Now the 490 with Gretchen de Bakker might kill them.

And Kevin Mullin, Welcome back to another edition of the 419.

My name is Matt Killam.

I'm Jon Jones.

Gretchen de Bakker.

For those of you who, are not, tuned to our last episodes, Kevin is out.

He is getting, what I would describe as corrective surgery.

And we're really hoping this one takes.

So our thoughts are with you.

Next season is going to look so much better.

That's right.

Yeah.

If you're filming it by drone.

We have a dear friend in sets and in studio.

Mr.

Jon Jones.

Thank you for doing this.

You are a friend of not just Gretchen, but a friend of the show and the community, and also the only person willing to do this.

So thank you.

Let us.

Thank you.

In a proper way.

You've been a guest before.

But, you're a dear friend, and we are hoping that you provide what I would describe as a lacking amount of polish here and, to some degree, professionalism.

So.

Definitely styled with the bow tie today.

Yes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm showing you a preview of Kevin Mullen.

Next.

That's that next show.

That's right.

That's exactly right.

Yeah.

So for those, people who might be listening, you're watching that, over our underneath the rock.

Mr.

Jones, give us a quick bios to, who you are and what you're all about.

So Jon Jones has already said that just in case people didn't hear.

Not see MMA fighter.

Not the May fighter.

Jones.

Yeah.

Jones, which is why I use your training.

So I'm working.

On.

Are you going to be at the white House on on the anniversary?

I will not.

Okay.

Yeah.

I'll be adjacent.

I'll be right outside the fence.

That's right.

So I've been in Toledo my whole life.

Yep.

And fortunately, at this season of my life, had the opportunity to lead organization called Hope Toledo.

Carlito focuses on early childhood education.

Education in general.

Have served in a myriad of capacities.

And then I'm also which I think is, to me, most important, I'm a minister.

So I served with my dad at my church.

Yes.

As an associate minister.

And I'm real, real thrilled to be able to do work in community because I get to hang out with people like you.

And do that.

Well, married for kids.

All that good stuff.

My last one was a senior in high school.

So your last one's a senior.

The last ones to see.

My god.

So he's.

The last.

He's only nine.

But they moved him out.

Get him out of the house.

Yeah.

We pushed.

Really fast.

Like we're close to empty nesters.

Yeah.

Go to get out here, John.

Without Kevin.

And Gretchen's been busy.

The communications of the show has fallen on my shoulders, which is a real strength of mine.

Yeah.

So you may or may not be aware we have a mystery guest in studio already.

They are my mystery guest.

So, I am, to some degree, also ill prepared.

But I do want to give you some clues as to who this person may or may not be.

And I'd also encourage you not to look under the couch, which is clearly in your view.

Yeah.

All right.

So this individual.

Right.

Is an X chromosome.

That means.

Woman.

They are needed that they.

Attended the University of Michigan.

And, they have worn a couple hats.

But all the hats have been about, in my words.

Critical thinking, futuristic thinking.

An entrepreneurial spirit.

They are currently a CEO of a company out of Wood County.

Okay.

And this company, in some degree can be described as heliocentric.

So those are your clues.

I don't know what Helio is.

I don't use your phone.

She manufacture.

Helium?

That's exactly right there.

They opened the the city death party.

City of John.

That had been a better guest.

Yeah.

Blessed.

The balloon manager would be a good guy.

30s left before the grand reveal.

Okay.

We are off and.

Running again without Kevin, who is the anchor and only professional that holds the airwaves here.

So bear with me, Matt.

Kill him.

I'll be your leader for another episode of the 419.

Of course.

Brought to you by Retro Wealth Management.

But the proud partners of.

You're making sure this comes into your ears and into your living rooms and into your car.

So thank you.

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Thank you.

Welcome back to the 419.

We have a couple of guests in studio.

John Jones, of course, is helping us steer the ship here and is definitely needed in the absence of one Kevin Monk, who of course, is having something removed from his lower extremities.

So we hopefully get it out this time.

Our thoughts are with you, Kevin, and your family and I and the object.

Candidly, who knows who knew you're not supposed to smell this thing.

Yeah.

Kevin, you're a brave man.

And I cannot wait for the start.

Pulling for you.

In your honor.

Yeah, the reveal.

Direction that it's going.

Okay, great.

Molly, are you talking, Molly dreams team.

Molly Reams Thompson.

Molly Reams.

Thompson is our celebrity.

Mystery guest.

Also one of the rare hyphenated.

Yes, we've had here.

So thank you for that bravery.

Molly provides some context for, my clues.

SEO should be obvious to most, but you've started, a company here, and I think companies sort of understates the value, in the multitudes.

But talk to me about elevated energy, in the second segment.

But give me a little bit of background, as to who you are, and what the area means to you.

Third generation Toledo in Born and raised here.

Love Toledo, love to see that kind of arc of where it's going from a storytelling perspective.

I've been in I've been in like, if you look at my background, it's that's a lot of been in many industries.

But if you look at the through line, it's entrepreneurship.

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, obviously the show is alive.

So we can already cut out that.

I thought your name was, Hyphenated Reginald Reginald.

But that's okay.

We fix that.

But do you have a particular connection to CTE?

Oh.

So, way back in the day, they did, what was the the name of the auction that they did every year.

And my dad was one of the people who did the, not the auction.

It was the, Don't the what?

The phone.

Telephone, telephone.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Anything else about your history?

We'd like to tell you?

Yeah.

Yes.

Yeah.

Right.

One of the first times I ever met Dave Gursky, he declared to me, your granddaddy put my granddaddy in the slammer.

Oh, we got that right.

The amount of people that Dave Gregory said that to them, that's not.

It doesn't matter.

The Purple gang.

Oh, yeah.

My grandfather was the one who put Yanni literally in the slammer.

You're kidding me.

So let's talk about the family history a little bit, because dreams is.

