Empowering Youth Through Storytelling and Music

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Welcome to let's Talk About it, the podcast where we shine a light on the change agents and everyday heroes who shape our communities.

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Here we dive deep into the lived experiences of our guests, exploring the milestone moments that have either propelled them forward or changed their paths.

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We anchor every conversation in two foundational pillars of the Black community books and music.

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Through this unique lens, we capture, entertain and inform, weaving a rich tapestry of stories and insights that resonate, inspire and spark meaningful dialogue.

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Join our host, tj Lowry and Shatima Grisham as they engage with thought leaders and community change agents to uncover the rich tapestry of experiences that shape our lives.

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Get ready for insightful discussions, unfiltered perspectives and the celebration of Black excellence.

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Let's talk about it.

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Of Black Excellence let's talk about it.

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Hey everyone, Welcome to let's Talk About it the podcast.

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I'm your girl, TJ, here, and I'm so excited to get into today's podcast.

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Before we jump into the conversation, though, I want to introduce you to my co-host, Shatima.

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Let's talk about it, Shatima.

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How you doing, girl, I'm good.

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Thanks, CJ, for the intro.

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How are you?

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I'm pretty good.

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I'm pretty good.

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I'm excited to be here.

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Absolutely.

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We have a wonderful guest coming up, so excited to get into that.

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But before we do, I know that we are HR professionals and it's taboo and we've been preconditioned not to talk politics.

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Did you get a chance to?

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talk, watch the DNC.

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The last few days it has been a party right Like.

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We've never seen a DNC like this.

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No, the turnip has been great.

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And I'm so excited for it yeah, what was one?

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Of your favorite highlights.

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You know I love Auntie Michelle so she's forever my first lady.

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So she was a mic drop for sure she was.

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Well, I think she is going to go viral.

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We're going to try to figure out how to bring her back in the White House because she was reading people.

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Absolutely.

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I've made it really hard to get up and go to my black job the next day.

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I know right.

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Well, who are you inviting or introducing us to to join us on our podcast today?

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Who are you introducing us to yeah, absolutely, so we are lucky to have Mr Zion Givens.

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Welcome to the let's Talk About it podcast.

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Thank you.

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Thank you for having me.

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Awesome.

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Welcome back, Zion.

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We're excited to get into part two with you.

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Let's do it.

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All right.

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Well, zion is the co-founder and presenter of Up To it, which is an organization that works with youth, families and organizations to help them connect, communicate and thrive.

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Prior to Up To it, he worked at a local nonprofit called Not my Kid and he was the youth prevention team lead there.

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He is also a native to Arizona, from Tucson, bear down, Bear down, so it is great to have you here again with us.

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Thanks for having me again.

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I'm super excited.

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Good, good.

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Well, Zion, I think you know this already, but as HR practitioners we do like icebreakers, just to kind of warm up the room, get us into the combo.

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So we've got a cute little icebreaker here called Talk To Me.

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So we're going to ask you a question.

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Just think and tell us the first thing that comes to mind.

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All right.

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So this time around, tell me your favorite hip hop artist.

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J Cole.

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Oh no hesitation no hesitation.

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Is it the lyrics?

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It's the lyrics.

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It's the humility, it's the intellectual.

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I love the guy that's my man A hundred percent.

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I was nervous for him this summer though.

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When I came for him, I was nervous for him.

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This summer, though, when you know it came for him, I was nervous.

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I was so happy that he bowed out.

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He was that bad.

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He was smart, right, very smart.

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Kendrick was like yo, hey, kendrick was like yo hey, you might want to sit this one out.

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He did he did.

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Exactly Love it.

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What about your favorite hip-hop music video?

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Oh, exactly.

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Love it.

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What about your favorite hip-hop music video?

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Oh, music video Dang.

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You know what I'm going to go?

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Kiss, kiss, t-pain Chris Brown.

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Okay, that was a fun music video, that was good, it's funny.

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You went back because I feel like we grew up watching videos.

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So, and 106 and Park, do the kids have video shows?

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now Not anymore, not like they used to Remember the box that was good, the 106th and Park was my thing Every Friday.

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I was always tuning into Terrence Howard 6 foot, 7 foot was like my little Wayne was going viral.

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Remember, mr Bow Wow was Mr 106th and Park.

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He was 100% they don't have a video show.

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They have no more.

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Just have to stream it.

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Yeah, we gotta stream it YouTube.

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They are.

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Tell us your favorite R&B album of all time.

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R&B album of all time.

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I love this conversation, oh my God.

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Now I can rattle off some, but I think I'm gonna go.

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I might throw it back here.

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That's a tough question.

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You almost have to with R&B.

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You do.

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I mean, they don't make R&B like they used to.

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No more, it's all pop, right, ooh, r&b.

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See, now you got me Over here tripping and stumbling.

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It would be Usher for me which one, which album?

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I don't care.

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See now you got me over here tripping and stumbling, and it would be Usher for me which one I'm telling you the older.

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You know, I might, I might go a little bit more modern, then I might go Bruno Mars Anderson.

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So that was a yeah that was such a great album it was.

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So what was that Soak Sonic?

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Yeah, love that one.

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What about a pop song that you always get to dance in?

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A pop song that always gets me dancing.

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I'm going to go Doja Cat and Gucci Mane.

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I don't know if you heard that song before.

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It was big.

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During the pandemic, me and my sister were like, riding around, we go get ice cream.

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She'd be so embarrassed.

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Which one was it?

