didn't like the distance and the chaos that was going on up there in Washington Heights. And she brought me back down to Harlem. Well, I'm from I ended up at FDA for a week. Some interpersonal problems with the principal and myself.
00:02:14:01 - 00:02:39:14
Jahmai
You didn't want me there. So I ended up being pushed out and I ended up at Thurgood Marshall Academy there. I went from 10th to 12th grade, and I graduated high school back in 2012. But what got me through was joining a male mentoring program titled brothers on a New Direction and playing basketball, which I'm not the best basketball player in the world, but I was good enough to make the team and contribute in the ways that I could.
00:02:39:15 - 00:03:03:00
Jahmai
But I really want to highlight bond, which as I mentioned, is brothers on a new direction really saved my life and refocused me academically. And I mean, high school for most people is either fun. It's either they don't want to talk about it, or it's something that is just passing in their mind. Me, I can't ever forget that program and how far it got me.
00:03:03:03 - 00:03:12:19
Ashley
It more. These the mentors that you had mentioned to me before, I'd love to hear more about them. It sounds like they were incredibly impactful with your life.
00:03:13:00 - 00:03:33:16
Jahmai
Yeah, I mean, I did grow up in a two parent household. My parents were married all my life, still are to this day, and ironically, I needed some more male attention than what I was getting at home. Which is okay. And when you're a teenager, you end up doing things that you're not supposed to do. You think you're able to make these decisions and and, you know, honestly, you're just a lost child.
00:03:33:16 - 00:03:54:19
Jahmai
Still, the word teen kind of drives children crazy because it's like, oh, I'm a teen now. No, you're not adult. And even when you turn 18 and 19 now we're teen is still attached to your age. You're legally able to do certain things, but you're not an adult yet. So you'll catch people in their mid 20s and early 30s calling you a child because 1819 you're still a teen now.
00:03:55:00 - 00:04:17:07
Jahmai
For me, a bond gave me a sense of place. I was in high school, and I didn't have a sense of where I needed to be, who I wanted to be, nor did I have a place. So most people have cliques and friends that they did high school with. All my friends are two and three years older than me, and we all went to different high schools at this particular point.
00:04:17:07 - 00:04:34:17
Jahmai
So think about it. When I'm in the sixth grade, my friends in eighth grade, and when I'm in eighth grade, my friends are sophomores in high school or about to be freshmen. So things like that caused you to be displaced, especially once you leave your comfortability of the friend group that you have now. All my friends are still in my neighborhood.
00:04:34:17 - 00:04:58:15
Jahmai
We all grew up together. We all see each other. It's always great to talk about that. I had the same friends for 20 plus years. However, though in Dark Marshall, I had one friend and then he moved to another state, went to a different school. So at that point I'm by myself. And I used to, just as the principal, Doctor Johnson, say, I just float through the school.
00:04:58:16 - 00:05:21:16
Jahmai
What I float is I didn't cause any trouble. I didn't have any issues like socially with anybody. It was just I was there and one day I was snatched up and taken to the principal's office. And it wasn't because I did anything bad. It was just I was in the hallway at a time where classes in session, but I had no reason to be in the hallway.
00:05:21:22 - 00:05:38:17
Jahmai
Like I said, I went to the bathroom, but I went and I was out there already when he saw me and I was just sitting in the staircase doing something I should have been doing, playing cards for money and things like that. So I got caught trying to escape the whole rigor removal of like illegally gambling as a teenager on school grounds.
00:05:38:17 - 00:05:56:19
Jahmai
You could not do that. And Doctor Johnson took me in her office and asked me what I do as far as after school, and I told her, I just do my homework and I go back outside. That's really it. That's I meet the prerequisite of what my parents asked me to do. And then I kind of do what I want.
00:05:56:20 - 00:06:11:23
Jahmai
Quote unquote. Right. And she's like, So you have no after school programs, no sports. I'm like, I was interested in basketball, but I'm not good at it. And, you know, I never did anything else other than swimming in football, soccer, to be correct. And she was like, well, you don't have to be good at basketball to play.
