Lamont "Tory" Stapelton Staying in the Spirit of Giving Daily & Knowing when Empathy is Needed S1E12

[00:00:00] Hi, so I'm Vergi Rodriguez here with A Race Of Your Own and you know I started this series to really discuss and talk about how inspiration leads to resilience just through my own story and where I've been and where I'm going right being an ex-professional dancer, backup dancer, choreographer, moving through the industry, working in branding and marketing and then you know becoming a filmmaker.

[00:00:28] Following my creative path that was really important to me. And so especially with the times that we're living in now and seeing what is happening across the country and across the world, I figured I would start this series as a way for people to come and sit and chat about their journeys.

[00:00:46] There are so many moments in time that we find ourselves looking for inspiration, looking for an answer.

[00:00:56] And what I've found throughout a lot of the things that I've been through in my life, the answer really was within as hokey or as cheeky as whatever corny some people might say that sounds.

[00:01:09] I really believe it's about finding resilience within yourself. Everyone that I've brought onto the show has been because they've had something to say and they've wanted something to say, but it's because I'm even inspired by their journeys, how they're doing what they're doing, how throughout life they found those moments that no matter how down or how dark they seemed, there was always a resolution.

[00:01:37] There was always a way out. There was always some sort of answer and that answer sometimes for the most part came from within or even help from people around them.

[00:01:48] So I hope this holiday season, more than anything, for those of you out there that watch and are inspired, let me know, please. I appreciate all the comments. I appreciate everybody that has been just so supportive of this channel.

[00:02:02] I'm hoping you continue to find inspiration. I'm hoping you continue to find resilience through just your everyday life.

[00:02:10] And I'm really, really excited for the stuff that's coming up next. And if there's somebody you want to see in the show, reach out, let me know. Maybe, who knows? Maybe I can make something happen.

[00:02:20] But for more than anything, I wish everybody a happy holiday season and a very prosperous and inspirational new year. Bye.

[00:02:30] Hi, I'm Virgie Rodriguez. And this is A Race of Your Own, where we talk about how inspiration leads to resilience.

[00:02:36] And today's guest, I'm so excited because we're so long overdue. But anyway, he's a community builder and an advocate.

[00:02:45] He's doing so much amazing work in the community, in a variety of communities.

[00:02:51] A founder of Bike Rides for Black Lives, recently raised over $9,000 for people on Skid Row,

[00:02:57] where he loaded up a U-Haul truck and spent the day distributing water, food and essentials to as many people on Skid Row as he possibly could.

[00:03:04] He's a founder of an organization called Between the Lines, which is a not-for-profit,

[00:03:09] which provides educational programming on reintegration services, storytelling and sports as a form of therapy for inmates.

[00:03:16] And also for Between the Lines, he provides a platform for these incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories

[00:03:22] and connecting them with the outside world.

[00:03:24] Welcome, Lamont Tori Stapleton.

[00:03:28] Yay!

[00:03:29] Hey, Tori.

[00:03:30] What's going on?

[00:03:31] What's going on?

[00:03:31] Nothing. I'm so excited to have you here.

[00:03:33] You inspire me so much.

[00:03:35] I can say the same about you.

[00:03:36] I really can.

[00:03:38] Thank you, Tori.

[00:03:38] We're definitely, as we were just saying before we got started, long overdue for a catch-up.

[00:03:43] And this is an honor to be sitting here with the legend, one of the most interesting people on the planet.

[00:03:49] Thank you.

[00:03:49] I mean, I feel like every time you post, I'm like, wait, that was your life?

[00:03:54] You're like, you work with Matt Marcy?

[00:03:56] Yeah, for real.

[00:03:57] I appreciate that.

[00:03:58] It's so interesting.

[00:03:59] Yeah, thank you so much.

[00:04:00] Because we go back.

[00:04:01] We go back a little ways.

[00:04:01] We so go, so way back.

[00:04:03] I think it was like, it was probably 2015?

[00:04:07] I was going to say 16, but yeah, like 15, 16.

[00:04:10] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:04:11] I mean, that's a while.

[00:04:13] That's a minute.

[00:04:14] Yeah.

[00:04:14] And we've been, and you're plugging away, and you're doing so much.

[00:04:17] Like, every time I see, I say the same thing about you.

[00:04:20] It's like, every time I just see, like, something that you're doing, like, specifically, like, bike rides for Black Lives.

[00:04:25] I remember when, like, the whole Black Lives Matter, you know, stuff was happening, and you were doing, like, the bike ride stuff.

[00:04:31] And I was like, that's so interesting.

[00:04:32] You always find, like, these really great ways to, like, integrate these powerful messages, but, like, including the community.

[00:04:40] Right?

[00:04:41] Yeah, I mean, it's interesting because as I look back on it, and I look back on some of the things that I've done, they're kind of, like, all rooted in the same thing, which is building the community and helping people, you know, get through their time on this planet in a, you know, less than, I don't know.

[00:05:00] I guess it's like, I just want to make people's time here, like, a little more enjoyable, make things a little lighter, especially in the moments that seem to be so heavy for us.

[00:05:09] So, I just try to be a light.

[00:05:11] That's what was instilled in me, so.

[00:05:14] Yes.

[00:05:14] Yeah, and a lot of what I talk about here is purpose, and I feel like you're one of these people that I have constantly seen, no matter what, walking in purpose.

[00:05:24] Like, you are a true example, for me anyway, as the people that I kind of have in my community and in my sphere of influence that really walk in purpose and really walk in that, and you live by that, you know?

[00:05:36] Like, it's almost like everything that you do is that, right?

[00:05:40] And you don't really veer for that.

[00:05:42] And one of the organizations that you founded, Between the Lines, is so fascinating to me because, you know, as much as I want to get involved, I don't think I can.

[00:05:51] But, you know, I don't know, right?

[00:05:53] Because I can't go.

[00:05:54] Can I go?

[00:05:54] Can females go?

[00:05:55] Really?

[00:05:56] Absolutely.

[00:05:57] We bring women into the prisons all the time.

[00:05:59] I mean, not only do we go to women's facilities as well, but we also bring women in to the male facilities as well.

[00:06:06] So, there's no regulation on that.

[00:06:09] And that particular organization, is it, but it's also tied to basketball too, right?

[00:06:13] So, that's actually the tool that we first used to get in, right?

[00:06:16] So, initially, you know, I had an opportunity to go into a prison and just speak about basketball.