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Oh, is it like that I think it's like that Gucci Mane and Doja Cat.

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That's one of my favorites.

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She's in my gym rotation.

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Get into it.

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That's a good one too.

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Get into it.

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What about a favorite collab?

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I think you just gave us one.

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Yeah, Gucci Mane about a favorite collab I think you just gave us one.

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Yeah, yeah, that counts.

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You have a favorite collab?

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I think my favorite collab?

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Oh, this is y'all, y'all getting some good conversation.

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Look at this um my favorite collab would probably have to be run dmc and aerosmith you like to be oh yeah what about the most underrated artists?

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Oh, most underrated artists.

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Maybe that doesn't get enough flowers.

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I'm gonna go see and it's funny because you still have a music podcast and we had conversations like this all the time we threw you off.

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Yeah, you did.

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I was like, yeah, I'm talking hr today, no um underrated artist that doesn't get enough appreciation or flowers.

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I'm gonna go the dream yeah, the dream he too.

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Some bangers, so much yeah.

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Writes a lot.

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Writes so well.

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So much, that's a good one Now most people don't know about the beef between him and going back and forth about Nivea and writing and people did not know, so that's kind of fun.

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That was a good memory.

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Yes, what.

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What about Kendrick and Drake?

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Who are you picking?

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Ooh, I'm Arizona, so that's close to the West Coast.

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I'm going K-Dot.

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Yeah, all right.

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It feels like he's winning, obviously, although.

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I'm kind of over it.

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I have to admit.

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I changed the station.

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Now I think, Drake even picked Kendrick.

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He's been playing him at his concert, Right?

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I think he kind of laughed through it.

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He conceded right.

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Right, he did, he did, yeah, so are you into PDA?

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No no.

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That was a strong no Public display of affection.

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That's what you're talking about.

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That was a strong no, no, no.

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No, I'm just naturally hot in general, like temperature, temperature, hot.

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So to have somebody all up on me, especially my fiance, I like, oh please, my hands get sweaty, it's just a mess.

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Yeah, like, don't touch me, I'll touch you when I'm ready.

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I don't know I can't co-sign that one, okay, yeah holding, grabbing your arm.

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Yes, yes, but even in the bed cuddling, I'm like it's too hot to be cuddling.

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What are you talking about?

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I love that.

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What was the first concert you remember going to?

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T-Pain.

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Oh you are serious T-Pain.

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Yeah, I mean.

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You're kind of underrated too.

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I agree I could have thrown him in there too, but that was in high school.

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He came to the Pima County Fair.

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It's always tied.

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It's T-Pain and then Lil Yachty.

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I saw Lil Yachty right after T-Pain.

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Those were two experiences I will never forget.

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I got grounded for a long time for Lil Yachty, but that's a whole other conversation for another time.

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What about an artist who has the best style?

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Best style, style, that style.

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Who do I try to mimic a lot of?

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I think that's.

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I think, see, I'm not even thinking artist, I'm thinking now I'm gonna put devin booker in there that's okay.

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Yeah, I like okay, it's simple it's neutral, it's baggy, but yet you know he has some accent colors in there kind of plain, but still still there, you know.

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Yeah, still looks nice and clean.

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I feel like you picked him because he was a son.

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That has to be one of the reasons as well.

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What CDs in rotation?

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Right now I'm aging myself.

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What do you listen to in your Apple?

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music there we go.

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What's heavy in rotation?

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I still have.

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CDs, tj, I do.

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They don't give a lot of play time, but I still have them.

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Cds are cool I mean, they're coming back.

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So is vinyl records.

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I do have vinyls.

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I do have a vinyl record player, so very cool.

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What's in rotation?

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my rotation right now that I'm listening to a lot of is Blast.

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I don't know if you've ever heard of Blast before B-L-X-S-T super dope.

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He's from the west coast that I'm listening to a lot of is Blast.

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I don't know if you've ever heard of Blast before B-L-X-S-T Super dope.

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He's from the West Coast, coming out in the same kind of incubator that Kendrick came out of, and all those West Coast artists so very R&B-ish, very hip-hop-ish as well Love him.

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We're going to go see him in concert in November.

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So that's exciting, that's cute.

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And what's your favorite genre?

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So my favorite genre of music man is, like I always say, hip-hop, because hip-hop is what made me, what raised me, so I'm gonna stick with that.

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That's definitely where I grew up on okay.

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Well, tell us when you first fell in love with hip-hop there's two memories that I have that are quite prominent.

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The first one I'll keep it short and brief is, uh, I remember my dad playing get rich or die, trying by 50 cent in the car and I knew that from that moment I'd hopped out in preschool and I remembered that, like many men playing behind me, I'm like nobody's like coming after me, like I don't know why.

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I'm like listening to this song, like I got hits on me or whatever, but this was one of the artists that really was prominent in my life.

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But then, uh, as I grew up, I remember the hip-hop blogs talking about this new artist and they were hyping him up and he had like a awesome teddy bear in the in his album.

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I was like, okay, this seems kind of interesting, so I played it, that's what I fell in love.

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And the artist was a kanye west college dropout, college dropout.

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Yeah, the blogs were going crazy about him and I was like this is I get it now?

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I get it, it.

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That was my introduction to hip hop.

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Production wise, that was a good album the skits.

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Cedric the Entertainer on there.

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Oh man, I'm trying not to be offended that 50 Cent's album was when you're in preschool, because Age enough, yes, but I agree those are some good ones.

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So speak to your music.

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How you got into hip-hop?

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How did you get into the career you're in?

