1 00:00:52,835 --> 00:00:56,545 Today, we are speaking with Mark Papadas. 2 00:00:57,185 --> 00:01:01,295 Mark, could you please introduce yourself and let people know just 3 00:01:01,295 --> 00:01:02,855 a little more about you, please? 4 00:01:03,665 --> 00:01:04,685 I'd be happy to do so. 5 00:01:04,685 --> 00:01:04,894 So, yeah. 6 00:01:04,894 --> 00:01:09,995 So my name is Mark Papadas and I'm known as the Be Great Guy because of my work, 7 00:01:09,995 --> 00:01:12,515 bringing personal development to kids. 8 00:01:13,175 --> 00:01:16,860 So, uh, imagine Tony Robbins meets Charlie Brown, it's probably the 9 00:01:16,860 --> 00:01:19,559 best way to describe what I do and what, uh, what we're all about. 10 00:01:20,039 --> 00:01:25,350 And our mission is to do for kids personal empowerment or personal 11 00:01:25,350 --> 00:01:29,490 development and empowerment, what the Muppets did for reading and for math. 12 00:01:30,750 --> 00:01:32,039 Yeah, I like that a lot. 13 00:01:32,429 --> 00:01:38,009 Uh, I looked into you and you actually have been doing 14 00:01:38,009 --> 00:01:40,139 this for quite some time now. 15 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,350 Uh, what got you started, Mark? 16 00:01:44,354 --> 00:01:47,955 Well, I guess you could say it really started way back when, when I was a kid. 17 00:01:47,955 --> 00:01:52,545 So I had a bit of a rough upbringing and I was the, the youngest 18 00:01:52,545 --> 00:01:54,315 of three boys by six years. 19 00:01:54,554 --> 00:01:58,244 So my older brothers hung around with each other, not so much with me because, 20 00:01:58,244 --> 00:02:00,404 you know, who's gonna hang, who wants to hang around with a little kid, right? 21 00:02:00,945 --> 00:02:05,804 Um, but one of my brothers, uh, you know, he used to like to get his points 22 00:02:05,804 --> 00:02:08,625 across to me, uh, with his fists, okay? 23 00:02:08,625 --> 00:02:12,375 And both my parents worked, so we're all latchkey kids. 24 00:02:12,375 --> 00:02:17,385 And there was one instance in particular that, uh, you know, that I still 25 00:02:17,385 --> 00:02:23,850 remember to this day is when, uh, my father's half brother was just coming 26 00:02:23,850 --> 00:02:27,030 home from Vietnam and he was coming to visit us and this was the first time 27 00:02:27,030 --> 00:02:28,290 that any of us were gonna meet him. 28 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,990 And a little bit less than a week prior, uh, that brother beat me up 29 00:02:33,990 --> 00:02:36,390 so bad that I had bruises all over. 30 00:02:36,810 --> 00:02:40,380 And I remember my uncle asking my, my parents if I was born with birth 31 00:02:40,380 --> 00:02:42,510 defects because of how I looked. 32 00:02:43,020 --> 00:02:49,335 Um, so the, the, the one positive thing that I bring from that, bring out of that 33 00:02:49,335 --> 00:02:52,935 upbringing, is it did help to, for lack of a better term, it did help to kind 34 00:02:52,935 --> 00:02:58,815 of toughen me up a little bit in terms of being able to mentally overcome that. 35 00:02:59,325 --> 00:03:03,975 And then once I was old enough to get him to stop, then, then things were okay. 36 00:03:04,845 --> 00:03:09,225 So when it comes to that type of stuff, the, what I, in terms of what I do, 37 00:03:09,225 --> 00:03:10,665 I'm a, I'm a glutton for information. 38 00:03:11,625 --> 00:03:15,584 So like, I can't tell you the last novel that I read, but I'm always either 39 00:03:15,584 --> 00:03:17,355 reading, listening to podcasts, et cetera. 40 00:03:17,355 --> 00:03:20,745 Something to either improve myself or something that I can take and pass 41 00:03:20,745 --> 00:03:23,114 through, down on, on with the kids. 42 00:03:23,745 --> 00:03:30,105 So I had been working with, uh, quote unquote grownups for over a decade 43 00:03:30,585 --> 00:03:32,894 when I had my epiphany late in 2009. 44 00:03:33,554 --> 00:03:37,065 And there was a, a specific story, which is kind of long. 45 00:03:37,065 --> 00:03:38,685 If you want, we can get into that later. 46 00:03:38,744 --> 00:03:42,885 But, uh, taking what I was doing with adults and all I had to do 47 00:03:42,885 --> 00:03:46,515 was come up with a format that was going to engage and entertain kids. 48 00:03:47,204 --> 00:03:50,415 And then we could literally make a difference that could, could change the 49 00:03:50,415 --> 00:03:55,185 world within a, a couple of generations because that's when that personal 50 00:03:55,185 --> 00:03:59,355 development will have the biggest impact and also the longest lasting impact. 51 00:04:01,065 --> 00:04:03,375 Yeah, I, I believe that a hundred percent. 52 00:04:03,855 --> 00:04:11,280 You know, the formidable years, they, they tend to get wasted anymore. 53 00:04:11,310 --> 00:04:17,220 In, in my personal opinion, I think that children are shielded too much 54 00:04:17,460 --> 00:04:23,790 and I, I believe that they are missing out on a lot of that excitement 55 00:04:23,910 --> 00:04:26,805 that children should be having. 56 00:04:27,075 --> 00:04:33,255 And you know, unfortunately we all get beat up once in a while as children, but 57 00:04:33,255 --> 00:04:41,295 like you stated, it does make you get this grit and it makes you sustainable 58 00:04:41,295 --> 00:04:43,545 in this world that we live in today. 59 00:04:43,605 --> 00:04:47,235 And I, I really have a lot of concerns about that. 60 00:04:47,955 --> 00:04:53,565 What is your thought about pampering children in today's world? 61 00:04:54,630 --> 00:04:59,505 Well, I think that there's a difference between pampering and protecting. 62 00:05:00,225 --> 00:05:05,175 And so one of the things, like I, I do a lot of speaking, uh, you know, 63 00:05:05,175 --> 00:05:06,675 companies have me come in to speak. 