WEBVTT 00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:26.780 Hey everybody welcome to live with dr. Andre 00:00:26.780 --> 00:00:30.410 Jerry Your prime time destination for bold conversations, 00:00:31.010 --> 00:00:33.469 unfiltered truth, and real life inspiration. 00:00:33.750 --> 00:00:36.130 I'm your host, Dr. Andre Jerry, and I'm broadcasting 00:00:36.130 --> 00:00:39.270 live from my new home studio in beautiful San 00:00:39.270 --> 00:00:41.649 Juan, Puerto Rico. And I want to thank you for 00:00:41.649 --> 00:00:44.229 tuning in from wherever you are in the world. 00:00:44.950 --> 00:00:47.609 Tonight's show is proudly sponsored by Amazon 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:51.030 Auto. Yes, you heard that right. Amazon has finally 00:00:51.030 --> 00:00:54.270 entered the car game. Now you can browse, compare. 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:57.420 and buy your next ride online from trusted dealers 00:00:57.420 --> 00:01:00.420 right from the comfort of your own home. Convenience 00:01:00.420 --> 00:01:03.020 just got a major upgrade courtesy of Amazon Auto. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:06.340 Now before we get into tonight, so let me ask 00:01:06.340 --> 00:01:10.859 you something. Are you making good money but 00:01:10.859 --> 00:01:13.959 secretly miserable at work? Do you ever feel 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:17.920 like you're just going through the motions? Are 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:20.840 you battling imposter syndrome and wondering 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:24.569 how you even got here? and if you even belong. 00:01:25.549 --> 00:01:27.890 Have you put your dreams on hold because you 00:01:27.890 --> 00:01:31.230 think it's too late to start over? And here's 00:01:31.230 --> 00:01:33.310 the big one. Have you ever asked yourself, is 00:01:33.310 --> 00:01:36.629 this really it? Like, is this what I was put 00:01:36.629 --> 00:01:40.010 on earth to do? Is there more? If you answered 00:01:40.010 --> 00:01:41.709 yes to any of those questions, then trust me, 00:01:41.709 --> 00:01:43.609 you're in the right place tonight. We've got 00:01:43.609 --> 00:01:47.489 a powerful, transparent, and possibly life -shifting 00:01:47.489 --> 00:01:50.150 show lined up for you tonight. So grab your favorite 00:01:50.150 --> 00:01:53.530 drink. settle in and let's get into it. All right, 00:01:53.969 --> 00:01:56.250 so tonight's episode is deeply personal. We're 00:01:56.250 --> 00:01:59.250 gonna be talking about the boldest decision I've 00:01:59.250 --> 00:02:02.189 made to date, and that's walking away from federal 00:02:02.189 --> 00:02:05.469 civil service after nearly a decade of service, 00:02:05.730 --> 00:02:08.830 leadership, and dedication, and stepping into 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:11.370 a life that I made for myself right here in San 00:02:11.370 --> 00:02:14.490 Juan, Puerto Rico. So if you've been following 00:02:14.490 --> 00:02:16.469 me on social media, you already know I've... 00:02:16.509 --> 00:02:20.090 recently made a major announcement that I officially 00:02:20.090 --> 00:02:23.210 retired from federal civil service and relocated 00:02:23.210 --> 00:02:26.830 to Puerto Rico. Of course, I shared this news 00:02:26.830 --> 00:02:29.969 with my family and my close friends first, but 00:02:29.969 --> 00:02:32.569 once I made it public, the response really was 00:02:32.569 --> 00:02:34.789 overwhelmingly positive. I received a lot of 00:02:34.789 --> 00:02:39.169 messages of support and congratulations, but 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:42.169 the one question that kept coming up over and 00:02:42.169 --> 00:02:45.759 over was, but why? You know, it kind of had it 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:49.419 going on. What happened? Well, listen, there's 00:02:49.419 --> 00:02:52.400 definitely a backstory to this, and we'll get 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:55.240 into all of that. But really, the truth, guys, 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:57.360 is that I've been planning this for quite some 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:02.460 time. Retiring early and moving abroad, it wasn't 00:03:02.460 --> 00:03:05.919 a spontaneous decision. It was always the goal. 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:09.639 It was always the end game for me. So it was 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:13.240 never a matter of if. It was just about when 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:18.250 and where. But for me, this was the season to 00:03:18.250 --> 00:03:21.229 finally make a bold change. So let's get into 00:03:21.229 --> 00:03:26.169 it and talk about why Okay, so I Didn't exactly 00:03:26.169 --> 00:03:30.430 plan to retire so early at age 45 Obviously, 00:03:30.449 --> 00:03:32.810 I'm super excited, you know who wouldn't love 00:03:32.810 --> 00:03:37.370 to retire at age 45, right? But my original plan 00:03:37.370 --> 00:03:42.389 was to work until age 50 maybe 53 if I really 00:03:42.389 --> 00:03:46.289 loved what I was doing But that's just the thing 00:03:46.289 --> 00:03:49.669 right there. I did I didn't love what I was doing 00:03:49.669 --> 00:03:52.810 and you know, I'm gonna unpack that a bit more 00:03:52.810 --> 00:03:56.990 in just a moment, but you know given the current 00:03:56.990 --> 00:04:00.289 climate that we're in and Everything that's been 00:04:00.289 --> 00:04:03.689 going on in the public sector with the new administration 00:04:03.689 --> 00:04:06.729 and doge and all of its initiatives targeting 00:04:06.729 --> 00:04:10.849 federal employees It just it just wasn't a safe 00:04:10.849 --> 00:04:15.199 space anymore you know the the federal work environment 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:20.160 had become unstable. It's really never been unstable. 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:24.060 That was one of the great things about being 00:04:24.060 --> 00:04:26.199 a federal employee is that you had the job security, 00:04:26.220 --> 00:04:28.839 but it become unstable and unpredictable. We 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:30.579 didn't know what was coming from week to week. 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:34.279 And, you know, in my experience, it had become 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:38.660 a toxic workspace, a toxic environment. And listen, 00:04:38.699 --> 00:04:42.639 I can only speak for myself, but I don't do toxic 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:45.220 workplaces. I don't do toxic workplaces. I don't 00:04:45.220 --> 00:04:47.420 do toxic environments. Anybody that knows me 00:04:47.420 --> 00:04:50.379 knows I don't deal with that. You know, I put 00:04:50.379 --> 00:04:54.779 too much time and effort into not just my professional 00:04:54.779 --> 00:04:58.139 career, but also in my personal growth and development. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:01.100 And, you know, just to continue to stay in an 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:04.480 environment that I feel compromises my mental 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:07.600 health and peace of mind. I just wasn't willing 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:10.949 to do that. Now if you've tuned into our last 00:05:10.949 --> 00:05:13.569 episode it was called the future of federal civil 00:05:13.569 --> 00:05:17.790 service You'll remember how I shared how federal 00:05:17.790 --> 00:05:21.730 employees were being impacted by you know a sudden 00:05:21.730 --> 00:05:24.430 string of Changes resulting from these executive 00:05:24.430 --> 00:05:26.790 orders that were coming from the new administration 00:05:26.790 --> 00:05:29.410 you know and I talked about where I felt we were 00:05:29.410 --> 00:05:32.910 hitting in terms of our employment and You know 00:05:32.910 --> 00:05:36.329 this all began with the hiring freeze back in 00:05:36.329 --> 00:05:39.310 January. There was a hiring freeze on all federal 00:05:39.310 --> 00:05:42.829 positions. And then the next thing was the return 00:05:42.829 --> 00:05:46.129 to office mandate. Some of this we saw coming, 00:05:46.550 --> 00:05:49.209 but, you know, a lot of it we didn't. After that, 00:05:49.290 --> 00:05:53.269 there was the deferred resignation program, and 00:05:53.269 --> 00:05:56.029 then the layoffs for the probationary employees 00:05:56.029 --> 00:05:58.329 started. All of this within a few short weeks 00:05:58.329 --> 00:06:00.949 now. And, you know, they're still telling what 00:06:00.949 --> 00:06:04.120 else has happened since I retired in March. So 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:07.139 you can sort of imagine the toll that this was 00:06:07.139 --> 00:06:10.439 all taking on the federal workforce. I can't 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:13.319 speak for other agencies, but at least within 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:17.579 the Department of Defense, we were already grappling 00:06:17.579 --> 00:06:21.660 with a reduced workforce, you know, and other 00:06:21.660 --> 00:06:24.759 challenges before all of this. And the reduced 