Andre Norman is the Founder of Second Chance University, a community dedicated to empowering prisoners and formerly incarcerated individuals through education, skills, and mentorship for successful reintegration. A passionate prison reform advocate and sought-after speaker, he draws inspiration from his own remarkable transformation — from a prison gang leader to a Harvard Fellow. Known to many as “The Ambassador of Hope,” Andre has dedicated his life to helping others turn their situations around, serving as a catalyst for positive change both inside and outside prison walls. He mentors through networks such as Genius Network and Genius Recovery, emphasizing the power of education and personal growth.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [09:00] Andre Norman’s past struggles and the pivotal moment that sparked his mission to reshape his future
- [11:24] How Andre went from having a hundred-year sentence to becoming a Harvard Fellow
- [12:31] The importance of having a clear vision and taking action to turn dreams into reality
- [14:58] Andre’s approach to connect with and support individuals from varied backgrounds
- [16:59] The power of deep listening in truly understanding the pain of others
- [23:10] Impactful ways to combat pain, addiction, and emotional issues
- [26:08] The significance of prioritizing support within one’s own family and community
In this episode…
Have you ever heard a story that makes you question the power of personal transformation? Can someone rise from maximum security imprisonment to become a source of inspiration for countless others? What does it take to make such a profound pivot in life?
Andre Norman reveals how enduring the toughest environments and making conscious choices to change led him to a life beyond prison — a life where he could influence positive change in others. Andre shares his powerful journey from gang member to Harvard fellow and explains how he applies the lessons of his storied past to help both entrepreneurs and at-risk individuals. He delves into the concepts of active listening, identifying root causes of trauma, and the importance of community-based assistance. Andre emphasizes that regardless of your starting point, transformation is possible through dedication and a relentless pursuit of self-improvement.
In this episode of the Timeless Marketing Podcast, host Brian Kurtz welcomes Andre Norman, Founder of Second Chance University, to discuss transforming personal adversity into advocacy and growth. Andre highlights the possibilities that arise from harnessing resilience and the willingness to change one’s course in life. He talks about the transformative power of having a vision and the steps one can take to create lasting improvement in both personal and professional arenas.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Brian Kurtz
- Brian Kurtz on LinkedIn
- Chris Mason on LinkedIn
- Andre Norman LinkedIn | Website
- Second Chance University
- Joe Polish on LinkedIn
- Genius Network
- Genius Recovery
Special mention:
Quotable moments:
- “I’m the king of nowhere. What’s the point of being rich if you can’t go anywhere?”
- “I made it to Harvard. They hired me and gave me a fellowship, and it was one of the greatest days of my life, because everyone told me I couldn’t.”
- “Everything you say will come through the lens of what you’re feeling.”
- “Your community comes first. Never jump over your own to go save somebody else.”
- “If you believe and do the work, transformation is possible.”
Action steps:
- Recognize the power of vision: Clearly define your long-term goals and believe in them, even if others doubt you. A strong vision can serve as a guiding force to overcome obstacles and stay committed to success.
- Leverage life experiences for impact: Transform past challenges into valuable lessons that can help others. Your personal journey, no matter how difficult, can inspire and educate those who are struggling with similar situations.
- Master the art of effective communication: Listen beyond what is being said and identify the underlying emotions and motivations. Understanding different perspectives enables you to connect deeply with people and offer meaningful solutions.
- Build a support network: Surround yourself with people who challenge and uplift you. Whether in business or personal growth, having a strong network provides accountability, guidance, and opportunities to learn from others.
- Give back by starting close to home: Make an impact by first helping those in your immediate circle before reaching out to a wider community. Addressing local issues creates meaningful change and equips you with the experience to expand your efforts effectively.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Titans Xcelerator.
Titans Xcelerator is a private mentorship program for direct response marketers.
It is one of the most giving communities and serves as the de facto board of advisors and marketing insurance policy for over 250 of the best and brightest direct response marketers, copywriters, media buyers, marketing agencies, senior executives, anyone in direct response marketing, who is committed to growing and scaling their business.
And you don’t need to spend 10s of 1000s of dollars either.
Titans Xcelerator is 1/10 of the price of most groups of its kind.