64 00:05:06,675 --> 00:05:10,035 You, you would think like, Why is a kid's personal development speaker coming in? 65 00:05:11,175 --> 00:05:13,755 And part of that has to do with, because I believe that the kids are 66 00:05:13,755 --> 00:05:16,665 born with all of the, the traits and characteristics that they need to 67 00:05:16,665 --> 00:05:20,375 be, not just successful as kids, but successful throughout their whole life. 68 00:05:20,915 --> 00:05:24,305 And it's the, the B. S., the, the belief system that they learn from 69 00:05:24,305 --> 00:05:29,825 the adults as they're growing up that actually retard that growth. 70 00:05:30,485 --> 00:05:37,055 So, you know, like you were talking about, kids, they are by nature curious and 71 00:05:37,055 --> 00:05:44,345 inquisitive and ingenious, and they're designed literally at the cellular level 72 00:05:44,885 --> 00:05:48,185 to learn and to grow and to explore. 73 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,610 And, uh, when you, the, the pampering part, when you kind of build that 74 00:05:53,610 --> 00:05:57,420 bubble around them where they can't get to see things right, they, they 75 00:05:57,420 --> 00:05:59,220 can't get into a little bit of trouble, 76 00:05:59,520 --> 00:05:59,700 right? 77 00:05:59,700 --> 00:06:02,250 You know, if a kid, if a kid falls down, big deal. 78 00:06:02,250 --> 00:06:04,230 It's like, and one of the things I always, when I talk about, you know, 79 00:06:04,230 --> 00:06:05,820 kids being so persistent, right? 80 00:06:06,450 --> 00:06:09,210 When was the last time you saw a kid quit trying to walk? 81 00:06:10,575 --> 00:06:12,585 It just doesn't happen, right? 82 00:06:12,585 --> 00:06:14,535 You know, they fall down, they brush themselves off, and they keep going. 83 00:06:14,775 --> 00:06:18,885 And even if they're born with some sort of a, you know, um, disability 84 00:06:18,885 --> 00:06:22,845 where they like, they can't move their legs, they still find a way to, to 85 00:06:22,845 --> 00:06:24,525 locomote from one place to the other. 86 00:06:24,525 --> 00:06:26,985 They, they roll, they army crawl, they do whatever they have to 87 00:06:26,985 --> 00:06:30,855 do because they're just living up to their nature of exploring. 88 00:06:31,755 --> 00:06:35,355 And also, a lot of it has to do with, with perspective. 89 00:06:36,285 --> 00:06:41,655 I can't tell you how many times little kids, specifically babies, find lost keys 90 00:06:41,655 --> 00:06:44,025 that the, that adults have lost, right? 91 00:06:44,055 --> 00:06:45,165 Because that's their perspective. 92 00:06:45,165 --> 00:06:47,505 That's all they have is down to what's at ground level, right? 93 00:06:47,835 --> 00:06:50,385 But then as soon as they are big enough to get to the coffee table, now it's 94 00:06:50,385 --> 00:06:53,175 like, Ooh, there's stuff up there that I didn't know was there, you know? 95 00:06:53,535 --> 00:06:54,105 What's that? 96 00:06:54,135 --> 00:06:54,585 What's this? 97 00:06:54,585 --> 00:06:57,555 And then that's when you gotta be like, Okay, nope, that you 98 00:06:57,555 --> 00:06:58,395 can't get to that part yet. 99 00:06:58,395 --> 00:06:59,385 And then you keep moving it up. 100 00:06:59,685 --> 00:07:00,795 And, and so what happens? 101 00:07:00,795 --> 00:07:01,575 And then they keep doing it. 102 00:07:01,785 --> 00:07:05,650 And how many times have you seen a kid climb up the drawers to get 103 00:07:05,650 --> 00:07:09,010 onto the countertop, to get to the cookie jar, or whatever it was on 104 00:07:09,010 --> 00:07:11,650 top of the, of the refrigerator? 105 00:07:12,490 --> 00:07:14,200 And they're, they're just, they're just being kids, they're 106 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:15,280 doing what comes naturally. 107 00:07:15,700 --> 00:07:19,240 So I would say that, you know, if a kid's gonna fall down while 108 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,720 trying to walk or maybe off the couch or something like that, that's 109 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:23,860 a learning experience for them. 110 00:07:24,220 --> 00:07:26,100 You know, if they get up on top of the fridge, it's like, No, no, no, no. 111 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:28,620 You gotta come down from there, you know? 112 00:07:28,830 --> 00:07:32,340 Let's, you have to have the limits, but you, you have to let 'em explore. 113 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:36,000 So is that what you were you going for in terms of some of the, the, the pampering? 114 00:07:37,230 --> 00:07:37,620 Sure. 115 00:07:38,159 --> 00:07:38,520 Yeah. 116 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:46,140 And, and, you know, I, I really think that you hit that right on because there is 117 00:07:46,140 --> 00:07:49,920 a difference, pampering and protecting. 118 00:07:50,010 --> 00:07:55,605 You know, if, if you see a child climbing like the drawers and you have 119 00:07:55,605 --> 00:08:02,355 a TV set on the dressers, and I, I've actually witnessed some terrifying things 120 00:08:02,355 --> 00:08:08,565 that, you know, it, it is, you have to protect your children, that's for sure. 121 00:08:08,985 --> 00:08:10,245 And there is a difference. 122 00:08:10,335 --> 00:08:14,955 I, I really wanted to outline that here and highlight the difference. 123 00:08:15,825 --> 00:08:22,665 So what is your intent with the television part? 124 00:08:23,475 --> 00:08:30,030 You know, because building characteristics of children, it, it, 125 00:08:32,580 --> 00:08:34,815 it, it encompasses a lot. 126 00:08:35,325 --> 00:08:45,105 However, when you put children into like a TV dynamic, their focus 127 00:08:45,135 --> 00:08:49,860 is higher in an intellectual way. 128 00:08:49,860 --> 00:08:53,520 I, I really believe that in my own thinking. 129 00:08:53,760 --> 00:09:03,000 So is, is it to empower them and help them build a better understanding 130 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:04,980 of themselves and their world? 131 00:09:04,980 --> 00:09:09,160 Is this why the TV end of it, the deal? 132 00:09:10,980 --> 00:09:16,130 To me, uh, like everything that we do, I, kind of refer to it as like DNA. 133 00:09:16,155 --> 00:09:19,875 In other words, it just kind of keeps helixing back on itself, right? 