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:28.120 workforce was due in large part to a significant 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:31.079 number of our workforce retiring after COVID 00:06:31.079 --> 00:06:34.310 hit in 2020. So it kind of started there. We 00:06:34.310 --> 00:06:37.829 had lost a wealth of knowledge and, you know, 00:06:38.089 --> 00:06:40.529 our continuity of programs, a lot of our programs, 00:06:40.870 --> 00:06:43.649 after some of our more senior workforce personnel 00:06:43.649 --> 00:06:47.889 retired. And because of attrition, the number, 00:06:48.529 --> 00:06:50.629 well, a significant number of these vacancies, 00:06:50.629 --> 00:06:53.209 they weren't able to be filled. So at least within 00:06:53.209 --> 00:06:55.670 the DOD, we had our shared challenges to contend 00:06:55.670 --> 00:06:59.269 with anyway before the new administration even 00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:04.019 came on. You know, so... When you take into account 00:07:04.019 --> 00:07:07.639 our existing challenges and you couple it with 00:07:07.639 --> 00:07:10.120 Doge coming for everyone's job, you can sort 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:13.560 of understand how for some it may have become 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:19.360 a toxic workplace. And I mentioned this in the 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:21.680 previous show, but in my case, I was in leadership. 00:07:22.060 --> 00:07:24.519 So that sort of made staying with the federal 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:27.259 government even more untenable for me. There 00:07:27.259 --> 00:07:31.430 were a few things that I was privy to. that I 00:07:31.430 --> 00:07:35.470 couldn't share with the workforce. There were 00:07:35.470 --> 00:07:37.170 a lot of questions that were coming from the 00:07:37.170 --> 00:07:40.670 team that I wasn't in a position to answer directly. 00:07:42.430 --> 00:07:45.029 And then there was the regular stress from the 00:07:45.029 --> 00:07:47.250 jobs and having to deal with so many different 00:07:47.250 --> 00:07:50.910 personalities and needs and interpersonal conflict 00:07:50.910 --> 00:07:54.769 and just demands from our customers and our end 00:07:54.769 --> 00:07:58.189 users. It was a lot. And if you know how I am, 00:07:58.300 --> 00:08:02.819 I pride myself on being a top performer. So I'm 00:08:02.819 --> 00:08:05.339 going to bring my A -game to any job that I do. 00:08:05.540 --> 00:08:07.519 I'm going to make sure my team brings their A 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:10.220 -game. And if anyone on my team isn't bringing 00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:13.660 it, they have to get up to par, or they have 00:08:13.660 --> 00:08:16.759 to find another team. So I wasn't going to half 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:20.220 -ass anything, but when you keep pushing yourself 00:08:20.220 --> 00:08:24.160 and your team like that, you risk burning yourself 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:27.259 out. And see, listen, I don't mind. you know, 00:08:27.300 --> 00:08:29.220 working long hours and doing whatever I gotta 00:08:29.220 --> 00:08:33.519 do to get the job done. But when you start to 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.340 feel like all of your hard work and long hours 00:08:37.340 --> 00:08:40.399 and dedication and all the time you're sacrificing 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:43.419 away from your family and things like that, when 00:08:43.419 --> 00:08:45.039 you start to feel like that's not appreciated, 00:08:45.139 --> 00:08:49.080 it's not valued, you start to feel like, look, 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:53.480 why am I even here? And like I said in the last 00:08:53.480 --> 00:08:55.960 episode, the last straw for me really was that 00:08:55.960 --> 00:09:00.230 email. That what did you do last week email and 00:09:00.230 --> 00:09:03.490 it's probably still coming every week It supposedly 00:09:03.490 --> 00:09:07.350 came from OPM, you know, we It basically obligated 00:09:07.350 --> 00:09:09.789 us to send five bullets outlining our accomplishments 00:09:09.789 --> 00:09:13.029 for the previous week And listen, it really wasn't 00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:15.169 about having to send the bullet It wasn't that 00:09:15.169 --> 00:09:18.289 because most of us were already accustomed to 00:09:18.289 --> 00:09:21.429 maintaining a monthly activity report or weekly 00:09:21.429 --> 00:09:24.490 activity report that outlines our progress in 00:09:24.490 --> 00:09:28.279 our activity for a certain period. For me at 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:33.019 least, it was the implication that most of us 00:09:33.019 --> 00:09:37.779 federal employees are non -performers or underperformers. 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:41.639 And it was the completely unprofessional way 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:44.799 that they went about this entire thing. You know, 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:49.080 if their objective truly was to make an honest 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:52.500 assessment of the daily activity and contributions 00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:55.399 of federal workers, then that's fine. But there 00:09:55.399 --> 00:09:58.139 was a better way to go about it than sending 00:09:58.139 --> 00:10:02.360 a random, poorly written email to the entire 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:07.240 workforce on the weekend, mind you, just arbitrarily 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:09.960 requesting five bullets. And then they had this 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:13.500 implication that a non -response would be considered 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:18.600 a resignation. And to add insult to injury, there 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:22.360 really weren't any consideration given to employees 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:26.710 who may have been on leave. or on TVY, FMLA, 00:10:27.710 --> 00:10:30.549 you know, all sorts of things. Many people, not 00:10:30.549 --> 00:10:34.210 every federal employee has ready access to email. 00:10:34.990 --> 00:10:36.950 You know, so it was just a lot of things that 00:10:36.950 --> 00:10:38.929 weren't even taken into consideration. There 00:10:38.929 --> 00:10:41.610 was no signature on the email, no chain of command. 00:10:43.029 --> 00:10:46.309 The subject line was very just tacky. What did 00:10:46.309 --> 00:10:50.409 you do last week? That's like a text, you know? 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:52.039 It just, you know, it just looked like it was 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:53.639 sent from someone's cell phone. I still can't 00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:57.179 get over that email. It just showed a total lack 00:10:57.179 --> 00:11:00.679 of respect and a lack of regard for the entire 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:03.740 workforce. So, you know, like I said, I can't 00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:05.279 speak for anyone else, but for me it was like, 00:11:05.340 --> 00:11:07.600 you know, what am I doing? Why am I still even 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:13.399 here? I've never seen one email wreak so much 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:16.240 havoc across the federal workforce. People didn't 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:19.470 know where the nation was. They didn't know how 00:11:19.470 --> 00:11:23.169 to respond. We didn't know if the email was completely 00:11:23.169 --> 00:11:27.070 legit or could it possibly be a cyber attack. 00:11:27.409 --> 00:11:30.789 And it took a couple of days for us to get some 00:11:30.789 --> 00:11:33.990 guidance from the undersecretary of the Air Force 00:11:33.990 --> 00:11:37.509 on how to approach it. It was just a complete 00:11:37.509 --> 00:11:42.230 debacle. So while all of this is happening, I'm 00:11:42.230 --> 00:11:45.190 thinking about all the hours that I actually 00:11:45.190 --> 00:11:49.049 spend at work. and away from all the things I 00:11:49.049 --> 00:11:51.169 enjoy, the people that I love, the things I really 00:11:51.169 --> 00:11:55.330 love to do. I had to ask myself, is this really 00:11:55.330 --> 00:11:57.690 where and how I want to spend the majority of 00:11:57.690 --> 00:12:02.330 my time? And that's what sort of began the thought 00:12:02.330 --> 00:12:06.370 process of making the decision to retire early, 00:12:06.850 --> 00:12:09.929 as opposed to hanging in there another five years 00:12:09.929 --> 00:12:15.570 or so. Another consideration is that I didn't 00:12:15.570 --> 00:12:19.970 really love my job. I mean, don't get me wrong, 00:12:19.970 --> 00:12:22.990 I had an awesome career path and trajectory. 