← Mick Unplugged
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- [00:00]
Roy Juarez Jr.
I think that when you grow up with a tough life, you learn lessons that can never be taught in a book. But if you can take your education and define those lessons, then there's no stopping you.
- [00:14]
Mick
Welcome to MC Unplugged, the number one podcast for self improvement, leadership and relentless growth. No fluff, no filters, just hard hitting truths, unstoppable strategies and the mindset shifts that separate the best from the rest. Ready to break limits? Let's go.
- [00:41]
Host
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of MC Unplugged. And today's guest is an exceptional motivational speaker and advocate who has dedicated his life to empowering youth and communities. Overcoming significant challenges in his own life, he has become a voice of hope and inspiration for many. Please join me in welcoming my good friend, Southern California's finest, Mr. Roy Juarez Jr. Jr.
- [01:09]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Thank you so very much, Junior. Thank you for having me. I'm very honored.
- [01:14]
Host
I am the honored one, man. I tell you every time I feel like when I introduce you, like this boxer is about to come out, you got like the greatest boxing name in the history of boxing, man.
- [01:25]
Roy Juarez Jr.
It's very close to Roy Jones Jr. I think that's what it is. Yeah, yeah.
- [01:29]
Host
And that's where it stops to write this, man. Roy, so one again, honored to have to have you here, man. Your story is more than inspirational. Your story is so powerful and I want to go there, man, because you know on the show we talk about your because that thing that really pushes you and again, I know you personally, so I don't even want to go there, man. So I'm going to let Roy Rores Jr Jr Jr tell his because, man. What's your because, brother?
- [02:01]
Roy Juarez Jr.
I really think my because is my siblings. That's it. Like they, they are the reasons why I fight as hard as I do. I do. But when I, when I started to fight for them and I started working with kids across the nation, I started to see all the other kids that reminded me of my siblings and my little brother and my little sister especially. And I was like, you know what, who's fighting for them? I got to fight for them too do. And they're the reasons why I kept fighting.
- [02:25]
Host
I love that dude. I love that. I know we share some very similar passions, especially around youth. And I want to kind of start with, with your story growing up. You know, I tell people all the time I hate impossible absolutes. Meaning I hate when people ask me, mick, if you could go back and talk to your 10 year old self, what would you say? If you could talk to the 16 year old version of you, what would you say? And I hate those questions because I can go talk to 10 year olds today, I can go talk to 16 year olds today. So I don't need to go talk to myself when I can go impact and give wisdom to others, man. And I know that you believe that same thing. But let's go back to the 10 year old Roy, man. Let's go back to how this started and what growing up was like for you and talking to the audience about that journey, not to talk to yourself but. But to tell that story, right?
- [03:19]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Well, it's interesting because if I may, I actually had that moment. I was invited to be a keynote speaker at a conference that I had snuck into when I was a homeless teenager. And I snuck into that conference to steal a meal. And I remember when I was the keynote, they invited me on stage, I'm standing at the podium and I remember glancing back to the very back of the room where I had sat as a homeless kid and I'm not supposed to be there. And I said, man, if I could have just run to him, meaning my younger self, and tell him don't give up, life will get better. But you have to be here to see it. You're not going to believe that you're eventually going to be close to your mom again, that you're going to have nieces and nephews that you absolutely love, that you're going to see the things that you have seen. Right? And I share that with kids because I also want them to know that what they're going through at that moment, there is a future. They have a future that belongs to them. Not to their situation, that belongs to them, not to their family environment, not to their socioeconomic environment. It belongs to them. But they have to put in the work to get there. But they don't have to do it alone because there are people who believe in them and people want to help them get there.
- [04:30]
Host
I love that dude. So, so that 10 year old, you, man, that or not even the 10 year old, the young Roy, right? That, you know, you've talked about the relationship with your mom, you've talked about being homeless. Tell, tell the listeners and viewers that story, man. Like, let's go back to those.
- [04:47]
Roy Juarez Jr.