And with a private membership, you’ll receive access to the full presentation from today’s episode, along with the Q&A and discussion that followed.
As an added bonus, you’ll receive access to a vault filled with many more private calls just like this one.
The bottom line: you don’t have to grow your business alone.
If you want to see how Titans Xcelerator can help you grow and scale your specific business, go to BrianKurtz.net/help
Episode Transcript
Intro 00:05
Welcome to the Timeless Marketing Podcast with Brian Kurtz. Your connection to insights from some of the top direct response marketing minds on the planet.
Brian Kurtz 00:19
Hey, it’s Brian Kurtz here host of the Timeless Marketing Podcast. Today’s episode is a clip from one of the two-hour calls inside Titans Xcelerator, my private mentorship program for direct response marketers. Before we get to that, I have one question for you. Do you have a marketing insurance policy? If you don’t, you need one. And that’s why I created Titans Xcelerator, which is one of the most giving communities and serves as the de facto board of advisors and marketing insurance policy for over 250 of the best and brightest direct response marketers, copywriters, media buyers, marketing agencies, senior executives, anyone in direct response marketing, who is committed to growing and scaling their business. The bottom line, you don’t have to grow your business alone. And you don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars either. Titans Xcelerator is 1/10 of the price of most groups of its kind. I know because I hosted a group that was over $20,000 a year. If you want to see how Titans Xcelerator can help you grow and scale your specific business, go to BrianKurtz.net/help. That’s B-R-I-A-N-K-U-R-T-Z.net/help. And with a private membership, you’ll receive access to the full presentation from today’s episode, along with the Q&A and discussion that followed. As an added bonus, you’ll receive access to a vault filled with many more private calls just like this one. Again, if you want to see if Titans Xcelerator is a fit for you with no obligation, go to BrianKurtz.net/help. That’s B-R-I-A-N-K-U-R-T-Z.net/help. And feel free to email me directly. I respond to every email with questions about this episode or just to say hi, at Brian@BrianKurtz.net. Now onto today’s episode. All right. This will be a nice transition. You can make a transition from anything to anything when you’re talking about personal development and marketing because personal development is marketing. And Andre Norman. Andre, are you on?
Andre Norman 02:48
I’m on.
Brian Kurtz 02:49
Hey, how you doing, buddy?
Andre Norman 02:51
I’m doing okay. Yourself?
Brian Kurtz: 02:57
Yeah, Andre is out of prison right now. Not as a prisoner, although he was once a prisoner in a prison, but he is working with prisoners on getting their life straight. Both, you know, in the prison and when they get out. And I met Andre through Genius Network, through Joe Polish as we all meet everybody through Joe Polish and Andre is a, I don’t want to say he’s a freak of nature because he’s not a freak, but he is just one of the most powerful and inspiring people I’ve met in my life and I’ve met a lot of powerful and inspiring people. So that’s saying a lot, Andre. And, you know, when I was at Genius Network last month and I was talking to him and Joe was there and Joe said, you should have Andre speak to your mastermind. I said, of course I should. Again, not just, you know, because I eat my own dog food and Joe’s a member, but because he’s such an obvious person to have on. He’s in the room with the most amazing entrepreneurs in the world on a monthly basis, and he is there as a life coach, as an inspiration to everybody in the room. So I wanted to have him on, like share his story a little bit. I think the connection might not be great because he’s in a prison yard. But let’s watch this video. I think it’s about two minutes, right, Andre?
Andre Norman 04:23
Yeah, yeah.
Brian Kurtz 04:24
Let’s watch that. Give him a good introduction to Andre.
Video plays
Andre Norman: 04:28
I got up every day and didn’t care about dying. In my mind, I was already dead.
Male 1 04:33
Even the toughest guys who went through there were affected in ways they would not want to talk about.
Andre Norman: 04:38
I was a prison gang boss. I wanted you to know that I would kill him. That pen on your table. I’ll kill you for it.
Male 1 04:45
The whole project life is based around survival. No one ever teaches you how to live. You’re automatically taught how to survive.
Male 2 04:54
When I was 15. I was an animal running through these streets.
Male 3 04:58
End a life. One bullet. It ended my life.
