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Real conversations about the stories, challenges, struggles and triumphs of Middle Tennessee's entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals. Broadcasting from the J2HQ in Thompson's Station. www.mmtbp.com
Unknown: This is the mostly
Middle Tennessee Business
Podcast, a podcast about Middle
Tennessee business owners and
professionals. That's right,
mostly. Yeah. So what is it?
Me or is like the allergies just
come? Are they are they worse
off this year?
I think it's when the weather
changes, like when it gets hot
again, like unreasonably hot.
Things come back a lot
because everybody's coughing,
and are you having that kind of
problem? I'm
like, why am I sneezing? I don't
ever sneeze.
Yeah, it's crazy. Think of
COVID, like.
Yeah. So I mean, it's one of
those things that you kind of
look at, and it's amazing to me
that I don't feel like it's ever
been this bad. Maybe I'm just
getting older. Like last year, I
had constant coughing fits. I
thought there was something
wrong with my lungs. Oh no! Had
them examined, x-rayed, and
they're like, "Oh no, it's just
allergies. Like, really?
Oh, there's everything. I was on
shots when I first moved here.
Were you? Yes. Did they work?
I don't know. It just. You got
to keep
going.
Yes, twice a week, two arm, two
in each arm, and
there you go.
You know, I'll just deal with
it.
So, those of you just tuning in,
yes, this is the mostly Middle
Tennessee Business Podcast,
powered by the It's Your Show,
or from the It's Your show.co
studios, powered by Muletown
Bikes. Go see Vinny down down
there on the square in Colombia.
Have you are you you go to
Colombia much?
I don't, but I like the name
Vinny. Yeah. So I'm Italian.
Vinnie Taveras. He's hey
yeah okay
Brazilian
oh
yeah
yeah I mean we're similar
yeah
people
there you know just a couple of
countries over just
fine yeah they speak passionate
yeah they had a Brazilian people
typically speak Portuguese, so
it's
not similar to Italian. Probably
still good food, you know.
Okay, what was your Pettigrew?
Doesn't sound Italian. No,
Deluzio.
Deluzio. Yeah.
See, there you go. I lost my
identity when I when I took my
ex-husband's name. Right. So I
got my horn still. That's it,
you know.
The voice you're hearing is
Meredith Pettigrew, and she is
with the Autism Career Training
Yes
Institute Center
Career Training
Career Training. Yeah, Autism
Career Training Act. Yeah,
I would imagine that's
intentional.
It is, yes, yes, and we're
actually shifting, you know,
kind of like letting it sprinkle
out that we are going to be
shifting our name, and that's
kind of part of what we're going
to be talking about. Really?
Yeah.
Ooh, so this is a scoop.
I know, right?
What's the What's the new name
going to be?
Autism Community Training.
Oh, okay.
And that's kind of the issue
with, you know, just autism. The
bigger question we're going to
be talking about is, is is it
employment? Is it functional
living? What what do we do?
Well, the funny thing is about
that. Even even you know, over
the last, you know, you and I
are probably around the same
age. We grew up in a time where
autism wasn't as like readily
availablely diagnosed. I guess
back in the '80s and stuff like
that, you had those kids in
class that were just there. They
they were you know how did we
define
odd,
odd, weird or whatever? I just
had no idea,
right? Because
even back then, the
significance, even of just
disabilities, it just wasn't
around me. I didn't I didn't see
it. You didn't see it.
Yeah, because you and I kind of
grow up not in close proximity,
but we were both in the
Northeast. I grew up in
Connecticut. You in Pittsburgh,
I would imagine that's where you
spent most of your
yeah my
developing developing years.
Let's say I like that. So when
it just seems like the frequency
of autism is more these days,
and a lot of people say it's the
what we call the sad standard
American diet. You know,
yeah. I mean, I'm not really in
the. I've always said I'm not in
the business of figuring out
where it comes from. I'm here to
to help it, so we can all kind
of form our own opinions or
follow trends or follow you know
research. I think we diagnose
better now,
right?
But yeah, it's it's different.
It was not around, but I can now
knowing what I know, think back
and think that person, yeah,
they were probably on the
spectrum.
Well, I mean, especially with
the ADHD diagnosis, that gets
thrown around a lot. Like, dude,
every kid has got attention
deficit disorder. Oh,
unfortunately now. Me too. I
mean, I biggest things that
people complained about me and
guys don't please bear with me
on my voice. He's damn. I've
been coughing for the past four
days. I was always, you know,
labeled as when my parents went
in to go get a parent-teacher
meeting, I think it was the bane
of their existence because they
heard the same thing over and
over again. Jimmy daydreams. He
doesn't pay attention. He
doesn't listen. You know, I pay
more attention these days.
That's about
it. You learn well with
anything. You learn to hide it.
You learn to control it. Oh, I
manage
it. I just accepted the fact
that that that night was a
horrible night. Just you'd come
home mad at me, and you got to
start paying attention. Yeah,
nothing's ever. Nothing is a
game all the time, Jimmy. You
know, you don't get to play all
the time. Yeah, you know, okay,
yeah, you know. But how did you
get started in all this? What
kind of led you down this path?
Yeah,
I always wanted to be a teacher
my whole life. I went to school,
small school, junior out of
college outside Penn State, and
I just want to be a teacher. And
then I found it to be more
marketable if it was special ed.
But again, I had no idea what
that is. And I walked into my
first practicum, and I thought,
"Oh my gosh, I was scared. I
didn't know what I was seeing or
hearing, and it was a lot. But
it ended up obviously fabulous.
And one of the guys that was
there was a high school. He was
like Rain Man, and I had seen
the movie, and he-I mean-his
voice was so cool, and it just
drew me to him. And I'm like,
"What autism? What is this? And
so it was like a paragraph in my
textbook in college. Like it
didn't. They didn't teach you
about autism. And every
practicum I had every year after
that, I asked for the kids with
autism, and no one ever wanted
that. And I just flooded with
it. I loved it.
Yeah.
And so it started in college,
and then just grew and grew
exponentially after that.
So initially going on the
teaching path,
yeah,
public school that kind of
thing, and then you had to you
you got that was still back in
the time where you needed a
master's.
Well, you didn't need it, but I
I ended up getting
it right
because I out of college I had
early childhood in elementary I
needed the special, so I would
have to do a whole other year of
college, and that's crazy. So I
just went and got my master's,
and I mean, you don't have to
have your master's. And now you
heard that you
did.
They pass it out now like flyers
on the Vegas Strip. That's what
I feel like. Yeah, it's like,
hey, you want to teach? Come on,
you can do it in a year. And I'm
like, that's
kind of how I feel like high
school is now.
Well,
you know,
just push you through it.
Well, I mean, high school to me
is like you know my kids. I'm on
my last child in high school.
She just started right over here
at Summit, and
oh, yeah,
it's you know, I'm not I'm not
trying to throw shade on any of
the any of the teachers or
anything. I know that it's
that's had a tremendous amount
of time in the last you know
decade or two decades with just
teachers not being paid enough
and stuff like that, and it's
becoming more like just like
babysitting. You know,
it's quite different. Yeah. And
when my kids come home and talk
to me, I have a junior at Summit
and a sophomore at UTC, and I'm
like, you're not going to get
any sympathy from me.