[00:06:22] So, I just sat in a classroom on four different yards at Sentinel State Prison and spoke to them about basketball.

[00:06:28] And then one of the guys at the end was like, you know, could you bring in a group of volunteers to come play against us?

[00:06:33] So, I asked the, you know, the staff there, my friend Richie Shuler and I, at the time, we asked them if we could do it.

[00:06:42] And they said, well, you could bring guys in to run them through a practice, like a clinic, but you can't play against them.

[00:06:48] So, we did that about three months later.

[00:06:50] And then shortly after that, they saw how well that went.

[00:06:53] So, they allowed us to bring volunteers to actually play against them.

[00:06:55] So, this was back in 2015.

[00:06:58] And we did that, just one-off events as much as we can.

[00:07:01] We were funding it out of our own pockets.

[00:07:03] And then it was 2018.

[00:07:05] I was actually at, and I actually ran into a guy who remembered me from the prison who I served 20 years.

[00:07:12] Wow.

[00:07:12] Yeah, yeah.

[00:07:13] It was nuts.

[00:07:13] He remembered me and he was like, man, I got to buy you a drink.

[00:07:16] I can't tell you how much, you know, you coming in helped me through my last couple years.

[00:07:20] So, right after that, I got with one of my best friends, Darren Duncan.

[00:07:24] And I was like, man, like, do you want to run this program with me?

[00:07:27] I want it to be something sustainable, something where we're able to go in more consistently and make more impact.

[00:07:33] And we've been rocking ever since.

[00:07:36] That's an amazing work, right?

[00:07:38] And like, taking that in from someone that you truly inspired, you truly motivate, you touch their life in that way, that light that you're saying, right?

[00:07:46] Like, you brought that light to their life and they remembered it.

[00:07:49] And I think that brought so much light to my life.

[00:07:52] Just, you know, you never really think about the work that you do and then like the impact and the ripple effect.

[00:07:59] And, you know, unfortunately, a lot of us think that like when people go to prison, they're just, you know, they're gone.

[00:08:05] They're cast away from society.

[00:08:06] But, you know, seeing somebody in your favorite bar, you know what I'm saying?

[00:08:11] It was like the first time that I had seen anybody from the inside on the outside.

[00:08:15] And just knowing, I'm like, man, this is really our responsibility to make sure that these people are properly rehabilitated and, you know, can be reintegrated into society in a positive fashion.

[00:08:26] So, yeah, so that, I mean, I love the work that I do and, you know, people always, you know, tell us about how much it means to them.

[00:08:35] But I think, truthfully, I think I get more out of it than, you know, than them.

[00:08:40] So it's not the most selfless work in the sense that, you know, every time I'm in there, I'm charged up.

[00:08:47] I'm re-motivated.

[00:08:48] I'm re-inspired.

[00:08:49] So, yeah.

[00:08:50] And it, you know, it just, again, that's just like, it's like that kind of thing.

[00:08:54] It's like the gift that keeps on giving, you know what I mean?

[00:08:57] In that sense where it's, you know, where we give and we, you know, for me, like what I hear you say, like when you talk like that too, it's like this unconditional love.

[00:09:07] It's like really understanding what that means, what that feels like, what that looks like.

[00:09:11] You're doing it because you're doing it because you enjoy it.

[00:09:13] Like you're coming from this space of love, but you're not really, I don't, I don't, anytime I've seen you do anything, it's like, I don't, you're not, it's not about monetary.

[00:09:21] It's not about like, well, what am I going to get out of this?

[00:09:24] It's just like, you're literally just doing it because you, you, you, there's something about it that you enjoy.

[00:09:29] It gives you this joy back.

[00:09:31] Right.

[00:09:32] Absolutely.

[00:09:33] I mean, I come from a family full of, full of givers.

[00:09:36] I mean, my parents, I mean, they're saints, like they should have statues, you know, at this point.

[00:09:43] I, I mean, I've always had, you know, people living in my home, you know, along with me, whether it was a cousin or a friend or, you know, I got two adopted siblings.

[00:09:54] You know, my dad was a coach.

[00:09:56] My mom was a team mom.

[00:09:58] So it's, it's like, I always had this, this strong sense of community and, you know, that's my immediate family.

[00:10:04] But, you know, my brothers worked at group homes and boys and girls club, my sister as well.

[00:10:10] My other, my other sister works in service.

[00:10:12] So it's like, we just come from a long line of people who, who love people and, and just, you know, dedicate their lives to trying to impact and make people's lives better.

[00:10:22] So I got it honest, truthfully.

[00:10:24] And, uh, it's funny because at the time that I started Between the Lines, my sister was actually a recreational coordinator at a juvenile detention center in Raleigh, New Jersey, where I'm from.

[00:10:33] And there's a famous prison there.

[00:10:35] It's East Jersey State Prison.

[00:10:37] It used to be Raleigh Prison.

[00:10:38] And that's where the original Scared Straight was filmed.

[00:10:41] That documentary back in the day.

[00:10:43] Yeah.

[00:10:43] And that show stemmed off of that.

[00:10:45] So, uh, it's kind of wild now that I think about it, you know, uh, that I would actually be doing this, this work.

[00:10:51] And I come from Raleigh, New Jersey.

[00:10:53] It was nicknamed like Prison City.

[00:10:55] The prison was in my backyard growing up.

[00:10:57] Right.

[00:10:57] And, you know.

[00:10:58] It was a full circle moment.

[00:11:00] Yeah.

[00:11:01] It's like 3,000 miles away from home and I find myself within prisons here.

[00:11:05] Right.

[00:11:05] Well, again, like just purpose, how purpose found you or finds you in that sense.

[00:11:10] Right.

[00:11:10] Because if that's like the kind of the lineage that you have, right.

[00:11:13] That's your family.

[00:11:13] That's what you do.

[00:11:14] It's about this giving back.

[00:11:15] It's, that's a blessing.

[00:11:16] What a blessing.

[00:11:17] Right.

[00:11:17] You know, to really come from, you know, people that get it.

[00:11:20] In that sense.

[00:11:21] Right.

[00:11:22] Like there's, once you tap into one of my kind of theories, so to speak, I don't know, I'd love to hear what you think too.

[00:11:28] But like one of my theories is like once you tap into that kind of like energy of like just like that giving energy, it's like it's, it doesn't end.

[00:11:37] No, it doesn't.

[00:11:38] It's addicting.

[00:11:39] It's, uh, yeah.

[00:11:40] Right.

[00:11:40] Yeah.