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Yeah, in the same terms relatively definitely.

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Uh.

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So my dad's been in the the I'll say, non-profit public speaking world for about 20 plus years and I never knew what he did for a living.

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Growing up my parents were.

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I mean, I'd be like, yeah, he goes and talks to people and he loves it, he talks to youth and he always has snacks in his office.

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That's all I remember and I never knew what he actually did.

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And when he came to my school and he did a leadership presentation for my pep assembly, for our school, and I remember a student behind me, a peer, and he was like, damn, I wish that was my dad up there, and I remember that interaction that was really brief and really simple, but I overheard it and I was like I want to have that same impact and same feeling.

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Maybe not as a dad, you know, for the young people I don't want to be a dad.

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I was like maybe the cool big brother, maybe the big, the cool uncle right now, in this moment.

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And that's what really got me into, got me curious on what is prevention, what is behavioral health, what is mental health, what can we do more?

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And that's what kind of got me into, into the field that I'm in now.

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Okay, Very good, I love that.

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So when did the beat drop in your career?

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This would be after those first 16 bars of you realizing, like dang, my dad is cool and you know.

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Now this is that moment where you really saw yourself in this career and has taken off.

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When did the beat drop?

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I think the beat dropped for me when I got invited to a keynote presentation for a nonprofit out here in Arizona called Bring Change to Mind and when I got that invitation to come out and speak to them they were.

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I was a little nervous.

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It was my first time being on this and I was super young I mean, I think I was 21 at the time and I was.

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I don't know what I have to say.

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That's going to be different than what they've heard or I'm going to have a lasting impact on them.

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And so I remember doing the presentation and I got really vulnerable.

00:13:58.653 --> 00:14:05.600
I was talking about the passing of my grandfather and how that had a huge instrumental play role in my life of just kind of mental health.

00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:10.042
I just started lashing out on people when I was grieving and I didn't know why I was lashing out, but I was.

00:14:10.042 --> 00:14:11.426
Now I know I was grieving.

00:14:11.426 --> 00:14:12.990
I didn't grieve in the proper way and how.

00:14:12.990 --> 00:14:16.730
That damaged relationships and we talk about getting cut from the basketball team.

00:14:16.730 --> 00:14:20.764
It was because of my mouth, it was because I was talking poorly to the coach and it wasn't because I didn't like him.

00:14:20.764 --> 00:14:24.789
It wasn't because I didn't like him, it wasn't because of that, but it was because I was grieving.

00:14:24.831 --> 00:14:26.653
So I gave that yeah so.

00:14:26.692 --> 00:14:38.139
I gave that presentation, and the amount of youth that came up to me after that presentation let me know that they were going through something similar and maybe it wasn't a grandfather, but maybe it was a parent, maybe it was a sibling.

00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:39.942
Maybe it was an aunt or whoever it was.

00:14:39.942 --> 00:14:46.798
It was everything just reaffirming to me that people need to hear some stories, that they know that they're not alone.

00:14:47.667 --> 00:14:53.148
And that's when a lot of more clients, I would say, started hitting up the local nonprofit that I worked for previously.

00:14:53.148 --> 00:14:58.751
To be like we want Z to come out and speak to our youth, because it resonated well, and that was when the beat dropped for me.

00:14:58.751 --> 00:14:59.173
I love that.

00:15:03.405 --> 00:15:08.258
Well, in moving with the theme of music and the soundtrack of your life, let's talk about the verse.

00:15:08.258 --> 00:15:12.115
So the verse is the part of the song that's used to kind of advance the plot right.

00:15:12.115 --> 00:15:15.894
It often tells sometimes the story.

00:15:15.894 --> 00:15:19.611
What is the verse of your personal soundtrack?

00:15:21.817 --> 00:15:22.298
That's good.

00:15:22.298 --> 00:15:32.720
It's funny because, like, when you go on stage and you're presenting, you rattle off all these hip hop lyrics that are like, but then you're in the moment and you get caught and you're like wait, what lyric do I say that resonates?

00:15:44.845 --> 00:15:45.889
we can't help you if you don't know what's going on.

00:15:45.889 --> 00:15:47.134
Right, we can't help you if you don't know what's going on.

00:15:47.134 --> 00:15:51.191
And a lot of people feel like that they're a burden to others if they can't, if they don't ask for help.

00:15:51.191 --> 00:15:53.423
Or if they do ask for help, they don't want to burden anybody.

00:15:53.423 --> 00:15:55.250
They're afraid of the judgment that they might receive.

00:15:55.250 --> 00:15:59.265
They're afraid of the backlash and the way that they may be treated afterwards.

00:15:59.265 --> 00:16:02.350
But my biggest thing is ask for help for sure.

00:16:02.350 --> 00:16:13.594
You can't help you if you don't know what's going on, and we can read your body language and your facial expressions to a T, but those are our assumptions unless you tell us and we can get you the proper help that you deserve and that you need.

00:16:13.594 --> 00:16:18.150
So that's really what I go by, and I'm trying to do better at practicing what I preach.

00:16:18.692 --> 00:16:18.892
If.

00:16:18.993 --> 00:16:19.413
I'm struggling.

00:16:19.413 --> 00:16:20.115
I got to ask for help.

00:16:20.115 --> 00:16:25.150
I don't have all the answers, but I know somebody in my community and my network does, so why not reach out?

00:16:25.812 --> 00:16:31.860
I love that because I don't believe we teach that early enough to be vulnerable, especially to our boys.