Okay, so let me ask you this:
When you're sophomore at UTC,
when they grad, they graduate
from Summit. Okay, because my
daughter's going to be a junior.
Okay, it
seems like the challenge was so
diametrically opposed from one
going from from high school and
then the next one going into
college. That seemed to be the
same case with you. Like all of
a sudden, oh wow, this is really
challenging and difficult.
Um, I don't know. My daughter
kind of just constantly just
rises to the occasion of that.
I'm like, oh, she's like, she's
like, she's great. She just
morphs into it. Yeah. But yeah,
the the workload is different.
But she became more serious
because she had something she
was going toward.
She had a why. Yeah. She she
knows why she was there. Okay,
when you don't have a
why, it's like when am I doing
this?
Right? Why am I waking up? Yeah,
that's one of the things that
we're kind of you know going
through right now and working
through with our daughter. And
I've told her, I'm like, look,
when you don't know why you're
getting up in the morning, you
know, of course you're not. It's
it's a it's a recipe for
failure. It's a job. Yeah,
you're obligated. You know, and
your your job is to get look if
you're there and you got all the
bills paid and everything, and
you know scholarships, just
freaking go. Yeah, you know, and
it's a tough life lesson if you
don't. But I've I've just come
upon this realization lately
that you know high school's job
is to get them out as quickly as
possible because they don't want
them hanging around.
No,
you know, because then you got
to build more facilities and
more resources. They get start
getting overcrowded, yeah. And
in college, is to keep them
there as long as possible. Sure,
there you go, right? If
they want more of our right, our
money and our resources, right?
I mean, does that seem the case
to you?
Yeah, I mean, I try to tell my
son, like, like high school is
preparing you for life. You
don't think so, but it's
preparing you for your job. It's
preparing you, like this stuff.
Like, yeah, I didn't. I don't
use half the stuff I learned in
in high school, but like
somewhere along the line, it
shaped me and made me more human
and more well-rounded.
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How long did you spend in public
schools and teaching and stuff
like that? Tell me how it
culminated.
Yeah, 24 years.
Wow.
Yeah, it's my whole life. I've
always, I just always consider
myself. I'm a teacher.
How did it? I mean, what was the
trajectory of when you realized?
Okay, this was it. One of those
things like, hey, I just need a
new challenge, or this isn't
working anymore.
Well, I've always thought
differently than most people,
and approached education and my
students differently. And a lot
of people don't like they don't
like change. They don't like
difference. They don't like
being uncomfortable. And so, you
know, you kind of you want me to
go from like the short
trajectory of like all the
things. So yeah, I was a
teacher, and after four years, I
kind of tapped out on autism,
and I wanted more of a
challenge. And I took a position
as a director of a residential
school for autism, and learned a
lot there. Brought a lot there,
and then from there, I shifted
and moved on to a school. It was
a private day school that served
kids with emotional behavior
disorders, and there I learned
more about mental health and the
impact of trauma. And wow, even
if you have autism, you're you
can be impacted by trauma, and
you still it still needs to be
like dealt with. And then I went
back into the public school and
was a behavior consultant and
really tried to like hone in on
the kids that like everyone just
thought we're jerks and we're
bad, and I never saw that. It
was this kid. Wow, what's going
on with this guy? Like, let's
talk about that. Let's work on
that. And really, if I got on my
soapbox and talked about public
school, would just be that we
are not serving our youth and
the mental health crisis. We
aren't, and I I realized fine,
okay, people say that's not
school's job, but it's it's our
job as a community to support
that and make change. And so I I
just pushed for that as a
behavior intervention teacher
and setting up what I felt and I
saw was needed. And it it's not
what school system is for
academics,
right? And
so every avenue, it's like you
know. I'm like, no. I want the
difficult kids. I want autism. I
want the hard behavior, and
they're like, well, hey, can you
go do this reading program?
They're they're trying to
basically you know apply their
resources to where it's needed
because they're trying to find
more resources because the
teaching profession is
challenged right now.
It's it's you know intensely
stretched and challenged, but
it's not all about academics,
right?
And every meeting we're ever in
as a teacher, we talk about
behavior.
But you know, it's not to I
don't not again devil's advocate
here. Sure, you know you got to
apply a level of
standardization, and it's
there's a specialty with
everything. You know, every
student could be handled
differently. You know, when I
sold Mercedes and I was heavy
into the sales side of things,
we learned different sales
techniques to apply to different
customers' personalities:
visual, audio, auditory,
kinesthetic, vac. And you listen
to the little keywords, and you
would adjust your approach per
customer. Of course, you can't
do that for a classroom full of
kids. You have to go. You know,
well, we're
taught to. You're taught to
because we are so, and that's
where I go. No, we're supposed
to.
Right,
and that's the push and the
drive and the exhaustion. I was
like, no, that we're supposed
to. This is what is best for
them, and they deserve that. And
then it it makes me even more a
little crazy when it comes to
disabilities. Like, no, no, I'm
gonna fight, and I'm gonna fight
for what's right for that
individual. Sometimes I fight as
if I'm a parent, and that's kind
of the that's a good teacher. So
makes you a good teacher. Yeah,
yeah.
You know, the good teachers are.
We had. Are you familiar with
the schools over here? One of my
favorite guys is mr. Savelik.
Oh yeah, uh huh. That's my
daughter's favorite teacher,
dude.
He's everybody's favorite
teacher,
right? Must be a good reason.
He got up and did the they did
the whatever they called it the
ceremony at the end of the year.
They're trading up, trading up.
Well, you know,
yeah, they're moving on, moving
up ceremony, the move. Up,
Sarah. There you go. And the
principal, all reserve comment.
She did her speech, which was
like everybody was looking at it
like scratching. Oh, okay. This
is an ironic look at her own
life, and okay, whatever. And
then he got up and made a
speech.
Yeah,
he not only knocked it out of
the park, he abandoned what he
was initially going to say and
just riffed.
Wow!
And I'm like, dude. And I've had
him on this podcast. So if you
go back, if you're listening, I
would say about a year or so
ago, maybe a little, a little
bit longer. mr. Savelik, Greg
Savelik was on. Interesting
spelling. You can't miss it. But
one of the most well-received
episodes we've ever had, because
he's truly a guy who gives a
damn.
Yeah,
you know,
and your students know.
Yeah,
they know when you care,
right?
And they're going to seek you
out.
And it's really, it's funny
because students will know, and
they'll carry that the rest of
their lives.
Absolutely,
you know, who who really gave a
damn,
and that's the kind of teacher.
That's why I wanted to be a
teacher. I wanted to make it
fun. I hated school. I wanted to
make it fun. I said you wanted
to be a teacher because you
hated school. Yes,
but I wanted to make it fun. I
knew I could make it fun. I
wanted people to enjoy their
life because you're not going to
get out of it. But yeah, I want
to. I want to be remembered. I
want to be one of those teachers
that someone thinks back and
goes, "I remember Miss
Pettigrew, man. Remember when
she brought the tahini in? She
had us earn, you know, tickets,
and we got to put tahin on our
fruit at lunch. Do you remember
your bad
teachers?
Every single
one. The names of the academic
go from kindergarten up.
See, that's you remember the
good ones and the ones that are
kind of indifferent. You're
like, yeah. What was her name?
Yeah,
yeah.
