S5 Episode 1: The Taproots of Impact Society with Jack and Collette Toth

In the Season 5 premiere of the Impact Society podcast, CEO Chris Primeau interviews founders Jack and Collette Toth, reflecting on the organization's 30-year journey. They discuss the early challenges and triumphs of Impact Society, which started in 1994 from their basement office. Despite financial and operational hurdles, their resilience and commitment to helping youth persevered. Jack and Collette share personal stories highlighting the profound impact of their work, including helping struggling students and reconnecting with the family of Jennifer Janz, in whose memory the organization was founded. With a goal to support 1 million youth by 2030, Impact Society continues to rely on its foundational principles, driven by a dedicated community of founders, employees, educators, and supporters. As Chris Primeau states, "The power of the program is alive and well, and the future is promising."

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:24:08
Speaker 1
Thank you, Jack and Collette, for for being with us today is a really special episode of, talking impact with the founders of Impact Society. and we're going to talk about the taproots something that we talk about in many of our programs and especially in heroes is those tap roots, those principles, those values that we have that, help steer us through not just the good times, but they're there to help us stay strong through the difficult.

00:00:24:10 - 00:00:40:01
Speaker 1
And we want to hear the Impact Society's 30 years of legacy in impacting youth across Canada and around the world, through those who've been here from the start. Jack and Collette, welcome. Welcome to the, the podcast.

00:00:40:03 - 00:00:43:02
Speaker 2
Great to be here. Thank you.

00:00:43:03 - 00:01:13:07
Speaker 1
So May 20th. it's, it's coming up pretty quick here. it marks 30 years of impact society, which is is amazing. well, think about some, some numbers around, businesses and how many are likely to succeed. Organizations, whether their businesses or charities, tend to have in five years. 60% drop out of the race. But we have here now 30 years, which would be, what I've heard less than 10% get that far.

00:01:13:08 - 00:01:36:00
Speaker 1
or more. Take me back. I'm curious. And I think, those listening who are new to our programs have heard of our programs or just heard of this podcast. They want to know about youth development and parenting and education. take us back to the start in 1994. What was that original spark? What was the as a, you know, kind of hero's journey?

00:01:36:00 - 00:01:42:01
Speaker 1
What was the call to action that happened that led to the founding of this organization?

00:01:42:03 - 00:02:07:15
Speaker 2
Oh, well, I guess I'll start. And thanks so much, Chris. And it's I look back and many people know, my story of being that 16 year old boy that almost took his life coming out of that and making that commitment that I was going to help youth do not get to that place. I was that so as many people do know, I became a youth minister.

00:02:08:01 - 00:02:32:01
Speaker 2
in my role, though, when I was in that helping in serving in the church in northeast Calgary, there were some principals of Balmoral Junior High School and principals being, lead principal and vice principal that heard about this guy running programs that a lot of kids from their school were just starting to attend, because we did a lot of community stuff.

00:02:32:03 - 00:03:02:12
Speaker 2
So they asked me to come to the school and if I'd volunteer. And it began at Balmoral High School or junior high school as a volunteer. And of course, there's way too many stories to tell. But over the course of time, I ended up going from this guy who would hand out pennies that knew no or and sitting sit against the wall talking, just having kids talk to me, to being more involved in the school.

00:03:02:12 - 00:03:37:07
Speaker 2
And a real marker for me was this girl. I still remember her name, Elizabeth. by this time, I was the lunchroom supervisor. I know if it's because nobody else wanted to do that, or they felt I'd be good at it. But as a lunchroom supervisor, I always had a group of young people around me either sitting at a table or standing around me, and this girl was right beside me and she bends over with stomach cramps and I hear her say under her breath, God, I'm so hungry.

00:03:38:04 - 00:03:40:15
Speaker 2
So I thought she was quite irresponsible.

00:03:40:15 - 00:03:41:09
Speaker 3
And I used.

00:03:41:10 - 00:04:08:13
Speaker 2
You either bring your lunch or whatever. When I asked her what she'd had for breakfast, quite quietly, a quiet conversation, she said nothing. What did you bring for lunch? And nothing that. Yeah, well, like, there's. You need to be more responsible than this. But I bought her lunch and then went, after lunch, went to the principal to find out, if I'd crossed the line and something I shouldn't have done.

00:04:08:15 - 00:04:13:02
Speaker 2
When Keith Williams, the principal, he asked me her name and I told.

00:04:13:02 - 00:04:20:08
Speaker 3
Her, and he said.

00:04:20:10 - 00:04:23:01
Speaker 2
Sorry. The story always, gets me.

00:04:23:01 - 00:04:25:06
Speaker 3
He's a jock.

00:04:25:08 - 00:04:26:13
Speaker 2
She's the one of our students.

00:04:26:13 - 00:04:28:04
Speaker 3
That is.

00:04:28:06 - 00:04:30:01
Speaker 2
Here with the doors open in the.

00:04:30:01 - 00:04:31:02
Speaker 3
Morning.

00:04:31:04 - 00:04:34:07
Speaker 2
And leave when they close at night, because this is.

00:04:34:07 - 00:04:37:14
Speaker 3
Her safe place.

00:04:37:15 - 00:04:40:15
Speaker 2
And that was like a sucker punch to me.

00:04:41:00 - 00:04:42:05
Speaker 3
Because I.

00:04:42:07 - 00:04:52:10
Speaker 2
She was just a wonderful young girl, and I was good. And what chance does he have? Who who is helping her build the foundations.

00:04:52:10 - 00:04:55:05
Speaker 3
That will lead to her success?

00:04:55:06 - 00:05:19:15
Speaker 2
There were many stories, but that was the significant marker. And then it was also as I was supporting the school at Balmoral as a volunteer, and they liked what I was doing, and they asked about help them with their professional development day. And I did, and the teachers were talking to each other about the material that I, that I taught, and the principal asked if I could put a course together.

00:05:20:01 - 00:05:35:11
Speaker 2
And I said, sure. Thinking that at some point they say we should talk about it. And they took me into the office and scheduled me to start next. The following week to be to teach third leadership in curriculum in in the health program.

00:05:35:11 - 00:05:37:00
Speaker 3
And.

00:05:37:02 - 00:05:37:10
Speaker 2
that's how you.

00:05:37:10 - 00:05:38:12
Speaker 1
Got started.

00:05:38:13 - 00:05:39:04
Speaker 2
That's how I.

00:05:39:04 - 00:05:59:15
Speaker 1
Started. yeah, I want to I want to get I want to get into that in just a minute, but I want to turn over to Collette. who, from your perspective, I know you were a vital part of this as Jack's partner. Ex-wife throughout, all this journey, and and, value member of developing these programs.

00:06:00:00 - 00:06:19:10
Speaker 1
over the last 30 years. What did you see early on? What? How would you maybe define what that vision was? That was guiding Jack and guiding this process in the early days? What was the goal? Because I know there was things that were happening, whether it was with the school system, but also with the needs of the youth that you were working with.

00:06:19:13 - 00:06:29:11
Speaker 1
but what did you see from that perspective as, this was all happening, leading up to the first heroes program? that was what was the Guiding light?

00:06:29:12 - 00:06:55:03
Speaker 4
I just got back up a little bit because we were just laughing last night and just thinking about as we were young parents, right? We had a three year old, eight and ten year old, and to take that step that was so unknown. Jack quit in his full time job. It's like not knowing where money was coming from, but it's still that passion that that was burning inside of us.