00:06:11:23 - 00:06:33:05
Jahmai
I'm like, I think you do. And she's like, well, you're never good at anything unless you try. And I'm like, okay. Ironically, one of the male mentors that I have from bond walks into the principal's office and Doctor Johnson asks him, hey, have you met Jimmy Brown? And he's like, I've seen him around. But I mean, don't know much about him.
00:06:33:05 - 00:06:55:06
Jahmai
I know he doesn't cause trouble. He doesn't seem like a troubled kid. And she was like, well, he's a he's a young man that doesn't seem to have a place where he needs to be. No sense of direction. And ironically, it was Mr. Johnson who was like, hey, you know, after school, we do this every Friday from five to like seven.
00:06:55:10 - 00:07:13:03
Jahmai
You know, we do works, we do homework, and then we talk to the boys about whatever is bothering them. And then we talk about other things that involve life. He's like, I'm not telling you about to join today, but tomorrow is Friday. If you feel comfortable, sit in and just see how you feel about it, and then you can keep coming back until you ready to commit.
00:07:13:05 - 00:07:39:12
Jahmai
And actually, I did that that Friday. And I think two weeks later I'm fully in bond like and I'll say the names Mr. Johnson, Mr. Washington, Mrs. Ola, Mr. Gillespie, those four men in Thurgood Marshall do great work with the boys to keep us out of trouble, but also give us a view on life that I don't think anybody takes the time out to talk to minority males about while they're in school.
00:07:39:14 - 00:07:56:13
Ashley
It sounds powerful, and I know that had just a huge impact on the point where you I think you said you finished your senior year with a 3.8, that there was just a major turnaround. So I'm curious, what did you learn about yourself, that turnaround?
00:07:56:15 - 00:08:16:01
Jahmai
So when I made the initial turnaround, because by the middle of my sophomore year, my grades are horrible and it's not because I didn't do the work, I just didn't care to do the work. And what that means is I'll be in class when I'm not doing anything. And like I said, as most teenagers, I'm doing what I want to do per se.
00:08:16:05 - 00:08:37:20
Jahmai
So let's just be honest here. I smoked a lot of weed in high school. That's that's that's just what I'll say. And I think that was the biggest thing that was on my mind anyway. It was like weed girls. That's it. And, one day I came to class and I was a kid too. I didn't put any Cologne on and tried to hide the scent or anything.
00:08:37:20 - 00:08:54:23
Jahmai
I just walked into the school building and walked into my class like, whatever. And I had my head down in the Earth science class and one of my my classmates, she was like, hey, J. You okay? I'm like, nah, I'm just tired. She was like, you put your head down. I'll do, I'll, I'll help you out with your class work.
00:08:54:23 - 00:09:15:16
Jahmai
Don't worry about it. That's all right. Cool. I'll leave that class and the teacher's talking to me on the side, like, hey, look, I don't know what's going on with you, but, you know, you coming to school? You're coming to my class. It's smelling like a whole bunch of weed in here. Like, if that's something that you're going to do before you get here, you need to spray yourself or something like that.
00:09:15:16 - 00:09:41:01
Jahmai
And if it continues to happen, we need to be your parents involved. Well, in the same breath as that was being told to me, who comes out one of the staircases in the school, Mr. Washington and I call him Mr. Washington. The realism of a dad, because he's giving you everything raw, uncut, unedited facts. So he comes up the staircase and he goes, oh my God, who has like, weed on campus going on?
00:09:41:01 - 00:09:58:14
Jahmai
And the teacher is like, well, it's Mr. Brown right here. And I'm like, damn, bro, I just want to put me on blast like this front street. And with that said, Mr. Washington was like, wait a minute. I had you in bond last week, and he's like, we never talked. He's like, matter of fact, let me talk to you, man.
