Battlefield Trauma Survivor to Anti-Bullying Advocate: Rick Yarosh’s Mission to Provide Purpose

Speaker 2

00:00

 This episode is awesome. Ricky aarush is a motivational speaker. He is a retired, US Army, Sergeant and a husband, and father of two. He served in Iraq for nine months before he was severely injured and burned badly in the Abu ghraib area in September of 2006. So, Man, he's got some incredible perspective on hardship and you know, embracing your hardship bring a sense of purpose and serving others in a sense of levity as well. He's got a really good sense of humor. So man, this was an awesome episode brick is a part of sweethearts and heroes, and they go around, and they speak with largely schools. A lot of times, it sounds like a middle schools. They're very busy. He's flying around the country, you know, the better part of the year, most weeks doing public speaking. And it's just an inspirational story, we talked about how no one is really self-made. If we're honest and how you need to be willing to ask for help when you're at rock bottom. But that, you know, he talks about another gold nugget. He dropped was that People say everything happens for a reason, and he pushes back a little bit on that. I am not going to spoil it. You're gonna have to list listen for it, but he's got an interesting take on that and whether everything actually does happen for a reason or not. So fantastic. Episode buckle up.

Speaker 1

01:48

 Welcome to the form adversity, to abundance podcast. Are you an entrepreneur or aspiring?

Speaker 2

01:54

 Entrepreneur? Then this show is.

Speaker 1

01:56

 For you. Each week, we bring you in Paxil stories of real people who have overcome painful human adversity, to create a life of abundance. You are not alone in your struggle, join us, and you will experience the power of true stories and gain practical Knowledge, from Founders, who have turned poverty into prosperity and weakness into wealth. This podcast will encourage you through your health relationship and financial challenges. So, you can become the hero in your quest for freedom, take ownership of the life, you are destined to live turn your adversity into abundance.

Speaker 2

02:40

 Welcome everybody to another episode of the form adversity to abundance podcast. I am your host Jamie Bateman, and I am thrilled today. We have with us a special guest Rick Yarosh. Rick is with sweethearts and heroes. We're going to dive into his story in a little bit. Rick, how are you doing today?

Speaker 1

03:00

 I am doing amazing. Jamie. And I am actually thrilled to be here with you as well.

Speaker 2

03:05

 Awesome. Now, where are you? Where are you joining us from?

Speaker 1

03:08

 I am in Vestal New. New York little town outside of Binghamton New York.

Speaker 2

03:14

 Got it. Okay. And for the, for the listener out there, you know, what are you up to today? What is your, give us a little more of a, snapshot of your, your life as it is today?

Speaker 1

03:24

 Yeah, sure. So, you know, injured, 17 years ago in Iraq, but today, that really what that had done for me, was lead me to. So, a lot of amazing things in my life and today, I am married. I have children. I have two daughters, Grace and Tenley. And my life makes me travel. You know, I am around New York State, really the Northeast speaking to students about Hope. And I know a lot about Hope because I also know a lot about hopelessness the times of my life, that I felt hopeless. I learned a lot from them and you know, through what happened to me, I can tell you today that what happened to me was the best thing that ever happened to me and that's just powerful to know, for somebody who's really struggling Through something, and then someday, they can maybe look at it as one of the best things that's ever happened to him. So, that's where I am at today. I am never thought I would be in this spot and this position with this mindset, but here I am, and I am blessed. Extremely Blessed, it's fantastic. Yeah, I know I am excited to dive in now, not that I wasn't before, but I am even more excited now. And I know you also mentioned before we hit record that you also own a restaurant. So we're going to dive into that a little bit as well.

Speaker 2

04:40

 So, you know, this our podcast is all about adversity and overcoming adversity and mindset and how you handle that and the lessons that you can, we can all learn from adversity that we can learn from our own adversity and the adversity of others. Applying that those lessons in our own lives and getting to a level of abundance. And obviously everyone's story is different with regard to. What does that adversity? Look like, what does that a didn't look like in your case I mean is this is obviously very apparent and serious adversity that you went through. So let us dive in. It sounds like you and I were actually had a little bit of crossover in 2006 that we were both in Iraq at the same time. So let us jump back. Where would you like to start 2006?

Speaker 1

05:37

 Yeah I mean that's the day everything Changed, you know, that's I mean, there was a big decision before that and that was joining the military and to terminal 4. And I tell people today, that it was the best decision that I have ever made because it led to the best thing that ever happened to me. Like, I told you that's thing, that's happening. That's awesome perspective. See, talk about that decision, but it's why did you join the military? I know you walk through a Barracks of army soldiers enlisted Men. He ones who when you walk into that barracks and you're seeing those bunks, and you're meeting these guys, most of them didn't know where to fit in elsewhere. And say, that's most of the reason people join in. You know, you got the big items. I have my big reasons 911, absolutely a part of that, but I think a lot of it is like, I don't know what else I want to do and I don't know where I am at. I need Add something in the military was that thing for me. I needed a change in my life. You know, I graduated from high school in 2000. I did a lot of odd cooking jobs. I worked at a pizzeria who know a Subway bunch of different Pizza, Places Bar and girls. And that's not what I wanted to do the rest of my life. I did college and it wasn't for me. I think I went twice a very good, but like, when I graduated from high school, I thought that diploma was gonna change my life, like the default. Was handed to me and everything changed and it's just not how it works here as we know as adults, like nothing changes unless we decide to make a change.

Speaker 2

07:10

 Absolutely, I didn't know that.

Speaker 1

07:12

 But that was one of the reasons was I just needed a place to go. I needed to make a change in my life 9/11, like I said. Yeah. But a pride that I had from 9/11, you know, anger for sure. But that's not the reason I joined. Yeah. Was the pride of people coming together? Yeah. That's what drove me.

Speaker 2

07:30

 To it. It? Yeah, it's interesting. I certainly don't hope for another 911. Please don't, you know? Hopefully, no one, no one missed quotes. Me on this but.

Speaker 1

07:40

 No, but I already know what you're going to say.

Speaker 2

07:42

 Yeah, man. It's just, I was talking with some friends a couple weeks ago and took our nation is so divided and so polarized. And just everything is a hot-button issue and everyone's offended. And, you know, I don't want to go too far on this but basically you know I thought I had the thought and I said it out loud. It's almost like Need another you know tragedy like that to bring us.