134 00:09:20,295 --> 00:09:24,885 So the, the, the foundation, you know, if you're gonna use a kid, uh, 135 00:09:24,885 --> 00:09:30,345 an analogy for a kid, of a structure of a building, a home, let's say, the 136 00:09:30,345 --> 00:09:32,415 foundation is that identity piece. 137 00:09:32,415 --> 00:09:37,055 In other words, how do they finish the I am ... statement? 138 00:09:37,515 --> 00:09:40,245 And, and that's the most important thing as far as I'm concerned for anybody. 139 00:09:40,245 --> 00:09:41,955 I don't care whether you're a kid or you're an adult. 140 00:09:42,865 --> 00:09:46,080 Problem is that, you know, close to probably 90% of the world have 141 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:51,360 never given that any conscious thought, but it's still in there. 142 00:09:51,630 --> 00:09:54,900 And if you haven't decided for yourself, it's, generally speaking, the 143 00:09:54,900 --> 00:10:01,020 loudest voices that are in your orbit that become that in your head, okay? 144 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:06,620 So in terms of what the TV show is all about, so The, The I Am 4 Kids 145 00:10:06,645 --> 00:10:10,755 School program that we created a number of years ago and is in use in, what? 146 00:10:10,755 --> 00:10:14,985 Nine different states right now, uh, is designed to sit on top of the curriculum 147 00:10:14,985 --> 00:10:16,275 taught in second through fifth grade. 148 00:10:16,785 --> 00:10:20,955 And we take the kids through the My five Step Identity Building process. 149 00:10:21,780 --> 00:10:26,100 And the, at the very end, the last step, we can talk about all five steps 150 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:27,540 if you'd like, in, down the road. 151 00:10:27,540 --> 00:10:29,850 But the final step is to, is to live it. 152 00:10:29,850 --> 00:10:33,030 In other words, to, to be that person that you decided who you are. 153 00:10:33,870 --> 00:10:37,800 And the lifelong homework for that is that you have to come up with 154 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:42,330 a project that embodies the person that you have decided you are. 155 00:10:43,170 --> 00:10:46,290 And the only rule that we put on it is it has to benefit somebody 156 00:10:46,290 --> 00:10:49,470 other than just themselves, okay? 157 00:10:50,100 --> 00:10:55,020 So now what the TV show is all about is it's the real stories of real kids 158 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:56,280 who have gone through the program. 159 00:10:56,850 --> 00:11:01,230 And either the impact that the program has made in, in their lives and, or 160 00:11:01,410 --> 00:11:05,910 their project has made through, you know, in its, in their community, 161 00:11:05,910 --> 00:11:07,710 their family, sometimes even beyond. 162 00:11:08,610 --> 00:11:11,460 And because it's animated, so it's, like I said, what we say is, it's the world's 163 00:11:11,460 --> 00:11:13,590 first animated reality based TV show. 164 00:11:13,890 --> 00:11:18,449 So there's actually gonna be real stories of real kids, but you can still 165 00:11:18,449 --> 00:11:23,310 have a little bit of fun with it in terms of, you know, there's gonna be 166 00:11:23,430 --> 00:11:27,990 amalgams of characters of people who happened in, you know, there are people 167 00:11:27,990 --> 00:11:29,490 who happened to be part of that, right? 168 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,495 So what that does is, we get the, the kids get the identity 169 00:11:33,495 --> 00:11:35,535 piece, which is, which is a bonus. 170 00:11:35,835 --> 00:11:41,115 But now you see all these different other stories of other kids doing it. 171 00:11:41,115 --> 00:11:45,015 So that now it's, okay, you know, this, that this can really happen. 172 00:11:45,015 --> 00:11:49,455 Plus it gives them even bigger ideas like, Oh, I thought of this, but 173 00:11:49,695 --> 00:11:51,645 this kid went twice as big, okay. 174 00:11:51,825 --> 00:11:54,825 You know, so it starts to elevate their projects now. 175 00:11:55,725 --> 00:11:58,800 And in case you haven't figured it out, in case you haven't figured it 176 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,185 out, I Am 4 Kids is my, I am project. 177 00:12:03,570 --> 00:12:03,930 Yeah. 178 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,130 Yeah, I like that a lot. 179 00:12:06,630 --> 00:12:14,250 The, just the simple I am statement, that, that can really give children a 180 00:12:14,250 --> 00:12:18,210 lot to think about, to inspire to be. 181 00:12:18,210 --> 00:12:21,810 So bringing that statement to the forefront, I really think 182 00:12:21,810 --> 00:12:24,330 is kind of a killer idea. 183 00:12:24,900 --> 00:12:31,920 So when, when you do these sessions with children, 184 00:12:34,079 --> 00:12:38,464 is there an underlying theme for each episode that you do? 185 00:12:40,615 --> 00:12:45,495 Not so much a theme going into it, but what we do is, once again, because 186 00:12:45,495 --> 00:12:48,765 we're all about the education part of it is, they're, each episode 187 00:12:48,765 --> 00:12:50,985 will have its own theme word. 188 00:12:51,705 --> 00:12:56,085 So what, whatever this word is that is embodied by what they did. 189 00:12:56,415 --> 00:13:01,890 So for example, the, the, the pilot episode that we're working on right 190 00:13:01,890 --> 00:13:05,340 now, just to be able to pitch to the streaming services and the networks 191 00:13:05,550 --> 00:13:10,470 probably starting in, in January, so very, very soon is, is identity. 192 00:13:10,890 --> 00:13:16,500 And it's a true story of, uh, a little girl and a little boy in a 193 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:19,470 neighborhood and something that happens in school and on their school bus. 194 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:27,690 Uh, where basically a, uh, the little boy was very sick, okay? 195 00:13:27,690 --> 00:13:29,490 So in other words, it's a true story. 