Full Transcript for Listening then Doing

every night. 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:07.200 And I couldn't. 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:12.080 Now, when you say when you say trafficked, you mean street prostitutes is what we're talking about here. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.439 Child victims of human, yes, of sex trafficking. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:20.719 So these children were being sold for commercial sex on the streets of Atlanta every single night. 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:22.400 And that that broke my heart. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:26.240 And but at that point, you know, I was early on starting out my career. 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:36.159 I was in um technology, doing international business, develop mergers and acquisitions, really didn't necessarily see that as my career path. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.159 So over the next 10 years, God just took me on a learning journey. 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:44.560 I ended up marrying a USA Navy, naval aviator. 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:47.840 And so with that life, we got to move all over the US. 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:54.400 And so I started to invest- Now, see some people see that as a downer, but you saw it as an upper moving. 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:58.800 Oh, what I mean, yeah, a top gun pilot. 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:00.479 What can you get wrong there? 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:04.319 So um, no, we got to move and we got to see different communities. 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:13.360 And that meant that I got to learn about what human trafficking and specifically child sex trafficking was looking like in all of these different communities. 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:25.360 And so the last duty station we had before we moved to Hampton Roads, Virginia, which is where Safe House Project launched out of, was outside of Reno, Nevada, where the brothels are still active. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:38.159 And so I had a madam of a brothel who lived up the street from me, and she was legally allowed to recruit the kids right out of our high school into the brothels because they were a taxpaying business. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:39.439 Now, where is this? 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:41.039 Outside of Reno, Nevada. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:42.080 And Oh, that's right. 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:43.439 Nevada's where prostitutions legal. 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:44.639 I was like, so where is this? 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:44.879 Okay. 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:50.000 I know, but it's so shocking because you hear about this, but and I would had seen it in other communities. 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:52.159 And these were underage kids. 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:57.919 Yes, they were being recruited right at 17, right when they would turn 18, which would then become legal age. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:10.719 But they were so vulnerable and they were being recruited, and it was just a um really eye-opening experience to see how this was playing out if it wasn't an illegal industry in other communities. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:18.399 And so really got up, started to really open my eyes to how this was happening at a very brass tax level. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:23.680 So, fast forward, moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where I met my co-founder through Bible study. 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:29.680 And both of us uh had been on our own journeys to understanding what human trafficking looked like. 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:43.360 We were both reading the book Circle Maker by Pastor Mark Batterson at a national community church, which is all about just standing in the circle until God tells you kind of what's next and trying to figure out what he wanted us to do on this issue. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:48.000 Um it was not the most ideal time to launch a nonprofit. 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:50.639 I mean, I was on maternity leave with my second. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:52.160 I had a two-year-old. 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:56.879 Uh, Christy had two twin, uh, seven-year-old boys and a five-year-old daughter. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.800 So between us, there were five kids, and her husband deployed. 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:03.600 My husband gets three days' notice, he deploys. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:07.360 My daughter is five weeks old on the kitchen table. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:10.160 And that's how you hired a nanny between the two of you? 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:11.199 Is that what you did? 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:14.240 We no, we became each other's nanny. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:16.240 We did not did it together. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:21.199 So, baby on the table, kids playing around us, and God said go. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:31.519 And he cast such a large vision in those first three months that we knew that the vision that he gave us, he would have to provision. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:34.079 So, who else did you seek out for help? 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.160 I mean, there's some legal issues, there's some other stuff. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.319 I mean, who other who other people came around you to kind of get this thing going? 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.959 It's the most beautiful piece of that whole story. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:56.720 We had one of our visionaries early on was a Christian hip-hop artist who had worked a lot with marginalized populations, kids in fatherless homes, kind of seeing a lot of the vulnerabilities. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:03.439 We had the head of a large um trade school and education system. 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:09.279 And at that point, we were focused a lot on identification training and helping people understand the problem. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:20.959 Um, in addition, we had some really great early board members who had been, you know, the past president of the International Franchise Association, other ones from the intelligence community. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:23.439 So, how did you how did you acquire these people? 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:29.120 I mean, usually when someone forms a nonprofit, their first board is what's called family fools and friends. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:30.800 I mean, the people they can acquire. 00:06:30.879

