From Struggles to Strength: A Story of Resilience and Purpose


In this captivating episode of The Kickback, host The Dude sits down with Cintoria Franklin, the dynamic founder and executive director of Pass to Beauty, Inc., a Nashville-based nonprofit dedicated to advocating for victims of domestic violence. As she shares her incredible journey from overcoming personal hardships to empowering others, you’ll discover how Cintoria's path to healing has inspired her mission to make a difference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Throughout the conversation, Cintoria talks about the importance of self-love, accountability, and spiritual connection as she recounts her struggles and triumphs. From her early beginnings in Chicago to finding her purpose in Nashville, Cintoria’s story is a powerful testimony to resilience and transformation in the face of adversity. Join us as we delve into topics of healing, advocacy, and the importance of having meaningful conversations that can potentially change lives.
00:04 - Welcome to the Kickback
01:28 - Introducing Centuria Franklin
02:13 - A Journey to Nashville
03:09 - The Birth of Pass to Beauty
04:21 - Overcoming Abuse and Finding Purpose
09:21 - The Cycle of Abuse
15:11 - Understanding Domestic Violence
16:41 - Celebrating Yourself
21:02 - The Power of Accountability
26:16 - Lessons from the Past
27:49 - Relationships and Healing
32:56 - The Impact of Centuria's Organization
34:41 - Balancing Hair and Advocacy
36:32 - Celebrating Men’s Mental Health
38:14 - Creating Safe Spaces for Conversations
45:36 - Real Conversations Matter
47:39 - The Needs of African-American Men
49:27 - The Three Ps of Life
54:44 - Closing Reflections and Questions
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Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Kickback.
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I am your host, The Dude, and as we do every Tuesday, we have amazing conversations
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with extraordinary people,
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and tonight is no less than an amazing conversation with a young lady who's
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doing some amazing things here in my city, Nashville,
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Tennessee, and we're just going to have a conversation as we do all the time.
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And if we can just have one conversation that could change the life of someone,
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I would hope that would happen.
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But before we get to all of that, let me say, if you have not been to our website,
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thekickback.com, please go check out our website.
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And also, the Kickback is sponsored by none other than Martin's Chicken and Waffles.
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Martin's Chicken and Waffles is an amazing place, and the food is phenomenal. my notes.
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So if you've never had Martin's Chicken and Waffles, I need you to go check them out.
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They are at 207 South Waters Avenue in Gallatin, Tennessee.
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Again, that is 207 South Waters Street in Gallatin, Tennessee.
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The food is amazing. Tell them you heard about them on the Kickback when you
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go visit them and let them know that the dude told you about it.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Music.
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I think it's what now you're trying to get some property so you can open up
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a home for women, right? Yes, sir.
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See? You're on the right track. You've been doing your homework. Yes, yes, yes.
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I saw you did an interview last year with Miss Stacy Pryor over at,
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I can't remember the name of her platform, but me and Stacy,
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we went to high school together.
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She's a really wonderful person. Okay. Yeah.
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So here's how the I just wanted to tell you that I've been watching your moves
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and I did a little of my research.
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But here's how the structure of my show goes, because I know you have your own platform.
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Yeah, I like to get all the business up front. Let's talk about what you've got going on.
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Let's talk about all your ventures, all your things you have going on.
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And then at the end, I'll ask a few questions, nothing malice, nothing hard.
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It's just a few few not really personal questions.
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They're just questions to try to get to know you outside of everything you have
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going on, because first and foremost, the reason why we brought you is because
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we want to advocate with you,
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with whatever you with all the ventures that you have going on.
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And we want to get the word out on our platform because
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we are a small startup and july
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the 17th will be one year we've been doing this and i really god has put this
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on my heart and it's been my purpose because in this platform has been a part
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of my healing i know that's right yeah so So when God puts you in your purpose, you also get healing.
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Yeah, that's right. So this was, this is, God says it's my purpose.
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And my wife also says, I just love to talk a lot anyways.
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So it gives me an opportunity to do both.
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It gives me an opportunity to serve God. And it also gives me an opportunity to be able to talk.
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Okay all righty so
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introduce yourself tell us about
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your ventures first tell us about your organization and then tell us about the
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ventures how you got to Nashville what brought you to Nashville and what God
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has put up on your heart to help the city of Nashville okay I got you So,
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my name is Centuria Franklin I am the founder and executive director for Pass to Beauty, Inc.
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Which is a non-profit that I found when I assumed overkind domestic violence in a past relationship,
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should I say The reason why I came to Nashville I actually came here due to
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the fact that I was looking for my own mother And I was separated from her for about almost four years,
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And so we found out that she was in Nashville.
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So we came down here and started to build a relationship back with my mother.
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And so, yeah, Lord brought us down here. When I say us, me and my siblings.
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And so did that, started and joined Nashville.
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I had to get used to Nashville because Nashville ran slow.
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Don't you do that with that. In Chicago, born and raised.
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Don't you do that. don't you do that I had to because baby Nashville was slow
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I think I moved back to Chicago two times until I can get adjusted with how
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slow it was but it was a good slow,
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so I got,
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in my years and realized, okay, this is what I needed.
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So that was great. So after that, I was inspired. But I have always been inspired to do my hairstyle.
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And this is kind of, and I'm giving this point because I need to do the organization well.
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I've always been inspired in Chicago going to box it down and do the salons
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and watch the OGs, do hair, do the finger raise, the feather ponytails, and things like that.
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And I was like, oh man, that's okay. If I want to get down like that,
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I don't want to brush some hair like that. So, yeah.
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So I became a hairstylist when I came to Nashville. And unfortunately,
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I got into some abusive relationships, which led me to start advocating.
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And I used that as a healing agent. I'm going to be honest with you,
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because when I got into this advocacy work, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
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And I'm just going to be very vague and tell you that I had no clue in what I was doing.
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I just knew that I had to do something because my mental health was at jeopardy, you know.
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And so I definitely did that. And it gave me more purpose than I ever thought it would.
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So I'm learning. Even to today, I'm still learning. I'm still learning.
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That is amazing that God brought you down here to have a reuniting with your
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mom, and then it turned into what it's turned into your program.
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Like I said, I've done your homework.
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You've had the boutique.
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You hadâare you still doing food?
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No, I'm not.
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I don't know if you're moving around or what. They turn like a robot on my end.
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I have to say one or four times. Oh, yeah.
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I'm not moving around. I'm actually still in battle. Can you hear me?
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Yeah, I can hear you a little better now. I don't know what's going on.
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Yes, I can hear you, but I don't know what happened with what's going on with
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your connection because you were complaining to me. You sounded like a robot.
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Okay. So let me know. I can repeat if you want to repeat the question.
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It was the question about the food. Are you still doing the food?
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I think you said you were just focusing on the advocacy part of it, right? Yes.
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Yes, that's correct. I'm just doing the nonprofit work and I do have part time. Okay.
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That's wonderful. So let's dive deep into what you say you what brought you
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to the point of starting this nonprofit.
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You got into an abusive relationship being that you're on the other side because
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you said when you first started, you didn't know the process and what all went into it.
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But let's start with what got you to that point. You say you were in an abusive relationship.
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How did you, was it the fact that, was it low self-esteem or what was it?
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And if I'm going too far, you tell me, but how did you get into these abusive relationships?
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Okay, so let me answer that question Alright, so when you're growing up As a young lady, right?
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And you're growing up in an environment That you've been taught And when you're
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age Let me, okay, I have the best way to describe this.
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When you're growing up as a Chicagoan Everything in your power,
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in your body In your mindset has to be put on your tough pants.
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You know what I'm saying? That's the best way I've described.
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And so, all I've seen was behavior where it was yelling, arguments,
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and things as such, you know?
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And when you're not taught how to love yourself, that's kind of the behavior
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that you pick up, you know what I mean? And so...
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In that moment, when I was going through abusive, you know, when I was in abusive
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relationships, there was a moment, and I could tell you this,
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I was actually doing hair.
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And I had just got out of that relationship. And I said, you know what?
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I just need to break this cycle.
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I asked God to show me what is it that I need to do to feel good about who I am.