00:16:32.706 --> 00:16:33.703
Especially the boys.

00:16:33.865 --> 00:16:34.870
Especially the boys.

00:16:34.870 --> 00:16:38.109
And you, you know as men and you know as young.

00:16:38.109 --> 00:16:39.751
You know young boys.

00:16:39.751 --> 00:16:46.160
You know, instead of telling them, you can't cry and be tough, dealing with those feelings and asking for that help.

00:16:46.160 --> 00:16:49.250
Yes, so I love that the organization is focusing on that.

00:16:49.409 --> 00:16:50.312
A hundred percent and that's.

00:16:50.312 --> 00:16:58.831
I'm glad you brought that up because I'm thinking about me and what I look like, and right now we're seeing the increase in black suicides, black young people's suicides.

00:16:58.831 --> 00:17:19.698
So we're talking about 13 and up, so anybody from 13, we're seeing an increase, but then, as well as if you're black, students below the age of 13 are two times more likely to die by suicide than their counterparts than their other peers, and that goes to your sentiment of we need to tell people that are black youth that it's OK to ask for help.

00:17:19.825 --> 00:17:20.749
You're not any less.

00:17:20.749 --> 00:17:22.654
You're not weak for asking for help.

00:17:22.654 --> 00:17:27.411
You're not any less of a black person for asking Like I don't know where this idea came from that you're not black enough.

00:17:27.531 --> 00:17:30.097
it comes from the generational curses.

00:17:30.097 --> 00:17:35.436
You mentioned it in part one and not in that term, but I heard it and we've been taught about that.

00:17:35.436 --> 00:17:39.317
You keeping your head down right, it's how we've been taught.

00:17:39.317 --> 00:17:41.325
It's not okay to talk about our feelings.

00:17:41.325 --> 00:17:46.849
What I think is important is learning how to meet these youth where they are.

00:17:46.849 --> 00:17:52.335
My son introduced me to Snapchat, having a therapy interactive.

00:17:52.335 --> 00:17:56.439
You know Snapchat therapist and I said I like it.

00:17:56.439 --> 00:17:59.142
You know she might tell you to jump on the building.

00:18:01.005 --> 00:18:04.455
And he said Mom, relax, you know, it really is just warming me up to the idea of talking to somebody.

00:18:04.455 --> 00:18:07.486
He said you are absolutely correct, I idea of talking to somebody that you are absolutely correct.

00:18:07.486 --> 00:18:26.176
I need to talk to somebody, but it's uncomfortable, I don't know how to do that, and so that Snapchat amazingly introduced him to the concept of having that authentic, vulnerable conversation and he said now I'm ready, but I think that's also important, right?

00:18:26.176 --> 00:18:28.308
Just kind of saying go to therapy, right.

00:18:28.429 --> 00:18:39.586
As opposed to kind of really warming them up to it and teaching them why it's okay and throw out that generational curse of you can't cry because you got to be a hard.

00:18:39.586 --> 00:18:45.298
Male Men have feminine energy that they need to also be able to release.

00:18:46.246 --> 00:18:46.686
That's so good.

00:18:46.686 --> 00:18:49.874
I'm glad that you were also reset to the fact of all right.

00:18:49.874 --> 00:18:54.654
This is new to me, but if this is working for you and it's warming it up to you, let's continue.

00:18:54.654 --> 00:18:58.905
I'm going to keep an eye out, but I'm also going to make sure that you're well taken care of.

00:18:58.905 --> 00:19:00.048
But give it a try.

00:19:00.210 --> 00:19:01.393
Meeting them where they are.

00:19:01.633 --> 00:19:02.375
That's so important.

00:19:02.375 --> 00:19:04.287
I love that that's so important, I love that that's huge.

00:19:04.326 --> 00:19:06.912
So the chorus is the heart of the song.

00:19:06.912 --> 00:19:10.138
It usually captures the main message and emotional essence.

00:19:10.138 --> 00:19:14.395
It's the part that most people sing along and remember the words.

00:19:14.395 --> 00:19:20.258
What has been Zion's core message or the chorus in your career, your personal life or both?

00:19:20.404 --> 00:19:23.271
Yeah, I think it goes back to the part one of the up to it.

00:19:23.271 --> 00:19:25.076
Down to it, we do it because we're used to it.

00:19:25.076 --> 00:19:31.103
That was a chant that my dad used to do with his friends and it was something that was huge.

00:19:31.103 --> 00:19:32.208
It was prevalent in my life.

00:19:32.208 --> 00:19:37.027
So when we talk about up to it, is having a, a goal, something that you want to achieve, that's positive.

00:19:37.027 --> 00:19:46.712
And if you have and this is my favorite, my one of my other favorite sayings that I heard from my mentor, geronda montano, and she, like, if you have nothing to aim for, you're going to hit it every time.

00:19:47.614 --> 00:19:48.875
Oh, I love that.

00:19:48.875 --> 00:19:50.438
That's easy Right.

00:19:50.538 --> 00:19:55.952
But when you have a target and a goal it gets a little difficult and I was like that.

00:19:55.972 --> 00:19:56.815
That reigns true to me.

00:19:56.815 --> 00:19:58.005
So that's what up to it is.

00:19:58.005 --> 00:20:02.792
It's having that goal in mind, that passion, whatever, that you're driving, and then the down to it is that work.

00:20:02.792 --> 00:20:04.395
Are you out putting your reps?

00:20:04.395 --> 00:20:06.740
Are you, uh, doing the research?

00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:07.467
What are you doing?