[00:11:41] Like you, you get to this point where you're just like, I just want to give because I just enjoy that feeling.

[00:11:45] Right.

[00:11:50] I need to stop now.

[00:11:52] Yeah.

[00:11:52] Take a break, you know.

[00:11:54] Especially when somebody takes advantage of it.

[00:11:56] But, you know, I think people like us, like, you know, everybody starts on a hundred with us and they can only, you know, they can only work themselves out of our good graces as opposed to, you know, starting on zero and having to earn it.

[00:12:10] Right.

[00:12:10] So when we go into the prison, it's like everybody starts on a hundred.

[00:12:14] I don't care what you, I don't care what you've done.

[00:12:16] You know what I'm saying?

[00:12:16] It's like, it's not on me to judge you at the end of the day.

[00:12:19] It's on me to, to make sure that I'm there providing some sort of love.

[00:12:23] You know what I'm saying?

[00:12:24] A hug or, you know, something that you might not have had that, that might've ultimately led you down the path that led you to prison.

[00:12:30] And so for me, we don't, we don't get too into like what this person did or what that person did.

[00:12:36] It's like, we go in there and we just treat them like humans and we try to like give them an escape for the day.

[00:12:40] And, and that's what we do.

[00:12:42] And it's crazy how, you know, between the lines has evolved so much from, you know, a prison basketball program to like a recreational therapy program where we're like, all right, we're bringing in, you know, more sports.

[00:12:53] But now we're bringing in diverse groups of individuals that, you know, have all sorts of skill sets and backgrounds and we're doing book clubs and, you know, educational programming within the prison.

[00:13:04] And then on top of that, we just kind of become like this, this, this media company, you know what I'm saying?

[00:13:09] Where we allow them a platform to be able to tell their stories or share their messages with, you know, the people on the outside, you know?

[00:13:17] So it's, it's, it's kind of crazy.

[00:13:19] It's like steadily evolving.

[00:13:20] And every time I try to go explain to somebody exactly what it is, it's like, well, we're kind of doing this, we're kind of doing, you know?

[00:13:27] And that's kind of like how I live my, my life is like, I don't, I don't like being put in a, in a box.

[00:13:32] Right.

[00:13:32] So it's like, you know, the running joke is like, everybody calls me Tommy from Martin.

[00:13:36] Cause they're like, oh, you don't have no job.

[00:13:37] And I'm like, well, you know, but yes, I do.

[00:13:40] This is my job.

[00:13:41] But that's the thing is like, people see everything that I do.

[00:13:43] I had a friend that was like, you know, like, what do you do?

[00:13:47] And at the time she was shooting, uh, she was shooting like behind the scenes for a commercial that I was in, uh, recently.

[00:13:54] Uh, super grateful for that.

[00:13:56] But she was shooting behind the scenes as I was in the commercial.

[00:13:59] And it was odd that like, she happened to be, you know, booked on that same commercial.

[00:14:03] And then, uh, as we were driving home, she's like, well, I gotta ask you, like, what do you do?

[00:14:07] And I'm like, you're kind of like involved in everything I do.

[00:14:10] You come to my parties, you're shooting me behind the scenes.

[00:14:13] You know what I'm saying?

[00:14:13] And her boyfriend has been in to the prison with me, you know, uh, you know, I work with actively black.

[00:14:19] And like, I'm like, you guys both were actively black.

[00:14:21] It's like, you kind of like are involved with everything that I do.

[00:14:25] But I think, you know, her thing was like, she was like, it never seems like you're trying to sell me on anything.

[00:14:32] You know what I'm saying?

[00:14:32] You're just kind of like, like you said, just kind of doing it.

[00:14:35] And that's how I want to keep everything in my life is like, just like, just, just take action.

[00:14:40] Just do it.

[00:14:40] Don't beg anybody to support you or be a part of it.

[00:14:44] You know, if they want to support, then they will, you know what I'm saying?

[00:14:47] But that doesn't, you know, that doesn't alter like my ambition or my desire to just make change or make impact.

[00:14:54] Yeah.

[00:14:55] And, you know, moving into the season of giving, you know, it's just, you really exemplify that, you know, and that's why I was like, I have to have Tori on for the holidays.

[00:15:02] But for the holidays, because he's such an example of that.

[00:15:05] I appreciate that.

[00:15:06] Yeah, of course.

[00:15:07] And, you know, you were saying like, it's, you know, people, you know, they kind of take advantage of that giving.

[00:15:13] Right.

[00:15:13] And it's like this law of reciprocity.

[00:15:16] Right.

[00:15:17] You know, I, I'm a firm believer in, you know, what you throw out comes back.

[00:15:21] You get what you give.

[00:15:23] And, and I, and I think I just, I hear you saying, as you're saying, oh, well, we started with, you know, between the lines and then we moved into this other thing.

[00:15:30] And now we're multimedia.

[00:15:31] And, you know, it's just like the gift that keeps on giving.

[00:15:34] You keep getting blessed because you keep doing these things.

[00:15:37] Right.

[00:15:38] And that's just, you know, I don't know how, you know, deep your faith runs or whatever, but I hear like God come through that too.

[00:15:44] You know, that's just for me or spirituality.

[00:15:47] Right.

[00:15:47] It's just like the universe is listening and saying, oh, well, Tori's doing this.

[00:15:51] And, you know, he's, he's going here, he's going this route.

[00:15:53] You know, let's just throw him some more stuff, some more good stuff to do.

[00:15:56] You know, it's like, it's like.

[00:15:58] It's definitely, definitely God.

[00:15:59] Yeah.

[00:15:59] Definitely God.

[00:16:00] I mean, I've, I've, I've never been the most religious person on the planet.

[00:16:04] Right.

[00:16:05] And when I first came out here, like everybody else, I got into, you know, I'm like, it's a universe, a universe, a universe.

[00:16:10] Right.

[00:16:10] At this point, I don't care what you call it.

[00:16:13] It's God.

[00:16:14] You know what I'm saying?

[00:16:14] It's God.

[00:16:15] I don't care what the name you have for it is, but I clearly know that, that, you know, it's bigger than me.

[00:16:21] And, you know, somebody is God in my steps and it's just on me to like take everything that I'm given, everything that's poured into me and poured out into others, you know.

[00:16:30] Yeah.

[00:16:30] And that's just, it's such a great place to be.

[00:16:33] It's such a great place to be because I'm, I, I know exactly that feeling.

[00:16:38] It's the best feeling in the world.