00:12:23.549 --> 00:12:27.009 I started out as a logistics intern and I worked 00:12:27.009 --> 00:12:29.769 my way up to being the chief of logistics, not 00:12:29.769 --> 00:12:33.750 once, but twice in my career. I got to travel 00:12:33.750 --> 00:12:37.629 the world and represent my country as a U .S. 00:12:38.049 --> 00:12:40.269 diplomat and help facilitate foreign military 00:12:40.269 --> 00:12:44.700 sales with our cooperative partners abroad. And, 00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:46.539 you know, all of that was exciting. It was really 00:12:46.539 --> 00:12:50.279 exciting. But it never really ignited my passion. 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:54.240 And I noticed that very early on in my career. 00:12:54.860 --> 00:12:56.779 But, you know, I just kind of hung in there. 00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:59.419 Sometimes you just have to kick something and 00:12:59.419 --> 00:13:02.779 stick with it. And I noticed that God gave me 00:13:02.779 --> 00:13:06.179 favor in my logistics career, which I'm super 00:13:06.179 --> 00:13:10.340 grateful for. But no matter how far I went up, 00:13:11.460 --> 00:13:15.429 I still always felt like Sort of like an imposter. 00:13:15.950 --> 00:13:19.389 Like, how did I get here? What am I doing here? 00:13:19.769 --> 00:13:22.429 You know, this is not really what I want to do. 00:13:22.450 --> 00:13:24.710 I'm doing it, and I'm doing it well. This is 00:13:24.710 --> 00:13:28.789 not what I'm really doing. But when you've invested 00:13:28.789 --> 00:13:31.929 so much time in something, you sort of feel like 00:13:31.929 --> 00:13:36.149 it would be somewhat irresponsible to just throw 00:13:36.149 --> 00:13:40.330 it all away. You know, I tried to pivot a few 00:13:40.330 --> 00:13:43.820 times and pursue other roles. functions in the 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:46.700 defense sector, but it just seemed like all the 00:13:46.700 --> 00:13:50.059 best opportunities just so happened to be in 00:13:50.059 --> 00:13:53.840 the logistics career field. You know, so I just 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:56.799 sort of went with it and I embraced it. And for 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:59.759 those of you who aren't really clear on what 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:04.679 exactly logistics is, in basic terms, logistics, 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:06.279 we make sure that the military has everything 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:08.820 they need to operate. We're talking about their 00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:11.580 supplies, their equipment, their training. If 00:14:11.580 --> 00:14:15.960 any repairs need to be done. You know, we're 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:18.240 sort of the behind -the -scenes problem solvers. 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:21.039 We put out fires every day. We're not the program 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:24.559 managers. They're like the spokesperson for the 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:28.259 weapon system or the program. We don't fly the 00:14:28.259 --> 00:14:31.220 jet, you know, but we make sure that there's 00:14:31.220 --> 00:14:35.860 fuel, parts, tools, support, and even trained 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:38.259 personnel. Everything they need to stay mission 00:14:38.259 --> 00:14:41.789 ready. And in my case, I worked on programs like 00:14:41.789 --> 00:14:46.950 F15, C17. I coordinated with contractors, helped 00:14:46.950 --> 00:14:51.330 to resolve all types of sustainment issues, and 00:14:51.330 --> 00:14:53.690 just managing everything that was needed to keep 00:14:53.690 --> 00:14:57.570 those systems running from purchase all the way 00:14:57.570 --> 00:15:01.750 to the end of its life cycle. So on the bottom 00:15:01.750 --> 00:15:05.090 line, if your logistics is messed up, you're 00:15:05.090 --> 00:15:07.789 going to risk failing your mission. So my job 00:15:07.789 --> 00:15:12.330 was to make sure that never happened. And in 00:15:12.330 --> 00:15:15.350 a lot of ways it was a thankless position, but 00:15:15.350 --> 00:15:19.509 if you take pride in your work and you enjoy 00:15:19.509 --> 00:15:23.629 resolving challenging problems, then being a 00:15:23.629 --> 00:15:29.269 logistician, it can be rewarding. And even though 00:15:29.269 --> 00:15:31.389 I never really enjoyed my job, I do appreciate 00:15:31.389 --> 00:15:35.110 that it provided me with a solid career and a 00:15:35.110 --> 00:15:39.889 great livelihood. Wow, an awesome network of 00:15:39.889 --> 00:15:43.490 people and a lot of wonderful experiences. But 00:15:43.490 --> 00:15:48.590 at age 45, I still have a lot of life left in 00:15:48.590 --> 00:15:51.029 me. And I believe I deserve to finally pursue 00:15:51.029 --> 00:15:54.330 things that I enjoy and things that make me happy. 00:15:55.769 --> 00:15:57.610 And speaking of things that make me happy, many 00:15:57.610 --> 00:16:01.169 of you who follow the show know that among many 00:16:01.169 --> 00:16:03.789 other things, I'm a three -time published author. 00:16:04.380 --> 00:16:07.159 Back in February of this year, I was invited 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:10.379 to be the featured guest on The Author's First 00:16:10.379 --> 00:16:12.820 Show, which is another popular radio show on 00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:15.720 the network here. And we discussed my latest 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:19.220 book, Unlocking Your Best Life. Now, the reason 00:16:19.220 --> 00:16:22.139 I mention this, of course, is the plug to the 00:16:22.139 --> 00:16:26.399 new book. But I also want to convey here that 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:30.539 it was during this interview that it really hit 00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:34.080 me that this is what I really love doing. I love 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.379 writing and publishing books. I love being on 00:16:36.379 --> 00:16:38.620 the radio. I love live radio. It's nerve wracking, 00:16:38.620 --> 00:16:41.879 but I love it. You know, I love content creating. 00:16:41.980 --> 00:16:44.860 I love being a motivational speaker, using my 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:48.659 platform to educate folks and inform people and 00:16:48.659 --> 00:16:52.399 inspire others to unlock their best lives. And 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:56.120 nothing that I do or have done in my day job 00:16:56.120 --> 00:16:58.419 came remotely close to giving me the thrill that 00:16:58.419 --> 00:17:01.179 I have when I'm operating in this capacity that 00:17:01.179 --> 00:17:04.799 I'm operating in right now. I just love it. Something 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:06.960 else small but significant that happened during 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:12.200 that radio show, Scott Zalasco, aka V -Man, you 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:14.220 know, he interviewed me that day. He's also the 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:17.200 engineer for this show. He said something that 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.859 stuck with me. And, you know, when we were coming 00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:23.779 back from break, I think it was, in his segue 00:17:23.779 --> 00:17:26.619 to the second segment, he said something to the 00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:28.440 effect of, you know, welcome back to the show 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.420 and your host, V -Man, and I really love my job. 00:17:32.230 --> 00:17:34.369 And you know how, like in the movies, when someone 00:17:34.369 --> 00:17:37.309 says something really poignant or significant, 00:17:37.710 --> 00:17:40.509 the words they say after that sort of fade out 00:17:40.509 --> 00:17:43.269 in the background? That's kind of how it was 00:17:43.269 --> 00:17:46.089 for me when he said that. And I know it may not 00:17:46.089 --> 00:17:49.029 be a big deal to anyone else, but for me, that 00:17:49.029 --> 00:17:51.769 was confirmation of what I was feeling in that 00:17:51.769 --> 00:17:54.490 moment. Because that's something I always wanted 00:17:54.490 --> 00:17:58.230 to be able to say and feel. And Scott, I told 00:17:58.230 --> 00:18:02.650 you this, but... That small, seemingly insignificant 00:18:02.650 --> 00:18:06.509 comment that you made, it planted a seed. It 00:18:06.509 --> 00:18:09.190 planted a seed that inspired me to finally step 00:18:09.190 --> 00:18:13.150 out on faith and bet on myself and pursue my 00:18:13.150 --> 00:18:17.250 passion. So that was really sort of the impetus 00:18:17.250 --> 00:18:22.630 to me making the decision to finally leave federal 00:18:22.630 --> 00:18:26.759 civil service and pursue what I love. Yes, all 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:29.420 the foolishness with Doge and the new administration, 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:32.559 all of that, the stressful work, that was a factor 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:37.079 for sure, but after that author's first interview, 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:39.880 I really had made up my mind that I was gonna 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:44.359 