Empowering Conversations at 'The Kickback': Saving Our Communities

0:00 Good afternoon. Episode of The Kickback. I am your host, The Dude. And as we do every week, if you can read the statement that's inside the box on the screen, it says we don't go for anything foul, any racism, any bad language, any of those things. We do not tolerate it. We are here to empower and to inform men, community. This is The Kickback. I am your host, The Dude, and this is another episode of Topic Tuesday. Tonight, we have a wonderful guest. Music.

1:17 Good afternoon, good afternoon, Mr. Sterling Rice. Can you hear me? Yes, sir. I can hear you. I can hear you. Can you hear me? Yes, sir. How you doing today? The dude? I am fine. I am fine. This is the kickback. This is a place for brothers where we have true, transparent, and vulnerable conversations about life, love, and the everyday struggles of a man. We'd like to welcome you, Mr. 100, to the kickback. Man, what's up? Man thank you man you're welcome you're welcome sir you are an ordinary person that's doing extraordinary things in your community yes well i can't take the credit i gotta give credit to god there you go there you go man i couldn't have done it without him listen i tell people all the time god gave me this idea to have a place for men to come and have real transparent conversations it's all through him it's all through him I ain't got nothing to do with it it's all through him people just you know they like to give credit to themselves but I don't give no credit to myself it's all God what you said what you said man hold up that's my line that's my line you can't do that.

2:41 I'm sorry I just did it and you just came in and I was saying what's up you just jumped right in and that's my line. What's up dave man man how y'all doing tonight man i'm 100 man took us a minute to get on here but now we on here yes yes it's a blessing and as i do every tuesday i tell my guests my show runs like a mother we're gonna get all the business out up front and then we're gonna have a party on the back end and so what i call the party is i ask you a few questions, just nothing personal nothing harmful but just a few fun questions at the end of the interview man you do what you do man i'm coming straight off straight off my heart so whatever you ask me i will never get offended all right so for the people introduce yourself and tell them who you are what you're about and where you're from man how you doing my name is sterling like in silver because i like to shine i was on the show hell's kitchen and it blew me up i'm a celebrity chef i'm from jc napier my motto is impact over income impact over income that is a beautiful motto because i tell people all the time in this world in this society they measure a man's worth by what he can produce and that is so wrong yes that is so wrong so here's a

4:17 here's here's a bit of an insight i bet you don't remember me. Charge it to my head, not my heart. That's okay. That's fine. I was the guy that was selling hot dogs on Trinity Lane. Trinity Lane. A few years back, you were with the guy. Y'all were renting a truck, and y'all were selling food on the corner of Trinity Lane and Dixon Road. Yeah, the old White Castles. The old White Castles building. Right. He used the hot dog. That means he was using by the car one side. Yep. How you doing, though? I'm doing fine. I'm doing fine. Like I said, like I said, this is something that God put on my heart, man, to have conversations with ordinary men that are doing extraordinary things in their right.

5:06 So you are a Nashville native. So am I a Nashville native. And what we're doing is we're trying to start a conglomerate of positive male role models here in Nashville so that we can save our youth. News i'm down with that definitely you know a few weeks ago i saw you on the news, they're walking through your community yes i'm always like main reason i don't go work no well because our kids out south don't have a real meal to show them life if they when they come out their door they don't see nothing positive so I know I'm there to change that right and that's respect that's with any right that's respect because I tell men all the time if you're in the presence of a young boy then you are a father you're a father in that moment if you're in the presence of a young boy correct.

6:06 Go ahead no like me like I got a culinary school out there totally free and the majority of my students is raised by single moms. Okay. What impact is that having on the community? Oh, man, it's lovely because these kids look up. My head chef is 15. His name is Xavier. My sous chef is Mariana. She's 13. They see another avenue to success. And it's not about rapping. It's not about being an athlete. It's just simply cooking, uh-huh and it's there to change man it's a food desert out there and so by the grace of god, god gave me a credit i mean make sure the kids have food so when they come in they get to eat and they take food home to feed their families and you know on a full stomach you don't do violence.

7:10 You ready to go sit down somewhere and watch some tv or or do some homework or something you ready to do something that's going to relax you and going to you know get you through to the next day yes correct and also i'm hanging up so i'm gonna announce this on your podcast, i'm giving up going to cook for celebrities to take a job at mcgavik to teach culinary That is wonderful. That is wonderful. That is wonderful. So you're going to you're going to do a color. You're going to do that culinary program at McGathey. Yes, I'm going to be. That's what saved me.

7:51 Was that clay? And so that's my alumni. So I'm going to give back. If I always tell these kids how to be successful, what better way to show them what it looks like? Very true so here's the question between when you were growing up on those same streets that you're trying to save those children on to where it is now what is the biggest difference in the community it's no more older men to sit down and tell tell a young man boy sit down it's not no older people to check these young kids anymore they scared of them, And I realize the majority of these young ladies, when you try to help them, the biggest thing I hear, I don't need your help.

8:40 And, you know, coming up back then, it took a village. I want to bring back the village. That's why I say we're trying to get a conglomerate of men to get together here in Nashville so that we can. That's the idea. And that's the goal of what we're trying to do here at the Kickback is we're trying to create a village. We're trying to create a village of strong and positive men to show these young boys that what you're going through right now is not your forever. Because a lot of them feel like what they're going through right now is their forever. And it could change tomorrow. It could change next week. It could change next month. But all they can see is what they're going through right now.