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Because I wasn't taught that. I wasn't taught how to love myself.
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You know, I come from a mother that dealt with mental health.
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So she wasn't able to teach me the things that I need to know about who Centuria was.
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So I had to learn that on my own, the best way I knew how.
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And so with that being said, I didn't know how to do that.
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So I had to choose the best option of getting in areas in my life and environments
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in my life that would feed me, that would feed me in a way,
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mentally, spiritually, and emotionally to recognize who I was and the toxic
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behavior that I was accepting.
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Basically, I was tired.
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And when you get tired, you start wanting to do stuff that's going to bring
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joy into your life, that's going to bring peace in your life,
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especially when you have never experienced peace.
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So those things, initiatives, are going to make you want to do better and make
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you want to start doing healthy things.
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And one of the healthy things I had to do was get out of an unhealthy relationship.
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Yes, and I totally agree and I understand. And what you just explained,
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a lot of people don't understand.
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But here, I'm going to preference this and then I'm going to tell you a story.
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Here, when I said at the beginning that this has been therapy for me,
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I totally understand what you're saying.
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I grew up in a household where there was love, but it was domestic violence.
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And let me explain to you, because most people think of domestic violence like
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you were in an abusive relationship. Now, I'm a man and I grew up in a household
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where my mother was the abuser.
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She was the abuser in the household I grew up in. But let me give you a bit
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of a reference in the background on the reason why.
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And it was probably five to six years ago when I really,
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truly found out why my mother was the way she was and the particular moment
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in her life that made her the way she was. Okay.
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So I'm in my, I'm in my late forties and throughout my life,
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I watched my mother beat up every boyfriend she's ever had in my life until
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she got with the man she's with now.
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She's married to, she's been with for 20 years because she had gotten tired.
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But my mother, about, like I said, five to six years ago, I sat down with my
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mother and I don't know if it was God or who it was, but we were sitting on
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my couch at my house and we were having a conversation about something.
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And I just said, Mom, what has happened?
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Why are you always the aggressor? And she had to sit there and she had to think
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for a moment and she thought for a moment.
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And then this look came over her face and tears just rolled down her eyes.
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Tears just rolled down her eyes. And she says,
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Horace, I'm just going to say that. The gentleman's name was Horace.
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And what happened was the night before she graduated, this gentleman by the
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name of Horace was her boyfriend.
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And she said something happened between the two of them. And he beat her.
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I mean, beat her from one side of the room to the other side of the room,
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from one side of the room to the other side of the room, from one side of the room.
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And she said the next morning she got up with a black eye, put on makeup and
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went and graduated from high school.
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And at that moment, she said she never, never let a man put their hands on her.
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So I put two and two together. In
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life, when we have pivotal moments like graduations, children being born,
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you know, any type of celebration to have a traumatic experience mixed with
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those things is something that we carry with us forever.
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Now, this was when I was in my 40s and my mother had to see it brought up and
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she cried on my she cried in my arms after that.
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And I mean, we booed and cried after that, after she she that memory came back
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to her of him beating her.
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And then she had to go graduate the next day. So a traumatic experience and
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experience that you remember forever were put together.
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Because I always wondered why did
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my mother all why was she always the aggressor
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why was she always them beating men I'd
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never when I say Centauri my mama is
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she is the champ she got the belt she's never took
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a she's never took a TKO in my life whether it be man woman whoever she's never
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taken a TKO in my life and I'm not saying that to brag I'm saying this in context
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to what you're saying and that I understand growing up in a dysfunctional household.
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She did so she we cried and boohooed and she told me that story and i understood
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because like my wife now i tell my wife and i told her when we first got together
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and i told this to every woman i've ever been with i said if we've got to get mad enough at each other.
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Mad physically mad when we have to assault each other i cannot be here that's
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right that's right I can't be in a relationship with you.
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If you're mad enough that you get so mad that you have to assault me and I have
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to assault you, we don't need to be together.
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That's right. We do not need to be together. I refuse to be in a relationship
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with someone that I have to be so angry that I have to strike. Yeah.
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You know, it's so crazy.
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One of the things that I had to teach myself over the years was how to celebrate myself.
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And the reason why, because, you know,
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in this situation, unfortunately, circumstances that I've experienced over the
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time, because the time has been a young girl to an adult, I never had my parents at a graduation.
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No matter if I graduated from 8th grade, high school, college,
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I never experienced my parents being available or there for me at the graduation.
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Even my siblings may have, I'm sure they experienced the same thing.
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But one of the things that came from that, the trauma that came from that is,
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I don't want to celebrate myself because...
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The fact that I don't have anybody to celebrate with.
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And it took me a long time to, I don't care about, you know, doing an event.
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I was never like the best me at events or anything in the past because I didn't
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know how to value what I've done, whatever the achievement that may have been.
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And I have to learn how to forgive myself because I understand that it was not
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my fault that that happened.
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You know what I'm saying? because I blamed me.
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And forgiveness goes a long way. And it will heal you in so many ways to not carry trauma with you.
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And it took me a long time to get to that point when you experience so much
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in your life. You know what I mean?
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So here's the thing. When dealing with domestic violence or when dealing with
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verbal abuse, the verbal abuse
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lasts longer than domestic violence because it channels your mindset.
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It affects your mindset in a way that tries to control you.
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You almost put yourself in a position that you should become codependent on
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what others think of you or how you move.
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And sometimes depression sinks in. So you have to take back what belongs to you and celebrate you.
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And I often say that because I'm an individual that critically thinks about
00:18:56.930 --> 00:19:02.070
a lot of things and how to find a resolution and how to resolve conflict because
00:19:02.070 --> 00:19:06.910
I've been through a lot of conflict and so a lot of times I'm thinking to myself.
00:19:07.810 --> 00:19:14.050
But the point of the matter is when you develop into a new mindset,
00:19:14.070 --> 00:19:19.770
a new you, you got to find ways to observe of.
00:19:20.809 --> 00:19:25.369
Any challenges that may distract you from being the best version of you,
00:19:25.689 --> 00:19:32.029
no matter even if you see signs in an unhealthy relationship or a man or it could be a man or a woman.
00:19:32.329 --> 00:19:38.469
And yes, and I always say women abuse too, because I was angry when I was going
00:19:38.469 --> 00:19:41.469
through some things in my life. And here's the thing.
00:19:41.829 --> 00:19:47.389
I was going through some challenges before I even entered into a relationship. You know what I mean?
00:19:47.729 --> 00:19:51.609
Yes. I was struggling with my own mental health. So, one of the things that
00:19:51.609 --> 00:19:58.369
I realized, I had to learn how to take accountability for my actions.
00:19:59.369 --> 00:20:04.329
Because, baby, let me tell you something. You cannot stop me from snapping off on somebody.
00:20:04.669 --> 00:20:08.089
I would snap off real quick, and that's a trauma-informed reaction.
00:20:08.169 --> 00:20:09.489
You know what I mean? Reaction.
00:20:10.649 --> 00:20:14.329
As soon as somebody would say something to me, I would immediately snap.
00:20:15.109 --> 00:20:18.029
And so because i've been through so much in
00:20:18.029 --> 00:20:20.909
my life i could recognize a lot of
00:20:20.909 --> 00:20:23.629
things from men and women you know
00:20:23.629 --> 00:20:28.369
i mean yeah they've been through some stuff so i always be putting on my big
00:20:28.369 --> 00:20:32.009
girl panties and i'm like hey let me let me holler at you for a sec you know
00:20:32.009 --> 00:20:39.149
i mean because i'm very assertive in my and what i say and he the couple calling
00:20:39.149 --> 00:20:41.009
him you know i mean but I say it in a way.
00:20:41.469 --> 00:20:46.469
You know what I mean? Like, I try to say it in a way that because if I love
00:20:46.469 --> 00:20:51.569
somebody and I see them doing it, I say, man, who else is going to be brave enough to tell them?
00:20:51.709 --> 00:20:58.989
If nobody else will say anything, how can they help them develop to be in the
00:20:58.989 --> 00:21:02.249
best version of themselves?