00:06:55:03 - 00:07:27:04
Speaker 4
Really. Right. So Jack is a visionary. I'm the practical person, you know. And that was that was a dynamite dual. we've just enjoyed working together through the years, but yeah, just, you know, when you, when you've got that passion inside of you. That, like, a lot can happen negatively, but it's still, you know, you have to push on and, you know, you talk about the top roots, having that determination inside of you, rooted so deeply inside of you that it's like, no, this is going to happen.

00:07:27:05 - 00:07:52:14
Speaker 4
This is going to happen. So and I where it all started for me is when our kids were young and I, volunteered a lot in their elementary school. And I watched the educators there, just how deeply they cared for the well-being of their students. You know, there's a lot of needy kids in that place. And and I want to volunteer and be in that classroom and watch that, but also be a part of that.

00:07:52:15 - 00:08:10:01
Speaker 4
You know, them. Allow me to be a part of that. And that just got from yeah, I fell in love with being in the classroom and caring for kids and that school that went to, you know, when I went to the junior high and was able to facilitate here, I think it's 13 years in that school.

00:08:10:01 - 00:08:34:08
Speaker 1
So, wow, remarkable. And if just to a come back to the idea of conferences, the first level, if you will, of building heroes, of building strong youth, of helping people to grow into people of purpose, it all starts with confidence. What was that for you at that point? And that was this is the thing, this is what we're supposed to be doing.

00:08:34:09 - 00:08:48:11
Speaker 1
as a mom, as a wife, as someone of, deep conviction, passion. it's still risky. how did you how did you find your confidence through that stage? over there in practical or less practical ways?

00:08:48:12 - 00:09:07:01
Speaker 4
Oh, honestly, such a journey, right? When I think back to that, you know, you just. I don't know. I've got to say, we were formed by this. We were friends. Right? but the confidence. Yeah. How it how it was built. This it is such a journey. Right. And I know that there was a lot of growth in us through this process.

00:09:07:03 - 00:09:30:02
Speaker 4
Made a lot of mistakes. It's like, no, that's not the right way to go about things. And when. Yeah, when you just learn and have that attitude of that, I'm going to learn from what we're going through and you're going to grow and it builds your confidence a little bit more and a little bit more. But yeah, those walls, they come up and just like a yeah, no they got to come down like, oh it's like we're living in what we teach.

00:09:30:06 - 00:10:01:09
Speaker 1
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. back to Jack on the on the program. I think that's a good thing. It's like that conference that we've distilled it 30 years and I still get asked, can you make it more simple? What's in the box, Chris? what's the product? It's a program. It's a program material. It's a training system that allows schools and communities of, of of youth empowerment to to have a process that is evidence based and tested over and over to show long term results.

00:10:01:09 - 00:10:20:08
Speaker 1
It's great. But it started as something pretty simple. can we kind of go back to that story that we left you at, and pick up the pace in terms of how did you start to build this thing that became a product that's now, supported over a quarter million youth? which is remarkable, but what what's the origin of the thing?

00:10:20:12 - 00:10:22:10
Speaker 1
if you can.

00:10:22:11 - 00:10:47:08
Speaker 2
Yeah. Oh, well, when the the school, Balmoral Junior High School asked if I teach a program which wasn't written, it existed in my mind. But I have to reflect on how do I do this and what came to me, what the question I was led to ask is, what would, 1112, 1314, 15 year old Jack have needed?

00:10:47:09 - 00:10:51:11
Speaker 2
So he didn't end up sitting on a bed with a hunting rifle.

00:10:51:11 - 00:10:54:13
Speaker 3
In his lap when he was 16.

00:10:54:14 - 00:11:00:02
Speaker 2
And I recognized that we have to start by building the.

00:11:00:02 - 00:11:01:12
Speaker 3
Self-Esteem.

00:11:01:13 - 00:11:13:06
Speaker 2
Of people. Who are we? Everyone is designed and created with these gifts and abilities. And how do we draw that out? How do we speak into.

00:11:13:06 - 00:11:14:06
Speaker 3
That.

00:11:14:07 - 00:11:21:03
Speaker 2
And have a start? That's what I call that. Even in that many, many myths, takes that I made as.

00:11:21:04 - 00:11:21:09
Speaker 3
as.

00:11:21:09 - 00:11:43:10
Speaker 2
A husband and a father. But she always spoke to that. And, and so even I know this is about it back and it's about kids, but for husbands and wives or people even in business that I'd be struggling in relationship. If you take the step back and look at what do you see in the other person, how do they contribute?

00:11:43:10 - 00:11:50:03
Speaker 2
How do they come alive in the world and speak into that? Your relationship will.

00:11:50:03 - 00:11:51:12
Speaker 3
Change.

00:11:51:13 - 00:12:14:12
Speaker 2
And that's it. So that's where it started. And as a story from Balmoral that I remember so clearly was back in that you're supposed to sit in the desk and that's the way education app and sit in the desk and pay attention and head up and pencil in your hand. That's kind of education wise, but I would let students draw.

00:12:14:12 - 00:12:31:15
Speaker 2
They still didn't know, they still felt that was wrong. And I was walking around and there was this one boy who really struggled in school. He was not a good student. He was a bully. And I ended up catching him drawing and asked if I could take this when he was drawing and he thought he was in trouble.

00:12:31:15 - 00:12:53:01
Speaker 2
He handed it to me and he was a great aid student and, and at this point I was teaching the program, and I showed this picture to the students and I said, look at this. Look at this guy's talent. And he had drawn on this page a full cartoon story.

00:12:53:03 - 00:12:53:14
Speaker 3
I was, look.

00:12:53:14 - 00:13:11:02
Speaker 2
At this guy's amazing talent. And I spoke to him and said, this is who you are, because this is the kind person that takes to create this because you are autistic. You feel, look at the story. You're a storyteller. It was within a couple of weeks that the principals in the school were saying, Jack.

00:13:11:02 - 00:13:12:14
Speaker 3
What did you do?

00:13:12:15 - 00:13:30:07
Speaker 2
This boy's different and so it's coming all the way back to when we're talking about the spark. What would Jack have been it? I wasn't raised like that. My parents didn't understand that. And Colette saw that she saw these things in me and spoke into.

00:13:30:07 - 00:13:31:08
Speaker 3
Them.

00:13:31:10 - 00:13:48:15
Speaker 2
And it gave me the confidence that I could do this. We could do this. and that was a big spark. And that's what critical for educators or for parents and. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

00:13:49:00 - 00:14:09:04
Speaker 1
Yeah. I want to know I'm curious about how what the building blocks of the program were and if it was as far as back then where, conference character, integrity and perseverance. Originally we were such that the purpose, it's the same thing, but it's just expanded, in, in terms of helping youth be prepared for that journey post program.

00:14:09:04 - 00:14:22:10
Speaker 1
Right. but back to the that era, what was the building block of the of the, of the program and how did it evolve towards that? what I would call the impact method of program development. now.

00:14:22:11 - 00:14:45:10
Speaker 2
Yeah. well, when I first started writing the program and people who had had watched me resigned from the job, I was in and they asked what I was doing, this, and, developing a, a self-esteem that this confidence program and people would say, oh, you're, you're, doing another self esteem program.