00:09:58:16 - 00:10:16:20
Jahmai
So he takes me to the side and we started talking. He was like, first of all, anybody that joins ball and I see that. I see their report cards and their grades before we do anything else with them. He's like, you have 55 across the board. Why? And I'm like, what do you mean why? I'm like, I come to class.
00:10:16:20 - 00:10:33:20
Jahmai
He was like, yeah, but you're coming to class and you're not doing class. So what's the issue? What's going on at home? I'm like, nothing's going on at home. He's like, okay, so you just want to do what you want to do and be a bum. I'm like, excuse me? He's like, no, I'm real. Which he's like, you're smoking weed.
00:10:33:20 - 00:10:54:04
Jahmai
He's like, I'm not saying weed is a good a bad thing, but you're smoking weed to the point we know it. He's like, you got bad grades. He's like, and you're just here. He's like, you know, after, you know, after you get out of here, like high school is over. Like, if you do the same thing with your adult life, nothing's going to happen for you.
00:10:54:06 - 00:11:15:21
Jahmai
He's like, this is going to be it. And what I mean by that is he's like, you're going to work either a crappy job or not work a job at all. You'll have to be taken care of by someone else. So whether that's your parents or if you end up with a woman, she takes care of you and you won't have a skill set, and you won't be marketable in the world as a professional at all, he says.
00:11:15:21 - 00:11:30:20
Jahmai
But number one, as a black man, are you proud of that? That possibility? And I looked at him and I was like, what? He was like, I'll see you in Born on Friday. But we got Tony's grades around. He's like, hey, I heard you wanted to play basketball. How are you going to play basketball when your grades are 55?
00:11:30:21 - 00:11:51:11
Jahmai
You don't even let kids on the court with 55. You gotta at least have a 75 and up to play. Okay. Damn. Because we're in the middle of a staircase in the school, and you drilled into me about it, like, finger my face telling me what's going to happen. And.
00:11:51:13 - 00:12:09:22
Jahmai
That same report card that I'm talking about went home. So my mom sat me down and talked about it, and she was like, I don't know what's going on. You know, like, your grades are always great. You never have problem academics. What's happening? Right. It's 55. She's like, you got 55 is everywhere. And I have a Caribbean dad.
00:12:09:22 - 00:12:28:18
Jahmai
And he comes in and he has the same conversation. He looks at the report card and he says, you got a 55 in, Jim, how do you fail? Jim? He's like the last I remember. I had you on. I had you on a soccer team using the swim team at the YMCA. How we failing gym. How?
00:12:28:20 - 00:12:48:09
Jahmai
So? I cried like, you know, first time at the table. Both my parents and, you know, most people would say, like, you know, discipline involves, like, you know, spanking your child and everything. At that point, I'm a teenager this. But so much rearing you could do to me. But the biggest thing that hit me was the disappointment from both my parents.
00:12:48:09 - 00:13:07:13
Jahmai
And then I had Mr. Washington's whole summary of my life could be in my head. I was like, damn, I can really be a bum. And not in the literal sense of like on the street, you know, drinking and being a, you know, addicted to drugs. No, I could literally be a bum. Just. I have nothing to offer to the world at all.
00:13:07:15 - 00:13:29:13
Jahmai
So I put all my efforts into going to class and doing the work. Even the stuff that I didn't understand. Earth science is horrible. I don't know why they teach it. If you want to be archeologists, do that. If not, whatever. I'm not a big math guy. I hated math, but I really dedicated myself to passing those two classes since they were my big stop gaps.
00:13:29:15 - 00:13:51:05
Jahmai
I tried out for the basketball team, didn't make it the first try, but then worked my ass off to get on the team as a a sophomore, turning into my junior year and then senior as well. My grades from 55 to 70 to 75 to 80. And I had to do summer school for the first time in the four years that my senior year to graduate.