That is the operative, phrase here.

Your mother is Susan Reams, but Frazier Weems and, was a prominent lawyer, if I'm not mistaken.

And so talk a little bit about the those of those prior generations and their contributions from like.

Yeah, kind of entrepreneurial.

Right, right.

I mean, obviously you're much less important than them.

I know Mary Wade was kind enough to tell me.

Okay, good, good is generous.

Yes.

You know.

Yeah.

That's all right.

Yeah.

Okay.

My grandfather was a US congressman.

My dad very thankfully, I think there was a race in the maybe early 2000.

So he is now, someone who ran for governor and lost by the second worst landslide.

So that was good.

Yeah, he ran for governor in 66.

He was a state senator for a long time, and then he realized he didn't want to be in politics.

So, he started a radio station.

And on Christmas, as you do as.

Yeah.

That's right.

You just start.

One right now.

So I'm Christmas Eve, 1972, 12 hours of Handel's Messiah.

And at midnight, rock and roll all the way.

And that's how Wyatt was started.

Wow.

So.

And it does not stand for Wally.

I, I've had this argument so many times over the years.

It is not.

My dad wanted something that rhymed with riot, but you had to have W as the call letter that is now, you know, the whole.

Okay, interesting.

I know.

John, if you had to have, your own radio program, what would it be called?

It would have to be called Choose wisely.

Choose wisely.

Yeah, I would choose wisely with John Jones.

Which, of course, yeah.

Which I haven't.

That.

Right, right, right.

You today by being here.

But that's so.

Yes.

Yeah.

So what I want to know, Molly, with all that history and you chose the path of entrepreneurship.

What drove you down that path?

Oh, that's, so there's only so many, so many times before you, when you get fired, when you realize.

I really I don't play at all.

So I'm funny enough.

I'm on my.

I think Elevated Energy is my 11th company, but it's, you know, some of them were, like, crashed and burned in spectacular form.

Some of them just for, like, now.

This isn't it.

I don't really have my heart in this.

And this one is really the result of, oh my gosh, we have something here.

And if we're going to start expanding beyond Perrysburg.

So Perrysburg Energy is kind of the original company name.

But when you go outside of Toledo, it's like Parkersburg Energy.

Harrisburg, you're still in litigation.

Perrysburg energy was a well known dance troupe that I started.

It was just a just a friend of mine, and.

I was like.

You guys leave it at the mediation table.

That's right.

Yeah, right.

I don't know what this was talking about.

I didn't put the I didn't bedazzle my, junk suit for nothing.

That was, we.

Brought Perrysburg before.

I think even the sun existed.

If you need to bedazzle your costume to show energy, that's.

That's a dancing problem.

That's that is a that's a structural problem.

That's changing me from different problem.

Two periods.

Period.

That's a problem.

Yeah.

It was a dance machine.

Show litigation to Perrysburg Energy.

It happens more than you, right?

Oh, I'm talking about.

Please keep going I apologize.

I have no idea where I was.

So I don't think change the name.

Yeah.

Elevate energy.

Yeah.

So, so my first, entrepreneurial venture was Super Bowl Sunday of 2000.

Some girlfriends and I were sitting around the table and we were talking about, like, what would it look like if our lives, if we could really shift our lives and, and become different, higher, better versions of ourselves.

And so that first company was called I Am Diva Inc, and we wrote a book, got published by one of the then major authors, and it was like, this is really cool.

Like, we get to chart the course of where we say we want to be headed.

And it was published in five languages.

Wow.

What was your least favorite language?

It was.

I think it was Croatian.

Sure.

Yeah.

It's.

I don't have a big Croatian crowd.

So you can speak freely there.

Yeah.

Yes.

If I, if I could, I would.

Yeah.

So what happened to the after the book.

So we actually one of the coauthors and I started a TV pilot called the Diva Report.

But then we just got busy in life.

Life got super lazy, and then we ended up.

Life and.

Death.

As it does.

Right.

But so then we moved back to Ohio.

And as you do, and, my husband started working in solar and loved it.

That's what he really wanted to be doing.

Oh, give us a date on that.

Got into solar.

I think that's probably a more common vernacular.

Certainly.

Now, thank goodness.

But then Helios scope it because I had to look that one up.

Yeah, yeah.

Wow.

Centric.

Sorry.

Yeah.

A scope.

That's what we do.

Yes.

You're right.

There you go.

Right to me.

But he got involved in this.

What year are we referencing?

So 2008 ish.

We moved back here in 2009.

That's still relatively new, certainly for this area to be, hitting that horizon.

Yes or not.

Yeah.

So it was, it was, but there were so you the the parking lot at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Oh, yeah.

That was his he went to then CFO Carol Benson said, I have this idea.

I think you should put solar in your parking lot.

She said, well, we've been looking at redoing it.

And so she led the charge on that and there were a lot of other companies involved in that.

As not sure.

Printer, serial entrepreneur, I should say.

No, that's really, I think the that's the positive.

There's been a litany of books, about, you know, I think probably one of the most popular books of all time, that isn't found in the drawer of a hotel room.

Is the seven, habits of successful People.

At the risk of asking you to sort of bridge that conceptually, an entrepreneur, the makeup of that individual.

What is the top of the pyramid of traits?

You must have to be a successful entrepreneur or leader in that space.

Unemployable, obviously.

Yes.

I'm interested in years after that employable.

So I think there are so minus for sure futuristic.

But not on.

Not all entrepreneurs are futuristic minded.

Yeah, so I. Didn't have to be made as well.

And there's a value to that I get that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But I think non-linear is a very big component of it because I don't think in, you know, like we've always done it this way.

Here's the process.

We I desperately need to have a process in what we're doing, but I, I cannot be like, okay, first we do this and then we do this.

That's not how we come up with projects that are, you know, changing the game of how community impact works.

Sure.

Or doing the projects like we're doing, which is taking, solar array and then combining it with community impact.