I, I became homeless at the, officially at the age of 14. And I say officially because it all started when I was about 12. My parents were going through a very violent divorce. But one week my mom would take him back, the next week he would have to be gone. And so it got to the point that I started to defend my mother physically whenever she. I was always with her, always protecting her, always trying to be there to support her. So when my dad came home, I remember one time he said to her, you need to make a choice. Do you want your son or do you want me? Right? And. And I mean, that hurt, right? Because I'm Roy Wattis Jr. I carry his name, right? And I said, you know what, Mom? I said, you don't have to make a choice. I'll leave. And I remember in that one instant calling this woman from the church. And I said, well, please come get me. Please come get me. Please come get me. It was Easter, and she's like, okay, I'll come get you. So she comes and gets me, and I spend Easter with them. But what breaks my heart is when I think about my mom. I'm sure he left, too. So she literally spent Easter alone. I left, he left. And so it was a constant going back and forth until one day my mom finally just said, you know what? Enough's enough. I want you out. Get out. Get out. But at that point, my dad was like, if I can't have you, no one's going to have you. So we had to go into hiding, and we started moving from home to home to home. And every time he would find us, we would have to take the sheets off our bed, put them on the floor, put our clothes in the middle, and we were gone. Every single time he found us. And around 14 years old is when I finally became homeless on my own. My mom had met a man who was helping her, and he said, I'll help you. Come live with me. But the only catch was that he didn't want kids. And for the longest time, Mick, I thought that. That she just left us because she didn't want us. Okay, well, fast forward many years later, after I'm an activist crossing the country, working all over the nation, I invite my mom to come with me to upstate New York. And she's with me. We're in the juvenile hall in upstate New York, and. And where I speak, I tell our story. And afterwards, we're all talking of me, the stu. The. The. The students, the probation officers. And one woman is talking to my mom behind me. And she's. I can hear her talking, and I'm. I'm talking to a young girl, but I want to hear what's. What's happening to my mom, make sure she's safe. And the lady said, how could you leave them? Why would you do that. And I listened in and she said something that kind of shifted everything on my perspective. She told that lady, you don't get it. You don't get it. He wanted me dead. If he would have found us, he might have killed all of us. If he would just find me, he's only going to kill me. So in her brokenness, her thought was getting rid of us was technically saving us.
- [07:38]
Host
Saving you.
- [07:39]
Roy Juarez Jr.
And that has changed everything. You know, parents are human. They, they make mistakes. They, they're, they're growing up just as, as they have the same pains and fears and anxiety that even I have to this day. I don't, I personally don't have children. I can't even imagine what my mom was going through knowing that her high school sweetheart wanted her dad and now she's having to care for five kids and, and can't do it. And then she, he gets her fire from her job. She now can't do it financially. Like, my mom is a strong woman. She was just broken and she made mistakes. Stakes.
- [08:13]
Host
Man. So knowing you, like I know you, Roy, man, let's talk about that emotion. So the emotion before, you knew the real reason, right? The real because your mother's. Because was saving your life, right?
- [08:28]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Absolutely.
- [08:29]
Host
But 14 year old Roy didn't know that. What was that emotion? Right.
- [08:36]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Yeah, he, he thought he was the common denominator because his grandparents didn't take him. They, they took his little sister, but they didn't take him. His aunts and uncles wouldn't take him. All the families that he lived in. He could only stay for a short while, whether it be a month and some lucky cases, whether it be a knight and others. So I got to the point that I was like, you know what? The only common denominator is me. I must be bad. Something must be wrong with me because nobody wants me. And the sad thing is that this happens in a lot of our youth across the nation. And I have seen it firsthand, over a million kids since. And I have seen that. And I've learned that kids never stop loving their parents. It was never my parents fought as a kid. It was me. Kids only stop loving themselves. And that's what's really sad because then they grow up with this idea that I'm not good enough, I don't deserve, why should I even try hard? That future that college isn't for kids like me because they don't believe in themselves nor do they love themselves.
- [09:43]
Host
And what was that like as a kid? Trying to create bonds of friendship with other kids? Or was it like you didn't want to attach to people because you never knew what stability was? Like, what was me?
- [09:57]
Roy Juarez Jr.
I think it was the opposite. I was so hungry for someone to love me that I attached to everyone, and I became what everyone wanted me or needed me to be at that moment. So if I went to a new home, I now say that I, like, looked in an imaginary bag and asked, well, who do they want me to be? Because if I could become whoever or whatever in some cases, which is not good, what they want me to be, then that meant that I had a place to sleep one more night. I had a food tea one more day. If my baby brother, my baby sister wanted to see me and this family would let them, I at least got to see my brother and sister for, like, one more night. And so I. I lost myself in this homelessness, in this process, in this bag full of different Roys to survive.