All of or you're talking to a
friend, and they're like, "Oh
yeah, I hated her, or "Oh, she
was tough, or such strong
reactions. Top, yeah, yeah, like
really powerful. There
was one guy in my middle school,
mr. Golden. I it's not that I
didn't I dislike him. I see what
he was doing now, and still
there's a part of me that says,
"Well, maybe not, but he was a
Vietnam vet, and in middle
school, we called it junior high
school back then. Some kid
didn't stand for the flag, the
pledge.
Oh, okay.
And he went shit. I mean, off
the rails. Just you know, my my
friends died, and I carried
their bodies off the field so
you can sit your ass down and do
what you're doing now. Get, I
mean, just I wasn't in the
classroom, but I think I was
like three of the classrooms
down, and we could hear them.
And it's like you look at that
and you go, I could see your
point, but
I mean, I we teachers don't talk
to kids like that anymore, and
if they did, oh my gosh, yeah,
their parents would be. That's
what made us
Gen X, man.
I know, like we we can handle
anything now.
Yeah, but he was one of these
guys that would, you know, he
said it to me one time because
he taught algebra, and I look at
what he said as a negative
motivator, I guess is the best
way to say it. McCarthy, you
keep doing this kind of stuff,
you're never going to do
anything in life. Something like
along one of like one of those
comments.
Sure,
and I'll never forget the way he
said it. And as an adult, you go
back and measure it and say,
okay, did you really mean that,
or were you trying to be just a
hard ass military motivator?
5050. Yeah, it could be either
way.
Or you just like really that
hateful
because people are hateful.
Teachers are hateful.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Really. Oh
yeah. Bring in some students.
They'll tell you there are a lot
of teachers that are hateful. I
mean, I'm definitely not doc. I
mean, I mean, the
original like motivation to get
into what they're doing, I
guess,
right? It
morphs over time,
right? But it's like, did you
really get into it for the right
reasons, the right passion, the
right why, or were you like, oh
yeah, if I go and do this for a
year, I can get a degree in
teaching? Yeah, I'm like, and
you're signing up for like a lot
more than you think you are,
yeah. I mean, there's amazing
teachers out there, but there
are teachers that you feel like
you could probably move on,
yeah, for sure. When
did it? So when did everything
kind of happen for you? Where
you're like, I'm kind of done
here.
Well, I have always loved what I
did, always, and last year was
the hardest year of my entire
career, and it wasn't like any
particular. It wasn't like a
student student's fault. It was
just the type of disability they
had, and what came with that. I
mean, I'm used to grown men
coming at me physically and
being able to manage that, or
using my, you know, my being a
smartass to like turn them and
do all the things. But that it
just was such a super tough job
for me. I just felt beat down
every single day and hated my
job. And my assistant was the
same way. We both just did not
like. We, I was like, I'm just
gonna go work at Kroger. It's
fine. I'm gonna go. I don't know
what I'm gonna do, and so I
found a school. I moved on, and
it wasn't the right fit, but I
got what I needed out of it,
which was to love teaching
again. And that's been like this
shift this year of realizing I
am a human. I'm not a teacher.
Like I'm not a teacher. I'm a
human who teaches. Like I've had
that distinction for myself this
year. Is that just teaching is
what I do. It's not who I am.
And my whole life, it's been who
I am. And I've had to shift.
Yeah, yeah. And I've had to
shift that. There are other
things in the world. I joke. I
say when I do conferences, I'm
like, my tombstone is not going
to say I was a great teacher.
It's going to talk about me
being as a person and a mom, and
so I feel like along the way
those things got shifted for me,
and I focused a whole lot more
on my job and my students than I
did my own family, my own
children, and so anyway, yeah, I
got filled back up, loved
teaching again, and I was like,
but this isn't the place, and oh
no, what do I do? And it took
just one email to Autism Career
Training. I worked with them as
a company when they were Autism
Foundation of Tennessee, and
they did behavior therapy. I ran
their their summer camps for the
little kids, and I was like, you
know, I'm just gonna call her
and see what she's doing. And
she's like, actually,
funny. You should need to come
in and talk to us. I was like,
"What? And then it just was the
right place at the right time.
And now I'm like, "This is the
best thing in the whole
universe. I don't have to, you
know, go through all the red
tapes and the things. And we can
really focus on what we need to
do for adults instead of trying
to focus on what we I need to do
for kids, but having to do all
these other X, Y, and Z things
in the school system,
and it's a nonprofit.
It's a nonprofit, right?
And basically trying to get out
there and make sure it's funded
and everything,
all the things. Yeah, the Autism
Foundation of Tennessee has been
around for over 20 years, and
it's evolved in its pockets of
where the mission is and what it
serves, and this particular area
now is just adults.
Now, autism define how like
what's the clinical definition
approach to it.
Well, that's put me on the spot
now. So you have to have a delay
in communication, some sort of
communication issue of either
being verbal or receptive
language. You have behavioral
repetition going on. Whether a
lot of people like when they're
younger, they'll cue in like
someone's lining up cars,
staring at ceiling fans. Where
like a baby does look at a
ceiling fan, but when you like
obsessively and can't, your
attention won't go anywhere
else? Like that's a problem. So
like hyper focus on things is
something to look out for.
Is OCD a part of that?
It's it's it's there are those
characteristics are part of it.
Characteristics of ADHD,
characteristics of ODD. Like
there's just characteristics
that are in there, and I think
it's probably hard for
clinicians. Well, that might be
easy for them, but to
differentiate when it's just
ADHD or when it's ADHD and
autism.
See, as I've learned about
autism, it seems to me almost
like like a superpower. Oh yeah,
because they're like genius
level thinkers, but in one
specific area.
And it depends because, and we
say the autism is a spectrum.
Every you know that saying that
is kind of cheesy to me now, but
every person with autism is
different. Yes, they are.
They're all very different.
Whereas there are a lot of
people that have those hyper
focuses and are really good, but
then there's others that don't
have that, and they have other
things that they're they're
dealing with. So yeah, the media
is going to be like Rain Man or
The Good Doctor. There's a lot
of publicity now on autism,
showing what it looks like in
varying degrees. Atypical is a
great show on HBO. I believe
that those are Beautiful
Mind.
Beautiful Mind, yeah, all of
that stuff. And then you have
all these, you know, celebrities
that are coming out and saying
that they're on the spectrum,
and you know, I think we all
have a little.
Yeah, I would say a
little something.
Yeah,
that we're, and it's but it's
when it becomes a hyper issue,
like it's a really big issue
that you can't shift off of. Is
that's when there's the the
concern.
What's the criteria of people
coming into your program? What
does it autism mean? Autism in
general. Yeah,
you got to be diagnosed with
autism. There are other programs
that do work with other
individuals with disabilities,
which we happen to be on
property of another company that
works with an array of
disabilities. Right, but we're
specific to autism. We do have
two individuals that also have
Down syndrome as a combined, and
then you're going to have like
just the co diagnoses of ADHD or
OCD things like that, but it's
primarily autism.
Well, I'll ask you know when
you're when you're going through
this, what's what's like a
milestone that might seem tiny
to somebody. On the outside, but
huge to your team and the
family.
Oh, I mean, it's different for
everyone. It could be maybe a
parent that walks their child up
to the door every day, but one
day they walk into the door and
they push the doorbell
themselves.
Oh, really?