[00:16:39] It's the best feeling.

[00:16:40] And that's why I don't, it's, it's sometimes hard for me to understand why everybody doesn't get that.

[00:16:45] Right.

[00:16:46] Like not everybody gets that.

[00:16:48] We, you know, we live in, in, in a city and in an industry that sometimes it's just, it's not that.

[00:16:53] I don't mind competition.

[00:16:55] Right.

[00:16:55] Like competition is competition.

[00:16:57] Great.

[00:16:57] You know, basketball is a competitive sport.

[00:16:59] Right.

[00:16:59] So obviously there's going to only be one winner.

[00:17:02] I get it.

[00:17:03] Right.

[00:17:04] But like in the game of life, right.

[00:17:06] Like, like to another human being.

[00:17:12] Right.

[00:17:12] Like it's, it's really, it's like why it's so simple.

[00:17:16] Yeah.

[00:17:16] It's so simple.

[00:17:17] I mean, there's enough out here for all of us and we can, we can all win.

[00:17:20] But I think, you know, the powers that be have done a good job of like creating this idea of scarcity and they kind of like pit us all against each other.

[00:17:29] And, you know, people think that, you know, their losses are because of your wins or, you know, vice versa.

[00:17:37] So it's like, it's just weird.

[00:17:39] It's just a weird competition.

[00:17:40] And we notice it a lot in this nonprofit space, which is kind of crazy.

[00:17:45] There's this guy, Philanthropy Olympics.

[00:17:48] And it's like, you know, I talk about it all the time.

[00:17:51] It's just nuts.

[00:17:52] Philanthropy Olympics.

[00:17:52] That's hilarious.

[00:17:53] No, it really is nuts.

[00:17:54] You got people like gatekeeping philanthropy or people, you know, or like, you know, it's just weird.

[00:18:00] I mean, I guess I get it because like a lot of people are, you know, fighting for grants and funding and, you know, but like I'm one of those people that, I mean, when we met, like dead broke.

[00:18:12] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:13] Dead broke.

[00:18:13] And it was actually, yeah, I was throwing a party for a friend and we got connected, you know, through the brand that you were working with at the time.

[00:18:20] And like, you know, we threw a crazy party.

[00:18:24] Got you a lot of bottles of Bacardi.

[00:18:25] Exactly.

[00:18:25] No, it was, it was Duse at the time.

[00:18:28] Yeah, yeah.

[00:18:29] So, you know, it was nuts.

[00:18:30] It was like, and for me, I had never really done anything like with the brand or anything because I've never really, I've never really worked corporate or worked with a brand.

[00:18:39] It's like everything that I've ever done since I came out here was kind of like just on my own, just trying to figure it out, like not waiting or asking for permission.

[00:18:46] So that was like me stepping out and then like you being one of those first people to say like, hey, like I believe in this event that you're doing.

[00:18:55] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:56] And, and that was, I mean, I don't know if you know how much that, that did mean to me and how much I feel like that, you know, boosted like some social currency at the time.

[00:19:05] And I was dead broke.

[00:19:07] Yeah.

[00:19:07] You know, I was dead broke.

[00:19:09] I hear you.

[00:19:09] And yeah, that's the struggles of L.A. and how you could be throwing a party at a mansion with free bottles of douce and all that.

[00:19:18] Like there's just free bottles of liquor.

[00:19:19] Yeah.

[00:19:20] What's going on?

[00:19:21] Yeah.

[00:19:22] It, you know, that's, you know, it's funny.

[00:19:24] Another friend of mine was told me a few years ago about like, he's like, you know, that's the thing about living in L.A.

[00:19:30] Like you could be dead broke.

[00:19:31] And like the sun is shining and you're like, I'm going to go for a walk.

[00:19:35] Exactly.

[00:19:36] I'm going to go to the beach.

[00:19:37] Exactly.

[00:19:37] You know, you don't kind of feel it.

[00:19:39] That's definitely a blessing for sure.

[00:19:41] You know, gotta stay grateful.

[00:19:44] It's just, again, I just go to like the simplicity of it all.

[00:19:48] It's so simple to be in this like present space of just like gratefulness and acceptance.

[00:19:54] And like even when things might not be going the way you want it to go or awry or whatever, or even great.

[00:20:00] It's sometimes it's just like, you know, it's just being like, oh, I'm just grateful.

[00:20:05] Like today was a good day and I'm grateful.

[00:20:07] And like you said, that resilience that you were speaking of, it's like you start to recognize it's like, man, I could be happy with nothing.

[00:20:14] And I think that that's kind of like, that's the space I like to operate from where it's like, I want to do something regardless of the money involved.

[00:20:25] You know what I'm saying?

[00:20:25] Because I'm good at the end of the day.

[00:20:28] You know what I mean?

[00:20:29] Like I was not cheated in this life.

[00:20:31] You know, I'm so grateful for the upbringing that I have, the community that I have around me.

[00:20:36] And yeah, at the end of the day, I'm going to be good and I'm going to do it whether there's money involved or not.

[00:20:43] You know, nine times out of 10, you know, but I think some people, some people just don't operate like that.

[00:20:49] And I think, you know, ultimately, I just think that they, they have to be put in a certain position where they can experience that.

[00:20:57] Right.

[00:20:57] It's like you can tell people about it.

[00:20:59] And it's no different than like telling a child that the, you know, the oven is hot.

[00:21:03] It's like, you know, that's a negative, that's a negative thing, but they won't know until they touch it.

[00:21:08] So it's like, you know, I try to, when you talk about like trying to involve other community is like, I noticed that if, if I create more opportunities for people to come give and be a part of what it is that I'm doing, they can feel that feeling.

[00:21:22] And then hopefully it inspires them to go do something else as well.

[00:21:26] You know, even like the birthday give back, like I got a friend of mine who started doing it for his birthday after that, after the first time that he came, you know what I'm saying?

[00:21:34] So I actually owe him a text back.

[00:21:37] You're like, oh, I think I got to text him back.

[00:21:40] Yeah, Pat.

[00:21:40] Actually, oops.

[00:21:41] Pat, man, I got to, yeah, Pat, I got to, I got to hit you back, man.

[00:21:44] Sorry, Pat.

[00:21:44] He actually hit me up because he's been off of social media and he knew that I do it around my birthday and he wanted to be a part of it.

[00:21:51] But he actually reached out a day after we had already done the give back.

[00:21:55] Oh, and I, and I didn't, I got to get back to him and let him know that we had already done it.