--> 00:06:34.079 So were these prior association, or you were introduced to these people? 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:35.120 How did it happen? 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:46.800 A lot of them were prior association, but there were a few that became through as introductions and just as we started talking about the issue of human trafficking, I think it was new on a lot of people's radar. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:56.800 And we had people leaning in saying, okay, if this is really happening in our community, I want to be part of finding those solutions that are actually working. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:02.000 And so I think we saw people drawn to just the complexity. 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:04.959 It's not a it's not a single issue. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:11.839 It is a very complex criminal enterprise that thrives at the intersection of legal and illegal industry. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:17.120 And at the heart of it are kids, on average 12 years old, that are being sold. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:24.160 And so when you think about those numbers, it just can't help but compel people to be, want to be part of the redemption story. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:29.680 I think it's something that you said that I think should be emphasized. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:32.879 It is a complex criminal enterprise. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:36.240 This is not just people snatching people off the street. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:40.639 Okay, it's it's it's a lot more complicated, it's a lot more lucrative. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:43.920 There are very strong forces behind this. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:50.000 Um, and maybe you don't want to tell me, but have you ever been threatened? 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:52.319 You felt threatened in any of your work? 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:53.839 Oh, absolutely. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:57.600 Um, we said that you said that, like I said, I'm gonna walk out the street. 00:07:57.680 --> 00:07:58.399 Oh, absolutely. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:07:59.519 Oh, absolutely. 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:09.439 No, I mean, we have, and you know, we've had to take a lot of security measures to protect ourselves as you know leaders of this organization and our team. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:13.759 But at the end of the day, we believe that God called us to this. 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:20.399 And if you are operating under his anointing, then you are operating in his will and he's gonna protect you. 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:29.439 So, although, yes, my family has been swatted um for about 12 weeks this summer by um trafficking rings, we've had death threats. 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:31.439 I've had my kids' images sent to me. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:43.440 Yes, we go up against some of the worst parts of humanity, but in that we see the greatest parts of humanity because we see miracle and miracle happen for the least of these. 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:58.639 And when you get to step into somebody's restorative journey and see God move in ways that most of us don't understand, it doesn't help like you are you are compelled because you're seeing the light literally push back the darkness. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:00.559 Yeah. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:04.639 See, this gives me um, you know, I hear this stuff all the time. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:08.159 I mean, I listen to the news, I read, I read the Wall Street Journal, blah, blah, blah. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:14.000 Uh, you're and I suspected these things, but when you tell me, it's very compelling. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:18.559 Uh, it comes across uh three-dimensional, not two-dimensional. 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:19.039 Sure. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:28.240 So um, so then you've had to live with the realities of increased security, of forging ahead, of doing these things. 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:32.799 Um it I take it this has not dissuaded you in any way. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:44.000 No, it just fires me up any more, even more because I'm that Satan's gonna put that many people on you to try to dissuade you from going after your God-called vision and mission. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:47.120 I think that tells you you're in the going in the right direction. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:52.799 And I have no problem pissing off Satan if I know that I'm operating within God's will. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:10:00.559 Well, uh, one of the tests of knowing you're having an impact is having real enemies, regardless of what you're doing. 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:04.960 And I think that's certainly been validation for you as well. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:14.000 Um, now I know that you don't have a house of your own, meaning a place of your own that you that you have for these children. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:17.039 Now you just do boys or girls, or just girls, or how do you do it? 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:18.639 Is it all women or victims? 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:20.000 All victims of human trafficking. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:20.879 All victims. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:21.360 Okay. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:30.879 Um, so um since you don't have a uh a facility and yet I look at your website and you're like pretty much all over the country, how do you handle that? 