← Money And Wealth With John Hope Bryant
Loading summary
Transcript146 lines
- [00:00]
A
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Run a business and not thinking about podcasting, think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. Learn how podcasting can help your business. Call 844-844-IHeart.
- [00:20]
B
Welcome to Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant, a production of the Black Effect podcast network and iHeartRadio foreign. This is John Hope Bryant and this is the Money and Wealth podcast series season two. And we are part of the iHeartRadio family and Black Effect Network. And I am proud to say that this podcast consistently is top 50 on Apple on entrepreneurship and top 200 on business on Apple for the entire country. We are also top 250 for business and entrepreneurship on every continent in the world. So thank you all for leaning in and paying attention and learning. And as we unpack capitalism and free enterprise and opportunity and agency for you connecting the streets with the suites and for their benefit, connecting the suites back to the streets. It is not a one way street. This is, no pun intended. This is about opportunity for all. Or to say in another way, my rich friends need my poor friends to do better, if only to stay rich, that people don't realize that the economy is 70. Consumer spending, that's average everyday people that's driving the biggest economy on the planet. And a lot of us find mystery in the economy. We find mystery in capitalism, we find mystery in free enterprise, we find mystery in wealth. And so we resent it. Because if we can't be it, if we can't get to it, then somehow those who have it must be evil. We think, we think that if we don't understand it, if it's not transparent to us, if we can't get it no matter how hard we work, it must be a setup. Some people would say, I was with a billionaire yesterday at breakfast and we were talking about how people supposedly hate wealthy people. And I said, no. I say we hate rich people. No, we don't. We hate rich people till we become rich. What we hate is a game system. And so we said, we say we hate government. No, you don't. You don't understand government. You don't understand how government relates to you, how it serves you, the benefits to you. You don't understand the people who are working their tails off in public service, getting nothing for it. If they're doing it ethically and honestly, as my guest today is, and they get in no Good deed shall go unpunished. So I wanted to bring to you. As you know, I bring very few guests on this show. Most of the time it's me running my mouth. I bring guests I think that they are have outsized importance. In other words, it's something I can't do on my own. It's a message I can't deliver on my own. It's an importance that I can't communicate on my own. It's somebody I want you to see so that you can want to be. From Michael Milken to Van Jones to the minister of AI for the United Arab Emirates to all the heroes and sheroes of our world, the biggest money manager in the world. We just had on Joe Barrada, $1.2 trillion, etc. Of Blackstone, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Well, today, today we have our another first, the first county CEO, county chairman. Some people, some counties call them chairman or chairwoman. Some people in some place, they're CEOs. There's different titles. But the leader, effectively the mayor, if you call it the executive officer for a county account, is a collection of cities, municipalities, of townships. It is the super agency over all other agencies that exist in the largest economy in the world, which is the United States of America. So everybody lives in a county. I'll get into this in a moment. They don't realize. They do. And this is not only a interesting leader, an important leader of an important county. This is the first female African American CEO of DeKalb county, which is one of the biggest counties in the country and one of the top 10 for African American wealth and aspiration as well in America. Ladies and gentlemen, join me in welcoming my friend and a true shero in the making, CEO Lorraine Johnson. Honored to have you with me, my friend.
- [05:11]
C
Happy to be here, John. You set quite the stage. So I'm excited to share and talk and, you know, get to know people and and hopefully spread some knowledge.
- [05:23]
B
We're going to unpack what a county is, how a county government operates, how does it make its money, how does it spend its money, how does it allocate resources? Why does the county exist? What's a county in relation to our lives? We're going to start, though, with you and before we get to because I think your personal story is important to everything else because you are the leader. People didn't take a lottery and say, whomever will be CEO, they selected you with intentionality. Most people don't realize, as I said earlier, that the county government affects Your wealth more than Washington, D.C. does. I know CEO Johnson. She's my friend. I call her CEO Jonathan because she went through a lot of trouble to get to this title. We want to give her respect. She deserves no different than I am. Bester. Andrew Young is my play father, and I call him Ambassador Young. Not Ay. Not Andy, not Andrew. I'm not casual about it. Even privately, counties control property taxes, owning infrastructure, court, public safety, housing, housing permits. How do we decide who gives access and who gets stuck?
- [06:45]
C
Economic development.
- [06:47]
B
Yes. And here's a black woman running one of the most important counties, not only in Georgia, but in the country. So your authenticity, your aspiration, your credibility, your action, we often talked about. Talk about. When you and I are talking privately, effectively, what I would say is PhDs are good. PhD's are better. You're always about getting it done and being transparent about it. And I want the audience to see what I recognize you to be. But let's talk about the who of you first. Who are you? Where did you. They see this. Well crafted, very smooth, not easily ruffled leader, refined. They don't know that behind this story is a little girl who grew up somewhere in a household who was infused with values and principles by those that she loved and who had challenges along the way. Tell us real quickly.
- [07:57]
C
Yes. You know, often, John, as an icebreaker, I say to people that I'm from la. Now, when you hear my accent, it is a polished.
- [08:07]
B
LA is in Los Angeles.
- [08:09]
C
Yeah. But no, in my case, it's in Lower Alabama.
- [08:12]
B
Lower Alabama. So not long. So I think. Okay, cool. Because I grew up in la. When I hear la, I hear Los Angeles. Louisiana.
- [08:20]
C
No, the. The original la. Lower Alabama.
- [08:24]
B
I got it wrong twice.
- [08:26]
C
Yes. Greenville.
- [08:29]
B
Laura, LA stands for, was originally Lower Alabama.
- [08:33]
C
Really? Yeah. And. And you know, John, see, you are so pragmatic. You don't get it. It's sort of a joke. But, you know, I am from Greenville, Alabama, and, you know, come from a long line.
- [08:45]
B
Okay, wait a minute. I'm completely. I'm completely wrecked now.
- [08:48]
C
It went over your head?
- [08:50]
B
No. Louisiana. No, Lord. You. You from where?
- [08:55]
C
La. Lower Alabama. Greenville, to be specific. So just let it sit with you. It'll sink in. You know, people, you know, but everyone out there that's listening, you. You get it? I. I get it.
- [09:12]
B
If you're from.
- [09:12]
C
I'm from the South.
- [09:13]
B
If you're from the south, listening this podcast, you're rolling in the aisles. You. You like. John is completely clueless.