So it's building that
independence of you. You can do
this by yourself. So just
sitting in the parking lot.
Okay, go. You walk. They can
walk on their own to the front
door. We do a lot of cooking, so
hopefully transferring some of
that cooking to home, and we
really work on that functional
daily living skill. So things
that they can do on their own
and then take it home make their
life easier, make parents' life
easier too.
What is it that you look like?
What's the goal for the next
510, years for you guys? The
goal is just to be a place where
adults can come and thrive and
learn and be happy. There's no
like, oh, they have to have this
many skills and then they
graduate. It's nothing like
that. It's just a continuum of
of support and care.
So essentially, you're you're
there always. Hey, you come in
the door, you're always going to
be part of the family, so to
speak.
Absolutely.
You know, we'll help you. You
know, get ready for the
community as well as a career.
What type of careers have been
placed out of there? So that's
kind of been the dilemma, if you
will, from when this adult part
of the company took over and
started, is that was the initial
drive was to work on employable
skills, working on vocational
skills, and so they saw like
just not they weren't building
them, but it's not because they
weren't doing a good job. It was
just because of the type of
individual they had. So we said
autism is a spectrum. Well, we
have 15 individuals in our
program. So within those 15 guys
or girls, we have an array of
skills where we might have one
student right now. I keep see. I
go back to the student. I have
to keep. I keep saying guys.
They're adults who could have a
job with a job coach. We have
several that couldn't, but we go
in the community and volunteer.
So it's like a job to them, and
they love it and they thrive on
it. But you know, it's not. They
don't get paid. We get paid via
like chicken at Waldo's. So we
we volunteer at Waldo's Chicken
in Franklin, and it's amazing to
watch. They just are so happy to
be there, and the workers are
like, "Wow, this is really cool.
What are they doing? I was like,
"They're prep. We prep for the
morning. We prep for your rush.
So yeah, it's just this
continuum of care and support,
and not really ever necessarily
achieving a job. And that's
where we're talking about
shifting our name to community
instead of career. We don't want
to give the perception to the
the public, like, oh, I'm going
to call them. I have higher
functioning autism. I'm going to
call them, and they can help me,
like job coach me and help me
with interview skills
and
things like that. That's very
well needed, and no one's out
there doing it. That's the
thing. There's what's out there
for adults? That's the problem.
And one company can't do it all.
One place can't do it all. So,
just as I know, as a teacher, I
was like, "No, I'm honing in,
and I'm going to go in this
direction. That's where we are
trying to decide what direction
we can't do
it all. Right.
So right now, it's about
community engagement and
community support, getting the
guys out, not just going to
Kroger. I've been trying to. One
of my new little taglines is
like, "We're not going to say
like, 'Oh, where are we going
today? We are saying, 'What are
we teaching today? We're going
to Publix to pick up our
groceries, but we're not going
to just like walk you through
and tell you what to get. You're
going to have a sheet, just like
you would if your wife sent you
the grocery store, you have a
checklist which you're used to
doing in school. So now we're
transferring those skills. You
have a checklist, and you're
going in with a schedule
basically to Publix, and you
find your things. You use your
credit card, pay for it, and you
come
home. And it's basically those
types of life skills, general
things like that, engaging in
the community, volunteering-that
may lead to an employment
opportunity at some point.
Essentially, is what you are
kind of doing. Yeah,
absolutely. Yeah, I said that
focus isn't on the career skills
because it has hadn't been going
anywhere, and so how can we
still work on those things, but
the focus just be on the
experience, the engagement, and
enriching their lives? So that's
what we're that's trying to
strive for. Yeah,
and then you know, number of
participants. How do you want,
like, as far as growing it in
terms of staff, things of that
nature, I mean, you know, so
tough. How much?
How much staff do you need per
man? As
many as we can get. Really. So I
will say. So I've only been the
executive director since the end
of June. Right. So I'm new in
this role. Sure. You know, and I
come in. I'm like, oh, that's we
need more staff and. Of course,
the founder and the operation
directors go. Where's that money
coming from?
Right,
but it's like, well, that's what
we need because that's always
me. That's what we need, and
they're like, but where? How are
we funding it? And so there
isn't a perfect like ratio
number. So, for example, we have
like we have 15, but on any
given day we might have like the
most of 1212, individuals. And
so let's say we've got we've got
four staff. Well, we also just
we just had two two new hires,
so we have a teacher and three
co teachers, and so then we have
the community engagement
coordinator community engagement
coordinator coming in, and she's
going to take them out to
Waldo's. So she takes them out
to Waldo's, but she has to take
one of our staff with her, one
of the staff during the day. So
that's two people out in the
community. So now that's three
staff left back at the building
with, say, nine individuals. You
feel like that's pretty good
ratio, but what happens if
there's a behavior, what happens
if just what happens if things
can come up all the time? We
really try to run a very
structured schedule for the
guys. So, like we do rotations
in the morning where they'll be
working on leisure skills,
they'll be working on just any
type of other skill area, and
then cooking. So that's three
staff, but we're having to watch
guys that are roaming and moving
and doing this. Now all of our
doors are locked. We have keypad
entry and exit because we we we
can't monitor all the doors. So
it just becomes, yeah, that's a
tough question.
Yeah,
makes me squirm. Well,
that's the thing is like you
being new in the position.
Initial challenges that you're
like, okay, we need to address
this. Anything like that popping
up, and I glaring at all, or no
things that I just have have
addressed are like this needs to
be structured better for
independence. We're not
caregivers. We're not respite.
We we're not just like hanging
out. Like we are, everything we
do is for teaching purpose to
enrich their lives. So just
structuring that from like my
knowledge and my experience of
what I know from the school
system and what I'm bringing
into it, so just restructuring
the way we we teach. We've got
one woman who just started with
us, and she's been a TA in the
public school. She's a mom.
Actually, our daughters are
roommates last year in college.
She's great. She she supports
all the things, but she doesn't
know the teaching aspect. So she
was, for example, we've got one
of the trainees. Really, if he
sees food, he'll go for
it.
And she's like, "No, I really
want him to be a part of this
movie day. I really want him to
do it. I'm like, "Get everyone
on board. Fine, go for it,
right? She's initiating, do it,
okay. And so she's like, okay,
so I'm gonna give him his
popcorn, and when he wants more,
he's he's gonna ask me for it.
How's he gonna do that? He can't
talk. So so she's like, oh, I
didn't think about that. So it's
teaching her to have those
stronger components, teaching
you know all of us. But that's
just one example that comes to
mind last Friday, which it was a
successful movie day with
popcorn, no drama.
What movie did you watch?
Put me on the spot. I don't
know. I was in the office. There
was no drama. What did they
watch? Oh, that's embarrassing.
I don't know. She'll call me.
You got a big job. Maybe got a
little
responsibility. And I was in and
out
watching their. Are you in
charge of like helping market
and fundraise?
Yeah, all of
it. Nice.
Yes, it's. Is that a
first for you?
Ish.
Yeah.
Like I love social media. I love
doing the posts. I just I love
it. We are gearing up. We have a
big benefit coming up at the end
of September. Oh, really? At Top
Golf, actually, yep, swings for
the spectrum. So I, the founder
Karen Blake, she said, "Hey, can
you make me a flyer? Absolutely,
I love that. That's right. So
made made a flyer and ChatGPT.