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:41.759 Yeah, so our team is really at that critical place when somebody has 10 seconds of insane courage to exit a trafficking situation, we're getting those calls. 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:48.080 And at that moment, our team is coordinating the extraction from that trafficking experience. 00:10:48.240 --> 00:11:06.080 We're coordinating the crisis management of what's going to happen in that safety planning for the next, you know, 72 hours to a week to keep somebody safe before we identify the right safe house program somewhere in the country where they can really go and heal for up to two years. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:08.559 Those safe house programs are our partners. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:13.200 They do incredible work around education and therapy and medical treatment. 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:21.279 But where we sit is at that pivotal

moment when somebody is exiting that trafficking experience and needing that lifeline of support. 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:24.639 Let's break that let's let's break that work down for a minute. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:25.360 Yeah, of course. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:27.440 How does some how does someone exit this? 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:29.519 You make it sound like I'm getting off an airplane. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:31.039 Let's let's be a little more detailed. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:41.120 How do you if I'm if I'm 12 years old, I know that's a stretch, but if if if if I'm 12 years old and I'm trapped in this, how would I ever exit it? 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:43.279 I mean, no one's coming to rescue me, I don't think. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:44.480 How does it work? 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.960 They it really actually can look very different depending on the situation. 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:56.159 So recently we had a survivor who was able to get herself to an emergency department. 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:59.759 And so she got in there, she disclosed to the nurse what is happening to her. 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:02.080 You mean an ER in a hospital. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:02.879 Exactly. 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:07.679 Up to there, was able to speak with a nurse and was translating what was happening to her. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:10.399 Her trafficker was a long-haul truck driver. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:15.519 He was literally circling the hospital waiting for her to exit to snatch her up again. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.360 They called our team. 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:27.360 We worked alongside the hospital staff to identify a tunnel that went underneath the main hospital to an administrative building somewhere else on site. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:34.080 We were able to transport the victim through that tunnel and have an extraction team meet her on the other side. 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:38.879 From there, we had chaperones and people along the way that got her to the airport. 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:52.799 We were able to maintain um law enforcement support, got her on that first plane, and then had when she touched down in the city where we had an emergency program waiting for her, there were victim advocates waiting to receive and take her into care. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:54.320 Let me let me ask you a question. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:59.360 In a situation like that, why wouldn't the why wouldn't the hospital just call the police? 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:10.080 That one was she was over the age of 18, and not every survivor wants um the wants law enforcement involved. 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:14.159 Kids can look a lot of different ways on how they're identified. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:20.320 Um when we talk about kids, over 50% are first trafficked by a family member. 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:26.320 And so it's the people that they let's say that let's let me hit put that by me again slowly, Brittany. 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:32.559 How much, how many fifty percent of kids are first trafficked by a family member. 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:33.360 Okay. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:37.519 Let's let that sink in for a minute. 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:38.720 All right. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:46.720 Well, aside from it being appalling, um that makes my skin crawl, Brittany. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.159 Yep, mine too. 00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:49.519 It's what got me into this. 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:59.679 My first survivor that we served had been trafficked from the age of six by her uncle and sold for$300 per buyer over eight times every single night. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.919 Eight times in a 24-hour period. 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:05.039 Yes. 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:07.200 Oh, this is disgusting. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:07.919 Correct. 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:20.720 And when you see that and you see somebody's resilience to escape that and tell somebody what's going on and have that courage, you have no choice but to find solutions for people. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:33.039 See, this is where um I think um, you know, all the sanitized objective language doesn't really begin to describe what the situation really is. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.360 This is why I'm pushing you to get more details here. 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.639 This is what people need to hear and need to understand. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:52.639 Um I'm so, and I know you you're not really involved in this piece of the puzzle, but I'm wondering uh what sort of long-term uh psychological damage these children have after they're rescued. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.200 Um, we work very closely alongside. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:15:03.840 So even as they go into the safe house programs, we're working with the program and the survivor through their journey because it it's long term. 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:12.480 I mean, I have survivors that we have walked alongside for the past seven years, and it's because of the long-term psychological damage. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:17.840 Um, on average, someone will have 10 and a half psychological um disorders. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:23.519 A lot of that is, you know, complex PTSD, uh, dissociative disorders. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:28.320 Some have dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality historically. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:30.879 We support schizophrenia. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:37.679 Uh schizophrenia is different than dissociative identity disorder, but now both borderline personality, bipolar. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:16:04.320 So we are dealing with some of the most complex mental health referrals in the country every single day, which is what makes it so imperative that our team be able to do that deep assessment to identify that individual's unique needs and help place them in a program that meets that because you're dealing with mental health, but you can also, I mean, we've had girls as young as 13 years old exiting pregnant. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.159 So they're not just coming out having to

think about their own mental health. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:18.559 They're also having to consider that they're about ready to bring a baby into this world, and often one that was conceived at the hands of either their trafficker or a buyer of them. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:27.279 And so we are dealing with people at the most raw, vulnerable, horrific pieces of how our society operates. 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:29.600 And it's our privilege to walk alongside them. 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:43.759 But that's why we always tell people that first week is so critical because we're setting the tone for somebody to trust us and trust the resources that we're bringing alongside them to truly transform their life. 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.159 Um, I'm trying to let this sink in here. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:49.919 I'm I'm still with you. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:53.679 Um this is um so are you? 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:56.080 I know you were the chief operating officer now. 00:16:56.240 --> 00:17:02.399 So do you still get in uh you still have contact with with with patients with your with your charges? 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:03.759 You still have contact? 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:04.480 Okay. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:07.599 We think it's important to stay proximate to the issue. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:13.519 It doesn't mean I get to do it every day, but we want to make sure that we never feel disconnected from the people that we serve. 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:15.039 Okay, all right. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.799 So how many uh how many states are you in off the top of your head? 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:20.160 All 50. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:21.359 All 50. 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:22.160 Okay. 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:24.240 And you've been around for eight years. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:25.119 Yes. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:25.680 Okay. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.920 But you're just I get the impression though, you're just scratching the surface of this thing. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:33.039 It's such a big behemoth sitting out there. 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:39.279 It's the second largest criminal enterprise, and we are only at a 1% identification rate. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:52.319 Now, I I heard I heard it's uh a a fact or a factoid someplace, and you can either confirm or or correct me on this, that the US is actually the biggest market for trafficking in the world. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:53.200 Is that correct? 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:58.480 We're in the top three with Mexico and the Philippines, apart according to the Department of State. 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:04.640 And a huge part of that is because we have the largest demand for commercial sex in the world. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.799 Okay, well, that's sort of it must have been where I I heard that. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:18.079 And um so um um this is scary, but it's wonderful and it's redeeming, and it's all those things wrapped into one, Brittany. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:22.960 So how are you see yourself doing this for

a while, then I take it. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:25.279 You're not ready to move on to anything else. 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:26.160 Nope. 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:39.200 We have an audacious belief that God is going to start moving this country to really respond to this issue at scale and watching people become part of the fabric of the solution, not be part of the problem. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:44.559 And so I am here to see this thing taken all the way. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:52.079 So then um uh from what I know of your model uh that you use, it's imminently scalable. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:52.960 Is that correct? 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:53.920 Correct. 00:18:54.160 --> 00:19:04.319 So we have staff all around the country and we have incredible survivors of human trafficking that are now on staff being able to support individuals as they exit. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:16.559 Um, you know, we have incredible licensed clinical social workers, you know, there's just this entire group of people who are truly called with unique gifts to serve individuals in so many different capacities. 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:19.440 And so we have one of the best teams in the field. 