The Ripple Effect Project with Cleophus Lee | New LIfe Development Group

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Your story matters, your voice matters, your connections matter.
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Because one conversation can create a new possibility, and one connection can create a ripple that reaches far beyond us.
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We all have the power to make an impact.
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So the question is, what ripple will you create?
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Welcome to the Ripple Effect Project.
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Let's start the ripple.
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Welcome to the Ripple Effect Project Podcast here.
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Welcome, John to the podcast.
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I wanted to start things a little bit different today, John.
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So I'm gonna uh take you out of your comfort zone here.
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I know you're like he's gonna do the same thing every time.
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So I'm not uh before we bring on our guest here and I'm and introduce him.
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I'm very excited to have this discussion because it's something that I love to talk about.
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But I want to ask the question of what does building a community from the inside out look like?
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That's my question to you, John.
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Oh my! So building a community from the inside out.
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First of all, I think you have to identify that uh there the community is more than you just living at some space, um, whether that's on a particular street or in a particular building or whatever.
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There's got to be some level of excitement to be in that community and to be part of it.
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So you have to create that feeling within the community.
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And once you have done that, you can start building the blocks that it takes to grow as a community and actually define that community in a different way.
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Yeah, I I think that's that's spot on, and I'm excited because I think this impacts so many things in our communities, from the nonprofit community to you know the public sector, our small businesses, large businesses, and it it does, it just impacts everything out there.
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I did nine years on the Clearfield City Council, so this is uh a topic that I love love to tackle.
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One thing that we did on our city council is we decided we weren't just gonna focus on community development, we were gonna create a place where people wanted to be.
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And that kind of became our our motto of everything that we were trying to do.
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How can we and they're still working on this?
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Uh it's been excited to see projects start to come out of the ground that that I was a part of um in that in that discussion.
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But we have with us today someone that knows this very well, and I think um him and I's philosophies may may align quite well here or may differ.
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Who knows?
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But uh I'm excited to have Cleophys Lee with us today.
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He's from the New Life Development Group, and there's just a lot that connects us um to experiences out there, and it just starts with communities.
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So thank you so much, Cleophys, for being on today.
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And I want to um just give you the um floor here and allow you to to introduce yourself and and uh set the conversation for us.
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Wow.
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Uh John and Tim, thank you both for this opportunity to be on um the podcast today.
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Um I love talking about this topic and um you know hopefully we can we'll definitely glean and grow together as we share and talk with one another.
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Once again, my name is Cleophis Lee.
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I am the founder and principal consultant for New Life Development Group LLC.
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Um we work out of uh Chicago, Illinois, the Chicago, Illinois area.
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Um we work with nonprofit organizations, um, for-profit businesses, um, as well as municipalities helping to build their capacity.
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Um and then we also do community work.
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Um I I describe us as a community revitalization solutions company.
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Uh, and um in doing that work, we seek to, you know, work with community residents to put them in in positions so that um their communities, their organizations, their businesses are established for long-term sustainability.
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When you talk about capacity, Cleopathus, uh, what do you mean by that?
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So, capacity, of course, can can be uh several things depending on what your current situation is.
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So let's let's talk about an individual, first of all.
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Um, an individual wants to, you know, all of us as human beings want to live to use the term a sustainable life.
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And when we say sustainable, we mean basically a happy life, a life that affords us the opportunity to live life the way we want to live, you know, whether it's traveling, whether it's being able to purchase a home, or, you know, being able to provide for, you know, the necessities of our home, our children.
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And so capacity for that individual could be, you know, um financial sustainability, right?
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Um, having the the wherewithal to uh manage their finances in a way that positions them to live and do life the way they want to do life.
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So the capacity in that situation is that.
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Um, but then let's say we take a um a business, a for-profit business.
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Um, and you know, I I've started this business, and you know, I really want to be in a position to say that, man, this year we did a million dollars in revenue.
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Well, capacity for that person um is examining what they need as far as being able to identify, you know, the appropriate clientele, being able to have the systems in place to manage that those that you know those client, those clients that they have, as well as you know, being in position and having the systems in place to be able to execute the kind of work that they say, you know, that their business does.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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It's interesting.
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Uh, it it sounds like work, Cleopaths.
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Listen, anytime you're working with human beings, it's work.
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Yeah.
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So I mean I think it oh, go ahead, Tim.
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I was just gonna say, I started this out with a question of what it looks like to build a community from inside out, and I've taken that from you.
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So I'd love to know your insight to that question.
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What does that look like?
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Absolutely.
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So, New Life Development Group, um, our tagline is developing the community from the inside out.
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Um, and we we say developing the community from the inside out.
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What that looks like to us, it's about the people.
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Um, our approach to community development or community revitalization, I believe, is different than most.
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Um, a lot of people, when they talk about community development or community revitalization, they're talking about launching you know new businesses.
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So that's an economic from an economic framework, or they're talking about building new or developing, you know, um affordable housing or you know, new structures um within that community.