00:21:03.009 --> 00:21:07.029
Only selfish people do that. You know what I'm saying? Now, I know a lot of
00:21:07.029 --> 00:21:11.389
times, a lot of people don't invite, You know are not inviting me,
00:21:12.032 --> 00:21:14.892
You know, a lot of people are scared to approach people, but if I love you,
00:21:14.992 --> 00:21:21.152
and if I see my brothers and sisters doing something, and if they see me doing
00:21:21.152 --> 00:21:24.692
something, always, like I tell my friend, check me. Exactly.
00:21:25.632 --> 00:21:29.332
If you love me, check me. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?
00:21:30.872 --> 00:21:35.812
I have a bubbly personality. I'm always cracking jokes. I'm always laughing,
00:21:35.852 --> 00:21:38.412
but I wasn't at that place all the time in my life.
00:21:38.612 --> 00:21:41.132
You couldn't get a word out of me back in 2010.
00:21:41.752 --> 00:21:48.492
I never talked because I felt like what I had to say didn't matter or I wasn't
00:21:48.492 --> 00:21:51.852
smart enough to say it because I had a speech and language barrier.
00:21:52.992 --> 00:21:57.352
And a part of that disability, I was afraid to say anything because I didn't know big words.
00:21:58.352 --> 00:22:02.492
I just felt like I was just the person. I didn't fit in.
00:22:02.812 --> 00:22:08.532
Or I was scared with my stuttering that, oh, they probably just tried to chastise
00:22:08.532 --> 00:22:12.332
me because I can't get it out. Now, I take my time to process it,
00:22:12.392 --> 00:22:16.132
but I also say, give me time to say what I need to say. Don't rush me.
00:22:16.512 --> 00:22:17.072
You know what I'm saying?
00:22:18.072 --> 00:22:23.492
So those are the things that I built, the confidence I built over the years
00:22:23.492 --> 00:22:26.532
because of everything that I experienced in my life.
00:22:27.012 --> 00:22:29.972
You understand what I'm saying? I had a gun put to my head before.
00:22:30.512 --> 00:22:35.152
I've been in it and definitely other places.
00:22:36.292 --> 00:22:39.612
Now, I could have been gone. I just don't. There's a lot of stuff I don't talk
00:22:39.612 --> 00:22:42.312
about. Chicago. That's the Chicago.
00:22:42.932 --> 00:22:46.632
You know what I mean? Like those things, you know, I've been set up,
00:22:46.872 --> 00:22:48.852
you know, I've been through a lot.
00:22:49.032 --> 00:22:52.452
And I guess that's why I just like, I'm brave.
00:22:53.032 --> 00:22:56.012
That's why Nashville was the perfect fit for you.
00:22:57.852 --> 00:23:02.812
Yeah. God had to bring you out of that mess in order for you to blossom into
00:23:02.812 --> 00:23:04.872
the beautiful flower that you are today.
00:23:05.749 --> 00:23:10.129
And that's crazy because I thank you for saying that because I don't think I
00:23:10.129 --> 00:23:11.929
probably would have survived in Chicago.
00:23:13.269 --> 00:23:17.089
I'm going to be honest with you. Years ago, we went to visit near my siblings.
00:23:17.829 --> 00:23:21.369
And they literally shot the back window out. The bullet missed my head.
00:23:21.889 --> 00:23:26.789
You understand what I'm saying? Yes. When that happened, I knew God had favor on me.
00:23:27.369 --> 00:23:31.609
Like, I knew that since I was a little girl because the only person I really talked to was God.
00:23:31.909 --> 00:23:35.489
I wrote to God all the time. I said, how am I drawing? because I felt like that
00:23:35.489 --> 00:23:38.669
was the only person I had that would listen that didn't judge me.
00:23:39.089 --> 00:23:42.349
You understand what I'm saying? That was the spiritual connection that I had with God.
00:23:42.649 --> 00:23:46.109
Oh, I totally understand. Tell people, they connected.
00:23:46.369 --> 00:23:51.009
They spiritually connected to God when you don't have nobody because you got him.
00:23:51.229 --> 00:23:55.049
You understand what I'm saying? Yes, I totally get it and understand what you're
00:23:55.049 --> 00:23:59.589
saying, but it's powerful to hear your testimony on everything that you've been
00:23:59.589 --> 00:24:03.109
through and the life that you've been through. Just having the conversation with you right now.
00:24:03.269 --> 00:24:08.429
Yes, I can tell you have a little speech impediment, but I didn't know you stuttered
00:24:08.429 --> 00:24:14.049
because you're articulating and we're having a really amazing conversation,
00:24:14.049 --> 00:24:19.789
and you're telling me your story, and I understand everything that you're saying
00:24:19.789 --> 00:24:20.869
and you've been through.
00:24:21.109 --> 00:24:25.229
So it's amazing what God can bring us through when we move ourselves out of
00:24:25.229 --> 00:24:30.369
the way and let him take the wheel and start blessing us.
00:24:30.509 --> 00:24:35.629
Yes, like I said, he had to move you out of your mess and out of your own way
00:24:35.629 --> 00:24:38.669
to develop you into the beautiful flower you are today.
00:24:38.929 --> 00:24:44.289
As I said earlier, and I'm going to say this, and it's a joke,
00:24:44.469 --> 00:24:48.569
but I kind of been stalking your social media and things like that just to get
00:24:48.569 --> 00:24:50.849
a feel of who I was interviewing today.
00:24:51.885 --> 00:24:54.965
And things that you've been it ain't like it's not
00:24:54.965 --> 00:24:57.745
like it was just to get research on who you
00:24:57.745 --> 00:25:01.985
were no you good because i always tell one of my board members of my friend
00:25:01.985 --> 00:25:08.585
i said people are always watching me and it's not a bad thing but i know that
00:25:08.585 --> 00:25:12.185
when you are favored by god when you doing god's work that's what they gonna
00:25:12.185 --> 00:25:15.125
do your research you're gonna do your research yes yes,
00:25:15.585 --> 00:25:19.425
yes always yeah but it's
00:25:19.425 --> 00:25:23.005
it's to hear you talk about your upbringing
00:25:23.005 --> 00:25:27.105
and where you come from and to see your social media and to see the things that
00:25:27.105 --> 00:25:32.385
you've done and that you are doing in this life because you're on the other
00:25:32.385 --> 00:25:37.445
side of life now we on the other side of 40 so we do it we we you know i'm saying
00:25:37.445 --> 00:25:42.645
we we got more time behind us than we have in front of us you You understand what I'm saying?
00:25:43.265 --> 00:25:48.205
Yeah. So in this, and I call 40 your second life, your second win,
00:25:48.385 --> 00:25:50.125
your second race, your second life.
00:25:50.385 --> 00:25:56.765
So all the things you've done in your second life is so amazing compared to
00:25:56.765 --> 00:25:59.165
what you just told me about, you know,
00:25:59.585 --> 00:26:03.245
trying to reconnect with your mom, moving to a whole different state,
00:26:03.465 --> 00:26:09.665
starting over, being in a domestic situation that brought you to the point you
00:26:09.665 --> 00:26:11.425
are now having low self-esteem.
00:26:11.845 --> 00:26:16.645
Because you had a speech impediment and you had this and you thought people would count you out.
00:26:16.745 --> 00:26:20.465
Maybe they did count you out, but God had you in the number the whole time.
00:26:20.936 --> 00:26:25.436
He had you in a number the whole time. But this world that we live in is so
00:26:25.436 --> 00:26:27.296
wicked. Yes, they count everybody out.
00:26:27.636 --> 00:26:33.156
Listen, I'm a loner. I do a lot of things by myself because I don't meet the
00:26:33.156 --> 00:26:39.196
criteria of most people in this world because I don't want to be seen out in the streets.
00:26:39.216 --> 00:26:44.476
I don't want to be seen here and there. I want this platform that I'm on right
00:26:44.476 --> 00:26:48.536
now to help somebody realize that what you're going through today ain't going
00:26:48.536 --> 00:26:52.076
to be your tomorrow, ain't going to be your next week, ain't going to be your next year.
00:26:52.076 --> 00:26:58.536
But there are so many young people out here in the world living in a domestic situation,
00:26:58.756 --> 00:27:04.716
a drug situation, a homeless situation, or a combination of the all three or
00:27:04.716 --> 00:27:08.136
abusive parents or whoever it may be.