Speaker 1

08:04

 Together before we're waiting for another tragedy and it's so silly. Why don't you wait for? I would even tell you that tragedy could be avoided my coming together you know like let us not even just come together before the charity. Let us avoid the tragedy by come here. Like.

Speaker 2

08:21

 That's ridiculous. Yeah, but I am with you I joined after 9/11 during the 2003 and you know and absolutely one of the themes of our Podcast that's, in hindsight. Looking back. The that really has been a pattern or a thread through many of the episodes. I would say probably, every episode really is that people need a sense of purpose, they need a sense of connection, a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves. And so, you know, I know for me, I was, I had Athletics going on, then that was gone and now it's in a size, then it was now, what, what am I, what am I plugged into? What am I serving? You know, so, For me, it was similar to you, in that sense, that it was, I needed to be a part of something bigger than myself and, and so those are, you know, I can totally identify and I know our listener can identify maybe not on the military front, but everyone needs to be connected and serving a greater cause a greater purpose. So kudos to you, for making that decision. So you, you get deployed, you're in Iraq. In 2006. Take it from. There.

Speaker 1

09:31

 Yeah, so nine months into my deployment. I was there, I was in Iraq for nine months. We moved around Baghdad area. We were never directly in the center of the city, but we were on the outskirts of the city and nine months into the deployment I was in the area of Abu ghraib the in Infamous. I believe we actually lived inside of the prison when we hand, when we hand it back over to the Iraqis, now, we Work in the prison. That was just our Barracks. We live in a prison cells. So we were not there when all of that bad, all share stuff happened.

Speaker 2

10:10

 So you were, but you had a lot of interaction with the Iraqis themselves. It sounds like right. Yeah, we did.

Speaker 1

10:16

 Yeah, we had, you know, some of the little tiny basis that we lived on the patrol bases that we lived on had Iraqi Army living on them as well. So yeah, I had a lot of energy interaction to the sense that I spoke none of their language, and they are not of mine, but we sorry, Each other all the time.

Speaker 2

10:32

 Got it. No, I was just curious because I was gonna MIT team, and we were not living with the Iraqi Army essentially and training them and those interpreters that you alluded to are critical, you know. So, but yeah, it's a man, it's an experience for sure. So you're there for nine months and then on September 1st, everything changed for you. Talk about.

Speaker 1

10:56

 That. You know, I almost say it's the day, my life turned upside down. But I guess maybe that's what my life needed to do was turn upside down. But yeah, so September 1st 2007.

Speaker 2

11:07

 26, yeah.

Speaker 1

11:10

 2006, I was in a convoy, you know, going on a mission and I can't even tell you exactly what the mission was today. I think we're going to meet somebody in one of the little Villages there, one of the Sheikh's that was there, and we were going to You know, just isn't every day the same kind of thing every day. You know, we don't we say we don't do presents patrols, but there were presents patrols, and that's kind of stuff we were doing, but we were the fifth vehicle in our Convoy. We had five vehicles, three Humvees to Bradley's. We were the rear vehicle, which means rear security which also means all you can see is the dust that's being kicked out from the vehicles in front of you. So not ideal position to be in, so we decided to move up to the fourth vehicle. And not even two minutes. After we moved up to being the fourth vehicle, our Bradley was hit with an IED improvised explosive device. For those that don't know. And the explosion went through the bottom of the vehicle up into the turret where I was sitting, I was the gunner in the vehicle and for those that don't know anything about the Bradley in the turret of the Bradley is also where we have our fuel tank and hit the fuel tank causing, you know, bigger fire and instantly. I was on fire In new. The first thing I had to do, if I had any chance to survive, any of this, I had to get out of the vehicle. I couldn't think about tomorrow, I couldn't even think about being outside of the vehicle. I just had to get out and that's what I did. I climb through the top hatch, which I left open that day, which normally we do not, because of chemical attacks. We keep all the hatches closed. I left it open, and I am so thankful and so, so blessed that I did, because I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. So, I climbed to the top. Yeah, it's crazy that I did, and I think it's because my buddy Montes, who was the commander standing next, to me, he actually was standing on his seat that day, which meant he was outside of the vehicle, as well, which means he left his hatch open. So I think that's.

Speaker 2

13:09

 Absolutely the hatch being open or closed is kind of option you have because I am not familiar with Brad. I mean, I understand I know what they are, but I didn't have first-hand knowledge of Bradley so it's just an option. But for the most part you were you generally kept them close, right? Yeah.

Speaker 1

13:26

 Kept them close within a movie called Being buttoned up. We sure shut everything down that way. Nothing could get. So if we were in like a combat situation you don't want as well to hop down in, and we would have closed all the hatches sure. But a lot of times we just rolled out that way but as you know in Iraq it's not cool and extremely hot. No, any kind of Breeze at all. Was helpful in the Bradley. I mean it was 120 degrees outside anyways and then inside the Bradley it was so hot so you tried to leave them open when we could but not after.

Speaker 2

13:58

 Excellence. And there's a lot of discretion in those kind of details as far as day today, you do this every day like you said over and over. So all right, so the hatch is open and so there's a huge explosion sounds like and you're literally on fire and you have got to get out of the vehicle and then what happens? Yeah, I am in.

Speaker 1

14:19

 Golf. That every single, you know, part of my body was on fire. I can remember where my CBC your own with the road, indecent Over the ears for the to hear the rest from the radio. And I can remember getting outside of the vehicle and when I got to the top of the oak, I can remember like melting and it was still connected inside of the vehicle. So I had to get it off. And what I can remember, it was melting to my in my face but I couldn't see, I could only feel that I couldn't see anything because my face was on fire and the fire was covering my eyes, but I knew I had to jump off of the vehicle like it didn't matter how high. Hi, it was off of the ground. 10 feet, right? Thursday is a.

Speaker 2

15:01

 Ground, it's all bad options at this point, I mean.