196 00:13:30,330 --> 00:13:33,360 At five years old, he was diagnosed with a tennis ball sized, uh, brain 197 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,130 tumor at the stem of his brain. 198 00:13:35,790 --> 00:13:42,720 So they caught it, did all the operations, the chemo, all that kind of stuff, um, 199 00:13:42,750 --> 00:13:45,330 but he was basically out of school. 200 00:13:45,330 --> 00:13:48,600 He was, he was in treatment for a little over two years, and that treatment 201 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:50,520 was very intensive and very harsh. 202 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,480 So he, he was always gonna be smaller than the kids, weaker than the kids, 203 00:13:54,780 --> 00:13:56,430 the chemo did a number on his hair. 204 00:13:56,430 --> 00:14:00,090 He, you know, the, the, the, the joke that the neighbors, not the neighbors, but 205 00:14:00,090 --> 00:14:04,079 the, he was a part of the joke, so I don't wanna say, make it sound like we were, 206 00:14:04,110 --> 00:14:05,790 they were making fun of the kid, right? 207 00:14:06,209 --> 00:14:08,670 But that he kind of looked like a fifty-year-old accountant 'cause his 208 00:14:08,670 --> 00:14:10,439 hair was very thin across the top. 209 00:14:10,620 --> 00:14:11,969 You know, he was basically bald. 210 00:14:11,969 --> 00:14:14,189 But he had some hair, kind of thing, you know, it was like a comb over. 211 00:14:14,790 --> 00:14:20,880 So, um, some of the quote unquote popular kids were making 212 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,050 fun of him on the school bus. 213 00:14:22,500 --> 00:14:25,410 And one day, nobody said anything about it. 214 00:14:25,410 --> 00:14:28,140 And, you know, the boy went home and he cried. 215 00:14:28,140 --> 00:14:29,960 And his best friend, who was his next door neighbor, who was the 216 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,950 little girl, she felt bad about it. 217 00:14:31,950 --> 00:14:34,290 And they did it again a couple days later. 218 00:14:34,620 --> 00:14:40,710 And then she stood up to the, we'll call 'em the bullies, and when she did 219 00:14:40,710 --> 00:14:46,380 that, a bunch of other kids on the bus basically stood up behind her, right? 220 00:14:46,380 --> 00:14:52,800 So, so her whole thing, when, when news of the incident came out was that, you 221 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:54,690 know, well, she, she knew who she was. 222 00:14:54,690 --> 00:14:57,465 She, she couldn't let that happen, you know? 223 00:14:57,525 --> 00:15:00,405 That they think that they're tough, he, he's way tougher than them 'cause look 224 00:15:00,405 --> 00:15:01,605 at all the stuff that he's gone through. 225 00:15:02,265 --> 00:15:03,705 So interesting, Mark. 226 00:15:04,035 --> 00:15:09,895 Uh, tell us what is the perspective of the children that are involved in the program? 227 00:15:10,655 --> 00:15:14,025 Um, I, I'm gonna answer the way I think you're, you're, you're asking that. 228 00:15:14,025 --> 00:15:19,665 So in terms of, you know, they're coming into it with, with wide eyes. 229 00:15:20,310 --> 00:15:23,550 Because you know, they're not coming in with some sort of preconceived 230 00:15:23,550 --> 00:15:25,380 notion of what, to get this. 231 00:15:25,410 --> 00:15:27,630 They just know that this is something that, that they're learning. 232 00:15:28,230 --> 00:15:32,220 And because we use the sound science, you know, the mind/body connection, 233 00:15:32,220 --> 00:15:36,940 the neuroplasticity connections between the brain and the body, all they 234 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:41,850 know is that they feel so much more confident, they feel so much happier, 235 00:15:41,850 --> 00:15:46,200 they feel so much better while they're in the, the program and while they're 236 00:15:46,230 --> 00:15:48,810 basically living up to their identity. 237 00:15:49,500 --> 00:15:55,770 And you, what we've seen is that we, because of privacy reasons, we don't 238 00:15:55,770 --> 00:16:00,330 have access to individual's testing scores, you know, the standardized tests. 239 00:16:00,750 --> 00:16:04,680 But we do get the, a conglomerate of their in-class grades. 240 00:16:05,445 --> 00:16:11,055 And we found that, uh, close to 45% of the kids in class, grades go up. 241 00:16:11,355 --> 00:16:14,145 So C students move up to B students, et cetera, right? 242 00:16:14,685 --> 00:16:18,225 But what was not so much surprising, but surprising to 243 00:16:18,225 --> 00:16:23,625 the degree, was that disciplinary actions went down by over 60%. 244 00:16:24,530 --> 00:16:29,715 Because when they, when they started to get worked up, all the teacher 245 00:16:29,715 --> 00:16:34,785 has to do is remind them if they're being true to, you know, the identity 246 00:16:34,785 --> 00:16:35,925 that they created for themselves. 247 00:16:36,375 --> 00:16:39,015 And that, that is, you know, a, a trigger, if you will, to kind of 248 00:16:39,015 --> 00:16:44,235 bring them back into that, that state of that more calm, confident person. 249 00:16:46,185 --> 00:16:48,195 That's, that's really cool. 250 00:16:48,465 --> 00:16:49,815 Uh, I like that a lot. 251 00:16:50,085 --> 00:16:54,445 So what do you see about connections? 252 00:16:54,585 --> 00:16:58,455 Does this help form connections? 253 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:00,570 Well, absolutely. 254 00:17:00,570 --> 00:17:03,150 And the, that, it's actually designed into the program. 255 00:17:03,540 --> 00:17:05,220 So we already talked about the fifth step. 256 00:17:05,220 --> 00:17:08,160 I guess we're kind of, we'll, we'll kinda go backwards, if you will, right? 257 00:17:08,460 --> 00:17:14,400 So the fourth step is, is to share and synergize your identity, right? 