pivot. So, you know, after that, a couple of 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:46.519 weeks go by, I'm still working on the base, I'm 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:48.619 still doing the daily grind, but I got a little 00:18:48.619 --> 00:18:52.380 bit of extra pep in myself because I know, at 00:18:52.380 --> 00:18:54.480 some point in the near future, I didn't know 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:56.819 when, but I knew I was going to walk away from 00:18:56.819 --> 00:19:00.180 all of this. But, you know, I start to notice 00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:05.779 that I wasn't feeling my best. I had been having 00:19:05.779 --> 00:19:10.299 these weird aches and pains in my body, and they 00:19:10.299 --> 00:19:12.039 were sort of persistent. They weren't really 00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:14.420 going away. And I'm a pretty healthy guy, so 00:19:14.420 --> 00:19:17.000 if there's anything weird going on with my body, 00:19:17.099 --> 00:19:19.940 it's going to get my attention. And I've always 00:19:19.940 --> 00:19:23.039 been somewhat of a... hypochondriac anyway. I'll 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:24.779 run to the doctor in a minute if I feel like 00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:27.240 something's off and have him check me out and 00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:29.299 do blood work and make sure things are good. 00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:32.019 So that's exactly what I did. I was given an 00:19:32.019 --> 00:19:34.359 appointment with my doctor. I told him, you know, 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:37.980 what was going on with me and right away he knew 00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:41.380 that was stress related. He knew it. He asked 00:19:41.380 --> 00:19:43.480 about the type of work I do. I told him I work 00:19:43.480 --> 00:19:47.599 for the DOD. This is a new doctor when I relocated 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:51.269 to Ohio. But he was like, yeah, I can imagine 00:19:51.269 --> 00:19:54.269 that you guys are under a lot of pressure these 00:19:54.269 --> 00:19:57.809 days You know, so long story short he prescribed 00:19:57.809 --> 00:20:00.630 me some meds and he gave me a few days off from 00:20:00.630 --> 00:20:04.549 work and I used those few days to really do some 00:20:04.549 --> 00:20:07.190 thinking I had a lot of time to think I thought 00:20:07.190 --> 00:20:12.009 about How I had sacrificed so much of my time 00:20:12.009 --> 00:20:16.490 and my energy My talent all my work ethic. I 00:20:16.490 --> 00:20:18.970 have an incredible work ethic I mean, I hate 00:20:18.970 --> 00:20:21.710 to brag about myself, but I do. But I devoted 00:20:21.710 --> 00:20:25.289 so much of myself to this career that I didn't 00:20:25.289 --> 00:20:29.089 even really enjoy. I didn't like it. I thought 00:20:29.089 --> 00:20:31.450 about all the stress I was under. I thought about 00:20:31.450 --> 00:20:34.829 how my health was starting to be impacted. You 00:20:34.829 --> 00:20:37.529 know, usually I go to the gym or go for a walk 00:20:37.529 --> 00:20:40.369 or ride a bike or do some sort of like physical 00:20:40.369 --> 00:20:44.849 activity to offset the stress. But I hadn't worked 00:20:44.849 --> 00:20:47.380 out in over a year. You know, I just started 00:20:47.380 --> 00:20:50.559 back going to the gym about a week or so ago. 00:20:51.140 --> 00:20:53.400 But yeah, I had stopped making time for the gym. 00:20:53.819 --> 00:20:57.180 So by the time I got home most days, I was just 00:20:57.180 --> 00:20:59.500 so mentally exhausted that all I wanted to do 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:03.380 was just eat, relax, watch a movie or something, 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:07.079 just something to decompress my mind. And you 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:08.839 know, the little energy that I had left, I had 00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:12.890 to save it for my creative project. I had to 00:21:12.890 --> 00:21:15.369 work on my show. I had new book concepts I was 00:21:15.369 --> 00:21:21.309 working on or a new music idea. And that's really 00:21:21.309 --> 00:21:24.890 the sad part. That creative side of me, which 00:21:24.890 --> 00:21:28.009 is really the authentic me, it was getting the 00:21:28.009 --> 00:21:32.109 leftovers. And I was giving the best of myself 00:21:32.109 --> 00:21:35.190 to something that didn't even belong to me. I 00:21:35.190 --> 00:21:39.509 had no equity in it. All of this for a government 00:21:39.509 --> 00:21:43.680 that was now content with harassing its workforce, 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:47.400 let's just say it, and terminating people via 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:50.720 email, hardworking people who invested years 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.480 and years with the government and made notable 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:58.279 contributions over the years. So with all of 00:21:58.279 --> 00:22:01.500 this and with my future at the forefront of my 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:05.460 mind, by the end of that few days of sick leave, 00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:10.259 I really felt like I was at a crossroads. I mean, 00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:12.039 I knew I had to return back to work the next 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:15.599 day, but I kind of just knew if I did that I 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:18.279 would just fall right back into that routine 00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:21.759 of work, work, work, grind, grind, grind, you 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:24.880 know, have very little time for myself and the 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:28.400 things I really enjoy doing. And I'm a praying 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:31.180 man, so I had been in prayer about this, you 00:22:31.180 --> 00:22:34.920 know, beforehand, but I remember that night before 00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:37.200 I was due to go back to work, I remember asking 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:41.710 God for dice. Because I really felt in my spirit. 00:22:41.809 --> 00:22:45.950 I wasn't supposed to go back and It wasn't a 00:22:45.950 --> 00:22:49.109 feeling of like dread, you know like that. I 00:22:49.109 --> 00:22:50.690 really don't want to go back to work tomorrow. 00:22:50.710 --> 00:22:55.710 It wasn't that It was different. It was uh, I 00:22:55.710 --> 00:22:58.910 Don't know going back to work felt wrong It felt 00:22:58.910 --> 00:23:03.730 like a season of change was finally here You 00:23:03.730 --> 00:23:05.309 know, and I'm gonna tell you something that happened 00:23:05.309 --> 00:23:08.410 that same night before I was Supposed to return 00:23:08.410 --> 00:23:10.569 back to work and this is gonna sound a little 00:23:10.569 --> 00:23:12.970 silly to some of y 'all, but just hear me out 00:23:12.970 --> 00:23:17.549 and keep an open mind okay, so usually right 00:23:17.549 --> 00:23:21.230 before bed, I put on some music and Remember, 00:23:21.230 --> 00:23:23.670 I told you I just prayed and asked God for some 00:23:23.670 --> 00:23:27.009 guidance. So just imagine I turned in for the 00:23:27.009 --> 00:23:29.970 night. I have my pajamas on I'm nice and cozy. 00:23:29.970 --> 00:23:33.529 I'm in the bed. I Asked Alexa to pay some soft 00:23:33.529 --> 00:23:38.279 R &B that I like to fall asleep to The first 00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:42.140 song that came on was Ain't No Way by Aretha. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:45.359 And listen, before you laugh, before you laugh, 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:50.279 I've heard this song a million times, but when 00:23:50.279 --> 00:23:53.420 it played that night, it just hit different for 00:23:53.420 --> 00:23:56.680 me. For whatever reason, those lyrics, they just 00:23:56.680 --> 00:24:00.700 kind of jumped out at me and I felt like, I'm 00:24:00.700 --> 00:24:02.740 being serious, I felt like my authentic self, 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:07.140 my creative self was. Somehow speaking to me 00:24:07.140 --> 00:24:09.680 You know and think about the lyrics that song 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:12.720 for a moment Ain't no way for me to love you 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:16.299 if you won't let me Ain't no way for me to give 00:24:16.299 --> 00:24:19.960 you all you need if you won't let me give all 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:23.900 of me But how can I give you all the things I 00:24:23.900 --> 00:24:27.940 can if you're tying both of my hands? It ain't 00:24:27.940 --> 00:24:30.740 no way And then you know how the lyrics go it 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:33.420 goes on it says stop trying to be someone you're 00:24:33.420 --> 00:24:37.599 not Hard, cold, and cruel is a man who paid too 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:40.579 much for what he got. Those lives, it's different. 