- [10:42]
Host
That is so deep, man. That is so deep and so uncommon, but common at the same time. And what I mean by that is uncommon because we don't get to hear these stories. And a lot of times when you're speaking to youth, they're not going to tell you everything that's really going on. But the common part is this is what's going on today still. Right? And as. As leaders, as adults, as leader of people and leaders of communities, it's our job to have those conversations, to let people know that there are safe outlets. And so I applaud you for creating those safe outlets, brother.
- [11:20]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Thank you. And I think that you touch on a really good point. Kids want to share, but they're scared to share. And the reason I say that is I love my mom. And I didn't want my mom to get in trouble. And I knew that if I would have spoken up, she probably would go to court. And my brain was like, she's going to go to jail. And so my loyalty was still to my mother. I wasn't going to say anything. It's not until you find a trusted adult that you'd like, myself will let you in to even help.
- [11:50]
Host
That's great, dude. So let's go to the hotel that you were sneaking into to get meals. So let's talk about that journey and the humbling of that. Right? Like continental breakfast. All right. I can go in here today. If I come in tomorrow, they may not know that I'm. That I'm here or that I'm actually saying here. So. So walk us through that survival, dude.
- [12:15]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Absolutely. Yeah. And thank you for those words, actually. Survival. I think that when you grow up with a tough life, you learn lessons that can never be taught in a book. But if you can take your education and define those lessons, then there's no stopping you. Because education will not only change your life, but it will change the entire fabric of your family. And that's why education is so powerful. And at this point, I was very street smart. And so I saw this huge hotel downtown Dallas, Texas. It's the Omni Hotel. And I thought, man, they got to have food in there, right? It's a beautiful, big, big hotel. So I walk in, and I'm looking around, and sure enough, I sound. I saw this line of women about to go into this room, and I figured they're going to probably have some type of meeting. There's got to be food in there. So I hid my bag because I learned as a homeless kid, if I was invisible, I got to stay longer. I couldn't make any waves if I was living in a home. I'm going to wash my dish. I'm going to clean your dishes. I'm going to cut your yard. Because the happier you are with me there, the longer you'll let me stay. Kids become invisible, but no child, no kid should ever have to be invisible, right? They have a voice, and their voice matters. And they have to learn how to use that voice. And it's up to us as the adults to help them learn how to use it effectively. And so I go in, I hide my bag, and sure enough, they open up these doors, and all these women start to walk in. And I walk right in there with them, and I go sit in the very far back corner so that no one would notice me. And as I sit there, some lady comes and she serves me, and I thank her, and I start to eat. Well, this woman comes out on stage, and I don't. I don't really care what she has to say. Like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna eat my meal, and I'm gonna. I'm gonna leave. But when she's talking her words, like, I'm really listening to what she's saying, and she's talking about the way she grew up in the last. On the last street in Laredo, Texas, to the border. And she grew up as an immigrant. Her parents were immigrants and how she was told that girls like her don't make it. But this woman grew to be the highest ranking Latina woman of the combat support field, the United States Army. She broke all kinds of Records because her father taught her to ask, why not you? He said, why not you? You go ask that counselor who said, you can't make it. Go ask her, why can't you make it? And as I sat there, I had my plate in front of me. And even though I was hungry, I wasn't even eating because I had a bigger hunger. And in my mind, I was like, well, why not me? Because I used to dream. Like, why can't I have my dreams? And so after that woman spoke, I walked up to her, to her table, I grabbed her card, went back out, grabbed my bag, my bag, made my way back to San Antonio because it was. This was in Dallas. And I went back to San Antonio, where I'm from, and went straight to my best friend's aunt's house, a woman who had my baby brother. And I said, I need my baby brother back because I thought I had a plan.
- [15:08]
Host
So I'm intrigued by the story because I know it. So what happens next? You thought you had a plan. So what happens next, man?
- [15:16]
Roy Juarez Jr.