ChatGPT helped, and I had to
yell at him and tell him you
need to change it. But started
that, helped her with that, and
so and it's stuff I love. So I'm
I'm into that, and then learning
from other people.
What's the Instagram handle?
Just that's the reason why I'm
not. I'm making yeah.
Hey, I could be real fancy. You
could scan my QR code.
Q sure.
Oh yeah, I'm. I've got one of
those too.
Oh, you do. We'll have
to do. Do you know it off the
top of your head? I want to put
you on the spot again.
Oh yeah, no, it's autism. It's
autism career training. It's
very hard.
Career
training. Yeah, I
always do like live viewings and
assessments.
Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah. On the
episode,
autism career training. Hello,
that's right.
Profiles, right? There we go.
Our little purple and our golf
follow
button. Why not? Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Trying to. Engage,
you know, get that out more with
Instagram and Facebook. Just
more engagement and posting more
regularly. And I mean, I didn't
go to school for that, so I
don't know. I'm just doing what
I think. We've got someone that
does work with us on putting out
that on social media, but I, I
don't know if I hijacked it, but
I wanted to do some more. I was
going to say,
you know, you should come by and
be a guest of mine at my BNI. We
have a nonprofit seat, but right
now, some our very great John
Myers is in the seat. He has a
nonprofit for Christian
approaches to pregnancy.
Okay,
and he was on the podcast about
a month or two ago, and it was
it was a good good good
conversation with him. But
either way, just to kind of get
and you know there could be a
chance for collaboration. You
never know. Oh
yeah.
But anytime you want to be a
guest of mine,
absolutely. Yeah.
Every Wednesday morning is when
we meet up at the Elks Lodge in
Franklin. Okay. But a good way
to spread the word.
Yeah, absolutely. And it's we we
originated in Brentwood, so I
think the name is a little more
out there than it is here in
Franklin.
Right.
And so getting it out there, and
it's like who you know and who
you know, and you know, hey,
send them to our Facebook, send
them to our Instagram, and this
is what we do because the
question's going to be, well,
what do you know? Or the
question is, what's out there
for adults with autism?
Yeah.
Hey, there's this place in
Franklin. You should call them
because there's a lot of
resources for kids with autism.
Yeah, putting
them in the right track.
Absolutely.
But once they get out of high
school, there's nothing.
That's it. Right. Yeah. And so
we don't compete with high
school. So we only take
individuals that our youngest
just turned 22.
Okay.
So once they graduate the t2
program in the in the schools,
they'll seek us out. We have one
that just started. They
graduated this past year and
needed somewhere to go,
something to do. And then, of
course, getting into like a
bigger conversation is the
funding. We are not expensive in
the vast array of like what it
could be, what it needs to be.
We can't be that because we
don't have anyone. So we
operate. We really, truly do
depend on donors and our
fundraisers that bring in money
so that we can give grant money
to to families to so they can
bring their kid. So some
individuals will come Monday
through Friday. Some only two
days because that's all they can
afford. Or you you know.
So it's like scholarship based
in a way. Yeah.
Okay. See the that's the thing.
That's a challenge about
especially around here. There's
so many nonprofits. Yeah. The
competitive landscape is so
wide, right, and deep to a
certain extent. A good buddy of
mine, he runs and he has an
autistic child as well. A
nonprofit called Stronger Than
My Father, and he basically
tries to mentor homeless or not
homeless, fatherless boys, and
you know be a strong male role
model in their life. He's a
great guy, but you know, I
constantly help him. Pretty much
every conversation is how do we
define? To me, like the the
sale, if you will, of getting a
donor to contribute. I said,
"You're selling. How does this
make me feel good that I feel
like I'm making a difference,
and if you can articulate what
their money does really well,
yeah,
then hey, yeah, you know, and
it's simple and it's easy to
understand,
and that's why I wanted to get a
hold of like I love take. I
that's I did that as a teacher,
took pictures and showed parents
like this is what we do with
with your child, this is what we
do. So, leaning on for autism, a
picture says 1000 words. So, the
more pictures and things that we
can show of what we do with
people, hopefully that'll
gravitate. But I know when I was
the director of a residential
school, they the families are
well off. Yeah, that's who came,
and so that's that's the common
theme among these programs.
There's their families that do
have money, that it's they can
afford it, and then we have
other families that can ish,
other families that have a hard
time, and so you just can't rely
on private pay people all the
time, and and those aren't just
the families that need services
or deserve services. Everyone
does. I've got a friend. She's
got a high schooler with autism,
and she she says, "Oh God, I
would never be able to afford
that.
Yeah,
and that's tough because they
they need they need the support
too.
What's the? I mean, what does it
run?
And the $2,000 range a month.
Yeah,
and that's low.
Yeah,
for the enrichment, right? Like
we we cook every day. Well,
where's that money come from?
That was my question when I got
there. Was like, who pays for
this? You know. So I we I do a
lot of flipping on Facebook.
Something we don't use, I flip
it. I take that money. We we go.
Interesting. Yeah. Yeah. We
don't. We have a chair I don't
want. I'm gonna sell it.
Right,
40 bucks. Let's go.
So people can. I mean, so that's
a way to donate. I mean,
yes, and I should say too, the
community is really helpful and
amazing. If me as a person, I
will reach out on Facebook for
an item. So like we're doing
this golf benefit. So I'm like
one golf club, and I want a
putting green because I want the
guys to practice. And so I'll
reach out and say, "Hey, I know
this is a hard, big ask, but
like, would you be open to
donating? Most of the people are
amazing. Some people are
hateful, but it's not hateful.
Really?
Like, yeah. Well, that's that's
par for the course these days,
right? Yeah. Yeah. So, but I get
donations and it's amazing, and
I thank them, and I like show
them I'm legit, and they're
like, "Ah, I trust you. I'm like
you're awesome.
Yeah.
So it's again, it's I mean the
community, right? Yeah. We it
takes a village. It takes a
community.
So the funny thing is, is the
you know you talk about the
hateful people. There's um you
know the the center entrance
between the schools over here.
Yeah.
There's a lane that you get in
the left that goes straight into
the high school, and the right
lane that's supposed to take you
to the middle school. The people
that get in the right lane and
go straight straight and cut
over, those are the hateful
people.
Just like on June Lake.
Yeah, those those are the those
are the miserable pricks out
there. Yeah,
I mean you got to inch get a
little bit farther.
Yeah,
yeah.
Weirdest. I dropped my my wife
and I dropped off our kids this
morning off at the high school,
and she's my wife's go. Look at
these assholes, you know, just
cutting the line and then coming
over. You drop your kid at the
high school and you go through
the parking lot, and then you
have to like come back out.
People don't let you out. Like
we're all actually, you know
what? The same place, guys.
Yeah, I mean, I found because my
wife, she says, she says, "I
don't we go. You're missing the
the entrance. I said, "This is
the longer entrance. I said, "If
we go into the front of the high
school, actually takes a lot
less time. Yes, but fine, we'll
do it your way. And that's what
we experienced this morning: a
lot of aggravation, hard
heartache, and you know,
frustration.
You got the kids driving over
there. Oh
my gosh! That
they, you know, they just the
e-bikes,
the
e-biker gangs.
Yeah,
yeah, yeah. I I can't talk. I I
ride an e bike, so it's great
for people like me at my age.
I mean,
18 miles, man, in one shot.