Speaker 1

15:03

 That's right. Yeah, I am not taking time. I am not taking time to climb down the vehicle. I don't even know where the vehicle is the edges. I am just gonna jump and pray them off of the vehicle, and that's what I did. And there were no options. It was jump. So I did jump, I took that leap of faith and I did make it to the ground, but when I landed on the ground, since I couldn't see it, I didn't land safely. I broke my leg. I severed an artery. In my leg when I broke it and, you know, they amputated my leg four days later in the hospital. Now I am on the ground and, you know, so I did the two steps like, you know, got out of the vehicle and I got off of the vehicle, but now I got to get higher up and just like, we're all taught to do. And we're 45 years old, stop drop and roll, and I am right roll around on the ground. And when I think of stop drop and roll, I think of rolling back and forth and back and forth, not like Rolling In One Direction. So I am going back and forth and I don't know if this is something they should teach but you know stop drop and roll does not work when you're engulfed in flames and you're covered in fuel, it doesn't work. There're other ways to put the fire out, but that's what I was taught to do, and that's what I did, but it didn't work. And when I realized it didn't work and it was the only thing I knew how to do. And honestly, I couldn't stand up and run because my leg was already broken. And I even if I could, what was I going by my faith? I couldn't see. So, I gave up. I gave up and I say I talk about Hope a lot and I know a lot about Hope, but I said I know a lot about Hope because I know a lot about hopelessness and At that moment I was hopeless. I didn't think I was gonna make it, I just did stop drop and roll. I couldn't put the fire out, I set it up into the sky and I just accepted that I would die. My biggest regret of my life right there because I will never give up again, ever, I don't care how difficult it gets and that doesn't mean I won't succumb to something someday. Obviously, I will, but I will fight until the very end. I don't care how hard it is. I will never give up. Again, I will never have to hold that regret again in my life and got two sweethearts and heroes, the organization that I work with hope stands for hold on possibilities exist. Like if you don't hold on, you're never gonna find out the amazing possibilities that exist for you. And I hate No, what they were that day. Like what I wrestle or play football? Again, that was kind of something. Wouldn't I be a doctor someday? Probably not in, get very good grades in school, but or what-have-you presenting to students and adults someday, you know, I didn't know. Sure. It didn't matter. I was given up on all of it that day.

Speaker 2

17:42

 If you give up, hope then you're definitely not doing any of that right now. So, but just so tactically. I mean, this is theirs. I mean, it's, there's nothing. I can say that, I don't know. What? That's what that's like but tactically. You know what could you have done? If you had your not given up, hope what should you have done in?

Speaker 1

18:01

 Hindsight? Anything got it? I don't know the answer but anything I don't, they answer is never nothing and that's kind of what I am figuring and sometimes you don't know what the right is but doing anything will help you maybe find out what the answer is doing. Nothing will certainly not and that's right what I did. But it only gave up hope for a second. And you know, the hopelessness that I am talking about, it's not only me and life and death situation. We all deal with difficult things in our life and absolutely Miss. and lack of Hope. And hold on man come on you're going to find doubt that there's really amazing things even in something that's difficult that you have been doing for a long time that you love doing and you say I don't want to do it anymore because it's gotten too hard in my life. Alright sure. I mean that is giving up and you will find out that you're never gonna see the results from getting through it and You're never going to get to experience the reward that comes from getting through that difficult thing. It's difficult for a reason that probably means there's a really big reward at the end when you get.

Speaker 2

19:03

 Through it. That's really, that's really good, eventually. So go.

Speaker 1

19:07

 Ahead. I rolled in One Direction. I just kept rolling in One Direction instead of rolling back and forth, trying to put the fire out, eventually I rolled in One Direction and I actually fell into one of the canals in Iraq. Yeah, wow. Yeah. Okay, save my life, put the fire out. Save my life. You know, You almost killed me because of how dirty it was. I am filthy. The water was, I ended up extremely sick in the hospital from it, but I saved my life. And if I was in the same situation, again, I roll into it again, knowing that it would almost kill me.

Speaker 2

19:37

 So and that was intentional or that says, you just found yourself there.

Speaker 1

19:41

 That's just where I found myself. I had no idea that there was even, I mean, I knew they were canals all over girl's that we but yeah, I was, when I was rolling, I wasn't thinking I am gonna fall into a canal. I was just rolling because that was a sin. You don't do nothing. Do something. And that was what I was doing. Just something that ended up in a.

Speaker 2

19:59

 Canal. Wow. Okay, so obviously, you're just still here, I mean so what happened, who got you out of the canal? What happened after.

Speaker 1

20:08

 That? Yeah, so we had, we had our, we had snipers. We were psalmist, Scout, Cavalry Scout. And we had snipers attached to us. And one of our snipers found me and one of the actually, the Bradley that ended up moving behind us the commander of that vehicle. Found me as well. So they came down before they found me though. Everybody thought I was still in the vehicle, which means they thought I was gone, because if I wasn't out of that vehicle, at that point, I was dead. So they thought they didn't even think I had gotten out of the vehicle because there was so much smoke and fire than if the everything was a mess. So they thought I was still inside, eventually, they heard me yelling, and they came down and found me and one of them grabbed under my arms, and then, the other one, grab my legs. And as soon as they grab my Leg. That's when I felt real pain from the break of my leg. I said hey my leg is broken ground on fire. So you grab the higher They Carried me out and want, you know, they hung out with me, and we're helping me because I was going through a lot obviously, at that moment and that's just me. But my buddies who are watching me, they're going through a lot too and my other buddies who were in the vehicle with me they're going to its chaos. I mean at that point you can start hearing the rounds of the Bradley cooking off from the fire and it's just chaos.

Speaker 2

21:30

 So from a physical standpoint, was anyone else wounded or.

Speaker 1

21:34

 Injured? Yeah, so Sergeant Montes, who was the commander? Who was the one knob standing next to me on his scene he was burned very badly and then Sergeant are. Sorry specialist low. He was our driver, and he was burned, as well. He was in the front of the vehicle. So most of his burn for, on his, on his back, but now, Sergeant has actually done not make it. He ended up. Yeah, so he made it to the hospital, but seven days later. He passed away. Wow.

Speaker 2

22:03

 Yeah, yeah. This I mean, it's heavy stuff, man. So you know, obviously we could spend, you know, the entire episode talking about your recovery and all that and there's a ton we're just going to have to glossed right over? Of course. Yeah, but talk about your recovery specifically from a mindset standpoint. I mean what It's, you know what's going through your mind that in the ensuing days and weeks.