So my plan was I would. By the time I made it Back to. To Ms. Carmen's house to get baby Ray, the idea of me being able to have my future was gone. It was a little bit of hope, from what I heard, and then it was gone. But I thought, he will have his. My baby brother will have his entire future. I'm going to give up my entire life. I will work 1, 2, 3 jobs. I'm going to put him on a bus, and he's going to go to school, and all his dreams will come true. And so we had no. I mean, I'm a teenager, so we have nowhere to live. But my plan was, if I take him to this church I knew about when I was a kid that I attended with my mom, then maybe they'll help us and maybe they'll let us live in there. So we literally went. Took the bus as far as it could. We walked the rest of the way. We sat on the front porch of that church and just waited for someone to show up because I knew it was Wednesday, they were going to have service. And sure enough, the lead pastor shows up and she gets out and she recognizes me. She goes, roy, I was like, hi, Pastor Doris. I said, can I talk to you? And she goes like, yeah, let me. Let me open the church. So we go inside the church, and I plead my case. We have nowhere to live. I just need a place to live with my baby brother. I promise you, I will take care of everything. I would do the yard. I will clean it. It'll be ready for all your services. I just need a place to live. And she says, roy, you can't live here. You can't live in this church. And for a second, I thought I had made the biggest mistake because baby Ray had a roof over his head, and now he would be living with me on this tree. Yeah.
- [16:55]
Host
And then what happened to you and baby Ray?
- [16:57]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Well, she said, you will live with us under one condition. And I was scared because everyone had a condition. Sometimes they were good, sometimes it wasn't good. And so with all this anger, I was like, what do you want? And she says, roy, calm down. Calm down. She says, all we want is that you go back to school. You can live in our home, but you will go back to school. And that's how I went back to high school. And then from high school, I graduated and took off to college.
- [17:29]
Host
Yes.
- [17:30]
Roy Juarez Jr.
They kept me for four years. The only reason why I moved out of their house was because I decided to leave. So they are my parents. They didn't legally adopt me, but they're my parents. So I have more. More than one set of parents.
- [17:45]
Host
Yeah.
- [17:45]
Roy Juarez Jr.
And that's okay, because family's just not the love in your. In your veins. Family is the love that's in your heart. That's family. We can choose family as well.
- [17:53]
Host
Yeah. So amazing, man. So amazing. And I know that the story of the speaker also comes full circle because you met her later in life, right?
- [18:04]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Absolutely. Yeah.
- [18:06]
Host
So tell us that.
- [18:07]
Roy Juarez Jr.
I'm in community college. I'm struggling. I know I'm not doing very well. I didn't have a good high school foundation. Right. So if I'm going to be honest, one counselor said, I know what she was. She was trying to help me. But she said, roy, did you take algebra? I was like, nah, miss. Like, I. I've never had it. She said, roy, did you take algebra? And I was like, no, miss, I didn't. And she was, okay, good. And so I get to college. I don't know anything. I don't. So I end up taking college algebra five times before I pass it, right? So I'm having to relearn everything. So I'm in community college, and I'm working for the activities department on campus as a work study. And so the dean knows who I am. So she comes and she finds me and she goes, roy. She was, roy, are you coming to our event tonight? I was like, nah, miss, I'm not gonna come. Right. I'm walking away and she's like, roy, we have food. I'm like, ah, miss, I'm just joking. I'm gonna be there, right? Like, offer me food. I'm there, right?
- [19:11]
Host
Right.
- [19:12]
Roy Juarez Jr.
And so I come. She goes, good. She goes, roy, I want you to introduce our guest speaker. Speaker. I'm like, yeah, who is it? And she said her name is retired Lt. Col. Consuelo Castillo Kickbush, which was the same woman who had seven years earlier, speaking in that hotel. Nobody knew my story because I was taught to be silent. You know, a lot of times we teach our kids to be silent without even realizing that's what we're doing. And it looks like, what are the, what, what are your grandparents going to think? What's the family going to think? That's a way to silence our kids. Or what happens at home, stays at home. That is a lesson that teaches our kids to be silent and not communicate. And so I was taught, you know, don't talk about what happens. So nobody knew in my campus. And so that day I broke tradition. And as I stood there, Miss Kickbush to my left, my dean was in there, my colleagues, my professors, other students. And I looked at her and I said, miss, you don't know me, Miss, but I know you. And then I told the story. And so she was crying, I was crying. Two weeks later, I got invited to speak at her book signing. And then two weeks after they get hired in her company, it's supposed to be a two month internship and it lasted for two years. And that's amazing. My life continued to change.
- [20:33]
Host
Yeah.
- [20:33]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Because she mentored me. I started traveling with her and she was just peeling layers like an onion to try to get to some of the core issues because I had a lot of street inside of me.