- [09:19]
C
Yes, yes, yes. You know, it just. It's a cultural thing, but yeah, raised in, in Alabama, my grandfather started as a sharecropper, went on to be the first African American man to own a cotton gin in Butler County.
- [09:37]
B
He, My grandfather was a, was a sharecropper in Alabama. So I want, I'm wondering when. We'll talk about this online, how, how close they might have been. That's deep. My grandfather was R.B. smith, wasn't a sharecropper in Alabama. Okay, so your, your, your, your grandfather. Sharecropper in what county?
- [09:58]
C
Butler County.
- [09:59]
B
Butler County. Okay.
- [10:02]
C
And long line of Southern Baptist ministers, civil activists, and honestly just hardworking folk. And I'm, you know, very proud to say to this day I still own his 300 acres of land. You know, I come from a group of people who taught you early the importance of work. And you know, John, as we talk about, you know, civil rights and so forth, it's interesting because now I am becoming him and them in so many ways because, you know, I remember when my grandfather and I was just a child, I just, you know, want to watch TV and do normal things. And he's sitting there having a whole conversation that I wasn't in tune with at that age. But I remember him saying that Title 7 of the Civil Rights act of 1964 was the worst thing that ever happened to the Negro in America. And he would go through all these reasons and I'm sure we'll, we'll get there. But of course, telling people what that.
- [11:02]
B
What that act is, by the way.
- [11:05]
C
Yeah. Title VII of the Civil Rights act of 1963 was designed to give equal access so that there was equality in employment and opportunity. But my grandfather would always argue that during that time, he can remember people celebrating and shouting in the streets and marching and excited because they felt that, you know, black folk would be treated equally now and there would be equal access to opportunity. But he went on to say that what they didn't see was the glass ceiling no one told them about. So during, you know, the 50s, 60s, 40s, he said, you know, everyone had their own business, communities sought independence because they knew that self reliance was important. But after Title 7, many people bought into the American dream because they felt for the first time they were accepted and it would now be accessible only to find that it was not. So he said, you know, so he.
- [12:09]
B
Didn'T mean, clearly, he didn't mean literally it was worth. I mean, clearly it was a great thing. Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. King, all these heroes and sheroes did that. He meant that it may have lulled people into a false narrative.
- [12:23]
C
Sense of security, of opportunity. And in the process, many people let go of that determination to be independent, to be a part of a system that would not give the equal access that they thought. So from there, you know, of course. And, you know, it's interesting to say, John, you know, and I don't know about your. You know, I know your mother in many ways, but, you know, I did not come from a house that was highly educated by empirical data through universities. My grandfather was extremely well read, and I can remember him giving me books. And it wasn't until later in life that I realized he didn't read so well, but he knew what was in the book. But he would always talk to me as if he knew, you know. So that being said, went on to college three degrees later, attended law school. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- [13:19]
B
Slow this down. You keep messing me up. LA, LA, LA. You're messing me up. And you keep. And you move you. You pop me and you already off to the next thing. I'm still days from the last thing you just said. 3 degrees. Slow that down. The average black person. All right, the average person. Sorry, the average genius doesn't have three degrees. Slow that down. Three degrees in what?
- [13:44]
C
My first degree was political science, criminal justice with a minor in international relations. And then, of course, I did that in three years because time was of the essence, John. I was told to get in and get out. And interestingly, too, I do like to share this, to just show you how things change. I went to college on the Lurleen B. Wallace Leadership Scholarship. And of course, George Wallace was the governor who stood in the door at the University of Alabama to prevent the enrollment of the first act African American students. But ultimately, it was through their foundation that I attended college as an undergraduate. So my fourth year, I received my master's in criminal justice. At that time, I thought I wanted to be a warden and run prisons, and that was because I had never been in war. So I can remember going in for an interview, walking into a prison, having to take off the earrings, the jewelry and all that. And then the reality of what I had studied became real because you saw the, you know, the statistics and the data on incarceration by race, and, you know, sitting there and walking through that day, I became a social scientist because I saw young men with fraternity brands and, you know, me being a member of a sorority, you know, I began to wonder, how does this happen? And I was more concerned with the story. But immediately I realized this wasn't a place where I could work. So left there, went to Auburn University, received an MPA Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development and Grant writing. So hence, you know, that's how I was able to procure funds, learn program development, and that's probably the most valuable education that I'd ever had.
- [15:47]
B
So in summary, the three degrees are B.S.
- [15:52]
C
Political Science and Criminal Justice, a Master's in the Administration of Criminal justice, and an MPA Master's in Public Administration with concentration in Economic Development and also a Harvard Certificate in Governmental Efficiency and Operations.
- [16:10]
B
So you literally went from the streets reactive to the sweets, proactive from, from, from, from trying to to make the worst thing less bad to trying to take good people and put them in a place where they can do great and become fantastically empowered with their own vision. Give them itself agency so you don't end up in a bad situation. You, you're now trying to to make sure that good things happen to good people, not make sure that bad things don't happen to good people so often. So just that narrative of your education unpacks explains you a great deal to me and I think the audience. So you're trying to be the architect of a future, not the reactor to a past.
- [17:03]
C
Absolutely.
- [17:04]
D
The wait was worth it. Positive affirmations and all the hard work. The keys to your dream home from the vision board have been secured.
- [17:12]
B
I see you.
- [17:13]
D
A whole new future awaits your planning. From top notch decor but on a budget to the late night backyard summer cookouts. Life feels good. Now comes time to fill it with memories. What will you host first? Maybe a movie night, game night stories that make us laugh and space tournaments that make us cry. First you need to get movers and new furniture. And what about party favors? Will there be a theme? Of course it's a theme. Because you're always doing the most. Oh yeah, the food to cook or to order out. Don't forget to put it in the group chat so everyone can already see who all going to be there. All the planning can be stressful, but ensuring your home shouldn't be. And that's where State Farm comes in. Because State Farm agents can help you choose the coverage you need. Just call, go online or check out the app. Any agent is ready to help so you can focus on showing off your new home. If you know, you know like a good neighbor, State Farm is there run.
- [18:04]
A
A business and not thinking about podcasting, think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora and as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. Think podcasting can help your business. Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you at iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com.