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For us, um, community is about people, right?
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It's about the individuals that live in these communities, in these neighborhoods.
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And so we believe that in order for a community to actually thrive and and be sustainable, um, you have to develop the people that live within the community.
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And so those those individuals are inside, right?
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We're not talking about um, you know, to use the term gentrification, individuals coming from the outside and telling, you know, individuals what their community should look like or how their community can develop, but it's taking the voices of those individuals that live there.
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It's what we call um having lived experiences, right?
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And then helping those individuals to thrive and to grow and to position themselves.
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Here's that word again, for sustainability.
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How do you go about that?
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I mean, how do you go about getting those voices heard?
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Um, I think this is one, I think city councils across the country probably struggle with this.
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Is how do we get people to come participate and actually tell us what they want?
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So, so Tim, but believe it or not, people actually do want to be heard, right?
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If if we, and I'm not gonna go too deep into this, but if we pay attention to the political climate right now, individuals are speaking out, individuals are sharing their thoughts.
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I think um where one of the challenges is is that a lot of individuals do not have uh the platform or the vehicle in order to get their voice out.
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And so one of the things that we we have done uh at New Life Development Group, we partnered with uh um we partnered with a nonprofit organization in Chicago called Monumental Community Development Corporation, uh, and we helped them to host what we called uh uh listening sessions, right?
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Um Power in Your Voice.
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And it's where we brought community residents together and took them through a process to talk about what they want to see within their community and then to work with these individuals or this community, I should say, to devise a plan and strategy on on how to execute to see what it is they you know want to see.
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This approach is what we call asset-based community development, right?
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Um, it's it's identifying what's in the community um and and then being able to utilize those those things that have been identified to grow the community, to once again, here's that word, to create a sustainable life.
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I think sustainability is uh such a fantastic goal.
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And as you look at sustainability, what are the elements that help it become sustainable?
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That that's that's a great, great question, John.
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And I have to tell you that there is no cookie-cutter answer to that.
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Um, I think it depends on the individual, it's person by person, case by case, community by community, city by city, state by state.
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What looks like uh and I'm gonna use Chicago, for example, what looks like sustainability in a community like Inglewood is different from what sustainability would be in a community like Bronzeville.
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And the reason why is because the needs are different.
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And that's why it is important to have the residents of communities to be involved in whatever community development or community revitalization process that is taking place because it's different.
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It's it's it's just like you know, when we talk talk about building homes, now you have these prefab homes that's going up everywhere.
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Well, well, the the thing is that you can't prefab someone's life, right?
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Um, you have to give an individual an opportunity to share um from out of once again their lived experiences, what they're seeing, because you know, you you don't you don't I don't live in Inglewood, I don't live in Bronzeville.
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You know, I can I can I can come into Bronzeville, come into Englewood.
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Yep, I can see vacant lots, you know, I can see some, you know, um storefronts that have been closed down and just automatically think, you know, we need to build some houses or we need to, you know, try to try to put some bits.
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But but but the community might say, you know what, that vacant lot we don't want uh um uh a building on.
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Instead, we would like to to place uh an urban farm there, or we would like to place, you know, someplace where our our our children can come out and play safely outside or whatnot.
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And so I think sustainability looks different in e in each individual's life as well as in each individual community.
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You bring up a good point there.
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I mean, I even look at the communities around me that are you know closely tied to each other.
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We butt each other up against each other, and we're also different.
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There are different needs out there.
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So, what is it that you look at first to kind of make that decision of what direction that they really want to go in?
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So, so once again, great question, Tim.
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So once again, it's not about it's not it's not about going in with a preconceived notion of what am I going to see?
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That that's that's why the sessions were called listening sessions.
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Because it's going in to hear and to listen to what's what what the community is saying is needed.
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Yeah.
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Um, as the as the facilitator, it is not my job nor my responsibility to go in and and say, okay, you know what, this this is this is what's needed, but more so you tell me what's needed, and then I will work with you to help you to develop the re to develop the skills, identify the resources that are needed in order to to to um I'm using the term manifest the thing that you know you want to see happen.
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And and and if I could, and and if I could, that once again, that's where a lot of people um in this business fall short.
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They're going in trying to say, well, this is what I see, but instead they need to listen to what the residents see.
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Well, what a novel approach, I think.
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Uh you know, as you look in, I we hear as we read and watch uh the news around our cities.
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Uh, people are talking about education and grocery stores and gas stations, and all of this needs to be available in order to sustain life and a good community.
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Where you're going in is saying that there may be two blocks away the grocery store I need or the gas station I need, and the educational program, albeit uh not what everybody else sees as valuable or high-end education, uh, is enough from an educational perspective, from a scores and you know, developmental perspective.
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Uh you know, they're telling you that wait a minute, our schools are really good.
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It may not look like you want it to look like, but it looks good to us, right?
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We're we're seeing good things coming out of the school system.
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Let's not focus on that, right?