9:24 Yes and i can't people always blaming these kids but they don't realize they are what they see, and a lot of people don't understand that and oh i've tried to you're right i tried to explain that theory also i've told in a couple of my shows i talked about it where i said the first the first example of an adult that a child has in their life is their parents so if a little boy sees a man disrespecting women then he's going to grow up and think that that's the way a man is supposed to treat a woman and if a little girl grows up and sees her mama disrespect herself and have men running in and out of the house and not taking care of her business then that's what she's going to think a woman is supposed to be also.

10:13 In the inner city they don't believe in speaking positive to our kids they just like notice all the rough areas there's no nice grocery stores, I noticed that. I noticed that. What neighborhood was I in? And I was like, wow, y'all got to go this far to go? Oh, I was on Clarksville Highway. Clarksville Highway. At Dodds. Dodds. Yeah. Well, they got a store closer than us. Like, look at JC University Court. It's the biggest housing projects in Nashville. It's over 811 units there.

10:54 Where's the new grocery store? On 8th Avenue, I think, is the Kroger's, right? It's the Kroger's, and then on the other part of South, Franklin Roll. Now, what if somebody there in a wheelchair? Very true. Who don't have a car? Very true. Very true. So, wait, I'll be going. Go ahead. I said, you were about to explain. You were about to answer the question that I was about to ask. What are people in those particular situations doing for groceries? Well, I got to give my props to second-hand, second-harvest foods. But also, they don't be able to reach some of the senior citizens who's in a wheelchair.

11:36 So my goal is to try to get a bunch of these baskets, you know, the old-school baskets where they can push it. Because when second, when they give the food away, it's heavy for some of these ladies. And there's not no real men out there that are told the groceries to the project. Yeah that is that is a conundrum right there because you know you already can't get to the grocery store then these people bring the food to you and then you can't manage to get it into your apartment correct i want to get a bunch of men together i mean i know every senior citizen wherever they live at in south nashville all right so everybody's talking about helping them But man, you know, right now, like I had learned a lot of people use my name instead of having my back.

12:26 Right, right. That is, that is, a lot of people do that because they want the credit, but they don't want to put in the work. Correct. So that's why I trip out. They come out there, name an hour, and they take a picture and I see their social media page. We out here serving, we out here doing this, and you ain't done nothing. And then that irks me like it really irks me that's why you don't see me on pictures with no organizations no more. Until you build a relationship with my people, don't come and ask me to help you do anything. Respect. And I understand that totally. And we have become a society of people that that's what we do now.

13:09 Everything is a social media post. Everything is a post nowadays. I got to get some likes. I got to get some followers. I got to get some likes. You know what? God didn't have likes and followers. I mean, in that sense, in that sense, he didn't have likes and followers. He had true believers that he was the he was the person that did the things for you and as I said before if it wasn't for God I wouldn't be here right now we wouldn't be here having this conversation because God put it on our hearts to be the men that we are and to have the the passion for people as we do you have a passion for your community I got not just my community all over the United States.

13:55 But I know I'm rare like you're rare. And so I'm happy for that. I really applaud that because you know why? We're the last of a dead breed. And if everybody wanted, if everybody would like us, we wouldn't be different. That's what people go. And I love that. Like we're chosen. We're not selected. We're chosen. A lot of people. Go ahead. You're stepping all on my toes, man, because my pastor said the same thing to me. He said a lot of people want to be in the position that you're in. You're chosen. You are chosen.

14:36 Sometimes being in a chosen position feels lonely because people don't understand where your heart and your mind is. Number one is a number as a lonely number sir very true very true and number one is an odd number sir so guess what it makes you odd makes you different makes you stand out you you can't take everybody you know i'm saying which you where you want to go that's impossible oh you're right, but you gotta realize instead of thinking of his lonely man you at that table god put you at this table that you get to eat by yourself and let your enemies watch you eat what God has blessed you to have.

15:20 That's a blessing. It is a blessing and God's been telling me these things, the same things that you're saying but in a different format. I go home some days and I talk to my wife and I say, why me, babe? Why did he choose me to be in this position? It's why not to? That's what she says. That's what she says. Yeah. I ain't never talked to her. It's obvious. It's confirmation. Right, right, right. It's affirmation all the way around. Because, you know, we all have done things in our life. We've all done some things in our lives. And we've all done some things that was not godly.

16:01 We've all done some things that we felt like we shouldn't have been doing or whatever it may have been. And god brought me so far through the things i've been through see you're south nashville i'm an east nashville okay when back in the day where we got along right right because see i grew up in sam levy i grew up on lishie avenue i was yeah okay but i'm gonna gather but how old are you i'm 52 you're i am 45 so you still got a lot of catching up to do you don't know what the state you know what I'm saying you don't know what it's like when we go out there to sell a court to play ball then gotta go against the bottom boys to get fight to get home no I don't I don't know because back when I was coming up you stay you know people don't understand when I was growing up East Nashville was separated into three neighborhoods you had correct the bottom correct.

17:00 Oh, you forgot about L.A. Yeah, yeah. We're in the apartment. Yeah. Oh, and then you got Langard. Yes. But see, y'all had your own sets. Like in J.C., like even though UC is right across the street, you had just different cliques. Like when y'all went out to the clubs, oh, man, they come to do some family. Oh, man, come to gas and sell a court. They go to gas and Joe Johnson. Yep, yep. Yep, yep, yep. Yep, that's the way it was. That was life back then, but it was a little more cohesive than it is right now.