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:45.019 They felt personal. You know, it spoke to that 00:24:45.019 --> 00:24:49.599 part of me that felt suffocated and not being 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:52.440 given the nurturing it needed to really blossom. 00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:55.819 It felt like that part of me was saying, you 00:24:55.819 --> 00:24:58.940 know, stop holding yourself back. There's a lot 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:01.700 more to you than you're allowing people to see. 00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:05.220 But in that last part stop trying to be someone 00:25:05.220 --> 00:25:08.140 you're not hard cold and cool as a man who paid 00:25:08.140 --> 00:25:10.720 too much What he got that's what really got me 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:14.660 because I Didn't sort of feel like an imposter 00:25:14.660 --> 00:25:17.299 all throughout my career. Yeah, I could do the 00:25:17.299 --> 00:25:21.299 work but There are so many people who were so 00:25:21.299 --> 00:25:25.240 much better than in logistics and I was you know 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:28.880 So I just always kind of feel like Why was it 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:33.609 me getting the promotion, you know? but um The 00:25:33.609 --> 00:25:37.049 job paid well and you know from the outside looking 00:25:37.049 --> 00:25:42.630 in it looked like I had it all and To a certain 00:25:42.630 --> 00:25:44.890 extent that was true, but yeah, I wasn't really 00:25:44.890 --> 00:25:47.930 happy Not really because I wasn't doing what 00:25:47.930 --> 00:25:51.069 I loved I was just earning a paycheck and climbing 00:25:51.069 --> 00:25:52.650 the corporate ladder and doing what I thought 00:25:52.650 --> 00:25:57.029 everyone expected me to do and The higher I climbed 00:25:57.029 --> 00:26:00.630 it seemed like the more unhappy that I got so 00:26:00.630 --> 00:26:03.390 I made an executive decision that night and I 00:26:03.390 --> 00:26:06.269 drafted my letter of registration and I submitted 00:26:06.269 --> 00:26:08.710 it like that. And really I haven't looked back 00:26:08.710 --> 00:26:12.190 since. I haven't looked back since. I know some 00:26:12.190 --> 00:26:13.869 of you are wondering did I give a two week notice. 00:26:15.650 --> 00:26:20.910 I'll say this. I gave the government the same 00:26:20.910 --> 00:26:23.089 courtesy they gave the thousands of people that 00:26:23.089 --> 00:26:25.950 they laid off without a warrant. That's what 00:26:25.950 --> 00:26:29.410 I did. So that's what led up to my decision to 00:26:29.410 --> 00:26:32.359 walk away from federal civil service. It was 00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:36.339 just sort of the perfect storm of a toxic work 00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:41.319 culture, career fatigue, and just like a divine 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:44.339 push for change. It's just sort of a season of 00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:47.660 change. And, you know, I may have been one of 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:50.059 the first to kind of step away and walk away 00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:52.299 from, you know, the federal government like this, 00:26:52.460 --> 00:26:54.759 but hopefully I won't be the last. I'm sure I 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:57.960 won't be the last. But when I left, I made sure 00:26:57.960 --> 00:27:01.000 I left on my terms and not someone else's. And 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:03.240 sometimes you've got to bet on yourself and make 00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:06.579 the best decision for you. We're going to take 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:09.440 a quick commercial break and hear from our sponsor 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:11.420 for tonight's show. When we come back, I'm going 00:27:11.420 --> 00:27:13.960 to share how retirement's been treating me so 00:27:13.960 --> 00:27:17.900 far, what's next in this second act. And I have 00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:19.519 a special announcement that you definitely don't 00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:21.319 want to miss. So stick around. We're just getting 00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:23.779 started. You're listening to Live with Dr. Andre 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:26.720 Geary. So don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:30.849 Looking for your next car? Amazon Autos has you 00:27:30.849 --> 00:27:33.509 covered. With just a few clicks, you can shop 00:27:33.509 --> 00:27:36.329 a wide selection of new vehicles, compare prices, 00:27:36.769 --> 00:27:39.289 read reviews, and even arrange pickup or delivery, 00:27:39.569 --> 00:27:42.329 just like ordering anything else on Amazon. It's 00:27:42.329 --> 00:27:45.049 the future of car buying, simple, transparent, 00:27:45.269 --> 00:27:48.650 and all online. 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Just Be Cards Publishing 00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:21.079 specializes in helping new and unpublished authors 00:28:21.079 --> 00:28:24.180 convert their manuscripts into completed published 00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:27.980 works that are featured on Amazon, Audible, and 00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:31.359 other major retail platforms. Ready to get started? 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:37.299 Email JustBeCards at gmail .com or visit JustBeCards 00:28:37.299 --> 00:28:41.160 .com for more information. Just Be Cards, creating 00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:46.049 a buzz just because. Hi, this is Ria Fry. Check 00:28:46.049 --> 00:28:48.930 out my new book, Until I Find You, available 00:28:48.930 --> 00:28:51.950 now wherever books are sold. You can learn more 00:28:51.950 --> 00:28:55.789 at reafry .com. That's R -E -A -F -R -E -Y dot 00:28:55.789 --> 00:28:58.630 com. And you are listening to the Artist First 00:28:58.630 --> 00:29:11.710 Radio Network. Hey, before we jump back into 00:29:11.710 --> 00:29:13.890 the conversation we were having, I got a special 00:29:13.890 --> 00:29:18.309 gift for all of my listeners. So for today only, 00:29:18.809 --> 00:29:21.930 Wednesday, April 23rd, you can download my latest 00:29:21.930 --> 00:29:25.390 book, Unlocking Your Best Wife, absolutely free 00:29:25.390 --> 00:29:28.349 on Amazon Kindle. You'll love it. It's filled 00:29:28.349 --> 00:29:31.470 with tools and truths and a lot of inspiration 00:29:31.470 --> 00:29:34.690 to help you step into your purpose and unlock 00:29:34.690 --> 00:29:37.589 the next level of your life. So... If you want 00:29:37.589 --> 00:29:39.549 to grab your copy, visit our show's homepage 00:29:39.549 --> 00:29:42.210 at artistsfirst .com, or you can head over to 00:29:42.210 --> 00:29:44.990 amazon .com and just search Unlocking Your Best 00:29:44.990 --> 00:29:47.670 Life by Dr. Andre Jerry. And if you'd like a 00:29:47.670 --> 00:29:50.150 personally signed copy, just send an email to 00:29:50.150 --> 00:29:53.869 livewithdrandrejerry at gmail .com. I'd love 00:29:53.869 --> 00:29:56.589 to get one in your hand. OK, so if you're just 00:29:56.589 --> 00:30:00.049 tuning in, before the break, I shared the real 00:30:00.049 --> 00:30:02.690 reason why I left the Federal Civil Service. 00:30:03.049 --> 00:30:05.210 We talked about the stress, the toxic culture. 00:30:05.529 --> 00:30:08.490 and the soul searching that led me to choose 00:30:08.490 --> 00:30:12.650 peace, purpose, and try a new path forward. And 00:30:12.650 --> 00:30:15.309 listen, my objective for the night show is not 00:30:15.309 --> 00:30:17.950 just to brag or rub my new lifestyle on anyone's 00:30:17.950 --> 00:30:20.569 face. The reason I've decided to share my journey 00:30:20.569 --> 00:30:24.289 is to hopefully inspire others who may be in 00:30:24.289 --> 00:30:27.630 a similar situation as I was and just need a 00:30:27.630 --> 00:30:29.930 little encouragement from someone who's been 00:30:29.930 --> 00:30:32.069 there, who's been in their shoes, they understand 00:30:32.069 --> 00:30:35.089 how they feel. and can sort of just give them 00:30:35.089 --> 00:30:37.170 that extra motivation or push that they need 00:30:37.170 --> 00:30:40.250 to step out on stage and chart a new course for 00:30:40.250 --> 00:30:44.109 themselves. It doesn't matter if you're 45, 55, 00:30:44.230 --> 00:30:47.390 or 65, it's never too late to reinvent yourself 00:30:47.390 --> 00:30:50.230 or to go after your dreams. So let's get back 00:30:50.230 --> 00:30:54.450 into it. Okay, so it's been a little over a month 00:30:54.450 --> 00:30:57.269 since I retired. And I'll be honest with you 00:30:57.269 --> 00:31:00.829 guys, I'm still sort of getting acclimated to 00:31:00.829 --> 00:31:04.140 my new normal. It took me about two weeks alone 00:31:04.140 --> 00:31:07.319 to transition out of the state back to Puerto 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:10.460 Rico and You know, I just had a lot of loose 00:31:10.460 --> 00:31:13.940 ends I had to tie up with my Airbnbs and my other 00:31:13.940 --> 00:31:17.359 properties So I've only been back on the island 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:19.880 for a little over two weeks and it still just 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:22.640 sort of feels like I'm on vacation So it hasn't 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:26.480 really quite sunk in that this is My new normal. 