Speaker 1

22:29

 In that, the mental mess that I was there. I can't imagine basically store, I was a mess, but a lot of that recovery came in. The hands of other people helping me, do it, like the doctors and nurses, psych, our physical therapists occupational, therapists, like a lot of that stuff was kind of out of my hands. Some of it was up to me, for sure, getting out of bed but being To get out of bed. Like we talked about sweethearts and the sweethearts in Heroes world, the sweethearts other, carriers of Hope but really, so we speak anti bullying in schools, and we can say we can take the word bullying, right? Out of the presentation. It's the same message about taking care of each other, but if you look back in the 16th century, when the word bully was invented and actually met sweetheart and yeah, it was somebody in your life, who pushed you over and over again and sometimes they did it and made you uncomfortable by doing it. Which sounds like the bully of today, but they push you to make you better. Like they knew what you were capable of in The Sire protection. So my physical therapist were in my room and Rick man, you gotta get up, you gotta get out of that bed. I know you're dealing a lot. I don't want you to have to do this, but you have to do this. So they were pushing me, that's, you know, some of the sweethearts in my life. I hope they have given me so that recovery was a mess. Because mentally I was a mess. And the first time I saw my face that was the Biggest thing, one of the biggest things recognizing that. So I actually saw my face in the reflection of my laptop for months, and.

Speaker 2

24:03

 Yes, we weren't even. We weren't even planning to see it. I mean, it was all nobody.

Speaker 1

24:07

 Wanted me to see my face. They covered the mirror in my room, they covered it with old pictures. Is that if I ever went by and my wheelchair, I couldn't see it. So they didn't want me to say it. My mom brought me my left off one day and said it on my lap didn't think of anything about. I didn't think anything about it and sharpened it up. And there was my face and then reflection. And as soon as I saw myself, it was like, do I even really want to get out of the hospital? You know, my whole goal up until that point was, I can't wait to leave this place and then I saw myself and it's like, do I even want to like, huh? Who's going to accept me? Who's going to give me opportunity a big one that people don't want to talk about, and it's hard to talk about, but who's going to choose to love me? Like that's part of it. So all that was flooding in But again, thankfully I had amazing people that were surrounding me at that time when that in that hospital, and giving me the hope that I needed, help me out through it. But I am telling you right now that the recovery, the mental part of it was extremely difficult. And, you know, I will take very little credit or a lot of my mental well-being. A lot of it. Yeah, I had to want to get better, that's for sure. I had to have it but I needed other people to help me. And so, So many people are so against accepting help from others because then they can't tell other people. I did it on my own or yeah, or, you know, two of the worst words that I can't stand it. But I know people say and I just know they're misunderstanding it, but they can't say no longer that they're self-made.

Speaker 2

25:45

 Yeah, yeah. I was actually literally just thinking of saying that about self-made Millionaires, and, you know, this stuff at nobody's self-made, know it.

Speaker 1

25:55

 — now, I mean, single person. Yeah, and I know, yeah, I am not one to call people. I am not, I am not, that's not me. That's not who I am. I am not here to make anyone uncomfortable, but when I hear self-made, this is a tough one for people to hear. What I really hear is somebody saying that they're selfishly made because they can't give anyone else credit like dude, even the bad people in your life, affected your life, even those bad people they Active your life to help you get to where you are today.

Speaker 2

26:27

 Absolutely. I mean, yeah, I know I couldn't agree more. That's, that's, I mean, it's, yes. We have a ton of influence over our own day-to-day life, generally speaking in our, in our future, and we should take control, we should take ownership of our own, you know, well-being in our own actions, take responsibility for our lives, whether that's Financial, whether that's, you know, anything else. But you're not. None of us are, you know, God or you know, it's like you, you're one person. You being in the situation that you were to have this explosion happens? Wasn't all you're doing either? I mean there were, you know, there are a lot of other factors and so what are one or two sounds like one of the lessons you learned through this, the recovery process from a mental standpoint, is that you need help? You need other people You know, to be a part of your own well-being. What other lessons did you learn through that recovery process? Yeah so in.

Speaker 1

27:32

 That same thing you know like I have just realized that if I cannot do something on my own which there are absolutely things I can't do on my own, there're things you can do on your own Jamie there're things that everybody that's listening right now cannot do on their own and if they don't ask for help, it will never get done. Like that is silly. So eat that Pride for a second and ask for help him again. It's something that I have learned to do that. So that's absolutely one thing that I have learned and today, also, I have learned that, you know, that's when I hear that saying, you know, everything happens for a reason. I am not a true buyer of that saying in itself. I don't want to put quotes just around that sentence. I want to put quotes around everything happens for a reason if I make it for a reason. Hmm, because if I got blown up, and I sat in, In my room, the rest of my life, which people would have accepted because they were like Rick, you know, that war veteran, who was injured very badly, and he's dealing with a lot. So, let us just leave him alone. Like, what is it for them? Hmm.

Speaker 2

28:38

 I don't really don't want. Yeah, they had everything leaving it. Yeah. That your there's a, there's some Nuance there and I get what you're saying. It's, you know, everything happens for a reason can lead you to play more of the victim mentality, the victim card, and Not be a part of your creating that reason or creating purpose out of that adversity. Right? Yeah, so that's, that's really interesting. Yeah, I hadn't thought of it like that. Exactly. So what did your so walk us through kind of the next, you know, few years. How did your life go from 2006 through, say 2010, what did that look like?

Speaker 1

29:18

 You know? So you talked about it earlier have a sense of purpose and this world and joining the military Terry is such a big part of that and now it was taken from me like that purpose that I had. And, you know, we talk about the number of suicides and Veterans every day and how many there are. And I know the number was 22 for a long time. I don't know if that's still where we're at, but I know it's too high. No matter how many people, how many are not what that number.

Speaker 2

29:43

 Is, but it's a that's 20 to.

Speaker 1

29:47

 22 service members every day, every day. I will see ya. The veterans, I am some a person that has served in the military. Military active duty Army veteran, and then numbers obviously too high. And, but, you know, I don't think it's too disproportionate to the rest of the world as well, like not just better just people. Yeah, I would say with veterans, you know, you have, you talked about it, having such a purpose in the military and then, then you get out of military willingly or not. When you're you choose to or not. All of a sudden, it's hard to find the same kind of purpose when you're defending a nation. I think people struggle with that. Like they get out they're like trying to find a purpose. That's equal equivalent sure. It's hard to do.