00:20:07.467 --> 00:20:08.992
Are you asking for help?

00:20:08.992 --> 00:20:11.321
That's down to it, uh, and then we do.

00:20:11.321 --> 00:20:13.166
It is finding that community that's with you.

00:20:13.166 --> 00:20:16.394
Well, what community are you that you have?

00:20:16.394 --> 00:20:21.330
You have to leave to grow, or what community are you growing within already?

00:20:21.411 --> 00:20:25.346
right resources in there, so and then the last one is because we're used to it.

00:20:25.346 --> 00:20:26.769
It's the repetition aspect.

00:20:26.769 --> 00:20:36.008
It's like you can't do it just one time now it's building a habit right, so that's that yeah it's like going to the gym, as we always say right, you got to work the muscles or else you're going to lose it.

00:20:36.028 --> 00:20:38.153
So for sure, yes, can I ask the?

00:20:38.153 --> 00:20:40.440
I know you like to like.

00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:45.676
We met you at a coffee chat um black hr society and there's a Thank you.

00:20:45.676 --> 00:20:47.021
We'll be bringing that back right.

00:20:47.021 --> 00:20:51.416
We've got some more exciting things coming.

00:20:51.416 --> 00:20:59.659
Tell us the bridge between UpToIt and DHR practitioners and why you all think it's important to start in that space.

00:20:59.865 --> 00:21:01.432
Yeah, I'm glad you brought this question up.

00:21:01.432 --> 00:21:03.794
It goes long-winded when we're in person.

00:21:03.794 --> 00:21:05.290
I'm like I've got to figure out how to narrow it down.

00:21:06.625 --> 00:21:07.974
But now, since we're on the podcast, you're trapped.

00:21:07.974 --> 00:21:08.701
I know that's what's happening.

00:21:08.701 --> 00:21:09.224
That's what we'll do.

00:21:10.526 --> 00:21:24.875
One of the reasons why we are going into HR spaces or especially like employee assistant programs is because we understand how hard it is to be a parent or to care for a child, and we really work with the age range from 11 to 21.

00:21:24.875 --> 00:21:35.111
It's kind of our sweet spot, working with pre-tweens and then young adults.

00:21:35.111 --> 00:21:39.580
So we noticed that there is a huge need for somebody to bridge the gap between their youth and the adults that are caring for these youth.

00:21:39.580 --> 00:21:48.080
Because I'll go to a school event or I'll go to school districts and be like hey, this is what we do for the youth, and they'll be like we love that, yes, bring that in for the youth.

00:21:48.080 --> 00:21:51.911
And I'll be like, oh well, this is what we do for the adults, and they're like man.

00:21:51.991 --> 00:21:58.414
I don't need that, I don't need that, but if it's for the kids, oh, we're there for you and for us.

00:21:58.474 --> 00:21:59.036
now we're good.

00:22:07.704 --> 00:22:09.492
But we notice that disconnect and you mentioned it here where this bridge, this gap?

00:22:09.492 --> 00:22:18.458
Where we're giving the youth the education and they're trying to implement it into their daily lives, but the adults in their lives aren't receiving the same information, so it gets undone and they go back into old habits.

00:22:18.458 --> 00:22:22.694
So we were like well, where are adults spending most of their time?

00:22:23.424 --> 00:22:25.369
Oh at work At work, right?

00:22:25.369 --> 00:22:25.951
Yes, we are.

00:22:25.951 --> 00:22:39.006
Yeah, yeah, rightfully so, and we realize that it's hard to get parents to come to an after school night when you just work an eight hour, 10 hour shift, right, and you're like Jamal and Zion are presenting who?

00:22:39.006 --> 00:22:39.931
All of you know these guys.

00:22:40.305 --> 00:22:40.885
Who are they going to tell?

00:22:40.905 --> 00:22:42.627
me that I don't know these guys.

00:22:42.627 --> 00:22:46.672
It's true, I got another kid that I got to pick up Like I'm not going to this event.

00:22:47.092 --> 00:22:49.454
So the other thought was let's do it virtually.

00:22:49.454 --> 00:22:52.938
But what tends to happen when people do things virtually is they're doing something else.

00:22:52.938 --> 00:22:53.919
They got to post it up.

00:22:53.919 --> 00:22:55.000
Okay, yeah, we're cleaning.

00:22:55.000 --> 00:23:15.385
That's a good nugget, okay, all right, but there's something different about this in-person connection and conversation that, like we're having today, Like we're having today.

00:23:15.405 --> 00:23:20.815
So when we go into these, these HR spaces, we're really trying to advocate that, hey, not only will this benefit your employees on their personal level, but they show up as their personal selves every day when they clock into this job.

00:23:20.815 --> 00:23:21.296
Right, so we got to care.

00:23:21.296 --> 00:23:26.523
This shows the employee or your team members that you care about them on a deeper level than just a worker be to make ends meet, on a deeper level than just a worker B to make ends meet, right, like.

00:23:26.523 --> 00:23:30.075
So we're really, and it expires and inspires retention, and I love that.

00:23:30.075 --> 00:23:42.034
You, when you talked about the organization that you're working with and the founder of is, you want that retention, that, that that talent, and you want to make sure that we retain this talent because, as you know, you know the numbers and the stats, that retention is at an all time low.

00:23:42.034 --> 00:23:42.713
It at an all-time low.

00:23:42.713 --> 00:23:43.134
It's hard to keep.

00:23:43.134 --> 00:23:46.757
It's hard to keep people there for a long time, especially talented people, it's true right.