00:27:08.376 --> 00:27:12.716
And they think that where they are right now is going to be there forever.
00:27:12.956 --> 00:27:17.336
And just like you, at one point, you probably thought, oh, man,
00:27:17.416 --> 00:27:18.676
they're going to keep on counting me out.
00:27:18.796 --> 00:27:21.316
Nobody's ever going to recognize me. Nobody's ever going to see me.
00:27:21.316 --> 00:27:22.736
But I done seen you on the red carpet.
00:27:22.956 --> 00:27:27.516
I done seen you at some events dressed up in them pretty dresses with all them colors.
00:27:27.756 --> 00:27:34.216
I done seen what God has done in your life. So we are here today to have a conversation
00:27:34.216 --> 00:27:38.636
and I hope somebody hears this and understands that if he can do it for Ms.
00:27:38.716 --> 00:27:40.156
Franklin, if he can do it for Mr.
00:27:40.296 --> 00:27:45.516
Foster, because my last name is Foster, but if he can do it for us, he can do it for you.
00:27:45.976 --> 00:27:48.516
Yes, Lord, yeah. He sure can.
00:27:49.356 --> 00:27:55.636
I'm married to my wife. of we've been married a little four years.
00:27:55.636 --> 00:27:58.036
I was married before to another woman for 10 years.
00:27:58.156 --> 00:28:01.176
It just didn't work out. Life sometimes doesn't work out.
00:28:01.950 --> 00:28:05.870
But how I met this woman was not my intent on meeting this woman.
00:28:06.230 --> 00:28:09.490
And our testimony is I wasn't her.
00:28:09.870 --> 00:28:15.450
I wasn't what she liked and she wasn't what I liked. But here's the thing that got us.
00:28:15.810 --> 00:28:19.490
God put us together because we were what each other needed.
00:28:20.150 --> 00:28:24.410
Hmm, that's good. You understand what I'm saying? We was what each other needed.
00:28:24.810 --> 00:28:28.150
Now, I've been with this woman for five years.
00:28:28.370 --> 00:28:32.130
This is going to sound crazy. And when I tell people, they kind of think about
00:28:32.130 --> 00:28:34.050
it. But this is how good God is.
00:28:34.270 --> 00:28:38.410
I just told you, I'm in my late 40s. My wife is in her late 40s.
00:28:38.890 --> 00:28:43.010
The five years that I've been with my wife, I've done more with her.
00:28:43.230 --> 00:28:45.730
Well, let me rephrase that. Let me fix this.
00:28:46.110 --> 00:28:51.890
I've done more with God and my wife than I've done in my whole entire life.
00:28:54.170 --> 00:28:57.370
Because before I was running for God, you know, God, like you said,
00:28:57.490 --> 00:29:00.670
you knew you was anointed a long time ago. I knew I was anointed a long time
00:29:00.670 --> 00:29:04.370
ago, but we ran from it because we wanted to be with the crowd.
00:29:04.550 --> 00:29:08.690
We wanted to be out in the streets. We wasn't ready for what God had for us.
00:29:08.990 --> 00:29:12.450
We wanted to continue to live the life that we wanted to live.
00:29:13.070 --> 00:29:16.890
So when God came to me one day and he said, it's time. And I was like,
00:29:17.010 --> 00:29:20.650
time? What you talking about, God? He was like, it's time.
00:29:21.250 --> 00:29:24.150
And I kept praying. I kept praying. It's time for what, God?
00:29:24.610 --> 00:29:28.390
And then one day he gave me another word and it was surrender.
00:29:29.150 --> 00:29:35.290
And I'm like, what is he talking about? God, you gave me its time five, six months ago.
00:29:35.850 --> 00:29:39.650
And then today you give me surrender. What are you trying to say to me, Lord?
00:29:40.250 --> 00:29:43.010
What are you trying to say to me? And I said, oh, and I had to sit there and
00:29:43.010 --> 00:29:48.030
I had to. I prayed and I thought about it and I said, time to surrender.
00:29:49.311 --> 00:29:53.391
Time to surrender, time to surrender to him because I had been out here running
00:29:53.391 --> 00:29:56.011
these streets and I wasn't living in my purpose.
00:29:56.271 --> 00:30:01.751
And my marriage before was a marriage because I'd been in so many bad relationships,
00:30:02.031 --> 00:30:04.791
none of them domestic, but bad relationships.
00:30:04.871 --> 00:30:09.591
Because I, being growing up in the household that I grew up in,
00:30:09.911 --> 00:30:11.631
there was a few things my mother missed.
00:30:11.751 --> 00:30:15.611
It wasn't intentional, but there was a few things my mother missed.
00:30:15.611 --> 00:30:20.831
And I always got with women that I felt like I had to save and talking to you,
00:30:20.991 --> 00:30:25.911
you just gave me an epiphany and I'm going to go ahead and tell my wife God just gave me a word.
00:30:26.911 --> 00:30:31.631
I thought that I was in these relationships but it was it was two parts to what
00:30:31.631 --> 00:30:36.651
God just gave me something thank you Lord you Miss Franklin,
00:30:36.711 --> 00:30:42.091
you just gave me and you talking just gave me an answer I've been looking for for a long time,
00:30:42.751 --> 00:30:44.771
and it's making me emotional,
00:30:45.491 --> 00:30:49.051
it really is it's making me emotional so i'm
00:30:49.051 --> 00:30:51.831
sorry are you saying you
00:30:51.831 --> 00:30:58.351
got nothing to be sorry about i was trying
00:30:58.351 --> 00:31:05.231
to save my mama you know i understand i understand today is my mom's birthday
00:31:05.231 --> 00:31:14.591
oh my grandmother's birthday and so yeah until i just told you this story and you talked to me,
00:31:15.551 --> 00:31:18.511
see how God works in mysterious ways I
00:31:18.511 --> 00:31:21.351
never looked at it that way until I just told you this
00:31:21.351 --> 00:31:28.011
story and listened to you talk about your life and God just spoke to me because
00:31:28.011 --> 00:31:33.651
I always thought it was I used to think it was me trying to save me because
00:31:33.651 --> 00:31:41.251
I was looking for validation as a man and that's why I chose the subpar women that I chose.
00:31:42.218 --> 00:31:45.458
But in actuality they were
00:31:45.458 --> 00:31:49.718
all figures figures of my mom oh
00:31:49.718 --> 00:31:53.698
wow that's good
00:31:53.698 --> 00:31:56.838
and i was trying to rescue her
00:31:56.838 --> 00:31:59.818
from the pain that she had been going through
00:31:59.818 --> 00:32:02.758
and i was a kid and i really didn't know that
00:32:02.758 --> 00:32:05.738
but you know once i got older
00:32:05.738 --> 00:32:08.838
i picked certain women in my life
00:32:08.838 --> 00:32:12.458
that were not we
00:32:12.458 --> 00:32:16.458
were not equally yoked let's just say that yeah yeah
00:32:16.458 --> 00:32:20.718
we were not equally yoked and i i i i've
00:32:20.718 --> 00:32:24.578
had conversations with my wife and and i've
00:32:24.578 --> 00:32:27.478
had conversations on here and i've had all things but
00:32:27.478 --> 00:32:30.238
i guess it was just hard for me to talk to you and
00:32:30.238 --> 00:32:37.378
you gave it to me wow wow that's how god work i'm telling you that the right
00:32:37.378 --> 00:32:43.118
place at the right time right right right and maybe that's the reason why he
00:32:43.118 --> 00:32:47.478
didn't want us to have a conversation the first time because you had.
00:32:48.738 --> 00:32:53.158
You had a word you were supposed to deliver to me. Yeah.
00:32:53.678 --> 00:32:55.358
Wow. Man.
00:32:56.298 --> 00:33:04.978
Yeah. Yeah. But listen, you, uh, your organization, when did you start your organization?
00:33:05.930 --> 00:33:10.330
So I started the organization in March of 2012.
00:33:11.370 --> 00:33:16.010
Okay. Okay. So you've been going for a long time.