- [20:44]
Host
Yeah, yeah, but you use that, man. Absolutely fueled you. And, and now we have Impact Truth. Right.
- [20:54]
Roy Juarez Jr.
And if we don't, if we don't invest in our kids, what I had is going to, to come out regardless.
- [21:02]
Host
Right.
- [21:03]
Roy Juarez Jr.
The difference is, is it going to come out in something that's be productive, that's going to add to our, our, our community. Excuse me, to our communities. Is it going to add to our nation or is it going to be something that's become destructive?
- [21:14]
Host
Yeah.
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Roy Juarez Jr.
And so we, we want to help our kids see their value, understand, process and heal from what they've gone through so they can be contributing members of society.
- [21:27]
Host
Amen to that. Amen to that. So impact Truth. Right. You're empowering youth now. And so talk to us about, about starting that. Well, and then obviously what it is and what you're doing.
- [21:42]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Absolutely. Thank you. I. My intention was I am going to get my degree, I'm going to go work in corporate America, I'm going to make a lot of money and I'm never going to be homeless again, ever. I never want to have this life again. But I started taking a lot of psychology classes, and my psychology classes were mainly for me, not to learn it, but trying to figure out what the heck happened to me, what the heck happened to my family. And it really taught me to separate the illness from the person I love, the person I can help her with the illness. And that was my mom for me. And so I remember one day driving through the middle of the night before classes. It was like 3:00 in the morning, and I'm driving back to San Antonio from Abilene, Texas, and I want to get to her house before she leaves for work. And I leave her a rose on her car with a note. I turn around and I'm driving back to campus when my phone rings and I look at it and it's my mom. And I answer it and she can barely speak because she's crying and she's crying and she's crying and she says, how? She says, how can you love me? She said, after everything I have done to you, how do you love me? And I said, mom, you're my mom. You will always be my mom. See, life gets better if we choose to be the change. So when I'm graduating college, this is my thought process now of I want to be better and not bitter. You know, I want to show my siblings that there's a better way that we can undo some of the lessons we learned in our childhood and not pass them on to the next generation. But so as I start to cross the stage, I start thinking, why me? Why do I get to make it? Why do I get to cross the stage when there's a 1.6 million kids just like me at that time, now there's 2.1 million kids like me. We went in the wrong direction. I can't even tell you how. And that is horrible. But at that time, I was like, why? Why do I get this opportunity? So I said, you know what? Before I use my business degree and go work in corporate America and be rich, in my mind, I need to give back. I need to get back in honor of every person who would ever fed me, who would ever house me, who would ever clothe me. And I'll do it for six months. And I'm going to live out of my car and I'm going to drive from LA to Jacksonville, Florida, and I'm going to find, speak at for free at any shelter organization, any place would open up their doors. I'm going to find the kids, I'm going to tell them, don't give up. Life gets better. But you have to be here to see it. And so I started this journey, and I dubbed it the Homeless by Choice tour because I was homeless again. But this time it was my choice. Not my situation, not my parents. It was my choice. So I started this Homeless by Choice tour. And three months into it, I saw America through a lens that not very many people get to see. I saw how broken we are, and I said, I have to do more. I have to do more. I have to do more. So I decided that instead of crossing the country for six months, I would live out of my car and I would circle the entire nation. And I was gonna give myself a goal to reach at least a hundred thousand kids. I ended up living in my car, out of my car for two and a half years. No grants, no funders. A tour that ran me over $200,000. A money that I had to raise along the way, but I was able to reach over 108,000 kids. And then my phone has never stopped ringing.
- [25:10]
Host
Look at that perseverance. The power to keep going, but more importantly, the power to make an impact.
- [25:17]
Roy Juarez Jr.
That's right.
- [25:18]
Host
And to me, that's who you are. And another. Another pillar, another core value that I know that you believe in as well as me is the power of mentorship. And I believe for me, like, that's. That's my purpose now, right? It's to mentor. Because I've had amazing mentors. I believe in mentorship, Right? Like, if you're trying to grow mentors or the way to get there for you personally, talk to us about what mentorship means to you.
- [25:49]
Roy Juarez Jr.