Sure.

So that's a John, I think of these two a mirror one another.

But, entrepreneur and a community leader, might seem juxtaposed to others.

But they're not in many ways.

Right.

So if you don't mind, I'd like to put the same question on your lap.

When you think of, the both a duality of what Molly made mention of and your role as a civic leader.

Those are my words.

I want to make you feel uncomfortable.

But what what are the traits, that people in.

You don't have to flatter yourself.

I know that you're humble, but if you were to design a civic leader in a lab.

What would the traits be?

So what Molly just shared, I think is, is critical, right.

Because it to be non-linear thinking.

Yes.

Critical.

Sure.

You've got to be able to move here, here, here.

Yeah.

Even as we've seen stuff happen within our community.

But then I also think you've got to begin thinking about where do you want to be.

That's right.

Well said.

Whatever that end is, you've got to start thinking about that at the very beginning.

And most of those folks who become some of the best leaders have already thought about what that end state looks like.

Sure.

How do they want to get there now?

They're not going to go a straight path, which is where the non-linear thinking.

Right.

Which I love that, but you've got to be able to have where am I really trying to go?

Because the pivots are going to happen and you can't let the pivots stop you from.

The end goal.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm going to put both of you on the spot here, and I'll go to John first.

One of the pivots, well-articulated, diplomatic as I know you to be, in the not nearly linear fashion, futuristic, does eventually have to hit paper and then hit others.

Yes.

Talk to me a little bit about the people math, right?

We're talking about not just selling widgets, right?

Which does have an intrinsic value.

The bottom line of things needs to close people and get people's jobs.

But you have to inspire, right?

You have to sell these conceptually, even if it is, something of the public good, you are still constantly selling.

You have to.

Sell John again, potentially put you on the spot.

And, Gretchen, you are a leader, certainly in your own right.

So I by no means want to take the microwave, microphone or microwave, depending on what, when, breakfast burritos are coming out here is country Years program.

And breakfast has fallen off since the since the cuts.

It's the budget.

Cuts.

It is the budget.

Does that do Kevin's procedure?

Yes.

You've had him killed.

Dana.

Tiger Malden.

We had to.

Feed Kevin the Daniel tiger.

You heard it here first, but down the road here, talk to me about inspiring people, even sometimes on their own behalf.

Absolutely.

If that piece of being able to inspire folks is probably the most difficult.

Certainly.

The most critical and the most long term impactful, yes.

People have to be able to see I can get to where we're trying to go.

So you have to convince people that this is so.

When I listen to, Molly talks, so to say, hey, what do you think about Art museum with the parking lot?

That's right.

You're going to convince them that they want to put us on the field or a solar array.

I'll say, yeah, in the middle of your parking lot.

Right?

Right.

And so you've got to you've got to convince people the trade of what it is they got to do.

I think it's about just being, a yes and go person.

I love it like you can't be to be an entrepreneur, to have that mindset in the face of, I don't know, just making this up at the top of my head, city council or other, any city, any government doesn't necessarily have to be Toledo City Council.

But in the face of all the things that you have to do to get something done, yeah, you have to be a person that says, yes, I'm going to figure it out.

This is the thing.

Believe in it and be positive about it.

Yep.

So there are, this is fresh in my mind.

You're always going to come across obstacles and it's part of the thing, but I look I'm looking.

At three of them.

Yes, well, it's okay.

It's all good fucking the way.

So I look at obstacles as the raw opportunity.

If I can break it down into, like, the raw elements of what is it about that obstacle that is that's currently blocking my way?

Yeah.

And who are the people, tools and resources to help me get to that next level?

And I know that I'm willing to take a risk big enough that it's going to pay off.

I know that I in some cases I may be the only vision keeper, but to your point, like.

There's an keeper.

Who else can I can I have joined the bandwagon.

Who else do I think is already going to be a yes to this?

Yes, because there's always going to be the knows absolutely.

As we encountered recently on one end on one of our projects.

We'll get to.

That.

Yeah.

I had no doubt.

And I have to look at it like I'm way more committed to the bigger future of the project, of the community and to where we're headed than I am to getting stuck in the middle by by some obstacles.

So there has to be another way around it and I will find it.

We've got about a minute and 30s, and this is a good question, I think, to potentially close with something that you all than speak to directly, but certainly, circle around thematically.

You have to be prepared for failure.

Right.

You mentioned tongue in cheek to some degree, 11 other things before it.

Some of them were successful.

It was just time for you to move on.

Right?

Those are my words.

But you have to be able to shoulder failure.

Right.

And it isn't a close up shot, necessarily.

It's step back, assess and regroup.

It takes some intestinal fortitude, of course, to be able to do that.

That's why I've never been described or confused with a leader.

But, if you don't mind, we'd like, I like to close out with your thoughts on that, because you have to push, and have to be okay with a no and then have to reset yourself.

So talk to me a little bit about failure and why it's part of the process.

Failure is the, it's so funny.

People describe failure, like, tell you if it's funny.

Okay, good.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thanks for that.

Failure is often described as something to be afraid of.

Something that is hard, something that is difficult.

But I guess it depends where you what your perspective is.

Because if you're going to let failure be the thing that stops you, entrepreneurship is probably not the right pathway.

If failure is like I get it, that's just part of the deal.

Like a failure is, well, it took us one more, you know, month than we thought it was going to to get this project moving forward.

It's not a failure.

It's a lesson learned.

That's right.

So that part of the stepping stone of getting to, you know, companies ten and 11 is, you know, like I think we can make this better.

Let's do it better this time.

Let's change this.

And so failure becomes something I run towards as a way to learn and grow and like constantly committed to growing and learning.

But it is with that 100% commitment to make things better.

How do I make the community better and all of that?

Molly, that's a great close.

The first segment we're talking about is Thompson.