00:33:17.330 --> 00:33:22.630
So how many... And I was actually volunteering before. Yeah.
00:33:23.170 --> 00:33:29.690
How many women have been through your organization since 2012?
00:33:30.830 --> 00:33:31.190
Woo!
00:33:32.430 --> 00:33:36.950
More than 300. We started through... And that's through programming,
00:33:37.190 --> 00:33:38.550
that's through outreach events,
00:33:38.990 --> 00:33:45.350
that's through support groups, that's through me partnering with other organizations,
00:33:45.350 --> 00:33:50.010
that's me working and volunteering at a local domestic violence shelter,
00:33:50.210 --> 00:33:51.750
that's through the hair salon,
00:33:52.230 --> 00:33:54.890
that's through many programs, yeah.
00:33:55.410 --> 00:34:00.030
Are those, are any of those women, do you still see any of those women on a
00:34:00.030 --> 00:34:01.550
daily, weekly, or anything?
00:34:02.230 --> 00:34:05.030
I see i see someone from time to time i take
00:34:05.030 --> 00:34:07.930
crisis calls but actually they always reach out
00:34:07.930 --> 00:34:10.710
someone reach out to me often to check
00:34:10.710 --> 00:34:16.810
on me because i like this way so yeah i do communicate they see me on social
00:34:16.810 --> 00:34:23.370
media yeah okay i mean and that's wonderful because you know i know we don't
00:34:23.370 --> 00:34:27.530
do it for the glory i know we don't do it for the for the reachbacks or any
00:34:27.530 --> 00:34:29.210
of those things but you No, it's just,
00:34:29.470 --> 00:34:35.190
I thought it's always good to see people or check on people that have crossed
00:34:35.190 --> 00:34:40.430
your path because there was a reason they crossed your path in the first place.
00:34:41.370 --> 00:34:49.150
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So you say you take crisis calls. Are you still doing hair full time?
00:34:50.030 --> 00:34:52.310
No, I do have part time. Okay.
00:34:53.230 --> 00:34:56.650
And where's, do you own your shop or are you working out of someone's shop?
00:34:57.513 --> 00:35:02.493
Yeah, I'm working out of somebody's shop. So right now, I'm, yeah, I'm still.
00:35:05.113 --> 00:35:05.713
Because.
00:35:08.133 --> 00:35:11.433
I love how I find it.
00:35:13.333 --> 00:35:18.833
I've been years of that on since I'm doing my editor. I'm still freelance now
00:35:18.833 --> 00:35:20.233
back and doing photo shoots.
00:35:21.133 --> 00:35:26.353
You went robot on me. You go for that.
00:35:27.073 --> 00:35:30.753
You go for that. Can you hear me now? Yeah, I can hear you now,
00:35:30.913 --> 00:35:33.973
but you were saying something about photo shoots or something,
00:35:34.113 --> 00:35:35.333
and it kind of went real well.
00:35:35.693 --> 00:35:39.913
Yeah, I'm steering towards back into freelancing doing photo shoots.
00:35:40.413 --> 00:35:45.293
I'll be styling, yeah, on set, yeah. Okay. That's cool.
00:35:46.833 --> 00:35:50.653
Have you met any famous people doing that? Oh, yeah.
00:35:51.333 --> 00:35:54.353
Yeah. I have famous friends. Okay.
00:35:54.693 --> 00:35:59.673
Hey, it's wonderful. I look at them like they're just me, though. You know what I mean?
00:36:00.413 --> 00:36:04.033
And that's it. I tell everybody. I'll be honest with you. You know what I'm saying?
00:36:04.533 --> 00:36:08.013
Because we're truly, I'll say this a lot. We're truly got me that,
00:36:08.113 --> 00:36:11.373
my money. Who was twerking behind the chair through the post?
00:36:12.113 --> 00:36:17.493
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, I do have some celebrity friends.
00:36:18.253 --> 00:36:23.813
Okay. I mean, that's wonderful. It's cool because God has put you in a place
00:36:23.813 --> 00:36:26.833
where he needed you to be now. So the blessings are abundant.
00:36:27.413 --> 00:36:31.753
Oh, I appreciate it. Yes. You too as well. You too as well.
00:36:32.353 --> 00:36:37.753
I absolutely love this platform. I think it's awesome. I think you have a strong voice.
00:36:38.554 --> 00:36:43.294
I love to see men thrive. You know, just the other day I was asking,
00:36:43.474 --> 00:36:46.054
you know, hey, man, you know, how's your mental health?
00:36:46.234 --> 00:36:48.874
But how are you doing, basically? That's what my question was.
00:36:49.374 --> 00:36:55.234
A lot of times we forget about men and men do matter. So I just love the fact
00:36:55.234 --> 00:36:56.574
that you have this platform.
00:36:56.974 --> 00:37:02.554
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. And what I do this on Tuesdays,
00:37:02.634 --> 00:37:04.134
I do these interviews on Tuesdays.
00:37:04.134 --> 00:37:09.614
And on Fridays, I do a two hour live show where I have men come on and we just
00:37:09.614 --> 00:37:13.074
talk about whatever's on their mind, whatever they're feeling, because you're right.
00:37:13.294 --> 00:37:17.854
And that's the other reason why I started this platform is because God came
00:37:17.854 --> 00:37:21.614
to me and he said men needed a place where they could have real,
00:37:21.794 --> 00:37:24.694
true, vulnerable and transparent conversations.
00:37:24.694 --> 00:37:27.674
Conversations just like I busted out in tears because
00:37:27.674 --> 00:37:31.094
God gave me this word I I've
00:37:31.094 --> 00:37:35.754
had a lot of vulnerable and transparent conversations on this platform in front
00:37:35.754 --> 00:37:40.094
front in front of other men now of course we can't see each other because it's
00:37:40.094 --> 00:37:46.054
audio but still and I've had I've had a man come on and talk about being s8
00:37:46.054 --> 00:37:50.854
I've had a gentleman come on talking about he was in a domestic situation.
00:37:51.054 --> 00:37:55.634
God told him that he had to go file charges on this woman that beat him.
00:37:55.794 --> 00:37:59.934
But there's not a lot of platforms out here talking about these things.
00:38:00.174 --> 00:38:04.374
There's not a lot of places that men can go and have real conversations about
00:38:04.374 --> 00:38:06.114
what's really going on with them.
00:38:06.414 --> 00:38:10.254
A lot of these podcasts are about what's going on in the world right now,
00:38:10.474 --> 00:38:13.834
sports and fluff and things that really don't matter.
00:38:14.054 --> 00:38:17.474
And no one's having the true, genuine conversations. Hey,
00:38:17.474 --> 00:38:20.834
brother like you said how's your mental health are you
00:38:20.834 --> 00:38:24.354
yeah yeah which is very important yeah
00:38:24.354 --> 00:38:27.354
yes but there's there's in this
00:38:27.354 --> 00:38:30.714
society there's no real true space
00:38:30.714 --> 00:38:33.714
for it and i'm trying to build a
00:38:33.714 --> 00:38:36.834
space here with god and with
00:38:36.834 --> 00:38:39.754
the people that he's put in my in my
00:38:39.754 --> 00:38:42.994
atmosphere to build this platform to
00:38:42.994 --> 00:38:45.954
be that space like i said july the 17th will
00:38:45.954 --> 00:38:48.574
be one year we're trying to figure out what we're going
00:38:48.574 --> 00:38:53.154
to do we don't really have a budget i've been paying for it all out my pocket
00:38:53.154 --> 00:38:59.274
but it is what it is by the grace of god it'll eventually come it'll it will
00:38:59.274 --> 00:39:06.234
eventually come and people will eventually hear us and hear our message and see who we are.
00:39:07.812 --> 00:39:12.372
I'm not in it for the cloud. I'm not getting paid. I'm not in it for anything.
00:39:12.552 --> 00:39:18.612
I'm in it for my healing and for my purpose to serve God.
00:39:19.332 --> 00:39:21.172
Right. I love that.
00:39:22.012 --> 00:39:27.052
And that's what alignment is. The alignment is there and the rest will come.
00:39:27.252 --> 00:39:29.912
Because I did this work for almost 11 years.