00:23:46.957 --> 00:23:55.428
So if employees just take an extra step, of employees just take an extra step to be like we got something that will help you out and invite us into their, in their spaces.

00:23:55.428 --> 00:23:58.202
Not even us doesn't have to be us, it can be another organization or whatever.

00:23:58.222 --> 00:24:00.288
Yeah, just feel the need.

00:24:00.288 --> 00:24:00.768
Feel the need.

00:24:00.768 --> 00:24:01.489
So what?

00:24:01.489 --> 00:24:02.210
My question?

00:24:02.210 --> 00:24:04.834
I noticed you talk about the EAP.

00:24:04.834 --> 00:24:09.020
Have you all talked about the health and wellness angle?

00:24:09.020 --> 00:24:14.397
I know there is H-Web here Healthy Workplaces, arizona.

00:24:14.397 --> 00:24:17.691
Have you partnered with them to talk about you know how?

00:24:17.691 --> 00:24:22.180
Because they really do a great job of infusing health and wellness in the workplaces.

00:24:22.180 --> 00:24:28.767
But there could be a great opportunity to kind of get into some of those spaces through H-Web.

00:24:29.008 --> 00:24:29.648
Definitely no.

00:24:29.648 --> 00:24:33.346
I didn't even know that that organization existed, so I know this is good to know.

00:24:33.346 --> 00:24:34.192
This is great information.

00:24:34.413 --> 00:24:34.936
For sure.

00:24:34.936 --> 00:24:40.616
I was also thinking, you know most companies do some sort of benefits fair and so having that resource there.

00:24:40.616 --> 00:24:45.193
But I also love the fact that you guys are supporting that EAP.

00:24:45.193 --> 00:24:55.549
I know, tj, I'm sure you get an office full of you know, employees that are just struggling and it's affecting their work, and so we always kind of resource EAP out.

00:24:55.549 --> 00:24:59.365
But a lot of times, you know, some of their challenges are with their kids.

00:24:59.507 --> 00:25:04.787
They're missing work because of this connection or disconnection or you know whatever they have going through.

00:25:04.787 --> 00:25:18.057
So to have a resource that they can, you know, not necessarily a therapist, but just something else getting through that preteen or tween or early young adult stage to partner with them, would definitely help.

00:25:18.057 --> 00:25:27.896
I know a lot of employees that I have reached out to because you know they're struggling, trying to connect with their kids and it's not because of an absent parent or anything like that.

00:25:27.896 --> 00:25:30.532
It's just that connection and age gap.

00:25:30.593 --> 00:25:36.972
So I love that it's different for the millennials, the millennials, the A I don't know what they call them yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:25:36.972 --> 00:25:40.798
Depending on that generation it is different to connect with them.

00:25:40.798 --> 00:25:44.296
But we know happy, healthy employees are productive.

00:25:44.525 --> 00:25:46.672
So I think it's a health and wellness angle as well.

00:25:46.672 --> 00:25:47.494
I love that.

00:25:47.494 --> 00:25:48.808
I love using that angle as well.

00:25:48.808 --> 00:25:56.633
I love that you mentioned connectedness, because the funny part about the presentation is called Conversations that Connect, that's what it's about.

00:25:56.633 --> 00:25:59.190
It's having these tough conversations for strong connections.

00:25:59.190 --> 00:26:00.911
That's what the presentation is about.

00:26:01.806 --> 00:26:03.769
I have a 14-year-old and I'm working on it.

00:26:03.769 --> 00:26:08.998
Every day I hear you, you think you're hip until you have a teenager in the house.

00:26:08.998 --> 00:26:14.598
Right, remind you how, not hip you are.

00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:17.412
I feel that I feel that All right.

00:26:17.565 --> 00:26:28.467
So we talked about you know the verse and the chorus, and so what's left is the bridge when it comes to a song, the bridge, you know, breaks up that repetitiveness.

00:26:28.467 --> 00:26:30.111
It's usually what we remember.

00:26:30.111 --> 00:26:31.473
You know something catchy.

00:26:31.473 --> 00:26:38.056
It adds an element of surprise, you know the hook comes in there and that's what you're kind of jamming to.

00:26:38.056 --> 00:26:40.211
So you know what is your bridge.

00:26:40.211 --> 00:26:40.795
What is that?

00:26:40.795 --> 00:26:44.307
One thing that you know maybe shook up your life a little bit.

00:26:44.707 --> 00:26:54.355
Yeah, I think it was my senior year of high school, where and this is part of my story that I share with the youth when I do my keynote speaking is in high school.

00:26:54.355 --> 00:27:02.451
I always wore this mask and they don't tell you in high school, when you're senior year approaches, that when you come back from winter break, a lot of change happens so quickly.

00:27:02.451 --> 00:27:12.386
People are accepting our offer letters to go to different colleges, to different cities, to different states, are going to overseas to serve our military, right these things.

00:27:12.386 --> 00:27:21.175
And you're like wait, I thought we were just going to go out to dinner all together and hang out and stay the same or not stay the same, but be in the same environment.

00:27:21.175 --> 00:27:26.613
And when that hit for me it was huge, it was overwhelming.

00:27:26.613 --> 00:27:29.376
It was something that I wasn't prepared for.

00:27:29.376 --> 00:27:43.863
So what I ended up falling into was this distancing or disassociation is the term with my mental health, where it feels like I was waking up every day, but I was watching myself wake up.

00:27:44.490 --> 00:27:44.893
I was.