17:40 It was a little more cohesive. So here's the thing. Let's talk more about what Mr. 100 has going on in the neighborhood. Now, you said you have a chef, a head chef, and a sous chef. Where is your kitchen located? 155 LaFed used to be the liquor store. Now it's the Tennessee Justice Center. It's a place where you used to cross the street to kill yourself, and then you cross the street to save your life. In this building, you get help with EBT, you get health insurance. Then you go downstairs to the NKT, my family, where you can get counseling, church services. We're just a community inside the building.

18:22 We're there to show you that we are an impact and we're going to love on you. And what made me... Go ahead. I didn't mean to interrupt you. Go ahead. so what made me love this building that this woman michelle johnson uh they invested in this building like one no a lot of no offense no other white people say they want to help i can but how many actually move out there right so they they they move in this building and it's just been a life-changing pattern and i'm loving it you can tell god is changing it ain't gonna happen overnight but it's a work it's taking one step at a time how long have you all been in business, at this particular location two years two years so in two years how what what what would you say your success rate is well i started off in a small church doing this cooking the right way with two eyes on my 50th birthday the ceo michelle johnson said i'm gonna give you a kitchen to work out of.

19:32 Totally free then i meet jonathan who was my pastor who got me closer to god because you know you got a lot of i didn't believe in churches man because everybody was phony to me everybody to me they was a business they went church but you see so when you see these people want to go in the projects and want to help, put me on the front line, yes sir so you know shout out your church what is your church home name napier kitchen table 155 to fit everything we do in this building man we feed every sunday the community totally free you go to churches everybody want to charge for a plate that ain't how i grew up right right so we don't force you go ahead we don't force you to come and go to church we feed you first then if you want to stay for church service you're welcome to.

20:29 Okay i mean that is that is amazing because you don't get a lot of people that like you said church has become a business it really has church is in your heart church is inside you correct we're having church right now because the presence of god is here and i always want him Whenever I'm having a conversation with any gentleman, I want to acknowledge God. As you said in your bio, I want to scream from the mountaintops in the valley, the goodness of God. You feel me like whoever would think this man from J.C. Dapu would go to Hell's Kitchen and get to one of the meanest man on TV to fall in love with him. And then I turned out a job.

21:17 Hey, that is that is that is self, man. And I've always been, I know you proud of yourself, but I've always been proud of you. I spent 18 years myself in kitchen. I spent 18 years in kitchens all over Nashville. So I understand your plight when you say you want your diners to have a great dining experience. Yes. So now I'm bringing to people houses and I cook for them in the house and give them an experience like they never had. My difference is you go to the you go to the restaurant they cook for a paycheck man i'm gonna cook for this passion and you go every memory gotta have a moment and you're gonna remember the moment you met me once you take your first bite once you take that first bite i ain't gonna never ask you how was the food i'm gonna look at your ass roll, because God gave me this gift to blow your way.

22:15 Listen, I've never had any of your feelings, but since the first time I ever met you, man, it was an experience, and you have this aura that just attracts people, man. And I never forgot the first time I ever met you, and I was like, Sterling Wright. And then somebody was like, yeah, he was the dude that was on Hell's Kitchen. I'm like, okay, he was on Hell's Kitchen, but he a cool dude. I love his vibe. I love who he is. I love his level of intensity when it comes to what he's passionate about. Man, I thank you. I really do mean it. Thank you. Like some people, man, you done for taking, turning down a job from Gordon Ramsay.

22:57 No, that's, how you going to tell me about my decision? That ain't what God wanted me to do. I'm working for my purpose. I ate a whole lot more when you work for your purpose. man the reward is outstanding from god you can't even put in you can't even explain it, like i laugh like being i trip off man one of my things i did like i woke up one morning and say man i'm man i ain't gonna work for nobody else and i can tell my wife this i'm gonna quit. And to give me confirmation, I go to, I go cook on Tony Robinson yachts. We was on Tony Robinson yachts. Now he's clear as day. Are you going to continue to chase money or are you going to do what I asked you to do?

23:42 Hey, man. What are you doing? Man, he will, man. And next thing I know, I get a call. I'm like, what? Am I getting a prank? I'm calling my prank? Right. God. Never forget it. Juneteenth. And I was busy plus it was Father's Day man I ain't finna work this Sunday I can't do it I'm already booked now how many people tell Oprah no? Now most people won't tell her no because they feel like that's their ticket to ultimate success I told her no and I wasn't thinking when I told her no I cooked on June 20th which was on a Monday, in June of 2022 i'll never forget it that was my parents anniversary in heaven i'm like man i'm finna show out you gave it your all so both of your parents are deceased yes sir my mama died 10 years over 10 years ago it feel like yesterday my dad died in my arms but.

24:51 I used to be down about it, but, you know, everybody here temporary. What you going to do with your legacy? Exactly. Everything has an expiration. Yes. What you going to do with that dash? What are you doing with it? A lot of people ain't doing nothing with it, man. This is, you know, people always talk about money. When you talk about legacy, people always talk about money. I'm going to leave money. I'm going to leave my family. this but nine times out of ten people are living leaving grief and bills well if you notice one thing i haven't talked about is money no no we're not talking about money at all because we're here to talk about what you're doing in the community what you did on what you did on hell's kitchen is wonderful my brother and i'm not taking anything from it and you got to know one of the one of the greatest men in the world right now in the cooking industry that every person that's ever stood over a hot stove in a restaurant would love to meet but yes that's not what we're here about we're here about saving souls saving our streets saving our city because i tell people all the time if i can save one young man one but the object is to save many But if I save one, then that means I have been pleased.