00:39:30.232 --> 00:39:35.472
And so it took me that many years. But as I look back, it don't seem like that
00:39:35.472 --> 00:39:40.712
in all these many years. But, you know, when you're doing the work, it's that good.
00:39:40.992 --> 00:39:44.372
You know what I mean? Despite the conflict, despite the ups and downs,
00:39:44.852 --> 00:39:47.692
it really be that good when you can see the outcome.
00:39:48.132 --> 00:39:53.612
Right, right. When I had, I've had some gentlemen come on my Friday live show
00:39:53.612 --> 00:39:58.432
and they're like, man, I would never normally talk to a bunch of men like this.
00:39:58.552 --> 00:40:02.972
But this is a safe place and I feel safe here. And when I shouted,
00:40:03.152 --> 00:40:07.912
when I say I shouted, hallelujah, thank you, Lord, that other men see this as
00:40:07.912 --> 00:40:10.432
a safe place that they can come and have conversations.
00:40:10.512 --> 00:40:12.972
This is what God wanted me to do.
00:40:13.452 --> 00:40:20.592
It made me feel so good when I say to hear a man say, yeah, I usually I'm to myself.
00:40:20.792 --> 00:40:25.092
I usually don't have conversations, but the dude has made a place where I really
00:40:25.092 --> 00:40:28.632
feel comfortable to have a conversation and talk to other men.
00:40:28.632 --> 00:40:35.932
And two weeks ago, I had my Friday night show and a gentleman came on,
00:40:36.052 --> 00:40:39.612
a Caucasian gentleman came on because most of my most of the people on my panel
00:40:39.612 --> 00:40:43.252
are African-American men that I have on my Friday night show.
00:40:43.392 --> 00:40:48.252
And there was this Caucasian gentleman in the chat and he came at the wrong
00:40:48.252 --> 00:40:53.132
time and he heard a story of one of the gentlemen talking about him being assaulted
00:40:53.132 --> 00:40:57.432
in a small town that was a sundown town.
00:40:58.216 --> 00:41:04.916
And these four sheriff's deputies that were all Caucasian beat him into a coma.
00:41:04.916 --> 00:41:07.676
And he was telling this story about that.
00:41:07.796 --> 00:41:12.296
And this Caucasian gentleman came into my show and heard that gentleman say
00:41:12.296 --> 00:41:15.296
white men, these four white officers, these four white.
00:41:15.436 --> 00:41:19.936
And he got offended and he wanted to come on and speak on the panel.
00:41:19.976 --> 00:41:23.596
And he came in and he called my show a racist. and
00:41:23.596 --> 00:41:26.356
my shows I feel like these these are my brothers and I
00:41:26.356 --> 00:41:31.116
have to keep them safe because this is my platform and the
00:41:31.116 --> 00:41:35.196
guys that I have in there like ex-military they've
00:41:35.196 --> 00:41:38.176
got PTSD some of them have you know
00:41:38.176 --> 00:41:40.896
disorders where they don't really like to
00:41:40.896 --> 00:41:43.516
be around people they don't really like to talk they're trying to
00:41:43.516 --> 00:41:46.376
like interview so I thought that that was
00:41:46.376 --> 00:41:49.276
going to affect them but I didn't have a show the
00:41:49.276 --> 00:41:52.076
next week but this Friday I had a
00:41:52.076 --> 00:41:56.676
show and they all came back and I apologized to them and I told them I'd never
00:41:56.676 --> 00:42:01.936
let that happen to them again and they were like dude you good you fine that
00:42:01.936 --> 00:42:07.856
guy he was on something else and for them to say they were ready to come back
00:42:07.856 --> 00:42:11.096
they had missed the conversation they wanted to be there.
00:42:12.056 --> 00:42:15.096
Made me feel so good and I just praised God
00:42:15.096 --> 00:42:19.036
and I said thank you so much one of the gentlemen he
00:42:19.036 --> 00:42:21.896
he's married to a german lady and he
00:42:21.896 --> 00:42:27.336
had to go over to germany because her mother died and it was on it was over
00:42:27.336 --> 00:42:31.316
the weekend he had to stay for a while whatever whatever he was like i was in
00:42:31.316 --> 00:42:35.256
germany trying to get on the show man because that's how much i love the show
00:42:35.256 --> 00:42:40.776
but the times were so different and i couldn't get on the show and i'm like me yeah.
00:42:42.476 --> 00:42:46.396
And see here's the thing with that too because
00:42:46.396 --> 00:42:49.376
I have experienced that in everything and
00:42:49.376 --> 00:42:53.876
every piece of work that I've done over the years I don't care if it was the
00:42:53.876 --> 00:42:59.736
advocacy work or the hairstylist they're always going to be an individual or
00:42:59.736 --> 00:43:07.276
group of people that'll try to attack your character or attack the very work that you're doing.
00:43:07.616 --> 00:43:12.936
I recently just had this happen to me with the interview that I've done weeks
00:43:12.936 --> 00:43:14.656
ago. But here's the thing.
00:43:15.978 --> 00:43:20.278
When you know your walk and when you know yourself and when you have confidence,
00:43:21.138 --> 00:43:24.738
what somebody think of me does not interfere with God's plan for me.
00:43:24.898 --> 00:43:25.718
You know what I'm saying?
00:43:26.018 --> 00:43:30.878
Yes, ma'am. I am not going to stop just because you said it out loud.
00:43:31.118 --> 00:43:35.098
That made me more driven than anything because guess what? You didn't even say
00:43:35.098 --> 00:43:37.058
it behind my back. You said it out loud.
00:43:37.278 --> 00:43:41.618
So I'm taking that energy and I'm going to prove to myself that I can.
00:43:41.798 --> 00:43:44.918
It ain't prove it to them, but prove to myself that I got this.
00:43:44.918 --> 00:43:51.398
As much as conflict that I went through, as many times that family and whoever
00:43:51.398 --> 00:43:55.078
said that what I couldn't do or who I couldn't be or who I couldn't achieve,
00:43:55.438 --> 00:44:02.118
I always had it in my heart that it was not about the words of people,
00:44:02.118 --> 00:44:05.058
but it was about the words of God.
00:44:05.298 --> 00:44:08.378
You understand what I'm saying? Because I know my mission.
00:44:09.138 --> 00:44:15.978
I know my spiritual gifts. I know the energy, how I feel when some and people coming to a room.
00:44:16.558 --> 00:44:20.518
You know what I'm saying? Yes, ma'am. I just know what certain energies feel
00:44:20.518 --> 00:44:23.418
like, no matter if it was demonic or angel-like.
00:44:23.518 --> 00:44:26.138
You know what I mean? I am very spiritually connected.
00:44:26.538 --> 00:44:29.458
I remember one time I was doing hair.
00:44:29.558 --> 00:44:33.578
This woman stopped me and said, you are glory carrying. They're scared.
00:44:33.658 --> 00:44:34.678
I don't know, what you talking about?
00:44:34.938 --> 00:44:40.638
She said, no, it ain't bad, but you carry the glory of God on you.
00:44:40.938 --> 00:44:41.618
You know what I'm saying?
00:44:42.318 --> 00:44:44.998
I know what that God ain't mean. You know what I'm saying?
00:44:45.238 --> 00:44:52.478
So that helps me to do this work, to know that, no, I don't have to have the perfect speech.
00:44:52.758 --> 00:44:55.158
No, I don't have to have the perfect words.
00:44:55.518 --> 00:44:59.018
You know, just like, who was it? Moses. God used Moses.
00:44:59.298 --> 00:45:03.998
Yes, ma'am. When he had a speech impediment and God gave him the word,
00:45:04.518 --> 00:45:07.578
surely that's what God is doing for me. Amen.
00:45:08.398 --> 00:45:12.058
Amen. Amen. You're right. So I'm going to continue to thrive.
00:45:12.058 --> 00:45:13.898
I'm going to continue to educate myself.
00:45:14.258 --> 00:45:18.038
I'm going to continue to believe and not put people's fear on me because what
00:45:18.038 --> 00:45:20.718
they fear is they ain't got nothing to do with me. Right.