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Right here, the other folks are coming in and developing this preconceived notion, as you said, to say, here's what works in all communities, here are the foundations.
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Absolutely.
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And because you know, you come in and say, Well, you know, we want to once again housing or the grocery stores or the school attack the school system, and the community residents may say, Hey, you know what?
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We need more, we need more mental health happening right here in in this community.
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You know, we we need more activities for the youth of our community.
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So it's about definitely about listening to those individuals that live in the community and that have the lived experiences.
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Yeah, fantastic.
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What experiences have you seen?
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Um, so a big issue just around where I live is NIMBYism, um, the not in my backyard people.
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Uh, you know, how did but I want to find, I've always wanted to find a way to bring them in and educate them to, and this has got to be a great way of doing that, so they understand somebody else's perspective of of why we need something else.
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Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
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I I think um, how do I how do I say this?
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One of the biggest challenges are are within community are those individuals who only see things from their perspective, right?
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Um I call them cave people, they complain about virtual Kate.
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I like I like that, Tim.
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Um, but but and and if we be honest, you know, when we talk about, for example, prejudices, prejudiceness, right?
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Um, prejudiceness comes from a lack of understanding another culture, right?
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Or or another individual's perspective.
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And so one of the things that, and this is one of the things I love about revitalization and bringing people in, it's it's it's really working to help individuals to understand the broader needs, not just your own, but the broader needs um um within a particular, you know, community.
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And so, you know, we in all situations, Tim, and I'll tell you, be encouraged, you're gonna find individuals no matter what you say, no matter what you do, they're gonna stay on the outside until it hits their front door.
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Um, my my my word of encouragement is to just continue to get the stories out, continue to tell it, continue to involve those who want to participate, um, you know, because that's where your real momentum is, versus spending the time on trying to convince someone who really doesn't want to be convinced.
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So, would you say that uh you uh you're trying to convert people who don't think about those topics into folks that are thinking about it, which is a much heavier effort than um uh collaborating with the people who are already thinking of the needs of the community.
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And it's as it's a mindset shift, in my opinion, that says, wait a minute, I I'm thinking about this for my neighbor's sake as much as my own, versus here's what I need.
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And this is what would make me happy, while important to you or to that individual, not necessarily a view of the community as a whole.
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Yeah, and and and and the thing the thing is this that um when when you are like I said, these individuals, their mind is set, right?
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They're not they're not trying to shift.
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In your efforts of trying to convince them to shift or to come to come um to your side, you're wasting right time, energy, resources.
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So, so one thing I've learned in life, I'm I'm 54 years of age, um, be 55 in a few months.
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One of the things that I've learned in life is that people like to be a part of you know success.
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People like to be a part of winning teams, right?
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Yeah, and so if if if I focus on those individuals who have a perspective of let's go together, right?
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It's about broader community.
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Um, if I focus on those individuals, then we can work to build something great.
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And then potentially those individuals who are not at the current, they will eventually gravitate to and be a and be a part of.
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Now, once again, I I have not seen where there has been 100% of anything in life.
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Um, but you know, they're always those individuals who initially don't want to be a part of, initially on the outside looking in, um, when they see momentum being built.
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And when, you know, they what what what they call what what do they call that state right next to yours, John?
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Um, the show me state.
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Yeah, the show me state.
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Yeah, you got it.
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You you you have some individuals that they want to see first.
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Sure.
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You know, and and as they see momentum building and as they're being a little bit more educated, learning a little bit more, then they they get involved.
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But I encourage anyone, do not waste your time um trying to convince someone.
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Instead, go with those who who are working, who who work with you.
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Um, you know, eventually, you know, those individuals will potentially possibly jump on board.
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Yeah, yeah.
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From a uh from a time perspective, when we talk about uh revitalization in a community, I you know, from an expectation perspective, and this is you personally, when you go into a new community, how do you kind of set the goal from a time perspective?
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Here's what we're thinking over the next year or two years, or is it six months to get to momentum?
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Yeah, one once again, it depends on on the issues that are being being attacked.
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Um, and and from there, you know, you develop the strategy and then you know execute.
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So time time frame, you know, it could be anywhere.
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Like, let's say, for example, um it is working to strengthen the um housing, right, in a particular community.
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Um, of course, there every every city, every township has their own process.
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Um that can that that process can be anywhere from three years to five years to get up new facilities, new buildings, new uh new property um built, right?
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And that's new property.
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That's not talking about existing.
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If it's existing property and you're you're doing conversions, right?
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That that can be depending on the property, six months, nine months, a year, two conversions, depending.
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Um but but um and then let let's say it's it's a situation where man, you have to, and this is a hard one, but you you you're dealing, you have to really shift the mindset, um, you know, of people of a set of people that can be generational, right?
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Absolutely.
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Um where we whereas we're talking about maybe trauma, right?
00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:39.519
And you're working to help individuals to heal and get through some of the trauma that they've experienced generationally.
00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:51.039
Your focus on this one particular generation, the young people within a respective community, once again, that that could be, you know, that could take 10, 15, 20 years.