Of course, we have our beloved friend John Jones in studio helping steward, Gretchen and I through our episode.

Without Kevin.

We'll be back with that and the 419.

Thanks for listening and watching.

To me, community means connecting to others.

I'm Danny Miller and welcome to the Point.

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We've got really two guests in studio.

We are made up, of course, by Gretchen.

Who's informed you do not pound the table and I won't be.

The audience is asked.

They've sent an email.

And they've.

Asked but one thing to stop.

And it wasn't my party on the table.

It is the honey coming from the.

Your voice.

Gretchen usually sit.

Together, honey.

Yeah.

That is.

Yeah.

Us being separated is only cause a larger, hardship.

Yeah.

John, thanks for being here.

I I'm in the middle.

John.

We're thrilled to have you here, buddy.

And no mistake in the middle.

It is by mistake.

No, Molly, we are closing out, a little bit, about entrepreneurship, but I think a lot a bit about the personal traits it takes to be a said person.

But I want to lean a little bit more into.

A sad person or said both.

Yeah.

This is actually an adventure.

And that's why we're sitting in a semicircle, right?

Yeah.

Your whole family is outside.

This table, right?

We do whenever.

We have friends on, we are quick to lean in to, to talk to, to one another like we're around the kitchen table, which, of course, does fuel my soul.

But for the listeners, I want to back up just a little bit.

Talk about, your mom specifically, if you don't mind, and then roll into, the myriad of projects that I know you're really proud of.

But, Gretchen, I know this is something that's important to you.

Public art is a part of your life on a volunteer basis.

So you dedicate the few hours that you have outside of the studio, as well as your law practice, to making sure that people have access to something that makes, certainly in light of, last weekend's events, something that we can be proud of and shine around.

Yeah.

And James really was the leader in that whole thing.

She started.

She started the public art in Toledo.

She got us the 1% for the arts back in 1970s something.

So tell us about your.

Tell us a little bit about your mom.

She's still around.

She's still amazing today.

Here at Lake Iowa.

Okay.

Yeah.

She's around.

If I tell you her age, I will be grounded yet again.

Yeah.

I'll just tell you, she's been working, actively, avidly in public art since 1968.

Maybe a long time.

60 years.

Yeah.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah.

So a really long time.

She started the 1% for Art program in Toledo.

She then went to the state level and took it, to the, the state funded program where 1% of capital budgets go to fund, public art.

Well, she's a very, entrepreneurial woman, and she's a dogged advocate, which is which is how I would also describe you.

So obviously, you have a lot of.

Yeah, her traits.

Let's talk about the most recent thing you have going on.

Just a. Second.

John, you live in your family's home, correct?

I did, I just moved recently.

Gotcha.

Yes.

I get as you both that you, you're both very proud of where you've come from, too.

But that is also a little bit of a burden, as my words.

I don't mean that.

Obviously, in the negative sense, but picking up the torch.

Oh, aren't you such and such as Sam and or daughter?

You know, we're not, we're not.

We're not on the therapist, couch here.

It's certainly, things to be proud.

Of, but talk to us.

A little bit about, paving your own way.

Because it.

Yeah, it isn't easy.

It's so in no particular order.

John, do you mind starting?

Yeah.

I mean, it's it's it is interesting to be able to do it.

What I've embraced over time is how great it is to be able to do it.

So my grandmother says, when you talk about your mom, my grandmother in the mid 60s was doing teaching Bible teaching.

She was first pastor of our church.

She was, I call her the tip of the spear.

Right.

She was doing stuff that folks weren't doing.

Yeah.

Back then.

And so sometimes it could feel like a burden.

But then once you realize, hey, your dad's doing this in community, he's a pastor leading in community, doing all these different things.

And then the biggest compliment is when people look at me and think, I'm a junior.

So my dad's name is Charles.

Yeah.

I'm John.

Yeah.

But when they think I'm a junior because.

Right, they think, oh well you got to be doing what's your dad's sure know him.

And they just automatically think that because they know him as Pastor John.

But the pastor's kid and grandkid is always the worst kid on the street.

That's what they typically typically say.

So we won't talk about where the skeletons are buried.

Okay.

But what we will say is that.

Is that way out of the burden.

That is.

But the burden isn't as bad as what people think it.

Sure.

It's how you embrace it.

Yeah.

And then continue to be able to talk about.

But you have to have the you have to have the intestinal fortitude to be able to embrace and move for value.

That that took it's been a big evolution for me to really come into my own and say, this is the path I'm headed on.

I have a high level of confidence about who I am.

But, you know, especially moving back here as an adult, it is so very different.

So it's like, oh, you're so.

You.

Haven't moved back officially yet?

Yes.

Wait for the don't go to sink it.

You know why rush it.

Yeah.

That's right.

You don't need to rush that train there.

But both of my parents were were well known in big community advocates.

Yes.

So then people are just, I don't know if dismissive is the right word, but, you know, is it is there is a little bit of that and it's like, well, you're no Susan and Frazier Reeves.

You're right, you're right, I am not.

And it took me a little it was a process to kind of work through and say, you know, I'm I don't want to go this path.

I don't want to go that path.

I want to forge my own path.

And I have to figure out what that is.

And now I have and, you know, away we go.

And it is, you know, once you are willing to say, I can do this, I have everything I need.

I'm stopping looking out there and stop looking for some ideal that doesn't exist.

Sure, I'm going to create what that is for me because I trust who I am and I know I have some great ideas, and now we're seeing them come to life and it's pretty great.

It's a good segue into Elevate Energy.

Talk to you about the first project and potentially the moment, although all entrepreneurs have the same answer.

This in my experience here, like we don't know that we've made it yet.

I mean, overnight success over the course of, you know, 10 or 15 years.

That's right.

Talk to me about, first project and some of the highlights, that you're working on currently.