26:15 I have been pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. Facts. Well, I'm going to tell you something. So I like to show facts. Can you Google something while we talk? Yes, I can. So Google WKRN bone marrow. Yes. W-A-R-N, bone marrow. All righty. Hit enter. Talking about saving the community. Every community needs a hero. Nashville Chef donates bone marrow to 18-year-old in need at Germantown. Nashville Sterling Wright is at Germantown University in Washington, D.C. on Monday to donate bone marrow.

26:58 That's what popped up. That's it. Now you're talking about somebody who done saved a life so if i can save somebody's life come on let me help you try to save your own yes sir that's wonderful that is wonderful you are like i said at the beginning you're an ordinary man doing an extraordinary thing you're doing And I thank you for that. I can't take credit. God did this. God gave me this heart. God created me. And I can't never stop giving him the glory. Amen. Amen. He is, hey, listen.

27:39 Like I said, when I read your bio and it says, I want to scream from the mountain tops and the valley, that is something I wake up with every day. Every day. every day I wake up and I want to tell somebody about the goodness and the glory of God and what he's done in my life, every day the passion that I have inside of me every day for the Lord some people can't understand it and some people act like it's too much but it's not too much he saved me when he gave me. Let me let you know something Jesus couldn't satisfy everybody but they talked about it very true And so, my mind, did we lose Dave? Because he ain't said nothing.

28:23 Yeah, Dave, he had to leave. He had some other stuff he had to take care of. Okay. I'm one of them guys. If I feel like you ain't talking about me, I must not be doing nothing. Right. Right. Right. God came to me. He came to me yesterday, and he says, Beth, son. You know, when you're in those quiet moments, you hear the voice of the Lord. When there's no distractions you hear the voice of the lord and god came to me he said somebody close to you is jealous and i'm like somebody close to me is jealous i'm trying to help out the community i'm trying to do something right why would somebody be jealous of what i got going on i ain't got no more than the next man well you don't understand they hate your platform because it's not them.

29:11 They're not going to come and tell you I'm proud of you. I wish it was me. The thing about you that I feel in my spirits, you've been around people that knows what you got, but scared to tell you. Yes. Yeah, I have. I have been. You're right. I've been around people that that have chased my coattail. And I had to learn a few years ago that what was for me is for me because I was the type of person I tried to bring everybody along with me. But then God spanked me and told me what I give you is for you. You can't bring them, him, her or whoever with you because this journey is only for you. It's not for them.

29:55 And I had to stop bringing people along. Guess who? Now you're talking to somebody to understand what you're talking about because I was that guy, too. I'm worried about making everybody else happy and I'm not even happy myself. Man, we must be twins or something. Man, for real. You see, you wonder why, what am I doing wrong? But then I find out, man, they don't talk about losers. They talk about the people who's making a difference. Man, I'll tell you what, you sure know what to say, because here's the thing. I've had this platform, man. I've I've heard from people in different walks of life. I've interviewed pastors.

30:35 I've interviewed businessmen. I've interviewed people that have their own thing going on, and everybody says that. This is something different. This is something unique because, like I tell people all the time, you can go on the internet, you can go down the street. You got three different sisterhood things where women can go and have conversations and meet up with their girls. But you don't have a place where us brothers can get together and have real conversations about life, whatever's going on with your family, what's going on in your love life, what's going on with your job. If somebody is getting on your nerves, you know, I've had multiple type of people on my platform that will tell me, you know, I usually don't talk like this when I'm around other people, but you've made me feel so comfortable in your discussions that I'm willing to open up and have conversations.

31:32 Because we as men we're looking for a place that we can lay our hair down and just talk to men and have real so can i tell you what i see through you how you're just passionate about what you just said you need to take advantage of this platform you need to do a retreat the thing is. Men is so confused like if you cry you solve if you don't cry why you don't talk to me we was confused coming up real men don't cry excuse my language being honest bullshit if you don't cry you holding in stress real men but who do we got to vent to thing about it i can't talk to other but people could guess what, just like you, they probably think you're bragging.

32:24 Right, right, right, right. Right. I'm not bragging. I'm looking. I'm telling you what God has done for me and I want to do for you. What he done for me to do for you. He's using me as an example. But instead of them looking at that, they thinking that you're bragging. So you shut up. Right. Right. That's where you wrong. Man, I'm going to keep bragging on my God. So Sunday, we were invited to a Super Bowl party at the Martha O'Brien Center. Because I did an interview with the chaplain at Martha O'Brien Community Center. His name is Chaplain Miller.

33:05 Really nice gentleman. If you hadn't met him, he's a really good guy. So I brought him on my platform as I have you on the platform. So me and my wife, we went to the Super Bowl party on Sunday. He catches me right before me and my wife leaves and says, hey, come here, I need you to talk to somebody. And this is what he did. He goes and he gets the VP of Martha O'Brien Center, and he stands me in front of her, and he said, tell her about your platform and tell her what you're trying to do with the community. And he put me on the spot. But just having a conversation with him on this platform put me in a position that now what you're saying, I'm trying to keep it in the background, Sterling, but something is in the pipeline, for a bigger thing for me and to come together me and Chaplain Miller and he chose you to do it you're not looking at the signs like you say you're chosen you can't even run from it bro you sound like my wife man she said baby you're chosen you don't have to think you're chosen, okay you was at the Super Bowl look at the science who won the eagles okay who can fly with the eagle.