00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:55.279
I'll never forget having a conversation with a group of individuals.
00:24:55.519 --> 00:25:01.359
And I was sharing with them my perspective on community development and community revivalization.
00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:06.079
And they said to me, Well, you you you you might not see that in your lifetime.
00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:10.160
And I said, That's okay as long as my children experience it, you know.
00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:18.079
So timeline depends on what the issue is, what the projects are uh that you know you and the community are working on.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:20.160
Um, you know, yeah.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:22.079
You're bringing up a good point there.
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:25.839
Uh so one of my favorite books is 13 Ways to Kill Your Community.
00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:27.839
Uh it's it's a great book.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:29.039
I've never read it.
00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:30.480
It is a great book to read.
00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.039
Um, I think the author is Daryl Griffiths.
00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:34.720
Um we'll put that down in.
00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:35.119
Yeah.
00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:40.480
But he goes through these 13 things, and one of them, I mean, some of them are important.
00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:43.279
It's things like, you know, where I want to go down.
00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:45.279
One of them is don't engage your youth.
00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:51.279
Um, are you giving them a reason to come back to your community after they leave to go to college?
00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:59.359
Um, are you allowing them to have those skills to come back to the community and participate, continue to build that community?
00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:02.400
And we kind of kill ourselves by by not doing that.
00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:04.559
We had success in my city.
00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:08.960
Um, we just we developed a youth commission instead of a youth city council.
00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:20.799
And we I mean when we took them back to Washington, D.C., we got them in with their senator, their congressman, we taught them, you know, we show respect to these people, whether you you know agree with them or not.
00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:26.880
We're gonna just, you know, listen to them and uh keep our opinions to ourselves.
00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:32.559
But I'd love to get to know your perspective on how we can do that, engage our youth more.
00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:35.039
I feel like youth really want to be engaged.
00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:50.480
In fact, I got a group of youth and I put them in front of one of our state legislators, and they debated with the state legislator why they should be able to vote in a local election at as a 16-year-old because they and they brought this up themselves.
00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:56.640
I just got the thing together, but they're like, I pay taxes, I go to work and I'm paying taxes.
00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:59.680
That's taxation without representation in my community.
00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:02.079
It was just interesting to see them debate this.
00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:03.200
Great argument.
00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:04.559
It was a good argument.
00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:10.079
I couldn't, I couldn't like I'll set this up because I can't see a way around this right now.
00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:13.200
But what are some ways that we can engage our youth more?
00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:19.119
Yeah, so and and great question, interesting question.
00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:26.160
Um, I have a background in youth youth development, um in a in a couple different spaces.
00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:36.160
And you know, the thing that I've learned in working with young people, and it and it hasn't changed why, you know, we feel like the young people are crazy, young people, this, that.
00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:39.839
The issue that the the issues with them are the same.
00:27:40.000 --> 00:28:06.720
Um a few a few ways is is first and foremost, you know, it's it goes back to listening to them, um, creating a space where what just as you were you just as you were speaking of with with the the the politician, um given creating a space where they can express themselves and they're actually listened to and heard, right?
00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:08.240
That's one.
00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:25.200
Um the sec the second is um and and once again going back to something else you said, it's it's that whole mentoring aspect, creating spaces where young people can see the example of how to move forward in life, right?
00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:43.680
Um, and and then the third thing is putting them in position to lead, to be able to do things without you here's the kicker, micromanaging them, giving them the space and opportunity to to lead and to fail.
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:56.960
And when they fail, you don't dehumanize them, you don't castrate them or anything of that nature, but you take those opportunities to educate, to teach, and and to mentor them.
00:28:57.200 --> 00:29:04.000
So, you know, those are those are three critical things that I've found that really help young people to get established.
00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:09.119
Most young people they leave it, they leave a community because yeah, it it doesn't feel like community.
00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:16.799
And I don't have I don't have any role, um, I don't have any say in in this community or in this space.
00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:19.359
So no, I'm I'm not gonna participate in this.
00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:22.319
So we didn't let them wreak havoc instead.
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:23.519
Yeah, yeah, right.
00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:30.400
We didn't let them vote at 16, but the mayor and I got really crazy, and we allowed one of them to be on the planning commission.
00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:34.079
Um fledged voting member of the planning commission.
00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:39.359
We shocked the hell out of these adults that were like, What are you guys doing?
00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:40.400
And you know what?
00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:45.279
They were the best planning commissioners, they were the ones that came prepared, they read their packet.
00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:52.160
In fact, I had one who called out the adults who one night she said, um, they asked a question, and she said, You know what?
00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:55.200
Had you read your packet, you would have known the answer to that question.
00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:00.400
Oh my! Oh my! They say stop playing.
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:03.599
But but yeah, I love that.
00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:05.359
Yeah, we need a great place for them to be.
00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:16.559
But but see that that's an example of what of what I well I was just sharing, you know, putting them in position where they can be heard, where they can be mentored, and where they can provide leadership.