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:25.519 You um uh how many of your field sites have you personally visited? 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:32.160 I have gone to probably 15 now. 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:43.200 We um and we also did a few years ago, Christy and I actually did a drive from the east coast to Colorado and visited a lot of partners along that. 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:47.680 So there were a lot more in there in that scene than you and I thought of when you said that. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:48.240 Okay. 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.440 You know the movie Thelma and Louise, right? 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:53.200 Oh, we are like Thelma and Louise. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:54.880 That's the first thing I thought of. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:55.920 Oh, 100%. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:01.599 Except that we put all five kids in the trunk, not in the trunk, but in the backseat. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:02.480 Oh, I heard that. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:03.119 I heard that. 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:04.880 You everyone, you heard what you said. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:15.759 But so we brought all five kids along for this adventure and showed them what it looks like to truly serve people in different communities and really showcase it. 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:24.160 But collectively, our team has set foot into over 120 um organizations over the past 18 months. 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:24.799 Okay. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:30.960 Well, I hope when you took that uh coast to coast trip that you gave your kids some entertainment, some of the sides on the way. 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:35.680 We saw the largest ball of twine, which fulfilled my childhood dream. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:40.160 I wanted to see the largest ball of twine since I was six years old. 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:49.599 It took a two-hour detour to Cocker City, Kansas, and I called the docent who's in charge of it, and she let me add twine to the ball. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:52.160 Ooh, well, you are a special person, Brittany. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:59.200 I just need you know, if you don't take away anything today, just know that you can go to Cocker City, Kansas and add twine to the largest ball. 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:01.359 Oh, I will keep that on my list. 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:05.519 Now, when I moved out from uh western New York, I'm in Idaho now. 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:07.359 I don't know if you knew that or not, but I am. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:15.839 And uh we were going through the upper Midwest, and and I have three daughters, and they were into Laurel Ingalls Wild, as you might imagine. 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:18.000 So we had to take that detour. 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:21.759 It was about 90 minutes up to her home and then back again. 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:22.079 Yes. 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:24.799 I I I've done similar things like that. 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:25.759 That's great. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:26.480 Okay. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:32.000 Um I I um what what is it? 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:37.680 What message would you like our listeners to get from you today? 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:40.640 What would you like them to remember about this interview? 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:54.319 I think the most important thing is that this is a complex issue, but it takes every single one of us understanding what human trafficking looks like in our community, being able to report it. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:59.759 We just launched a brand new AI tool and mobile app called Simply Report that you can download. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:12.559 Download out of the Google or Apple Play Store, go on and report suspected trafficking that will route to our law enforcement partners within five seconds or route somebody to our survivor support team if they need services. 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:19.440 But that real-time intelligence is what is going to allow us to increase identification above 1%. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:25.119 And then we get more survivors that we get to serve and watch them exit exploitation. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:32.559 And so my call to action today is that you don't have to understand all the complexities of human trafficking. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:36.480 We just need you to care and lean into a hard issue. 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:45.759 So if I were going to do this, and this is the first thing that comes to me, um do if I report something, do I put a target on my back using this app? 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:59.680 No, that's the great part is it's an anonymous real-time, and you can decide as the reporter if you provide your information or you can do it completely anonymously, and it allows that information to be relayed to law enforcement. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:11.599 And then if we start to see where maybe something doesn't have a ton of um actionable insights in the very first report, but let's say you