Andre Norman: 05:03
Home is trauma. Home is dysfunction. Home is just pain. I’ve been doing jail time since the seventh grade.
Male 1 05:08
You know, Andre had up to 100 years. That’s like life.
Female 1 05:12
If young men don’t see a way out, they choose drugs and violence.
Female 2 05:17
Because they don’t have money. Because they don’t have education, they can’t get a job.
Male 1 05:23
This is a war zone. Hurt people tend to hurt people.
Andre Norman: 05:26
I’m locked in a cell. Hold on to philosophy. It’s not working for me.
Male 4 05:30
How do I make that decision that I’m leaving this place?
Andre Norman 05:34
One of the things that inspired me about Malcolm X is he sat in a cell and he made it. Nelson Mandela sat in a cell and he made it. Mike Tyson came on a jury, sat in a cell, and he made it. Those are stories that touch me for the first time in six years of being locked up. I said, I want to go home. And the entire time I’ve been in jail, not one time did I think it or say it.
Female 2 05:56
He made the decision to be a better man.
Andre Norman: 05:59
And for the next eight years, I went to programs every single day, every chance I got. 90 minutes after I walked out of prison, I walked into a youth center and I talked to him one on one. You right now have a choice to make. You can focus on what doesn’t work, and you will come away with what doesn’t work. You don’t have to learn lessons in a penitentiary.
Male 5 06:20
When we’re born, we’re all innocent. Little kids with that little twinkle in our eyes.
Andre Norman: 06:23
The next rapist, murderer, gang member is sitting. He’s sitting in a kindergarten, hungry, wanting a sandwich, a sandwich, and a hug. You don’t give him the sandwich and a hug. Now you’re trying to catch him at 16.
Male 5 06:33
We never had somebody to come back to help, inspire, bring us up.
Male 6 06:38
No one has ever said, What can I do for you? He came in here and he showed that love, that respect, the attitude of gratitude.
Andre Norman: 06:46
Prison is where people end up. It’s not where they start.
Female 3 06:49
I can call him for anything. And he’s never left my life.
Female 4 06:53
He made me realize things about myself that I probably didn’t know, and I probably would have never been told.
Andre Norman 06:59
People say you can’t help. People don’t want to be helped. And that’s a lie and it’s wrong. There’s just a step before that. It’s getting them ready to want help.
Male 7 07:06
Treat us like humans and we act like humans.
Male 8 07:09
I’ve never stepped back into a prison. I can’t do it. He’s going to let it get him out.
Andre Norman 07:15
In 1991, I said, I want to go to Harvard. No matter what they said. I kept knowing I was going to get there, and I got there. Prison reform starts in kindergarten. We can stop them from coming if we want to fix our country. Go educate people. Educated people make educated decisions.
Female 7 07:33
People like Andre going into the prisons, and they’re reimagining how we can produce healing.
Male 9 07:40
Andre Norman created the blueprint to show the world that it can work.
Video ends
Brian Kurtz 07:45
I’ve watched it. I’ve watched it three times. That was the fourth time and it’s still so powerful, Andre. And you actually epitomize what we talked about on this call already when I said Jay Abraham’s thing about if you did it, you have an obligation to teach it. Unfortunately, what you did was not like, you know, marketing stuff. You did some bad stuff to get into jail. But the fact that you’re teaching the lessons from that is even more valuable than anything that we talk about in this group. So I just want to thank you for being here, and I’ll ask you questions, but I just like you to share a little bit more about why you do what you do now and how you got involved with Genius Network with like, billionaire entrepreneurs who are not necessarily well, if they go to jail, they’ll go to a white collar prison, of course. But give us some background of how you got into working with Joe, how what you do with prisoners and some of the people that you’ve worked with over the years and how you work with people like us, entrepreneurs and high achieving people and all of that because it’s all related. We’re all humans, so just share.