00:45:21.478 --> 00:45:25.438
Absolutely nothing to do with me. But that is God, that is part of the,
00:45:25.478 --> 00:45:31.518
I'm sorry, that is part of the Satan's plan to attack us through strangers that don't know us.
00:45:31.638 --> 00:45:35.418
But also God's plan is to use strangers to elevate us.
00:45:36.062 --> 00:45:38.882
It goes both ways you know i mean
00:45:38.882 --> 00:45:41.642
that's why i think this podcast that you have is very
00:45:41.642 --> 00:45:44.782
powerful you know it's very driven
00:45:44.782 --> 00:45:47.582
and i absolutely love the fact that you're
00:45:47.582 --> 00:45:50.382
in alignment with god i love the fact that you
00:45:50.382 --> 00:45:53.342
offer this platform for individuals like me to thrive
00:45:53.342 --> 00:45:56.682
i really gonna recommend people your
00:45:56.682 --> 00:45:59.802
way to for you to interview you know i appreciate that
00:45:59.802 --> 00:46:03.102
i need it because like i said i'm at the beginning stages
00:46:03.102 --> 00:46:05.882
god is still working on me i'm still a
00:46:05.882 --> 00:46:09.142
work in progress my platform is still a work in progress and
00:46:09.142 --> 00:46:12.142
i'm always down to have a conversation i'm not
00:46:12.142 --> 00:46:17.022
pushy i'm not i'm i just want to have a real conversation because the world
00:46:17.022 --> 00:46:21.762
is is lacking so many real conversations we're all on my phones we're all on
00:46:21.762 --> 00:46:28.262
social media we're on what you know so just having a simple hour conversation
00:46:28.262 --> 00:46:31.822
with somebody to get to know who they are, where they come from,
00:46:32.002 --> 00:46:37.482
and what drives them is interesting to me because we're not doing this anymore.
00:46:38.642 --> 00:46:41.462
You know, like I said, these other podcasts, they want to talk about,
00:46:41.722 --> 00:46:47.542
oh, what happened on Real Housewives of Atlanta, or what happened somebody sleeping
00:46:47.542 --> 00:46:49.182
with somebody else or somebody doing this.
00:46:49.322 --> 00:46:53.342
I don't have time for any of that in my life. My pursuit is God.
00:46:53.822 --> 00:46:57.162
My pursuit, yeah. I'm talking about health disparities.
00:46:57.582 --> 00:47:01.822
I'm talking about ways that we can bring human services into a better position
00:47:01.822 --> 00:47:10.562
and work and do God's will, understanding the dynamics of social change, social justice.
00:47:11.102 --> 00:47:16.202
That's my language. And my lane is brother, what's going on inside your head?
00:47:16.362 --> 00:47:20.982
Let's fix what's going on inside your head because if we can fix what's going
00:47:20.982 --> 00:47:23.362
on inside your head, the rest of it will follow.
00:47:23.862 --> 00:47:26.882
Yes, I love that. Because if
00:47:26.882 --> 00:47:33.582
you because men And men suffer in silence a whole lot more than people do.
00:47:33.822 --> 00:47:39.282
And that means women, other people. And African-American man suffers.
00:47:39.842 --> 00:47:43.262
And we are one of the most unprotected people.
00:47:45.062 --> 00:47:46.722
African-American women and
00:47:46.722 --> 00:47:50.982
men are very unprotected. But here's the thing with African-American men.
00:47:50.982 --> 00:47:54.482
We are unprotected because the world is beating us down.
00:47:54.482 --> 00:47:59.062
And then there are women, not all women, but there are women that have been
00:47:59.062 --> 00:48:06.702
taught malicious and evil ways by women that have been scorned and been hurt to hurt us.
00:48:07.022 --> 00:48:12.322
So not only do we have to go out into this world and fight the world to try
00:48:12.322 --> 00:48:16.062
to build our own positions in this world, but then there are times when we have
00:48:16.062 --> 00:48:19.302
to come home and fight at home.
00:48:19.342 --> 00:48:22.522
Who wants to fight the world and then come home and fight?
00:48:23.396 --> 00:48:27.756
Right, right, right. I totally agree with that.
00:48:28.016 --> 00:48:34.936
We just want the three Ps, a peace of mind, a piece of ass, and a piece of land.
00:48:37.176 --> 00:48:43.456
You told us the truth. That's it? That's all a man wants in life.
00:48:43.616 --> 00:48:46.856
All a man wants is a peace of mind, a piece of ass, and a piece of land.
00:48:46.996 --> 00:48:50.776
Because with a peace of mind, you
00:48:50.776 --> 00:48:55.056
can send a man out into the world and he will try to conquer it as long as he
00:48:55.056 --> 00:48:58.916
has a peace of mind a piece of ass is going to soothe him when he comes home
00:48:58.916 --> 00:49:03.196
and a piece of land he can develop into a garden or whatever he wants to and
00:49:03.196 --> 00:49:08.056
culture it but with that peace of mind he can develop that land into whatever he wants it to be,
00:49:09.056 --> 00:49:16.316
so it's not it's not hard to to to to have a man be a man but at the same hand
00:49:16.316 --> 00:49:18.296
we've got so many people,
00:49:18.916 --> 00:49:23.036
women, men, whatever, because, excuse me, we live in a world where people date
00:49:23.036 --> 00:49:26.476
whoever they like to date. That's your business. That's none of mine.
00:49:27.476 --> 00:49:34.416
But we live in a world where you have to go by society's norms.
00:49:34.556 --> 00:49:38.856
And it's like me and the wife went out to eat a few days ago,
00:49:38.856 --> 00:49:46.416
and we were at a restaurant eating and the server we had was, he was gay.
00:49:46.756 --> 00:49:51.456
And he was a very great server. I'm not saying, actually, I'm giving him his flowers.
00:49:52.116 --> 00:49:55.976
He was gay. And he was like, and I told him, and my wife was like,
00:49:56.156 --> 00:49:58.096
well, this is my sassy husband.
00:49:58.456 --> 00:50:02.096
That's what she calls me. She calls me her sassy husband because before I met
00:50:02.096 --> 00:50:07.696
her, I had three daughters and I have two smaller daughters that are under the age of 16.
00:50:08.176 --> 00:50:11.716
And I'm a girl dad. And I'm a totally different girl dad.
00:50:11.956 --> 00:50:16.916
I'm a girl dad that has had makeup put on his face and pictures taken of him.
00:50:17.096 --> 00:50:19.496
I've had my fingernails painted numerous times.
00:50:19.696 --> 00:50:23.956
I've had my toenails painted numerous times. I went and got pedicures with my
00:50:23.956 --> 00:50:28.036
daughters and had my toenails painted for weeks under my shoes.
00:50:28.196 --> 00:50:31.756
Never took socks and shoes off. Nobody could see my feet until I wanted to show
00:50:31.756 --> 00:50:35.696
them. But yes, I've had my toenails painted, but I always get them painted blue.
00:50:35.916 --> 00:50:38.856
But I've had my toenails painted. I've had my fingernails painted.
00:50:39.036 --> 00:50:43.156
I've had a tutu on. I've played house party. I've played key party.
00:50:43.336 --> 00:50:44.856
I've played dress-up party.
00:50:45.076 --> 00:50:50.216
I've had weave put on my hair. I've worn wigs. We've had spinning parties and
00:50:50.216 --> 00:50:53.056
contests because I'm a dad.
00:50:54.400 --> 00:50:59.700
To a little girl who needs her dad to be in her life. That's true.
00:51:00.040 --> 00:51:02.380
You got to be present as a brother. That's cool.
00:51:02.740 --> 00:51:09.500
So whatever it takes to be present in my children's life, I'm there. Yeah.
00:51:10.500 --> 00:51:15.560
Sometimes it's hard. Co-parenting can be hard sometimes because my two smaller
00:51:15.560 --> 00:51:20.060
children, they live in another city, but like they're here with me.
00:51:20.240 --> 00:51:24.260
They're here at my house for a month this summer. They're here with me.
00:51:24.960 --> 00:51:32.060
So they're spending a month here with me. I get them twice a month throughout the school year.