00:31:26.500 --> 00:31:29.480 This is my home again and a lot of you who are 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:31.920 new to the show may not know this but This is 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:34.960 actually my second time moving to Puerto Rico. 00:31:35.420 --> 00:31:39.319 The first time was in 2018 when I worked for 00:31:39.319 --> 00:31:41.920 one of the big four accounting firms. It was 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:43.599 only for a couple of years, but it was a great 00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:47.559 time. I made some lifelong friends and it just 00:31:47.559 --> 00:31:51.720 always felt like home here. So to be able to 00:31:51.720 --> 00:31:55.319 retire here is definitely beyond exciting, beyond 00:31:55.319 --> 00:31:59.880 amazing. For me moving to Puerto Rico isn't it 00:31:59.880 --> 00:32:02.299 it's not just about being in a location a new 00:32:02.299 --> 00:32:06.900 location a new environment. This is Symbolic 00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:12.259 of a new life chapter that more slower pace and 00:32:12.259 --> 00:32:15.859 more centered and more purpose to them Because 00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:19.920 my life back in the state And I know a lot of 00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:22.299 you feel this the same way it was just hectic 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:25.819 You know, I had a lot going on. I was juggling 00:32:25.819 --> 00:32:28.660 a hundred different things, putting out fire 00:32:28.660 --> 00:32:30.480 after fire. It seemed like every time I turned 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:33.720 around, it was something else. I had to fix or 00:32:33.720 --> 00:32:38.400 address or solve or pay. Not to mention family. 00:32:38.539 --> 00:32:41.579 Dealing with family can definitely be draining 00:32:41.579 --> 00:32:44.039 at times too. So, you know, all of that combined 00:32:44.039 --> 00:32:49.440 can just get exhausting after a while. And I'll 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:51.640 just say it, there's a lot going on right now. 00:32:51.640 --> 00:32:54.460 in the state. You know, I don't even watch the 00:32:54.460 --> 00:32:58.059 news. And I can just tell it's just a lot happening. 00:32:58.099 --> 00:33:01.359 This is a really awful time for the country. 00:33:01.819 --> 00:33:04.480 And I don't have to get into the details as to 00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:08.500 why, you know, I think even the most delusional 00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:12.480 among us can see what's happening. So yeah, it's 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:16.680 nice to be away from all the madness and just 00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:20.980 enjoy good vibes and good people. And my decision 00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:24.319 to retire early also was about reclaiming my 00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:28.960 time and gaining clarity about what's important. 00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:31.839 Because, you know, I had to sort of check myself 00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:36.640 because over the years I noticed I had become 00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:40.900 sort of caught up in this grind of, you know, 00:33:41.180 --> 00:33:44.119 work, work, work, and, you know, trying to climb 00:33:44.119 --> 00:33:48.319 the ladder and make it to SES. which is the executive 00:33:48.319 --> 00:33:51.819 level within federal government. And I was definitely 00:33:51.819 --> 00:33:54.819 on that trajectory. You know, had I continued, 00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:57.460 my next job assignment definitely would have 00:33:57.460 --> 00:34:01.519 been the Pentagon. But you want to talk about 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:04.920 toxin. The culture in the Pentagon has cut so 00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:08.159 on a good day. But can you imagine how it is 00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:13.360 now with this current administration? No, thank 00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:17.190 you. No, thank you. But yeah, I had to really 00:34:17.190 --> 00:34:20.510 stop and ask myself, okay, Andre, is this really 00:34:20.510 --> 00:34:25.809 what you want? Or is this what you think everyone 00:34:25.809 --> 00:34:28.610 expects you to do? Say you made it to senior, 00:34:28.730 --> 00:34:31.750 they can say. Which I was just about one or two 00:34:31.750 --> 00:34:35.130 promotions away from. But say I made it to that 00:34:35.130 --> 00:34:39.130 level. Yeah, it would have felt great for a little 00:34:39.130 --> 00:34:42.650 while. And then after a while, I would have been 00:34:42.650 --> 00:34:45.719 right back to feeling empty. And the demands 00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:48.719 of that position would have taken more board 00:34:48.719 --> 00:34:53.179 of my time away from loved ones and the things 00:34:53.179 --> 00:34:56.539 I really enjoyed doing. So yeah, professionally 00:34:56.539 --> 00:34:59.380 and on paper, I would have had it going on. I 00:34:59.380 --> 00:35:03.400 would be extremely successful to those looking 00:35:03.400 --> 00:35:06.579 from the outside. But privately, I know I would 00:35:06.579 --> 00:35:10.099 be miserable. And there are tons of people who 00:35:10.099 --> 00:35:12.610 live like this. I know a lot of you listening 00:35:12.610 --> 00:35:15.349 now, you know exactly what I'm talking about. 00:35:16.309 --> 00:35:18.869 You make a good living, but you hate your job. 00:35:19.510 --> 00:35:24.369 Or you're not treated very well. Or your efforts 00:35:24.369 --> 00:35:26.510 and your contributions aren't valued the way 00:35:26.510 --> 00:35:31.090 that they should be. Or the workload that you're 00:35:31.090 --> 00:35:33.650 doing should technically be for two people, maybe 00:35:33.650 --> 00:35:38.809 three. I know. Trust me, I know. And you see, 00:35:38.849 --> 00:35:42.869 I do want to continue living that way. Now, do 00:35:42.869 --> 00:35:46.190 I miss the paycheck? Yeah, absolutely. That's 00:35:46.190 --> 00:35:51.570 about the only thing I've missed. But a six -figure 00:35:51.570 --> 00:35:55.250 salary, it's not worth my peace of mind and my 00:35:55.250 --> 00:35:59.449 time. Because your time is much more valuable 00:35:59.449 --> 00:36:04.550 than any salary that a job could pay you. Because 00:36:04.550 --> 00:36:07.429 here's the thing. Yeah, there's going to be a 00:36:07.429 --> 00:36:10.150 lot more responsibility in terms of Managing 00:36:10.150 --> 00:36:12.409 your activity and you know making sure that you 00:36:12.409 --> 00:36:15.389 generate income for yourself but if you have 00:36:15.389 --> 00:36:18.409 opportunity to work for yourself and redirect 00:36:18.409 --> 00:36:21.489 your energy and your focus to your gifts and 00:36:21.489 --> 00:36:25.449 talent You really can't lose Yes, it's gonna 00:36:25.449 --> 00:36:28.349 take diligence and determination just like anything 00:36:28.349 --> 00:36:31.489 else that you want to be successful in but you 00:36:31.489 --> 00:36:35.650 will eventually succeed And you don't have to 00:36:35.650 --> 00:36:37.510 take my word for it. Let me remind you of what 00:36:37.510 --> 00:36:42.579 the word of God says Proverbs 18, 16 says, a 00:36:42.579 --> 00:36:45.960 man's gifts make his womb for him and bringeth 00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:50.480 him before great men. Now this is the cornerstone 00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:53.219 verse in this. There's a couple of other scriptures 00:36:53.219 --> 00:36:56.559 I wanna talk about too, but this particular verse, 00:36:56.559 --> 00:37:00.480 it shows how your God -given talent will open 00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:03.059 doors for you and create opportunities even in 00:37:03.059 --> 00:37:06.559 high places. The next one is Matthew chapter 00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:10.619 25, verse 29. This one says for, Whoever has 00:37:10.619 --> 00:37:14.199 will be given more, and they will have an abundance. 00:37:14.780 --> 00:37:18.099 Whoever does not have, even what they have will 00:37:18.099 --> 00:37:20.659 be taken from them. And what I get from this 00:37:20.659 --> 00:37:26.000 verse is that when you use your gifts, it multiplies 00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:29.139 and it leads to increase. But the opposite can 00:37:29.139 --> 00:37:31.340 also happen. If you have gifts and talent that 00:37:31.340 --> 00:37:35.139 you bury and you don't lose, you know, that's 00:37:35.139 --> 00:37:38.940 not a good thing. 