Zion Givens and the Celebration of Black Culture

WEBVTT

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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, and 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 kick off this podcast.

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Before I do that, though, let me introduce you all to my co-host, shatima.

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Let's talk about it, shatima how you doing girl?

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Hey there.

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TJ, I'm good.

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How are you Good?

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Good, I'm excited.

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How about you?

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I'm good, ready to go, all right.

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So you had a good summer.

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It was good.

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It was good Hot, but good, it was hot.

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It was hot, I think last summer prepared me, so it felt pretty good.

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I don't know if you ever prepared for this Arizona heat I was better this summer than last summer.

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I think last summer taught me a lesson.

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So before we take off and jump into the conversation, who are you introducing us to as our special guest?

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today.

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Well, I'm really excited to introduce our guests we have here today.

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His name is Zion Givens.

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Welcome to.

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Let's Talk About it.

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Thank, you.

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Welcome.

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

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Prior to being the co-founder, he worked for a local nonprofit not my kid as the youth prevention team lead.

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He's an Arizona native like myself.

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Bear down rare, rare bear down out of Tucson, arizona, so we are super excited to have him here and I'm ready to get going through this list of questions we got.

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All right, ziya.

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Well, you know, the let's Talk About it podcast is presented by the Black HR Society, and we are HR practitioners, so we like to kick off everything with an icebreaker.

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

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All we want you to do is just answer the questions with the first thing that comes to mind.

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So real simple, I know.

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Let's do it.

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So coffee or tea, tea 100%.

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Sweet or savory.

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Sweet, sweet tooth for sure over here.

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I'm savory.

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Are you Like the salt tea?

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Definitely.

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Morning or night.

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Morning night, night night.

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I'm not even trying to convince myself on that one, no.

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I'm definitely not, I'm like midday, yeah, midday-ish Catch me around like two.

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I'm really feeling energized, but I can go nighttime too.

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I'm sage now, I like it, I like it.

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So what's your favorite app?

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Favorite app.

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Oh man, TikTok.

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Tiktok is one of my favorite apps.

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I'm on that thing too much.

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A little bit embarrassing to say how long I'm on that app.

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I don't even have an account TJ.

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That's good.

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Don't get one, don't do it.

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My page is tainted.

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I don't really look at TikTok as much because of the people that send you the video.

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Right, right, right, yeah, don't do it.

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Don't do it.

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You go down the rabbit hole and you're just there.

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No, stuff.

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What's your favorite season?

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I mean, I don't know if I can ask that of a native, but what's your favorite season?

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I?

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think we only have one right.

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I don't know.

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All two fall I don't know.

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I like that September to.

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December.

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I mean, it's our.

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Arizona fall.

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It works I have to agree with that Okay.

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Yeah, that's my favorite, right there, especially here.

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Cats or dogs.

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Dogs, 100%.

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I got a big old German shepherd.

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You have a name, yeah, named Tyson.

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Love it.

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That's my guy.

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How long y'all been together?

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Me and Tyson.

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We have been together for now two, going on three years.

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I rescued him from the humane society, so he's amazing man.

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I showed you a picture you'll be like that.

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They put him up for adoption like he's so like purebred.

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I love animal lovers, love their pets to that extent.

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You like it, he's so proud.

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That's my son right there.

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He's like let me pull out those pictures, right, I love that All right.

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Text or call.

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You want text or call if I needed to reach you.

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Text me.

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It's going to show your age, yeah.

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That's going to show my age right there.

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Text me please.

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Okay, I'm one of those like text me and then call me.

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Like text me that you're going to call me, so I expect your call.

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I love that Beach or the mountains.

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Beach, big beach guy.

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Prince or Michael Jackson.

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Mike.

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Oh that no has anything.

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I love Mike.

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Prince is good too.

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I love Prince.

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Favorite color.

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Blue, any kind of blue, everybody like what?

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Specifically?

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Any kind of any, any kind of blue, I love it sex with the lights on or off oh, that's a good one.

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I'm no preference oh, I like it.

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That's a different answer.

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Yeah, I like it.

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I like it all right, favorite superhero.

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Black Panther, that's my guy Wakanda forever.