00:14:45:11 - 00:14:46:08
Speaker 3
And.

00:14:46:09 - 00:15:14:02
Speaker 2
I would give a story about a young man in northeast Calgary who could steal a Trans-Am in 45 seconds. And he was 14 years old. The police knew who he was. They just couldn't catch him. And they said, no, it's not just a self-esteem program. Because if I teach that boy self-esteem now, he's a confident car thief. It needs to have the character to be able to use my gifts and abilities.

00:15:14:02 - 00:15:43:10
Speaker 2
The strengths and make the right decisions around them and have values attached so that in the end, I actually see my purpose that I be able to lead and strive towards that purpose. So all right. Cool. And that I guess it just it came not overnight and came over time as we're just building this and yeah, that's, a real part of America about what happened.

00:15:43:10 - 00:15:44:04
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.

00:15:44:05 - 00:16:17:06
Speaker 1
Because, yeah, it we know character identity is is not a single thing. It's it's, it's a variety of things that shape and move us. And to start with self-esteem, to start with confidence is good. And then you have to or you have to bend it towards purpose as you go. And that's beautiful that it was there from the beginning that was the purpose is to, yes, help them be confident in who they are, but help them do this thing called who you are in a way that is positive and creates the best outcomes for you and for others.

00:16:17:07 - 00:16:36:00
Speaker 1
it sounds altruistic, but it's it's a course. It's a process. It's a it's a system of development. which is really cool. as you got going and I really do want to get to the, the point where you went all in, because I think that's a huge piece of, all of us in all of our lives.

00:16:36:01 - 00:16:57:13
Speaker 1
if you're listening, I can't have that thing that I've been wanting to do. That passion, going all in is scary. But also these stories of going all in are always, inspiring. And I know that yours is exceptionally, tough. at that point, can you, can I just picking up from the program piece, can you tell us where the program was at in 1994?

00:16:57:14 - 00:17:08:01
Speaker 1
May 30th years ago this month, where things were at from, organizational, from a personal, from a mom and dad, perspective as well.

00:17:08:02 - 00:17:16:10
Speaker 4
First of all, there's a office in the basement. That was it. That's where I started going to.

00:17:16:11 - 00:17:32:14
Speaker 2
yeah. office in the basement and I visited. Well, what had happened at Balmoral Junior High School was, Keith Williams and Cliff Peterson, principals were at principals meeting because we're talking about this thing that was going on in their school.

00:17:33:07 - 00:18:02:06
Speaker 2
I was with Keith Williams when he talked to a group of people later, many years later. And, he introduced me as the man who transformed Balmoral School. I did not realize that's what they thought, but it was, very impactful for me. So here we are delivering these programs. And, what pushed this over the edge was, the death of Jennifer Jansen, 1991.

00:18:02:07 - 00:18:08:11
Speaker 2
And I was the last person kind of in that circle, like that age group, parents age group. Well.

00:18:08:12 - 00:18:12:05
Speaker 3
Our parents were older than us. I was the last.

00:18:12:05 - 00:18:29:06
Speaker 2
Person to talk to Jennifer. I had taken her out for dinner at her parents request, and talked to her. And as she got out of my vehicle, when she dropped out or when she, I dropped her off at Avenue 15, and I, I just said, Jennifer, this isn't Hollywood.

00:18:29:06 - 00:18:31:05
Speaker 3
You could die out there.

00:18:31:07 - 00:18:38:12
Speaker 2
She had everything a person could want with wealth and family support. But chose a different life.

00:18:38:12 - 00:18:39:00
Speaker 3
And it.

00:18:39:00 - 00:18:40:03
Speaker 2
Was ten days.

00:18:40:03 - 00:18:42:00
Speaker 3
After that that,

00:18:42:01 - 00:18:45:02
Speaker 2
Nobody heard from her. And it was ten, about ten days.

00:18:45:02 - 00:18:46:02
Speaker 3
Later that.

00:18:46:04 - 00:18:48:12
Speaker 2
I actually got a call.

00:18:48:13 - 00:18:50:11
Speaker 3
And, I was told.

00:18:50:11 - 00:18:52:06
Speaker 2
That they found Jennifer's.

00:18:52:06 - 00:18:58:08
Speaker 3
Body and it wrecked me.

00:18:58:09 - 00:19:07:12
Speaker 2
And I was standing on the balcony of the church at her funeral that, I said.

00:19:07:12 - 00:19:08:10
Speaker 3
To myself, I.

00:19:08:11 - 00:19:09:11
Speaker 2
Just can't go on.

00:19:09:11 - 00:19:11:03
Speaker 3
Like this.

00:19:11:04 - 00:19:24:00
Speaker 2
And so it took a few years before Jennifer's parents were willing to do something in her memory, because it was just so hard. And that was in 1994 when they said yes.

00:19:24:01 - 00:19:27:00
Speaker 1
And so two and a half years later.

00:19:27:01 - 00:19:37:09
Speaker 2
Two and a half years continuing to work in Balmoral. and thank goodness it was two and a half years, because in 1994 we were ready. In 1991, we really weren't ready.

00:19:38:10 - 00:19:57:05
Speaker 2
And, and I remember talking to her about it and her being very reticent, of course, a young mom, how are we going to stay alive? We don't care where somebody's going to. I don't know, and her willing to take that step, that I can't say.

00:19:57:05 - 00:19:58:12
Speaker 3
Enough about that.

00:19:58:13 - 00:20:02:07
Speaker 2
That is a rare thing for people to be able to do.

00:20:02:08 - 00:20:04:04
Speaker 3
So,

00:20:04:05 - 00:20:06:13
Speaker 2
In 1994, when we took that step and.

00:20:06:13 - 00:20:10:07
Speaker 3
Said, let's do it. and.

00:20:10:08 - 00:20:12:02
Speaker 2
So.

00:20:13:00 - 00:20:18:02
Speaker 2
Yeah, I don't know if you want to add anything to that. Yeah. We started kind of our basement.

00:20:18:03 - 00:20:18:12
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:20:18:13 - 00:20:30:08
Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah. Tell us, tell us where where things were at when you were starting and what the what the passion was, what the team was like and what some of your goals were, if you can remember.

00:20:30:10 - 00:20:56:02
Speaker 4
Yeah. Oh, Jack, answer that. But I just wanted to go back to, you know, and it's a piece of like, be careful who you tell your vision to the side. Because we would share the vision thinking that, yeah, we just want to share with people and like looking for support. Right. But there's still the naysayers, you know, there's like no you know, you want to you want to influence education at a national level.

00:20:56:03 - 00:21:24:09
Speaker 4
Like that's impossible, right. And again, what we teach is like, if we listen to those words, right, it starts to penetrate and we start to believe them. And we would have quit so quickly. So hearing those words. But Jack and I being the kind of people we are with the tech roots and maybe a little bit of stubbornness, but determination and and perseverance, it just fires you up, you know, when you hear those kind of things.

00:21:24:09 - 00:21:34:11
Speaker 4
And that's what it did for us. And it's like, no. And here we are, you know, like impacting thousands of kids across Canada. So it's pretty good.

00:21:34:13 - 00:22:01:15
Speaker 1
Doing it for me right now. Quiet next year. Yeah. It's amazing. And tell us about yeah, I want to hear I want to hear that back to Jack, I guess on the, what what that first year was like, possibly. What was that pioneer year, all about and what was the what were the early wins? I think there's that part where when you step out in this type of endeavor, there's there's that momentum that you need to catch.