34:26 I don't doubt it. I know. No one can fly with an eagle. Eagles. You don't consider yourself an eagle that you can saw? I'm still trying to, I'm still trying to get myself. I like to be honest and transparent. I'm still trying to get myself to understand the, the, the vitality and the strength of God and where he's walking me into. Because you wrong for doing it. you don't need to try to do nothing it's going to come to you in due time you ain't figuring this out this is God's plan not yours oh I figured that out I figured out it was God's plan I figured that out a long time ago, yeah it's not about you oh no.

35:13 Man you just don't know what you got is on you that time when you wake up 2 and 3 in the morning that's when God is talking to you 3 to 5 is when you write it down because that's when the world is asleep you got it my man you got the plan man listen listen i thank you for the praise i like you like you talked about i don't want i don't want anyone to feel like because you know how people are sterling you just said it when you go out and you preach to people and you tell them what you're doing what's the first thing you they ain't gonna say it to you but what's the first oh he bragging about what he got going on he he thinks he better than me because he got this going on over here exactly so i'm trying to i try to stay humble as possible and i try to make sure that i'm not stepping on anyone's toe step on their toes with some steel toes.

36:12 You learn to step on people's toes because they're gonna step try to step on yours but you ain't doing it in tiff or tatt you're doing it godly yes sir yes sir yes sir and never be never like man they tell me sometimes i'm too humble well i don't understand what too humble mean all i know i got a heart and god is in charge as long as i'm pleasing him i don't care about nobody else i agree with you there i totally agree with you there i don't care what i really don't care what nobody else say to be honest with you and all the things that you're saying I have a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful partner at home that speaks words of affirmation into me and everything you're saying, she says to me, because, you know, if you if you think about the Bible in the Bible, it says a woman blesses.

36:59 If you have a wife, a real definition of a wife, she covers the house. And what you just said, nobody and nobody knows this. But like, again, I say I'm very honest because this is my platform. So my wife last week did a fast for three days. She did a fast for three days last week. And at between two and three o'clock in the morning, the Lord woke her up. And at four or five o'clock in the morning, when I woke up to get ready to go to work, she had a pad full of stuff that God had told to her that morning. Man, you was so. So now, you know, you're talking to somebody that believe in God just as much as you do.

37:44 And it's very rare. A lot of people like they could give me scriptures all they want, but I didn't really walk in them footsteps. I don't know the Bible. I'm not trying to know it. I'm trying to get everything through God. Like, man, I just go by what he tell me. And I know you got tears falling out of my eyes over here. Because like I said, we must be some twins. I ain't going to sit here and say, I don't know the Bible. I know bits of the Bible and I never throw the Bible down someone's throat. But God is always in whatever I do. Whatever I do, God is in it. And you're right. People love to throw scriptures at you and throw the word at you. They want to do this. no i want to like you said i want to do what god is instructing me to do and he's instructed me to do this this right here this yeah and i love what you're doing like nobody's not doing it now to me it's time to take it to a big because it's me and out there that need to hear you look where you come from man no offense to other podcasts there's none of that we come from the trenches yes sir, So why am I going to listen to somebody who don't know what it's like to hear gunshots in the middle of the night?

38:56 Man, listen here. My parents was in a shootout. And I was in the backseat of the car while my parents were in a shootout. When I was about five or six years old. That's where I come from. My mother used to be a drug dealer. She paid her way through college selling pills out North Nashville in Batavia Alley. Man so look at that gift so you could go talk to majority not only men but young teenagers who trying to go that route of hustling you know they send these people to go talk to these kids and they ain't got no experience with these kids man i lost my brother three years ago a drug deal gone bad three years ago i lost my little brother over there off of spence lane 11 and rose somebody he was meeting up with somebody they robbed him and killed him and left him for dead.

39:53 You understand what I'm saying? I've been there I know exactly what you're talking about that negative that happened you know when it's God it's going to end in positive look how many of these young men and men are lost people that people can't even relate to, You can relate to me. Oh, yeah. Most definitely. A lot of people can't. They wonder how I can talk to the kids in different areas. They know I'm real. Like they know you're real. You know why they want you a month, O'Brien? Because you're authentic. They got people going to college trying to get this wisdom and knowledge what God gave to you for free.

40:35 You know, I didn't even think about it like Castellan. Man, come on now. You're favored. In the blink of an eye, by you being obedient, you get to meet the vice president. Yeah. I don't know, man. I don't know. I'll tell you what. This whole journey has been God, man. I've been doing this since July last year. I've been doing this since July. And so let me give you a little back story of what happened to me. So last year on July to January, on January the 22nd of last year, I flipped a truck and blew out my shoulder. OK, that it was crazy. Let me just listen for a moment. I'm gonna give you this story.

41:19 So January the 22nd is my anniversary is my anniversary. So from January of last year to October this year, I didn't have a job. But when I met my wife, I was I was working. I was cooking in a kitchen eight hours a day. Then I was driving Uber for another four or five hours and being selling hot dogs on Saturday. So when I met her, I was working two to three jobs and all I knew how to do was work. And that's all I did. And my wife kept saying, babe, you just need to slow down. Just sit down, just slow down. But in my trauma and in the things that I had been through in my past, that's all I knew how to do was to go to work. So, I'm 45 right now. When I was 40 years old, God came to me and he said, listen, he said, it's time.