So two things pop in my head. One, mentors. If you're going to be a mentor, whoever's listening, it's about them, not about you. And you're not there to be their friend. You're there to help guide them and direct them. You can, you can. Sometimes you'll say it in love, and sometimes you got to be a little tougher. Yeah, I know that. My mentor one time, just to bring a little humor, she said, roy, out of all my mentees, I have invested more time, more energy, and more money and have got the littlest results, right? Oh, my gosh. But she never gave up on me. So this is going to be something that's long term. This is to be something that's going to be. You're going to struggle with your mentee, especially if you find a kid like me. I'm going to push and push and push. Why? Because every person I have trusted has failed me. Every person. So I need to make sure that you're real. I need to make sure that when you tell me you love me, you're not just saying it because you say it to all the kids you work with. You're not telling me that you're going to be there for me. I need to make sure you're really going to be there for me. And the moment that I believe you, I never want to let you go. Why? I was so scared to when. When I got myself fired. So I'm going to state it that way. When I got myself fired from my mentor's company, I was so devastated that I did everything I needed to get to try to get back to into her company. So she raised the bar even higher. And I met it because as the broken kid, I thought, will anyone ever love me again? Because I honestly felt that she did love me.
- [27:27]
Host
Yeah.
- [27:28]
Roy Juarez Jr.
And so it caused me to work harder. Now as a mentee, I think that it's our responsibility to honor our mentors time, their energy, their wisdom and the. And what they. It took them to learn it as well.
- [27:42]
Host
Yeah.
- [27:42]
Roy Juarez Jr.
And so it's, it's, it's a growing process. And not everyone you meet is meant to be your mentor. You have to connect and, and click with that person. So.
- [27:51]
Host
That's right.
- [27:51]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Yeah. Mentorship will shave years off of hard work that you would have to do in your life to get you to the next level. But then you cannot forget once you get there to turn around and help the next generation up. We have to.
- [28:03]
Host
That's what it's all about for me, man. Like the, the insights that I get from mentors, I make sure that I'm always passing through because I never want my legacy to end with me. Right. Like, it would be very selfish of me to take the wisdom that I get from the Daymond John or Robert Irvine, a Roy. Whereas Junior, it would be very selfish for me to take the wisdom that you give me.
- [28:27]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Right.
- [28:27]
Host
And let it sit right here.
- [28:28]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Right.
- [28:29]
Host
Right. Like it's all about the power of being able to take what Roy gives me and now help 5, 6, 7,000 other kids or youths that went through what Roy and I went through. Right.
- [28:42]
Roy Juarez Jr.
My.
- [28:42]
Host
But now we can show them, dude, this. There is a path.
- [28:46]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Absolutely. Well, my thought is, what. What would have happened to me if my parents had mentors, if my dad had a mentor, and to show him how to deal with what he went through as a kid, to process it, to how to. To healthily release things, what would my mom have gone through? What. What would that situation have been like? You know, they're. They're both great people. They were just broken.
- [29:10]
Host
Yeah. Yeah. Amazing, man. So we're about to go rapid fire. I wrote a few rapid fire questions out. Okay, so we're going rapid fire.
- [29:19]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Oh, here we go.
- [29:20]
Host
Roy. Yep. So the. The best stage moment you've had as.
- [29:26]
Roy Juarez Jr.
A speaker, being at the few few conference and speaking on the stage that I snuck into and heard. And by chance or higher power, whatever you believe, mine is a higher power. My mentor, by chance, was speaking at a conference in the same city the day before. So this time she sat in the audience as I spoke.
- [29:52]
Host
Okay. I love it. The viewer listener right now. That is like, I'm inspired because of Roy's conversation with Mickey to reach out to a youth organization. What's the best way for someone to give back to youths today?
- [30:07]
Roy Juarez Jr.
I would look into their local community, find kids who need someone in their life. There are a lot of kids who may have houses, but we don't have homes. So how many homeless kids do we have in our cities?
- [30:21]
Host
For the parent that's listening right now, that's like, I'm Roy's mother. Right. How do they have that conversation with their kid? What's some advice you'd give to that parent?
- [30:33]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Kids don't care if you're perfect. They just want you there and they want you to love them. Let them know you love them, and at the same time, get plugged into a school where they may be having a parent program or something so that you can learn from other parents to be better.
- [30:51]
Host
Hmm. And Roy, it's funny. I had this written down. You. You talk about food and how much you love food. What is Roy's go to meal right now?
- [31:01]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Oh, my God. If you are anywhere near Texas or now, they know there's one in the Strip. Las Vegas. Whataburger is my favorite burger place. Fast food burger place.