- [18:38]
B
Got these three degrees. Were there any life changing moments or things that harmed or hurt your self esteem and your aspiration that's important for the audience to hear?
- [18:54]
C
I can say that, you know, throughout my life, you know, I've always been grounded in self. So I've never expected things to be easy, so to speak. And I can't sit here and say that I've had any moments where, you know, there are times, but those have been primarily in business transactions in purchasing real estate, where it became keenly apparent to me that it was bigger than the transaction, that there were underlying factors as to why, you know, I have made a full price offer and you chose to accept a different offer, you know, so that's a different conversation because when you do everything that you should to have access and opportunity and you find that there are encumbrances that weren't a part of the memo, I have experienced that. But in terms of career, I can also say too that I felt in certain instances because, you know, I have diverse friends and I've watched their career path, you know, and I have felt that there may have been an easier path. And you know, a lot of these things are documented. You know, the Atlanta Regional Commission did a study a few years ago on income disparities amongst race and found that the greatest disparity is in metro Atlanta. And immediately it was a Scooby Doo moment for me. I'm like, huh? You know, so I started to read through it and it followed the path of two doctors, one being Caucasian, another African American, all things equal, but the African American doctor being a little more equal in terms of education and work experience, but having vastly different salaries. And, you know, I began to question how does that happen? And you know, John, truth is, you know, nowadays if you apply for particular, particularly a C suite position, you may have a vast range for the salary or in many instances they will ask what is your requirement without listing a salary. And, you know, when the revelation occurred that the African American doctor, I think was earning somewhere in the neighborhood of 230,000, the Caucasian doctor earning 260 or 290 for performing the Same job with literally no difference in education. How does that happen? It happens because, and it's a systemic thing, you know that. And, and it also affects the, the party that's, you know, detrimentally affected for life because it creates a false reality of self worth that will follow that individual. Because if you apply for another position and you, and you're at 230, you may ask for 240, 250, while your counterpart who's doing the same job is already at 260 or 290. So there's a lot to talk about there. But I, overall, you know, I've worked hard and opportunities have presented themselves.
- [22:18]
B
So let me, let me, let me, let me cut to the chase here. We know racism is, is real. I mean, racism is like rain. It's either falling someplace or it's gathering. So you might as well get out an umbrella to color your light, start strolling through it. It's not going to change. So you must. What I'm concerned about is not that disparity yet. It exists. It's been existing since.
- [22:39]
C
What the. The real issue is how you get beyond the despair. Boom.
- [22:43]
B
So, so you're. So somebody told you they loved you. Who was that person? At some point, at this point, you're telling yourself, I know you enough to know you. You have to. You're your, you are encouraging yourself at this point, you're reasonably comfortable in your own skin.
- [22:58]
D
You.
- [22:58]
B
But who told you they loved you growing up? So the audience can hear what they've got to do with their kids.
- [23:03]
C
Yes, I can say within my household, my mother, my grandfather, my aunts, my uncles and I came from that village where we had the Sunday revival and everybody went to church, the Girl Scouts. And church was really the center in the core of community. So I grew up in a community that affirmed me in a positive way and had high expectations of me.
- [23:31]
B
I want the audience to hear this. Now, clearly, we could have talked. We can talk this entire podcast about the stats, the data, the specifics, the reports about racism and bias and discrimination. And it exists. It's completely clear. I mean, I hope my brother Steve doesn't offended by this. My friend Stevie Wonder can see this, right? The question is, how do you get around that, deal with that, go around that, achieve that over, around, through. We're gonna get to it. And she said, I have a village. I didn't know her story clearly. I didn't know what la she was from.
- [24:06]
C
Right.
- [24:07]
B
She has, and we're friends, but we haven't talked about this part, but she was affirmed. She had group people who said, you can do this no matter what. Eagles don't fly in packs. So that's the first message that I want everybody to hear, is that the through line for Lorraine Johnson's life is not this the title or a position because she also has a, she has a. She's an entrepreneur, she's a business person. She, the glasses she's wearing, she built, she designed them herself. This is a really innovative person. But not everything has worked for her. Most things have been, have not worked to her satisfaction. And she was not even expected to win the CEO post in DeKalb. She was underestimated. So, so I want everybody to like, get out of your pity party, knock it off.
- [24:54]
C
Right?
- [24:55]
B
You're going to have to realize no one's coming to save you. You're going to have to do that. And that comes with self esteem, confidence and the information of then how do you navigate in this system. So now your CEO, Lorraine, you, you get in this position. How many, how many residents do you have?
- [25:18]
C
789,000. We're the fourth largest county in the state of Georgia. We have the most diverse square mile in America in Clarkston, Georgia. And right now we are nipping highly on the bud of having the largest pocket of African American wealth in the United States. States currently second only to Prince George's County, Maryland. And that is the 30038 zip code of Stonecrest, Georgia.
- [25:48]
B
Wow, that's fantastic. And what is the gdp? What is the economic energy for the county? What is the economic post rate?
- [26:00]
C
Oh, let me say that, you know, in terms of the DeKalb county budget and it was interesting you went through how government generates revenue because that, that's really important for people to understand.
- [26:11]
B
We haven't gotten there yet. That's exactly what I'm talking about. Exactly.
- [26:14]
C
Yes. But we operate off a 4.8 billion dollar annual budget.
- [26:20]
B
Okay, slow down. I want the audience to. She's walking past these, these. Drop the mics. Here's a black woman in America. Sorry, a woman in America. No, a leader in America who happens to be black and happens to be a woman. Right. Who is running a four plus billion dollar balance sheet. Think about a corporation. Right? This is huge. And, and she's running it competently. So $4 billion plus of annual just for the government, Right?
- [26:50]
C
Correct. And let me say that DeKalb County, I am the only, and this is very unique, CEO, chief Executive officer in the state of Georgia out of 159 counties DeKalb county is unique. We are the only chief executive form of government. And, you know, some people know, the mayors, as you said, the chairmans. You have, you know, chairmans in Gwinnett, chairman in Cobb, Henry county, so forth. But we have 12 municipalities, and those are your cities that come out of you that are birthed from DeKalb. So each receives a pro rata distribution of that 4.8 billion, leaving DeKalb with a roughly 1.9.
- [27:38]
B
But the average GDP in 2022, I'm sure the number is much bigger now. It was $52 billion of economic energy. That's 10 times what her operating budget is. Just to give some context of the impact that she and DeKalb county has.