report something, then a few days later I report something and somebody else does. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:20.000 We're able to draw those um cases or those tips together to help start painting a picture for law enforcement where something might be going on. 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:24.160 And so it's more about the collective movement than it is about the one. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:25.279 Oh, okay. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:31.440 So these things are amalgamated using an algorithm so that they can be identified and prioritized. 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:33.519 Well, that's pretty clever, Brittany. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:36.319 Um, so whose bright idea was that? 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:54.000 We had an incredible team who came up with this, but it really was led by um a gentleman who was known for one being one of the first five founding members of Department of Homeland and creating how we predict in the United States when somebody's moving from extremist to terrorist. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:24:05.039 We redid those algorithms with behavioral indicators of human trafficking and developed our own proprietary system for evaluating and analyzing the data coming in. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:10.480 And through that, we knew that we needed every community member to be seeing and saying something. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.480 And so Simply Report is simply that. 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:14.799 It's simply report your suspicions. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:17.119 You don't have to be completely confident. 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:19.039 You just need to be, you just need to care. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:28.559 And so that's where Simply Report is the power of the people coming together to see uh human trafficking truly tackled in the United States. 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:31.759 Another question. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:37.039 Okay, I've reported something, and and you're you've taken it seriously. 00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:39.039 I mean, I'm not some crank out there. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:41.519 I may be a crank, but not a crank with this. 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:47.759 And what would be the next course of action? 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:56.000 Would it be uh I guess it depends on the situation, but uh alerting law enforcement, alerting so alerting someone else? 00:24:56.079 --> 00:25:00.559 And I I mean, how does it how I'm trying to figure out how this happens and I'm I'm putting it together. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:02.480 Can you break it down a little bit for me? 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:12.960 Okay, so you come onto the chat bot and you start saying, okay, I was at a hotel this weekend and I saw men coming and going from this hotel room regularly. 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:19.039 They didn't seem to be staying the night, and then the next morning I saw a girl that looks 12 years old come out of the room. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:26.240 She looked exhausted and tired and disheveled and was dressed inappropriately for her age, or whatever your situation is that you see. 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:31.039 And these are all obviously unrelated middle-aged men coming and going. 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:32.880 Well, that's a that's a sign right there. 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:33.599 Okay, keep going. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:34.000 Right. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:36.960 So then you could come onto the app and be like, okay, this is what I saw. 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:40.720 And then it's going to start based on the situation asking you additional things. 00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:46.400 It might ask you for general demographic information about either the child or the men coming and going. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:53.440 It could ask if you saw any markings on the individuals, if you saw a license plate, if you were, you know, had a car in view. 00:25:53.759 --> 00:26:04.240 And so it's working to draw out maybe some of those things that you didn't even necessarily remember that maybe you saw that can help build a more comprehensive picture for law enforcement. 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:15.920 Once that tip is submitted, it is routed to our law enforcement partners and it goes through an analysis to determine the likelihood of trafficking and the actionability. 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:25.359 If it is deemed immediately actionable or like a life risk or it's actively happening, then we deploy dispatch to that situation, or dispatch could deploy law enforcement. 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:28.799 This could be real time, is what you're telling me. 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:34.000 So this isn't this doesn't go to some queue and somebody in the office gets to it next week. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:35.279 No, no, no, no. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:37.200 We can't, we these are people's lives. 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:39.359 So it's well, I know that Brittany. 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:40.240 You don't have to conclude. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:45.920 We use technology as a tool, but we have a human-centric response on the other side. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:53.920 Okay, see, but but you know, and I know when you call some bank, I mean, I'm just trying, see, I'm trying to, I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself here. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:55.200 I appreciate you. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:06.480 So uh, but I mean because if it's one thing I can't stand, these damn AI bots, and I never get to speak to somebody new and they and they and I'm going, I'm in some sort of loop. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:08.880 Yes, but you're not that way, is what you're telling me. 00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:10.079 No, no, no, no. 00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:15.599 We want to make sure that that tip gets to a real person who can then triage the situation. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:22.160 So for some, they might get routed to our survivor support team if they need that um resource and referral into safe housing. 00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:30.079 If it's tips that are coming in and we are able to help somebody exit, then we want to get that into the hands of the right person as quickly as possible. 00:27:30.559 -->