Speaker 2

30:33

 Yeah. Your entire identity is wrapped up in that and for good reason, right? I mean it's I am not knocking that but it's not. It.

Speaker 1

30:40

 Should, it should be a little bit.

Speaker 2

30:42

 Yeah. And then it well and then it's gone now. Who are you whether again like you said, whether it's Someone retiring from the military or even retiring from a civilian job. Yeah we had I had a professional baseball player on the show, and he got injured and his career was over and Am I who am I right? And so it's critical for all of us and so that's gone now so for you and your case. So that's gone. At least I know. It's never going to look the same as far as your career in the military, right? So, so now, what's going through your mind? Mind and what's happening in your world at that point?

Speaker 1

31:22

 I knew I needed to find something. I didn't know how long it would need to take to do that or I had to do it instantly. I didn't really. I knew I had to recover first getting a first and foremost, but I also knew that I needed a purpose in life and, you know, being a soldier was gone, being a football player and wrestler that was over being a leader in the military. That was not going to happen. So, you know, again, you know, I talk about people in my life and the help that I received You belong the way. And I am not who I am today without them. But I went to an event that my mom signed me up for and, you know, probably three months after I got out of the hospital. So, nine months after my injury, I am still in my wheelchair. I am a mess. I can't use my hands at all. I am just a disaster.

Speaker 2

32:07

 But those are really two thousand seven ish. Well.

Speaker 1

32:10

 This is yeah. So what about Emily wrong May or June? Okay.

Speaker 2

32:13

 07 and how old were you at this point? Just.

Speaker 1

32:16

 For a little more context. Always get This one wrong. So I think I was 25. Okay, 25 at that time, got it. Yeah, trying to figure out who I am. I go to my mom, signed me up for this event. So the hospital San Antonio. These events in Houston, Sugar, Land, Texas. And I go to the event and, you know, second day, the guy, one of the guys is putting the event on comes up to me, and he says some pretty amazing words to me. He says, what do you want to do? Now those are amazing words because he didn't come up and say, hey.

Speaker 2

32:49

 Man, you should do this. Hmm.

Speaker 1

32:51

 You should try this. He said what do you want to do? And I think all of us have a problem with telling people what they should do, what they want. We want them to do not whatever. So yeah. So what do you want to do? And I for some reason I still cannot figure, I think I have a little bit of an idea of why but I said I want to be a public speaker. Hmm. Now when I said that yeah I don't know why. So that because I was terrified of public speaking. I mean more than terrified, I took it in high school and I should have failed because I didn't one presentation in front of my class and that was the one where we had a partner, and we could do it with a partner and I made fruit salad in front of my class. That was the only public speech that I did by tell him that I want to be a public speaker.

Speaker 2

33:39

 So he said it was to challenge yourself or what do you think? Well.

Speaker 1

33:43

 So when I was in that hospital at night, Night when I couldn't sleep because of everything I was dealing with. I would watch TV and one of the channels that was almost our Chapel Channel and it was like at night, they put a VHS tape and downstairs and the chapel and it would play throughout the hospital on our little TVs. And since there's not a lot, I would watch that and it was reruns. But I saw I watched the same thing a lot and there was a story about a Vietnam veteran Named Dave Reaper and Dave was burned very badly in the Vietnam War, and he actually went through Brooke, Army Medical Center, you know, 30 40 years before me when he went. Was injured and Dave was a public speaker. Okay. And you know, just watching Dave coming from where he was as his burned guy, you know. So some similarities there were going to be learning. Some will not the same. Yeah.

Speaker 2

34:31

 You have a connection with him. Yeah, we.

Speaker 1

34:32

 Connected and then you know, watching where he was, I wanted to be like him. We talk about heroes in our life and who are they and heroes really are just people that we want to be liked and emulate, and we look up to and I wanted to be like him in a lot of ways. He had a family, he had a wife and children, he had a job that he loved. So I told that guy I want to be a public speaker. Okay. I don't think I had really thought about that a whole lot, honestly, before I said it, but I told him that. And he said, what people.

Speaker 2

35:00

 Say, All right. Why do you want?

Speaker 1

35:02

 No, I am gonna help you. I am gonna have a nice. Yeah, but you know what? That's just what people say, sure. And then you never hear. You never hear from them again, you know, it's the easy way out of a conversation. That's difficult because this guy's not a public speaker. How is he going to help me be a public speaker? So I am at the event for three days. I go home back to my, I had an apartment across the street, from the hospital still on base, and he calls me a week later. He says, hey, I got your Public speaking engagement, and I was like, oh no.

Speaker 2

35:36

 Yeah like he's calling your bluff.

Speaker 1

35:39

 Right? Yeah. The one guy that follows through with what he says he's gonna do, I tell him, that's also speaker. So he gave me that opportunity. He gave me the opportunity to be a public speaker. And 17 years later here, I am talking to over almost 2 million students across the.

Speaker 2

35:55

 Country. Yeah. So what does your kind of what's a typical week or month? Look like for your, with, with regard, to your public speaking. So, September, October November, you know, the beginning of the school year, just, that's when every school wants a presenter to come in. If you're going to make a change in your culture, you don't do it. The last day of school, you do it the first day of school so, are we? So our this is the start of school years. Every single day I am gone, I leave Sunday. Usually and I don't come home until Friday once in December hips. I am usually doing two weeks a month.

Speaker 1

36:31

 With, you know, that those weeks after I am still doing some sides like this is my week off and I worked yesterday and I work Thursday and Friday. So that's how a week off. I had to looks. So we're busy.

Speaker 2

36:42

 But that's why we were able to get you in.

Speaker 1

36:44

 Late May. That's right. That's.

Speaker 2

36:46

 Right. But we're definitely happy to, you know, happy to have you on, for sure. So how did that from that first speaking engagement, you know, through today? I know there's a lot that happened but what was your journey like? Like.