- [27:56]
C
Yeah. So, you know, we are one of the major players, and we continue to grow, you know, and. And when you talk about government and people, people either reject or they resent what they don't understand.
- [28:11]
B
Yep.
- [28:11]
C
And many people plain and simply don't understand government. Government is the largest procurer of services in the world. If you have a business and you're not doing business with government, then you need to reevaluate. If you're really doing business, you know, a lot of goods and services that are needed. People look to government for what they can't do for themselves. Government was never designed to provide housing, but across America, we have an affordable housing crisis. We have an inventory crisis, period. Whether you're talking market value, you know, people use all these different names. But nonetheless, you know, I encourage people that are listening. If you provide a good service, reach out to your local government. There is 159 counties in the state of Georgia, and in DeKalb County's instance, with 12 municipalities. So that means you have 13 opportunities to do business.
- [29:08]
B
Yeah, my memory may be wrong about this. I think there's. I think there's 4,000 counties in America, by the way. It's thousands of counties. I think it's 4,000.
- [29:16]
C
So.
- [29:16]
B
So this is just in Georgia we're talking about. You know, of course, your podcast gonna be heard nationally and internationally. So we want people to. To reach out wherever they happen to be. Let's unpack how a county. Because you're talking about the cab, but it's relevant to our county. How do you make your money and how do you spend your money? And what are. And what's something that is not obvious to people about how the impact you're having on their lives?
- [29:43]
C
DeKalb county and all counties, the majority of our money is received through taxation. Property taxes, okay. Business taxes is how we generate money. Also in DeKalb county, we have a splotch of special purpose local option sales tax that is $0.01. And it is earmarked specifically for infrastructure and capital improvement projects. And that particular penny brings in about, on an, on an average, on a six, six year basis, $886 million will be generated through swoths, through one penny, with one penny over a six year period.
- [30:28]
B
Unbelievable.
- [30:29]
C
And let me say, you know, John, that is consistent with saving. And a lot of people don't understand how important it is to simply be consistent, even if it's a small amount. You know, here, my husband, he, he's the money man, he always running numbers on savings. And if you were to invest just a hundred dollars per year, over a hundred dollars per month, over a 20 year period, you would retire a millionaire. It's just that simple. It's the consistency and most people can afford to do that. But having the discipline to do it is what separates those who do from those who do not, so to speak.
- [31:15]
B
Continue.
- [31:16]
C
Yes. When you talked about services that government provide, you know, we're responsible for everything from the courts to the jails, sanitation, water. Sanitation, water. And those are the things that government is designed to do, technically essential services, because water, infrastructure, said your sanitation, those are things that are critical. Roads, parks are operated by county. Economic development, you know, recruiting of business and also funding small businesses. And for people that are listening to us, that is very important for you to understand. We can help you start your own business. You know, I've seen a lot of instances here in DeKalb County. We two, three years ago, we got our first Tripoli on the south side. And I want to be clear, John, there is a. There is. I consider Memorial Drive, if you know anything about DeKalb county, to be the Mason Dixon Line between the north and the south. And south. DeKalb has unique issues. And if you're a leader, you have to understand your community, you have to understand the varied needs. And in South DeKalb, you know, we have challenges, but we got our first Chipotle. And I can remember sitting across from a gentleman who brought a folder to breakfast.
- [32:45]
B
For those who are listening.
- [32:47]
C
Yes. I don't take folders. I didn't know what was in it.
- [32:50]
B
Right.
- [32:51]
C
He said, you know, hey, I have some options here. I'm thinking about bringing a restaurant and I want you to take a look at it.
- [32:57]
B
By the way, if I listen, she says something again, drop the mic. Anybody going? Any elected official listening to this Anyone really wants to go into government. She said, I don't take folders. That is none of that. I don't know, that's wisdom there. It could be a setup, by the way, on top of you shouldn't be doing it, but it should be a setup. Somebody be sitting around with a camera waiting for you to grab that folder, that envelope, and they don't know what's in it. It'd be completely innocent. But they can make it up and say, oh, that was this person on the tape. Never take, show everything in public and let them, let the other person unfold what's in the folder. If somebody wants to give it to you, you don't want your hands on it, go ahead.
- [33:39]
C
Yeah. And believe it or not, I actually carried along my chief of staff. But you know, he pushed the folder across the table and I said, well, you know, of course we need economic development, we need restaurants, but I'm telling you now that if it sells fried chicken, fried rice or burgers, it doesn't work for me. And I just pushed the folder back and never opened it. But he then said, well, in that case, he picked up his folder and he said, well, what do you have in mind? So I gave him some options. And one of the top options I had was Chipotle. And believe it or not, I told him, I said, if you give me what I'm asking, it will be one of the top revenue producing franchises in your chain. And he left and he came back and he said, well, I, I got one of the three and you know, we have two others and they're going to reposition. So we opened our first Chipotle in South DeKalb and within 90 days it was one of the top three revenue generating restaurants in the state. And you know, you know, I told them the outcome, but what I'm saying to people who may be listening is, you know, these were outside investors that came in, but you can do this. And franchising is, is an easy way to own business because it, it already has a model when you choose the right model. Right. So, you know, reach out. You know, I'm depending on you to help me solve issues in our communities, particularly with economic equity. Because right now, you know, John, I hear, I've heard you say it many times, my friend, nothing changes a community more than a 700 credit score.
- [35:25]
B
That's right. And you are certainly a model for that. Thanks to the, the, the CEO who used to be a commissioner, Operation Hope is is active organization. I found it is active in DeKalb and converting folks from renters to homeowners and small business dreamers and small business owners. And we've put up some incredible numbers of achievement tied to her commissionership and we're looking forward to doing, doing more in her, in her role as CEO through my nonprofit operation Hope. So she just gave you a very practical example of somebody who came in who had some capital and they had their own idea what they wanted to do. But as CEO, she can say no. I'm not going to tell you no on that. But I'm less excited about, you know, X, Y and Z. I'm more excited about this other thing. I'm not telling you what to do, but if you do this other thing, it will be higher on my priority list. And, and because she was trying to, she's crafting a vision for the county tied to what she promised her constituents she would do as CEO and tied the degree, the three degrees that she built that she, that she earned. So she knows, not emotionally, not emotionally, what a business plan for the county should look like. She also said something, and again, another drop of mic. She said a franchise comes with a business plan tied to it. So what she means by that is people interact these words, entrepreneur, business person. No, no, they're not interactive. I'm an entrepreneur, I'm crazy, I'm out of my mind. That's creating something that does not exist. It's the highest level of achievement, the highest level of risk. Corporations are, that's a separate situation. A corporation think Coca Cola, etc. A business person, a franchise is a existing business plan. A business person is using an exist gas station, a laundromat, a nail salon restaurant. And if you have a restaurant with a franchise on top of it, we know restaurants work generally they have a high risk level, a failure level. But a franchise is a proven business plan and has a brand attached to it. So she put all that together and said, I think the best business based on food, based on a franchise that's based on that, that that's reasonably healthy and is in this example. Am I saying it properly?