Well, the first project for it actually came through Perrysburg Energy is the Glass City Riverwalk, which I've decided we're going to be calling it the Molly or Thompson Glass City Riverwalk, because my mom has a plaza named after her.

So you have to follow suit.

I got to.

Do something right.

It sounds like you're really working on that chip.

Yes, yes.

I mean.

Yeah.

So among friends here.

Right?

Right.

That's right.

So, that one was the transition from we started in while we did a little bit of solar.

We started, in commercial LED lighting.

And when I started working full time with the company, I was like, there's we do so much that's different.

Like, how do we bring that to the surface so that we're not just competing against everybody else who's doing the same thing, because that's a zero sum game and you just you can't get further ahead on that.

And I knew that we always looked at things different.

We always approach to project with what's the impact we can make for our customer then and now.

When I look at our clients, all of them are, they have a big mission.

So every project that we take on is focused on that mission.

It's a very different way for any contractor to orient themselves is how can we help you achieve your mission and everything we measure about this project?

Is it going to help you connect back to that mission?

That's the focus of our.

Of.

Our company.

And we talk about equity, and inclusion, with some regularity.

Now, thank goodness.

But to some degree, the color of equity and inclusion is green.

Talk to me a little bit about you talking about focusing back on the mission.

And by no means is this, soften the weight of that.

But these institutions need mone function.

So what you're proposing here to every one of them helps fuel, no pun intended.

The mission.

Yeah, I know you just said it, but bring that all the way home our listeners understand.

Well, so first of all, as a, as a woman who's been in, you know, tech industries and all of that, right?

You got to tell me I've lived it.

I mean, it's like.

Looking in the mirror.

It's like looking at a real dumb mirror.

Yeah, I'm sure that doesn't quite work.

Yeah, it's totally it's it's been interesting to be in industries where I like it.

At one point I've had people say, I'm sorry, I don't value your opinion.

I was told that at a meeting.

And why did Gretchen say that?

I didn't know, and I was the only one of only two women in the room.

And I had other people.

And this was in Toledo.

So did you tell them that you were a diva?

Because that might have changed my mind.

Given your book?

Yes.

That was at the point where I wasn't where I am now, because I would have a few things to say.

I bet you, you know.

Right?

May or may not to bring me.

You bring me right or Gretchen, right?

Right.

You know, the legal, the counseling, all of that.

But so I do see some, evolution there of, like, you know, the it comes in many forms, like, how do we level the playing field and make this available?

Part of it is you have to have entrepreneurs at the table to to make that happen, to accept it.

Right.

Because if you have the same people who've always done the same things, it's you can't expect to then do things different and take it.

And some of one of the neighborhoods and some of the people that are doing some of the most innovative work as it relates to housing and energy and neighborhood and streetscapes and art is the historic South.

Yes.

And so this program that you just got approved is, is a partnership with them.

Yes.

So and by the way, I did hijack your question, so I apologize.

But put it right.

Yeah I'm pretty good at that.

But and I can come back to that.

It's all related to this.

So we just got the special use permit passed, which was not without challenges as it just happens.

That's right.

That's part of the deal.

Right.

But we had a bigger commitment.

So part of what we do in this gets back to what you said before, is every organization, every nonprofit in the historic South supported this project.

So we talked to all of them.

We knew that we got letters of support.

We got letters of support from Marcy Kaptur, from Anita Lopez.

And then we talked to almost every city council member.

And that is how you generate community support.

You talk to all the people who are a yes, because in any community you will always have the people who are a no.

Just check the comments page of anything and you'll see it right.

But you go find the people who are.

Yes, that's how you get people on board.

That's where you inspire people to want to move forward with the project.

So this historic South project is about 1.5MW.

It's a pretty sizable project.

But what we did that's different.

Provide, megawatts.

For those who have not watched the future, bring that home us a little bit.

Yeah.

If you could educate us, a megawatt.

Can you provide some context to this?

Yeah.

So the the size of this parcel, it's a city owned parcel.

The size of that piece of land is 15 acres.

So this will take up about a third of it.

So four and a half acres.

It's, I think it depends what penalty is, but probably around 3000 ish solar panels.

Okay.

And they're going to be on the ground.

So it's not going to it's going to be ground mounted.

So you can't like it doesn't obstruct the view of the river.

And that's by design.

Yeah.

So it is designed to be low impact.

The energy it produces provide some context for that.

Yeah.

So the energy it produces is intended to fuel something.

But because there's no building there we're going to use it for a different purpose.

So we're going to be giving it or selling it to another entity.

And then the sales, those are the proceeds of that 100% of it goes back to support Historic South initiative.

So what that looks like is sorry.

It's like sometimes it takes me a while.

To get I know this is bringing home and I'll.

Eventually get there, but so what that looks like is there are there is like 20, 25% vacancy rate.

There are homes that are needing repairs that people cannot afford to.

So they can apply for a grant and the funds will help pay for that.

So it is a we're taking something that is a cool project, and we're turning it into a 25 year cash flowing asset for the Historic South initiative for that community, for the old South End.

Is it something that can be duplicated in junction?

And then this.

Is what they do in every single project.

So we would take it and find it in whatever the neighborhood, whatever the project is.

And we would help figure out what's the mission and how do we do that.

So that's what we do.

So we're going to do a transition from that.

Congratulations by the way.

Very good.

Like you said, it wasn't a seamless track, but, nothing that is worthwhile comes easy as that.

By the way, the other part of the project that wasn't part of the SFP is we're, providing a solar array for Seagate Food Bank.

Right.

So offset their energy so they can spend more time focusing on making sure people get the food they need.

And before we get to the question, these fields, solar fields be, in, in brown fields, can they be, green spaces?

They can be on built.

They can be basically placed anywhere.

Yes.

I mean, the brownfield is a little bit trickier because you probably you may have to do some remediation, but yes, there I don't want to use the word versatile, but I will I just did.

Yeah.

So yes, they are there.