42:13 And I said, time for what, God? He just kept in them quiet moments. He just kept saying, it's time. And I'm like, time for what? And then one day in one of those quiet moments, he said, it's time to surrender. Time to surrender. And I'm like, time to surrender? And then it just happened. I woke up one morning. I said, okay, Lord, I surrender. That was five years ago, Sterling, and my life has changed. And last year I had that accident. I sat in that house from January to October, never missed a bill, never went hungry. Nothing was never turned off. My family still strived. He blessed me in October to get a job.

42:57 I'm like, God is so good. And I never knew the power and the glory of what God had for me until he set me down. When he set me down is when I started this. He set me down and told me, it's my time. You got to sit down now. You got to depend on me. Yeah. Yeah. I truly understand everything you just said. Dane Hills, man, a lot of people don't understand that, man. And it ain't your job to explain it. It's for you. It was but you know it's like you said a lot of people won't understand the glory of what he can do because they don't so many people out here don't don't want to believe in god or don't think that god is the person he really is man them the ones i go after i i don't go out with so-called church goers.

43:51 First time sign of trouble. Lord why be? You're faking your faith. When I get any type of devil things thrown my way, I shout. Oh man, it's about to be a reward. Thank you. What else you want to help take out devil? What you want to steal? Because I'm going to help you tote it out because I'm going to get it seven times better. Yes, yes, yes. I celebrate every time. I celebrate. And a lot of people don't celebrate. So, you know, we talked about that. And I know I don't throw around, but this is what I was. It came to me one day and this is just we talked about not throwing around verses.

44:36 But this is what it sounds like you just said to me. In Luke 15, they talk about the lost sheep and how the shepherds celebrated finding that lost sheep and not worried about the rest of them. A lot of people don't worry about the lost ones they worry about the people that's already there but the object is for us is to get the lost ones and bring them home that's it you know, the ones that don't believe is them the ones that I love people in church I don't, do that man like what used to throw me off I never knew like, all this offering where it showed to say it says give 10 and it say give 10 to the church.

45:26 I don't talk about it very often but what you're saying is the way i feel about church and and again i'll say this we must be twins because there's not a lot of people that i meet that understand my mindset. Why do I have to give you this money? Churches become so much of a business that I don't like. I tell my wife, I'm a believer. Organized religion, going to church and all that, I really don't believe in that. I go to church for my wife because of my wife, but I'm a believer and I got God in my heart and soul, but churches become so much of a business that it just turned me off I don't want to be there and then the people in the church want to judge everybody and act like they better than the rest of the people and I call them one day, one day celebrating people because all you come in is on Sundays and then you're not even focused.

46:23 When you dare on the word you're so busy being messy so I just don't want to go around it being outside in churches they make the pastor a messiah, Well, that's on them. I'm not like everybody's got their belief, but don't get mad at me because I don't step foot in your church. I respect. I totally respect. Yeah. Don't get mad at me when I'm like, I don't want to take a picture because if you do take a picture, don't post me on social media saying that we did this together, which is a lie because I'm going to call you out. If you post me and say we was outside feeding I'm going to come on your social media and say you was out there taking pictures you didn't do nothing.

47:12 He said you were out there taking pictures so this was just a photo out for them yeah this is a photo out for me because I get tired of people coming out to neighborhoods talking about like they got the answer or what the neighborhood need if y'all had the answer it wouldn't be no struggle, right Like, all you got to do is build a relationship. But that's too much, like, right. That takes too much effort. I want all the glory, but I don't want to put in any other work. Yeah, and that's why I don't mess with them. No, you give me, like, no, what are you doing for our kids and families that's struggling? No, man. No. No. Well, I just want to take it. You famous. I want to take a picture with you, and I just want to show people that I was out here with Sterling Wright. Yeah, I get that a lot.

48:01 And then when I say no and when they say no, you think you're all that you say what you want, but you ain't not here to do the calls I'm doing you're not doing, when people think about it out of south that I love, shout out to J.C. Matthew University Court they know if they don't see you with me, that you ain't actually what they call legit I get it I get it. It is Like you said, it's so rare and so far in between. And, man, you made your announcement on the show, and you made me give a tidbit of what I got going on on the show tonight, man.

48:43 God is so good, and he's working in places, and people don't even know it because just like you and me, we're not out here on social media telling anybody. What I just told you tonight, the only people know about that is me, you, and my wife. And now whoever listens to this show will know about that there's something in the works that's about to happen. But I'm not doing it for the glory of man. I'm not doing it to get likes. I'm not doing it to get followers. I'm doing it to save souls, brother. That's the only thing that I want to do is I want to show young men, men of all types, the glory of God and what he's done for me.

49:27 And what he can do for them. Correct. That's it. And I'm with you for that because it's not enough of us. No, it isn't. It isn't enough of us out here that really want to do something in a major way. There's not enough people out here that really care. And we've become a society of followers and just sheeps. And everybody wants to follow. It's a trend. Everybody wants to be on this trend. Everybody wants to be on that trend. I hate trends. I hate following stuff. I hate to tell you this, but I don't do that I stay in my lane If you come in my lane, you better have your blink on.

50:08 He said you better have your blink on Man, like I know where God is working In me and through me And if you ain't a part of it I know how to smile Like, yeah, yeah, yeah But I promise you when you talk, I'm not hearing nothing, Thank you, brother this is this world that we live in is so wretched and wicked that they don't understand people like us they don't understand and that's sometimes. Uh, I just, I, sometimes I just kind of get scared and I, I don't know what to do.