Shoot, get
your exercise. Heck yeah! I know
you
live all the way up this hill,
dude. I I I ride it to work.
Oh my god! To have
parking out there, sit in this
studio, all smelly and sweaty
and everything, and then I go
home. I take an extra 12 miles
to get home.
Wow!
I'll take it all the way out to
Autumn. Impressive. Okay, but
it's only because you know you
got the assistance. But it's not
that much of. I keep on
justifying it. You do get a
workout. I
would hope so. It's not just
like people make fun of me
because they think I'm
cheating.
Now, yeah, ah, just getting a
little prompt, getting a little
help. It's fine.
So, so with businesses that
you're partnering with, Waldo's,
anybody else that you're
partnering, you want to give a
little shout out?
Well, the Adventure Science
Center, we go on Wednesday once
a month, or is it once a month,
or twice a month, and you're
volunteering
out there too.
Yeah, we set up the kits for
like the little kids that come
in for the activities on
Wednesday. There is again, I'm
on the spot, being new. There's
a church that we do work with.
We do office clerical things, so
if they need mailers like sorted
and packaged, I'll give you a
shout out on Instagram when I
post the link to the podcast. So
those are the the three that we
have right now. I've reached out
to to Lowe's and Home Depot, but
they're more corporate. Like I
needed to find a place for my
couple of my students that like
food, and I need something
that's away from food. So I'm
like, hey, let's go to the
garden center. We can water,
right?
You know, so I'm like, ah, I
think I need to probably reach
out to like a riverbend named
Trump. My business
partner is very close with the
place in Columbia. That's whose
name escapes me right now. I
can't believe it. They're a
garden center.
Well, there's Beasley's, but
that's rocks.
No, I mean this is
down, down by the hospital.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what
place I'm talking
about? I do. I was. I was like,
man, is that too far to go?
Yeah. So I mean, I.
If we go to that venture
science, adventure science.
Well,
you're right. You're right. So
yeah. So finding places that are
open to that. Are
they donating as well
financially?
No.
They're just. They're just
offering themselves up. Yeah.
As a as a vocational
opportunity.
Gotcha.
I'm telling you that manager
Zach at let's shout out right to
Waldo's and Liberty. He's
amazing. He's so welcoming to
our kids, adults, our guys.
Yeah, and then they get they get
chicken for for for lunch
payment. That's that's a score.
There you go.
Right.
I mean that's. I'm almost
wondering. It's like you know,
and there's incentives for
businesses to hire, you know,
people with the spectrum and
stuff like that. Is that
something that?
Well, with me being so new to
it, I don't know all the hoops
and regulations. I I would
imagine there's some fine line
or what you have to think about
when you hire in someone. I'm
even I think when I'm. At
Waldo's, I'm like thinking about
like sanitation, like making
sure their hands are washed. If
someone scratches their face,
like we're not putting a liner,
like we try to, you know, where
they use hand sanitizer and
things. So there's got to be
regulations as to why you would
would or wouldn't hire someone,
and then having that trust in a
person to say, well, there's no
like aggressive behavior or no
wacky behaviors, and that's one
thing with our program right
now. I say right now, yet
because I'm used to aggressive
behaviors, but we can't support
it where we are.
Right,
we just can't. And they're
adults, and they're big, and
that hurts my heart because
that's most of my students in
the past. Like most of them
wouldn't be able to be in our
program.
Right, this is aggression.
but yeah. So I don't know.
That's why I'm excited about
this program to learn more and
grow it and get my hands on more
things to learn and push the
envelope and be like, "Hey, how
about this? What if we trialed
it? What if we, you know,
volunteered? Kind of thing. Even
like Publix is a great
organization for employing
people with disabilities, I
don't know if anyone previously
has reached out to them in our
company to say like, "Hey, how
could we do like a modified
version of this? Could we just
push do the carts? No one wants
to be out. We've got one guy. He
doesn't care if it's hot or not.
He loves work. He could go out
there and get all those carts,
bring them in, put them in nice
and neat order. Right? We've got
one guy. He he do the shelves,
you know. How could we do like a
modified?
Yeah,
push push the envelope. That's
what Tazikis
comes to mind.
So we have worked with Tuzikis
in the past. I know that to what
full capacity. I don't know, but
I know that is a name that is
often spoken about when we talk.
So yeah, I'm just, and I'm also
on the other side of the
vocational piece is the
experience piece. So, like, I
emailed Feigning Goat. I want to
take them up to this like
Mexican popsicle place over
here, over by Donatoro's. Like,
I want them to have different
experiences going into a
popsicle place, a Mexican,
especially Mexican popsicle
place. They probably never ever.
What is this with all these
different flavors? And it'd be
really cool going to the coffee
shop and how to order. So we
talked. I talked with them an
email about like a modified
menu, just so we could they
could pick which ones that you
know they would order. What
about even like the local
churches helping out on you know
service days and things yeah
yeah and then also like on days
when it's really hot like our
guys like to move and so finding
opportunity where we could go
into like an open space and walk
so like the rec center we've
taken them to the factory to
walk around so it's it's really
I just see this for me as an
opportunity of if if we want it.
It's like field of dreams. If if
you want it, like build it,
they'll come. Yeah, you know,
ask. We can do it. The
possibilities are endless. It's
amazing.
Identifying what it is that you
need is a challenge. Yeah, you
know, and having a vision for
where you want to go and what
the mile markers look like to
get to that goal is, you know,
especially at this stage in the
game of you being there, it's
tough to. You're still getting a
lay of the land. Yeah. You know,
so it's almost like in a year
from now we should have you
back. And oh, how's it going?
Absolutely.
Where? How far we've come. Yeah.
And I think for me, being like,
you know, new a novice is just
the community connection, the
connections that I can continue
to make. I made I've made
connections in every company
I've worked in, and how can I
continue? You know,
here's a plan. I mean, everybody
hears me talk about BNI on this
podcast, Business Networking
International, okay, and
especially you with you, you
know, you're you're you're
getting into the business space
for for sure, and now it's like
you've kind of been on the on
the outer fringes of it, you
know, in the public school
sector. But now it's like, well,
now we got to make sure we're
funded, make sure we're making
those relationships and engaging
with the community more. This is
a good plan. At least start with
ours. We meet every Wednesday in
Franklin at the Elks Lodge, it's
the Williamson County chapter.
We've got about 65 members, and
you'll be able to get up in
front of all of them and guests,
and you have about 3030-ish
seconds to to talk about what
I'm looking for. And in this
case, hey, I'm just looking to
make relationships for people
who want to give some
volunteering opportunities to my
guys to help them build out some
life skills and make and enrich
their lives, and that's that's
pretty much all you say. And
then you you show up early, you
mingle and network with some of
the business owners in there. I
mean, you got one of the higher
ups in there from Churchill
Mortgage. You've got Melanie
Colbreth is with Mary Kay. A lot
of people who've been there a
long time that are deeply rooted
in the business community. Okay,
but then do the same thing.
There's like 35 chapters of BNI.
Okay,
around you know Middle
Tennessee. So I mean, you could
keep yourself busy.
Yeah, thank you. Make sure you
got a you
know a little card that you hand
out.
Yeah,
if there's an option.
Opportunity that we could have
to bring our guys in and you
know volunteer in your business
if you find something that you
need to be done, let us know.