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Nobody's going to be a better Black Panther than our Chadwick Boseman.

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It would be hard.

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Yeah, it's hard.

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It's hard to get up there.

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So for books, are you a physical or audio book?

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person Audio book.

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All right, I like to have the tangible one to make it look like I read, but I'm like, I listen to the audio.

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I listen to the audio.

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Okay, I'm not mad at audio, I'm so busy.

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I get it in through audio, so tell me what was the last book you read, or?

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listened to.

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The one that I'm currently reading and wrapping up now is Words that Work by Dr Frank Luntz.

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Reading and wrapping up now is Words that Work by Dr Frank Luntz, and that's a very controversial book, meaning of what it's kind of like manipulation and using words to invoke emotion or whatever the sense may be.

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So some people take that book and use it, maybe not for the greater good, but for other advantageous preferences or topics, but it's really good, really good listening, really good, and if you're in the political space, this is really prime time to listen to that book.

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I'm going to have to add that to my list.

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I know, I just added it.

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I think people tend to ask me.

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I really want to say does that work?

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How?

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should I say it TJ.

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So I might need some more tips from Words that Work.

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Do you remember what's on the cover?

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Yes, it says words.

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That works.

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People don't what is it?

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People don't remember.

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What you say is what they hear.

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Okay, that was good.

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So they say that a book cover is what lures a reader into buying the book.

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Tell us, if we picked up the autobiography, the book of Zion, what would we find on the cover and what would lure us in and think of it in?

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How do you show up?

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How does Zion show up?

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I would say that smile and I was going to say that earlier is always lighting up the room.

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I'm even coming through my social.

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You're wearing it, and so I think that for me personally, but what would you put on the book of Zion as your cover?

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I love that.

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That's a great question.

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First off, it would be bright.

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I think that you talk about the lightness of it all.

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I think it would be a bright neon colored book.

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I think on it would be a microphone.

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I love when I have a microphone in front of me.

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I mean, I'm a public speaker for a living.

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That's what I do.

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So it would be a microphone, and of so it'd be a microphone and of course it'd have to be something around sports.

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I mean, I'm a huge sports guy football, basketball, baseball, I'm there and then a big heart, I just love everybody.

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I think, just yeah, I'm a big lover, maybe to a fault.

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All right, I love that.

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Yeah, very good.

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So the back of the book cover.

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So the back of the book cover is usually what convinces us to buy the book.

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You go in there you look at this bright picture with this microphone and this heart and and um some sport thing.

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What would the back of the book cover, um be what would convince us to purchase the book?

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Yeah, um, I always.

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I'm looking at it like, uh, almost like a teenage novel, where they have on the back of the book there's also some illustration on it and I'm picturing like a jersey with my number five and then my last name, givens.

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I'm a big family guy Big.

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This is the organization that I am co-founder of.

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I do it with my father, so we're doing this to remember and build a legacy for our family that goes, extends further than us.

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So that would be, I think that would be on the back, just to symbolize how that given's last name is so prominent in my life and so important to me that I just can't imagine it not being highlighted in that book in the back of the book.

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What's the significance of the number five?

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Number five.

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So that was like the first championship jersey I wore ever, when I was like in I don't know fifth grade.

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Which sport?

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Basketball.

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That's what I was going to say.

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Basketball.

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Poingar, yep, yep, I don't know, you call it.

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Go ahead, TJ.

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The height ain't there for anything else.

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Poingar Zion.

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I can see the poingar.

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You know what I'm saying.

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They run the floor.

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Yes, exactly that's what they do now.

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I love that.

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Does that show up in your life today?

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I knew it because.

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I could feel that you know energy resonating like right now You're still running the floor.

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Your dad's a positive influence on you.

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Huge, huge, huge, huge.

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Tell us a little bit about.

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You know that relationship because I can see it when you all are together and hugging up.

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Tell us a little bit about that.

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That's easy, man.

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I can talk to my dad about you got time.

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I love that man.

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It's interesting to see our relationship progress.

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I think a lot of times when people think of their parents they think, oh, they're only good for when you turn 18 and then they kind of disappear or go into the background.

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But my dad made sure to make that our relationship extended beyond our father son relationship, that it adapted into a friendship and that was interesting.