- [38:00]
C
Cheap away. It depends on, I guess what, what region of the country you're from.
- [38:04]
B
I got a little French accent on it. McDonald's. McDonald's target.
- [38:10]
D
Right.
- [38:11]
B
So she brilliantly framed this and now it's high performing and it's win, win. And she's encouraging you others to others.
- [38:19]
C
Out there to think the same.
- [38:21]
B
The same.
- [38:23]
C
And, and let me say, you know, we have, across the cab and in most other jurisdiction, either master plans or small area plans that looks at our 2030 up to 2030 for us and it tells you the types of developments we want. So when you do or lay the proper framework, it's easy for you to sit in front of investors and developers and speak with empirical knowledge and say, hey, this is the direction we're headed in.
- [38:56]
B
Is it downloadable? Is there a version of it that can get on?
- [38:59]
C
Oh, absolutely. It is on our website. And also, you know, I want to, because I'm so big on economic development because, because it's so important to our communities. You know, we have decide de Cab Development Authority. So for those who are interested in owning a business, then reach out to our office. We will connect you. The more prepared you are, the quicker we can get you across the finish line. Everyone needs a business plan. Most businesses don't plan to fail. They fail to plan. Come to us with the data, the information, the resources. Also let us help you because a lot of folks don't understand there are enhanced incentives for doing business in opportunity and empowerment zones, areas that are identified by DeKalb county as well as the government as being in need of revitalization. So right now I'm urging people to do business along Memorial Drive, along Candler Road, along Columbia Road, because for us, those areas are transitioning quickly. And, you know, we can talk also, you know, about what we're seeing in terms of property values and the rises there. But John, I have to go back as you have and say that, you know, through Operation Hope, you know, we have issued more than $20 million with your assistance in home loans and first time down payment assistance to create new homeowners. And that's only been through you and the assistance that we've received from your partners. And education is really the key. Education and access are the two biggest encumbrances to success.
- [40:45]
B
Yes, she and I are both passionate about financial literacy as a civil rights issue of this generation, which. And then get your credit score up, then your energy goes up, your cost of credit goes down. If DeKalb county was a standalone economy, for those listening to this, it would be the size of a small nation. So just so you understand, $52 billion a year is the size of many small nations in the world. It's a big, big deal. And the, the CEO that you're listening to has more influence and impact on the potential opportunity of your life than most folks that you pay attention to. Who are household names. I need for Lorraine Johnson to become a household name in your mind. I need for you to find the Lorraine Johnson's in the nation or her peers and get to know them and their criteria as well. And. And I don't want you passing envelopes across the table to her. I want you pushing business plans across the table to her. In fact, I want you to upload the business plan to her website. Deal with staff. It drives me nuts, Lorraine, when people come to me and they think that old school leadership. I got to reach John o'. Brien. I got to tell him my dream. No, no, no. You need to go to my financial coaches. You need to go to my. My team, my staff. The it's institutionalization of. Of opportunity. We've got to. I consider myself an economic plumber. I know you do as well. We've never talked about it this way, but I know that's the way you think. We're creating the infrastructure, the plumbing so that people can plug into opportunity at scale.
- [42:30]
E
The wait was worth it. Positive affirmations and all the hard work. The keys to your dream home from the vision board have been secured. I see you. A whole new future awaits your planning. From top notch decor, but on a budget to late night backyard summer cookouts, life feels good. Now comes the time to fill it with memories. What will you host first? Maybe movie night, game night. Stories that make us laugh. And spades tournaments that make us cry. First you need to get movers and new furniture. And what about party favors? Will there be a thing? Of course it's thing. Because you're always doing the most. Oh yeah. The food to cook or order out. Don't forget to put it in the group chat so everybody can already see who gonna be there. All that planning can be stressful, but ensuring your home shouldn't be. And that's where State Farm comes in. Because State Farm agents can help you choose the coverage you need. Just call, go online or check out the app. An agent is ready to help so you can focus on showing off your new home. If you know, you know like a good neighbor, State Farm is there run.
- [43:43]
A
A business and not thinking about podcasting, think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you@iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com.
- [44:16]
B
So I consider you a perfect bridge between public sector power and private sector wealth creation. I also consider yourself, you to be a, an efficiency leader in government, which frustrates you because you see so much inefficiency. Can you tell the audience one or two examples when you came into office, the mess that you see? Because by the way, she's in charge. If you see a DeKalb county law enforcement officer, she's their boss. I mean, indirectly, you see the DeKalb county electrician, electrical department.
- [44:57]
C
Yeah. Roads and drainage, it all comes down. And you know, I'm going to give you an example and we've not talked about this, but when I came into office, it's really important for you to understand what you're dealing with. So I brought in an outside consultant. We retained a firm, Malden and Jenkins, and they did an assessment of my 18 consumer facing departments. And I say consumer because a lot of people, I think in government have failed to realize government is a service provider. You are the consumer. And when that study was done, we looked at how we could begin increasing revenue because a lot of people have not looked at government as being an income generating vehicle, just delivering services. So when we looked at those departments where there was potential, one of the departments, well, PDK, DeKalb county is home to the second largest and busiest airport in the state of Georgia, Peachtree DeKalb Airport.
- [46:06]
E
Wow.
- [46:07]
C
And you know, the buildings there were old. You know, there was need for capital improvements. And I looked at the balance sheet because I come from corporate America and I said, well, you know what's going on here? I don't see the revenue. And as we started to talk, they said, well, there's something we can do that we've never done and that is charge transient landing fees.