00:13:51:06 - 00:14:27:21
Jahmai
I had all the credits I needed by that time, so I made up everything I lost. And on top of that, I had four regions exam you need five to get out, and the one that held me back the most was what? Math? So here I am watching kids who didn't go to class, kids who cheated their way to get out of high school, walk across the stage, and here I am, the kid who dedicated himself to going back to class, getting on track with his grades, being in bond, going to these programs, going on these trips of bond to see what the world can be like at the high school.
00:14:27:21 - 00:14:46:05
Jahmai
And I'm not walking right. And I was so upset about it, I almost didn't go to summer school for that one exam. I actually went back to my neighborhood. I got it to school. I got the information as I went to graduation rehearsal. So imagine you don't know anything. You're just thinking you passed. You're hoping you passed. And a guy council says, hey, Jimmy, what are you doing here?
00:14:46:05 - 00:15:06:10
Jahmai
You didn't pass your exam. And you're like, wow, you're going to tell me this information in front of everybody? And I was on my way back to my neighborhood, my block, to be exact. And I said, I'm not going back to school. And ironically, the guys in my block is like, what do you mean you're not going back to school, bro?
00:15:06:14 - 00:15:22:17
Jahmai
Like you do. You do school. You are one of those kids that we know to do school. Why aren't you going to film? Are we? Just about seven points and I can't graduate on time. And I'm not trying to do something to school. I'll go get the GED. Ashley to everybody paused and looked at me like I was like a whole space ghost.
00:15:22:17 - 00:15:44:15
Jahmai
They were like, what are you talking about? The Jed's hard in high school. It's like it's one exam. With everything you learned in high school, in the one, you have seven points to get over the hump, bro. Go back to school, bro. July, finish out whatever. And who helped me finish out? Mr. Johnson, who was one of the guys who directs bond.
00:15:44:15 - 00:16:00:02
Jahmai
And at that time he was the math teacher for ninth, 10th and 11th grade. So I got extra tutoring because of that. He's like, yeah, we're getting you out of here. He's going after this. You got to do what you gotta do. We watched you come from way behind to get to this point. I got we got to get you out of here.
00:16:00:05 - 00:16:12:15
Jahmai
And this one test is not going to determine your fate. So we're going to get you out of here. But you got to do the work. I spent my whole summer studying for the exam, and I passed. And that was high school.
00:16:12:17 - 00:16:39:23
Ashley
You have what's so fascinating? Wonderful. You had some people around you who really held you accountable. You were obviously willing, right? It takes a willing participant, but a willing participant surrounded by incredible people. Look at the power of that. That's that's really neat. And so then how do we go from there to tech? Was that.
00:16:40:00 - 00:17:00:14
Jahmai
Well, so I graduated high school. And the first thing I think about is working. I work jobs before worked on the youth employment. But I thought about like, you know, if I wanted by these sneakers the most, like most teenage boys think about, I got to make my own money. Can't ask my mom, my dad for this money.
00:17:00:14 - 00:17:16:08
Jahmai
They weren't able to do it when I was in school. Now I'm able to go get it myself. And all my friends again were, what, two and three years older than me. So I wanted to work. I wanted to make money. I wanted to be outside. I wanted to just be my own man instead of my own two feet.
00:17:16:08 - 00:17:39:23
Jahmai
But again, at the age of what, 18? So let's not forget that word teen. You're not a full blown adult yet. You're still going through the processes. And my mom is a college graduate master's in nutrition. My dad is a tradesman who worked in the hospital for many years. He's retired now, but like I said, I have a Caribbean dad and I also have a southern mom who was highly educated.
00:17:40:00 - 00:17:56:06
Jahmai
I almost forgot she got her doctorate. Whoops. How could I miss that? That happened last year. So, they both looked at me and I was like, you know what? I want to take some civil service exams, and I work for sanitation at MTA. I don't see myself going to college. I don't want to take out that debt.