00:27:32.240 It is really critical. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:36.240 So, and let's go back to the example you used, the the hotel example. 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:37.599 And I'm sure there's a lot of that. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:40.559 That just sounds intimate, you know, very realistic. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:45.279 Um, so then the police would show up at the hotel. 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:48.799 And so what would they tell the desk clerk or the manager? 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:50.559 Who how how would they, do you know what they do? 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:52.079 Say, hey, where's this room? 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:54.720 And because they may not know the number of the room. 00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:56.079 Um Right. 00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:58.400 And that can be a complicating factor. 00:27:58.480 --> 00:27:59.200 Sometimes they will. 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:01.440 So I mean, usually that would be a question that would be asked. 00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:06.240 Like if it's coming in from somebody who's in the room next door, okay, well, what room was this happening in? 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:19.920 So they would have a room number, you they would work alongside the GM at the hotel or whoever is the highest ranking employee on site, or if they have a safety, depending on what level of hotel we're talking about, that can differ. 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:30.480 Um, and then usually it starts with a door knock just to assess the safety, almost like a well check of a child if you were to request that from child protective services for somebody's home. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:43.440 And then from there, you know, we do a lot on victim-centered approach to law enforcement, helping train our law enforcement partners on how to go in and read a room to understand whether or not you have a victim of human trafficking. 00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:53.839 And so there's a lot of questioning that they use and different um just um techniques for helping discern what might be happening. 00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:54.640 Okay. 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:55.519 All right. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:29:03.680 And then if they assume if they really have a serious sense of something's going on, they can they can take custody of the minor. 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:04.400 Correct. 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:22.480 So then at that point, if it's they would um remove the the victim, separate them from the trafficker, trafficker would be arrested, victim would be connected to a victim advocate, and then our team would be liaising alongside the victim advocate to start the process of finding a safe house program for that child or that individual. 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:23.119 Okay. 00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:23.839 All right. 00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:29.920 Well, when you were saying they have a certain way of questioning people, uh, a certain memory came to mind for me. 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:31.119 You're like this. 00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:36.000 I I lived up in uh in the Buffalo area for a number of years. 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:43.039 And, you know, if you know anything about the geography, you're right there on the Canadian border, and we'd go to and from Canada. 00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:46.400 You know, you go over to on the other side of the falls for the day and you come back. 00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:49.039 And that was before it was required to have a passport. 00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:52.160 I mean, you didn't just show a uh uh whatever. 00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:58.559 If you had uh US plates on your car and you had a uh a driver's license, you were you were good, you're good to go. 00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:04.240 Well, I had three daughters, as you know, and my middle daughter, she liked to be too cute for half. 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:13.680 So we're coming back into the US, and the border agent is just asking my three parents, my three girls, and he asks my middle one, are these your parents? 00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:14.640 No, they're not. 00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:16.480 I don't know who these people are. 00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:17.680 Oh my god. 00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:20.160 I mean, I wanted to wring her neck. 00:30:20.400 --> 00:30:22.000 I mean, this was just too much. 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:33.119 Okay, so we're hauled out of the car and into there, and yeah, it's like I mean, it was sorted out fairly quickly because these people are pretty smart and they could tell what this girl was up to. 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:34.720 But it was like, how would you? 00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:37.519 I mean, talk about feeling like uh what is this? 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:39.279 These aren't my parents. 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:42.079 I who are these people, I've never seen them before. 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:45.599 Just wait till we get you home, just wait till we get you home. 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:52.000 Um, she was also the one who was uh we called her Houdini because she'd be in the in the car seat in the back. 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:56.559 And this usually happened by the way, going to church on Sunday morning is when it usually happened. 00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:06.960 And we're riding along, we had to be on an interstate for a while, and I look up and she's like, what, two, three, maybe, and she's standing on the back seat, da-da, like this. 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:14.880 Okay, and then by the time I can get over and get back to her, she's sitting in her seat, like, is there something wrong? 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:16.880 I mean, you just want to wring her neck. 00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:20.960 She's but she's a delight, a delightful lady, not that she's all grown. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:24.079 But uh, it's like she's taking care of herself. 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:28.240 Yeah, very, very, a lot of personality, a lot of personality. 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:31.359 Yeah, but uh, but I just had to share that with you. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:44.559 Like, oh well, you know, I I would like for us to do this again because next time I want to talk to you about some success

