Winning Minds

"I am the boys and girls club." No, this is not a late commercial for the "Big Game", but these are the words of Matthew Juwon Jeffries, aka Juice. Born and raised in Gainesville GA, struggling with an unfortunate home-life, Juice ran to the Boys and Girls Club. It became his 2nd home. It was there that men began mentoring him and helping him develop the self-awareness and character that define wh...

Alan Griffin is the head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team at Gainesville High School. I really enjoyed this conversation with Coach Griffin as we talked about taking advantage of the small opportunities that come your way, because those little ones bring you closer to bigger ones. He also spoke about how games are won and lost; seasons are good, and seasons are bad…but growth and relati...

Quaris Franklin grew up in trouble. At 12 years old he began running away from home, and for the next 5 years he was in an out of Youth Detention Centers. At 17, he landed in jail. His life was full of pain, rejection, and violence… until several years ago. It all changed when he changed. Now he has gotten married, started a family, started several businesses and even a mentorship program for youn...

Adrian Cromwell is an assistant principal at Gainesville High School, a school of nearly 2,500 students. I’ve gotten to know Mr. Cromwell as I’ve recently began mentoring at the high school. One thing I learned from the start is he is very humble, and very visible and active within the student population. He has heart and passion to see our young men and women become successful and overcome the ch...

22 years ago, she stepped off a plane from Puerto Rico with two boxes and one suitcase. Within 3 years she was a branch manager at a local bank. And then in 2005, Camille Viera resigned from the bank and launched her own business. It was fun, it was tough…and it was never her plan! It all came from her desire to serve and meet a desperate need in her community. But she did it, and continues to do...

This is part 2 of my conversation with Lou Koon, and as it turned out, was recorded AFTER we finished our original recording, which is now known as Part 1. I didn't stop recording as we continued conversing, and I think the conversation is worth sharing. But if you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, go listen to it!  In this episode, Lou and I talk about facing the idea and action of suicide as a Chr...

It was 2009 and his son had just suffered a tragic accident and had to be life-flighted to the hospital… among all the questions swirling through his mind, one of them was also how he would pay for all of this because he had no health insurance… because he recently found himself unemployed. Additionally, because the economy had crashed, there was little hope for him to find employment. And as he l...

***Special Feature*** If you want to change your life, Change your mind!  This is the debut of the first Winning Minds podcast "theme" song! It's a synthesis of all the lives and conversations we've experienced so far. You will hear many of the themes discussed on the episodes. Enjoy the song, share the song, and go back and make sure you have not missed any episodes! "Winning Minds: Change Your M...

This is a simple reading of two versions of MLK Jr's essay, The Purpose of Education. Unfortunately, he never made this a speech or a sermon, so we do not have the privilege of hearing it in his own gifted and powerful voice. But he was more than a voice. He was far more than I could ever describe here. But I'll leave it at this: he was a man with a WINNING mind, and I believe the thoughts, questi...

Rona Falls is part of a special group of people. This group is not exactly connected to one another directly, but they do form the backbone of whatever community they are in. What group is this? I’m talking about entrepreneurs, small business owners, franchisees. Rona was born and raised in the Philippines, moved to the US after marrying, and soon after her and her husband made the courageous leap...

Today’s guest is Andrew Davenport. First and foremost, he is a dad of two children. He also is an Army combat-veteran, a small business owner, and a George W Bush Presidential Scholar. In this episode he shares his journey through the military and into entrepreneurship, his desire to make an impact in his local community, and even his next endeavor: serving our military veterans. This episode is f...

Today’s guest is a man who doesn’t believe in having bad days. He grew up facing many challenges and making his fair share of mistakes, but he has grown and overcome through his own WINNING decisions and with the help of not “role models,” but, as he calls them, REAL models. This man is Willie Mitchell. He has been winning and leading in his local community for more than 30 years, and has been ser...

Charmaine Broughton is a wife, mother, and small-business owner. She moved to the US from Jamaica as an adult, and started cleaning houses soon after her 1st daughter was born… and today her company employs more than 30 people. In this episode she shares her journey, and one thing she said that I particularly appreciated was “If I’m growing, you should be growing,” Thanks for listening. I hope you...