00:22:01:15 - 00:22:09:05
Speaker 1
And obviously you did what what was that can maybe walk us through that highlight reel. in the early years.

00:22:09:06 - 00:22:35:09
Speaker 2
you know, the highlight reel and doing too many things because you tried to figure it out. So. Right. I guess we had the school programs, we ran a program called Midnight Basketball, where Friday nights do they help these youth that were meeting in schools. They help them stay off the street. So we started midnight basketball in northeast that we ran for eight years, ten at night till two in the morning.

00:22:35:11 - 00:23:03:13
Speaker 2
and, at midnight, took a seven minute break and taught a hero's principal and, and even today, Chris, I have guys who told me, Jack, if it wasn't for that, I would be dead or I'd be in jail. And here I am because of that, that life that you helped me see. and, a fellow from sixth.

00:23:03:13 - 00:23:28:05
Speaker 2
Okay, who developed a lot of the youth programs, who he came to me and told me that, when he found out that I was the guy this Easter. Jack, I, I was one of those First Nations kids who went there with my cousins to stay out of trouble. And then as I was building the programs and the guy I modeled it after, the way you ran that.

00:23:28:06 - 00:23:33:15
Speaker 2
So going back and it was this call that spread out so many times, these.

00:23:33:15 - 00:23:35:05
Speaker 3
Principles, you've.

00:23:35:06 - 00:24:01:04
Speaker 2
Got to build this connection piece. And the connection there was basketball. Yeah. I couldn't play basketball, but I could connect with kids. And then teaching that one principle, you don't have to preach a sermon. What's the one principle they can teach and live it out. And and I would have I see groups of people sitting around me and they would interact with me and they weren't junior high kids.

00:24:01:04 - 00:24:09:12
Speaker 2
We're talking it grew. It actually grew too big. And we ended up shutting down after eight years because we had to focus.

00:24:09:12 - 00:24:11:05
Speaker 3
On the schools.

00:24:11:06 - 00:24:21:14
Speaker 2
But that and so in that coming in and and part of that in 1998 was a guy named Mark Gordon, Mark and Sandy Gordon coming to Calgary and.

00:24:21:15 - 00:24:22:10
Speaker 3
Because.

00:24:22:11 - 00:24:26:15
Speaker 2
He he and I talked a lot and we started talking about 1990.

00:24:26:15 - 00:24:28:01
Speaker 3
One.

00:24:28:03 - 00:24:51:02
Speaker 2
And he ends he just said to his wife, Jacqueline, call that need help. I he really he said, I believe this program is far bigger than what's happening right now. We got to go and help them and so he packed three kids into cars. Here we are, two couples, six kids between us with no hardly any money coming into the organization.

00:24:51:03 - 00:25:15:12
Speaker 2
But because we were all passionate and committed, what happened then was it's almost that flywheel effect. And I remember and as I'm describing it, describing it to him, and he would often give us checks that would help us stay alive. but at one point, at one point he said, look, we need to get more business people interested.

00:25:15:12 - 00:25:33:04
Speaker 2
And and so he's, he said, you get as many business people as you can into a room for a lunch hour, paid for it. You tell the story. And that began the story, the how we began to interact more with business people. And there's so many stories from that.

00:25:33:05 - 00:25:34:12
Speaker 3
So.

00:25:34:13 - 00:26:03:06
Speaker 2
I had to beat around the, that question. But coming down to 1998 or so and we realized even though a little after that, that we had the focus had to drop off a lot of things that we were doing that might have been good and having impact, but they couldn't lead us to that. And one thing, and the one thing that was the original passion was impacting education and supporting you educated and educators and schools.

00:26:03:07 - 00:26:04:04
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:26:04:06 - 00:26:09:08
Speaker 2
So you had to come down to that one thing.

00:26:09:09 - 00:26:33:03
Speaker 1
and it comes back to that origin story you shared earlier is, is school is her safe place. And regardless of whether your home is one that is positive and building flourishing youth and strengthening them or not, school should be a place that helps in the best case of scenarios, that school is a place that the continues to foster this.

00:26:33:03 - 00:26:56:08
Speaker 1
But we know in our world that so often this is this is the place where youth are spending most of their time, where they're having the most influence. We have what I refer to sometimes as a captive audience. They have to do these programs so we, we can align it with the program outcomes, the education outcomes with this recipe of of youth development and and character development.

00:26:56:09 - 00:27:14:12
Speaker 1
We have a really good thing going. tell us more. I think you, from Colette's perspective, I know these are years where you have a young family, three growing boys, and, juggling lots. But what were some of the big milestones that you saw, happen in those, you know, those those early years?

00:27:14:13 - 00:27:34:05
Speaker 4
Well, first of all, I just want to preempt. It's like it wasn't easy. And I think one of the hardest things was that there's just there's no there's no template. There's nothing that you can just look up to. And it's like, how do we do this? How do we run this organization? So you're just dependent every day and not just wisdom.

00:27:34:05 - 00:28:04:05
Speaker 4
And, yeah, just always feel like you're plowing new ground. Right? And just that understanding of, you know, everything worthwhile takes time. This is going to take time. but what I, I think another piece of that when Jack is talking about the students in the educators, was was the parents. Right. Coming to that realization that every kid has to go home.

00:28:04:06 - 00:28:25:01
Speaker 4
So, you know what we learned very quickly. And I think when we first started out, you know, our our goal was to to be with the 5000 kids in northeast, you know, kind of the at risk kids. And we learned very quickly that, like, know this the way this process and the way this program is tied, it can help anybody.

00:28:25:02 - 00:29:00:03
Speaker 4
You know, if we can help educators like everybody's been really fortunate to train educators. in the last particularly this year, last couple years. And and just even to see them get it right for them personally. But then as a parent, you know, like, why not equip them with the same tools so that, you know, these kids can be hearing them the same jargon, the same words, the same, you know, gifts and abilities and goals and yeah, whatever, all that kind of stuff at home, at school.

00:29:00:04 - 00:29:30:06
Speaker 4
Then it really will start to penetrate the heart. But I think then also realizing, oh yeah, the curriculum is important and we say this all the time, the curriculum is important, but it's it's that connection piece here with Jack talked about that connection and that, that that's such a I say such a gift, you know, that this curriculum that's whole that I'm holding in my hand is just allowing me to connect deeply, as deep as I a lot, right, with students.

00:29:30:07 - 00:29:54:01
Speaker 4
And I can remember going into class, you first day, first day of year olds. Never met these kids in my life. And within ten minutes I had this girl just telling me her heart like just sharing it. And it was just such a good example of, you know, when you when you don't come in with this attitude, like, I got the answers right, but no, I care and I'm here to listen.

00:29:54:02 - 00:29:57:10
Speaker 4
I'm here to learn from you just as much as you're going to learn from me.

00:29:57:10 - 00:30:21:06
Speaker 1
It's I think this is the perfect time to get into tap roots, because you just listed them really well through story, which is what we do so well. Jack, maybe can you can you bring us up to speed on what tap roots are? Because I'm looking at this question that says what helped this organization? What helped you, Collette and Jack, through these challenges of starting this organization to carry on with resilience?