Andre Norman: 09:00
Well, I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, went through a traumatic childhood, parental fights. We call it domestic violence, poverty, bad schools, all the regular stuff. But people growing up in the hood and I went through it and I was affected by it because if I watched my mom be beat, in my mind anybody can be hit if my mom can be hit. And I was left to fend for myself. So if I got to fend for myself, I’m thinking like a five year old, an eight year old. My thinking is juvenile as a little kid, and I’m coming up with kid ways of doing things. I never got away from that. When I got older, I just learned not to believe in myself and I had to fight all the time. I just kept doing that over and as I got older and older, it became. It used to be cute when I was like six years old and I wanted to fight all the little kids fighting. I had to be 14 and 15 and became a criminal. And I started this being in the streets, trying to take care of myself the wrong way. And I ended up going to prison. When I got to prison, maximum security, I got a ton of time and it was like sink or swim. It was sink or swim. It was eat or get eaten. And I had to become somebody new. I had to become this big warlord guy to stay safe. I don’t want to get raped. I don’t want to get stabbed. I don’t wanna get extorted. I don’t wanna get beat. All the things that happen to people every single day in prison. I didn’t want it to happen to me. So I had to become, like, the toughest guy here. And I just took on the persona of the tough guy, cause I was never a tough guy. I was a trumpet player and we was at home doing the Zoom, you would see trumpets on my wall saying, I was a little nerdy kid, but when I got to prison, nobody cares who you were, it’s who are you now? And to survive in this place, you had to become a hyena. That’s it. If you ain’t tough, you’re going to be lunch. So I came in, I joined a gang, I got a knife, and I just started playing the role of Denzel Washington. But it was in real life, I’m saying. And I ran around this place like I was Denzel, just acting a fool. Eight attempted murder charges, two and a half years in solitary confinement, I’ve been shipped to nine different states, riots. I mean, all the craziness. And I finally woke up and said one day, and I realized something. I’m the king of nowhere. I control drugs, contraband, wine, extortion, gambling, all of this stuff. But I’m the king of nowhere. I’m sitting around this prison like I’m sitting right now with all my stuff. I go nowhere. What’s the point of being rich if you can’t go away? What’s the point of being an entrepreneur if you never take a vacation? You’re not an entrepreneur. You’re a slave. So I realized I didn’t want to be here. So I found a way to come out. I said, I’m going to go home and go to Harvard University and be successful. And people told me I couldn’t go to Harvard because I’m black. I’m a gang member, I can’t read, I’m from a poor family. I didn’t believe them. I don’t care what people say. I know what I want. So I went into a room. I said, am I willing to do the work to make what I want happen? And I told myself yes. I went back to school, got my GED, went to a management program. I started doing every program that wasn’t nailed down, taught myself the law, overturned my case on appeal. And when I came home, I came home with a dream and a purpose. And I just kept working every single day. And in 2016, I made it to Harvard. They hired me and gave me a fellowship, and it was one of the greatest days of my life because everyone told me I couldn’t. And the first thing I did when I got there, when people called me, I said, hey, I made it. What do you want to be? Because all the guys in prison and the ladies in prison and some people with some jobs think they can’t be great. They think they can’t, this is my lot in life. I’m going to be the assistant. I’m going to be the CFO. I’m going to be the somebody, but not the boss. I said, you can be that. And I started teaching people how to have vision because they said, how did you sit in prison in a hole and think about going to Harvard? How did you have that dream and how did you actually do it? How did you stay disciplined for 25 years? How did you stay focused for eight years in prison? And how did you negotiate your way through all these hurdles? What I saw as a goal, they saw as a business lesson. So I had a guy from London Business School who said, if you can help prostitutes, gang members and psychopaths, what can you do with business people? They flew me to London and they threw me in a room with Deutsche Bank. They said, just go do what you do. No training, no set up. And I went in and standing ovation. They brought me back in the room with Prudential Insurance. Standing ovation. They just kept bringing me back and we never had a system. They said this going in, do your thing. And growing up in prison, you learn how to read. People learn how to gauge people. You learn how to influence people. You know how to learn how to listen. And all the skills I learned from walking these prison yards were applicable and they worked in the business setting. Who knew? And I used to negotiate between all the gangs. Now I negotiate between CEOs. I used to extort people and pressure people for stuff. Now I go to business meetings and I sell stuff. So it’s the same skill set, different space. But I didn’t know entrepreneurship existed. I didn’t know billionaires existed beyond the Forbes list. I didn’t know any of this stuff, but I just wanted the reason I do this work. For 25 years I’ve been doing this work. I wanted it done for me. That’s it. I wanted someone to come see me as a 13, 14 year old kid and say, you’re one of the smartest kids we’ve ever seen. This is what you can do. Here’s another world for you. There’s a place for you outside of prison. I thought I was supposed to go to prison. I thought I was supposed to be poor, I thought I was supposed to be illiterate, I thought I was supposed to be all this stuff, because nobody ever showed me that there were people who were successful that would work with me. Yesterday, I’m in DC and I went to the Pentagon. I was in the Pentagon yesterday talking to the secretary of the Army around suicide prevention for veterans. I went from maximum security prison to walking into the Pentagon. It’s like, forget all of it. Harvard’s done. I got a new speech from prison to the Pentagon. It’s like I’m in the Pentagon. I’m like, this is crazy, but it’s not crazy. If you believe and you do the work.