This is part 2 of our 2-part series with small-business owner (aka entrepreneur) Isaac Fuentes. He shares more of his story today. He tells how he always pushed himself to find a way, to make the most of his opportunities, to be responsible and not wait for something free… and to never quit. This is how he has truly achieved what is known as the “American dream”. But again, he wants to remind you,...

This is part one of a two part series with Isaac Fuentes, a Mexican immigrant who became an entrepreneur. By many standards he is achieving the "American dream." In this episode he shares his story: his life, his mistakes, how work is fun and how alcohol almost ruined him. He also has some key advice for anyone wanting to start their own business. Thank you for listening to this episode. We hope y...

Our guest for this episode is Antonio Martin: business owner and entrepreneur. He shares his inspiring story of overcoming challenges and obstacles; of persevering and not quitting even when it’s hard; of choosing to be honest and ethical even when others aren’t... At the end of the conversation he shares some powerful words about being a black entrepreneur. Thank you for taking time to listen, I...

I think I found a dynasty… seriously. I’m not talking about sports and which team is the next New England Patriots, or the Yankees or LA Lakers or something foolish like that… but a family dynasty. One of the definitions of dynasty is “a series of members of a family who are distinguished for their success, wealth, etc.” Today we have Jason Johnson – cousin of previous guest, Georgia Fay, and ther...

When someone you love passes away… its tragic. There’s no way to say it that isn’t painful. But its even more painful when that passing is sudden and unexpected. In today’s episode, Adam Parker shares his experience with grief, depression, anger… a vast array of emotions he worked through and dealt with after his father passed away suddenly from meningitis. If you are in a similar situation, I hop...

Go get some exercise!  Get some fresh air! Those are things we are told when we’re frustrated or are trying to figure something out…or we’re driving our family crazy locked inside the house. We’re told that because it’s been known to help. But it does more than that. Today, we’re joined by Stacey Cothren, an army veteran, mother, and a school counselor. She shares her own story, and how, challengi...

Hate speech. Our society is increasingly vigilant and ruthless about eradicating it from every platform and conversation. However, what about the words you use and the things you say about YOURSELF to YOURSELF!?! Those words and ideas can be much more harmful and long-lasting than whatever anyone else tells you. In this episode, Rachel LaValley, shares her tormenting battles in her own mind about...

What would you tell the 17 year old you? Or maybe you’re only 17… what do you think will be important in your life in 10 years, and what can you do about it today? In this episode, Markel Smith – a young man from Athens, GA, tells us a little bit about his life – the rude awakening he got when he graduated high school, and how that unfortunate situation led him to create and develop a habit of wor...

This is part two of an earlier conversation I had with Hurl Steward. He’s a man who has overcome a lot of adversity – some due to events beyond his control, and others that were self-inflicted. But he’s winning now! In this episode we discuss his life and mindset in order to win as a husband and father. I know there are a lot of problems in our world, and so much to be frustrated with, but let thi...

His parents didn’t speak English, didn’t know American culture or almost anything about this country when they immigrated to the US. Yet he goes on to graduate college with two degrees, get married, start a family… achieve the American Dream! This is Danny Delgado’s story, and he joins us on today’s episode to discuss something you may not expect – READING! Yes, the exciting world of literature! D...

This is part 2 of my conversation with Georgia Fay. If you haven’t heard part 1, you absolutely must go back and listen to it! In this episode we continue discussing what you and I allow into our lives. What food we consume, and what content we watch and listen to and how that affects our minds. In our first episode, Georgia refers to a certain “gift” in her life: her mother… who battled with her...

IT'S 2021!!! Let's celebrate by deciding to make this a WINNING year!  There's no one better to begin it with than Georgia Fay: co-owner of Mental Finesse, a mindset and life-coaching service she and her sister started almost two years ago. But this isn't about her business, it's about her life. Georgia's passion for mental health is deeply personal, is far more than an occupation, and goes way be...