Yeah, hey, we could bring some
guys and do a little podcast.
There you go.
We got honestly talkers.
Get some talkers that oh yeah,
some talkers. Yeah,
yeah. He he'd be looking to see
you know the light bulbs. It's
just when the light bulbs are
out. Yeah, I mean, again, think
it. Let's
do
it. Yeah, I love that. Thank you
for that opportunity. Of course,
definitely will take advantage.
And yeah, because you know, I'm
the I'm the teacher brain. I'm
having to shift that now, so
I've got a lot to grow in that
area. So I would take on some
insight and tips and tricks for
sure. Is
it a bigger challenge to prepare
autistic adults for the
workplace, or the opposite,
preparing the workplace for
autistic adults? That's
a great question. Wow, let's
talk in a year too soon. That's
a great. I just don't even know
if I can put a number on it. I
think it's equal. That's
amazing. You know, I mean,
autism is just is autism. It's
going to be the same, right? So
it's teaching other people how
to adapt is probably more of,
and that's really what we want
for the community is to adapt
more.
What do you? Yeah, I mean, what
is it like when people who
aren't used to coming and and
being around autistic people. It
can be very, you know,
off-putting. Yeah, it could be
intrusive. It could be awkward,
uncomfortable. Is that typical
of human nature?
Yeah,
yeah,
yeah. I
mean, it was my first experience
ever. That's why I bring my
children around it. My my
16-year-old son, he worked the
whole month of July with them,
and at first he's like, "I
don't. When they were little,
they he didn't know any
different, and so it is awkward.
I said, "You could, Bennett, you
can ask me any questions. I
mean, he was pretty real about
some stuff, and I'd be like,
"Dude, you can't think like
that. You have to, you know. But
they're they're human. Just
connect with them on a human
level. I mean, even me. I mean,
I just think autism. Some
parents probably would be off
put on the. I just think it's
awesome. Like some parents are
be like, it's not, and I get
that. But I love working with
it. But they're they're just
they're they're people and
they're fun, and I love. And
that's the thing I'm really good
at is connecting with them, and
then I connect with their
parents. But connecting with
them on a deeper level, like let
me tell you a short story. One
of my, they're all my favorite,
right? But this one particular
individual, the first day I was
like, ooh, he was a little like,
ooh, what could he do if he got
angry? And I'd ask questions
like, hey, does he get on the
golf cart? And they're like, No,
no, he's never got on the golf
cart. I'm like, Oh, he's gonna
get on the golf cart. We're
gonna do
it. Got
him on the golf cart. It's the
best time of his life. He's
there, like yelling. He's
nonverbal and he's hollering and
loving life. But go on. You want
to get mad? Okay. What do you
want? So I just approached him
as a human, like, no, let's do
it. We're gonna do it. And I
approached him how he wanted. He
did not like it with other
people. He likes to be solo solo
rider. He gets on the golf cart
every day after lunch.
What does he? I mean, is it a
problem? Because a friend of
mine who I was in radio with,
her kids are autistic, and their
old their son is like they've
had a whole like he used to get
frustrated because he couldn't
communicate, couldn't express
himself. So they finally found a
way for him to do that, and the
brilliance that's coming out of
this kid, and they're both
adults. It's it's amazing, and
he just needed to find. Okay,
let's find the one thing that
you need to communicate.
Yes,
and that's what it made him less
frustrated, and he was able to
talk.
Absolutely,
is that a large, like a common
thing?
Absolutely,
really.
Even when I came in day one, I'm
like, "How does he communicate?
How does she communicate? So
really, oh wow, okay, is that
where a lot of the frustration
and anxiety kind of is? I mean,
think about it.
Like, have you ever been to
another country and you don't
speak their language? You
can't. You can't. It's
like the longest I was in Mexico
was two weeks, and by end of the
first week, I was like, couldn't
handle it. Had like was like it
was a lot. People don't know who
I am really as a person because
I can't talk to you. I can't get
my emotions out. I can't get
what my needs out if I'm not
speaking your language, and
that's exactly like what it is
for them. So we figure it out.
We got one individual. He loves
tools all the time. So he, I
come in with all my bags, and
he's like looking around. I'm
like, "Are you trying to see if
I got a tool in here? Do I bring
something new today? What are we
doing? And he he can't talk. I'm
like, "Use your device. Tell me
what you want. Like drill, drill
blower. He likes the the leaf
blower. I bring it from home
because we don't have one. So I,
that's plug. Battery operated
leaf blower, and he loves it.
And he's always looking in my
bag to see if I have the battery
because I take it home and
charge it. Oh,
another business that you might
be able to want to connect with
is Macklemore Auctions. They
come across that stuff all the
time. Tools and garden
equipment. I'm gonna
have to watch this episode back
and take yes because I'm like
we'll
off we'll pack we'll
unpack all this. I can't think
today. I've been coughing all
weekend. I'm looking at the
camera, addressing the audience.
See, and imagine if you had a
cold and you couldn't talk, you
couldn't tell someone.
I I did have like the really
baritone Barry White going last
week. Rosie, nice. I know you
did. It was awesome. I need to
do more voiceover now.
Yeah.
What What kind of talents do you
typically see in the in your
guys that employers typically
overlook?
Oh, or is that too new? No, it's
not too new. It's just well, I
guess it in the sense it's new
for me in the employment area.
Yeah. Um, I mean, they probably
would overlook like the
preciseness, like even
organization. Yeah, just even
this guy yesterday. We dry the
dry the baskets. They put the
liner in. I mean, his precision,
and then I have another
individual who did it too. Their
stacks look totally different,
and I was laughing. I was like,
"You can tell this one's a
little more affected by autism
than the other because look at
the precision. Like,
what if you go up to the guy
who's really precise and you
just kind of take it and move
it?
He'd probably make some noise or
drives him nuts. He'd probably
like, but I used to do that to
students. I did because you have
to learn how to be flexible.
Yeah,
that's that's why I think it's
fun. Yeah, you gotta have fun
with what you do.
Well, yeah, a lot of parents
typically find out at what age.
Oh wow,
that their kids are on young,
young,
18 months.
What do they need to know? Like
you know, going into it, of
course, they're probably going
to get a diagnosis from a
physician or something like
that. Maybe they're handed a
pamphlet. You know, here's what
to do next. Somebody's listening
to this. Well, I'm you know at
the beginning stages of this
life changing situation. What do
I what what what am I getting
into?
I mean, it probably sounds
cheesy, but like you're not
alone. There's so many people
out there that are going through
the same thing. You just have to
ask. Get on Facebook. Get a part
of like any group. Just ask
questions. Just start asking
because it's not like a shied
away thing anymore. It's it's
it's out there. Many people know
about it, so to not be so
nervous about it. But I also
feel like for some parents, it's
got to be crushing initially
because you don't know like the
the trajectory of what's
happening or how severely
impacted they are. And so I
imagine any parent who finds a
diagnosis at any point in their
child's age that they have a
disability is is really tough,
but their autism can be very
hard, but it can be really
awesome,
right?
But you have a good mindset
about it, yeah, yeah. Your your
lives are are forever changed in
good and in difficult ways. What
about athletics,
sports organizations?
Is oh, that we work with
anything that you work with, but
I mean, are a lot of autistic
kids are they you know does that
help with playing a sport?