50:50 Well, that's a good thing. When you get scared, it ain't nothing wrong with that. You want to be scared. You want to have the bubble guts. That means you ain't cocky. This, this thing I got going on right here scares me so much, Sterling, because my wife said she had a dream that this was going to take us to places that we've never been. And I'm going to tell you something. It ain't nothing wrong with traveling, my brother. What you but that's what i'm saying you have called out so much i'm telling god speaks to me but he speaks more to the woman that he gave me he speaks more to her and she'll come to me and she say baby god told me that something's gonna happen to you and not bad something's gonna happen she's what you say i'm telling you bro she says baby god says there's a conference a men's conference gonna come out of what you're doing and i told you right but that's what i'm saying you've never even talked to my wife you've never even met her but you said man you need to do a conference god has already given me the confirmation that there's a conference coming yes yes if it don't happen if it don't happen it's because you don't make it happen sir very true very true very true but he's already given me the confirmation and for me to sit here and talk to you with these tears rolling out my eyes that you're calling out what God has ordained for me and we hadn't had a conversation and for you to be spot on is even more

52:23 affirmation of what I'm doing is for the good of man and for the good of God for the good of man correct, I'm just you know. Sometimes I think you found somebody just like you found somebody just like you and it's mind bobbling it makes me feel good just like you done had plenty of guests but man to have a connection that's a big difference that blew my mind just blew my mind, It's a big difference, man, just to have somebody to understand and know what God has in store for you.

53:13 And it's blessings that now you're going to take your talents back to the inner city with working through the school system. You know, they've taken so many programs out of the schools to help these kids. They've taken them out. I know but now they're coming back and I'm going to be a part of it I mean it's just like I can't explain, I feel but man I've seen the results of what's about to happen and I can't do nothing but thank God my bro, you done seen if you stayed a course I'm sure you done seen the reward yes.

53:54 Sunday what did I say I was put in front of the VP of Martha O'Brien Center that is a reward, I didn't ask you that but that's a reward of God thank you because you being obedient, and you been doing what he asked you to do that's what I love about God he don't even the stuff that he rewards you with you can't even people can't even understand it people won't understand it and you can't explain it, but being of this earth people are so evil and mischievous when you, like you said, when you announce or you tell people things of that nature, the first thing they want to do is they want to go into a hateful spirit how they, introduce him to that you understand what I'm saying?

54:41 Correct. Yeah. Hello? So, yes, sir, I can hear you. You must have just gotten in the car. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm listening. Yeah. What's dinner for tonight? Man, I'm going to do Olive Garden, man. Like, one thing about a chef, man, I love cooking for everybody, but I hate cooking for my sister. Exactly. Exactly. My wife can't understand that. My wife can't understand that. Well, she finally started to understand that. Like, I love to cook for a big group of people. It was my last job. I worked at a retirement facility cooking for 130 residents, two meals a day, five days a week is what I did.

55:23 So I was cool with that, making fresh bread and salads. I mean, fresh soups and all of these things from scratch. I was cool with doing that. But then when I come home, I don't want to cook. My wife was like, I married a chef. Why can't you cook all the time? They don't understand but i i i cook like i do romantic dinners a lot and when i start doing it when i do it for my wife she's tired of it and then when i don't consistently do it oh you don't do you don't cook romantic for me no more which one gonna be baby i want to do whatever you want, right right but see i i still the rule in my house i says if there's something particularly you want to eat, go to the grocery store and pick it up, and I will cook it once I get home.

56:12 So once I get to the house, if whatever you cook, the ingredients are there, I'm going to cook it. I'm going to cook you. See, that's what makes us different. They'll tell me I'm hungry. Something in there annoying you. You can come up with something. And they just let me go in there. And that's what I love to do. That's what keeps me sharp in the kitchen. I don't want to know what I got in the refrigerator. I just want to go in there and create something. Right. I get it. I understand. There are times when you do that. And I've done it. Like, my wife wanted one day. she was like, just go in there and put something together. I love it. Can we have this all the time? We ain't got them same ingredients all the time. We don't have those same ingredients all the time.

56:59 That was from the ingredients we had in the cabinets and in the refrigerator at that moment. Them are the best meals, man. On the fly, on the spot, yes. But tonight, I think my wife wants to go to Ruby Tuesday. this. It's Tuesday. She loves a good old salad. Yeah, man, but you know, I'm funny, like, I go out to eat, but do this Olive Garden, but man, I ain't going to restaurants, man. I can't go on no Friday or Saturday. I will refuse to go out to eat on a Friday or Saturday. Why is that?

57:39 Because there's no love in the food, man. They're there to rush the food out. Yeah. Very true. It's just turn and burn, turn and burn, turn and burn. Turn and burn, and there's no love in it. So I don't go in there. If I see a weight, I definitely won't eat because that's when I think about, People get sick when they cook the food. It's just a lot of things that run through my mind. Yeah, foodborne illness. Yes. Yeah, foodborne illness. I took a service aid class or two. Yeah, man. Like, man. I'm for real, man. I really appreciate you and Dave reaching out to me, man. I know he thought I wasn't going to do it because I stay so busy.