00:51:32.240 --> 00:51:35.740
I get them whatever holiday me and them agrees up on.
00:51:36.520 --> 00:51:40.860
But it's just one of those moments like today. They're in a summer camp.
00:51:41.300 --> 00:51:43.920
My wife drops them off. I pick them up in the afternoon.
00:51:44.940 --> 00:51:49.440
I get to the summer camp. They just started a week ago, and my wife was picking
00:51:49.440 --> 00:51:51.720
them up because my job had kind of changed.
00:51:51.720 --> 00:51:57.200
But now I can time has allotted for me to be able to go and pick them up so
00:51:57.200 --> 00:52:01.200
I get there and I'm like yeah I'm here to pick up my two girls,
00:52:01.780 --> 00:52:07.940
and the counselor the little camp counselor lady was like so you're the daddy
00:52:07.940 --> 00:52:11.900
that these girls have been talking about all the time now we put a face to the
00:52:11.900 --> 00:52:16.380
daddy that these children have been talking about my daddy my daddy my daddy
00:52:16.380 --> 00:52:20.640
my daddy and that was one of the proudest moments I ever had as being a father.
00:52:22.140 --> 00:52:26.460
My little girls, they're in love with their father.
00:52:27.500 --> 00:52:34.180
That's what's up. I never had one of those to be proud of. My dad was never in my life.
00:52:35.740 --> 00:52:38.760
So he did two things for me.
00:52:38.920 --> 00:52:45.480
When I had my first daughter, I made a promise to God, her, and myself that I would never be him.
00:52:46.532 --> 00:52:51.912
Yeah. I'd never be him because like you said, that was my mom was in my life,
00:52:51.932 --> 00:52:55.832
but I never had I never had that male role. And I'm a boy.
00:52:56.012 --> 00:52:58.892
So we we need that as as men.
00:53:00.012 --> 00:53:04.292
And I never had a father that was there for graduations. I never had a father
00:53:04.292 --> 00:53:06.312
that would give me the birds and bees talk.
00:53:06.432 --> 00:53:08.652
I never had a father that would teach me how to ride a bike.
00:53:08.812 --> 00:53:10.972
I never had a father that would teach me how to drive.
00:53:11.912 --> 00:53:16.512
So one of the things I tell people all the time is I'm a fatherless.
00:53:16.532 --> 00:53:23.312
Father, searching for earthly father, praising my heavenly father. Yeah.
00:53:24.112 --> 00:53:31.392
Yeah. But I thank God for all the things he's done for me because if I looked
00:53:31.392 --> 00:53:37.192
like everything I've been through, I'd be messed up. Oh.
00:53:37.812 --> 00:53:41.652
I would surely be messed up, but God has brought me a long way.
00:53:41.852 --> 00:53:52.752
He's given me so much that I'm thankful for, that I love, and I couldn't ask for a better father.
00:53:53.252 --> 00:53:56.152
You know, I walked this earth talking about, where's my father?
00:53:56.232 --> 00:53:59.752
Where's my father? He's been above me the whole time, and he's given me all
00:53:59.752 --> 00:54:01.152
these things that I have.
00:54:01.552 --> 00:54:04.772
And I'm not saying that I neglected him in any sorts.
00:54:05.132 --> 00:54:11.812
I've always been very spiritual, but for a long time, I didn't understand the
00:54:11.812 --> 00:54:17.792
ramifications of who he was because I was living in this world as a worldly person.
00:54:18.672 --> 00:54:22.492
And like I said a while back when he told me it was time to surrender,
00:54:22.692 --> 00:54:24.092
when I surrendered, when I
00:54:24.092 --> 00:54:30.072
say when I surrendered to God, it opened up so much abundance in my life.
00:54:30.252 --> 00:54:36.192
It opened up so much abundance in my life that I never go back.
00:54:36.192 --> 00:54:38.032
And I will scream from the mountaintops
00:54:38.032 --> 00:54:43.112
the praise of my almighty Lord and how he has blessed me. Yeah.
00:54:44.156 --> 00:54:55.736
Yeah, yeah. So we are at the point of going. So I've got a few questions for you, Ms. Franklin.
00:54:56.616 --> 00:55:03.896
Okay. Nothing bad, but it's the way I like to end my show with any guest.
00:55:04.716 --> 00:55:11.316
Three questions. Okay. It's all it is is three simple questions. You ready?
00:55:11.856 --> 00:55:16.876
Okay, I'm ready. All righty, the first question is If we were to get in your
00:55:16.876 --> 00:55:20.376
vehicle right now What would be playing on the radio?
00:55:22.896 --> 00:55:27.796
Winning Okay What is that guy's name? What's his name?
00:55:28.256 --> 00:55:36.256
Oh my goodness I have to send you his name But I'll Winning Oh my gosh That
00:55:36.256 --> 00:55:42.516
is so funny Well, let me say this Any other song would be I'd say Brothers Okay, okay Okay.
00:55:43.016 --> 00:55:46.696
So when in the gospel song, but any other time it'd be the eyes of the brothers.
00:55:46.836 --> 00:55:48.116
So you just kind of smooth.
00:55:48.356 --> 00:55:51.316
You just kind of sailing. Yeah. Okay.
00:55:51.896 --> 00:55:59.036
All right. Next question. What is Centuria Franklin's sweet, guilty pleasure? here?
00:56:00.336 --> 00:56:04.776
Oh, Lord, high mercy. What is my sweet guilty pleasure?
00:56:05.616 --> 00:56:12.516
Oh, my goodness. It could be anything. My sweet guilty pleasure is that,
00:56:13.170 --> 00:56:21.430
going to get me a strawberry pie at McDonald's and sitting sometimes in the
00:56:21.430 --> 00:56:23.830
car just cracking up at my own joke.
00:56:26.250 --> 00:56:29.950
I'm a loner. Understandable. Understandable.
00:56:30.430 --> 00:56:36.230
Understandable. So a strawberry pie from McDonald's sitting in the car having
00:56:36.230 --> 00:56:37.830
a conversation with yourself.
00:56:38.550 --> 00:56:43.790
Pretty much about what I got to do. Right, right, right. You're planning.
00:56:43.990 --> 00:56:46.230
You're pre-planning for the day or whatever's going on.
00:56:46.930 --> 00:56:49.110
Yeah. All right. Third question.
00:56:49.910 --> 00:56:57.570
What's your idea of a perfect boo? Man, spouse, person. What's your idea?
00:56:58.170 --> 00:57:00.030
Describe your perfect boo.
00:57:00.690 --> 00:57:06.270
Somebody that dressed nice, crease jeans, great personalities, laid back, cool.
00:57:06.970 --> 00:57:10.350
Don't get on my nerves. Let me be free. Let me be me.
00:57:10.950 --> 00:57:17.010
The house is on peace. we come together we come dynamic with each of our own
00:57:17.010 --> 00:57:23.410
and together we play spades two-hand spades with each other we listen to some
00:57:23.410 --> 00:57:25.930
nasty brother somebody that's cool and laid back.
00:57:27.270 --> 00:57:31.930
Okay i mean and then hey that's your idea of a boo now i actually sang three
00:57:31.930 --> 00:57:36.050
questions to every guest that's been on my show i've had a few women i've had
00:57:36.050 --> 00:57:40.210
more men than i've had women but I'd like to have some more interviews with
00:57:40.210 --> 00:57:42.170
some amazing dynamic women,
00:57:42.890 --> 00:57:48.490
because my platform started off as men, but I'd love to cross over to women
00:57:48.490 --> 00:57:51.870
because I think that women have some stories to tell.
00:57:52.070 --> 00:57:56.530
But I've asked these three questions to every guest that's been on my show.
00:57:56.810 --> 00:58:03.370
And every woman has described physical attributes.
00:58:05.450 --> 00:58:10.290
90% of the men say they just want somebody that has a good heart,
00:58:11.450 --> 00:58:14.410
spiritually down, and things of that nature.
00:58:14.830 --> 00:58:19.650
But I get what you're saying. Everybody has a preference, and everybody has what they want.
00:58:20.410 --> 00:58:24.190
And you basically described, you just said you wanted to have crease genes.