- [31:12]
Host
We're ending that conversation because I'm going to tell you Whataburger and In N Out are trash.
- [31:19]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Who's yours?
- [31:20]
Host
Give me five guys. If we're going burgers, give me five guys all day long.
- [31:23]
Roy Juarez Jr.
It's not like a drive through fat I love five guys, but if I'm going to drive through, especially I'm on the road a lot. If there's a whataburger and it's 30 minutes away, I'm going to drive out of my way to go through. Through Whataburger, get the number five at some jalapenos, and it's. It's a done deal. But I will. One last thing, Mick, before we disconnect. My dad is back in my life. My biological dad. It took 20 years to get him back in my life. I think that we're all chasers in life. We're all chasing something. A nicer title, a bigger house, you know, partner, whatever we're chasing. My chase had always been to bring my family back together, not my parents. Married, separate, they're better. But I wanted to be able to be in a room with my family. And so when I wrote my book, Homeless by Choice, I put a dedication page to each person, including my biological father. And I said to my biological dad, actually, forgive me. I put to my dad, I hope we can build a healthy relationship before it's too late. I read the entire page. Do it on social media. His. His girlfriend saw it, showed him. He calls me. At the time you call my business line, it would go to my cell phone, right? Not anymore, but at that time. And I answered it and it was him. And I said, you, dad? And he goes, yeah, it's me. I said, what do you want? He goes, I heard you wrote a book. I said, I did. He goes, I heard you put me in it. I said, I did, but, like, I changed your name so you can't sue me and. Right. Just in case because, like, we don't have a relationship. He goes, that's not why I'm calling. So why are you calling? He goes, if you're serious about what you said, he goes, I'm ready. He goes, I'm so sorry. I will take the blame for everything. And I said, dad, I don't want you to take the blame. Dad, I just wanted you to acknowledge what happened. I said, if you're serious, come to my book launch. It's next week in San Antonio. He showed up. So for the first time in over 20 something years, I'm on stage and I invited my siblings up first, and then my mom and my stepdad. And I said, if he's willing, my biological dad join us. And he comes on stage, and for the first time, I have this picture of my entire family. It would not have been possible if it wasn't for my mentors. If it wasn't for education, if it wasn't for my faith, if it wasn't for forgiveness, you know, here's the final thought and something that I adopted and I own. If people can hate for no reason in this world, I can love for no reason. And I love the kids that I serve. I love my family. I love. I love what I do. I don't have to even know these kids for us to love them. So as a community, we need to love more than hate. And I think that's desperately needed right now in this world. You can love for no reason.
- [34:02]
Host
Dude, you always give me something. And that right there was extremely powerful. So much. I'm gonna restate that or resay that. If you can hate for no reason, then you can love for no reason at all too. Roy. Roy. That. That was it right there. That was it. Like that. We're gonna title the episode that too. Like, that's that right there. Dude, I'm telling you, we need.
- [34:34]
Roy Juarez Jr.
We need it. People hate for no reason. And it's stupid. We gotta love for no reason. Let's switch it. Let's love for no reason.
- [34:43]
Host
I. I think I needed that today, bro.
- [34:45]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Wow.
- [34:46]
Host
I personally needed that.
- [34:47]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Wow.
- [34:48]
Host
Like, I. I needed that. So I love you for that. And I mean that, man.
- [34:52]
Roy Juarez Jr.
I mean that.
- [34:52]
Host
So speaking of the book, speaking of you, where can people find the book?
- [34:56]
Roy Juarez Jr.
First and foremost, you can go two places. My. My name Roy wattisjr.com or impact truth.com which is the name of my company. It's both our core values, Impact and truth. Together. Impact truth.com Perfect.
- [35:11]
Host
Roy, love you like a brother. Appreciate you. The words of wisdom, the mentorship that you're always providing. Most importantly, leading by example, man. Like, I appreciate you for just being present.
- [35:22]
Roy Juarez Jr.
Thank you. I do my best. I'm human, but I do my best.
- [35:25]
Host
You got it. And for all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.
- [35:36]
Mick
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Mick Unplugged. If today hits you hard, then imagine what's next. Be sure to subscribe, rate and share this with someone who needs it. And most of all, make a plan and take action, because the next level is already waiting for you. Have a question or insight to share, send us an email to hellocunplugged.com until next time, ask yourself how you can step up.