00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:21.599
Um, and and you'll find most young people, they are creative, right?
00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:23.680
Uh, they are innovative.
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:38.960
And I believe one of the biggest reasons that that causes failure in many of our institutions is because we shut these these individuals out who have the capability um to make a difference.
00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:41.440
Absolutely.
00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:42.400
I agree.
00:30:44.400 --> 00:31:08.079
So as you think about when when you're out in communities and you're building uh new hope, so to speak, uh for reva revitalization, um you know, do you do that through uh community meetings and meetups, or is this walking door to door?
00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:18.240
What is your you and your team, of course, what do you do to engage these folks uh to entice them to come share?
00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:20.559
Yeah, so great question.
00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:23.119
Um there's a couple couple couple different ways.
00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:26.160
I'll tell you, we don't do like a lot of door-to-door.
00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:34.240
Um one one one of the biggest ways that we engage is through partnerships with with clients, right?
00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:43.279
Uh, helping clients to, and and this, you know, helping clients to um you know do the work that that they're doing, right?
00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:45.359
To fulfill, fulfill their mission.
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:46.880
So that's that's one way.
00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:58.480
And then and then secondly, you know, we have a few of our own um, I don't want to use the term programs, um, but but in community engagement opportunities.
00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:01.920
Um, you know, we may host, you know, some different events.
00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:11.599
So for example, like I mentioned uh a moment ago in partnership with another nonprofit organization, the the uh community listening session, right?
00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:30.079
Or we meant we may host um some financial empowerment workshops, helping individuals, you know, to really understand how to create generational wealth and to position your family in such a way that once again you can live, you know, the kind of life that that you want to live.
00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:33.519
So, you know, one is through working with our clients, right?
00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:34.559
Clientele.
00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:39.119
And then secondly is through just some some of our own events that that we may host.
00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:40.559
We don't do door-to-door.
00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:48.559
Um, you know, just I don't know, in in in this day and age, people are not not too kind to people knocking on their doors.
00:32:49.359 --> 00:32:50.079
So true.
00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:53.680
Yeah, so true.
00:32:53.920 --> 00:33:00.240
Well, I but it takes a level of messaging, I imagine, to really engage people.
00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:08.160
And I'm just curious about the mediums that you utilize to get those messages out to attract the people.
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:11.680
Yeah, well, well, one opportunities like this.
00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:13.920
Um, two, we do a little social media.
00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:18.960
We're not the biggest uh social media as it pertains to the business itself.
00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:26.319
I'll be honest, that is something that you know we is being talked about being able to do better.
00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:35.200
Um at the current moment, um, we are looking to uh utilize our website in a in a in a different way than we've used in the past.
00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:43.519
So at the current moment, our website is being re reimagined um with a launch date, with a launch date of December 1st.
00:33:43.839 --> 00:33:56.400
Um and we're we're excited about that because on our website, not only will you learn about work that we do, um, but we also have a space where individuals uh will be able to learn, right?
00:33:56.559 --> 00:34:00.240
We want to um excuse me, we want to create those spaces.
00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:04.000
And so we're we're launching what is called New Life Academy.
00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:09.840
And so through New Life Academy, individuals will be able to learn about you know leadership development.
00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:25.039
Individuals will be able to learn about organizational development and some of the various things that um would help them to be successful in their professional life, in their, you know, and in building their organizations and building their businesses.
00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:30.639
Um, and so we're looking to to really utilize that space uh as as a means.
00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:34.239
And then, you know, our hope is to be able to do to do more podcasts.
00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:46.719
And so I'll tell you that 2007 is when the idea of new life development group was birthed.
00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:58.719
Um, and it was birthed out of, you know, um, I I have these skills, you know, I've had I've had some measure of success.
00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:01.119
Um, and you know what?
00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:04.559
I want to make, you know, I want to make a little extra money.
00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:09.920
And so, you know, in 2007, to be honest, it was just kind of like a little hustle.
00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:13.119
We we were not incorporated or or anything.
00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:13.519
Sure.
00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:22.960
You know, we were just like a little soul prop and you know, just taking the name, and we just, you know, so we could have a way of being identified.
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:29.440
Um 2019, you know, we we kind of pushed it just a little bit more.
00:35:29.519 --> 00:35:43.599
You know, we were we were working with, you know, once again, individual through throughout the span, you know, individual, individual clients, you know, who wanted to start nonprofit, individuals who kind of wanted to, you know, expand their own business.
00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:50.000
Um, you know, we we were working with businesses in Chicago, Indiana, Wisconsin.
00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:53.679
Um, we were working with City College of Chicago, St.
00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:57.840
Augustine College, you know, doing training, things, things of that nature.
00:35:58.079 --> 00:36:08.159
Um, but in 2024 is when we say, you know what, we can really do this thing at a at a much, much higher level.
00:36:08.960 --> 00:36:18.559
And so that really kicked us, kicked us into another gear, um, pushing us to another stratosphere of you know the work that that we're doing.