Speaker 1

37:02

 You know, it's a tough Journey but it's starts and ends like this. It started as something that I hated public spoon, became something that I needed that first. Public speaking engagement that I did, it was I needed that I needed to talk about what happened to me, and I think too many times when we have something really awful that happens, whether we see it is really awful. We don't talk about it, and we got to talk about it, we got them become comfortable. With it. Because what I know is, I can't change what happened to me, but I can't change how I look at it. And if I talk about it more of, that helps me change how I look at what happened. It makes me become comfortable with it. So it started to something. I hated became something, I needed then became something that I wanted to do. I enjoyed it and today, it's a love. I love it, but it started with something I hated. Hmm, and today I love it. So I mean Journey simply put, yeah, I hate do it.

Speaker 2

37:58

 That's really good because a lot of people, you know, Even when they're making just career decisions, they often think a lot of the advice is Follow Your Passion, right? And that can be okay. And this is just my opinion, but you might end up hating your passion if you make it a career and also you're not really concerned with serving others. You're just concerned with kind of. What do you like doing, right? So, here's kind of the converse where you started out doing something. You didn't actually like it, you saw it. A challenge and moved and changed into something that you got really good at and you really enjoy. So that's, that's fascinating. So, you know, I guess how did your from a speaking action, curious, from a speaking perspective, what did you have to work on? And you know, what have you gotten better with regard to speaking in public speaking in particular?

Speaker 1

38:57

 And when I first started, you know, My speech is been maybe 10 minutes, 15 minutes. I didn't know how to make them longer. Like, I can tell you the injury of what happened to me in Iraq and five minutes. Sure. Then I didn't know what else to talk about. Like, okay, so, you know, I think people got a really good story of what happened to me in Iraq. Sure. Yeah. What was I doing for them? Other than giving them a story. Sure. And that's what I had to figure out. What am I doing for these people? I have to because I want me to realize after that first speaking engagement that I had that people were going to listen to me because of the way I look and because of the story that I had, so I got that part. Now, if I am going to have people that are listening to me, I need to help them and.

Speaker 2

39:44

 It's interesting. I just real quickly that resonates with me quite a bit particular with this, this podcast. You know, I started it. And it's been wonderful. I love doing it. I love, you know, hearing stories and learning and expanding my own network. And there're all kinds of ways I benefit from it, but I have been going through some introspection just being a little vulnerable here with the, with podcasting itself. You know, stories are fine and people listened to stories, they're entertaining, and we love stories, and we remember them. But what's the point, right? And so what is the value? Add of my podcast, you know? And, so I intentionally been trying to get guests on who can add value. And you know, some are more inspirational others might bring you know particular small business service. Right? So my point is isn't to get too far in the Weeds on that, but it's more of a mindset shift of, what's the value that? I am bringing to the listener and that's really what, I am what I am focused on now, so I love that. That's, that's awesome. So how did your public speaking change? Once you were able to make that mindset shift?

Speaker 1

40:55

 So that's when I recognized the hopelessness that I fell in the hole that I got back, and Today I it's pretty powerful and you can tell somebody I will never give up. Hope again in my life that doesn't mean I won't feel hopeless again in my life and I will never give up hope again in my life. I will hold onto it and I will find it and I will keep fighting for it even through the difficult things that I deal with. So, what I realized that and I, when I end, especially when I realized, especially middle schoolers who are struggling with so much and, you know, as adults a lot of adults, Get it in like other just week. Yeah.

Speaker 2

41:36

 yeah we're having.

Speaker 1

41:37

 Now not true.

Speaker 2

41:38

 No. My son's in seventh grade and this isn't well, I won't go too far into it, but he's very, you know, it's really hard.

Speaker 1

41:46

 To really difficult timing. It was hard for us to she was hard for us. We forget about how hard it was. It's harder for them. We didn't have and, you know, I hate the gonna blame social media for a sec. Yeah, no. It's But we sure that we could Escape things, we could go home. We can walk out into the woods and forget about it, but now there's no escaping it with the social media and the phone's, it's okay. It's a lot harder for kids. And then the amount of decisions that Kids can make today. Yeah, it's information overload. There's the pandemic and there're all kinds of factors, but I think what you're really getting at is empathy and certain and just understanding where these middle schoolers are coming from, in this case. So obviously your public speaking in and of itself as far as your skill, you know, improved dramatically, it sounds like.

Speaker 2

42:47

 Um, and so and then how did the, you know, sweethearts and heroes come to be talked about the organization. What is that all.

Speaker 1

42:57

 About? Yeah, so sweethearts in Heroes, like I said earlier, you know, anti-bullying is kind of the flag that we waved and that would get us into the schools and but I like I said, it's almost like a trick because you can take the bullying right out of the presentation and in the end it's about taking care of each other and treating each other right away. And also I mentioned that word empathy recognizing that everyone is dealing with something. And, you know, empathy, it's extremely difficult to be mean to somebody when you really know what their life is when you really know what they're going through. So that's sweethearts and heroes. And now a nutshell, you know, we create sweethearts, we create Heroes, sweethearts of the carriers are hope Heroes of the people who jump into action and do things that other people aren't willing to do especially in the bullying world to stop that. He wasn't happening. So that's we are seniors in a nutshell, but I came into it 12 years ago when I they heard me speak. This person here has heard me present to a record group and that early the early stages. I was just kind of telling my story, and they said, you know, this would fit and I didn't know how but I assure you Rose in that scary. I heard that scared. I want to be a hero. I listened. I always. Appreciate when somebody else will call me here. I will not be like yeah, I don't see myself that way. Hmm, But that's not up to me to tell somebody else how they see. So I appreciate what, but I am not gonna roll into a school and be like, hey I am the hero of.

Speaker 2

44:32

 Sweetheart Heroes. Yeah.

Speaker 1

44:34

 But that's not what Heroes was. I found that out and you know after some really chance things that happened, I ended up joining up and I said, joining the Army was the best one of the best decisions I have ever made sweethearts and heroes was The one because I was speaking on my own but I would not have grown if it wasn't for the people, I got met a sweet hearts and.

Speaker 2

44:55

 Arrows, I love that I miss and one of the takeaways for me from that is you were doing your best, putting your best foot forward as far as public speaking on your own, not worried about where it was going to go. Long term, know you were focused on delivering value at that time and then hey circumstances this opportunity presented.

Speaker 1

45:16

 Itself and the value. Has grown so much because of that.