[00:21:59] But yeah.

[00:22:00] You're like, whoops.

[00:22:01] Sorry, Pat.

[00:22:01] Yeah, my bad, Pat.

[00:22:02] My bad, Pat.

[00:22:02] Text is coming.

[00:22:03] Sorry.

[00:22:04] You know, and you know, in all of this too, right?

[00:22:08] Because we could, there was a quote, I don't, there's a quote I must have pulled from your bio.

[00:22:11] I think I pulled from one of your bios.

[00:22:13] You know, it was like that when you worked on the Skid Row project, you know, you raised $9,000, you filled up a truck with a bunch of stuff with folks on Skid Row,

[00:22:24] that the quote that you said from that day was, it was the therapy that you needed.

[00:22:30] And again, you know, with that being said, how important in all of this is mental health, right?

[00:22:36] For yourself, right?

[00:22:37] Like you see everybody else and you're helping other folks, but like your own mental health in that sense, right?

[00:22:43] Like how do you temper that?

[00:22:45] How do you balance that?

[00:22:47] I'm not going to lie.

[00:22:48] It's pretty, it's pretty tough at times, especially as an empath.

[00:22:51] Yeah.

[00:22:52] What you're seeing is pretty, that's real.

[00:22:55] That's real life.

[00:22:56] That's like folks on the streets with an addiction.

[00:22:59] Right.

[00:23:00] Right.

[00:23:01] I mean, you know, and you know, some are, some are addicted, some are not, you know what I'm saying?

[00:23:05] Some have just fallen on, on tough times.

[00:23:08] So it's like, you really see like a full spectrum, you know, a full range of situations out there.

[00:23:14] But like as an empath and, you know, whether it's, you know, being on Skid Row or whether it's being in the prisons, like just feeling everything.

[00:23:20] I think it's a, it's kind of like, I'm not going to say it's a blessing for sure.

[00:23:25] I'm not going to say it's a curse, but it's definitely, it's definitely heavy at times.

[00:23:29] And, you know, I find myself just kind of like, you know, withdrawing for days after, like, you know, after Skid Row or after prison.

[00:23:40] Like, you know, I, I kind of isolate myself for a while.

[00:23:44] And there's that moment where I'm like, damn, like, you know, you feel hopeless.

[00:23:50] And then, you know, you start to become recharged after that.

[00:23:54] Like a couple of days, I'm ready, I'm ready to go again.

[00:23:56] So like every time I, I go and experience somebody that, you know, has less than or, you know, is in a situation where I can help them.

[00:24:07] I'm like, all right, like I got more work to do, you know?

[00:24:10] So that's kind of how I take it.

[00:24:12] And it's like, not only do I have more work to do in, you know, my personal, but it's like, also, it's like, how can I inspire others to want to do this work as well?

[00:24:21] You know, or like have their own version of it, you know?

[00:24:23] It's like, like even with the prison program, like I'll get people that'll say like, oh, well, why don't you guys focus on the juveniles?

[00:24:31] Juveniles or, you know, and, you know, I do other work with, with juveniles, but it's like, if that's what you think needs to be done, then you can get up and do it as well.

[00:24:43] It's like, I'm kind of, you know, I was raised on like, you know, Gil Scott Heron and like, you know, people who like were really about that action.

[00:24:51] And it was like, you know, if, if you're not going to do anything, then the last thing, you know, you're reserved is the right to complain.

[00:24:59] Right.

[00:24:59] You know, so get up and do something.

[00:25:01] If you ain't going to help, then shut up.

[00:25:02] You know what I'm saying?

[00:25:03] So that's kind of the thing, like any of my friends will tell you, it's like, sometimes like, I think that, you know, some of my friends will be like, oh, you're a little insensitive when it comes to, I'm like, I'm not going to help.

[00:25:13] I'm not going to, I'm just not going to listen to you complain all day.

[00:25:16] And I'm not saying that there isn't a space or a moment for that, but it's like, at a certain point, it's like, you know?

[00:25:23] Yeah.

[00:25:23] Taking, taking inspired action is what I'm hearing you say too.

[00:25:27] Right.

[00:25:27] Like, like be the change you want to see.

[00:25:30] Right.

[00:25:30] Right.

[00:25:31] Is that Gandhi?

[00:25:32] Yeah.

[00:25:32] Was it Gandhi?

[00:25:33] That's Gandhi.

[00:25:33] Yeah.

[00:25:34] I got it right.

[00:25:34] Okay.

[00:25:35] Yeah.

[00:25:35] That's actually my wifi network at the crib.

[00:25:38] It's like, if people come over there, be like, oh, this is corny.

[00:25:41] This guy here.

[00:25:42] Of course that is.

[00:25:44] Wi-Fi.

[00:25:45] I'm cool with a good cry and a good, you know, I could be a shoulder to lean on, but it's like, at a certain point, we got to, we got to figure out.

[00:25:53] Exactly.

[00:25:53] Right.

[00:25:54] Be an adult.

[00:25:55] Right.

[00:25:55] Like, just take responsibility and taking inspired action, which is like so important in today's world.

[00:26:01] I feel like, you know, being an example, right?

[00:26:05] Being a positive example.

[00:26:06] I think there's so many people that, you know, feel like, you know, nobody's perfect.

[00:26:15] You're right.

[00:26:15] Nobody's perfect.

[00:26:17] I'm not perfect.

[00:26:18] I'm not saying I'm perfect.

[00:26:19] Right.

[00:26:20] But I know what I've been through.

[00:26:22] I'd rather, I'd rather be inspiring to someone.

[00:26:26] And I don't have to boast it because I don't get that from you either.

[00:26:28] Like, you're not like, hey, I gave away stuff to people on Skid Row.

[00:26:33] You don't do it from that angle.

[00:26:35] You're doing it as like, you really live it.

[00:26:38] Right.

[00:26:38] And you consistently, because it's a consistency for me.

[00:26:41] Right.

[00:26:41] It's the fact that you do it over and over and over again.

[00:26:45] And you're pulling more people into it.

[00:26:48] Just like I said, you know, with between the lines, like I, I didn't know you could take females in there too.

[00:26:55] Oh yeah.

[00:26:55] Even the female prisons.

[00:26:56] Like, that's something I definitely, I, for some reason I thought that that wasn't a possibility.

[00:27:01] Yeah.

[00:27:01] I think that's a common, that's a common, like a lot of people, a lot of people think that.

[00:27:05] And I would have thought that at first too.