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When I turned 18 and moved out of the house and of beyond our father-son relationship that adapted into a friendship.

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And that was interesting.

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When I turned 18 and moved out of the house and went to college and whatever that, he still remained a friend and a father.

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He showed up in both worlds and he's just an amazing guy.

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He's very we're very similar.

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We have the same mannerisms.

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I picked up, I think I mirrored him.

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Like if you think about Michael Jordan and Kobe and how Kobe mirrored Michael Jordan, that's kind of like how me and my dad operate.

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It's very similar I love that Very good Zion.

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So I think Shateen was off on something.

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Oh, no worries.

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What people, place or event was most impactful.

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You might have already answered this.

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I can guess on what this question the answer may be, but what has been probably the most impactful, if we're going along with this book theme.

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Oh, the book theme going on with that.

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I think one of the biggest impactful moments of my life has been getting cut on the freshman basketball team.

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That sounds, it sounds general, right, right, exactly, and it sounds like cliche and whatever.

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But that was like a big prominent moment in my life where it felt like somebody was denying me and I had.

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I had to deal with that, that I had to come in with resiliency and figure out what I was going to do and bounce back.

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So that moment right there solidified me as well.

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I'm not going to take no for an answer like this is I'm going to come back 100% stronger.

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And you asked my parents, my teammates at that time.

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That was the hardest I ever worked in my life and then I achieved better and went on to do more stuff that was more positive and whatnot.

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I didn't let that deter me from my path and my work that I have to do.

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I love that I do too.

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It reminds me of Shatima's favorite saying, because a lot of times people are resilient and you see that when somebody has told them what they can't do or what they can't have, and we're so eager to prove it, and Shatima's line is, watch me win right.

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That's my style, I love that.

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Look at that, watch me win.

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That's good.

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Can I take that too?

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I'll share it with you, that's their line.

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I think that, for me, is what I heard you say.

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Tell us what's the title of the book.

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We call it the Book of Zion, but what would you title it?

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Share with us quickly what some of those chapters that resonate with people when they read it, that they're gonna walk away.

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Going man, that's zion.

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Tell us about that yeah, I've been going back and forth to thinking about writing a book and there's always these two, these two titles that I always go, and I'm glad you're talking because this is gonna help me out.

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Um is the first one that I go with is keep your fucking head down, is is the first title that I catch with is Keep your Fucking Head Down.

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It's the first title that comes to my mind and that comes from our little cliche.

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Our saying from Up To it is up to it, down to it.

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We do it because we're used to it.

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That's where Up To.

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It came from.

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Say that one more time.

00:13:37.422 --> 00:13:39.447
Yeah, that was fast Up to it down to it.

00:13:39.955 --> 00:13:41.562
We do it because we're used to it.

00:13:42.336 --> 00:13:43.096
Oh, I like that.

00:13:43.096 --> 00:13:49.984
We have to share that and it's so real too, yeah so the down to it part is, like we said, the resiliency.

00:13:50.043 --> 00:13:51.144
It's putting in the work.

00:13:51.144 --> 00:13:55.409
It's grinding and keeping your head down and not looking up and being like well, look at everybody else, right.

00:13:55.690 --> 00:13:56.410
They're succeeding.

00:13:56.451 --> 00:13:57.192
Why am I not?

00:13:57.192 --> 00:14:00.778
No, keep your head down and keep working.

00:14:00.778 --> 00:14:06.365
But then my dad brings up well, what about like the up to it part of keeping your head up even when you are feeling down?

00:14:06.365 --> 00:14:09.388
Keeping your head up and keeping moving forward rather than looking down.

00:14:09.388 --> 00:14:12.134
Keeping your head up, so the other title is up to it?

00:14:12.134 --> 00:14:16.083
Of course, would be the another, another title, so I'm I'm toying between the two.

00:14:16.144 --> 00:14:21.388
I don't think you can lose with either one I like them both, or maybe it's a sequel.

00:14:21.388 --> 00:14:30.349
Yeah right, oh yeah, oh there you go right there what are people gonna to stick when they read that book?

00:14:30.414 --> 00:14:33.384
What's going to stick with them about you or your autobiography, Zion?