258 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:16,800 So I'll kind of walk you through one through five. 259 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:18,300 So the, the first one is to decide it. 260 00:17:18,690 --> 00:17:20,040 Like we said, you have, you have to think about it. 261 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,860 Nobody, most people have never given it any conscious thought. 262 00:17:22,860 --> 00:17:24,780 So the first thing is, you, you think about it and you 263 00:17:24,780 --> 00:17:25,620 decide who you're gonna be. 264 00:17:25,620 --> 00:17:27,300 And the second step is to write it down. 265 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:30,720 And that's so important to actually physically write it, not type 266 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,220 it, not dictate it, et cetera. 267 00:17:32,285 --> 00:17:35,880 Because when you write something, literally all of your senses, you've got 268 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,270 your, your kinesthetic because you're actually writing it, you're hearing 269 00:17:39,270 --> 00:17:43,920 yourself say it in your brain as you're writing it, and you're also seeing it. 270 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:45,850 So it doesn't matter what type of learner you are, you're 271 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:47,430 getting more and more connection. 272 00:17:47,430 --> 00:17:48,150 It's more complete. 273 00:17:48,660 --> 00:17:49,380 So that's number two. 274 00:17:49,380 --> 00:17:55,230 So number three is to revise and improve it, okay? 275 00:17:55,260 --> 00:17:57,750 So that, that first time you write it down, it's pretty much like a rough draft. 276 00:17:57,870 --> 00:18:00,630 Kinda like we were talking about before with, oh, this 277 00:18:00,630 --> 00:18:01,860 kid went twice as big as me. 278 00:18:01,860 --> 00:18:03,690 Well, I, you know, so I'm not limited. 279 00:18:03,975 --> 00:18:07,290 I, I can go bigger, I can go stronger, I can go farther, kind of thing. 280 00:18:07,470 --> 00:18:09,150 So that's number three, is to revise and improve it. 281 00:18:09,150 --> 00:18:10,980 And then number four is to share and synergize it. 282 00:18:11,670 --> 00:18:16,770 Because as human beings, it's, it's our nature to want to be a part of something 283 00:18:16,770 --> 00:18:18,690 that's bigger than just ourselves. 284 00:18:20,130 --> 00:18:23,580 And so the whole concept behind the share and synergizes is, first 285 00:18:23,580 --> 00:18:25,860 off, you're letting the world know this is who I am, right? 286 00:18:25,860 --> 00:18:28,290 You don't have to guess about it, you don't have to, to think about it. 287 00:18:29,370 --> 00:18:33,870 And then the synergy part comes when you share it, and then you find other 288 00:18:33,870 --> 00:18:36,540 people who have similar outlooks to you. 289 00:18:37,740 --> 00:18:42,570 So what this does is, is now you're actually, for lack of a term, you are 290 00:18:42,570 --> 00:18:48,150 picking your friends as opposed to letting the, that circle pick you. 291 00:18:49,395 --> 00:18:51,105 You know, so like, there, yeah. 292 00:18:51,305 --> 00:18:55,395 So there, there's a, there's a quote that I use that, that, to me, Kids 293 00:18:55,395 --> 00:19:01,845 are very much like wet cement, is whatever happens to land upon them 294 00:19:01,845 --> 00:19:04,335 tends to stick and leave an impression. 295 00:19:05,955 --> 00:19:08,775 So the whole concept behind this one's kind of going back to that, 296 00:19:08,775 --> 00:19:11,595 that structure that we're building with the kid, that foundation. 297 00:19:11,595 --> 00:19:15,225 If we can get that, that cement foundation to harden, to cure, right? 298 00:19:15,675 --> 00:19:19,485 Now all that, that bullying stuff, the gangs, the drugs, all that kinda 299 00:19:19,485 --> 00:19:23,775 stuff, just literally just, just bounces off because they know who 300 00:19:23,775 --> 00:19:28,275 they are and they've got their, their tribe they've already put together. 301 00:19:28,515 --> 00:19:32,640 And then going back to one of the OGs of personal development, right, 302 00:19:32,820 --> 00:19:35,730 Napoleon Hill, when you start talking about the concept of the mastermind, 303 00:19:36,150 --> 00:19:40,470 that if you've got a group of people who are thinking similarly, that be, 304 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:47,220 there's that mastermind, mysterious, fictional, not fictional, but um, not 305 00:19:47,220 --> 00:19:51,240 real person that's there, that kind of takes on a life and thought of its own. 306 00:19:51,660 --> 00:19:53,170 So that, that's the whole concept behind that. 307 00:19:54,470 --> 00:19:54,850 Yeah. 308 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,530 Gives it an embodied persona, if you will. 309 00:19:59,070 --> 00:20:06,990 So now, now the big question, Mark, is, this is all in a 310 00:20:06,990 --> 00:20:09,060 classroom setting, if you will. 311 00:20:09,870 --> 00:20:12,300 What happens at home? 312 00:20:12,625 --> 00:20:18,120 How, how does this connect to the home front and how does it 313 00:20:18,630 --> 00:20:22,320 correlate with life at home? 314 00:20:24,810 --> 00:20:29,220 So the, the school part, I mean, is that, that's what it is for now. 315 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,440 So literally for the next couple of months. 316 00:20:31,710 --> 00:20:36,360 So in January is when we're, we're, we're launching the I Am 4 Kids brand. 317 00:20:36,900 --> 00:20:41,490 So we're, we're basically borrowing the business model of the, you 318 00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:42,900 know, Sesame Street and the Muppets. 