00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:31.360
And so, you know, we've had once again, we've had the opportunity to work um with clients in Indiana, Wisconsin, um, Iowa, uh, uh, San Francisco, California, uh, Texas.
00:36:31.519 --> 00:36:39.440
Um, we we we've had opportunity, and we're looking to, of course, to expand uh that that service area.
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:40.800
Beautiful.
00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:42.880
And uh what a great story.
00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:50.800
Uh you know, when you when you start as a side hustle, you know, yeah, a lot of those stories end in that didn't work out for me.
00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:52.880
It worked definitely worked out for you.
00:36:53.039 --> 00:36:53.920
That's fantastic.
00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:54.800
Yeah, yeah.
00:36:55.039 --> 00:37:05.679
So my question uh along a lot of that is just what have you learned from the people in the communities that that you've been in that's kind of helped change your perspective.
00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:14.800
So I I wouldn't, and and that's a that's a great great contemplative question.
00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:38.320
I I I would have to say honestly, because of my because of my background, um, because of my passion, and because of what I believe is my calling, I wouldn't say that I learned anything that that changed my perspective.
00:37:38.559 --> 00:37:48.960
I would more so say there were things that uh reaffirmed uh and confirmed um my my my personal philosophy.
00:37:49.199 --> 00:37:55.519
So just to give you a little background on me, I grew up in what I like to call a social service home.
00:37:55.760 --> 00:38:12.400
Um my mother and father was big on helping community, um, helping individuals from the community, whether it was man providing food or or or buying some family that needed clothes, you know, buying them clothes.
00:38:12.559 --> 00:38:28.079
Um, there were a number of occasions where I had to give up my bed and my room for someone who, you know, was facing a housing crisis, and my parents allowed them the opportunity to stay with us for a short term, right?
00:38:28.639 --> 00:38:35.840
Um and so I I've always had this mindset to help people and to build community.
00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:59.360
Uh, so much so initially when I went to college, undergrad at Dillett University, um, majored in political science, my initial uh career trajectory was to become a lawyer, a corporate lawyer, and then to go into politics because I felt initially the way to serve the community was through the legislative process, right?
00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:11.519
Um but then I came to realize and to recognize that if I really wanted to make impact, it was not going to be through the political system.
00:39:12.079 --> 00:39:24.159
Um, and so therefore I chose uh to move into the nonprofit sector where I could actually build a relationship with people, where I can actually see see impact.
00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:39.360
And so I always believe that people um um to to bring it bring it in, I always believe that people wanted to have and live the best kind of life that they could live.
00:39:39.519 --> 00:39:43.119
That's where, once again, that word sustainability.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:53.519
I have not come in contact with anyone who has not wanted to live a good life, who has not wanted to live a sustainable life.
00:39:53.760 --> 00:40:00.400
Yes, uh, they've had some experiences, they've had some roadblocks, detours, all types of stuff.
00:40:00.639 --> 00:40:05.599
But everyone I've come in contact wants to be able to take care of their family.
00:40:05.760 --> 00:40:18.960
That parents want to provide the best for their children, whether it's through education, uh, you know, helping them to build the skills and knowledge needed to live, you know, the um a good life.
00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:24.880
Everyone I've come in contact wants to live in a good, clean, good, clean shelter, right?
00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:27.760
A good clean home, a clean community.
00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:31.119
They want their street, you know, their blocks clean.
00:40:31.360 --> 00:40:49.039
Um, so so so Tim, I wouldn't say anything, there were any lessons um that changed my thinking, but there were there were definitely many lessons that confirmed and reaffirmed uh my thought process and philosophies.
00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:50.719
I absolutely love that.
00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:52.719
I appreciate that answer for sure.
00:40:53.039 --> 00:40:54.400
I was long-winded, I know.
00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:55.199
No, absolutely.
00:40:56.480 --> 00:40:58.239
No, great, great stuff.
00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:00.559
And by the way, I know somebody else.
00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:06.559
Uh I won't name names, but uh, I know somebody else who made that decision as well.
00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:10.239
That politics was probably not the quickest way to impact.
00:41:10.719 --> 00:41:11.440
Yeah, yeah.
00:41:11.679 --> 00:41:25.840
No, no, no, because you learn well, I I tell anyone I had some of the some of the best political science professors um in the country, I'll even say in the world, in the person of Dr.
00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:28.320
Gary Clark and uh Dr.
00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:30.079
Uncho Bacine Okorn.
00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:30.400
Dr.
00:41:30.480 --> 00:41:38.800
Okorn was from Nigeria, and uh they really showed us what political life would be.
00:41:39.599 --> 00:41:44.639
They were they were training us and they showed us what it would really be.
00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:52.159
And after four years in undergrad, literally, it was like, nah, I don't think I'm gonna, I don't think I'm gonna do this.
00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:54.960
I'm not gonna go into politics.