Like, I noticed a nice green space out here by the building that.

Used to be a library.

Okay.

All right, time for the.

419.

Quiz.

Without Kevin, we don't have to say you guys like a quiz, so.

Thank you, miss.

John, we'll carry the freight here for you.

Do not feel pressure to plug in, and it's goofy, and you are not.

So, you're there with us.

All right.

Molly, from the.

Here we go.

Ready for four rapid fire questions?

Okay.

If you created your own country, what would it be called?

Kill them.

Opolis.

There you go.

What is one thing we don't know about you?

Your security number and your mother's maiden name.

You must say I. Was in the, training program in Los Angeles to become an LA deputy sheriff.

I did not know that about you.

Are you left handed or right handed?

That's pretty transition.

Yes, I am done.

What is your most used emoji?

Purple heart.

All right, John, what's your most used emoji?

Thumbs up, my man.

All right, one finger.

Oh, wait.

Oh, Joe.

One more.

He got it.

What is the.

One word you would use to describe the city of Toledo or the region?

Hum.

Okay.

And then we need nine.

Get it for one nine.

So for one, I guess.

What are the nine you're on?

But I. Picked up.

Well, I know what it is.

What are your nine favorite things?

What you would describe as your favorite things about the city of Toledo or the region?

Well, number one, the Susan Remes Plaza.

I love it, the city center.

Okay.

Come on.

Number two.

Wyatt.

Okay, you got to go fast.

Number three, glass city, river wall, soon to be lighted.

Okay.

Number four, Metro parks.

Thank you.

Number five.

Give her two for that.

Oh, I get I get two, right?

And remember storytelling.

Okay.

Let's see.

Well, I mean, the museum.

Yep.

Husband and kids, maybe.

Don't have you kids.

All right, we're going to close out a second here.

Molly, thank you for not caring for your family.

Okay, I guess Mike Vanderpool.

Quiet down, people.

Mike.

Shirley.

Molly, thank you for joining us a secret.

Thank you.

Surprise guest.

Molly.

We'll be back.

Very fine.

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Welcome back to the 419.

It is rudderless without our friend Kevin again.

He's having his wood teeth removed and hopefully real ones put in.

So good luck to you, Kevin.

We just had Molly Reams Thompson in.

I hope you enjoyed that segment.

She's doing some wonderful things.

We have a dear friend, John in studio, who is sitting copilot, providing some guidance, both spiritually and mentally, for my dear friend Gretchen and I. But we've got a great close out segment here, Mike Vanderpool.

Mike, I, I've done a tremendous amount of research, as I always do for these shows.

Then I pronounce your name right.

Is it Mike?

Yes.

Okay.

Mike pence was head of the Miami you're from.

Yeah, yeah.

Mike, you do.

A litany of things every.

Which one of you do?

Well, and I'm interested in.

But if you don't mind articulating your own bio when asked Mike.

Who are you and what do you do?

How do you describe yourself?

It depends who's asking the question.

It's it's.

It's the sheriff's department.

Yeah.

The sheriff's.

Department.

I know, you see, don't.

Talk to.

Them.

Yes, exactly.

On the advice of counsel.

Yes, but.

Yeah, but please, Mike, you do a lot of really important things.

So tell me.

And.

No, these are my words, and they're true.

So you can put the humble, head down.

So, what do you about?

So I'm, full time.

Real job is defiance College.

I'm faculty there.

I teach graphic design, design, visual communication, kind of weaving a whole bunch of cool stuff.

How long How long you been in education, Mike?

I mean, since kindergarten.

Yeah, yeah.

I really like it.

Yeah, yeah.

I, I don't take the joke for me.

It's all I have it.

So long story short, right?

Went to public, private K through eight.

Right.

Trinity Lutheran in Monroe, Co.

Monroe.

Yeah.

Away.

Monroe Catholic Central for three years.

I mean, real high for for a year.

Monroe County Community College for eight years and eight years to kind of figure out what I was actually going to do with my life.

Sure.

When did you start being a doctor, Mike?

Yeah.

You saw Mike Henry.

Yeah, yeah.

And then, after that, I did, Oakland University up in Michigan, got a bachelor's in English, walked the earth for a while, did some business stuff down in Florida, and ended up back here not knowing exactly what to do, and ended up at, Bowling Green State University of a master's in learning design was a son, and I. That's a diploma is a scroll, right?

Yeah.

And after that, started teaching.

Yeah.

At Norfolk State Community College, did that for seven years, and then defiance.

This will be going into year three.

Mike, what makes you a good teacher?

I love to learn.

Yeah, that's a lie.

I love being the center of attention.

Yeah, that's really what.

That's right.

Yeah.

Because that doesn't offend any of us.

Exactly, exactly.

Yeah.

No, but really I because I actually did some introspection thinking about that.

And it really is because every class is an opportunity to learn, about the students and what they need.

Obviously the field of design and I also do work in the technology space.

It's always changing.

So I'm always learning and I love to learn.

When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher.

So I could do the bulletin boards.

Yeah, that was.

Literally the only reason I wanted to decorate the bulletin.

Store.

Yeah.

That's right.

What about the future of you teaching people graphic design?

I don't know what the methodology is, but the where we're going, you see all of this I garbage on social media and stuff now with fliers and things.

What is the thinking?

What are the students thinking about how this is going to go?

Fliers.

You know.

Yeah, they say fliers.

Yeah.

No.

Gretchen, the.

It's a fascinating place to be in right now because with my background in instructional design, that's what that, BG, degree was and my experience as a teacher and then also my 10 to 15 years in technology instruction right there, all kind of coming together right now.

Yeah.

It's just an amazing time to be an educator.

And one of the biggest concerns that I have is that what's being put out there right now, that AI is taking jobs, which it is just like every other technology before it.

These kids don't know that because we're not teaching the history of technology.

There's no that's right.

It's one side of a computer, right?