Brian Kurtz 14:53
This is maybe a trick. Maybe not a good question, but I’ll ask it anyway.
Andre Norman 14:57
Ask it.
Brian Kurtz 14:58
Is it easier, I’ll say easier with a homicidal maniac criminal? Or is it easier with a 15 year old spoiled kid from Scottsdale?
Andre Norman: 15:11
It’s a toss up. Sometimes these kids, the younger they are, the harder it is because they haven’t figured themselves out. The 30 year old homicidal maniac understands where he is and what he is. He might not agree with or like it, but this 15 year old kid is figuring out puberty. Does he like girls? Does he like boys? He’s still dealing with being on punishment. He got homework. There’s so many conflicting things in a 15 year old that’s not in a 30 year old. So I gotta weed through homework. And the girl broke up with him and he lost a FIFA game online and or and they put a post about me and said I got big feet. That doesn’t bother a 30 year old, but those things dramatically impact. It can be something really basic that we would think is nothing that would send a 15 year old over the edge want to commit suicide. It would never. Hey, you tell me. I got a big head and ugly shoes. It means nothing to me but to a 14 year old kid in high school who’s a freshman that could cause them suicidal thoughts. They don’t like me, and they start spinning. So it’s harder with a kid irregardless, cocktail or not, than with an adult. And the thing that helps me with the kids from Scottsdale or Helena, Montana, or wherever it is Orange County, when I walk in, I’m a black guy with a hoodie on and Timbs, and I talk like I’m from where I’m from. They’re like, do you even know my parents? What are my parents? Do they know you? Because they’re expecting the psychiatrist with the white hair and the glasses and a coat and a polo shirt to walk in. And they can’t trust that man. They think anything I say to them is the same as saying it to my parents, and they’re part of the reason I’m running. So when I walk in, I’m so disconnected from the parent being a black guy from prison that they feel so comfortable talking to me.
Brian Kurtz 16:54
That’s wild. It makes sense though, it makes sense.
Andre Norman 16:57
It opens them right up.
Brian Kurtz 16:59
And there’s a through line to what Lisa Marie talked about in terms of getting to the root cause of everything. It sounds like you’ve got, I mean, I think there’s something that you’ve got, you know, you obviously have a magic touch whether you want to call it that or not. But how you go deep, and it just sounds like you do a lot of listening. You do a lot of probing with a lot of listening to get to the root cause as opposed to because, you know, I mean, what I learned from what you just said is that, you know, the prisoners are wearing it on their sleeve. So you know exactly where they are right now. And you have to go deep with them. Whereas the 15 year old kid is also maybe not wearing it on his sleeve, but it’s out there and you have to go deep with him as well. So how do you go, are there some questions that you ask to to really go deep to get to the foundational place where you can really reach them?
Andre Norman 18:01
I mean, I’m a therapist and a psychologist, but nobody gives me thought. They don’t think that when I walk in the room. They think gang member speaker. So the last thing you think is, I am what I am. So if you walk into a room and you’re talking to Chris Voss, the negotiator, and you’re trying to tell him what you’re going to do, you would n’t think that everything you’re saying Chris is going to use against you. You’re saying because that’s what he does, he’s the guy that’s going to negotiate against you. So you’re having a casual conversation with Chris. But in truth, there is no casual conversation with Chris. Everything’s data points. Everything’s stacking information. So I can talk to you about tennis. I can talk to you about high school. I can talk to you about homework. I can talk to you about relationships. And I’m getting information. I don’t need to talk to you about your pain to hear about your pain. If somebody told me, man, I ain’t been skiing in a while, okay? You’re too busy. You’re overworked, you’re injured, you’re distracted. So I hear what you’re not saying. Not just what you’re saying. So it’s a communication style as a therapist and a negotiator and prison boss, I need to hear what’s not being said. And what does that mean? Because everything means something. And in prison, when somebody says something, if you misunderstand it, you die.