- [46:29]
B
I love this example. I, I, you and I talked about this. I'm so glad you're bringing this up. Please, everybody pay close attention. This is part of the brilliance of Lorraine Johnson. It's very simple, but it never been done. It's brilliant. Go ahead, continue.
- [46:43]
C
Yeah, so they said, well, one of the ways we could generate revenue, but we've never done it, is through transient landing fees. Now at PDK airport, of course, we have hangars and we have resident aircrafts and they pay a monthly fee for having their, their hangar.
- [46:59]
B
This is a private airport, right?
- [47:01]
C
It is a private airport. So with, but it is the second busiest in the state of Georgia. And all the rich people flying desirable.
- [47:15]
B
All the rich people flying out.
- [47:16]
C
Yeah. Home Depot's aircraft is there. Waffle House. I could go on and on. So when we looked at just charging a transient landing fee, meaning if you're flying in on my tarmac, if you're landing on my Runway, you owe me. You don't get to just bring your aircraft in and out. You need to pay me each way. So with that being said, we instituted transient landing fees and those alone will generate $1.8 million annually.
- [47:47]
B
Now, this is not, we're not talking about anything onerous. We're not talking about jamming people up, we're not talking about hating capitalism. No, no, she's just saying, look, it's. You're using my tarmac. Every time you land, it causes damage. Every time you take it off, it puts, creates stress. My team has to do support work. If there's a crisis, I got to provide emergency services to come there. You know, you're pulling on electricity, you're pulling on the plumbing grid. So she's, she's saying we are partners. We're partners. But you're not paying me, the county, a partnership fee. So she just added a incremental, non painful, reasonable.
- [48:27]
C
Yes.
- [48:28]
B
Transient fee, which they won't even notice, really, that allows her to generate more revenue for you. If you think about this, the county is basically a multi billion dollar business and you're the stakeholders, you're the citizens, the citizens are the shareholders. And so she just gave the shareholders a dividend return.
- [48:49]
C
Yes, and we've done that. In, in. I'll give you another solid example. But also, I have to share this. I began to monitor cell phone usage and I said, okay, I want to do an audit of cell phones because I see these folks aren't answering these phones. So I.
- [49:07]
B
Audience. I've been trying to get, I'm trying to get to this version of Lorraine for 40 minutes. This is the, this is the rain I love. Right? She getting to it now? PhDs are good. PhD is the better. Okay.
- [49:18]
C
Yeah. So I engaged our carrier, Verizon, and I said, I need you to do an audit of our phones. And as of Today, for a 60 day window, every phone that is not utilized, I want you to turn it off. Well, John, that resulted in 562 phones being disconnected that were county issued. It resulted in us saving over $19,000 a month and $238,000 a year, almost a quarter million dollars by shutting off phones from people who didn't even realize, in many instances they had been turned off. So, you know, that worked well Also too, we have began building Our own portfolio. You know, we did something recently for the first time the vehicle was present. We'd never constituted.
- [50:10]
B
Well, big words, Lorraine, if you don't know what's important, building your own portfolio in what? Okay, let's.
- [50:18]
C
In terms of capital assets. Yes, we're building an asset portfolio in DeKalb.
- [50:26]
B
Okay.
- [50:27]
C
So we were looking at housing because there's this huge need and we set aside $8 million and we had a partner present themselves and say, hey, for $8 million, we will purchase a set of apartments, we will give you a of sense six year lease and we can renew. Well, we can negotiate again at the end of the six year period. Well, you know, I called in, didn't bring me the data on this apartment community. And actually they were town homes. And when I looked at the dollar value, I said, well, why aren't we purchasing this and why aren't we doing a contract for the management of the facility with them? Because why would I give you my money to go and purchase a facility that I now rent from you and I have a six year window and we back at this again, I can own it. Because when we ran the numbers and put together the capital stack, it would be a, an income generating vehicle. So that's what we did. We decided, hey, we like you as a partner. We're willing to do a contract for you to manage the facility because we are not as a government in the business of managing apartment communities, but we will own it. So DeKalb county purchased its first and that's the first in our portfolio of real estate that is county owned. Previously, we would give our money to the DeKalb Housing Authority and other external entities and sign some form of agreement for use. So that was really great too. So we invested wisely.
- [52:06]
B
The audience, she didn't scream, she didn't holler, she didn't raise her voice, she didn't curse nobody else. She wasn't emotional, she wasn't reactive, she wasn't personal. She didn't call out anybody's names. She. She was professional. Because when you have the power, you don't need to use it. And there's no need to scream and holler when you know what you're talking about. This is the kind of leader you need. And she gave you three examples now, one at the infrastructure level, one at a fee level, and one at a private sector partnership level that I'm sure. Yeah, one, yeah, one was that infrastructure with the restaurant, the fee level, that's the pdk, the airport. And now she's Giving you one at the ground level. And this is where leakage happens in a government. And when you were talking about fraud and waste, they really, most people are not. Most people are not crooks. Most people are not maliciously trying to rob the city. They're just financially illiterate. They don't know what they're doing. Right.
- [53:15]
C
And John, I, I have to say you are correct. And let me say I've seen in government things that wouldn't be acceptable in my home, if that makes sense, because it just wouldn't be a wise investment. And one last example, because you will appreciate this if you didn't read about it. I was brought a lease to renew. And when I opened up the folder and started to read, I'm like, oh my God, how long have we been at this? So at 4380 Memorial Dr, which is a known facility building because it houses both our tax commissioner and our Office of Voter Registration.
- [53:54]
B
Oh, I love this one.
- [53:56]
C
It was up for renewal on my watch.
- [53:59]
B
Yes.
- [54:00]
C
And when I pulled all the information, I said, my God, how long have we been renting here? I, you know, thought we owned it. And short story, we had been renting the facility for 28 years. Okay. the time we started renting it and it was the original Home Depot in the state of Georgia. The very first at that location, it was only valued at like 1.8 million, but now it was valued at 18.5. But what I found peculiar is in the 28 years of rent, we had invested 18.9 million in rent, another 8.6 in capital improvements in the balance. We also had in the agreement, we paid the taxes to ourselves. Imagine that we could have abated the taxes being as how it's our, you know, building. So I said, no, we're not doing this. So, you know, I now have our first chief development officer. So I sent Jacob Vallow over and I said, Jacob, you have to tell them, plus it needs a 3 million dollar roof. They're not going to find another us. The building's not in the best repair, so either they can sell it or we'll vacate. And God knows I didn't know where those folks were going, but we had already. We bought the building for 18.5 after spending in rent almost $29 million.