00:30:21:06 - 00:30:36:01
Speaker 1
And I know the answer was to tap roots. Well, not everybody knows what tap roots are. have you introduced us to tap roots and then share with us how and what those were in retrospect? What were those tap roots that you had that the organization had?

00:30:36:02 - 00:30:51:04
Speaker 2
Yeah. So tap roots are those things that we talk about. They they're the deep roots that we that the roots that go deep, that, when we recognize them and develop them and

00:30:51:05 - 00:30:51:12
Speaker 3
and.

00:30:51:12 - 00:31:12:12
Speaker 2
As they grow, that's it. They help us through whatever the storms are or whatever the difficulties are. And, this tap age. So for both Carl that my faith was it's it's right at the core of who we are. And having faith that our in our commitment that this.

00:31:12:12 - 00:31:14:01
Speaker 3
Was.

00:31:14:03 - 00:31:43:09
Speaker 2
This is the right thing. This is what we're supposed to do. And and and then this, both of us, they had people who. Quitting was not an option that, through this commitment has happened. And and so living from those that took them, I, I just recalled a very quick story around how tight was it? Well, I remember this this one time when both Collette and Tyson needed shoes.

00:31:43:10 - 00:32:12:11
Speaker 2
And I was a part of the running club at Terry Fox Junior High, which is comical, but Feral SAPs and the educator talked me into it, but she ran a running club. But for me, it was a way to create more connection with youth and with Faryal, who was the teacher that I did heroes with. And so this time came when they were raising money for something in the school and they were doing, two hours of running with the running club.

00:32:12:12 - 00:32:41:05
Speaker 2
And for every what a, I can't remember $150. You actually got a pair of shoes because Nike was the sponsor, and that the week of the I was sick all week. And then the day of it, I know I have to do this and I ran for two hours, got raised enough, had raised enough money to get two pairs of shoes because both Collette and Dyson desperately needed new running shoes.

00:32:41:06 - 00:33:04:13
Speaker 2
That's how tight it was. But on the other side of it, it's commitment that tap. So for us, this commitment, commitment of quitting is not an option. And then the commitment never rest. For us, it was also respect. We respected each other, had had to go back and forth on so many things. But the respect in the.

00:33:04:13 - 00:33:06:07
Speaker 3
School.

00:33:06:08 - 00:33:28:14
Speaker 2
And listening to educators and principals talk about the challenges they faced, I did not understand how difficult the principal's job was until I was sitting with them talking about heroes, and they would tell me what they had to provide academically with what they,

00:33:30:10 - 00:33:55:02
Speaker 2
What they were expected to do. And so that respect and how, yes, we had to respect each other, we had to respect students, but we really had to try and put ourselves in the shoes of educators, in the shoes of principals, and understand what it would take for them to be able to go, yes, this is worth it.

00:33:55:03 - 00:34:13:09
Speaker 2
It's not just seeing good things happen and youth, but they also had to academically prove this program is something we should have at our school, and we need to work at that. And work at the assessment process. And so I hope that comes in kind of telling too many stories.

00:34:13:09 - 00:34:38:14
Speaker 1
Yeah. No, no Jack, this says yeah, yeah I could go in ten different directions and we could have a whole hour just on on this. But I did want to follow up on, on that concept that you just picked up about the I call it kind of the elegance of the program and a bit of our philosophy of the learning is so many are out there trying to get the schools to do a new thing, and there you have it.

00:34:39:00 - 00:34:55:01
Speaker 1
And I think there's a taproot. The play here, because it's been so consistent over time, is how can we empower those who are already doing it to do it in an effective way, in a way that elevates these youth? maybe speak to that just a little bit more?

00:34:55:03 - 00:35:15:09
Speaker 2
Well, yeah, I guess so. One of the things we said right from the start that's we're talking to educators is listening to what they were doing and showing how we could support what they were endeavoring to do in the school. And if they already were doing something like we said, no, you know what? Maybe this isn't our time for this.

00:35:15:10 - 00:35:29:04
Speaker 2
Let's wait. When you feel it's the right time, and take the pressure off and just work with educators to look at, here's what we need to do. Here's what we need to provide the actually heroes is this.

00:35:29:04 - 00:35:30:11
Speaker 3
Missing piece.

00:35:30:12 - 00:35:41:00
Speaker 2
That helps us connect with youth and fulfill the curriculum expectations and build a long term future.

00:35:41:00 - 00:35:43:11
Speaker 3
Because I didn't as.

00:35:43:12 - 00:35:49:09
Speaker 2
You would get in to talk the principals and educators and so often hear a.

00:35:49:09 - 00:35:53:14
Speaker 3
Story, hear a passion. This is why I do what I do.

00:35:54:00 - 00:36:16:02
Speaker 2
So it really was supporting that and very blessed, early on through getting told I should meet this guy named Doctor Wayne Hammond when I had committed to our board. And with this phenomenal advisory team that even I found out United Way was saying, how did Jack toes get this group of advisors together?

00:36:16:03 - 00:36:16:07
Speaker 3
like.

00:36:16:08 - 00:36:32:04
Speaker 2
Rick Lew, Jack and Regan Davis and Douglas Freeland? And these are the voices, these and a few others. Gordon l hired, there was, there was seven people, and we would hash out what it would take for this organization to be.

00:36:32:04 - 00:36:33:15
Speaker 3
Successful.

00:36:34:00 - 00:36:57:02
Speaker 2
And listening to them. So I had this business perspective. Gordon Allard was a trustee. So I'm getting this educational perspective and trying to mesh this and to be I guess that was a clue in college. Very good at that. She was really teaching me along the line and being able to hear all sides of the story, and instead of having a cut and dried answer, cut it.

00:36:57:02 - 00:37:05:00
Speaker 2
Okay, what's the flow that brings this together? So you're supporting on all sides?

00:37:06:06 - 00:37:29:06
Speaker 1
You took the words out of my head. I don't know how you do that so consistently. but what's the what's the thread that brings us all together? These top roots that were laid early and often that others saw and got behind with UMF, are still alive and well. Collette, you spent so much time with the programs, but also with those who are using them every day.

00:37:29:07 - 00:37:52:02
Speaker 1
Are educators, are facilitators, are mentors? so many things we can call them. At the end of the day, they're the ones who are fighting the good fight on the front lines, helping youth, and we're giving them the tools they need. Can you speak to this taproot idea and how the past and the present are aligned? And that's the thread connecting, what we continue to do to to this day.

00:37:52:03 - 00:38:18:14
Speaker 4
So when I think about what a youth needs, what anybody needs, it hasn't changed, right? There's no new needs. They need to feel safe. They need to feel valued. They need to feel that they matter in life. And even though through the years, 30 years, like we've dug out all the different curriculums and they've they've ebbed and flowed and evolved and, and been enhanced.

00:38:18:15 - 00:38:43:15
Speaker 4
but the bottom line is still that's building that confidence so that kids can feel safe. their needs have changed a lot. Sorry. There. The issues have changed a lot throughout the years, and we've had to that's how we've had to evolve our programs somewhat. You know, like it just. Yeah, you just can't have a piece of paper, you know, like they need to be visual.

00:38:43:15 - 00:39:07:12
Speaker 4
We need to hit it on all the learning styles. And we've worked really hard in the last few years to add those videos and animated videos, you know, getting the stories, video, those kind of things that that will yes, that every student will learn in a different way. But yeah, the bottom line is still that thread, that thread, that confidence, character, integrity, purpose.