00:41:55.199 --> 00:42:01.840
Yeah, and um, you know, so we just, you know, by the grace of God, we were able to find a better way.
00:42:02.880 --> 00:42:10.239
You really do get a lot done down on just the the non nonprofit level, community level is what I like to say.
00:42:11.039 --> 00:42:17.840
Just bringing people together and helping them see we're a lot alike when we can just sit down and talk.
00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:29.760
Um, I advocate a lot, nonprofits need to be at the table, um, making big community decisions, and a lot of times they're not brought in to consult with, um, because a lot of times they're the boots on the ground.
00:42:30.079 --> 00:42:32.000
Yes, they need to be heard.
00:42:32.320 --> 00:42:36.480
I I I I agree with that wholeheartedly.
00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:48.400
Um challenge for many is that they have not positioned themselves either to be able to be to be at the table.
00:42:48.480 --> 00:42:51.119
Um, I think it's something they all need to think about.
00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:52.159
Yeah, yeah.
00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:56.079
And and and and that's that's another key area of our work.
00:42:56.480 --> 00:43:05.840
Um, working with nonprofit organizations to really position themselves for, here's that word again, long-term sustainability.
00:43:06.079 --> 00:43:06.639
Absolutely.
00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:16.800
Um the unfortunate fact is that a lot of nonprofit organizations, they they operate and function at what I what I call as mom and pop shops, right?
00:43:17.280 --> 00:43:17.679
Yeah.
00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:30.800
Um, someone, you know, someone had a great idea, and you know, they they really wanna wanna do something in their community, and they figure the best way to do it, man, I'll start a nonprofit organization.
00:43:30.880 --> 00:43:37.119
I'll get a 501c3, and then all this money is gonna start coming to me.
00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:48.000
And then they get a they get a rude awakening when they actually get in and realize, man, first and foremost, this is real work.
00:43:50.719 --> 00:50:35.679
Right, and and and unfortunately, um, one of the biggest problems is that you have a lot of individuals who start nonprofits who do not have the experience or the skills they do not have the knowledge and sadly they're not connected to individuals who can walk them through process right um and and you know when we talk about just throws them for loop yeah governance infrastructure right those are before my my my thing with clients before you call yourself starting to quote unquote apply for grants um you need to make you should make sure that your governance and infrastructure is together because your governance and in infrastructure will guide the way um for you to effectively be able to manage number one the the the the um dollars you receive from a grant but then secondly it also will lead the way for you to execute uh whatever program you you're saying that you know you're you're putting out there into the into the community um and and you know it's it's unfortunate um very unfortunate especially in in this day and time with the um the the the the current political environment that we're having uh it's it's completely impacting and affecting the philanthropic community it's making things more competitive and tighter and more difficult for new and small nonprofits uh to get going so so i'll say one one thing i i tell before you call yourself trying to get grants man build build your individual donor base first right build your individual donor base first uh certainly yeah as you as you look at um when you start thinking about that process and program and and the structure of how people do business i mean you can you just explain competitiveness in the in the regular business world as well right so these nonprofits need to begin acting like a business in order to be successful not in always but you know i i think there's some elements of the nonprofit that says we've got to do this just like a business we've got to build relationships that help us with those uh strategies and tactical processes and the things that are gonna make make us not only sustainable but successfully sustainable yeah absolutely um you you definitely have to have um some business acumen um you definitely have to um understand how uh to manage product right uh you you definitely have to have an understanding of of finance and compliance right those are are very important matters i had one client where i encouraged them man go find go and this person had a college degree and everything and i told them hey you know it might be a good idea if you go to one of the one of the local local colleges man one of the uh you know whether it's a junior college or one of the city colleges and you know take some take a few business courses uh to to assist you in that process you you have a lot of people who I remember I was I was in a Facebook group a few a little while a few months back and they were arguing you know nonprofit is not a business woo you're not gonna make it yeah right you're not gonna make it because here's the thing first and foremost a nonprofit organization is a business it's just it's not a business where you are selling a product uh to make to make profit and and and um you know so that if you talk about corporation where you know investors or whatnot you know are obtaining shares but a nonprofit uh corporation which is what it is it is it is a business you have to register with the state right as a state entity as a nonprofit corporation um not only that you have to you know register uh um with the uh state's attorney general's office you know you have to do go through some processes to register with IRS um and then you have to set up certain business uh certain um certain systems in order to be productive and so it is a business those nonprofits that fail or that don't grow are those nonprofits that are not run as a business the best nonprofits I've seen um and I had the opportunity to work for for a a few of them that really really flourished um were nonprofit organizations that were run like a business however it understood that um you know the people that you're serving there is a type of attitude that you have to have uh compassion for for the individuals that you know that you're service yeah I've always said that uh nonprofit does not mean non-revenue absolutely that's good i'm gonna use that can I use that and and and and that's I and I think a lot of our our are finding a lot of individuals are finding that out now yeah um you know I I don't even it's it's like like for example in the description of the work that we do you know of course grant writing is there but um grant writing and stuff is a part of what we call strategic fundraising right right because because there are so many different elements to it um I think your strategic plan is so crucial in all of this uh especially you know as a governing board you've got to play into that and I've been on multiple boards and the ones that had a really good strategic plan are the ones that we were knocking it out of the ballpark.