00:14:33.695 --> 00:14:50.864
Yeah, I think what's going to stick with them about the autobiography is a story of a guy that had a lot of things not in his favor and overcoming those barriers and overcoming those obstacles in a way that's still positive and not mad at the world.

00:14:50.864 --> 00:14:54.900
He does it with a smile on his face and, like you said, watch me win.

00:14:54.900 --> 00:15:02.802
All right, this door closed, but all right, watch me win we already know you I know, I know, just sliding that cash out to you in a minute.

00:15:02.982 --> 00:15:03.884
I love it.

00:15:03.884 --> 00:15:05.866
I love that I'm an NDA over here.

00:15:05.866 --> 00:15:06.567
Hold on.

00:15:07.109 --> 00:15:08.390
We're HR, we always have that.

00:15:08.390 --> 00:15:11.331
You already know we have the contracts for you.

00:15:11.352 --> 00:15:11.634
I love it.

00:15:11.894 --> 00:15:18.600
I think you kind of answered the question I was leading into, but if you want to expand on it, just you know, in the theme of this book, the plot twist.

00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:21.684
What did we not see coming in this book?

00:15:22.125 --> 00:15:24.087
The plot twist is he gave up on college.

00:15:24.087 --> 00:15:25.910
He gave up.

00:15:25.910 --> 00:15:27.794
He was supposed to go to college.

00:15:27.794 --> 00:15:40.409
He was supposed to be the oldest one in the family to make it, to make it in the eyes of society, what they say, what they said, not what we feel Right.

00:15:40.409 --> 00:15:40.933
I love that.

00:15:40.933 --> 00:15:43.222
And he dropped out and ended up making a way of his.

00:15:43.222 --> 00:15:49.995
Maybe the path was a little bit harder that way sure, but he still came out on top and still trying to learn ways and still learning.

00:15:50.096 --> 00:16:11.801
I mean, I'm not I don't think I have it all figured out at all by any means, but I'm still figuring it out and willing to learn that, well, sometimes what we hoped our path would be, or what people expect it, isn't right, and when we look back we're like dang, I came out on top going this route, and so that's the plot twist it didn't.

00:16:11.801 --> 00:16:16.582
We didn't anticipate it, but it took us somewhere great because I think you all are doing some great work.

00:16:17.755 --> 00:16:24.484
No, I appreciate that a lot and my last question we believe all leaders are readers, but not all readers are leaders.

00:16:24.484 --> 00:16:27.739
What book would you recommend, and why?

00:16:28.201 --> 00:16:29.583
oh, I love this question too.

00:16:29.583 --> 00:16:31.395
I just recommended like a lot of books to everybody.

00:16:31.395 --> 00:16:33.159
I've been an avid reader.

00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:44.702
Now, I think for the past six months I've read like 10 books yeah yeah, on 1.5 speed so I don't know that counts, or whatever, but do that right but didn't do that.

00:16:45.697 --> 00:16:48.264
But the one book that I've read and I had a tangible book.

00:16:48.264 --> 00:16:51.783
This was a book gifted to me from my dad's friend named Will LeBlanc.

00:16:51.783 --> 00:17:06.585
He gifted it to me my graduation night and it was Victor Frangle A Man's Search for Meaning, and that book is about a person and his family in a concentration camp and how he had to remain positive.

00:17:06.585 --> 00:17:13.429
He's a psychologist now and learning what made people resilient in that, in a horrible space.

00:17:13.429 --> 00:17:18.948
How did people make it out and still find hope in the world after going through such a tragedy?

00:17:19.255 --> 00:17:19.896
right.

00:17:20.178 --> 00:17:21.501
And that's what it's all talking about.

00:17:21.501 --> 00:17:36.190
It's a man's search for meaning and purpose, and if somebody can come out of a concentration camp and still feel hopeful about the world and still find purpose in the world, then what we're going through maybe is minuscule and we can still find hope.

00:17:36.190 --> 00:17:37.510
Yeah, like that level.

00:17:37.510 --> 00:17:42.707
So that's a book that I recommend to everybody, especially after high school graduations or college graduations Okay, awesome.

00:17:44.275 --> 00:17:45.401
Drop that name one more time.