58:22 And I suck on communication. oh that's fine but you know we're about at the end anyways and i and i like uh let me say this brother i appreciate everything you're doing in the community i love who you are and i love what god has made you to be and i thank you because the city of nashville we need some superheroes around here god is god is our superhero but we need some earthly superheroes to show these young men that there are other avenues of doing things around here i promise you man when next time you gonna see me like whoever's listening in this podcast i'm the first one to go inside the juvenile juvenile and start a culinary class thanks to pathway sheila calloway yolanda hockett i love y'all because all our young men need is guidance and they don't have it that's it that's said that we're about.

59:21 To go but i'm gonna ask you a few questions and then we're gonna get out of here you riding your car you you riding your car right now if i was to get in your car what would you be listening to old school r&b when he talk about love man it's like i'm old school man you don't see no love songs no more you don't hear no man crying out to his woman no more you don't you see group you know when the last time you heard an r&b group i think it was tgt tyrese tank and genuine yeah see that's my version of lsg lsg i remember lsg so what is sterling wright's guilty pleasure guilty man i'm guilty of having a good stiff drink and pleasure, man, my wife get in there and do her thing.

1:00:15 All right. All right. That's my guilty pleasure, man. Every man got that, man. It's like, man, I just love my wife can offer, man. You know, of course, a lot of people probably be in my wife, but, man, it ain't nothing like my own, man. That's mine, man. That's what God created for me to love while I'm on this earth. Yes. Yes. So what would be the perfect vacation for Sterling Wright? Me and my wife just did a treehouse outside overlooking a lake in a treehouse with everything unplugged. Wow. Everything unplugged. I love it. I love it. I love it.

1:00:57 So in a perfect world, go ahead, to get away. And I'll ask the question, just to get away and rejuvenate, right? Yeah. Me and my wife decided we're going to do that every 90 days because you got to have a reset. Yes yes and so man like we went in this this treehouse and she tell me it's the best anniversary gift and i'm like man too we slept all day like we we never slept before, where does that cook it's right out it's before sevilleville before knoxville it's in the boondocks, barely have phone service that's what i wanted that's what she wanted yeah yeah.

1:01:41 Yeah, but see, I go places and we together and people recognize me, you know, I don't like telling people no on a picture if they see me, but it irritates her because she wants me. Right. I get it. I understand. That is about it. okay I mean, if what's your contact information if somebody wanted to get in touch with you if somebody wanted to reach out to you to come out to your program tell us the address again if there's an email address or a number, well like I'm funny about it I give you my social media which is Mr.

1:02:23 100 Nashville on Shepster and Ryan You're breaking up on me, sir. I don't mean if I usually respond on that, man. I don't know what's going on, but you're sounding like a robot on me. Yeah, now I can hear you much better. Hello? Yeah. Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Yeah, I'm going through the back. I'm going through the back. Can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you now. I can hear you a lot better. Yes, I can hear you a lot better now. I'm back, bro. Back, bro. Now you sound like a robot.

1:03:06 Now you sound a lot clearer. You must have came out of the back row. Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Yeah, I'm going through bad areas. Can you hear me now? Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you now. Can you hear me? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I was going through the back. I was going through the back. I was going through the back roads, man. I ain't going to leave without, you know what I'm saying, a prayer or something, you know. I like about this. That's the devil trying to stop what God wanted to do for us. Yes, yes, yes. You know what he did? It took out everything you said about your social media. When you went to it again. Yes, sir. 100.

1:03:49 For some reason, Sterling, some reason, Sterling, the devil don't want you to throw it out there anytime you start saying it. It's Chef Sterling Wright. You know, and you DM me. Sterling. Sterling. Get you up. Hey. They can get you up. Yes, yes. They can hit me up and get the information. Yes, sir. Can you hear me? Yeah. I can hear you better now. I don't know. Can you hear me? What side of town are you on? Can you hear me? Yes, sir. Yes.

1:04:31 You keep going. If you can hear me, Sterling, I don't know what side of town you're on, but you keep going in and out like a radio. I never knew that we had this many dead spots in Nashville. Can you hear me, man? I'm hearing all. It is rough it must be a lot of people using cell phones out there i look at it just man if something don't need if something don't need to be heard that's what i look at oh okay i mean that's hey it is what it is but let's end this on let's end this on a good note let's say a good old prayer my brother that's what's up man i don't want to close my eyes i'm driving but okay don't close your eyes don't close your eyes.

1:05:13 You hear me? Yeah, I hear you. Okay, I said, don't close your eyes. I want you to be safe, but I'm going to say a good old prayer. Okay. All right. Lord, thank you for bringing me and Sterling together. You know the path that we have been down, and you know that the path that we are headed down. Thank you for the gifts that you have given us that we have received in your honor, and thank you for giving us the day that we can wake up and we can shout from the mountaintops and the valleys to show your grace and your mercy and to show what you have done for us and have and will do for us in this life that we are walking through on this earth.

1:05:57 In your son, Jesus Christ's name, I pray. Amen. Man, amen. Thank you for having me, man. It was truly an honor to talk to somebody that God is really working through, man. You be blessed, man. And I'm going to send you my phone number. Is that your... Can you call me when we hang up? Yeah, that was... You want me to call you when I hang up? Please, I want to just share something with you. Yes, sir. All righty, my brother. All right, y'all. Everybody be safe and have a good night. Keep God first and watch the results. Yes, sir. Music. Yes, sir. Yeah They kick back A place for brothers, Yeah The Kickback A place for brothers, The Kickback A place for brothers A place for brothers, The Kickback A place for brothers The Kickback A place for brothers The Kickback A place for brothers place for.