stories. 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:49.519 You can change the names, obviously, but uh, you've been in this eight years now. 00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:55.200 So I'm sure you have some some uh success stories that you can share with us. 00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.240 Um you do incredible work, Brittany. 00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:02.400 And I don't say that lightly, and I think you know me well enough already. 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:03.599 I don't say that lightly. 00:32:03.920 --> 00:32:06.799 All right, and you're doing serious work. 00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:10.720 Um you you're sort of you're very disarming, you know. 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:25.680 For those of you who's listening to this, she's Britney's very disarming and cheerful, and she looks like she just came off the golf course or at the country club for lunch, but she's a very serious woman, and when you start talking with her, you get a chance of oh, yeah, there's real depth there. 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:26.079 Yeah. 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:33.680 And that's the reason I kept bringing trying to bring you out during our interview here, because people I mean, people you hear this stuff on the news all day long. 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:36.240 All right, it's you know, fodder. 00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:48.240 And yet, you know, what I'm trying to do, and you've done a very good job today, is make it human and put a very human face on it and the challenges that you faced to make this a reality. 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:51.039 I mean, it's one thing to say, oh, well, God called me to do this. 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:52.640 Well, you can kind of flip those words off. 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:53.680 Anyone can say that. 00:32:53.839 --> 00:33:14.000 But then when you tell me about the challenges that are involved in being successful and your own personal challenges that you've endured because of, say, for instance, those who don't want this to happen, all right, who are your active, purposeful enemies, um, then it becomes very real, you see, and that there's a price to pay for doing this kind of thing. 00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:19.200 So um um uh I I've been I just want to say I've been very impressed. 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:20.400 Well, thank you. 00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:21.599 I appreciate your time. 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:23.359 Um, we're gonna do this again. 00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:23.920 Great. 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.680 And as I said, think about success. 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:26.960 I'm gonna give you some time. 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:29.680 Success stories is what I want to hear next time. 00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:33.440 Oh, I have so many success stories for you and I can talk for days. 00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:34.000 All right. 00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:39.759 So, well, I'm gonna get it set up again in the not too distant future because I do want to continue this conversation. 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:42.000 Um this has been delightful. 00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:46.720 Um, so is is are you sort of the front person, or does your CEO get involved? 00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:51.119 Or I'm just curious why you're on there and she's not, or I don't know how this all came to be. 00:33:51.680 --> 00:34:19.360 We both um just kind of take different engagements depending on kind of schedules and what time allows, but it's always we're both running in a million directions and love the opportunity to connect with people because we love to sorry, we love to share about our work and the survivors that we get to serve because they truly are the heartbeat of this organization and they are the reason we get up every day and run harder, run faster towards our mission. 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:23.440 So this is safehouseproject.org. 00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:30.000 And um, if someone wanted to reach out to you personally, Brittany Dunn, how would they do that in a safe way? 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:38.000 Um, they can email me at Brittany, B-R-I-T-T-A-N-Y at safehouseproject.org, and I would love to connect. 00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:39.599 And you actually respond. 00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:41.280 It's not an AI bot, right? 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:43.119 Oh no, I like responding. 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:45.360 That's the best way to meet people. 00:34:45.440 --> 00:34:58.000 That's the joy of this work is I have met more people from so many different industries and fields, and you just get to see how it really takes a collective impact approach to go after the world's hardest issues. 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:00.000 So yeah. 00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:02.639 Well, I want to thank you for your time. 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:08.960 Yeah, and I want to thank our viewers for their time, and I hope they've been as enlightened as I have been. 00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:12.480 Uh, I like learning new things, I like seeing what people are doing. 00:35:12.719 --> 00:35:20.639 Um, so uh we're gonna have another someone, I guess, in another week, but I'm we're gonna get back with Britney sooner rather than later because I do want to hear her success stories. 00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:24.639 And so thank you, Brittany, and thank you, listeners, very soon. 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:26.880 Have a great day. 00:35:28.719 --> 00:35:30.559 Thank you for listening today. 00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:36.239 Join us for our next episode when I'll have another thought-provoking leader as my guest. 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:39.039 Guest comments and opinions are their own. 00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:44.000 The recording is copyright by the eight principles, all rights reserved.