00:17:46.076 --> 00:17:48.201
The Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frangel.

00:17:48.201 --> 00:17:49.163
Okay, nice.

00:17:49.183 --> 00:17:52.441
Okay, nice, I'm going to have to get your book list.

00:17:52.541 --> 00:17:53.826
Oh yeah, man, you can follow me on Instagram.

00:17:53.826 --> 00:17:55.060
I got a book club little highlight.

00:17:55.060 --> 00:17:56.394
You can tap through there and see what happens.

00:17:56.474 --> 00:18:01.201
I'm a reader, but I like the book Okay, and all that good stuff.

00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:04.086
I wish I had that talent or those skills to highlight.

00:18:04.086 --> 00:18:05.729
I'm like I'll remember something from it.

00:18:07.895 --> 00:18:10.648
Well, we appreciate you hanging out with us for this time.

00:18:10.648 --> 00:18:11.933
I've learned a lot, me too.

00:18:12.635 --> 00:18:15.244
And I cannot wait to read this book.

00:18:15.617 --> 00:18:19.434
Let this be your confirmation that I think you have two books, brewing Two books.

00:18:19.434 --> 00:18:22.404
That we are ready to read as well.

00:18:22.404 --> 00:18:26.041
So we appreciate you coming out and hanging out with us here at let's Talk.

00:18:26.082 --> 00:18:26.483
About it.

00:18:26.483 --> 00:18:29.163
Yeah, thank you so much, zion, for being here.

00:18:29.163 --> 00:18:33.402
Your smile has brightened up our room today and keeps brightening up my social.

00:18:33.402 --> 00:18:36.884
Tell everybody where they can find you on social or the website.

00:18:36.963 --> 00:18:39.201
I appreciate that, so thank you for having me first of all.

00:18:39.201 --> 00:18:48.378
And you can find me personally at Zion underscore, underscore Givens, and then the company UpToIt at UpToIt AZ, and that's all one word.

00:18:48.378 --> 00:18:50.594
You'll be able to find us in the All right.

00:18:50.594 --> 00:18:56.882
The fun part is the website is uptoitclub, not com but club, because it's the party, it's the educational turnout.

00:18:56.882 --> 00:18:57.363
You know what I?

00:18:57.403 --> 00:18:58.625
mean Educational turnout.

00:18:58.625 --> 00:19:31.255
I love that Awesome no-transcript.

00:19:31.295 --> 00:19:40.580
With credit restoration, our goal is to help people create and maintain legacy wealth so that they can pass down, like you mentioned earlier.

00:19:40.580 --> 00:19:43.548
And so again, coffee credit options for you.

00:19:43.548 --> 00:19:48.188
We'll start with credit move into building your business and also upscaling.

00:19:48.188 --> 00:19:52.059
So excited to launch that business and again excited to have you here with us.

00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:58.380
Also want to thank the Black HR Society, our other sponsor, lta.

00:19:58.380 --> 00:20:02.969
Let's talk about it podcast is the birth child of the Black HR Society.

00:20:02.969 --> 00:20:05.913
Is the birth child of the Black HR Society.

00:20:05.913 --> 00:20:09.253
You can follow BHRS on all the social platforms at blackhrsocietycom.

00:20:09.253 --> 00:20:22.482
Please be sure to like, follow, share and subscribe to let's Talk About it, the podcast and be sure to return back for part two to hear Zion's the rest of his story.

00:20:22.482 --> 00:20:23.546
This is the beginning.

00:20:23.546 --> 00:20:27.721
We appreciate for you for being here today and look forward to you coming back.

00:20:27.721 --> 00:20:28.565
So thank you.

00:20:29.915 --> 00:20:33.343
Thank you for tuning into let's Talk About it the podcast.

00:20:33.343 --> 00:20:39.486
We hope you enjoyed today's conversation and found inspiration in the stories and experiences shared.

00:20:39.486 --> 00:20:45.182
We trust that you were entertained, learned something new and felt inspired by today's show.

00:20:45.182 --> 00:20:51.387
Be sure to subscribe, like, follow, share and join us for the next episode.

00:20:51.387 --> 00:20:55.926
Until then, keep the conversation going and let's keep talking about it.