Um, they don't leisure well.
Okay, so and like effort, we
don't we don't like to put
effort into things. So that's
like half the world. Um, I mean,
we we have partnerships with the
Preds and the Titans, and just
recently with the Sounds. So
with like fundraising
opportunities and grant funding,
so that's really awesome.
Working actually, we're gonna
take a group to volunteer at a
Titans game end of August
preseason
preseason
yeah
a Bears game. I really prefer. I
tried to go to the Steeler game.
Of course, we'll volunteer at
the Steeler game. It's
absolutely fine.
You don't want to go to the
Bears game?
No.
Well,
I mean,
you lost your coach, man. I
mean, you know. No,
no, no. But listen, are we going
there?
Where's he now?
McCarthy. We Mike McCarthy.
That's right. He came from the
Cowboys. So, but but the the the
guy previous Tomlin
Tomlin, I think is going into
like
Ravens. No,
stop it.
Wasn't he going? I can't
remember. I honestly can't
remember.
I just got goosebumps. That is a
team. I just got goosebumps.
Why'd you get goosebumps?
Because the Ravens? No, no, no,
no. Though
Tomlin's been there for like 20
years,
forever. Yeah, yeah.
Because there was only that was
the thing is that like there's
only been three head coaches for
the Steelers, and then all of a
sudden it's like they they
booted the guy.
Well, I mean, what the crap? We
needed we needed we needed new
blood. We needed to move on.
Really,
he was he was a good coach. How
many
Super Bowls did he get us? He's
never had a losing season, okay,
but the season always ended. He
got you a Super
Bowl, I want to say, in like
22,009, right?
Not enough, and not. Oh my gosh!
Not
enough. How many teams go like
the entire time without getting?
I used to
listen. I know there's a lot.
Like the Ravens, you were
getting worked up. There's going
to be lots of coughing. No, no.
I mean, I don't like being toe
and toe with the Patriots. I
don't like that. Anyway,
Patriots are a
very hated team because of
Brady. Yeah,
we're done with him.
And now you know it's funny
because you had what's his name?
Our old coach for the Titans.
No, he's at the Patriots. Not
Fisher. Mike.
Oh, I don't know. I don't know
Titans trivia. Well, no, I'm
trying to think
what those name was. I can't.
Tanner
Hill. No, that's not right. No,
no, he was the quarterback.
Yeah.
Anyway, the guy who was our
coach for the Titans, who got us
into the playoffs and close to a
Super Bowl that the idiots that
own that team freaking booted
him a year later, and then
Tayton the the Patriots picked
him up and they brought him to
the freaking game, and it's like
man, we were it's like I've
never been a big Pats fan,
yeah, but
I was actually rooting for them,
you know, because it's like the
Seahawks again. Okay, like
what's the most unsexy team is
the Seahawks, you know?
Listen, the the Steelers have so
much history.
Yeah,
history and sort
of the Giants. I mean, you're
such a homer. I
am. I can't. I bleed black and
gold live or die. It's a it's a
thing, but and I usually like in
the school system. I'll meet.
That's how I connect with kids.
I'll be like, "Who's your team?
Oh, now you really need to meet
the guy from Stronger Than My
Father, Marcus Minis.
Yeah,
he's a Steelers.
Okay, let's go. We can do that.
Yeah,
I love that.
We had Chris Hope in here at one
point.
Okay,
remember Chris Hope?
Yes.
Yeah.
Listen, line them up. Let's go.
We'll banter, and it'll be
great. I get fired up just about
autism, as I do with the
Steelers. Steeler,
but could you talk football in
general?
Yeah,
yeah,
yeah. I mean, I don't know. Are
you gonna put me on the spot?
Well, I mean, it's one of those
things I've been thinking about
with my business partner is
maybe starting a football
podcast, but getting a female
oh
no counter. Yeah, I couldn't.
I'm not that good.
I don't. I'm not that good. I'm
not that good. I can't
remember the guy's name.
Yeah, I mean that happens. We
have too much in our heads.
Yeah,
and we're getting old.
Vrabel, Mike Vrabel. Vrabel.
There you go.
Yeah, not an
easy name to remember.
No, but I'm look. I'm ready for
new. I'm good. Our rookie
quarterback looks good.
You know,
it's weird having.
I think Titans will have a good
year.
I mean, I want them to have a
good year. I don't mind. I like
going to the games. I wear my
Steeler shirt underneath. I
always have like Steeler
representation if I go to
double. Even
if they're not playing.
Yeah, absolutely. My signs.
What's the next game they
play? The the Seahawks are
coming out here. Is that the
preseason?
Yeah,
I mean we're out. That's this
weekend. I want to say.
Listen, I could do another
shoutout for anyone who gives me
tickets to Steeler game. I could
talk. I'll I'll do. I don't
know. Can we we offer a free
week, free month, free Steeler
ticket? I'm so excited we're in
town. Okay, we're getting off
track, but yes. So we're gonna
volunteer for the Titans. We're
gonna stuff the cups with little
flyers for their fundraiser. So
I like that partnership, like
partnering with other community
people. Like I help you, you
help me. You talk about me, I
talk about you. Right. Yeah. No
one needs to talk about like the
big dogs all the time, but yeah.
So
you need to let's make sure
you're signed up for BNI. If not
tomorrow next
week, yeah, absolutely. So I
don't think I got anything in
the morning except seven
1509.
Okay, I mean that's just doable.
Yeah. All right. So you know
you got to get up early. That's
all.
Hey, that's
I'm. I'm usually there about
quarter to seven because I'm
part of the AV club.
Okay.
Go figure. We run all the music
and sound effects.
That's awesome. Yeah. I bet you
have a lot of them. Quite one of
these. Wow! Wow! Wow! Like the
little buzzer noises.
How do people find and follow
you and support you what you're
doing?
I mean, you can Google today on
your phone: autism career
training, autism Franklin
adults, and that's that's going
to pull up. Yeah,
autismcareertraining.org.org.
Yep.
There you go. I
imagine when we do shift our
name, we'll still have that
connected. That's you know, so
that doesn't get all you know
lose what kind of like
the Autism Foundation of
Tennessee was called before?
Yeah,
what what was wrong with that?
Well,
it it
just shifted. It was it needed.
I mean, Karen would have a
stronger story behind that, but
at one point when I was first
working with them, they went to
Autism ETC Education and
Training Center or Education and
Therapy Center. I'm sorry. So
they just needed a name that
identified what they did because
it wasn't really just a
foundation, you know. So it's we
had programs running. So what
the power is in your name? Like
what do you
do? Right.
So. Yeah.
Well, there you go.
Yeah. So, as always,
guys, the information will be in
the description. We'll make sure
to put all there if you feel so
inclined to first and foremost
support ACT
ACT
Autism Community Training.
Yeah.
Please do. And if this is has
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Go to mmtbp.com. That is a
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mmtbp.com. Meredith
Pettigrew
Pettigrew. They
give you four stars and give me
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Five star. I always, I always
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off. Let me know how we can make
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Let's try again.
Right, four stars is you know
I'm good with that because
that's that's real.
Yeah.
Hey, I you know some room to
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you know, nothing's perfect.
I'll give you a four and a half
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I'll be a five.
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Share, subscribe, all that fun
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Thank you.
Thanks for coming out.
Awesome. Thank you.