00:17:56:06 - 00:18:13:22
Jahmai
I don't want it. And, my dad said, okay. He was like, long as you go to work and you actually do what you say you're going to do, then I'm fine with it. And my mother looked at him and she was like, no, if you're going to go to work, that's fine. You can take those civil service exams if you want.
00:18:13:23 - 00:18:39:18
Jahmai
It takes them a long time to call back. So you're going to go to college in that process. And I'm like, I don't know what I want to do. She's like, well, we're going to figure that out. So I thought I wanted to be a business major. Mike. Most people and I went to be and no shot to be MCC for those who have graduated from that college and went through the process of dealing with the running around and get your majors and all that stuff handled, salute to you.
00:18:39:18 - 00:19:07:21
Jahmai
But again, that word 18, you still need structure. You still need some type of mentor and people to oversee you. So being in CC was not great for me. So I ended up working half of that year the rest of 2012 as Sylvia's Queen of soul food restaurant in Harlem, when I'm from. And then I went to Monroe College for info session, and in that info session, the counselor asked me like, hey, so what do you like to do for fun?
00:19:07:21 - 00:19:28:06
Jahmai
And I was like, well, I like to play video games and, you know, so on and so forth. She's like, okay, do you like designing? Do you know about designing them? I said, not a thing. She's like, well, have you broken anything and fixed it yourself? I'm like, yeah, I broke my PlayStation one and I fixed it. It took me like a month to figure out what I did, but then I had to buy, you know, a little component to make it work.
00:19:28:06 - 00:19:44:05
Jahmai
And she was like, you know what? Go to this intro to it class, and you don't have to sign up for Monroe College this day. You just have to go to the class and let me know what you feel. And after that, we could talk about possibly, you know, getting you through the process of getting accepted and enrolled.
00:19:44:10 - 00:20:05:13
Jahmai
And, Ashley, in all honesty, after that one class, I felt like I could do it. So I went to Monroe College in the Bronx. I got my associates and my bachelor's and I finished both by 2016. Now, remember, I took half a year off because most people graduated high school, enrolled into college immediately, I did not. Now how was I able to graduate on time?
00:20:05:15 - 00:20:30:04
Jahmai
Monroe College has trimesters, so I went to school all seasons, and that's how I got out on time. And the tech journey has been that from 2016 to now that involves contract work, long term volunteer ship at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center and all the way to the full time work that I'm doing now at BuzzFeed.
00:20:30:06 - 00:20:56:17
Ashley
Wow. Impressive. Beyond impressive. Again, you're willing nature to show up and explore and find is is incredible. So then. Okay, take me now into your work in getting back through your ear G. It's it sounds like you've got enough on your plate, right? A full time job, lots going on. And in addition to that, you now lean into your fellow human.
00:20:56:23 - 00:20:59:03
Ashley
Tell me about that.
00:20:59:05 - 00:21:22:02
Jahmai
Wow. So the urge bio is our Earth here at BuzzFeed says black identity and opportunity. You know. Ironically, I didn't see myself joining the urge because I didn't see any activity. And also, I was one of those who I come to work, I get my job done and I go home. Right. But there was always happy hour events.
00:21:22:02 - 00:21:41:08
Jahmai
There's always some live setup that I had to participate in as an IT professional. Hey, Jahmai we had this big event coming at 8:00 on Thursday. We need speakers, we need microphones. And I'm just like, for what? Right. Like, after a while, it's getting annoying because, like, can't office facilities do this? But also no, they can't they don't they don't manage technologies.
00:21:41:08 - 00:22:00:15
Jahmai
We do. And one day somebody was like, hey, why don't you join some of our ERG calls? So I'm like, really? This calls like like, yeah, we do it once every other week. And you know, we talk about everything from movies to whatever's happening in the world to just people might vent about how they feel about their day.
00:22:00:16 - 00:22:14:10
Jahmai
It all comes into place. So I'm sitting there, I'm like, all right, cool. And ironically, I actually this this seems to be the trend in my life when I'm when I'm not curious about something, it always finds its way in my lap through the word of mouth, or just me being in the right place at the right time.