[00:27:07] I'm horrible at basketball.

[00:27:08] So it's just, for me, I'm like, I don't know.

[00:27:10] See, that's the thing is that, see, that's the thing is that you don't, you know, you don't have to come in and play basketball.

[00:27:16] It's like, you know, we had another young lady who came in with us last month and she has an amazing platform.

[00:27:24] It's called community as therapy.

[00:27:25] Community as therapy.

[00:27:27] You guys should go follow that and check it out where she does like these raw, like sit down interviews with people.

[00:27:33] And, you know, she comes from a space where, you know, she was impacted by the prison system and was really facing some years and was able to get through that.

[00:27:42] But then she dedicated her life just to helping people out.

[00:27:45] So she also has a therapy background.

[00:27:47] So she is a therapist, but she's been kind of, you know, moving from that space to a space of giving through storytelling.

[00:27:55] So it was kind of amazing, you know, how we were aligned and she actually came into the prison with us and she was able to conduct some interviews with some of the guys behind the walls as well.

[00:28:04] So, you know, whatever it is that you feel that you can offer, like we're putting together a yoga meditation program as well with one of our volunteers who's been there.

[00:28:19] Been on every visit since we started.

[00:28:22] Doc Campbell.

[00:28:22] Shout out to Doc.

[00:28:23] He's my man.

[00:28:24] Nice.

[00:28:24] I haven't been to these, but I know about the ones that are with equine, with horses, that there's equine programs that are for, they kind of, they tend, they say that the, I think it was a post that I posted on Instagram too, that most of the officers that work with these inmates that go through that program are better adjusted through that.

[00:28:49] And it seems like programs like that are definitely needed, but they're not highlighted as much.

[00:28:55] You just hear the negative of like, well, they're all, these are the people in prison.

[00:29:00] This is it.

[00:29:00] But we don't hear about the.

[00:29:02] Right.

[00:29:02] Everything's like sensationalized.

[00:29:02] Yeah.

[00:29:03] And it's like shock value is the thing that's kind of like leading, you know.

[00:29:07] It's like shock value is so boring.

[00:29:11] If you look at like, if you look at, I mean, I would bet that like the top 10 on Netflix right now, there's like a couple that have something to do with prison or murder.

[00:29:19] Right.

[00:29:20] Or, you know, something.

[00:29:21] It's like people, you know, people, people love that stuff.

[00:29:24] So it's like, what we're trying to do is, is give like raw accounts, but, you know, with a positive spin on it.

[00:29:31] And the thing is, like, we're not trying to be biased.

[00:29:34] We're not painting anybody as innocent, you know what I'm saying?

[00:29:37] But we're just trying to humanize individuals as best as we can and draw parallels between the lives of these individuals and the lives of a lot of people on the outside.

[00:29:46] And recognizing that, you know, had you been in this same situation that this person was in, you might have made this decision too.

[00:29:51] And they made that decision.

[00:29:54] And honestly, it's like, you know, I think like there's a lot of misconceptions surrounding, you know, incarcerated individuals where people say they're like, oh, they don't, they lack accountability or responsibility.

[00:30:05] It's like, man, like when we sit down and we, when we speak to them, it's like, you know, it's not a lot of like, oh, I didn't do anything.

[00:30:13] Or it's like, you know, I did this and now I recognize the, you know, the ripple effect of my actions and I'm working to change this.

[00:30:24] And, you know, some people will say like, man, you know, I needed to go to prison.

[00:30:27] If I didn't go to prison, I would be dead, you know, or I would never have this mindset.

[00:30:31] So, you know, the people make their decisions, they get their time and then, you know, it's all about what they do after that.

[00:30:37] And I think that there are a lot of people who are redeemable.

[00:30:41] I think the majority of the people that are in prison are redeemable.

[00:30:44] And it's a responsibility of ours to make sure that we show them love or provide them the resources to allow them to thrive.

[00:30:52] You know what I'm saying?

[00:30:52] It's a, you know, people are like, well, what do they need?

[00:30:54] It's like, they need a lot of the same stuff that we need on the outside, you know?

[00:30:57] And if this person was lacking a hug or some love, you know, and that led them down this path, it's like, how can we give that to them?

[00:31:05] Right.

[00:31:05] You know, in one way, shape or form.

[00:31:07] And I think it's, if we want to like, you know, work on people's fears, like a lot of these television shows do or the news or, you know, presidential candidates.

[00:31:19] If we want to work on people's fears, we got to understand that 90% of these individuals on a state level are getting out one day.

[00:31:26] So if, you know, where are they going to go?

[00:31:29] And along the way, if you can help in that process, right, that readjustment process, right?

[00:31:35] Like, like you went to the dime and you saw somebody there and he recognized you and was like, oh my God.

[00:31:41] And like that.

[00:31:42] He was in the real world.

[00:31:43] Like he's out.

[00:31:44] He's out.

[00:31:45] But he, but it's so fulfilling.

[00:31:47] Right.

[00:31:47] That's so fulfilling to be like, I touched somebody's life in such a positive way.

[00:31:51] Right.

[00:31:52] I uplifted them.

[00:31:53] Right.

[00:31:53] Out of whatever situation they were in, whether that was emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

[00:31:58] Right.

[00:31:59] Like you touch them in a way that it changed their life.

[00:32:03] Right.

[00:32:03] So now when they're outside and they see you and they see something familiar, that was positive.

[00:32:07] Their outside world now is positive.

[00:32:10] There's positive experiences.

[00:32:12] That must be so, you know, life changing for those.

[00:32:17] I mean, you know, I hope so.

[00:32:19] You know, we don't often recognize or know exactly how we impact other people.

[00:32:24] But I'd like to say I at least made an attempt to change somebody's lives.

[00:32:27] Like, man, last week we actually, our organization actually did a birthday party for a guy that we met within the prison.

[00:32:36] And it was his first birthday out in eight years.

[00:32:38] So he was super excited, had his family come out.

[00:32:41] And it was just the most beautiful thing to see his smile and, you know, just see the joy on his face and the face of his family as well.

[00:32:48] Just, you know, seeing their son out after after eight years, you know, and that's it's one of the shorter terms, you know.

[00:32:55] But it's crazy.

[00:32:57] Yeah.

[00:32:57] Yeah.

[00:32:59] Where, like, if somebody wants to, you know, get involved in their own community, right, and do stuff like this, similar stuff like this in their own community, where do you think people should start?