00:39:07:12 - 00:39:12:04
Speaker 4
It's it's always been there.

00:39:12:05 - 00:39:12:08
Speaker 2
Right.

00:39:12:10 - 00:39:36:15
Speaker 1
Well, when you think about some of the, the challenges, that we've overcome, can you speak to some of the, the most challenging period? start with Collette and then, Jack as well. But in those times we talk about tap roots being deep, we also talk about our support roots. Those are the people types of people that Jack mentioned.

00:39:36:15 - 00:39:58:08
Speaker 1
Our family, our school base, our mentors, our balcony friends, all those things. But those tap roots are really there so that when the storm comes, the tree doesn't break or lose its footing, but it's able to stand strong. if you speak to what was that? What was that moment? Was that 6:00 on the hero's story? That bottom, time?

00:39:58:08 - 00:40:09:02
Speaker 1
And how did those tap roots help you to carry on and and get to, where we are now?

00:40:09:03 - 00:40:32:04
Speaker 4
I think it's still, you know, the tough times. I think the hardest one for me was 2016. And, I think at least I think around 15 on staff just got to that point. It was like it felt like within hours. And it's like we had to make a decision and and, let go. More than half of the staff.

00:40:32:05 - 00:40:56:00
Speaker 4
And again, my support roots, my story, my taproot, just that morality is so deep within me. You know, I know that, yes, cognitively, it makes sense. You know, you don't have the money for them. But that was a tough one. That was a really hard one because we had just such a powerful team, a really impactful team, impacting many lives.

00:40:56:01 - 00:41:17:08
Speaker 4
And so that was a tough one. But it always came down to and I remember Jack and I, we had to leave really quickly, I think the next day to go up north. We were doing some work with First Nations and you just had to sit there and it's like a whole matter. Be so easy to quit right now, so easy.

00:41:17:09 - 00:41:47:08
Speaker 4
But what we always had to ask ourselves. So again, support route starts with the two of us, right? what we had to ask ourselves is, is there still a need, you know, do kids still need the tools that heroes is providing? Yep. So it's like, okay, that's our answer. it's like, oh man, do kind of wish there was a different answer sometimes because it was hard.

00:41:47:09 - 00:42:10:13
Speaker 4
But yeah, I think just having yeah. Being a team Jack and I, it's just been amazing to walk this journey together. And then those people that you can just reach out to during those times and you say, hey, you know, sometimes they just have to listen and be there. You know, they're there, you know, they're there beside you.

00:42:10:13 - 00:42:18:05
Speaker 4
Yeah. They don't even have to say anything. You know who to go to and you know who to not go to during those times. Right?

00:42:18:07 - 00:42:45:13
Speaker 1
Right. That's that's what, you know, committing to the bit. It's not just that you've done heroes. It's you're always doing things through that lens. At our best. That's what what integrity looks like. So relying on those tablets doesn't just make sense. It's it's really the only way to get through tough stuff like that. Jack. What what story, what time, what event comes to mind when you think of where your, your tap roots were, were the essential or we're being essentially tested.

00:42:45:13 - 00:42:53:10
Speaker 1
What really were the building block for future success?

00:42:53:12 - 00:43:22:10
Speaker 2
I don't know why this question is so hard for me, but this one is really hard. I like to say it would have been a few times when, there were, especially in the earlier days, we had some, some people on the team who came and, and they were it's felt like they were all in and Collette knows what it's like, and I invest my whole heart into people.

00:43:22:10 - 00:43:33:07
Speaker 2
And there were these two people especially, and it was Kylie's birthday. I can't remember what birthday it was. And these two people that were on the team.

00:43:33:15 - 00:43:44:06
Speaker 2
They met me and said, I think they raped me over the coals that they actually were leading. The one of the lady, one of the girls, she was leading the.

00:43:44:06 - 00:43:45:13
Speaker 3
School.

00:43:45:14 - 00:43:47:12
Speaker 2
Area.

00:43:47:13 - 00:43:49:03
Speaker 3
and.

00:43:49:05 - 00:44:00:10
Speaker 2
And they just like, I just felt so beat up and it was on color's birthday, and they just. We got to talk to you. And so I ended up just before I'm walking in.

00:44:00:10 - 00:44:02:08
Speaker 3
That house there.

00:44:02:10 - 00:44:12:05
Speaker 2
Talk to me. And, And it was awful. You're terrible leader. All of that, all of every negative that would hit my heart as what.

00:44:12:05 - 00:44:14:02
Speaker 3
They hit on.

00:44:14:03 - 00:44:17:11
Speaker 2
And I came in the house so beat up and collided to pull me aside.

00:44:17:11 - 00:44:19:13
Speaker 3
And she said,

00:44:19:14 - 00:44:26:06
Speaker 2
What happened? I told her very briefly, and she said, that might have happened, but today's college birthday. We have to.

00:44:26:06 - 00:44:29:00
Speaker 3
Celebrate our boy.

00:44:29:01 - 00:44:29:11
Speaker 2
And it.

00:44:29:12 - 00:44:30:08
Speaker 3
As powerful.

00:44:30:11 - 00:44:33:09
Speaker 2
It flipped a switch.

00:44:33:11 - 00:44:35:03
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:44:35:04 - 00:44:43:00
Speaker 1
Does it every reprioritizing helps to fit it in and helps to put things in perspective.

00:44:43:01 - 00:44:49:14
Speaker 2
Yeah. And later on, that the that guy, the guy who was apologizing, he.

00:44:50:00 - 00:44:53:01
Speaker 3
Wept as he apologized.

00:44:53:02 - 00:44:54:11
Speaker 2
Was probably two years later, he.

00:44:54:11 - 00:45:00:11
Speaker 3
Came to me and he wept as he apologized and said, Jack, I was so wrong.

00:45:00:12 - 00:45:24:02
Speaker 2
But that was set priority and call was always has been amazing at regardless of what's happening and how difficult it may seem, hopeless things are. We must celebrate our family. We must be strong here. We must help them grow. And we got to figure this out.

00:45:24:02 - 00:45:25:07
Speaker 3
So.

00:45:25:08 - 00:45:27:10
Speaker 2
That our own children feel.

00:45:27:10 - 00:45:28:14
Speaker 3
Like this is a.

00:45:29:00 - 00:45:37:02
Speaker 2
This is a privilege. It's hard, but it's a privilege. But that was a big one for me.

00:45:37:03 - 00:45:45:04
Speaker 1
So it's so fundamental to everything that we're talking about. I love that story.

00:45:45:05 - 00:46:05:06
Speaker 1
Now, we don't want to end on the tough stuff, but, man, it's so much of life. What were what was what was the peak? I not the peak. It's not. It's not about that. What was something that was maybe a positive turning point, in the last 30 years that stands out as as remarkable for you.

00:46:05:07 - 00:46:31:14
Speaker 4
I could go first. Yeah. probably three years ago. So if anybody knows my story. I lived a lot of years under behind the wall of shyness. particularly when it comes to speaking in front of other people. I would just shut down. So I think back to my junior high days and. Yeah, I mean, I did not do well in school.

00:46:32:00 - 00:46:55:09
Speaker 4
well, I mean, I was average, but when it came to anything, you know, or reports of anything, I just really struggled and made me feel really stupid. Right. But three years ago, I got to go back to my junior high school and do a training with the educators. And Victor was so surreal. I remember driving there and just like, how many years ago was it that I went here?