I always say this.

Format the phone, right.

Because the phone is a computer, right?

Right, right, right.

I always say this still, photography was considered the dawn of the apocalypse for painters, right?

It birthed the Impressionist movement.

So I don't want to dismiss the fact that, to your good point, my jobs will be eliminated.

Right.

But they it does create more jobs and create jobs.

Evolve and change.

That's exactly right.

So continue that path.

Yeah.

Because if we look at just every technology that's come out that's made it easier to do things, whether it was the digital camera right back in the day, you want to make a movie, you needed $100,000.

Some pretty cool friends, right?

You know, you can break out your phone and make it happen.

Yeah.

So so what does that mean for us in the space?

Is that, It's everything will continue to always evolve, right?

Everything will continue to be cheaper and easier.

What does that mean?

We get more because it's easier to make.

Yeah.

So what does that mean?

Look at LinkedIn.

Right?

I'm on it.

Every once in a while you see the, same pictures of the same people in their little, plastic toy things.

And it's all the same.

It's all the same.

It's all the same.

But for us, they're doing marketing, trying to tell our stories and stand out.

What do you have to do?

Innovate.

Well, you have to stand up.

You have to break out.

Of different.

Out of, you know, you can't just go in and say, hey, give me this.

Absolutely.

And who are going to be the people that take what I will start you with and turn it into something more powerful, more effective.

It's going to be somebody who understands the discipline of graphic design, of visual communication.

Have you incorporated teaching AI tools into your classes now?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's what I was going to ask.

How do you get students to lean into that more from the perspective of not just creating some caricature, but thinking about this is the future of what I'm going to be able to do.

So I don't view it as you're going to lose a job, even though some jobs will be lost, but I don't like to look at it that way.

How do you lean in and make this a job right.

So my background is all over the place then.

I've been in the automotive industry out of high school after a summer crush on beer cans.

That was a real job.

That just wasn't.

I didn't have a crush on.

You know, you didn't.

Say you drank.

Them.

In the mortgage industry, hospitality industry, I've been a lot of things right?

And been in a lot of spaces.

Every single space I've ever been in.

What we need are creative problem solvers.

Yeah.

I don't care what happens in the world.

There's always going to be problems because everything that comes out of that solves a problem, reveals another one.

So focusing on what does it mean to be a creative problem solver, it means having a process for solving problems.

Yep.

So when I teach a class leave a class, introduce a class.

Being open and honest right.

Yes I is going to have a huge impact.

But you are going to have to understand how this tool can work.

It's a tool that's in your tool chest is not the tool you're going to use every time and reinforce it over and over and over again.

I don't give a rip about what's coming out on the back end.

Oh, that was really, really hard.

Yeah, I'm passionate about this stuff.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You did really good.

Yeah.

I mean, out of this because you have this final product that ooh, look at this.

Who gives a rip, right?

I need to know that you can talk through and walk through the process of how you made something happen.

Because when you sit down for interview, that's the story you have to be able to tell when you stand up trying to get money from somebody for a project.

It's a life skill.

And I don't.

I don't mean to put you on the spot here, and this is a complex question, and that is obviously, okay.

Next question.

You know, and again, I've seen up is a complex question not to be, condescending, but, we have are certainly experiencing a larger and larger gap between the haves and have nots.

So one of the only concerns I have broadly, but I is going to expand that gap.

So you're an ideal person to talk a little bit about the education of this.

But I do have some concerns, not about us not being able to master a tool, to provide a better life for all people.

And also use it again as said tool to solve problems that we know now are problems that we don't know we have.

But I am concerned a little bit about access inequity here.

Can you talk to me a little about how education, is the silver bullet for all things, where it seems silly for Mac to learn to say that in your presence or, because John, of course, is a leader of, education in our community and widely considered one of the best.

But the disparity space, access space.

One thing about AI is it is the fastest moving technology piece or new thing that we've ever experienced, right?

My little anecdote about Impressionists is not the same.

Or apples to apples comparison to this is difficult to teach this even at MIT, because when you put together curriculum like you do every day, probably to think about this, am I still serving because I know you well enough to know that's how you consider your teaching.

But there is.

This is moving so fast.

How do we keep people safe?

How do we keep people included?

How do we provide access?

And again, that's a really complicated question.

But just your thoughts, even from your gut.

Oh man, oh man.

How much.

Yeah.

How much time do we have?

As much as you need to feel.

So education is.

Broken.

1,000%.

You know, Sir Ken Robinson did a Ted talk, what, 2004?

Whatever was the schools kill?

Creativity.

If I don't think anything's changed?

That's right.

Now, I'm not in that space.

But I've talked to enough people in that space, and I see enough of the outputs from the community college at BG.

Defines where I'm at right now.

K12 is broken.

It works for some people, but it definitely doesn't work for everybody and especially the people who need it most.

That's no offense to my people in K12.

I know you're doing what the state and and everybody tells you to do, and I love what you do because you do a thankless job.

And when you do get thanked, it's probably backhanded, something that has go so in all reality, when we talk about do kids need to be able to use I 100%, but do we teach them just I when they don't have the foundation that is built on it?

I is just going to if I teach you AI and you can make some stuff with AI, cool.

It's a Band-Aid for the moment.

It's not providing the foundation for you to be able to do and learn anything.

Our school systems honestly need less.

Tech.

Studies are coming out right now.

Screen time is hurting these kids more than anything else.

I mean, we complain about.

Things to be true as well.

My 100%.

Okay, 100%.

Because here's the thing.

The studies are 100% in favor of that.

And they're getting rid of it.

Yes.

And they're up to like the age 14, I think.

Here's the absolutely most ridiculous reality of all of education.

We have so many studies that tell us everything.

We're everything.

A lot of the things that we're doing are wrong.

And we still keep.

Doing we still keep doing them.

I don't know if you guys are familiar with the climate.