Speaker 2

45:20

 That's awesome. Yeah, so to The Listener out there, you know if you are discouraged if you like you said earlier, if you're grinding at your job and you feel hopelessness, we're not saying, never think about a career change, but right do your best at what's presented, you know, today, right? And you never know where that's going to who's watching you and what opportunities are going to present themselves because of your because of you, you know, doing your best today. So I love that and So you have been with the organization for 12 years now?

Speaker 1

45:50

 Yeah, about 12 years. Yeah. Right around there. 12.

Speaker 2

45:52

 Years. Awesome. So I do have some kind of Rapid Fire questions for you, you ready? Yes. I am ready. So Rick once, what is one thing that people misunderstand about you? So I think.

Speaker 1

46:09

 When people first see me, they see me as I am not helpless but like, you know, there are certain things that I struggle with and I don't see it as a struggle, a lot of the times, I defeated my life like this is what I drop something on the ground. I might have. It might take me a little time to pick it up but that's the way I look at it. Somebody looks at me, and they see a struggle to happen. Something I just think it's a part of my day. So I think people misunderstand that I am not. How helpless I do a lot of my own, but also if I am is I can't pick that thing up on the ground, I am not going to be afraid to ask you kids. On the other hand, a lot of kids think of that I am sad and this is interesting Stacy, the original injury still and yeah but once I am done talking to them, they realize. Wow, he's not sad at all. Yeah, but I am extremely happy. Extremely happy.

Speaker 2

47:05

 Awesome. That's a really very good answer. Looking back at your life. Thus far. What would you say is one of your biggest failures are regrets?

Speaker 1

47:15

 Man. And you know, it's one of my biggest fears and regrets but if I change that wouldn't be here today. And that's, you know, how I didn't when I was in high school. My grades and I loved Athletics. I was football wrestler. But sure. Am I put that on the back burner and I didn't care? The, the reason I regret it so much is that it's not, it was something that was in my control that I did nothing. To change, and that's a regret of mine. But again, I change it. I am not here. I probably want to join them.

Speaker 2

47:44

 So they're now it's understandable. If you could have coffee with any historical figure, who would it?

Speaker 1

47:51

 Be? Oh man. Jesus Christ.

Speaker 2

47:57

 Nice do you did answer. All right.

Speaker 1

47:59

 Yeah. And you know and it comes from like I look up to the man but I also have a ton of questions. Hmm. And in faith in general like my faith is a roller coaster, it's a roller coaster ride and I would love to sit down and just have a conversation.

Speaker 2

48:19

 It's a good one. Yeah. If you were given 10 million dollars tomorrow, Rick what would you do with it?

Speaker 1

48:30

 Oh man. Okay, I will tell you what. I would want to do with it, I would want to donate it. I have always wanted to make enough money to donate a million dollars to St. Jude's. You know, when I see kids struggling that hurts me more than anything else. Sure, I would be especially not having my own children. I would say that I would, so I know I would donate some of it and then, you know, I would give some to my family, you know, my wife's family. My family. And who knows what I would do with the rest? I don't know. I don't have a lot of needs in my life. I have a lot of things that I am happy with.

Speaker 2

49:07

 Rice. Now what's a we touched on we mentioned, briefly that you own a restaurant, talk about that house, it did that come to fruition and what does that look like today? I married somebody whose family owned a restaurant. Okay, there. Yeah. So it will do it. I have always wanted to own a restaurant. I had this idea of the Purple Heart Steakhouse really early on. You know, I want to name every item on the menu after somebody that had a Purple Heart, the name of the restaurant would be Louisa's purple.

Speaker 1

49:40

 Steakhouse could that's Louis Montes. Well, I lost. And if I ever opened a second one, they would be Anthony's or Tony's purple her steak house because what I didn't mention earlier was my buddy who pulled me out of that Canal, who was standing over me and helping me. He was actually killed in Afghanistan a couple of years later. So I always had that idea and then, you know, I married my wife, Amy and her family, own the restaurant. So I knew we would own that restaurant Sunday, and I always make the joke said, I wanted to own a restaurant someday, just not that one. But when your wife wants you to own a restaurant, guess what.

Speaker 2

50:14

 Guess what, you own a restaurant. So how is that? It sounds like you don't do too much of the day-to-day with the restaurant. It's that look like from an operational standpoint. It's.

Speaker 1

50:25

 Just she runs the restaurant day-to-day. You don't want a big decision needs to be made. I didn't there when it's something needs to be ordered. Like a new piece of equipment, something needs to be fixed. I set all that stuff up. I do all the books, the numbers. If I see the numbers, not Doing what they should be doing. All right, we will talk to my wife and hopefully get to make a change. That doesn't mean it is going to make a change. So yeah, I do that and of it and, you know, our slogan, our is a taste of the American dream. You know, this is a little bit of our American Dream, an opportunity to be successful or not, like we have a lot of play on that. Like, if it's not working, it's because we're not doing something right? And if it is working as probably because We made a team that was able to make it work, it's not just me, right? So I have enjoyed the, we bought it in middle of covid to from my mother, okay? Okay and we tore the place apart. We there were seven layers of flooring in it and 70 years old, the building is really small building and well we took seven layers of floor out, and we made it ours and that's why I do love it so much. It's ours and if it fails it's our fault and if it succeeds then we did something right? Sure. That's really a great perspective with the restaurant, what's a particular issue or challenge that you're having right now, I will tell you. So where a sub shops. Okay. And we are a very small building, so we don't have the capability of making our own bread. So we buy from a local bakery and Four days ago. That Bakery shut down. They made an announcement and then a week they will be closed. So we are switching to a different sub roll which now we're gonna you know, people are going to talk about like hey you know you change your role as well. We had no choice but also every role that we buy in from now on it's 20 cents more than what we were paying before. Hmm. And that's the most, that's the biggest thing that leaves our building. That's the thing that leaves are building the most, so 20 cents on every role, We have to figure out how to now make up on that over four thousand dollars a year that will lose on that. So price change of product has been a big, big thing turkeys, our best seller, it's gone up a dollar fifty a pound. Since we first opened a dollar fifty a pound we by 160 pounds a week. So when were buying that much turkey and it's gone up that much, you can only make At money off in a price change. It's the only way to make it on them. It's not easy to change prices for me, I don't like doing that. So that's, that's a battle and is about. We are just as busy as we were the first year. We opened that first year was great. I was like wow this is awesome. Second year we made just as much money brought has just as much money in but made half bro. Huh? Yeah. Just.