1st Peter chapter 4 verse 10 00:37:38.940 --> 00:37:42.039 says each of you should use whatever gift you 00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:45.699 have to serve others as faithful stewards of 00:37:45.699 --> 00:37:49.019 God's grace and various forms. So for me this 00:37:49.019 --> 00:37:52.019 reminds us that our gifts are not just for us. 00:37:52.599 --> 00:37:55.639 God gave us those gifts and gifts and talents 00:37:55.639 --> 00:37:59.320 so that we can share them and use our gifts and 00:37:59.320 --> 00:38:03.699 service to others to multiply its impact. So 00:38:03.699 --> 00:38:05.840 my question to you is what gifts have you been 00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:08.960 holding back from the world? What's the thing 00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:14.559 that you really would love to pursue? And have 00:38:14.559 --> 00:38:17.539 you given any consideration to what your purpose 00:38:17.539 --> 00:38:20.519 might be? And that's something that you may want 00:38:20.519 --> 00:38:23.780 to give some thought to because that's literally 00:38:23.780 --> 00:38:26.239 what's going to fuel you and propel you forward 00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:29.219 in life is your purpose. And it's okay not to 00:38:29.219 --> 00:38:32.559 know what your purpose is. I used to stress myself 00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:36.440 out in my 20s and 30s trying to figure out who 00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:40.400 I was, what I was supposed to do, be, have, what 00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:43.679 was I put here to accomplish. But at some point 00:38:43.679 --> 00:38:47.840 you realize that it's about the journey and not 00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:51.699 the destination so much. Your purpose is going 00:38:51.699 --> 00:38:54.340 to eventually be revealed to you in the right 00:38:54.340 --> 00:38:57.860 season. For some people they discovered early 00:38:57.860 --> 00:39:00.949 on in their lives You know, but others like myself, 00:39:01.789 --> 00:39:03.769 we're just discovering our purpose in our 40s, 00:39:03.769 --> 00:39:07.010 sometimes even later. So it just varies with 00:39:07.010 --> 00:39:09.909 each individual. But that's what life is really 00:39:09.909 --> 00:39:12.670 all about. Life is a journey to discovering your 00:39:12.670 --> 00:39:16.250 purpose and then going about the distance of 00:39:16.250 --> 00:39:19.150 living out that purpose using your unique gifts 00:39:19.150 --> 00:39:23.190 and talents and service to others. And really, 00:39:23.190 --> 00:39:26.070 we can just end the show right there because... 00:39:26.039 --> 00:39:28.920 What I just told you, it literally took me 45 00:39:28.920 --> 00:39:33.360 years to learn and to put into practice. You 00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:35.719 know, but it's all good. I'm grateful to Jehovah 00:39:35.719 --> 00:39:39.420 for revealing my purpose to me when he did. You 00:39:39.420 --> 00:39:41.219 know, I could have been 55 when I discovered 00:39:41.219 --> 00:39:45.440 it, so I consider myself blessed. But now that 00:39:45.440 --> 00:39:49.460 I know what I know, I got a lot of work to do, 00:39:49.539 --> 00:39:52.599 right? You know, so now that I'm officially retired 00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:57.090 and I own my own time, How do I plan to use all 00:39:57.090 --> 00:40:00.469 this freedom? Well, I'm definitely not sleeping 00:40:00.469 --> 00:40:02.849 in. And you know, I know you think that would 00:40:02.849 --> 00:40:05.309 be the first thing, you know, is being able to 00:40:05.309 --> 00:40:07.989 sleep late and sleep in, but actually what I 00:40:07.989 --> 00:40:11.750 found is that now that I'm living a purpose -driven 00:40:11.750 --> 00:40:15.289 life and able to devote 100 % of my time to me, 00:40:16.449 --> 00:40:18.510 I'm excited to wake up every morning. I wake 00:40:18.510 --> 00:40:22.269 up earlier now than I did when I had my job. 00:40:22.380 --> 00:40:27.119 I'm up most mornings at 5 a .m. I meditate, I 00:40:27.119 --> 00:40:29.579 read my Bible, I schedule my post for the day, 00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:33.159 I plan my work for the day. Some days I'm working 00:40:33.159 --> 00:40:36.380 on my manuscript for my next book. Other days 00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:39.019 it might be getting prepared for my radio show. 00:40:39.739 --> 00:40:42.400 And some days I'm just doing social media marketing 00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:46.880 all day. But here's the thing, that same energy 00:40:46.880 --> 00:40:49.300 and that same work ethic that I gave to government, 00:40:49.599 --> 00:40:53.150 I give it to myself. You know I get myself and 00:40:53.150 --> 00:40:55.929 sometimes I go a little harder because it's not 00:40:55.929 --> 00:41:00.409 like before now everything falls on me and There's 00:41:00.409 --> 00:41:02.889 no one to blame. There's no team to blame for 00:41:02.889 --> 00:41:06.110 you know for leadership or anything like that 00:41:06.110 --> 00:41:08.150 Everything falls on me and anything other than 00:41:08.150 --> 00:41:12.510 success is unacceptable So but one thing I do 00:41:12.510 --> 00:41:16.510 love now that I'm free from that job is that 00:41:16.510 --> 00:41:20.150 I can personally handle a lot of tags that I 00:41:20.150 --> 00:41:22.969 used to have to outsource to freelancers. And 00:41:22.969 --> 00:41:24.849 not because I didn't have the skillset and couldn't 00:41:24.849 --> 00:41:26.510 do it myself, it's because I didn't have the 00:41:26.510 --> 00:41:29.730 time. You know, so now I'm saving money, I can 00:41:29.730 --> 00:41:32.309 design my own book covers, I can design my own 00:41:32.309 --> 00:41:36.010 marketing materials to do phone content. And 00:41:36.010 --> 00:41:39.949 with AI, there's no excuse anymore. It's easier 00:41:39.949 --> 00:41:43.110 than it ever was to do graphic design and video 00:41:43.110 --> 00:41:45.650 editing or whatever other technical expertise 00:41:45.650 --> 00:41:48.500 you need. So if you just take the time or make 00:41:48.500 --> 00:41:51.179 the time to learn how to use these AI tools, 00:41:51.599 --> 00:41:53.639 then really, the sky's the limit in terms of 00:41:53.639 --> 00:41:58.579 what you can do. On the last live episode, I 00:41:58.579 --> 00:42:01.719 talked about the importance of having multiple 00:42:01.719 --> 00:42:05.179 streams of income. We all know this. And one 00:42:05.179 --> 00:42:07.820 of the income streams that I mentioned during 00:42:07.820 --> 00:42:11.179 the episode was starting a YouTube channel. Well, 00:42:11.239 --> 00:42:13.900 that's one of the projects that I've been quietly 00:42:13.900 --> 00:42:17.320 building behind the scenes is this new channel 00:42:17.320 --> 00:42:20.079 that I launched back in November called Reality 00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:23.139 of Truth. And some of you may already be familiar 00:42:23.139 --> 00:42:25.940 with it. By the way, shout out to Arthur Zane 00:42:25.940 --> 00:42:29.000 Edwards. He coined that phrase, Reality of Truth, 00:42:29.619 --> 00:42:32.159 and he was gracious enough to allow me to take 00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:34.360 it and run with it. He's also my brother -in 00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:38.739 -law. But yeah, this channel started as a simple 00:42:38.739 --> 00:42:43.119 space where I shared daily scriptures and spiritual 00:42:43.119 --> 00:42:46.039 reflections. You know, just over the past few 00:42:46.039 --> 00:42:49.300 months, it's grown into something really impactful. 00:42:51.039 --> 00:42:53.079 And so Reality of Truth has sort of become like 00:42:53.079 --> 00:42:56.340 a ministry in motion. You know, it's a channel 00:42:56.340 --> 00:43:00.099 that's rooted completely in biblical truth, and 00:43:00.099 --> 00:43:03.639 it encourages people from all walks of life with 00:43:03.639 --> 00:43:06.860 daily authentic scripture -based inspirations 00:43:06.860 --> 00:43:10.300 and messages. And I've been really amazed by 00:43:10.300 --> 00:43:12.239 the response that I've gotten to this in just 00:43:12.239 --> 00:43:15.960 a few months. We're quickly approaching 500 subscribers 00:43:15.960 --> 00:43:20.360 on YouTube. I know there are a lot of strategies 00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:23.940 to buy followers and run these fake engagements 00:43:23.940 --> 00:43:26.139 and inflate the numbers. I'm not trying to do 00:43:26.139 --> 00:43:28.059 all of that. That's not what this channel is 00:43:28.059 --> 00:43:33.340 about. I've really been focusing on growing organically 00:43:33.340 --> 00:43:37.260 through real connections and with real people 00:43:37.260 --> 00:43:41.099 who are genuinely resonating with our message. 00:43:42.889 --> 00:43:44.809 Here's what I found. With everything that's happening 00:43:44.809 --> 00:43:47.369 in the world and in this country, I found that 00:43:47.369 --> 00:43:50.030 people are really hungry for encouragement. They're 00:43:50.030 --> 00:43:53.389 hungry for the word of God. And the fact that 00:43:53.389 --> 00:43:55.389 Reality or Truth continues to grow without all 00:43:55.389 --> 00:43:59.409 these gimmicks, it's just God and good content. 