00:22:14:10 - 00:22:38:04
Jahmai
So was a part of the urge. Calls for a while. And then I actually got close to the president of the urge on the East Coast, and he needed help making events happen. He was by himself most of the time. So I said, no, I'll help you. I had no problem doing that. Eventually it turned into, hey, I don't want to do this anymore.
00:22:38:08 - 00:22:55:13
Jahmai
You seem well equipped to do this. I rather you take the seat as president and I assist you. I'm like, we can do a cool thing here. Like, I could be VP, you could be president. I mean, it works in the real world. Why can't it work here? I mean, you have the resources of getting in contact with people, in the connections.
00:22:55:13 - 00:23:17:14
Jahmai
I have the resources of my restaurant background, and just knowing who to reach out to and get a little bit of sponsorships and things of that nature. He's like, no, dude, I rather not. I got a lot going on as a journalist right now. So you take on that role. Okay, cool. So I started off with hosting events like a Halloween party.
00:23:17:16 - 00:23:37:07
Jahmai
One of our, not one of our, our head of HR and diversity. She wanted to do a book drive, so we collaborated on that. I've hosted poetry slams with some of the people who I personally know, who oppose, fresh out of my high school class. Her name is Shayna Phoenix. I had her come through for Women's History Month.
00:23:37:07 - 00:24:04:10
Jahmai
I've had a lot going on through that, but the biggest thing that I was proud of this year, because it was the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, and I had Thurgood Marshall Academy bring students to BuzzFeed, and we also had a career panel. And one of the teachers were one of the mentors from bond, and it was breathtaking to have the kids asked me a lot of questions about just school when I was in it, right.
00:24:04:10 - 00:24:25:13
Jahmai
Because I was in I was in high school over 14 years ago now. So they're asking me about my experience and about the teachers that are still there that basically taught me. And they're like, do you like this person? Do you care about this person? I'm like, yeah, I was like, a lot of people that y'all don't like right now are saving your life for the future, right?
00:24:25:18 - 00:24:42:00
Jahmai
So that's why I'm here, talking to you. Now, Mr. Zoller was a part of the process of making me who I am today. I'm a tech professional, and I'm a black man at that. And y'all are here to talk to me. We have a sports lawyer on the panel. We have an executive producer of Cocoa Butter Network. On the panel.
00:24:42:00 - 00:25:05:09
Jahmai
We have a RCA from Sony on the panel. And you all understand that the seat that you're sitting in, we've all been there. We all may be different ages, but we all were in high school at some point. We all thought that a particular individual, as far as a leader of the school, like a dean or a principal, a security guard, was being extra and overbearing.
00:25:05:09 - 00:25:24:23
Jahmai
That's not true. They care about you. That's why they're like that. They don't want to see you go down the wrong path. And that's what happened with me when I let them know, like, hey, the dean of the school was the coach of the basketball team and still is right. Mr. Zoller is a part of bond as one of the four founding fathers of it.
00:25:25:00 - 00:25:43:17
Jahmai
I said that saved my life. I was like, and that's why I'm here talking to y'all. I was like, there's a reason why you can get them on LinkedIn and see everything that happened from point A to point B, because everybody has installed a lot in me to get me to this particular point. We can talk about professional stuff all day if y'all want to.
00:25:43:17 - 00:26:06:11
Jahmai
I don't mind, but if you're asking me, do I like, I'll do Torrence, the dean of school at Thurgood Marshall Academy and basketball coach. I love that guy. He took my hats. And you know why he took my hats? Because guess what? When you're outside in the real world and you're going for job interviews, you can't wear a hat.
00:26:06:13 - 00:26:23:05
Jahmai
You want you to get comfortable with not wearing a hat in a building. Right? And I knew that. But I was being, what, a teenager disobeying rules because I wanted to and I wanted to wear my hat well, whenever and when I wanted, because they were my crowns. I saved up for a lot of hats back in my day.