319 00:20:43,350 --> 00:20:47,025 So children's television workshop, that started off as a, you know, the Sesame 320 00:20:47,025 --> 00:20:52,185 Street that started off as a non-profit, and everybody's familiar with that, 321 00:20:52,185 --> 00:20:56,685 but all of The, The Muppet movies, The Muppet Show, Tickle Me, Elmo, all that 322 00:20:56,685 --> 00:21:00,615 kind of stuff, that is a for-profit entity that is a, is a ubiquitous 323 00:21:00,675 --> 00:21:02,595 brand literally around the world now. 324 00:21:03,255 --> 00:21:07,515 So what we're doing is we're taking our characters, instead of being fluffy 325 00:21:07,515 --> 00:21:10,995 little monsters, they're based on real people, which to me makes them 326 00:21:10,995 --> 00:21:12,735 a little bit more interesting, right? 327 00:21:12,735 --> 00:21:15,225 Because now you actually have something that you, a person, 328 00:21:15,225 --> 00:21:16,995 someone you can model after, right? 329 00:21:17,505 --> 00:21:20,505 So in terms of what, up to this date, there, 330 00:21:20,505 --> 00:21:23,295 so there's my book there, it's called The 10 Secrets to Empower 331 00:21:23,295 --> 00:21:24,705 Kids and Awaken the Child In You. 332 00:21:25,125 --> 00:21:26,835 It's available in both English and Spanish. 333 00:21:26,835 --> 00:21:31,365 So when a school would order the, the program, we would ask them how 334 00:21:31,365 --> 00:21:33,735 many copies, you know, how many families need it in Spanish and how 335 00:21:33,735 --> 00:21:35,235 many families need it in English. 336 00:21:35,895 --> 00:21:39,135 'Cause the book is really designed more for the, the parents, you 337 00:21:39,135 --> 00:21:40,545 know, the parents and the educators. 338 00:21:41,639 --> 00:21:45,899 And so now we're getting to the parents through, you know, with, with 339 00:21:45,899 --> 00:21:47,850 the kids as, as the conduit, okay? 340 00:21:49,470 --> 00:21:52,500 So that's what we've been done up to this point. 341 00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:54,510 But since, when we're starting off with the brand, so we're 342 00:21:54,510 --> 00:21:57,375 gonna be doing that same program. 343 00:21:57,375 --> 00:21:58,935 We're calling it the I Am 4 Kids Family Pack. 344 00:21:59,175 --> 00:22:04,425 We've also got the I Am 4 Kids Roundtable, which is a true mastermind of families. 345 00:22:04,905 --> 00:22:06,885 And then there's the I Am 4 Kids Academy. 346 00:22:07,425 --> 00:22:11,325 And the I Am 4 Kids Academy is all of the things that we as adults say, you know, 347 00:22:11,325 --> 00:22:12,855 Why didn't they teach us this in school? 348 00:22:12,915 --> 00:22:15,555 I really could have used this for the last twenty, thirty, 349 00:22:15,615 --> 00:22:17,129 forty years of my life, right? 350 00:22:17,550 --> 00:22:20,700 So it, it, it's all of those types of things that are in there as well. 351 00:22:20,700 --> 00:22:23,850 And we're gonna be doing those, uh, once again, using the web technology, 352 00:22:24,180 --> 00:22:27,060 uh, doing those, doing live events. 353 00:22:27,300 --> 00:22:30,270 Uh, so the TV shows, the, the first one is the one we were just talking 354 00:22:30,270 --> 00:22:33,450 about, but we've got several others that are lined up behind that. 355 00:22:33,899 --> 00:22:38,970 Um, so there's, there's literally no shortage of ways that we 356 00:22:38,970 --> 00:22:41,910 will be getting to, to the kids. 357 00:22:42,330 --> 00:22:44,730 Uh, one of the things that I, I'm really excited about because I'm just 358 00:22:44,730 --> 00:22:48,870 starting to learn about it, I, I, I know of it, but now I'm starting 359 00:22:48,870 --> 00:22:52,530 to know it itself, and that's when we start talking about AI and toys. 360 00:22:53,550 --> 00:22:59,190 That there, the generative AI that we can put into, for lack of a better 361 00:22:59,190 --> 00:23:02,730 term, what we'll call action figures of the characters, can actually 362 00:23:02,730 --> 00:23:07,679 have conversations with the kids because they learn from the kids. 363 00:23:07,679 --> 00:23:12,510 So if every child is going to have a separate and unique experience with 364 00:23:12,510 --> 00:23:18,149 their toy, then a kid who bought the same toy but is playing with it in his 365 00:23:18,149 --> 00:23:23,250 or her house, and that's the part where we can really, you know, like I'm, I'm 366 00:23:23,310 --> 00:23:25,920 getting goosebumps just kind of thinking of what some of those possibilities are. 367 00:23:25,950 --> 00:23:31,890 Cause, you know, we, we can help them to be, to actually to communicate better at 368 00:23:31,890 --> 00:23:37,080 a younger age, not just with the, the toy, not just with the piece of technology, but 369 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,825 we can also teach them how to interact and communicate better with, with real people. 370 00:23:42,754 --> 00:23:44,405 And there's, yeah. 371 00:23:44,405 --> 00:23:48,485 And there's gonna be instances where unfortunately sometimes that that toy 372 00:23:48,485 --> 00:23:53,645 really might be the kid's only friend that they have access to, right? 373 00:23:53,885 --> 00:23:55,685 So if we can, yeah. 374 00:23:55,685 --> 00:23:57,784 And, and now we can make sure that that kid's still getting that, that 375 00:23:57,784 --> 00:24:03,034 positive reinforcement as opposed to, you know, why am I always alone? 376 00:24:03,034 --> 00:24:04,175 Why, this kind of stuff. 377 00:24:04,175 --> 00:24:05,965 So we're, we're so excited about it. 378 00:24:08,085 --> 00:24:13,455 That, that really, it, it really augments the home portion of it. 379 00:24:13,455 --> 00:24:19,560 Because I remember being a child, there was many times that I didn't 380 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:26,160 have that companionship that I needed, and I truly wanted that companionship. 381 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:29,010 So I like that aspect of it a lot. 382 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:34,890 Uh, a lot of people might, you know, think twice about AI and you know, 383 00:24:34,890 --> 00:24:40,590 it's really about the pre-programmed information that gets put into the toy. 384 00:24:40,950 --> 00:24:48,645 So when, when we build those type of augmented toys, you, you 385 00:24:48,645 --> 00:24:50,175 really have to think about that. 386 00:24:50,835 --> 00:24:57,225 So how can our listeners get involved and help with this project? 