Brian Kurtz 19:18
Yes.
Andre Norman 19:18
It’s called get it right or die. So if somebody says, oh, man, Johnny just came on the yard. And if you don’t understand, Johnny’s connected to the blood and his cousin is a Crip, and they’re going to team up, and that is gang. He’s got twice the size, and they’re going to try to take me out because I run the yard and you have, everything means something. So I’m data stacking every conversation. I just have a conversation that means nothing to the trauma. So the kid thing. But the whole time, if you’re in pain, you’re only talking about your trauma. Everything you say is going to come through the lens of what you’re feeling. So if you want $1 million from megabucks, everything you’re saying is going to be through that lens. If you’re hurt because you’re molested as a child, everything you do is through that lens. So whatever your situation is, it’s through that lens. If your identity is your company, you will speak through that lens. You will not let me make you a person. You have to be the CEO. You have to be the whatever. Everything. I’m a basketball player. I’m not. I’m not a person. I’m an NBA star. I’m an all star. Everything is through that lens. So I just have to learn to listen to the lens that you speak through. And we can have any conversation. But you’re really talking about basketball. You’re really talking about your business. You’re really talking about your relationship. What lens are you looking through? So if I can get the right glasses on you and I know everything that you’re saying. So it’s communication one on one.
Brian Kurtz 20:41
Yeah. Yeah it is. But there is a way to get there. And I know you. I know you get there because you’ve had results, obviously.
Andre Norman: 20:48
Oh, definitely. We have it again today, when we pulled up we were not supposed to get in this prison. But they said to get the rules in a policy, we have somebody who can get through to our staff, let them in. They overrode policy. The entire prison is locked down. The state TAC team and Swat teams run all over this place. They said let them in because our staff needs them. And so it’s like you get in the space of being helpful. So the people on this call and they’re on this Zoom, there’s a reason. People come to Genius for a reason. It’s not always business. Sometimes it’s insulation, sometimes they need a place and they need an escape. Sometimes they want to be heard. So I’m going to come here and hope somebody hears my pain. I want somebody to see me, but they can’t see me if I’m at home. I’m going to join this group and hope somebody sees the real me and calls me out, or calls me to the side and gives me the chance to share. So there’s people on this call who, if there’s 30 people on this call, somebody on this call has a struggling relative. Some in this call has a stressful relationship. I mean, this call is going through a lot of stuff at work. This call has a big deal coming up. And you don’t have to go through it alone. And you don’t want to go through it alone. But how do I ask for help is the biggest thing I run into with entrepreneurs?
Brian Kurtz 22:07
Yeah, absolutely. And I know that almost every Genius Network meeting, Joe brings you up front or introduces you to the group. There are always new members there, and he always says, you know Andre, and you always say different things each time but you always end with, you got a problem? Call me. Which you already said on this call, and you know that getting into it, you’ll be able to help.
Andre Norman 22:30
So they raised their hand. This is something I would do. If you’re on this call and you can hear my voice, if you’ve lost a loved one, a parent or a child or a sibling, please just don’t say who. Just hit the raise your hand button on here.
Can they raise their hand on this thing?
Brian Kurtz 22:51
Yes they can.
Andre Norman 22:53
Can they do a thumbs up? Yeah. Have them. If you’ve lost a loved one. Doesn’t matter how long ago, if you lost somebody near to your heart, I would put mine. I just lost my mom. I would hit, if I could find the damn thing, I’d hit it.
Brian Kurtz 23:09
Yeah. People raising their hands. They’re raising their hands.