00:26:23:07 - 00:26:45:06
Jahmai
Well, he took my fittings and yeah, I got them back at the end of the day. But at the same time it was a teachable thing out of that process. So for my era this past year, what we did is we made Black History Month a big thing. We made it very collaborative with one school. We hosted a lot of social events with the local companies from my community, so I like it.
00:26:45:06 - 00:27:12:10
Jahmai
Black coffee, which is a subsidiary of Make My Cake in Harlem, and I had them come through and they talked about their product and how they wanted to, popular black owned coffee brands in Manhattan. And what else do we have? I mean, the list went on and on and on and on. And that's the biggest part for me, giving back to those kids and having them ask me questions that were outside of, hey, so what do you what do you do for work?
00:27:12:10 - 00:27:31:12
Jahmai
Just like I could talk to you about that all day. I could talk to you about a password reset, a laptop dying where system. I have to learn to troubleshoot and use my data. I could talk to you about that all day. It's boring stuff. But you're asking me questions of like, how did I get to where I am?
00:27:31:18 - 00:27:38:10
Jahmai
Well, here's one of your answers to that. And it was Mr. Zola who I'll point out immediately.
00:27:38:12 - 00:28:00:09
Ashley
This this leads me to my final question, which happens to be my favorite question. And based off all that, I'm so curious how you're going to answer this with everything that you've experienced and been through. And now know if you could say one thing to your younger self, what would you say?
00:28:00:13 - 00:28:23:17
Jahmai
It's harder to be fake and it's easier to be yourself. And that's the that's the thing I would tell a younger version of myself, because you went through a lot trying to be something we art today. We are who we want to be, which is myself, and it's so much easier to do that then fake the funk right?
00:28:23:21 - 00:28:48:09
Jahmai
In high school, you're trying to figure it out, trying to see what social area you fit in and who's cool with who. And the coolest guy in school and who's the prettiest girl and all that stuff. That's cool. That's fine, that's fine. That's typical high school stuff. But the easiest thing to do in high school is yourself. Not many kids that I went to high school with who were literally themselves, they had no social problems.
00:28:48:09 - 00:29:14:13
Jahmai
They didn't have any weird social anxiety, any issues of trying to figure out what they want to do. They just did it. It took me failing, falling far away from myself to get back to the realism of like, wait a minute, I can do schoolwork. It's books. It's words on paper. Does is easy to do. They said, I'm too short to make the basketball team.
00:29:14:13 - 00:29:35:23
Jahmai
Whatever. Still going to try out? I'm still going to work hard to get on it. And I don't care what they say or who teases me or whatever. Still going to play. They said bond is for troubled kids who don't have good families at home. Well, I have both of my parents and a great family background, but I needed more and I did it anyway.
00:29:35:23 - 00:29:59:20
Jahmai
And no, bond was not that bond was way more than I could have imagined. So it got so much easier to go to high school, be myself, than how hard it was to be fake, and try to fake it til you make it so hard. So if I could go back and talk to that teenage version of myself.
00:29:59:22 - 00:30:08:11
Jahmai
Hey man, be you and do what makes you happy. And who gives a damn what anybody says? They're just talking. They're not doing the work that you're doing.
00:30:08:12 - 00:30:33:06
Ashley
Mike drop mic drop moment I, I started this by saying you're just I mean, you are so truly dynamic and interesting and real. Everything you've called out here, especially in this Instagram filter, fake society, I know, myself included, so many people will appreciate that. Call out to be yourself. To be real. It's okay to fail, right? That's okay.
00:30:33:08 - 00:30:47:17
Ashley
As long as you take those failures and you learn from them and you progress, which you've clearly done. You have been such a pleasure to hear from. And I know you're going to help so many people find their way to thank you for the time.
00:30:47:17 - 00:30:50:00
Jahmai
Thank you so much. I actually, I really appreciate you.