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Now now I'm I'm gonna add something to that Tim um it it's not enough to just have a strategic plan.
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Oh no because knowledge without action is entity absolutely right my friend I I know I know uh a a few organizations that has some um has an amazing strategic plan awesome objectives awesome goals right but the execution wasn't there so I'm on a board it's called open doors and me and the vice chair just built this for all of them and slipped it to them and said this is your action plan this is how you're gonna actually go do it scripts everything they need to do their job as a board member we're like we'll hold your hand for a little while yeah and you know what even you saying that with uh pertaining to to the board um that's another area of weakness for a lot of nonprofit organizations they they have um boards but the boards are inactive right they're not they're not working boards and so so you know I I'll I'll share with you um you know uh Tim you and I we we talked we talked a little bit via text and I share with you in June um I became the executive director of an organization in Chicago called Reading Between the Lines and um reading between the lines we work with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and we helped them we help them to experience cognitive behavioral transformation through the use of literature um one of the first things that I began to do and and I and I I want I'm let me slide this in here also as a slight plug I became the executive director they they they were my client first right with New Life Development Group they brought me on to help them to create they were in danger of the shutting down operations and um they brought me on to help them to create an emergency stabilization plans and to go through a process of raising to help them raise revenue um you know I I guess they like my work they hey you know what can you stay on as our as our ed I I I agreed you know I love the mission of the organization um which we revamped a little bit since I've been there to make it to make it clearer and to make it more appealing right um to to you know individuals um partners donors and and the like but one of the first things you know I began to do was to coach the board right um to to for a purpose of strengthening them and they're active right they show up for the you know for the meetings should some of them you know show up for the meetings um you know but but we need a little bit more and so taking them through the process to coach them and the unfortunate fact is that a lot of nonprofit organizations their boards are are inactive they're not involved in really in governance or real decision making they're not involved with fundraising um they're not involved with visibility you know helping to create visibility for the organization um you know and all of those things matter right they they they matter and you know um last thing you know I found new what happens with a lot of new nonprofit organizations I got this idea I'm gonna start a nonprofit now I'm gonna go get my cousin my brother my best friend to sit on the board no you need to identify individuals that have a certain skill set to bring them on the number one the first skill set is they they can write a check potential yep yeah absolutely it's gotta be intentional right right right yeah right and then if they can't write a check if they can't write a check they know some people that can that's right absolutely um you know so but yeah well thank you so much for being on here i i have one last question for you just to to tie it back to to the ripple effect um when you think about that what's one action that you would challenge people to take that they could begin to take a to make a positive impact in their community man that's that's simple great question I love that question um that's easy man get outside and get involved don't be that person that talks about what's wrong that complains about what's wrong get up out of your chair step outside of your door out of out the door of your home and get involved show up to community meetings show up to planning sessions right uh start an initiative in your community that you know you you know is needed but it's not it's not there get involved absolutely one of my first controversial votes on the city council was chickens and chickens in the city and the the chambers are packed the next week we were passing a 25 million dollar bond no one was in front of us wow wow and then like chickens drew them in laugh about it all the time but it it shows like you we do need to be involved and not just on the political side of things yes so many nonprofits find that nonprofit that you volunteer yeah you can yeah volunteer with them find out how you can help them uh what needs do they have and just ask those questions out there Cleopast thank you so much John any final thoughts for us absolutely CleoFus it's been wonderful I've enjoyed the conversation but how do people get a hold of you if they were wanting to get a hold of you what's the best way yeah so at the current moment the best so we we are on once again we're on social media we're on LinkedIn we're on Facebook we're on Instagram New Life Development Group um so definitely you know you can hit our page you can you know inbox us dm us as as they say um you can also send me an email uh my email address is c le at n e w l i f e dg dot com uh you can send me send me an email we'd love to talk with you we'd love to talk to you about your project um we love to talk to you about your organization your business your city your town uh your community um we believe that we could definitely add value to what it is that that you're seeking to do and help you to develop uh your community from the inside out reach out to us what a wonderful conversation thank you very much this has been fantastic yeah thank you so much for uh talking with us today um and you can also find us out there the ripple effect project we're on youtube facebook instagram find us out there um we're gonna keep the ripple going out there thank you once again cleophus um big takeaway for me today is just that strong communities and um sustainability organizations they they just don't happen overnight and we need to be involved and and we need to get out there and um um create those ripples out there so that we can create that change and just the good things that are are going on in our our communities every day so until next time just uh keep that ripple going thank you thank you every conversation creates a connection every connection creates a possibility and every possibility can create so take what you heard today start a conversation make a connection and see where your ripple takes you this is the ripple effect until next time keep connecting keep creating and keep the ripple going