Andre Norman 23:10
I would take, I would take. See, all those people are walking around with that pain but there’s no outlet for that. So what I would do is take that group of people and say, hey, we’re going to have a group together, and we’re just going to talk about dealing with the loss of loved ones and we would have that first group. I put someone in charge of the group and the next question would be, please don’t do it this time. Do not hit the like button this time. I don’t want to know. I won’t put you out. If you have a problem with addiction, hit it up. Then I would get them in a group. Then we just. We would just go through and find the people where they are. The business is easy. Who needs marketing help? Everybody who needs advertising, who needs copywriting. But I want to find out how your day is going forward. Unresolved trauma from losing a loved one, unresolved trauma from hurting somebody, or just dealing with addiction and feeling alone. I got a friend I was with yesterday. She has a gambling addiction. She lives by herself. She works at the Pentagon and she goes to the casino every day. She goes to the casino every day and she blows her winnings money. And I have to. I didn’t realize it yesterday, so I’m trying to figure out getting her into a, What can I do to offset her gambling habit? So the first thing I did was invite her. Hey, come to Atlanta to hang out for a weekend. So she’s going to come to Atlanta, hang out for a weekend. She thinks she’s coming to hang out, but I’m trying to work on her gambling addiction, and I’m going to do it without talking about it.
Brian Kurtz 24:45
Right. You’re going to get her in a comfort zone.
Andre Norman 24:47
Comfort zone. I’m going to get her a new routine. See? That’s her go to. She’s not really a gambler. She’s doing that because she’s bored and she has nothing to fill the void. So I’m going to get her home to my house for the weekend, and I’m going to find her something new to do. It might be copyright. It might be writing a book. I might get her to write a book, or get her to do a project that will take up her time. She needs a time consuming project that she can do. That’s not at random times. And I’m going to find out what is the void there and why do you feel it this way? And let me fill it with something else.
Brian Kurtz 25:23
Excellent. Those of you who know Joe Polish, he, you know, Genius Network is his not only a mastermind, but it is a entrepreneur, you know, group of high achieving entrepreneurs. But he has another company, a nonprofit called Genius Recovery, which is a lot of the work that Andre does is under the it’s under Genius Network umbrella, but a lot of it is under Genius Recovery as well, which is, you know, the areas of addiction, the areas of, you know, emotional issues. And it really is not just for members. I mean, Joe has a lot of projects, you know, art for addicts, and he’s got a lot of projects that he works on. Because Joe’s ultimate mission in life is to rid the world of addiction. So what can you tell this group, Andre, about the work you do under Genius Recovery? And how can I get involved? Because I’m in Genius Network. If people aren’t in Genius Network, how can they get involved in the cause in a way?
Andre Norman 26:27
Everybody on this call lives in the community. Everybody wants to see people be better in some capacity. The first thing I’m going to tell you before you go try to help the poor kids in the South Side of Chicago or the kids in rural Iowa. Help the people in your family. Help the people in your neighborhood. I don’t care if you live in Beverly Hills. There’s somebody in Beverly Hills with a drug problem, believe that. I don’t care if you live in Miami Beach. Somebody just had their house flooded out. Your community first. Andre, you’re a poor black guy from the hood. Why would you say rich white kids first? So why would you say rich people first? Your people first. Never jump over your own and go save somebody else’s. If you think I’m going to jump over my son to come save your kid, you’re dead wrong. Call me what you want. If my son is ailing and your kid is ailing, my kid is first. Your kid is second. That’s just how human nature works. If you do it the other way around, there’s something wrong with you. You have identity issues and imposter syndrome. You’re trying to please people, help your community first. That means in your house, in your church, who’s in your neighborhood. Let’s stop there. And once we stop there, then you can find comfort and understanding on how the system works, where you’re comfortable. And then we can help the kids in the South Side of Chicago, or the kids in Bangladesh, or the kids wherever else.
Outro 27:45
Thanks for listening to the Timeless Marketing Podcast with Brian Kurtz. Visit BrianKurtz.net and click Podcast at the top of the page for a full transcript and show notes. If you are interested in working with Brian personally inside of Titans Xcelerator, go to briankurtz.net/help to see how Titans can help you grow and scale your business. That’s B-R-I-A-N-K-U-R-T-Z [dot] net [forward slash] help.