00:43:59.909 --> 00:44:01.849 To me, that's confirmation that we're on the 00:44:01.849 --> 00:44:06.710 right path. I've also expanded the platform to 00:44:06.710 --> 00:44:10.400 TikTok. where we've had even more reach and more 00:44:10.400 --> 00:44:12.440 of you than the response has been incredible 00:44:12.440 --> 00:44:15.300 in just a few weeks. And you know, that's proof 00:44:15.300 --> 00:44:18.280 that when you keep God at the center of your 00:44:18.280 --> 00:44:20.920 plan, He'll take care of the growth, He'll take 00:44:20.920 --> 00:44:23.800 care of the success. You'll have to put in the 00:44:23.800 --> 00:44:27.960 time, the patience, and be diligent. And most 00:44:27.960 --> 00:44:30.780 recently, Reality or Truth has branched into 00:44:30.780 --> 00:44:34.949 a full -grown podcast. So we have the Reality 00:44:34.949 --> 00:44:37.110 or Truth podcast now that's available across 00:44:37.110 --> 00:44:41.389 all major streaming platforms. So now we're not 00:44:41.389 --> 00:44:43.730 just reading scripture, we're discussing it, 00:44:43.789 --> 00:44:47.030 we're breaking it down. We're bringing it to 00:44:47.030 --> 00:44:49.530 life in ways that are relatable and relevant. 00:44:49.670 --> 00:44:52.010 And not too long. People don't want a long sermon. 00:44:52.550 --> 00:44:54.929 People don't have 20, 30, and 40 minutes. They 00:44:54.929 --> 00:44:58.449 want to get the word, get inspired, and move 00:44:58.449 --> 00:45:00.570 on with their day. So I try to condense it as 00:45:00.570 --> 00:45:03.719 much as possible. So we're just getting started, 00:45:03.719 --> 00:45:06.440 you know So if you haven't done so already go 00:45:06.440 --> 00:45:09.079 on over to YouTube and just type in hashtag a 00:45:09.079 --> 00:45:11.000 reality of truth and it'll take you right to 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:14.780 the channel and Hit subscribe join, you know, 00:45:14.780 --> 00:45:16.980 you can also listen to the reality of truth podcast 00:45:16.980 --> 00:45:21.059 on your favorite podcast platform and Another 00:45:21.059 --> 00:45:23.380 thing if you want to support the mission you 00:45:23.380 --> 00:45:28.400 can go into the work My cash app hashtag is reality 00:45:28.400 --> 00:45:31.880 of truth So just wanted to throw that out there 00:45:31.880 --> 00:45:35.119 All right, and so listen, before we run out of 00:45:35.119 --> 00:45:36.719 time tonight, I want to talk about this special 00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:38.480 announcement that I promised. I want to share 00:45:38.480 --> 00:45:42.219 with you guys something that I'm excited about. 00:45:44.360 --> 00:45:49.179 Some of you may not know this, but I have kind 00:45:49.179 --> 00:45:51.699 of fallen in love with doing live radio. You 00:45:51.699 --> 00:45:53.980 know, this all started about four years ago when 00:45:53.980 --> 00:45:55.900 I was invited to be a guest on Irrelevant Risk, 00:45:55.980 --> 00:45:58.860 but not a radio show, which is another show on 00:45:58.860 --> 00:46:01.219 the August 1st Radio Network that airs. every 00:46:01.219 --> 00:46:03.760 second Monday at 7 p .m. Eastern, so be sure 00:46:03.760 --> 00:46:07.019 to check that out, relevant with or not. But 00:46:07.019 --> 00:46:09.820 that one experience kind of lit a fire in me. 00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:12.559 I just kind of fell in love with the energy and 00:46:12.559 --> 00:46:15.659 the connection, the real -time engagement, the 00:46:15.659 --> 00:46:19.460 stress of being live, and you can't edit anything 00:46:19.460 --> 00:46:23.199 out. I just kind of walked away from the interview 00:46:23.199 --> 00:46:25.300 knowing that, wow, this is something I really 00:46:25.300 --> 00:46:29.099 wanna do. So I'm gonna continue to work at it. 00:46:29.449 --> 00:46:33.110 you know, improve and, you know, as fate would 00:46:33.110 --> 00:46:35.570 have it, I'd end up being blessed with the opportunity 00:46:35.570 --> 00:46:38.570 to launch my own show shortly after that interview. 00:46:39.369 --> 00:46:42.110 And over the years, Live with Dr. Andre Jerry 00:46:42.110 --> 00:46:44.510 has grown and become one of the more popular 00:46:44.510 --> 00:46:47.369 programs on the network. We've received a lot 00:46:47.369 --> 00:46:50.650 of incredible feedback from listeners all over 00:46:50.650 --> 00:46:54.010 the place, Saudi, here in Puerto Rico, and all 00:46:54.010 --> 00:46:57.579 over the state, Switzerland, everywhere. But 00:46:57.579 --> 00:47:00.300 there's one comment that I've heard over and 00:47:00.300 --> 00:47:03.579 over. It was, we want more of your show. You 00:47:03.579 --> 00:47:06.599 know, people were kind of angry. That was just 00:47:06.599 --> 00:47:09.840 once a month. And, you know, I get it. I want 00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:12.980 to do the show more. I want to do it four times. 00:47:13.460 --> 00:47:17.079 But between the demands of my career and my other 00:47:17.079 --> 00:47:19.300 responsibilities and all of the stuff I had going 00:47:19.300 --> 00:47:22.980 on, I just wasn't able to get it done until now. 00:47:23.659 --> 00:47:26.320 So here's my announcement. Starting Wednesday, 00:47:26.760 --> 00:47:30.719 May 7th, live with Dr. Andre Jerry will officially 00:47:30.719 --> 00:47:34.980 air every Wednesday at 6 p .m. Eastern. So we're 00:47:34.980 --> 00:47:38.579 going from a monthly show to a weekly show. So 00:47:38.579 --> 00:47:40.920 I'm super excited about that. I remember telling 00:47:40.920 --> 00:47:43.619 our engineer one day, man, I wish I could do 00:47:43.619 --> 00:47:47.300 this four times. And now I look at what God has 00:47:47.300 --> 00:47:49.559 blessed me to be able to do. So I'm super excited. 00:47:49.929 --> 00:47:52.630 And I hope you guys are excited too because this 00:47:52.630 --> 00:47:55.949 next chapter is going to be bigger, bolder, and 00:47:55.949 --> 00:47:59.030 more impactful than ever. So I appreciate you 00:47:59.030 --> 00:48:02.449 for sharing this journey with me. Definitely 00:48:02.449 --> 00:48:06.130 let's keep growing together. And I just appreciate 00:48:06.130 --> 00:48:09.710 you. OK, so listen, we've come to the end of 00:48:09.710 --> 00:48:12.610 tonight's episode. It went by pretty quick. We 00:48:12.610 --> 00:48:15.909 talked about my bold decision, my life pivot, 00:48:16.369 --> 00:48:19.050 and what it is. really need to walk away from 00:48:19.050 --> 00:48:22.690 stability in order to chase alignment with yourself. 00:48:22.929 --> 00:48:25.170 And I share my personal journey and why I stepped 00:48:25.170 --> 00:48:27.829 away from federal civil service, why I chose 00:48:27.829 --> 00:48:31.769 Puerto Rico, how I'm finally learning to live, 00:48:32.190 --> 00:48:34.809 you know, my purpose. And so this new chapter 00:48:34.809 --> 00:48:38.030 begins. So again, starting Wednesday, May 7th 00:48:38.030 --> 00:48:40.610 at 6 p .m. Eastern live, Dr. Andre Jerry is going 00:48:40.610 --> 00:48:42.750 to do a weekly show. We're going to kick things 00:48:42.750 --> 00:48:44.690 off with a powerful episode that you won't want 00:48:44.690 --> 00:48:48.340 to miss, my very first guest. And this new era 00:48:48.340 --> 00:48:51.019 will be my childhood best friend, John Murray. 00:48:51.699 --> 00:48:53.480 And the name of the episode is going to be, what 00:48:53.480 --> 00:48:56.440 about your friends? How to know when to let go. 00:48:57.219 --> 00:48:58.920 So we're going to talk about our decades -long 00:48:58.920 --> 00:49:00.340 friendship. We're going to talk about our ups 00:49:00.340 --> 00:49:03.579 and downs and our fallouts, our reconciliations. 00:49:04.139 --> 00:49:07.440 And just have some real talk about when to hold 00:49:07.440 --> 00:49:13.199 on, when to let go. So some friendships you're 00:49:13.199 --> 00:49:15.900 not able to carry. through certain phases of 00:49:15.900 --> 00:49:17.559 your life. So we'll talk about all this stuff. 00:49:17.940 --> 00:49:20.239 We'll also dive into his journey as a podcast 00:49:20.239 --> 00:49:23.000 host and a real estate investor and talk about 00:49:23.000 --> 00:49:26.340 his plan to relocate abroad to the Dominican 00:49:26.340 --> 00:49:28.420 Republic. So you definitely don't want to miss 00:49:28.420 --> 00:49:31.199 it, but definitely a huge thank you to all of 00:49:31.199 --> 00:49:33.260 you who tuned in tonight. I hope you're able 00:49:33.260 --> 00:49:35.599 to take something away that's going to improve 00:49:35.599 --> 00:49:38.579 your life in some way. Of course, special thanks 00:49:38.579 --> 00:49:41.519 to our sponsor, Amazon Auto, making it easier 00:49:41.519 --> 00:49:43.480 than ever to shop for your next vehicle with 00:49:43.480 --> 00:49:46.960 confidence. and convenient. So, hey guys, listen, 00:49:47.119 --> 00:49:49.119 until next time, stay grounded, stay grateful, 00:49:49.760 --> 00:49:52.119 stay growing. I'm Dr. Andre Gerry and this is 00:49:52.119 --> 00:49:54.519 live with Dr. Andre Gerry. I'll see you Wednesday, 00:49:55.079 --> 00:49:58.460 May 7th at 6 p .m. Good night, everybody. Take 00:49:58.460 --> 00:49:58.780 care.