Speaker 2

53:24

 because expenses were.

Speaker 1

53:27

 At much higher minimum wage in New York goes up every year and Sure. I am so we got a battle all that stuff. Sure, you know what? It's a challenge.

Speaker 2

53:36

 And I like well and you know that's what I was going to say, compared to what the challenges, you have overcome already, you know, this is it, I would see this, you know, this is me, but it sounds like this is more of a game, you know, it's important. I am not saying it's not important. But look, you have overcome so much more before, so you can you and your wife are going to navigate this one. Just fine. I am sure.

Speaker 1

53:57

 It is a game. I love how you said that because honestly it is, it's a gay man and I get Play and I get to win or lose and the more I practice, the more, I will win the less I get involved more, we will lose that's just how that works.

Speaker 2

54:10

 And that's what that's really what small business and really serving. Others is all about is solving problems, right? And yeah, absolutely. So I love that. What is a book or two that you could recommend for our listeners out there?

Speaker 1

54:24

 My favorite book of all time and honestly, it's super powerful but it's also a very easy read is the last Sure.

Speaker 2

54:32

 But okay Posh okay I have not read that. I believe I have heard of it. But yeah. What's that all about?

Speaker 1

54:39

 So Randy a pawn shop is no longer with us today. Randy Posh wrote his book. The Last lecture in the middle of him having pancreatic cancer. So he knew he was not going to live, and he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon but when I first read the Bible, read it many times now. But when I first read the book I stopped about halfway through and I didn't read anymore because it was Sentence in it. That just stop me. I read it, and I was like, that is why I read this book, and I didn't even go past that. And then years later, I went through the whole thing again, but it was when Randy, who was dying of pancreatic, cancer was sitting at a red light and his car and Lady pulled up next to him. He didn't even see her, but he was singing and dancing his car and week later, he sees her a couple weeks later he sees her, and she comes up to him and says, hey, I saw you in your car the other day and you were like singing and dancing. How do you do that when you know, No, you're not going to live, and he said, that was the day that he recognized that he was actually happy. He wasn't just putting on a face for everyone else, because in the beginning, that's what I did. I thought I did, I thought I was smiling because I was supposed to making other people's day better but guess what? When there's no one else in the room and you're still singing and you're still smiling, you're not doing that for other people. Yeah, that means you're happy. So when I read Apart. I was like holy crap, man. I am.

Speaker 2

56:03

 Happy love that. It's really good. What's an occupation that you'd like to try? That's totally off-the-wall not restaurant or public. Speaking related.

Speaker 1

56:18

 Oh man. I always wanted to be a police officer growing up so that was part of the reason that military was in my path and I thought I was in the police force. Some kind of investigator of Sky. Yeah, I love trying to solve a mystery, like that's just interesting to me. I feel like I can solve them all if I Dedicate myself to them. But so some kind of investigator in the police.

Speaker 2

56:44

 World. Awesome. Love it. What's a question that I have not asked that you wish I had?

Speaker 1

56:52

 Oh, man, Rick how do you here with no ears?

Speaker 2

56:59

 Rick, how you do with that?

Speaker 1

57:00

 Weird? What? That's my favorite.

Speaker 2

57:09

 Question when a fifth grader.

Speaker 1

57:10

 Ass.

Speaker 2

57:13

 It's hilarious. It's that's really good. I love it. The sense of humor. There.

Speaker 1

57:19

 Gotta have one, man. If you look like me, you gotta have a sense of humor, you're.

Speaker 2

57:23

 Screwed. I am not going to ask you how you like to serve others, because it's pretty. Pretty evident with sweets, are sweethearts and heroes so it's fantastic. Where can our listeners find you online Rick?

Speaker 1

57:38

 Sweethearts in here? S.com. That's the way to connect our organization, my BIOS on there. So if you want to read more about myself that's on there. I have a website as well. Rick ears dotnet. It's a terrible website or not so don't check it out. I built it. And I have not touched it in a very long time, but you can find more information on there. And then any of the Instagram, we have a ton of stuff on YouTube just, you know, just search for sweethearts in here and you will find a lot of stuff on us.

Speaker 2

58:05

 Awesome, I love that I think I am going to start using that reverse psychology, don't Check out my website. Yes. Yeah. Now.

Speaker 1

58:11

 People are gonna look at me.

Speaker 2

58:12

 Like, oh, thank you, Mike. He was, he was right.

Speaker 1

58:15

 And I don't even own Rick ears.com. Go figure. Somebody else owns that one.

Speaker 2

58:21

 Maybe that's in your future. Well, Ricky ours, this has been fantastic, man. I have really thoroughly enjoyed this and I know our listeners are going to get a ton of values that. So, thank you so much for taking the time, we really appreciate it. Jamie this was awesome.

Speaker 1

58:38

 Awesome. Awesome. That's all I can say. I have done a few podcasts in my life and you know what? This is number one.

Speaker 2

58:44

 Well since it was an easy interview for me, that's for sure. So thanks a lot, Rick really appreciate it, I.

Speaker 1

58:49

 Appreciate it.

Speaker 2

58:50

 And so the listener out there thank you for spending your most valuable resource with us and that is your time. Don't forget to check out our website or no, don't check out our website adversity to abundance.com. It's the number to adversity to abundance.com and certainly share this episode and Podcast in general. If you enjoy it, share it with a friend. Thanks everyone. Take care. Investors. Have you ever experienced challenging communication or the headache of tracking taxes and insurance meet by Phi a Loan Servicing Company founded by investors for investors with an expert team and best-in-class vendors by Phi will partner with you to service your loan from start to exit, visit by Phi, L s.com to see how you can get started today. That's bi fil s.com Thank you for spending your most valuable resource with us your time. Thank you for spending your most valuable resource with us your time. If you like the show, please share it with your friends and fellow podcast listeners. If you like the show, please share it with your friends and fellow podcast listeners. One entrepreneur. One entrepreneur. At a time. At a time. We can change the world. We can change the world. See you next time. See you next time.