- [55:27]
B
You bought it for 18, you spent rent of 20, 28.
- [55:32]
C
Like, yeah, basically 29 million, almost double.
- [55:37]
B
And this is why I tell people, and then you can take this back again. She said, we do things in government but we don't do in our own household we wouldn't allow in our own households. But it's not just that no one washes rental cars if you don't own it. She's got an ownership mentality about the county and everybody in the county should be thankful for her. And by the way, I want to commend Michael Thurman that came before her. She's, she's building on the solid foundation. He's a good man and he did a good job as well. She's just upgrading the software in her own way. So, so, so when I say nobody washes rental cars, no matter how nice you are, you take the rental car with all the dirt that's been accumulated on it back to the owner, which is the rental car company, and let them wash it. So if you are going in, if your mentality is, I'm just an employee in late, long lunch, leave early. Right? It's not mine. You don't kill the contract you're writing. It's all short term. You just. So she's. But she's looking at the long narrative and saying she's looking at an amortization schedule. Please look that up if you don't know that. Is everybody an amortization schedule. How something looks over time in a financial transaction. And if you look at it over an amortization schedule, why would you long term want to rent when you can own? You're paying yourself. She's paying some outside vendor and then has to pay for the pleasure of keeping it up and paying property taxes back to herself. I mean, this is crazy, but this applies to you owning a home. You listening to this? Whether you're in the cab or wherever else. I'm a, I'm a landlord. I was a huge taxpayer in the cab, by the way, as a landlord, I'm encouraging you to go from rent to own. And she went and did that for the county. And Lorraine, I'm thinking about, I don't want to embarrass a city, but Chicago sold Chicago lease 36, 000 parking meters for 75 years and they got an advance payment of about a billion dollars. Those parking meters are conservatively worth right now 4 billion.
- [57:48]
C
I, I know, I, I heard of that. That is a great case study for students in government because, you know, and when I say you have to do what makes sense, if you didn't come from waste, you, you can't do this in good faith. And to be honest, for some people, it may feel like government money because government is just moved in in this way. It's Normal, but it's not good business. And I think that's where we have to get. And even with people who are listening because I know you're all about wealth, you're all about empowerment and I, I deal a lot with fact because I was always taught people lie, numbers don't. What's the numbers? Let me look at the numbers. And I believe the number is like about 80% of African American wealth in particular, particular is directly linked to home ownership. So if you have no home, you have no whip. So when we, you know, it's not acceptable to be a lifelong renter because there's no benefit, either you're going to pay for someone else's or you will pay for yours. So you have to create a level of comfort. And also there's a lot of people who've never been told you can. So bridging the gap to resources so people are understand financial literacy so that they understand that they can own that you're not sentenced to where you are because your zip code shouldn't determine your outcome.
- [59:19]
B
Amen.
- [59:20]
C
These are, you know, so important because you know, if you want to talk housing, I think it was 20, 23 that I, I, I, I actually did a housing study through Ernst and Young. And when that study came back, it showed that in order for an individual earning minimum wage, and I have a big problem with what I'm about to say, but earning minimum wage in the metro Atlanta area, you would need to work 140 hours a week to afford a two bedroom, two bath apartment. That is not sustainable. And America is creating a huge economic divide. We are becoming an America of the haves and the have nots and we have to do better because there's consequences for everyone that is at the table. We cannot allow this economic divide to occur. Have to do more to foster trade opportunities. It's bigger than just. And you know, oftentimes we talk about criminal justice, but we don't talk about the fact that economics is the number one factor in crime. So if you solve the economic problem, you solve the crime problem.
- [60:46]
B
All a drug dealer is, is a legal, unethical entrepreneur with a bad business plan. Import, export, finance, marketing, wholesale, retail, customer service, security, territory, logistics, hr. So that's why, that's why I love, that's why I love you. You went to the prison, you're like, nah, I don't want to stay here very long. And you shouldn't want to be here either. No. So you're like, let me create a situation to either make sure you don't get here in the first place. Or I believe at some point I want to bring our 1 MBB 1 million black business initiative. And just a 1 this, the business creation initiative, irrespective of race. Two prisons. And these are natural entrepreneurs teaching financial literacy. Teach them business, teach them entrepreneurship and help them go from the streets to the suites. And I don't, you know, that's one of the many conversations you and I, you know, I will have over time.
- [61:34]
C
And you'll have to get ti on the show. Also. We're together for two days in a row at different events. Yeah, he, he, he talked about the fact that he was about as bad a kid as you would find, but he had to redirect it. And that happened largely through his uncle who took some of his money and invested it and started flipping houses. And he saw the huge return there and he said, well, hey now I need to move this over to the. To, to. To. To commercial properties and you know, recently built his first low income housing development and I want him to do the same in the cab.
- [62:15]
B
We're dear friends. People don't realize he's a proper businessman.
- [62:18]
C
Yes, he is. And, and I'm very proud of that because the, you know, success is failure turned inside out. I'm thankful that he was able to realize that there was a different way. And we have an entire group of young people out there now who just need guidance.
- [62:39]
B
That's right.
- [62:39]
E
This past weekend, like every other Sunday, you were on the court with the guys, playing ball. Just a pickup game, living out your hoop dreams. No triple doubles, but a mean set of threes in between buckets. One of the homies mentions he closed.
- [62:55]
B
On a new crib.
- [62:56]
E
This is big. And while everyone's asking about the housewarming and making plans to celebrate, you're asking the real questions. Like as he spoke to his State Farm agent yet about coverage. See, home ownership is one thing, but the right coverage is the real game changer. Even more than your last hot streak is how you protect your legacy. Dropping buckets and bars on the court. A State Farm agent can more than assist you with finding the right coverage for your new place. If you have a claim, your local agent can help you file it. Yep, that's right. Over the phone, in person, online, or on the app, they're ready to help you and they don't drop the ball, if you know what I mean. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
- [63:42]
A
Run a business and not thinking about podcasting, Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than Ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. Think podcasting can help your business. Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you at iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com.