00:46:55:10 - 00:47:17:02
Speaker 4
That's a lot of decades ago. Here I am getting to be in front of these people and inspiring them and encouraging them, and then bringing out the best. I would say that's that's kind of my gift, is bringing out the best in people. And it was. Yeah, it was definitely a highlight for me. That's again, use in our walls, right?

00:47:17:02 - 00:47:22:02
Speaker 4
As a stepping stone to, to give back.

00:47:22:03 - 00:47:22:14
Speaker 3
that.

00:47:22:15 - 00:47:25:10
Speaker 1
Is literally literal walls.

00:47:25:11 - 00:47:27:06
Speaker 4
Yeah. Look at the walls.

00:47:27:08 - 00:47:35:14
Speaker 1
The amazing, amazing Jack. it's on a competition I'd already won. yeah. So, like.

00:47:39:00 - 00:48:03:00
Speaker 2
I've been trying to do just a couple of quick ones. One, one. I knew we were, I guess I was on the right path was there's this company called Tarpon who ended up supporting us for years with a lot of money. But they're brand new. And the five founders hear about me through Regan Davis. A guy named Kevin Fleury calls me Jack.

00:48:03:00 - 00:48:08:07
Speaker 2
Talk to us. No, what I did was I presented the water in the.

00:48:08:07 - 00:48:09:11
Speaker 3
Walls.

00:48:09:12 - 00:48:11:05
Speaker 2
And how this is the one thing we.

00:48:11:05 - 00:48:14:01
Speaker 3
Do is we speak to strength because.

00:48:14:01 - 00:48:14:11
Speaker 2
When we build.

00:48:14:11 - 00:48:15:13
Speaker 3
Strength, people.

00:48:15:13 - 00:48:16:07
Speaker 2
Want to take.

00:48:16:07 - 00:48:19:07
Speaker 3
The walls down.

00:48:19:08 - 00:48:45:00
Speaker 2
And I had this whole hour of how I'm going to present everything, how I'm going to try and look professional, even though I feel like I'm paddling, like crazy. Share that story. Kevin Fleury stopped me and he said, Jack, where it. At that, because it connected and actually for a number of years did leadership training with them based on that.

00:48:45:00 - 00:48:54:06
Speaker 2
So that was a big one. But then there was this time and I recall that I saw at one of the girls names was Suzanne. I can't recall the other one.

00:48:54:07 - 00:48:54:10
Speaker 3
it.

00:48:54:10 - 00:49:07:01
Speaker 2
Was Vietnam vet Terry Fox, one of the heroes segments, and Terry Fox and there were two different classes, but we would always have the celebration. And so we're having this celebration, and these two girls came.

00:49:07:01 - 00:49:08:03
Speaker 3
To me.

00:49:08:04 - 00:49:08:14
Speaker 2
And they said.

00:49:09:08 - 00:49:31:04
Speaker 2
Mr. Toad, can we talk to you for a moment? Yeah, sure. And we just wanted to thank you. and both these girls, they were in the same class, and they both seemed like they were outsiders. So I, you know, heroes. How we have everybody work in small groups and kind of build some relationship and team and.

00:49:31:15 - 00:49:45:00
Speaker 2
Build trust with each other. And I happened to bring those two into the same group, but just internally, I felt this would be a good thing. So now here's these two girls and say that we did not know each other before.

00:49:45:00 - 00:49:47:14
Speaker 3
This program, but,

00:49:47:15 - 00:50:00:14
Speaker 2
And they showed me.

00:50:00:15 - 00:50:08:01
Speaker 2
They both had suicide notes.

00:50:08:03 - 00:50:14:08
Speaker 2
Did not know each other.

00:50:14:09 - 00:50:26:00
Speaker 2
That they were each planning on taking their lives. And they had written the notes. That they were going to leave.

00:50:26:02 - 00:50:38:04
Speaker 2
So now here we are. They're saying list to tell us because of this, who are in this program? We've committed to each other. We're not going to take our lives. And what we've learned here, they were just thanking.

00:50:38:04 - 00:50:41:01
Speaker 3
Me for a, well, several.

00:50:41:01 - 00:51:01:05
Speaker 2
Years later of actually taking the leave was Mitchell. I can't remember how old you were. That's one trick or treating with them wives. And then I called this house. And who answers the door? But these two girls, they're now they're through school, they're working, they've got boyfriends and they're having Halloween together. Open the door. And they look at me.

00:51:01:05 - 00:51:02:10
Speaker 2
And because I'm not dressed.

00:51:02:10 - 00:51:09:14
Speaker 3
Up, Christian got Mr. tell it. And it was these two girls, still close friends.

00:51:10:00 - 00:51:12:13
Speaker 2
Doing well in life. Introduced me to their.

00:51:12:13 - 00:51:14:02
Speaker 3
Boyfriends.

00:51:14:03 - 00:51:19:08
Speaker 2
Who are doing well, like all, you know, jobs like this really doing well.

00:51:19:08 - 00:51:22:03
Speaker 3
And I thought.

00:51:22:04 - 00:51:40:08
Speaker 1
Wow, there it is. That's that's the power of the process. It's more than just a program. It's I think life formation. That is. So it's all about and

00:51:40:09 - 00:51:44:13
Speaker 2
And, you know, and then just this there was another real marker for.

00:51:44:13 - 00:51:46:13
Speaker 3
Me and it was.

00:51:46:15 - 00:52:07:08
Speaker 2
many years ago, Jennifer's dad was in Calgary, and I was able to meet him and I took up a new book. It was when we had updated again and had said, David, just really wanted to thank you and Shirley. And here's how many other 150,000 and some young people had.

00:52:07:08 - 00:52:09:10
Speaker 3
Been through.

00:52:09:12 - 00:52:11:06
Speaker 2
This. A Jennifer's life was not.

00:52:11:06 - 00:52:12:15
Speaker 3
Being.

00:52:13:00 - 00:52:28:03
Speaker 2
She has remembered consistently. and he flipped open the book and it flipped at that point where Jennifer's picture, I think, on page three, and he flipped open the book, and the moment he flipped it open, it flipped to that page.

00:52:28:04 - 00:52:38:09
Speaker 3
And this big six foot four German guy just starts to weep and he says, hi, baby.

00:52:38:11 - 00:52:51:05
Speaker 2
And that moment of connection, what is difficult as that was and he and his wife were able to Jennifer.

00:52:51:05 - 00:52:53:05
Speaker 3
Step well, but.

00:52:53:05 - 00:52:53:14
Speaker 2
He was.

00:52:53:14 - 00:53:00:07
Speaker 3
Able to see. Yeah, this is tragic, but it wasn't in vain. this sparks.

00:53:00:07 - 00:53:00:14
Speaker 2
Something.

00:53:00:14 - 00:53:12:01
Speaker 3
That's transformed lives and still is transforming lives.

00:53:12:02 - 00:53:19:12
Speaker 1
Small peace and huge impact when?

00:53:19:13 - 00:53:50:07
Speaker 1
When persevered. 30 years. there's there's so much that we could say. But at the end of the day, it was that that heartbreak led to and inspired. Over a quarter million young people and educators last year, over 400 educators, over 15,000 students nationwide. because you two answered the call, it's pretty remarkable. 30 years. Last question. Thank you.