[00:33:08] Like, what would be a good, like, first starting point for somebody that might be, like, for viewers that might want to be like, hey, I want to do what he's doing?

[00:33:15] Like, what would be?

[00:33:16] So, you know, I'm going to, this is actually a really good question.

[00:33:20] I've been having a lot of conversations about this lately.

[00:33:22] And, again, like, I'm going to shout out Gil Scott Heron, like, you know, but he was one of those people who said, like, you know, you got to start within your house.

[00:33:30] And then, you know, and then you start with your neighbor and then you do the block.

[00:33:34] And, you know, it's his whole concept was like, you don't go out and try to save the world without having done the steps prior to.

[00:33:40] Right.

[00:33:40] And I think that, you know, we live in this world where everything has to be big or it has to be, oh, for social media, it's got to look a certain way.

[00:33:48] Do it for the gram.

[00:33:48] Yeah, exactly.

[00:33:49] And there's this, like, you know, analysis paralysis where we just, like, we think ourselves out of action.

[00:33:55] And I don't think it has to be anything big.

[00:33:58] I don't think you have to wait on any permission.

[00:34:01] You just got to start.

[00:34:03] It could be a conversation.

[00:34:04] It could be, you know, holding the people in your life accountable.

[00:34:07] But, I mean, I think we just overthink it at the end of the day because it's like, all right, if you want to go feed the homeless, like, grab some food and go find a homeless person.

[00:34:18] Feed them.

[00:34:19] Yeah, I mean, you know, if that's your method, then, you know.

[00:34:21] Or your car.

[00:34:22] Yeah.

[00:34:23] You know, I have a friend of mine who she's worked for the LAPD for years.

[00:34:30] And I get it.

[00:34:31] She sees it from a slightly, you know, different perspective having worked there for so long.

[00:34:35] And I think on one of my posts when I said I was going to go out and feed the homeless, I'm not sure if she knew that I had been doing this for a few years.

[00:34:44] But she was like, you know, reach out to me because I have a friend that works over there.

[00:34:48] And there's a process when it comes to.

[00:34:51] And, you know, stuff like that stresses me out because it's like I got to reach out to you and get permission from this person.

[00:34:56] I'm like, no, no, no, no.

[00:34:58] I can't.

[00:34:58] I can't.

[00:34:59] I'm going to go get a $20 U-Haul.

[00:35:00] I'm going to get with my friends who have been doing this with me for, you know, four years now.

[00:35:05] Shout out to Steve and Tiff.

[00:35:06] And we're going to fill up this U-Haul.

[00:35:08] And whoever wants to come with us is going to come with us.

[00:35:10] And we're going to go down there and just do it.

[00:35:12] So I would say just have some audacity and, like, don't always ask for permission and don't think it has to look a certain way.

[00:35:21] It's like it's more about the action.

[00:35:23] It's like, you know, you start and then things evolve.

[00:35:26] You know what I mean?

[00:35:27] Like we talked about, like, the start of Between the Lines and how it's steadily evolved, you know.

[00:35:32] So I would say just focus on what you can do around you.

[00:35:37] You know, everybody is up in arms about the election.

[00:35:39] And, you know, I was too.

[00:35:40] There was a moment where, you know, I'm like, damn, like, I'm mourning this loss.

[00:35:44] I'm like, oh, like, you know, what's this going to be like?

[00:35:48] But at the end of the day, it's like that should motivate you to get up and do something, right?

[00:35:52] Because there are things that are within our control.

[00:35:54] And if you're not going to do anything and you just want to sit around and complain, then it's like.

[00:35:58] Taking inspired action.

[00:36:00] Exactly.

[00:36:00] Taking inspired action.

[00:36:02] Just start somewhere no matter how.

[00:36:04] Small.

[00:36:05] It's not small because it's a seed and it's going to grow, you know what I'm saying?

[00:36:08] And then, you know, you're going to refine your action and then learn how to make more impact over time.

[00:36:16] So everything's got to start somewhere.

[00:36:17] I would say just start.

[00:36:19] That's it.

[00:36:20] Yeah.

[00:36:20] Yeah.

[00:36:21] And a lot of what I talk about on here, too, is like being in a race of your own, which is you exemplify that.

[00:36:26] You've just always been in a race of your own.

[00:36:28] You do your own things your own way and you go for it.

[00:36:30] Like you say, you take inspired action.

[00:36:32] So for the times you're going up the hill, down the hill, you plateau or the moments that there's tumbleweed moments.

[00:36:37] What's for the viewers, you know, some feedback or some some inspiring words.

[00:36:42] What would you say is, you know, a great way to look at staying in a race of your own?

[00:36:47] Right.

[00:36:47] Because there's going to be those moments where you're just like, I'm just there's just tumbleweeds.

[00:36:53] There's nothing.

[00:36:53] There's I don't know how to stay inspired in this moment.

[00:36:56] Right.

[00:36:57] What would you say?

[00:37:01] One, as we spoke before, it's like overthinking can just kill everything and recognizing that every day that you wake up is another day that you could make some sort of change and, you know, change your situation and the situation, people around you.

[00:37:18] And then I will always say I would also say we don't have to proclaim anything.

[00:37:25] Right.

[00:37:26] Like we don't have to like label ourselves anything.

[00:37:29] We don't have to like convince the world that we are this or are that.

[00:37:33] Like there's a lot of power in just being, you know, and that's something that I've been talking about with my friends a lot.

[00:37:40] And it's like, you know, whether it's relationships or whatever the case may be, it's like if you if you want that, just be that, you know what I'm saying?

[00:37:49] And just I don't know.

[00:37:51] It's like I think a lot of people, you know, especially in this podcast era that we that we live in, you know what I'm saying?

[00:37:58] Where people are like, you know, they want to convince themselves they're a good person.

[00:38:02] They want to convince themselves that they're more righteous than the next.

[00:38:05] They want to convince themselves that, you know, they're anything.

[00:38:08] It's like, you could just be.

[00:38:09] It's like you don't have to have a label.

[00:38:12] Just just just be and inspire others by just being.

[00:38:15] You know what I'm saying?

[00:38:15] And so for me, I draw a lot of inspiration from the people around me.

[00:38:20] I love seeing whether it's your posts or, you know, there's there's there's tons of friends around me that are just doing some really amazing things.

[00:38:28] And I think it's all about the community that you keep around you.

[00:38:32] The people around you should keep you inspired.

[00:38:34] You know, if they see something in you, you know, they should hold you accountable for, you know, taking action on those things that have been given to you, you know, from God.