- [64:17]
B
As we. This has been a beautiful one hour together and you and I could talk literally all afternoon together if we have the time as we wrap this up. And I do believe he would have gotten a chance now that I pushed you and prodded you to see the brilliance of you. You're very humble. But that, but that was that what? That light went on. It didn't go off. What are some ex. What are some pearls of wisdom that you can leave with this audience as a little girl listening to you, a young girl, a young woman listening to you, to you, a woman trying, who thinks that her life is not fulfilled or frankly, a man or a family or somebody trying to reset their life and become a business person because they were laid off. Just somebody who's losing hope. What practical examples do you have for them? Because I think you're a great role model for that. But also the other thing, what example, what advice you have for government public sector leaders that you can now give them the benefit of now being a cutting edge CEO of one of the biggest counties in the biggest economy in the world.
- [65:31]
C
I'll start with other electeds and business leaders. But, you know, for me, being in the governmental space, I have to stay with leaders. You know, I often say, John, that there's a difference between an elected official and a politician. And I am an elected official. Okay. I came into this position and within 145. No. Yeah. Within 45 days, I had to pass the largest water rate increase in the history of the state of Georgia. Didn't even know it. All I knew is it was what was necessary to meet the consent decree that we were under because we were not in compliance. So with that being said, I don't care who you are, but at some point in your life, you have to detach yourself from what is popular and simply do what is necessary.
- [66:33]
B
That's right.
- [66:34]
C
And if you are willing to do that, because, you know, I'm so grateful that I was so naive and ignorant that when I got in politics, I did not realize honestly what I was truly embarking upon. But now I have Come to realize, you know, I will never run a race that I haven't already won because whatever is for you, it will present itself. And, you know, there's other opportunities. And I don't want to go biblical, but your gift will make room for you, whatever that may be. So don't allow other people to define who you are and where you go. Study to show yourself. Approved. I've been doing that all my life. And knowledge is something that people can't take away from you. So if you're dis. Discouraged, we don't all start at the same place, but it's up to you where you end up. Don't think someone is going to come and level the playing field for you. You acknowledge the playing field and you master it. And that's what will get you across that finish line. Seek people who can help you. You know, John, you often say, if you're the smartest person in your group, you need to find a new group spend. I could tell you so many things that mentors and also, I want to say, reach across the aisle. I don't care whether you're black, white, yellow, you know, brown. I have friends of all hues, and many of them are incredible and dynamic business people like John that have taught me business principles and how to maneuver and make money and how also to create wealth for future generations. Where to invest. So, you know, the conversations that you have are very important. You know, invest in yourself and then at the end of the day, find me. I often, when I speak with young people, I pass out this little postcard and I say, take this home. Because I was always taught, if it's really important, put it in your socks drawer.
- [68:51]
B
Okay, Repeat that again.
- [68:53]
C
If it's really important. My grandmother, they put that in the sock drawer. So I tell the children, take this home. Put it in your sock drawer. If you need a letter of recommendation, if you find yourself in a position of adversity, if you need guidance, if you simply need to have a conversation, as long as you have that card, you have help, you can call me. So that should be the mentality of elected officials, because at the end of the day, we have an enormous amount of resources, information, and opportunities. And if I'm not helping you, then I'm failing miserably. So determine what you want to do. I'm not going to quote a poem, but there's a poem out there called Equipment that I saw for the first time, probably, oh, my God. As a student at Auburn University. But the poem was at Tuskegee Institute. And you have all that. The greatest have had two forms, two hands, two a brain and eyes and a mind to use if you would be wise. So this is up to you. With that equipment, they all begin. So start from the top and say you can. It's really up to you. And John, thank you for being a. A true leader, a visionary, and a person who cares about people and sharing knowledge. You have been given an enormous opportunity because that's your lane, that's your light, and it shows and you are truly making a difference in the community. So thank you.
- [70:27]
B
Well, I'm honored by that and clearly I respect and admire you. You're my first county official in the country on my podcast, and I don't do things without thinking about it. Everything's intentional. I wanted to profile you as a role model. I've been watching you for a very long time, observing you. You're such a beautiful example of excellence in operation. And one of the things I would translate that Lorraine said, CEO Johnson, by the way, she said basically that I'd interpret it. I'd rather you respect me and learn to like me, then like me and never respect me. Like is way overrated, you guys. And, and. And don't take shortcuts. Look, if you're a person of color listening to this or watching this, please hear me. You're born on probation. In America, you have to be twice as intelligent, twice as well dressed, get up twice as early, you know, stay up twice as. Twice as late, do work twice as hard, get half the pay. That's okay. That's just the way it is. But haters make you better and don't take shortcuts. There's somebody watching, waiting for you to stumble. There's somebody at another table. It's a setup waiting for you to take that envelope and take what's inside of it. The person pushing the envelope to you is sent there to set you up. They hope you take the envelope so they can be. Put you on the front page of the news, front page of the newspaper, send you to. To a theatrics class, which is court. Play this out a little bit, a little time. Drip, drip, drip. Destroy your credibility over time, send you to prison, change you from a business suit to an orange suit. And now that. Now the reputation of people of color is that, see, that person is slickster. That person is a criminal. We got to change that stuff. All this. We are better than this. And. And she is an example of. Of operating at the level of excellence. My man, our friend, Mayor Andre Dickens, another example, operating at the level of excellence. He's not black for a living. He's a great leader who happens to be black.
- [72:29]
A
Right.
- [72:30]
B
Running a 800, I'm sorry, 580 billion dollar economy. That's the city of Atlanta. We can do this. She's an example of that. And take her up on her offer. Do your research before you go checking with her and asking her for her time. Don't waste her time. Do your research so that when you have, when you get a chance to get 10, 15 minutes with her, your investment, not a cost on her schedule. CEO Jonathan, thank you very much.
- [73:01]
C
Thank you, John. You and and I look forward to catching up with each other soon. Have a good rest of the day.
- [73:09]
B
God bless you. This is Money and Wealth on the Black effect Network on iHeartRadio Season 2 with CEO of DeKalb County, Lorraine Johnson. Go change the world. Money and wealth with John o' Brien is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast network, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
- [73:39]
C
Foreign.
- [73:44]
A
This is an I heart podcast, guaranteed human.