387 00:24:58,225 --> 00:25:00,255 Well, there's two main things that we're looking for right now. 388 00:25:00,255 --> 00:25:01,905 So number one is exposure. 389 00:25:02,535 --> 00:25:06,315 Uh, I said the, what we've done up till now is really just aimed at schools, 390 00:25:06,315 --> 00:25:07,365 and we just kind of focused on that. 391 00:25:07,365 --> 00:25:12,585 There wasn't really any type of public messaging, if you will. 392 00:25:13,065 --> 00:25:14,355 So I would say there's two things. 393 00:25:14,355 --> 00:25:17,115 So the first one, if they just wanna find out more about us, 394 00:25:17,115 --> 00:25:20,715 they can just go to, iam4kids.com. 395 00:25:21,225 --> 00:25:24,615 And it's got all those stuff about our programs, about what we're all about. 396 00:25:24,855 --> 00:25:28,455 There's even a little, there's a link on there about the, the TV show that 397 00:25:28,455 --> 00:25:30,075 we're putting together, et cetera. 398 00:25:30,075 --> 00:25:33,105 So, uh, if they wanna, you know, message me. 399 00:25:33,495 --> 00:25:37,425 So right now there's really not a lot of volunteer, uh, opportunities 400 00:25:37,425 --> 00:25:40,185 because I said we're really launching everything in January, okay? 401 00:25:40,185 --> 00:25:43,515 So, um, but if they would wanna get on our mailing list so that when 402 00:25:43,515 --> 00:25:46,215 those opportunities are available, there's a place on the website 403 00:25:46,215 --> 00:25:48,705 where they can do that and we'll be, we'll definitely be reaching out. 404 00:25:49,515 --> 00:25:54,555 The, the one ask that I would ask of the audience is, if you, we were talking 405 00:25:54,555 --> 00:25:59,475 about that TV show, and then if you think that that type of educational and 406 00:25:59,475 --> 00:26:03,855 empowering entertainment is something that would be good for kids as opposed 407 00:26:03,855 --> 00:26:09,285 to the, pretty much the mindless dribble that is thrown at them these days, is 408 00:26:09,285 --> 00:26:11,715 to, we put together a GoFundMe site. 409 00:26:12,345 --> 00:26:14,205 Now before you, everybody rolls their eyes. 410 00:26:14,625 --> 00:26:17,355 We're not asking everybody to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars. 411 00:26:18,225 --> 00:26:22,990 We're literally wanna get as many one dollar donations as we can. 412 00:26:24,270 --> 00:26:28,170 The reason behind this is that when we have that pilot complete and we take it 413 00:26:28,170 --> 00:26:34,560 to the, you know, Netflix, Hulu, ABC, NBC, et cetera, and we can say that, 414 00:26:34,770 --> 00:26:38,130 Look, we've got 40,000 people, we've got 50,000 people, however many that 415 00:26:38,130 --> 00:26:42,390 there are who gave us a dollar, that, in other words, they're paying for 416 00:26:42,390 --> 00:26:44,400 this type of content and these are paid 417 00:26:44,790 --> 00:26:46,260 for content services, right? 418 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:51,510 So we're bringing an audience with us, all you have to do is green light the project. 419 00:26:51,750 --> 00:26:54,540 Let us make our show and let's go do this and change the world. 420 00:26:55,380 --> 00:26:59,460 So if they want, somebody would like to go check that out, it's, iam4kids.tv, 421 00:27:01,605 --> 00:27:01,725 okay? 422 00:27:01,725 --> 00:27:03,085 So iam4kids.tv. 423 00:27:03,315 --> 00:27:04,935 There's about a three minute video there. 424 00:27:04,995 --> 00:27:07,035 Us talking about the show, what it's all gonna be about. 425 00:27:07,035 --> 00:27:09,045 You're gonna get to meet the characters, all that kind of stuff. 426 00:27:09,435 --> 00:27:12,705 I say if you like it, give us a dollar, share with your friends and see if 427 00:27:12,705 --> 00:27:13,995 you can convince them to do the same. 428 00:27:14,325 --> 00:27:17,055 If you don't think it's a good idea, that's fine too. 429 00:27:18,135 --> 00:27:20,205 That's, that's very powerful. 430 00:27:20,405 --> 00:27:22,485 You know, that's good marketing, Mark. 431 00:27:22,485 --> 00:27:23,805 I, I like that a lot. 432 00:27:24,105 --> 00:27:29,535 I, I kinda like that, you know, because it, it is a crowdsourced 433 00:27:29,595 --> 00:27:32,535 thing and that is influence. 434 00:27:32,895 --> 00:27:37,005 So very ingenious there, I like it a lot. 435 00:27:37,335 --> 00:27:42,625 Is there anything that we've missed that we need to cover about this topic today? 436 00:27:44,355 --> 00:27:46,514 I mean, how many hours do you have? 437 00:27:46,514 --> 00:27:46,635 No. 438 00:27:47,925 --> 00:27:48,225 Uh, 439 00:27:50,504 --> 00:27:50,625 no. 440 00:27:50,625 --> 00:27:56,115 It's, it is, I think that, oh, no, it's not, the, the, to me it, 441 00:27:56,115 --> 00:27:58,034 this is the perfect time for it. 442 00:27:58,245 --> 00:28:01,525 We didn't necessarily design it this way, we didn't choose it. 443 00:28:01,544 --> 00:28:06,985 But there's so many things that are going on that are affecting our kids today. 444 00:28:07,784 --> 00:28:13,890 And, and we just wanna make it, make their life, so it may go back to 445 00:28:13,890 --> 00:28:16,410 that pampering question, we wanna make the kids' life a little easier. 446 00:28:16,770 --> 00:28:20,460 Their, their, their lives shouldn't be as hard as they are these days. 447 00:28:21,450 --> 00:28:25,950 We wanna let them be able to be kids for as long as possible, if, if possible, 448 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,280 like me for the rest of their lives, okay? 449 00:28:31,035 --> 00:28:34,245 So I, I would just say that, you know, if, if they could take a look 450 00:28:34,245 --> 00:28:37,695 at what we're doing and, and if they have any, you know, ideas to share, 451 00:28:37,695 --> 00:28:41,775 but like I said, if they could support us in any way, um, to go to our website, 452 00:28:41,775 --> 00:28:44,055 all of our social media aspect is there. 