[00:38:41] So, you know, if you're lacking inspiration, I feel like, you know, you need to look at the people around you and, you know, ask a lot of questions and, you know, see what it is that inspires them or, you know, give.

[00:38:56] I think that's really the thing.

[00:38:58] It's like I'm inspired.

[00:39:00] I'm always inspired because I know that feeling of giving and it's addicting.

[00:39:04] You know, it's a drug.

[00:39:06] And I'm always looking for another hit.

[00:39:09] For real.

[00:39:10] For real.

[00:39:11] So I've heard I've heard the saying and I've said it before.

[00:39:15] And I can't remember.

[00:39:16] So like apologies on who did say it, but it was like, I don't want to be a human doing.

[00:39:21] I want to be a human being, you know, and so.

[00:39:24] Right.

[00:39:25] And so it's true because we're so busy being like, I got to go here.

[00:39:29] I got to go there.

[00:39:30] I got to do this.

[00:39:30] I got to do that.

[00:39:32] And then you're like, no, I just want to be.

[00:39:34] I just want to be in this present moment.

[00:39:36] I just want to be here right now doing this.

[00:39:38] This is where I'm at.

[00:39:40] And then the next moment will be the next moment.

[00:39:42] I don't want to.

[00:39:43] I have to do this.

[00:39:44] Right.

[00:39:44] I have to run.

[00:39:44] I have to.

[00:39:46] Yeah.

[00:39:46] It's like reframing it from, you know, I catch myself sometimes where I say like, I have

[00:39:50] to do this or like, you know, and they're reframing it to say like, I get to do this,

[00:39:55] you know, and like looking at it as like a gift.

[00:39:57] And I also understand that like my frame of reference comes from a place of, you know,

[00:40:06] privilege for sure.

[00:40:07] I've been privileged in so many different ways.

[00:40:09] And I know that like, you know, as like people of color, like we don't often talk about

[00:40:14] our privileges more so like, oh, there's white, you know, but I mean, I was privileged

[00:40:19] in so many different ways.

[00:40:20] I mean, I had, you know, both my parents growing up and that's something that a lot of my friends

[00:40:24] did not, you know, my parents been married 30 some odd years and, you know, they poured

[00:40:28] into me.

[00:40:29] Yeah.

[00:40:29] They poured into me and they've, you know, had a, kept a community around me, family

[00:40:34] and extended family that has poured into me as well.

[00:40:37] And, you know, it's kind of like that story where it's like, oh man, nobody believed in

[00:40:42] me.

[00:40:42] Like, I can't, I can't really relate to that because it was quite the opposite where,

[00:40:46] you know, everybody poured into me and everybody believed that I could do anything that I put

[00:40:50] my mind to truly.

[00:40:51] And they instilled that in me.

[00:40:53] And for a while that was, you know, that was tough to kind of deal with because I felt

[00:40:58] like if I wasn't doing something, if I wasn't always doing something and I was always letting

[00:41:02] somebody down.

[00:41:04] So it's kind of, it's kind of, it's kind of weird, but I will say that it has always served

[00:41:09] as a reminder of, of, of how very fortunate I am.

[00:41:13] And, you know, the whole idea of to, to whom much is given, you know, much is required.

[00:41:18] And I know that I've been given the world.

[00:41:21] If I had to go tomorrow, I would be fully content, satisfied that, you know, I had quite a ride.

[00:41:29] But, you know, with that comes a responsibility to give.

[00:41:32] So I think that's kind of like the driving force behind a lot of my, a lot of my action.

[00:41:38] Yeah.

[00:41:38] Yeah.

[00:41:38] Thank you so much, Tori, for being here.

[00:41:40] I so appreciate you.

[00:41:42] Thank you for having me.

[00:41:43] Your love, your light, your everything.

[00:41:44] You're just an amazing individual.

[00:41:45] And I see you continuing to do this and just like doing all things.

[00:41:49] And we didn't really touch upon this either, but you brought me in some Bel Air.

[00:41:53] Luke Bel Air, is that how you say it?

[00:41:54] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:41:54] Did I say that right?

[00:41:55] Some Bel Air.

[00:41:56] Bel Air.

[00:41:56] Yeah, yeah.

[00:41:57] People are more familiar with the black bottles, I feel like.

[00:42:00] Oh, yeah?

[00:42:00] Is it champagne?

[00:42:01] Yeah, champagne.

[00:42:02] Well, it looks like champagne.

[00:42:03] Duh.

[00:42:04] Duh.

[00:42:04] I will definitely be taking inspired action with these.

[00:42:09] Oh, okay.

[00:42:10] I will.

[00:42:11] Thank you so much for that.

[00:42:12] Just wanted to shout them out.

[00:42:13] No, absolutely.

[00:42:13] Absolutely.

[00:42:13] I really appreciate that.

[00:42:15] Shout out to Bel Air.

[00:42:16] Courtesy of the company.

[00:42:17] Yeah, shout out Bel Air.

[00:42:18] Thank you so much for these because I will be, I will definitely be enjoying these over

[00:42:22] the holidays.

[00:42:23] Thank you so much, Tori.

[00:42:24] I really appreciate it.

[00:42:25] Thank you so much for having me.

[00:42:26] This is a beautiful platform that you have here.

[00:42:28] I love the entire concept.

[00:42:31] You definitely run your own race too.

[00:42:33] Dude.

[00:42:33] I'm trying.

[00:42:34] I'm just, you know, I'm doing my best.

[00:42:36] There's no such thing.

[00:42:37] Right.

[00:42:37] No, I learned not to use the word trying because it's already an admittance to failure is what

[00:42:43] I've been told.

[00:42:44] So it's like I'm doing my best.

[00:42:45] Right.

[00:42:45] I'm doing my best.

[00:42:46] I'm always just like doing my best.

[00:42:49] So I just appreciate having you here.

[00:42:51] Thank you so much for the light and the love that you're bringing into this world and

[00:42:55] into this space.

[00:42:55] I really appreciate that.

[00:42:57] And this is Virgil Rodriguez for A Race of Your Own.

[00:42:59] Please subscribe.

[00:43:00] Leave us your comments, your feedback.

[00:43:02] If you want to get involved, reach out.

[00:43:04] Let us know what you're feeling and we will see you soon.

[00:43:07] Have a happy holidays.

[00:43:09] Bye.

[00:43:10] All right.

[00:43:10] Later.

[00:43:12] Later.