Yeah.

That climate.

They say what's true is false.

It is almost like all of this is evidence that the species that i still self-congratulation about being self-aware is in fact, not all that evolved.

At some times.

Education is so frickin stupid, I'm sure.

Mike.

Again, I'm not asking for a silver lining here because I. Not one for you.

Yeah.

What is it?

Silver lining or silver bullet?

Silver lining.

Both things.

Right?

I mean, this is not gloom and doom.

Again, on the aftermath of, of what we see in the newspapers and on television is coming to our backyard.

We are it's a sound.

It's a somber time.

Right.

But we have up do.

That's my question to you.

What are we going to do?

What's the question?

So K-12, K-8.

Yeah.

K-5, no computers.

Maybe an hour a week, something like that.

Right at that point, like.

And here's I'm going to begin with, you end in mind my good friend Stephen Covey.

Right.

I think that's even, again, with the end in mind, what do we want?

Right.

We want people who are creative problem solvers, the smartest people that I've worked with over my career as curriculum architect, instructional designer, working with subject matter experts who are doing amazing stuff all over the place is is even the people who are the best software developers, data analytics people I've ever met solve the problem on paper first.

And then they use the computer to implement the solution.

So what should we be doing in K5?

Two things get them paper and have them play games.

I think so much of what we probably take for granted, assuming we're all in the same demographic relatively right age wise, is that we spent how much time sitting at a table waiting your turn, looking at a board, trying to figure out what to do next.

That's freaking life.

Yeah.

I mean there was actually a game called.

Life right, right.

Yeah.

And those pieces were delicious and.

So many and so many of those things that we learned at the kitchen table.

Yeah.

Period.

Don't happen anymore.

And at the kitchen table because there's a freaking screen.

Because at the kitchen table, not only were you learning those skills, you were also interacting.

You were talking to your family and classmates.

You go to do presentations and do all the stuff that we say is necessary.

Now you've got the skill set development from the earliest stages of life.

And so people struggle.

Because the other challenge, though, is that if I've got to work two jobs, I've got two kids, I got this, this, this people have now turned into, this is my baby.

So thousand percent.

Right.

And so that's where this struggle kicks in, which is why it's so important that we can have these conversations, because you're seeing it from the lens of an instructional designer and all of those different things.

That's so critical to then play it out.

But then I always ask the question of where's the equity?

Where's the access?

How do we navigate through this so that communities are not left behind and can utilize the tech to actually make the work and the impact better?

And there's there's money.

There's money.

It's just not going to the right place.

Sure.

Like education.

And I'm glad.

We did that.

Yeah.

If we were to.

If we were to fully invest in one generation of kids K through 12 and make sure that every experience and every opportunity to explore the things that they're interested in, I don't care if it's after school, I don't care what it is.

I just want a kid being engaged in giving a rip about something through K through eight, and they are in a much better position, right?

And all of those things that we pay for on the back end with whatever it is or whether it's health, right, whether it's mental.

Whether it's jobs, all of it.

If you invest in a solid foundation, you can put up some rickety sticks and it'll be a shelter, right?

You can have a sandy foundation.

We go back to the Bible and there it is.

You know, there's a big, beautiful house on a beach.

Hurricane comes and it's in the ocean all over.

Yeah.

You're wearing a rotary shirt.

Service above self.

Tell us a little bit about what that shirt means and how it's related to education.

How much time do we have?

30s three.

The first time I did community service, my second time I got in trouble and the government told me I had to go do something.

I've been there.

Myself.

Was was packing boxes for for the holiday families.

My first day at rotary service before service above self.

So I had a look.

A shirt was at the gate.

Yeah, all that food bag.

And for me I was very lucky.

Very, very lucky.

I could have easily been someone who didn't contribute to society.

I had wonderful grandparents, I had a good school, everybody prayed a whole lot for me.

I met a wonderful woman who's kept me straight and narrow for the most part.

But I have had so much fortune and that line of becoming somebody who has contribute to society, or somebody who's just going to make trouble, like thin line, the 100%.

And it shouldn't be about being lucky.

Yeah.

Mike.

Excuse me.

Unfortunately, we could talk to you.

We're not to cut you off.

We can talk to you all day.

Mike Vanderpool, who wears a lot of hats.

But the hat, I think he, put forth most today as an educator and caring about.

Tomorrow, we are going to be closing out our end of the show without Kevin.

So pray for us.

We'll be back in just a moment.

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Welcome back to the 419.

We're closing out a great segment in a multitude of ways, but I do want to throw it over to my co-host.

John, thank you so much for coming on thoughts or anything that was salient that you experienced this morning.

Wow.

One thank you.

So thank you for letting me be on here.

I love your show.

I love y'all.

So this is good to be here.

I think what the through line for me today was, as you think about where you have to go and what you have to do.

It's not going to be a linear path.

Holly was very, very clear with letting us know that.

But you have to think about what the future is going to look like.

And what Mike clearly articulated is that where we are, our system that we have and this is no offense to our K-12 friends that are off the track, but the system that we have is broken.

And if we don't teach our kids how to do the basics and that's critically think and do those things, they're going to turn into adults that cannot do it.

Got about a minute left, Gretchen.

I think the through line is, seeing a future in the face of maybe adversity or naysayers.

Right.

Both of these individuals.

Mike was so interesting.

I never met him before.

Today.

And of course, love Molly.

But both of them are have creative ideas, creative thinking, creative problem solving.

And, I'm happy that we were able to talk to both of them.

And now more than ever, we need that with all the stuff going on in our fair city, we need it.

That's a great close.

Thank you both, as usual, for doing the show to guests, that it certainly inspires us to do more and it's all about community.

If you are a fan of the show, please tune in to YouTube channel at 7 a.m.. FM 91 and 3 p.m.

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Thank you Kevin, and we're missing you and hope you can get back soon.

But it's not too soon.

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