00:27:44.893 --> 00:27:47.615
You know what I mean, Just kind of watching it play out.

00:27:47.615 --> 00:27:48.900
It's on auto.

00:27:49.991 --> 00:28:00.481
It's auto every day I realized that I couldn't have conversations longer than five minutes because I couldn't empathize with people, and that was one of my strongest things as a student still is is my empathy.

00:28:00.481 --> 00:28:03.440
So when that was lost, I was terrified.

00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:08.699
I was terrified of my own body yeah, I hear you and I was like what is happening?

00:28:08.739 --> 00:28:09.461
What do I do?

00:28:09.461 --> 00:28:22.377
And then the whole societal thing is of, while I'm black and mexican, these are two cultures that we don't talk about mental health, because when you talk about these things, you're weak, you're soft, you're, you're crazy.

00:28:22.377 --> 00:28:27.903
And in my mexican culture it's there's, no, there's no such thing as depression or stress.

00:28:27.903 --> 00:28:28.886
There's, no, there's no.

00:28:28.946 --> 00:28:35.355
Spanish translation for these things is what's the the argument was, but I want to let people know that are listening and watching.

00:28:35.355 --> 00:28:40.056
There are spanish translations for stress and depression and it's real, it's a real thing.

00:28:40.056 --> 00:28:42.101
So this is internal conflict of.

00:28:42.101 --> 00:28:47.900
Do I talk about this with somebody, then, on top of it, I'm the oldest on in my family.

00:28:47.900 --> 00:28:51.660
I'm the oldest so uh only two, but I'm the oldest grandkid, I'm the oldest cousin, I'm the oldest.

00:28:51.660 --> 00:28:53.329
So, uh, the only two, but I'm the oldest grandkid, I'm the oldest cousin.

00:28:53.670 --> 00:28:54.713
I'm the oldest brother.

00:28:54.733 --> 00:28:57.000
So all this weight that's on me.

00:28:57.040 --> 00:28:57.522
Right.

00:28:58.144 --> 00:28:59.549
And it was just hard.

00:28:59.549 --> 00:29:08.342
But I realized that I had to have a conversation with my mom and she met me with grace and supportiveness and she got me the help that I deserved, and that's what I needed the most.

00:29:08.342 --> 00:29:14.622
I would say that was the bridge that really shook me up and made me an advocate for what I'm doing now.

00:29:14.821 --> 00:29:18.156
I love it, I love the story, I love the testimony.

00:29:18.156 --> 00:29:24.022
You know, because when we talk about and look at who you are today, you know we wouldn't think that.

00:29:24.022 --> 00:29:32.082
But most of us that have become who we are today have gone through some stuff, have gone through some storms and some resilience has come out of it.

00:29:32.082 --> 00:29:33.904
So kudos to you, zion.

00:29:33.904 --> 00:29:43.029
Tell me what song is like your go-to when you're going through those tough times is challenging and you just know it's about to be war.

00:29:43.029 --> 00:29:44.173
What are you putting on to?

00:29:44.253 --> 00:29:45.858
get you through to armor you.

00:29:46.289 --> 00:29:52.362
It's funny because I would think people are like oh, he's going to pick a hype song, this, this is gonna be the one that gets you amped up and ready to go.

00:29:52.362 --> 00:30:06.800
But I'm gonna go a little bit softer and go something that's a little bit more wordy, lyrical, which is uh, more storytelling, which is a windowpane uh 98 by uh, windowpane by j cole, and that's my favorite, yeah, yeah, my gosh I have to always plug him and it's.

00:30:06.902 --> 00:30:08.372
It's the story of just talking about.

00:30:08.372 --> 00:30:20.780
One of the lines that stick out to me is because of the work that I do, where I get to interact with these youth on almost a daily basis, and, um, one of the lines in there she's like this little girl came up to me she said don't forget me, I won't forget you.

00:30:20.780 --> 00:30:28.173
How could I, with all you've been through a bullet, hit your cousin's temple while he was with you and while you were talking I was tearing up where's the tissue?

00:30:28.634 --> 00:30:40.771
and these are some of these stories that I hear on a daily right in real life of like students, seeing hope in me and knowing that they're okay and knowing that you know the work that we're doing.

00:30:40.771 --> 00:30:41.917
It is great work.

00:30:41.917 --> 00:30:44.971
This is the work that needs to be doing and how's my grandfather would call it?

00:30:45.031 --> 00:30:47.983
it's kingdom work yeah, oh, yeah work of the kingdom.

00:30:48.044 --> 00:30:50.874
This is what we're trying to empower our youth to, to be great.

00:30:50.874 --> 00:30:55.637
So I would say Windowpane by J Cole is one of those songs that I listen to to reaffirm what we're doing.

00:30:55.657 --> 00:30:56.760
I love it, thank you.

00:30:58.353 --> 00:31:06.098
Well, this kind of piggybacks on that, and you know we talked about this song, but is there an album that you would recommend for someone to listen to?

00:31:06.098 --> 00:31:10.316
Maybe that gets them through from front to end as a go-to.

00:31:11.798 --> 00:31:12.640
That's a good question.

00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:15.163
I don't want to be that guy.

00:31:15.163 --> 00:31:17.692
Oh, he's J.

00:31:17.731 --> 00:31:18.333
Cole all the time.

00:31:18.333 --> 00:31:19.153
That's what it is.

00:31:19.213 --> 00:31:20.055
He is my favorite artist.

00:31:20.075 --> 00:31:21.817
He's got to be your favorite for a reason.