00:53:50:09 - 00:54:03:00
Speaker 1
Two, a question for each of you. what does 30 years mean to you and what's next? Open ended.

00:54:03:01 - 00:54:40:12
Speaker 4
I because, Oh, 30 years. For me, it's about people, right? The people that were like, we couldn't have done it alone, you know? So even though we're at the core of it, we realized very quickly we had to surround ourselves with people of different giftings. Right. So the people that we've had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with, you know, whether it is, you know, the the people who donated to us kept food on our table, our mortgage being paid.

00:54:40:13 - 00:55:01:00
Speaker 4
The educators, the people, the, those who worked with us and caught the vision. And I think that's key, what Jack talked about, you know, we we would have people who work for us, but it's when they catch the vision. And I. I feel so blessed with the team that we have now and that I get to do hang with them because they it's at the core of them, right.

00:55:01:01 - 00:55:09:06
Speaker 4
So on and about the students, educators, the students as well, the people that we've met through the years, that's that's what I think of.

00:55:09:07 - 00:55:11:11
Speaker 2
Yeah.

00:55:11:13 - 00:55:16:08
Speaker 4
And just yeah, just again, just so grateful for the team that we get to celebrate this milestone. Yeah.

00:55:16:10 - 00:55:22:00
Speaker 1
So we get to keep doing it.

00:55:22:02 - 00:55:23:12
Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah.

00:55:23:13 - 00:55:26:08
Speaker 2
And when I look at it like 30 years later and girl.

00:55:26:08 - 00:55:27:02
Speaker 3
I'm I'm.

00:55:27:02 - 00:55:42:07
Speaker 2
So incredibly proud of our kids who our own children and how they're raising their families. And but there was times that it was lean. And you know, vacations may not have been as good as some others had some of their.

00:55:42:07 - 00:55:44:09
Speaker 3
Friends, but.

00:55:44:11 - 00:55:51:09
Speaker 2
They didn't complain to us. I don't know if they were complaining inside, but they didn't complain to us and they were with us on the journey. And my.

00:55:51:09 - 00:55:52:08
Speaker 3
Own.

00:55:52:09 - 00:55:53:04
Speaker 2
Family.

00:55:53:04 - 00:55:55:09
Speaker 3
Especially if they would,

00:55:55:10 - 00:55:56:09
Speaker 2
I still to this.

00:55:56:09 - 00:55:57:11
Speaker 3
Day, they.

00:55:57:12 - 00:56:04:15
Speaker 2
How they would dig deep, I say how, my brother Patrick and somebody it's like there's times that they dug deep so we.

00:56:04:15 - 00:56:06:12
Speaker 3
Could eat,

00:56:06:13 - 00:56:11:00
Speaker 2
And the necessity and how our families caught.

00:56:11:01 - 00:56:14:12
Speaker 3
The vision. and then there's.

00:56:14:14 - 00:56:20:06
Speaker 2
And moving forward into this next, next stage of life. And I was just at a conference in Vancouver.

00:56:20:06 - 00:56:24:11
Speaker 3
Chris and,

00:56:24:12 - 00:56:30:05
Speaker 2
I realized this over and over. I was telling the impact.

00:56:30:05 - 00:56:33:02
Speaker 3
Story and.

00:56:33:03 - 00:57:05:03
Speaker 2
How proud I am of the team that is in place now and how it is how you and this team are taking the organization to a place that I couldn't. And I have to recognize that earlier. But how? Because of the impact and the work that began with, First Nations 2010 meeting, I think that was the first time I met with, Chief Roland.

00:57:05:03 - 00:57:06:08
Speaker 3
Wilson.

00:57:06:09 - 00:57:15:03
Speaker 2
In Calgary. And this guy says, from a company, says, okay, chief, you know, we want to help you with your graduation rates and tell them what you're going to do.

00:57:15:03 - 00:57:18:08
Speaker 3
And, I stopped.

00:57:18:08 - 00:57:35:02
Speaker 2
I like that, chief. Roland. That's the chief. That's the wrong place to start. but I would like to ask, is I want you to think about sitting on a rock beside the lake, and there's a youth sitting beside you. What do you want them to know? And he buried his.

00:57:35:02 - 00:57:39:03
Speaker 3
Heart and.

00:57:39:04 - 00:57:46:12
Speaker 2
That created this connection. And in my heart in 2010, this.

00:57:46:13 - 00:57:48:05
Speaker 3
Passion to.

00:57:48:05 - 00:57:53:06
Speaker 2
Work, to support, to build up, to encourage First Nations. That's when that.

00:57:53:06 - 00:57:56:00
Speaker 3
Spark really grew.

00:57:56:01 - 00:58:08:00
Speaker 2
To get to the place. Now where here I am incredibly proud. And the impact where it's going and now able to step.

00:58:08:00 - 00:58:12:00
Speaker 3
Into this second phase, which is,

00:58:12:02 - 00:58:15:07
Speaker 2
The dream that every First Nation.

00:58:15:11 - 00:58:20:01
Speaker 3
Person across this country.

00:58:20:02 - 00:58:22:09
Speaker 2
Would recognize.

00:58:22:09 - 00:58:24:08
Speaker 3
The gifts and abilities.

00:58:24:10 - 00:58:32:12
Speaker 2
That they are deciding, created with, and have the purpose to be able to live it out and feel that they are a genuine part of.

00:58:32:12 - 00:58:45:02
Speaker 3
The success of this nation, and live with confidence and courage and respect and prosperity. So, that's where it's at for me right now. I love it.

00:58:45:03 - 00:59:29:02
Speaker 1
Love to see that after 30 years, there's there's more to do. the the roots allow us when we live by them, not just to prosper, but to continue to grow long, long into the future. And and this organization, the next 30 years is something we've been actively talking about. We, stand on the shoulders of giants and are continuing to grow this, this, this impact, and continue to do so because we rely on the same fundamental tap roots and model and program that started way back when, 30 years ago.

00:59:29:04 - 01:00:02:12
Speaker 1
So thank you, both for lifetime. I can't say enough words can't express, what your work and your dedication and your perseverance have meant to a generation of young people and will mean to future generations of young people across our country. So you have influenced the education experience for so many? not just the students, but educators and the parents and everyone, myself included, who use this for, after school youth programs way back when.

01:00:02:12 - 01:00:29:00
Speaker 1
So the, the power of the program is, is alive and well and the future is is promising. The need for youth is greater than ever. And, I want to thank the listeners, who've made it this far for tuning in and for, supporting Impact Society and our mission, to empower young people to give them confidence, character, integrity and purpose through school based, youth group based, empowerment programs.

01:00:29:02 - 01:00:46:07
Speaker 1
the proven to work, which is pretty cool. We didn't even really touch on that today, but there's other episodes you can catch specifically on that. but if you do want to check us out, we got more episodes of Talking Impact on, most platforms where podcasts are available. Spotify and Apple are the main ones.

01:00:46:08 - 01:01:06:11
Speaker 1
we also have, website Impact Society. A.com great, a great show. You have a whole podcast on the timing of getting such a great URL. way back when, but yeah, Impact society.com. We're actually on Instagram and Facebook, almost on a daily basis as well. So you can tune in there and find out how to bring these programs into your community, into your classroom or into your home.

01:01:06:12 - 01:01:09:10
Speaker 1
Have a great day and thank you for listening. Bye for now.