453 00:28:44,385 --> 00:28:49,365 Uh, I'll, lemme say one other thing on that note, 'cause we're all about building 454 00:28:49,395 --> 00:28:53,925 the, the, the community, the movement, so when we're putting together the TV 455 00:28:53,925 --> 00:28:58,935 show, it's actually our social media platforms who are going to decide which of 456 00:28:58,935 --> 00:29:01,605 the stories that, that they will submit. 457 00:29:02,205 --> 00:29:07,245 Will then be put on and made into the next episodes. 458 00:29:09,015 --> 00:29:13,515 With the parent's permission, the child that's featured in that episode can then 459 00:29:13,515 --> 00:29:16,725 become the next I Am 4 Kids character. 460 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,300 So now we'll be always, we'll always be having something, you know? 461 00:29:22,020 --> 00:29:25,379 I'm a bit of a, um, like a TV and movie buff. 462 00:29:25,379 --> 00:29:28,110 Once again, I spent a lot of time alone when I was a kid, so 463 00:29:28,110 --> 00:29:29,340 I watched a lot of TV and movies. 464 00:29:29,340 --> 00:29:31,950 And I used to have a, uh, photographic memory. 465 00:29:32,610 --> 00:29:35,910 So people hate playing Trivial Pursuit with me or anything like that when 466 00:29:35,910 --> 00:29:37,260 it comes to TV and movie trivia. 467 00:29:38,129 --> 00:29:40,860 So, uh, are you familiar with the phrase Jump the Shark? 468 00:29:44,460 --> 00:29:48,210 Okay, so in, in the entertainment industry, it's a, a commonly used one, 469 00:29:48,210 --> 00:29:51,060 kind of like you tell an actor to break a leg when they're going, you know, for an 470 00:29:51,060 --> 00:29:52,230 audition, you know, that kind of stuff. 471 00:29:52,230 --> 00:29:53,610 So they'll end up in a cast. 472 00:29:53,940 --> 00:29:59,460 Um, the, the term jumping the shark went back to, back in the seventies, 473 00:29:59,460 --> 00:30:02,370 I want to say, was, uh, there's a huge hit show at the time, was the 474 00:30:02,370 --> 00:30:03,720 biggest show on TV called Happy Days. 475 00:30:04,635 --> 00:30:10,515 And it started off, and then, but as, as the, the characters got older and, you 476 00:30:10,515 --> 00:30:14,025 know, started having their own kids and stuff like that, the show just changed. 477 00:30:14,535 --> 00:30:16,995 And there was a particular episode where they're out in California, 478 00:30:17,505 --> 00:30:22,515 and for whatever reason, the Fonzi character gets challenged to do 479 00:30:22,515 --> 00:30:29,425 something and he, uh, is on water skis and he jumps over a caged shark. 480 00:30:29,754 --> 00:30:32,274 But allegedly going into this, he had no idea how to water ski. 481 00:30:32,274 --> 00:30:33,475 So he's just kinda like this, but he does it. 482 00:30:33,475 --> 00:30:37,135 So, and that was when everybody kind of went like, okay, you've 483 00:30:37,135 --> 00:30:39,715 run out of ideas, you know? 484 00:30:39,895 --> 00:30:43,375 So that's anytime, so that time when people start talking about 485 00:30:43,375 --> 00:30:46,585 jumping the shark, it's like, oh yeah, okay, it's, let's just cut 486 00:30:46,585 --> 00:30:48,055 this off now, kind of thing, okay? 487 00:30:48,625 --> 00:30:53,365 So, but by always having the new stories that are submitted by our 488 00:30:53,365 --> 00:30:56,545 audience and letting the audience pick the stories that are there, and then 489 00:30:56,545 --> 00:31:02,040 those kids, being the future characters that can then be in supporting casts, 490 00:31:02,639 --> 00:31:04,139 we'll never have to jump the shark. 491 00:31:04,139 --> 00:31:07,710 We'll always have new current stories to tell. 492 00:31:08,970 --> 00:31:10,020 I like that a lot. 493 00:31:10,110 --> 00:31:14,850 That, that's something I, I never heard of, but very interesting. 494 00:31:15,450 --> 00:31:19,260 Mark, it's been a pleasure speaking with you. 495 00:31:19,260 --> 00:31:23,280 You're an exciting guy, you're doing wonderful things. 496 00:31:23,700 --> 00:31:27,960 Could you tell people one more time how to reach out, get involved 497 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:29,850 with you, and how to reach you? 498 00:31:31,590 --> 00:31:32,100 Absolutely. 499 00:31:32,100 --> 00:31:37,380 So again, you can go to our website, iam4kids.com. 500 00:31:37,620 --> 00:31:39,570 So there's, you can message me there. 501 00:31:39,570 --> 00:31:42,690 You just, anything you need to know about us is, is gonna be on that site. 502 00:31:43,169 --> 00:31:49,620 And then if you'd like to support the TV show, that's iam4kids, iam4kids.tv. 503 00:31:49,990 --> 00:31:53,250 And that's all, all that information is on, on there as well. 504 00:31:53,250 --> 00:31:58,260 So I know my, I like to leave, every time I, uh, interact with, you know, 505 00:31:58,260 --> 00:32:02,100 somebody or people that are watching is to, you know, hopefully support us 506 00:32:02,100 --> 00:32:04,470 and then always remember to be great. 507 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,110 That, that's the Be Great Guy. 508 00:32:07,385 --> 00:32:08,850 I, I like it a lot, Mark. 509 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:14,640 Uh, I wanna say thank you for being part of the Dead America Podcast and 510 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:19,050 for being out there doing exciting things, especially for children. 511 00:32:21,270 --> 00:32:23,580 It's, it's my, it's, it's truly my mission. 512 00:32:23,580 --> 00:32:24,900 So, so thank you for having me. 513 00:32:28,020 --> 00:32:29,670 Thank you for joining us today. 514 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:36,570 If you found this podcast enlightening, entertaining, educational in any way, 515 00:32:37,350 --> 00:32:43,754 please share, like, subscribe, and join us right back here next week for another 516 00:32:43,754 --> 00:32:47,145 great episode of the Dead America Podcast. 517 00:32:47,445 --> 00:32:52,995 I'm Ed Watters, your host, enjoy your afternoon wherever you might be.