00:31:21.817 --> 00:31:24.721
I call them prophets, if that helps.

00:31:24.721 --> 00:31:25.663
No, that works.

00:31:25.663 --> 00:31:27.025
They're giving us a word.

00:31:27.025 --> 00:31:27.625
They are.

00:31:28.049 --> 00:31:30.612
I'm going to go with 2014 Forest Hill Drive front to back.

00:31:30.612 --> 00:31:35.234
If you're struggling and you're trying to figure out, what lifestyle do I want to live?

00:31:35.234 --> 00:31:37.656
I think there's some great stories and I'm thinking about it.

00:31:37.656 --> 00:31:47.103
One of the best songs on that album is Adolescence 03, where J Cole's talking about how he's in this predicament of do I want to sell drugs and live this life like my friends?

00:31:47.103 --> 00:31:49.464
Are that they look like they're doing well?

00:31:49.484 --> 00:31:50.404
They got the money.

00:31:50.404 --> 00:31:52.106
They got the money, they got the girls.

00:31:52.146 --> 00:31:53.207
They got the attention?

00:31:53.207 --> 00:32:00.916
Or do I want to live this life where I go to college and I go to St John's?

00:32:00.936 --> 00:32:03.509
and I do the work and whatever that looks like for me, and that's nothing different than what I'm used to seeing.

00:32:03.670 --> 00:32:06.766
And then he talks about his friends being an advocate for him to go.

00:32:06.766 --> 00:32:08.711
Hey, go the college route, you don't want to be here.

00:32:08.711 --> 00:32:10.011
Do the college thing.

00:32:10.011 --> 00:32:23.301
So if you're trying to find a sense of purpose or you feel like you're isolated or a weirdo for not wanting to go do drugs or not wanting to go treat women badly, then I would recommend listening to this album and be like yeah, there is always an alternative.

00:32:23.321 --> 00:32:24.923
There's always a choice.

00:32:24.923 --> 00:32:26.084
He's a great lyricist.

00:32:26.163 --> 00:32:27.305
He is, he definitely is.

00:32:30.027 --> 00:32:32.310
All right, all right.

00:32:32.310 --> 00:32:38.317
So, zion, we really want to thank you for being here and just really appreciate your time today.

00:32:38.317 --> 00:32:41.618
Tell everybody where they can find you in these social streets.

00:32:41.740 --> 00:32:49.786
Yeah, of course you can follow me personally at Zion underscore, underscore, givens, and then you can follow the company up to it at up to it, az.

00:32:49.786 --> 00:32:54.232
That's all one word, and we should be the first one that pops up.

00:32:54.252 --> 00:32:54.554
All right.

00:32:54.554 --> 00:32:57.819
Thank you so much for joining us today.

00:32:57.819 --> 00:32:58.761
We really appreciate it.

00:32:58.761 --> 00:33:02.836
I learned a lot during this part one or part two.

00:33:02.836 --> 00:33:07.124
Definitely look for part one to get the full story of Zion.

00:33:07.124 --> 00:33:14.521
We also want to thank our sponsors, coffee and Procure Talent Management Group.

00:33:14.842 --> 00:33:16.525
I love it Awesome.

00:33:16.525 --> 00:33:21.069
I am the CEO and founder of Procure Talent Management Group.

00:33:21.069 --> 00:33:27.663
I'm also the VP of the Black HR Society Professional Development and Membership.

00:33:27.663 --> 00:33:34.784
You can find me on the social handles as well on Instagram, linkedin and Facebook.

00:33:34.784 --> 00:33:40.923
We also can find me at ShatimaWeWantToTalkAboutItcom for the podcast.

00:33:40.923 --> 00:33:42.214
So we're excited about that.

00:33:42.214 --> 00:33:48.182
Procure Talent Management Group is an HR consultant firm that specializes in talent management.

00:33:48.182 --> 00:33:52.057
So how we attract, hire, retain and develop employees.

00:33:52.057 --> 00:33:54.583
Super excited to be here.

00:34:01.029 --> 00:34:01.089
TJ.

00:34:01.089 --> 00:34:02.573
You want to go ahead and go through your handles?

00:34:02.573 --> 00:34:03.414
Sure Coffee is consulting options for you.

00:34:03.414 --> 00:34:04.356
We help individuals build legacy wealth.

00:34:04.356 --> 00:34:06.401
We start with your personal credit.

00:34:06.401 --> 00:34:11.402
If you need credit or have credit challenges, we can help you build and repair.

00:34:11.402 --> 00:34:16.556
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00:34:16.556 --> 00:34:21.184
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00:34:21.184 --> 00:34:24.217
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00:34:24.217 --> 00:34:29.393
Let's talk about it, the podcast on every single social platform as well.

00:34:29.393 --> 00:34:35.896
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00:34:35.896 --> 00:34:39.903
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00:34:39.903 --> 00:34:42.498
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00:34:42.498 --> 00:34:56.233
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00:34:56.233 --> 00:34:59.039
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00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:03.014
We welcome you back in a few weeks and we hope you've enjoyed the show.

00:35:04.396 --> 00:35:07.864
Thank you for tuning into let's Talk About it the podcast.

00:35:07.864 --> 00:35:14.222
We hope you enjoyed today's conversation and found inspiration in the stories and experiences shared.

00:35:14.222 --> 00:35:19.661
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00:35:19.661 --> 00:35:25.862
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00:35:25.862 --> 00:35:30.260
Until then, keep the conversation going and let's keep talking about it.